Chapter 1

¹ A revelation that God gave to Jesus the Anointed One, to show his slaves the things that must quickly take place. He sent it by His messenger to His slave John, in signs. ² And [John] testifies that everything he saw was the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus the Anointed One. ³ Those who read it aloud, as well as those who listen to the words of this prophecy and obey the things that are written in it are blest, because the time is near.

⁴ From John, to the seven congregations in the [province of] Asia; May you find care and peace from the One who is, who was, and who is coming, from the seven spirits that are near His throne, ⁵ and from Jesus the Anointed One, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. [He’s] the one that loves us, who freed us from our sins by his own blood, ⁶ and who made us to be a Kingdom of Priests to his God and Father. So, may he have glory and might through the ages and ages. May it be!

⁷ Look! He’s coming in the clouds and all eyes will see him, including those who pierced him, and all the nations of the earth will beat themselves because of him. Yes, may it be.

⁸ ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says Jehovah The God; ‘He who is, who was, and who’s coming… the Almighty.’

⁹ I (John) am your brother… I’m someone who shares in your persecutions, and in the Kingdom and endurance of Jesus. I’m on this island called Patmos for talking about God and for testifying about Jesus.

¹⁰ It was through the Breath [of God] that I found myself in the Lord’s Day. And from behind me I heard a voice that was as loud as a trumpet ¹¹ that said: ‘Write the things that you’re about to see on a scroll and send it to the seven congregations of Ephesus, Smyrna, PergaMōm, ThyaTira, Sardis, PhilAdelphia, and LaoDikea.’

¹² Then I turned around to see who was talking to me. But when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. ¹³ And between the lampstands [I saw] someone [who looked] like a son of man. He was dressed in a robe that came down to his feet, and his chest was wrapped in gold. ¹⁴ His head and hair were as bright as white wool or snow, and his eyes were as flames of fire. ¹⁵ His feet looked like the finest copper as it pours from a furnace, and his voice sounded like the noise that’s made by large bodies of water. ¹⁶ In his right hand [he held] seven stars; a long, sharp, two-edged sword was sticking out of his mouth; and his face glowed as brightly as the sun. ¹⁷ And when I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.

Then he laid his right hand on me and said, ‘Don’t be afraid; I’m the first, the last, ¹⁸ and the living one. And although I died, {Look!} I’m alive through the ages of ages. I also have the keys to death and the grave. ¹⁹ So, write about the things you see… the things that are, and the things that will soon be.

²⁰ ‘As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars signify the messengers of the seven congregations, and the seven lampstands signify the seven congregations.’

Chapter 2

¹ Write this to the messenger of the congregation in Ephesus: ‘This is what the one who is holding the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven golden lampstands, has to say: ² I know what you’re doing… that you’ve worked hard and endured; that you can’t tolerate bad men; and that you’ve put those who say they are Apostles (but aren’t) to the test, and you found them to be liars. ³ You’re also patient, because you’ve been carrying my name and haven’t given up. ⁴ But you’ve lost the love you had at first, and I hold this against you.

⁵ ‘So, recognize how far you’ve fallen and turn around! Go back to doing what you did at the first. For if you don’t – and unless you repent – I’m coming to you and I’ll remove your lampstand from its place. ⁶ However, I can say this in your behalf; You hate what the Nicolaitans are doing, and I hate what they’re doing too.’

⁷ Let those who have ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations: ‘I’ll allow the one who conquers to eat from the Tree of Life that is in the Paradise of God.’

⁸ And write this to the messenger of the congregation in Smyrna. ‘This is what the one who is first and last, who died and came to life, has to say: ⁹ I know about your problems and your poverty (although you’re rich), and about the blasphemy of those who say they’re Jews… although they really aren’t; they’re [really] a synagogue of the Slanderer. ¹⁰ Don’t be afraid of the things that you’re about to suffer, for; Look! The Slanderer is about to throw some of you in prison to test you, and you’ll be persecuted for ten days. But be faithful to death and I’ll give you the crown of life.’

¹¹ Let those who have ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations: ‘Whoever conquers won’t be harmed by the second death!’

¹² And write this to the messenger of the congregation in PergaMōm: ‘This is what the one who has the long, sharp, two-edged sword has to say: ¹³ I know that the place where you live is the very throne of the Slanderer, and yet you keep hanging onto my name. Why, you didn’t deny your faith in me even in the days of my faithful witness Antipas, who was killed right next to you, there where the Slanderer lives. ¹⁴ However, I still have a few things against you, for there are some among you who are following the teachings of BalaAm. It was he who taught Balak how to set a trap before the Sons of Israel [by getting them] to eat idol sacrifices and to be sexually immoral. ¹⁵ And you have those who are following the teachings of the Nicolaitans. ¹⁶ So, turn around; for if you don’t, I’ll be there soon and I’ll war against you with the long sword of my mouth!’

¹⁷ Let those who have ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations: ‘To the one who conquers I’ll give some of the hidden manna and a white pebble. This pebble has a new name written on it that no one knows other than those who receive it.’

¹⁸ And write this to the messenger of the congregation in ThyaTira: ‘This is what the Son of God says; he who has eyes like flames of fire and whose feet are like fine copper: ¹⁹ I know what you’re doing, and of your love, faith, service, and endurance. And what you’ve been doing recently is even more than what you used to do! ²⁰ However, I do hold this against you: You’re still putting up with that woman Jezebel. She calls herself a prophetess, but she teaches and misleads my slaves into immoral sexual acts and into eating things that are sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I gave her enough time to turn around, but she doesn’t want to repent from her immorality. ²2 So, {Look!} I’m throwing her into a bed and I will create big problems for those who are enjoying sex with her, unless they repent over what they’re doing with her. ²³ I’m also going to kill her children so all the congregations will know that I am the one who searches the kidneys and hearts, and I’ll give each of you what you deserve for what you’ve done.

²⁴ ‘However, to the rest of you in ThyaTira (those who don’t know about this teaching and who haven’t come to know about these things that are referred to as the deep things of the Slanderer), I say this: I won’t put any other loads upon you. ²⁵ Just hang on until I get there, ²⁶ and then I’ll give he who conquers and obeys whatever I tell him to do down to the end, power over the nations. ²⁷ He will shepherd the people [of the nations] with an iron rod using the same [power] that I received from my Father, and they’ll be broken to bits like clay pots. ²⁸ I’ll also give him the morning star.’

²⁹ Let the one who has ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations!

Chapter 3

¹ And write this to the messenger of the congregation in Sardis: ‘This is what the one that has the seven Breaths of God and the seven stars says: I know what you’re doing, for while you have the reputation of being alive, you’re dead. ² Wake up and strengthen the things that haven’t died yet, because I don’t see where you’ve finished any of the things that you’re doing before my God! ³ Start remembering [all the things] you received and heard, then hang onto them and repent! Why, if you don’t stay awake, I’m going to come like a thief, and you won’t know it until I’m right there on you.

⁴ ‘However, there are a few names in Sardis that haven’t dirtied their robes. They will walk with me and wear white [robes], because they deserve to. ⁵ Those who conquer will be dressed like that… in white robes. I’ll never erase their names from the Scroll of Life, and then I’ll admit to knowing their names before my Father and His messengers.’

⁶ Let the one who has ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations!

⁷ And write this to the messenger of the congregation in PhilAdelphia: ‘This is what he who is holy and true… he who has the key of David which opens what no one can close and closes what no one can open, has to say: ⁸ I know what you’re doing, and Look; I’ve put an open door before you that no one can close! I know that you don’t have much strength, but you’ve kept my word and haven’t denied knowing my name.

⁹ ‘Look at what I’m going to do to those from the synagogue of the Slanderer who say they are Jews (but who aren’t and are just lying). {Look!} I’m going to make them come and bow at your feet, and I’ll make sure that they know how much I love you. ¹⁰ And because you’ve obeyed my instructions to endure, I’m going to protect you from the hour of trial that’s going to come upon the earth to test all those who are living on it.

¹¹ ‘I’m coming soon, so keep hanging on and don’t let anyone steal your crown, ¹² for I’ll make the one who conquers a pillar in the Temple of my God, and he’ll never leave it. I’ll also write the Name of my God upon him, as well as the name of the city of my God, New Jerusalem (which will come down from my God in heaven), along with my new name.’

¹³ Let the one who has ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations!

¹⁴ And write this to the messenger of the congregation in LaoDikea: ‘This is what the Amen (the faithful and true witness, the beginning of creation by God) has said: ¹⁵ I know what you’re doing, and that you’re neither hot nor cold. I wish you were one or the other. ¹⁶ But since you’re neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, I’m going to vomit you out of my mouth! ¹⁷ This is because you’re saying, I am rich, and because I’m rich, I don’t need anything! However, what you don’t realize is that you’re really miserable, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. ¹⁸ So my advice to you is to buy gold that has been refined by fire from me, so you can become rich and wear white robes (so nobody will see the shame of your nakedness), and buy salve to rub in your eyes so you can see. ¹⁹ For; because I correct and discipline all those who I care for, [you should] repent and be zealous! ²⁰ Look, I’m standing at the door and knocking. And if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I’ll come in and we will have supper together. ²¹ Then I’ll allow the one who conquers to sit down with me on my throne, just as my Father has allowed me to sit on His throne, because I have conquered.’

²² Let the one who has ears hear what [God’s] Breath says to the congregations!

Chapter 4

¹ Then after I saw those things, {Look!} a door opened in the heavens and the first voice that I heard speaking to me sounded like a trumpet. It said, ‘Come on up here, and I’ll show you the things that must happen.’

² Then I immediately became like the wind. And look… there was a throne in the heavens with someone sitting on it. ³ The One who was sitting there looked like jasper and sardius gems, and all around the throne [there was] a rainbow that looked like an emerald.

⁴ Then, all around the throne there were twenty-four thrones on which twenty-four older ones were sitting. They were dressed in white robes and had golden crowns on their heads; ⁵ and lightning, thunder, and voices were coming from the throne. There were also seven flaming lamps that were burning before the throne, which are the seven Breaths of God. ⁶ Also in front of the throne, was a transparent sea that looked like crystal.

On each of the four sides of the throne, there was an animal with many eyes, both on its front and backsides. ⁷ The first animal looked like a lion, the second looked like a young bull, the third had a face like a man, and the fourth looked like a flying eagle. ⁸ Also, each of the four animals had six wings that were wrapped around them, and the inside parts of the wings were full of eyes. They don’t rest night or day, and they were saying, ‘Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah God the Almighty, who was, who is, and who’s coming.’

⁹ And whenever the animals gave glory, honor, and thanksgiving to the One who is sitting on the throne (the One who lives for ages of ages), ¹⁰ the twenty-four older ones fell down before He who is sitting on the throne, and they prostrated themselves before the One who lives for ages of ages. Then they threw their crowns before the throne saying, ¹¹ ‘O Jehovah our God; You deserve all glory, honor, and power, because You created all things… they were created and exist because of Your Will!’

Chapter 5

¹ Then I saw a scroll with writing on both sides, which was sealed tightly with seven seals, in the right hand of the One who was sitting on the throne. ² And I saw a mighty messenger who called out in a loud voice: ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’

³ But there wasn’t anyone in heaven or on the earth that was able to open the scroll or examine it.

⁴ So at that I started crying, because nobody could be found who was worthy to open the scroll and examine it.

⁵ But then one of the older ones said to me: ‘Stop crying. Look! The Lion who is of the tribe of Judah – the root of David – has conquered, so he can open the scroll and its seven seals!’

⁶ That’s when I saw a lamb that looked like it had been slaughtered standing between the throne, the four animals, and the older ones. It had seven horns and seven eyes (which symbolize the seven Breaths of God that have been sent into the entire earth). ⁷ So, [the lamb] went and immediately took [the scroll] out of the right hand of the One who was sitting on the throne. ⁸ And when he took the scroll, the four animals and the twenty-four older ones fell down in front of him.

Now, each one held a harp and golden bowls that were full of incense (which symbolizes the prayers of the Holy Ones), ⁹ and they sang a new song. It went:

‘Because you have been slaughtered,
You deserve to take the scroll and open its seals.
You bought people for God with your blood,
From every tribe, language, ethnicity, and country.
¹⁰ Then you made them rulers and Priests to our God,
And they’ll rule as kings on the earth.’

¹¹ And next; I looked around, because I heard the voices of many messengers around the throne, who (along with the animals and the older ones) numbered into the thousands of thousands and ten thousands of ten thousands! ¹² And they were all shouting in a loud voice, ‘This Lamb who was slaughtered deserves to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessings!’

¹³ And I heard all those in the heavens, those on the earth, those on the sea, and all the things that are in them say, ‘May the One who is sitting on the throne and the Lamb be praised, honored, glorified, and have the power into the ages of ages.’ ¹⁴ Then the four animals kept repeating, ‘May it be!’ as the older ones fell down and bowed to their faces.

Chapter 6

¹ Then I saw the Lamb open one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four animals say in a thundering voice, ‘Come on out!’ ² And at that, {Look!} I saw a white horse, and the one who was sitting on it had a bow. He was given a crown and he conquered and completed his victory.

³ Then he opened the second seal and I heard the second animal say, ‘Come on out!’ ⁴ And a fire-red horse came out, and the one who was sitting on it was given a large sword. He was authorized to take peace away from the earth, so [people] would kill each other.

⁵ Then he opened the third seal, and I heard the third animal say, ‘Come on out!’ And I saw {Look!} a black horse; and the one who was sitting on it had a balance scale in his hand. ⁶ Then I heard a voice that sounded like it came from the midst of the four animals, which said, ‘A quart of wheat for a silver coin and three quarts of barley for a silver coin… but don’t waste the olive oil or the wine.’

⁷ Then he opened the fourth seal, and I heard the voice of the fourth animal say, ‘Come on out!’ ⁸ And I saw {Look!} a greenish-yellow horse, and he who was sitting on it was named Death… and the Grave came following him. They were then given the authority to kill a quarter of the earth with the large sword, famines, plagues, and with the earth’s wild animals.

⁹ Then he opened the fifth seal, and underneath the Altar I saw the lives of those who had been slaughtered because of the Word of God and because of the testimony that they gave. ¹⁰ They were calling out in a loud voice asking, ‘O Sovereign Lord who is holy and true; How much longer will You hold back from passing judgment on those who live on the earth and avenging our blood?’

¹¹ Then they were each given a white robe and they were told to take it easy just a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow slaves and brothers was filled (who were going to be killed as they were).

¹² Then I saw him open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake, which caused the sun to become as black as haircloth, and the entire moon to become like blood. ¹³ Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth, like fig tree drops its figs when it’s shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ And next; the sky disappeared as though it was being rolled up in a scroll, and all the mountains and islands were moved from their locations.

¹⁵ And at that, all the kings of the earth, all the important people, all the military commanders, all the rich and powerful, as well as all the slaves and free people hid themselves in caves and under the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶ For they kept saying to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall over us and hide us from the face of He who is sitting on the throne and from the rage of the Lamb, ¹⁷ because the Great Day of their rage has [finally] arrived, and who can stand against them?’

Chapter 7

¹ After that, I saw four messengers who were standing at the four corners of the earth, hanging onto the four winds of the earth so the winds wouldn’t blow on the earth, the sea, or the trees. ² Then I saw another messenger who was coming up from the sunrise. He had the seal of the living God, and he shouted aloud to the four messengers who were allowed to harm the earth and sea, ³ saying, ‘Don’t harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until after we’ve sealed the slaves of our God in their foreheads.’

⁴ And I heard how many of them had been sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand from among every tribe of the sons of Israel.

⁵ Twelve thousand were sealed from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad, ⁶ twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand from the tribe of NaphTali, twelve thousand from the tribe of ManasSeh, ⁷ twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand from the tribe of IsSachar, ⁸ twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, and twelve thousand were sealed from the tribe of BenJamin.

⁹ And after all this, I saw {Look!} a crowd so large that no one could count them. They came from all countries, nationalities, ethnic groups, and languages; and they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were all wearing white robes, they carried palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and they were shouting, ‘We owe our salvation to our God who is sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb!’

¹¹ Then the messengers who were standing in a circle around the throne, the older ones, and the four animals all fell to their faces before the throne and prostrated themselves before God, ¹² saying, ‘May it be! May our God have all praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power, and strength through the ages of ages. May it be!’

¹³ Then one of the older ones asked me: ‘Just who are these that are dressed in the white robes and where did they come from?’

¹⁴ And I replied, ‘My lord; You’re the one who knows!’

Then he told me, ‘They are the ones who have come out of the great time of difficulty, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ¹⁵ That is why they’re before the throne of God and worshiping Him day and night in His Holy Abode. He who is sitting on the throne will then spread His tent over them, ¹⁶ and they won’t be hungry or thirsty anymore, nor will the sun beat down on them with blistering heat; ¹⁷ because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them. He will guide them to the fountains of waters of life, and God will wipe all the tears from their eyes.’

Chapter 8

¹ And when he opened the seventh seal, the heavens were silent for about a half hour. ² Then I saw that the seven messengers who stand before God were given seven trumpets.

³ Then another messenger showed up carrying a golden incense container. He stood at the Altar and he was given a lot of incense to offer – along with the prayers of all the Holy Ones – on the golden Altar in front of the throne. ⁴ And the smoke from the incense that was being held by the messenger kept arising before God, along with the prayers of the Holy Ones.

⁵ Then the messenger took the incense container and filled it with some of the fire from the Altar, and he threw it to the earth, which caused thunder, voices, lightning, and an earthquake. ⁶ And then the seven messengers prepared to blow the seven trumpets.

⁷ And when the first one blew his trumpet, hail and fire that was mixed with blood was thrown to the earth, which caused a third of the earth, the trees, and the green plants to be burned up.

⁸ And when the second messenger blew his trumpet, something that looked like a huge burning mountain was thrown into the sea. [This caused] a third of the sea to turn into blood, ⁹ which killed a third of the animals that lived in the sea and caused a third of the ships to be destroyed.

¹⁰ When the third messenger blew his trumpet, a huge star that had been burning like a lamp fell from the sky onto a third of the rivers and on the sources of water. ¹¹ I was told that the name of this star was The Bitter Poison. So, a third of the water turned into bitter poison and many men died from the water, because it had become so bitter.

¹² When the fourth messenger blew his trumpet, a third of the sun was struck, as was a third of the moon and a third of the stars, so they didn’t put out as much light. And a third of the day as well as a third of the night became dark.

¹³ Then I saw an eagle flying high in the sky, and I heard it shout, ‘Woe, woe, woe, to those who are living on the earth because of the remaining trumpet blasts of the three messengers, which are about to be blown!’

Chapter 9

¹ So, when the fifth messenger blew his trumpet, I saw a star that fell to the earth from the sky. And [this star] was given the key to the pit. ² He then opened the pit and smoke poured out of it such as would come from a huge furnace. And the smoke from the pit darkened the sun and the air.

³ Then locusts came to the earth out of the smoke, and they were given the same power as earthly scorpions. ⁴ They were told not to damage any of the earth’s vegetation or trees, just those men who don’t have God’s seal on their foreheads. ⁵ They weren’t allowed to kill them, just to sting them for five months, and the pain that they would bring was like the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. ⁶ And during that period, men will look for ways to die, but they won’t find any… they will wish to die, but death will escape them.

⁷ These locusts looked like horses that are prepared for battle. On their heads were what appeared to be golden crowns, and their faces looked like men’s faces, ⁸ but they had women’s hair. They had teeth like lions ⁹ and they wore breastplates that looked like they were made of iron. [The flapping] of their wings sounded like the attack of many chariots in a war, ¹⁰ and they had tails and stingers like scorpions. These tails were allowed to sting men for five months.

¹¹ They had a king who led them… the messenger of the pit. In Hebrew, his name is AbadDon, but he’s called ApolLyon (the Destroyer) in Greek.

¹² Then this first woe passed away. But look! Two more woes were yet to follow.

¹³ When the sixth messenger blew his trumpet, I heard a voice come from the horns of the golden Altar that’s in front of God. ¹⁴ It said to the sixth messenger with the trumpet: ‘Set the four messengers free who have been tied at the great River EuPhrates!’ ¹⁵ Then these four messengers who were prepared to kill a third of all men on [a specific] hour, day, month, and year, were untied.

¹⁶ [These messengers led] an army that I was told had twenty-million horsemen. ¹⁷ And this is what the horses and their riders looked like in the vision: They wore fire-red, hyacinth-blue, and sulfur-yellow breastplates. The horses had heads like lions; and fire, smoke, and sulfur came from their mouths. ¹⁸ It was these three plagues (the fire, smoke, and sulfur that came from their mouths) that killed a third of all men. ¹⁹ The power of the horses was all in their mouths and tails, and their tails were like snakes that have heads… and these are what they used to do all the damage.

²⁰ However, the rest of the men who weren’t killed by these plagues wouldn’t repent for the things they were doing, or stop worshiping the demons, or their idols of gold, silver, copper, stone, and wood (which can’t see, hear, or walk). ²¹ Nor did they repent for their murders, their occult practices, their sexual immorality, or their thievery.

Chapter 10

¹ Then I saw another very powerful messenger coming down from heaven, who was wrapped in a cloud and wore a rainbow on his head. His face was [as bright] as the sun, and his feet were like columns of fire. ² He also held a little opened scroll in his hand. Then he put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the ground, ³ and he shouted in a loud voice that sounded like the roar of a lion. And as he shouted, the seven thunders each spoke in their own voices.

⁴ Now, I was getting ready to write down the things that the seven thunders said, when I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Don’t write what the seven thunders said. Seal [these words] up!’

⁵ Then this messenger who I saw standing on the sea and on the ground raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ And he swore this by the One who lives for ages of ages… He who created heaven and everything in it, the earth and everything in it, and the sea and everything in it: ‘The time has come! ⁷ For when the seventh messenger blows his trumpet (which is about to happen), God’s mystery, which was revealed in the good news He gave through His slaves the Prophets, will then be accomplished.’

⁸ Then I heard the voice out of heaven speak to me again. It said: ‘Go; take the little open scroll out of the hand of the messenger who is standing on the sea and on the ground!’

⁹ So, I went over to the messenger and told him to give me the little scroll. And he replied, ‘Now take it and eat it! It will be as sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will be bitter in your stomach.’

¹⁰ Then I took the little scroll out of the hand of the messenger and ate it. And it was as sweet as honey, but after I ate it, my stomach was bitter. ¹¹ Then I was told, ‘Now you must go on to prophesy to people, nations, languages, and many kings!’

Chapter 11

¹ Next, I was handed a reed that was a long as a pole. And he said, ‘Now, go measure the Temple of God, its Altar, and those who are worshiping there. ² Don’t pay any attention to the courtyard outside the Temple. Don’t measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they’re going to trample the Holy City under their feet for forty-two months.

³ ‘Then I’m going to have my two witnesses prophesy for one thousand two hundred and sixty days wearing sackcloth. ⁴ These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that have been standing on the earth in front of the Lord. ⁵ And if any of their enemies wish to harm them, fire will come from their mouths and consume them. So, if anyone wants to persecute them, that’s how they’re going to die, ⁶ because they’ve been authorized to close up the sky so no rain will fall during the period of their prophesying. They’re also authorized to turn water into blood and to bring every sort of plague to the earth whenever they wish.

⁷ ‘And when they’ve finished their witnessing, the wild animal that comes out of the pit will fight against them, conquer them, and kill them. ⁸ Then their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city, which [God’s] Breath refers to as Sodom and Egypt. It’s where their Lord was hung on a pole. ⁹ There the peoples, nationalities, those who speak different languages, and the different ethnic groups will look at their corpses for three and a half days, and they won’t allow them to be buried. ¹⁰ All the while, those who live on the earth will be happy and approve of what happened to them. They’ll even send gifts to each other, because these two prophets were such a pain to those who live on the earth.’

¹¹ However, after the three and a half days, God sent His breath of life into them and they stood up on their feet, and this frightened those who saw them. ¹² Then [the two witnesses] heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come on up here.’ And their enemies saw them go into the sky in a cloud. ¹³ This was followed by a tremendous earthquake and a tenth of the city [of Sodom and Egypt] toppled. This earthquake killed seven thousand people and frightened all the rest, so they gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁴ This ended the second woe. But look; the third woe was coming!

¹⁵ When the seventh messenger blew his trumpet, there were loud voices in heaven shouting, ‘The kingdom of the world [now belongs to] our Lord and his anointed, and he will be its ruler for ages of ages.’

¹⁶ Then the twenty-four older ones who were sitting on their thrones before God fell to their faces and bowed low before Him, ¹⁷ saying, ‘We thank You, Jehovah God the Almighty – the One who is and who was – because You’ve assumed Your great power and started ruling as King. ¹⁸ This made the nations angry, but [the time for] Your rage arrived, as did the time for the dead to be judged and to reward Your slaves – the Prophets, the Holy Ones, and those who fear Your name, the small and the great – and to waste all those who are wasting the earth.’

¹⁹ At this, the heavenly Temple of God opened up and the Chest of his Sacred Agreement could be seen inside His Temple. Then there was lightning, voices, thundering, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

Chapter 12

¹ And then a great sign appeared in heaven. There was a woman who had the sun wrapped around her, the moon was under her feet, on her head was a crown of twelve stars, ² and she was pregnant… screaming to give birth in labor and agony.

³ Then another sign appeared in heaven. {Look!} There was a huge fire-red dragon with seven heads and ten horns. On its heads were seven royal turbans, ⁴ and it was dragging a third of the stars of heaven with its tail. Then it threw them down to the earth!

This dragon was standing in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so when she did give birth, he could eat it!

⁵ Then she gave birth to a son, a male, who is going to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was snatched away to God and to His throne. ⁶ Then the woman escaped into the desert to a place that God had prepared for her, where she would be fed for a thousand two hundred and sixty days.

⁷ Next, war broke out in heaven. Michael and his messengers went to war with the dragon, and the dragon and his messengers fought back; ⁸ but he lost and could no longer stay in heaven. ⁹ So, the huge dragon was thrown out. He is the first snake, the one who is called the Slanderer and Opposer, who is misleading the whole habitation. He was thrown down to the earth along with his messengers.

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, ‘This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of his Anointed One begins. Because the one who has been accusing our brothers has been thrown down… the one who has been complaining about them day and night before our God! ¹¹ They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb, by the things they said while they were testifying, and because they didn’t value their lives even in the face of death! ¹² This is why the heavens and those who live there should be joyful! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the Slanderer has come down to you in a rage, knowing that he only has a short time left.’

¹³ Now, when the dragon realized that he had been thrown down to the earth, he started persecuting the woman who gave birth to the male (child). ¹⁴ However, the woman was given the two wings of a huge eagle so she could fly to her place in the desert where she’s fed for a time, times, and half a time, and where the snake can’t reach her.

¹⁵ Then this snake shot a river of water out of its mouth after the woman, in an attempt to drown her. ¹⁶ But the earth came to the woman’s aid… the ground opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon shot out of its mouth. ¹⁷ This made the dragon so angry with the woman that he went off to battle against the rest of her seed… those who obey God’s instructions and carry the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁸ Then [the dragon] stood still on the sands of the sea.

Chapter 13

¹ Next I saw a wild animal coming up out of the sea, which had ten horns and seven heads. On its horns there were ten royal turbans, and on its heads were blasphemous names. ² Now, the wild animal that I saw looked like a leopard, but it had feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion. Then the dragon gave it power, a throne, and great deal of authority.

³ Then one of its heads looked like it had been slaughtered and killed; but this deathblow was healed, and the whole earth started to follow the wild animal admiringly. ⁴ They also worshiped the dragon, because it gave the wild animal its authority, and they worshiped the wild animal, saying, ‘Who is like the wild animal and who can stand against it?’

⁵ Then it was given a mouth to speak great things and blasphemies, and it was given the authority to act for forty-two months. ⁶ So it opened its mouth in blasphemy against God… it blasphemed His Name, the place where place He lives, and even those who live in heaven.

⁷ Then he was allowed to battle with the Holy Ones and conquer them. And he was given power over every nation, people, language, and ethnic group, ⁸ so that everyone on earth whose names aren’t written in the Lamb’s Scroll of Life (of those who were slaughtered from the founding of the world) will worship it.

⁹ If anyone has ears, let him listen, ¹⁰ for if anyone is a jailer, he’ll be thrown in jail; and if anyone kills with the sword, he’ll be killed with a sword! This is where the Holy Ones need faith and endurance.

¹¹ Then I saw another wild animal coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it started talking like a dragon. ¹² And it had complete authority over everything that it saw the first wild animal doing. However, it made the earth and everyone who lives on it worship the first wild animal whose deathblow had been healed. ¹³ And it performed great signs, even making fire come down from the sky onto the earth before everyone, ¹⁴ to mislead those who live on the earth by signs that it is allowed to perform in front of the wild animal. And it tells those who live on the earth to make an image to the wild animal that survived the sword stroke. ¹⁵ Then it was allowed to give breath to the image of the wild animal, so the image could speak and cause everyone who wouldn’t worship the image of the wild animal in any way to be killed.

¹⁶ It also forces everyone – the small and the great, the rich and the poor, the free and the slaves – to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ so no one will be able to buy or sell except people who have the mark… which is the name of the wild animal or the number of its name. ¹⁸ This is where wisdom is required: Let those who are smart enough calculate the number of the wild animal. It’s a man’s number, six hundred and sixty-six.

Chapter 14

¹ Then I saw {Look!} the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s Name written on their foreheads. ² And I heard noise coming from heaven that sounded like a lot of water and loud thunder.

Well, the sound that I heard was that of people who were all playing harps and singing. ³ They were singing a new song before the throne and before the four animals and the older ones, and no one could learn that song but the hundred and forty-four thousand who were purchased from the earth. ⁴ These didn’t dirty themselves with women. In fact, they are virgins who keep following the Lamb no matter where he goes. They were bought from among mankind as first fruitage to God and to the Lamb. ⁵ No lies are found in their mouths and they don’t have any defects.

⁶ Then I saw another messenger flying high in mid-sky, and he had good news to announce to those who live on the earth in that age… to every ethnic group, nation, language, and people. ⁷ He was shouting aloud, ‘Fear God and glorify Him, because His hour of judgment has arrived. So, worship the One who made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water!’

⁸ Then another – a second messenger – followed him saying, ‘She has fallen! The Great Babylon has fallen! She’s the one who made all the nations drink the wine of her sexually-immoral rampage!’

⁹ Then another messenger – a third one – followed him, shouting aloud, ‘If anyone worships the wild animal and its image and they receive the mark on their foreheads or on their hands, ¹⁰ they will also have to drink the pure wine of God’s rage that’s being poured into the cup of His anger. They will also be tortured with fire and sulfur where the holy messengers and the Lamb can see it; ¹¹ and the smoke from the torture of those who worship the wild animal and its image and all those who receive the mark of its name, will rise for ages of ages, and they won’t have any rest day or night. ¹² This is where the Holy Ones who obey God’s commandments and have faith in Jesus will require endurance.’

¹³ Then I heard a voice from heaven that said, ‘Write this: From now on, the dead who die in the Lord are blest. Yes, [God’s] Breath said: Let them rest from the work they’ve done, because their [good] deeds follow them.’

¹⁴ Next, I saw {Look!} a white cloud. And someone was sitting on the cloud that looked like a son of man. He had a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

¹⁵ Then another messenger came out of the Temple and he shouted this at the one who was sitting on the cloud: ‘Take that sickle and start bringing in the grain, because the earth is absolutely ripe and it’s time for the harvest!’ ¹⁶ So, the one who was sitting on the cloud lowered his sickle to the earth and harvested it.

¹⁷ And one more messenger came out of the heavenly Temple, who also carried a sharp sickle.

¹⁸ Then a messenger whose responsibility was burning, came out of the Altar and shouted to the one who held the sharp sickle: ‘Take that sharp sickle and harvest the clumps of grapes from the vine of the earth, because its grapes are now ripe!’

¹⁹ So, this messenger lowered his sickle to the earth, harvested the grapes of the earth, and threw them into the great winepress of God’s rage. ²⁰ The [grapes] in this winepress were then squashed by foot outside the city, and what came out of this winepress was blood, which flowed in a stream that was as deep as a horse’s bridle for two hundred miles.

Chapter 15

¹ Next, I saw another great and wonderful sign in heaven… there were seven messengers with seven plagues. They were the last ones, because they would conclude the anger of God.

² Then I saw what looked like a sea of glass and fire. And standing beside the glassy sea were those who had conquered the wild animal, its image, and the number of its name. They each had harps of God ³ and they were singing the song of God’s slave Moses and the song of the Lamb. It went:

‘The things that You do, O Jehovah the Almighty God,
Are wonderful and great, King of ages;
For Your ways are righteous and true,
⁴ And who doesn’t fear You Jehovah?

‘ [Who won’t] glorify Your Name?
For You’re He who’s trustworthy,
So all nations will come and bow before You,
For, Your righteous rules are now known.’

⁵ After that, I looked and saw that the heavenly Most Holy [inside] the Tent of Testimony had been opened up. ⁶ Then the seven messengers who had the seven plagues came out of the Most Holy wearing clean, bright linen, and [they had] gold braids around their chests. ⁷ And one of the four animals gave the seven messengers seven golden bowls that were full of the anger of the God who lives for ages of ages.

⁸ Then the Most Holy became filled with smoke because of the glory of God and His power. So, no one could enter it until after the seven plagues brought by the seven messengers were completed.

Chapter 16

¹ Then I heard a loud voice from the Most Holy tell the seven messengers: ‘Now go and pour out the seven bowls of the anger of God onto the earth.’

² So, the first one went and poured his bowl on the ground. And at that, the men who had the mark of the wild animal and who were worshiping its image broke out in very bad, malignant sores.

³ Then the second one poured his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of dead men. So, everything in the sea – every living creature – died.

⁴ Then the third one poured his bowl into the rivers and springs, and they turned into blood. ⁵ And I heard the messenger who was over the water saying, ‘You, the One who is and who was – the loyal One – are righteous, because of these decisions that You’ve made. ⁶ Due to the fact that they’ve shed the blood of the Holy Ones and Prophets, You’ve given them blood to drink, and they deserve it!’

⁷ Then I heard the Altar speak. It said: ‘Yes, Jehovah God the Almighty; Your judgments are righteous and true.’

⁸ Next, the fourth one poured his bowl out on the sun, which caused it to sear men with fire. ⁹ And although the tremendous heat seared the men, they just blasphemed the Name of the God who has the power over these plagues, and they didn’t turn around and glorify Him.

¹⁰ Then the fifth one poured his bowl out on the throne of the wild animal. So, its whole kingdom became dark and the [people] were biting their tongues in pain. ¹¹ However, they just blasphemed the God of heaven for all their pain, and they didn’t repent over the things they had done.

¹² So, the sixth one poured out his bowl on the great EuPhrates River, which dried up its water. [He did this] to prepare the way for the kings from the sunrise.

¹³ And then I saw three frog-like, dirty inspirations come out of the mouths of the dragon, the wild animal, and the false prophet. ¹⁴ They were the inspirations of demons and they serve as signs. These [inspirations] went to all the kings of the earth to bring them together for the war of the Great Day of the Almighty God.

¹⁵ ‘Look, I’m coming as a thief! So, whoever stays awake and keeps his clothes on will be blest… he won’t have to walk around naked and have people see his shame.’

¹⁶ Then they gathered them together at the place that is called in Hebrew, Har-Mageddon.

¹⁷ Finally, the seventh [messenger] poured his bowl out into the air. And at that, a loud voice from the throne inside the Temple said, ‘It’s finished!’ ¹⁸ Then there was thunder, lightning, voices, and a tremendous earthquake that was so great and covered so large an area that nothing has been seen like it since men have been on the earth. ¹⁹ Why, it split the great city into three parts, and all the cities of the nations collapsed!

Then God looked at The Great Babylon and remembered to also give her the cup of wine [which is filled with] the anger of His rage.

²⁰ For all the islands were then gone, and there weren’t any mountains. ²¹ And then a great hailstorm fell on men from the sky. Why, each of its stones weighed about a hundred pounds! However, the men just blasphemed God over the plague of hail, because it was an unusually bad plague.

Chapter 17

¹ Then one of the seven messengers who had the seven bowls came over and spoke to me, saying, ‘Come here! I’m going to show you the judgment on the great whore who sits over many waters. ² [She’s the one] who the earth’s kings have had sex with, and who made the people of the earth drunk from the wine of her sexual immorality.’

³ So by the Breath [of God], he carried me into the desert. And there I saw a woman who was sitting on a scarlet-colored wild animal that was covered with blasphemous names, and which had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ This woman was wearing purple and scarlet clothes that were covered with gold, precious gems, and pearls. And in her hand [she held] a golden cup that was full of disgusting things and the filth of her immoral sexual acts.

⁵ She had a mysterious name written on her forehead, ‘The Great Babylon; the Mother of Whores and of [all] the Disgusting Things of the Earth.’ ⁶ Then I realized that the woman had gotten drunk on the blood of the Holy Ones, as well as on the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.

Well, when I saw her, I was confused and amazed. ⁷ So the messenger asked me: ‘Why are you confused? I’ll tell you the mystery of the woman and of the wild animal with the seven heads and ten horns that she’s riding. ⁸ The wild animal that you saw was, but it isn’t; yet it’s about to come out of the pit and go off into destruction. And when they see the return of the wild animal that was but isn’t, those who live on the earth will marvel at it. However, their names haven’t been written in the Scroll of Life since the founding of the world.

⁹ ‘Here’s where intelligence and wisdom are required: The seven heads are seven mountains that the woman is sitting on. ¹⁰ And there are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, and the other hasn’t arrived yet. But when he gets here, he will only be allowed to stay for a little while. ¹¹ However, the wild animal that was but isn’t, is an eighth king that comes from the seven, and it goes off into destruction.

¹² ‘Now, the ten horns that you saw represent ten kings who haven’t received a kingdom yet, but they will be authorized to be kings for one hour with the wild animal. ¹³ However, they’ll just have one idea in mind… to give their power and authority to the wild animal. ¹⁴ Then they will go and fight against the Lamb. But, because he’s the Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb and those who are with him (the called, elected, and faithful) will conquer them.’

¹⁵ Then he told me this: ‘The water that you saw the whore sitting over, means people, crowds, ethnic groups, and languages. ¹⁶ And those ten horns, and that wild animal that you saw, will hate the whore. They’re going to take away everything she has and leave her naked. Then they’ll eat her flesh and burn [what’s left] in a fire. ¹⁷ You see; God put [the idea] into their hearts to do what He thinks she deserves. And He gave them the idea to hand their kingdoms over to the wild animal, so that whatever God says will be fulfilled. ¹⁸ Now, the woman that you saw means the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.’

Chapter 18

¹ Well after all that, I saw another messenger coming down from heaven who was very powerful. Why, the earth lit up with his glory. ² And he shouted in a strong voice, saying, ‘She has fallen! The Great Babylon has fallen, and she has become a place where demons live, a prison for unclean spirits, and a cage for scavenger birds! ³ All the nations have fallen [victim] to the wine of the rage of her sexual immorality, because the kings of the earth had immoral sex with her, and the earth’s businessmen have become rich due to the power of her shameless luxury.’

⁴ Then I heard another voice from heaven say, ‘Come out of her my people! Come on out, so you don’t share in her sins and receive part of her plagues! ⁵ Because, her sins have piled all the way to heaven, and God has remembered all the unjust things she has done. ⁶ So, pay her back for all the things she’s done! In fact, pay her back twice as much… double the payback for the things she did! If she poured [poison] in a cup, then put in twice as much for her! ⁷ As much as she glorified herself and lived in shameless luxury, pay her back that much more in pain and sorrow! Because she keeps saying in her heart, I’m sitting as a queen. I’m nobody’s widow and I’ll never have to mourn. ⁸ That’s why her plagues will come to her in a single day – death, mourning, and famine – and she’ll be burned up with fire, because her judge, Jehovah God, is powerful.

⁹ ‘Those kings of the earth who had sex and lived in shameless luxury with her will then bawl and beat themselves in grief over her, as they stand and watch the smoke from her fire. ¹⁰ But they’ll stand far away, because they’ll be afraid of her torture. And they will say ‘Oh, woe, woe, you great city, Babylon you strong city, because your judgment came in a single hour!’

¹¹ ‘The earth’s businessmen will also bawl and mourn over her, because there won’t be anyone to buy their complete stock of goods anymore… ¹² or any of the gold and silver, the precious stones and pearls, the fine linen, the purple, the silk, the scarlet, any of the scented wood, or the things made of ivory, precious wood, copper, iron, or marble… ¹³ or the cinnamon, Indian spice, incense, perfumed oil, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour and wheat… or the cattle, sheep, horses, coaches, slaves, or the lives of humans. ¹⁴ Yes, all of that juicy fruit that you so deeply desired has left you, as have all the fatty foods and the bright colors. They’re no longer available to you, and you’ll never have them again.

¹⁵ ‘The men who sold these things and who became rich from her will cry and mourn some distance away from her, because they’re [also] afraid of her torture. ¹⁶ They’ll say, Oh, woe, woe, you great city that wore all the fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and that was so richly covered with gold, precious stones, and pearls, ¹⁷ because all these great riches have been taken away in a single hour!

‘The same was true of the ship captains, all those who sail, the seamen, and everyone who makes a living at sea. They also stood some distance away ¹⁸ and called out as they watched the smoke while she was burning, saying, What other city is like this great city? ¹⁹ They threw dust on their heads, bawled, and mourned, shouting, Oh, woe, woe, for this great city that made so many shipping companies rich with her wealth… and now everything has been taken away from her in a single hour!’

²⁰ ‘O heaven, you Holy Ones, you Apostles and Prophets; Rejoice over her, because God’s judgment has brought revenge on her for your sakes!’

²¹ Then a very strong messenger picked up a stone that looked like a huge millstone and threw it into the sea saying, ‘This is how fast The Great Babylon city will be thrown down, and she’ll never be found again. ²² Nor will the sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, or trumpet players ever be heard in you again. No craftsman or any tradesman will ever be found in you again. And the sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. ²³ No lamplight will ever shine in you again, and the voice of a bride and groom won’t ever be heard in you again. For your traveling merchants were once the most important men on the earth; you mislead all the nations with your sorcery; ²⁴ and the blood of Prophets, Holy Ones, and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth were found in you.’

Chapter 19

¹ After all that, I heard what sounded like the voices of a huge crowd in heaven shouting, ‘Praise Jah… the salvation, glory, and power belong to our God, ² because His judgments are righteous and true! He passed judgment on the great whore who made the whole earth dirty with her immoral sex, and He has avenged the blood of his slaves [who died] at her hands!’ ³ Then they shouted a second time, ‘Praise Jah, because the smoke from her will keep rising for ages of ages!’

⁴ Then the twenty-four older ones and the four animals fell down and bowed low before God as He sat on his throne, saying, ‘May it be! Praise Jah!’

⁵ And a voice came out of the throne that said, ‘Praise our God, all you who are his slaves… the great and the small who fear Him!’

⁶ Then I heard what sounded like the voices of a huge crowd, along with the noise of a lot of water and heavy thunder. They were shouting: ‘Praise Jah, because Jehovah our God the Almighty has started ruling as king! ⁷ Let’s rejoice, shout in joy, and glorify Him, because it’s time for the Lamb’s wedding! His bride has prepared herself, ⁸ and she was found worthy to be dressed in bright, clean, fine linen; for the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the Holy Ones.’

⁹ Then he told me, ‘Write this: Those who are invited to the Lamb’s wedding banquet are blest.’ And he added, ‘God really said this.’

¹⁰ Well at that, I fell down in front of his feet to bow low before him. But he warned me, ‘Be careful… don’t do that! All I am is just a fellow slave of you and your brothers, who are witnesses of Jesus. Being a witness for Jesus is the spirit behind this prophecy. So worship God!’

¹¹ Then I saw the sky open up and {Look!} there was a white horse. The one who was sitting on it was called Faithful and True, because he judges and fights war righteously. ¹² His eyes were flames of fire and he wore many royal turbans on his head. He had a name that was written, which nobody knew but him. ¹³ He was wrapped in a robe that was splattered with blood, and the name he is called is The Word of God. ¹⁴ All the armies in heaven were following behind him on white horses, and they were wearing white, clean, fine linen. ¹⁵ He had a long, sharp sword sticking out of his mouth that he could use against the nations, and he will shepherd them with an iron staff.

He’s [the one who] crushed the grapes with his feet in the winepress of the anger of the Almighty God’s rage. ¹⁶ And on his robe and his thigh he has the name written, ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’

¹⁷ I also saw a messenger standing in the sun who was shouting in a loud voice telling all the creatures that fly high in the sky, ‘Come here! Gather together for God’s great supper, ¹⁸ so you can eat the flesh of kings, military commanders, mighty men, horses, and those who are riding them, as well as the flesh of all freemen and slaves… the small and the great!’

¹⁹ Then I saw the wild animal, along with the kings of the earth and their armies, all gathered together to go to war against the one who was sitting on the [white] horse and his army.

²⁰ Well, the wild animal was captured (as was the false prophet that performed the signs in front of it, which he used to mislead those who received the mark of the wild animal, and those who had worshiped its image)… while they were both still alive, they were tossed into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. ²¹ However, the long sword that came from the mouth of the one who was riding the [white] horse killed all the rest, and then all the birds ate their fill of flesh.

Chapter 20

¹ Then I saw a messenger come down from heaven with a long chain in his hand, and the key to the pit; ² and he grabbed the dragon – the original snake, the Slanderer and Opposer – and chained him up for a thousand years. ³ Then he threw him into the pit, closing it and locking it up over him, so he couldn’t mislead the nations anymore until the end of the thousand years. But after that, he has to be set free for a little while.

⁴ And I saw thrones… and those who sat down on them were the ones who had been executed with axes for testifying about Jesus and for telling about God, and who hadn’t worshiped the wild animal or its image, and who hadn’t received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands. Then they were appointed judges, and they came to life and ruled as kings with the Anointed One for a thousand years… ⁵ – – this is the first resurrection. ⁶ And those that have a part in the first resurrection are blest and holy, because the second death doesn’t have any power over them. For they will be Priests of God and the Anointed One, and they will rule with him for the thousand years.

⁷ Now, when the thousand years are completed, the Slanderer will be freed from his prison. ⁸ Then he will go out and mislead people in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and bring them together for a battle… there will be as many as the sands of the sea! ⁹ They will march across the earth and surround the camp of the Holy Ones and the loved city, but fire will then come from the sky and consume them! ¹⁰ And the Opposer who misled them will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the wild animal and the false prophet already are, and they will be tortured day and night for ages of ages.

¹¹ Then I saw someone sitting on a huge white throne, before whom both the earth and the sky vanished, and they couldn’t be found. ¹² Then I saw the dead – the great and the small – standing before the throne, and several scrolls were opened. Then another scroll was opened, which was the Scroll of Life. And the dead were then judged by the things that were written in the scrolls, according to the things that they did.

¹³ The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things they did. ¹⁴ Finally, death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire (the lake of fire symbolizes the second death). ¹⁵ And anyone whose name wasn’t found written in the Scroll of Life was also thrown into the lake of fire.

Chapter 21

¹ Then I saw a new earth and a new sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea. ² I also saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, and it had been prepared as a bride who is adorned for her husband.

³ Then I heard a loud voice from the throne say, ‘Look! God’s Tent is with men. He’s going to pitch His Tent among them… they will be His people and He will be their God. ⁴ He’s going to wipe all the tears from their eyes, and there won’t be any more death, mourning, wailing, or pain, because what used to be will be gone!’

⁵ Then the One who was sitting on the throne said, ‘{Look!} I’m making everything new!’ And he added, ‘Write this down, because these words are faithful and true.’

⁶ Then He told me: ‘It has all happened! I’m the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end – and I’m going to give anyone who is thirsty a free drink from the fountain of the water of life! ⁷ Whoever conquers will inherit these things… I’ll be his God and he’ll be my son! ⁸ But as for the cowards, the unbelievers, the nasty, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who cast spells, the idol worshipers, and all the liars; their inheritance is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur… the second death.’

⁹ Then one of the seven messengers with the seven bowls that were full of the seven last plagues came and spoke to me, saying, ‘Come here! I’ll show you the bride… the Lamb’s wife!’

¹⁰ So he carried me away by [God’s] Breath to an enormously high mountain. And there he showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City, coming down out of heaven from God. ¹¹ It had all the glory of God; it sparkled like the most precious of gems; and it gleamed like a crystal-clear jasper stones. ¹² It had thick, high walls and twelve gates. And at the twelve gates there were twelve messengers, and [the gates] were inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. ¹³ There were three gates on the east side, three gates on the north side, three gates on the south side, and three gates on the west side.

¹⁴ The city wall also had twelve foundation stones, and the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb were written on them.

¹⁵ Now, the one who was talking to me was holding a ruler (a golden reed) that he could use to measure the city, its gates, and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was also square… as long as it was wide. So, he measured the entire city with the reed, and it ran one thousand three hundred and seventy-nine miles along each wall (the length, width, and height). ¹⁷ He also measured its wall’s [thickness], and it was the length of a man’s forearm (which is about the same for a messenger [of God]), times one hundred and forty-four.

¹⁸ Now, the walls were made of jasper, the city was gold that was as pure as clear glass, ¹⁹ and the city wall’s foundation stones were decorated with all sorts of precious gems. The first foundation was jasper, the second was sapphire, the third was chalcedony, the fourth was emerald, ²⁰ the fifth was ruby, the sixth was sardius, the seventh was peridot, the eighth was beryl, the ninth was topaz, the tenth was chrysoprase, the eleventh was hyacinth, and the twelfth was amethyst. ²¹ Also, the twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each of the gates was made of a single pearl; and the city’s main street was gold that was as pure as clear glass!

²² I didn’t see a Divine Habitation within [the city], because Jehovah God the Almighty and the Lamb are its Holy Place (gr. naos). ²³ This city didn’t need the sun or moon to shine on it, because it was lit by the glory of God; and the Lamb was its lamp. ²⁴ All the nations will be able to walk in its light, and the earth’s kings will bring their glorious things into it.

²⁵ Its gates won’t ever be closed during the day, and night won’t exist there. ²⁶ They will carry the glory and honor of the nations into it. ²⁷ However, nothing that’s dirty, or anyone who does disgusting things or tells lies will ever enter it… only those who are written in the Lamb’s Scroll of Life.

Chapter 22

¹ Then he showed me a river [filled with] the water of life… it was clear and flowing from the Throne of God and the Lamb ² down the middle of [the city’s] Main Street. On both sides of the river were trees of life that put out twelve crops of fruit – one each month – and the trees’ leaves are used to cure the nations.

³ Everything that causes people to sin will be gone, for the Throne of God and the Lamb will be there. His slaves will worship Him, ⁴ they will see His face, and they’ll wear His Name on their foreheads. ⁵ And since there won’t be any more night, they won’t need lamps or sunlight, because Jehovah God will shine on them, and they’ll rule as kings for ages of ages.

⁶ Then he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true. Yes, Jehovah (the God who gave his Breath to the Prophets) sent his messenger to show his slaves the things that will happen very soon. ⁷ And {Look!} I’m coming quickly! Blest is anyone who obeys the things prophesied in this scroll.’

⁸ Well, I (John) was the one who saw and heard these things. And after I saw and heard it all, I fell down to bow at the feet of the messenger who showed me these things. ⁹ But he warned me, ‘Be careful… don’t do that! All I am is just a fellow slave of you and your brothers, who are Prophets and who are obeying what they are told in this scroll. Bow before God!’

¹⁰ He also warned me, ‘Don’t seal up the things that are said in the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. ¹¹ May the one who is acting unrighteously stay unrighteous, and may the filthy one stay filthy. But let those who are righteous remain righteousness, and those who are holy remain holy.

¹² ‘Look, I’m coming soon! And the reward that I bring is the repayment to each one for what he’s done. ¹³ I’m the Alpha and the Omega; the first and the last; the beginning and the end. ¹⁴ Blest are those who wash their robes, for they’ll be allowed access to the trees of life, and they can enter the city gates. ¹⁵ But the dogs, those who cast spells, those who are immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and everyone who enjoys lying, has to stay outside.’

¹⁶ ‘I (Jesus) sent my messenger to [provide] you testimony about these things that are [coming] to the congregations. I am the root and the descendant of David… the bright morning star.’

¹⁷ [God’s] Breath and the bride keep saying, ‘Come!’ And let anyone who hears this say, ‘Come! Let anyone who’s thirsty come! Let anyone who wishes, partake of life’s water free!

¹⁸ ‘I’m testifying to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll, that if anyone adds anything to it, God will add the plagues to him that are written about in this scroll. ¹⁹ And if anyone removes any of the words of this scroll of prophecy, God will take away his share from the trees of life, and from the things that are written in this scroll concerning the Holy City.’

²⁰ He who testified to these things says, ‘Yes, I’m coming quickly.’

May it be! Come Lord Jesus!

²¹ May the care of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One be with the Holy Ones.

Notes

Forever, Long Ago, of The Age?

The Greek word aionos (pronounced ai-on-oss) is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period. However, there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era(s). Please note that where the plural form of the word (ages) is used, it refers to a long time, at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (age or era), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the term ages of ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to God, we would assume that this truly means forever.

It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Hebrew Scriptures. So this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.

Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3, ‘What will be the signs when you are near and this age will come to its conclusion?’

You can see that the word aionos obviously doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age or the time before the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when the Temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed, because that’s what Jesus had just told them.

The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos, not aionos, for world or system of things.

The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says:

‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but you will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you> will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, you are the one, and your years will never run out.’

The problem with most Bible translations is that when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular form (aioni, aiona, aionos, aionion, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.

Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; the one who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me will have life in this age. He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’

Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aionos (life age – singular), not zoe aionion (life ages – plural).

Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’

So, what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would have everlasting life, but that they would (in their current life) be considered among the living, not among the dead (see Revelation 20:12). This doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t live forever; it’s just that Jesus wasn’t really saying that.

From consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life, the conclusion might be logically reached that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that (unlike those whom God considers to be ‘dead’) living people will receive ‘life in the age,’ meaning, they will be considered worthy of life by God during their lifetimes.

Two words imply infinity in the Bible. One is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus as having received it. The other Greek word, aidios, which is found at Romans 1:20 and at Jude 6, is used to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal.

For more information, select the linked documents, The Hereafter and Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

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Soul or?

The Greek word psyche (as in psychology) has been translated many ways, including soul, life, etc. However, psyche actually means something that breathes. It is used in the Bible to describe both breathing animals and breathing humans. So by definition, a soul cannot leave the body, because a soul is what the living body (whether human or animal) is (see Genesis 2:7).

In ancient Greece, philosophers eventually added another meaning to psyche: The inner person (as opposed to the person that others see and come to know). And with time, the pagan religion of Greece started to teach that this inner person is its own entity and can never die (is immortal). Over the centuries, this pagan Greek doctrine crept into the Christian religions. Please see the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul for more history of the word.

However, such Greek philosophical thought never influenced Jesus and his Apostles. So, they consistently used psyche to indicate a living person or animal. The teaching that the soul is immortal stands in direct conflict with Jesus’ promise of a resurrection, because, if a person is immortal (can never die) he/she can never be resurrected (brought back to life).

In addition, the teaching of the immortality of the human soul is totally without support from the Bible. The word immortal(ity) (Gr: athanasia or undying) is only mentioned in the Bible in two places, and it isn’t used with or applied to the word soul in either case. Both of these scriptures show that immortality is only given by God as a reward for righteousness. And as Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘The person (gr. psyche or ‘soul’) that is sinning will die (gr. apothaneitai).’

Of course, there are places in the Bible where the word soul means more than just a living, fleshly body. For example, God is recorded to have spoken of ‘My Soul’ in several places. Obviously, God is much more than just a ‘soul’ as most people think of that term, and He surely wasn’t talking about His having a human body. So we must conclude that what He was referring to is His life.

Then there are Jesus’ words found at Matthew 10:28, which read, ‘Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the person (psyche). Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both the person and the body in the garbage dump.’ Here, Jesus is using the word psyche (soul) to refer to the value of life that remains with God until the resurrection. And he obviously isn’t referring the soul as immortal here, because he says God will destroy (gr. apolesai) the [unrighteous] soul or person.

Unfortunately, no single word can be used to translate psyche in every possible Bible application, so various terms are used herein, depending on the circumstances, but always in an attempt to harmonize with the meaning.

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Hades: Hell or the Grave?

The Greek word Hades (they pronounced it hah-des) has been translated both as Hell (which is thought of as a place of torture) and as the Grave in other Bible versions (such as the King James). Since one word can’t mean two very different things, which translation is correct?

Hades (like the English word Hell) actually means the place of the dead. However, as pagan Greek philosophy started to develop and creep into Christianity, the later-day Greek view of Hades (a place of torture) was applied to it. Was this a correct application?

An insight into how the ancient Hebrews and the early Christians understood the word can be gained by looking at how it was applied in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (the ‘Old Testament’ Bible of Jesus’ day). There, the Hebrew word Sheol is translated into Greek as Hades in every instance, yet in each case, these are obvious references to the grave (the place of the dead), not to a place of conscious torture (see Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10).

Another revealing application of the word Hades is found at Revelation the 20:13. It says there, ‘The sea (gr. he thalassa) gave up its dead, death and the grave (gr. thanatos kai ho hades) gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things they did.’

Notice that those who die at sea are differentiated from those who are buried in graves (Hades) and in other places (thanatos). So Hades is better translated as grave.

In the book of Job, another word that is used once in the Christian-era Scriptures and often translated as Hell, is found in two places. That Greek word is Tartarus, which refers to the place where evil gods or angels are sent. For more information, see the linked document; Is There a Burning Hell?

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Living Creatures or Animals?

In Revelation, we read of four heavenly creatures that picture the major qualities of God (wisdom, justice, love, and power). The Greek word that is used to describe them here is zoo (pronounced Zō-ah), as in the place where people go to see animals today. This word simply means animals, but it is translated in most Bibles as living creatures, which was likely done for ‘politically-correct’ reasons. However, John just wrote animals, so that’s how the word is translated here.

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Spirit, Breath, or Inspirations?

The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost – as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.

The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath are supposed to be ‘one’) is found at Matthew 28:19, which simply says that baptism should be done ‘in the name of’ (or, in recognition of) these three. All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is spurious (something that was added to the Bible). In fact, the reference to the Holy Breath at Matthew 28:19 may also be spurious, and if so, then there are no actual Bible references that mention God’s Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.

So to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is frequently translated as breath herein. However, there are exceptions, as in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits.’ Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, when the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit). And, since the nuance implied by the word Spirit in the English language (an unseen power) is correct, we recently changed back to translating pneuma as Spirit in several places, when referring to God’s Holy Spirit. However, recognize that pneuma is often best defined by calling it [God’s] Holy Breath. For an example, see the Note Worshiping God In Spirit and Truth.

Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life.’ This phrase means more than just breathing; it refers to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life for all creatures… it’s what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.

Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God’s Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ‘Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God’s Breath in this case, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and caused him to breathe… the Breath of Life.

It is interesting that at Genesis 6:3 God says, ‘I won’t allow My Breath to stay with these men through the the age, for they are fleshly.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka,’ or, ‘Not not should stay the Breath Mine with these men the age through, their being flesh.’

While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that he gave Adam. So it appears as though what He was saying here is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as ‘My Breath,’ there may be a link implied between God’s Holy Breath and the breath of life. For more information, see the attached link ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’

However, when Jesus died (as the words recorded at John 19:30 say), ‘he hung his head and quit breathing’ (gr. kai klinas ten kephalen paredoken to pneuma, or, and inclined his head giving/up the breath).

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Scroll of Life

The first mention of the Scroll of Life can be found in one of the songs of King David (Psalm 69:28), where he wrote, ‘From the Scroll of the Living may their names be erased, and among the righteous may their names not be written.’

So, we must assume that as early as the Eleventh Century B.C.E., God’s faithful worshipers had some concept of a record that God keeps of people who He counts among ‘the living.’ And as David pointed out, their names can be erased from God’s record once they are put there.

What is this Scroll, how does a person get his or her name written in it, and what does this mean for them?

Although God surely needs no actual written book to remember His faithful, the phrase ‘the Scroll (or Book) of Life’ is mentioned enough times in the Bible to assume that God does remember or record the names of those righteous who He counts among ‘the living,’ as opposed to those He numbers among ‘the dead.’

Who are ‘the living?’ They are likely the same as the ones who Jesus spoke of at John 5:24, when he said, ‘I tell you the truth: The one who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me has life for the ages. He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’

So we must assume that some conscious act of faith by each individual causes him or her to cross over ‘from death to life,’ and that is likely the time when a person’s name is written in the Scroll of Life. Then, as Jesus said, ‘He won’t have to be judged’ thereafter.

What is this act of faith? Today it would surely be the conscious act of choosing to be baptized. However, since baptism wasn’t practiced during the time of David, it appears as though all Israel had their names written in that Scroll when they came to worship and sacrifice at Jehovah’s Sacred Tent. And their names remained there as long as they remained faithful.

Notice that the Revelation speaks of several ‘scrolls’ being opened and of the ‘dead’ being judged by the things that are written in those scrolls. Who are these ‘dead?’ Well, by the time this happens, the series of events indicated there shows that all the resurrections will already have taken place (see Revelation 20:4-6), so these individuals aren’t dead any longer, for they are seen to be standing. As the result, this must mean that although they are no longer literally dead, but they are still counted as dead or dying and needing to be judged, and their names have yet to be written in the Scroll of Life.

So with this understanding, notice again the exact words of Revelation 20:12: ‘Then I saw the dead – the great and the small – standing before the throne, and several scrolls were opened. Then another scroll was opened, which was the Scroll of Life. And the dead were then judged by the things that were written in the scrolls, according to the things that they did.’

So from the above, we must assume that those who remain faithful worshipers of God have their names permanently sealed in God’s Scroll of Life upon their deaths, and are considered among ‘the living’ by God. Then, when they are resurrected, they will be counted as living, and there will be no need for them to be judged thereafter.

As for ‘the dead’ who the Revelation says are ‘judged by the things written in the scrolls,’ this likely means that they too will be resurrected, but they will likely be judged by the things they do after the resurrection and during the thousand-year period that the Slanderer is bound and in the pit (See Revelation 20:2, 3 and verses 5, 6).

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Satan, Devil, Lucifer, Beelzebub

It is appropriate that the heavenly name of the great Opposer and Slanderer of God is never given in the Bible. However, several terms (and one mistakenly) have been used to describe him. Here is a list of those descriptions:

Satan: This is a Hebrew word meaning, opposer, resistor, a smart person who does things to serve his own interests, and/or a person who can’t be fooled. It was applied to the Evil One because of his opposition to God. To prevent people from thinking of it as a name, it is translated as ‘the Opposer’ herein.

Devil: This is the only Greek word (Diabolos) used in the Bible to describe the evil one. The first part of the word, dia, means through. Bolos means throw (it’s where we get the English words ball and bowl). So, Devil means one who throws through, which implied Slanderer in Greek, so that’s the way it’s translated herein.

Lucifer: The name Lucifer is commonly tied to the Biblical Opposer, however the name doesn’t appear in most versions of the Bible. It does appear once in the King James Bible, at Isaiah 14:12, in which the King of Babylon is referenced as Lucifer, Son of the Morning, which is translated from the Hebrew words Helel ben Shahar – Day Star, Son of the Dawn. This term was used there, because Lucifer is the Latin term for the planet Venus, which is also known as the morning star.
So, there is no direct link in the Bible between the entity known in Hebrew as Satan and the person who was referred to as Lucifer. This was a myth that was created by Augustine after he translated the text in Isaiah from the original Hebrew into Latin.

BeelZebub: There are eight references in the Bible to this Hebrew word, and it does refer to the Slanderer. However, once again, this is not a proper name. It appears to be a title. Beel (like Baal) means Lord, and Zebub appears to refer to flies (the insects). So, BeelZebub likely means Lord of Flies.

Is the Opposer (Slanderer or BeelZebub) a real person? All one has to do is look at the titles he was given above to realize that he is. To deny his existence negates the rest of the Bible. For example, when dealing with Adam’s sin, why did God adhere so closely to a law when other options were available to Him? Why didn’t he just destroy rebellious Adam and create another man?

The fact is, He created men and His messengers with the ability to choose whether to serve Him or not, so none are automatons. And as a man failed in the Paradise of Pleasure, we can assume (and as the Scriptures support) that there were failures (and rebels) in the heavens also. This is the reason why it became necessary to have a law that clearly outlined what rebellion against God constituted, and what the consequences for violating that law would be. It was obviously for the sake of the millions of millions of heavenly spirit (breath) creatures that the issue of rebellion here on the earth had to be resolved by legal means, and in a way that demonstrated the love and loyalty of God’s first-born son, which resulted in the painful need for a ‘ransom’ (Jesus’ death).

And the idea that the Slanderer isn’t real raises other questions. For example, while Jesus was being tempted in the desert, was he simply struggling with the bad inside himself rather than against a real, evil personality? If so, we would have to conclude that there was bad in Jesus.

Also, was the battle in heaven (as spoken of at Revelation the Twelfth Chapter) just figurative and not a real war against the Opposer and his messengers? If so, then there are still ‘evil thoughts’ in heaven prior to that battle. And, in what sense would ‘the Opposer’ and his ‘messengers’ lose the battle and be confined to the earth? Also, why would internal evil be ‘angry’ in knowing that he just has ‘a short period of time left?’

And lastly, when the Opposer entered God’s presence and spoke to Him (Job the First Chapter), could we assume that this inherent evil was found in God? That isn’t likely.

However, there is some question as to the use of the Greek word Diabolos found at 1 Chronicles 21:1 (in the Greek Septuagint). First, since Diabolos is a Greek word and First Chronicles was written in Hebrew, we would assume that Diabolos (Slanderer) was substituted for the Hebrew word Satan (Opposer). But the text seems to imply that a slanderer (or resistor), not the Slanderer, had come to David. And we would have to assume it to be a satan or resistor that came to him. So, we don’t really know if the text implies that the Evil One came to him, if it was just an evil spirit that came over him, or if someone bad had urged David to defy God and take a census of Israel.

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Michael

The Greek word that is translated ‘Highest Messenger [of God]’ at Jude 9 is archaggelos. Arch (pronounced ark) means highest (or beginning) and aggelos (pronounced ahn-gell-ose) is the word that we get angel or messenger from.

Who was this ‘highest messenger of God?’ Jude gives his name as MichaEl. However, many Bible scholars think that this is the name of Jesus prior to his coming to the earth. The reasoning behind this is that Jesus is truly God’s highest messenger (see Hebrews the First Chapter), so Jesus and Michael are thought to be one in the same.

The thought that Jesus is Michael is reinforced by Paul’s words as found at 1 Thessalonians 4:16, where we read, ‘Because the Lord himself will come down from heaven and give the command in the voice of the highest messenger (gr. archaggelou) [of God] with God’s trumpet.’

So, since ‘the Lord’ is an obvious reference to Jesus, he appears to be the archangel Michael.

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Dragon

That the Bible speaks about what is translated as dragons (gr. drakonta) several times, raises some interesting questions. The dragon (although supposedly a mythical animal) is one of the world’s most widely recognized creatures. It is highly regarded in the Buddhist religion and is seen in ancient religious carvings from around the world. This testifies that people have believed in the existence of dragons for as far back as human records go. Why?

Note that dragons are thought of as animals with the bodies of snakes (gr. orphis), but they also have feet and legs.

What was the dragon? Revelation 12:9 tells us, when it says, ‘So, the huge dragon was thrown out. He is the first snake, the one who is called the Slanderer and Opposer, who is misleading the whole earth.’

So, from the above, we see that the vision identifies the dragon as ‘the Opposer’ and ‘the Slanderer,’ and it says that he was the first snake, the one who seduced Eve in the ‘Paradise of Delights’ (see Genesis 3:2).

The fact that the dragon is viewed as a snake with legs in religious legends throughout the world, testifies to the fact that people everywhere once believed in the Bible account in Genesis, and they also believed that when God cursed the snake to ‘travel on its chest and belly,’ it lost its legs.

It is interesting that dragons are also part of the folklore of Europe, for who hasn’t heard the story of St. George and the dragon. Yet, if you read that story, you’ll see that it is actually an allegory about man’s fight against sin and the Slanderer. So in that case, it refers to the original dragon, or the first creature of terror.

Notice that Job 7:12 asks, ‘Am I the sea or the dragon that guards it?’ This view that a dragon guarded the edges of the seas was common throughout Europe until after the Sixteenth Century, for dragons were usually drawn at the edges of maps of seas during that time. Yet, as we can see, the actual reference may have been to animals and fish that men feared and didn’t understand, not snakes with legs.

However, notice how vividly Job described the Slanderer as the dragon at Job 26:12, 13, where we read, ‘By His strength He has settled the sea in its bed, and in His wisdom He’s filled it with whales. The bolts from the skies stand in awe of Him, and He’s ordered the death of the dragon that rebelled.’

We find a whole Chapter in Job (Chapter 41) that is obviously a description of the evil one, but has gone mistranslated for centuries, simply because its meaning has been misunderstood. Other Bibles speak of a leviathan or a behemoth here, and some of a crocodile. And in the Septuagint, we find no name at all or any explanation, leaving us to guess what is being described.

It is unusual that some translators have thought that this creature was a crocodile, for crocodile is a Greek word that is easily recognized, since it is spelled almost the same as in English. There is one place where that word is found in the Law of Moses, at Leviticus 11:25, when listing animals that shouldn’t be eaten, and in that place most Bibles also translate the word crocodile wrong.

If you read the text of Job 41, you’ll see an obvious reference to a fire-breathing dragon. For notice how verses 18-21 describe it: ‘His sneezing brings about brightness, and his eyes are like the morning star. From out of his mouth comes burning lamps, like the scattered grates of a fire. From out of his nostrils comes the smoke of a furnace, burning with the fire from coals. His life is much like live coals, and flames shoot from his mouth. ’

At this point, critics could say the Bible was talking about a mythical dragon, and others would say that God is describing a wild ox. Yet, notice the further description in verses 31, 32: ‘He breaks from the abyss as though a brass cauldron; he thinks of the sea as his own ointment jar, and the abyss of Tartarus as his captive. For, to him the abyss just a promenade.’

If you examine these verses, you’ll see that God is using cryptic text to explain to Job just who is to blame for his problems. Yet, the use of the words Tartarus (the place where evil gods are sent) isn’t found again in the Bible until the reference at 2 Peter 2:4, and the only mention of his coming out of his prison (pit or abyss) is found at Revelation 20:7.

Clearly, this second-to-the-last Chapter in Job, as in any good writing, brings back into play all the characters that the book started with.

Then, why did Jewish scribes and translators have so much trouble understanding this Chapter that there are obvious deletions? There are four likely reasons:

· They didn’t believe in fire-breathing dragons

· They didn’t know that the Slanderer was the dragon

· They didn’t know of the Slanderer’s position in Tartarus or the pit

· A correct understanding would have linked the Book of Job to the Scriptures of the Christian era.

It is interesting that we again find mention of a dragon at Isaiah 27:1, where we read: ‘In that day, God will bring His great, holy, and strong sword against the dragon – the crooked and fleeing snake – and He will do away with the dragon, the one in the sea.’ This is an obvious reference to the destruction of the same dragon mentioned at Revelation 12:9 above, but it goes unnoticed in Hebrew texts, where the word leviathan is once more misunderstood. Of course, the word dragon is of Greek origin, so it came after the Hebrew text was written; and regardless of popular (mis)conceptions, leviathan is probably its Hebrew equivalent.

What is particularly interesting about this scripture, is that it speaks of the dragon from the sea in the same words as found at Ezekiel 32:2, where the reference is obviously to the land of Egypt and to its destruction. And you will also find references to the land of Egypt in the song of Isaiah 26, 27. However, this song seems to speak of some future time when God’s people (Israel) are released from a symbolic Egypt at Armageddon, for notice the words of the prophecy found at Isaiah 26:18-21, which say:

‘We won’t fall, though all others who live on earth will fall, but the dead will be raised from their tombs. Then all on the earth will be joyful, for, as dew You’ll send them a cure, while the land of the godless will fall. Proceed, O my people, to enter your bedrooms! Go inside, lock your doors, and hide a little while! For, this will happen, then that, and the rage of Jehovah will pass. {Look!} From His Holy Place Jehovah sends His rage, upon all those living on earth. He’ll unveil all the blood on the earth… and He won’t cover up those He destroys anymore.’

So, Egypt seems to be used here as a symbol of the godless nations that are destroyed in the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16) and the dragon that represents them, appears to be the Opposer.

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The Woman and Her Seed

One of the marvels of John’s writings is that he ties the first prophecies and first words of the Bible into the Bible’s last written books (John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation). For example, the words that are written in Revelation the Twelfth Chapter about the ‘woman’ and her ‘seed,’ and the ‘dragon’ and his ‘messengers,’ shows the thrilling conclusion to a Bible ‘mystery (gr. mysterion),’ which was anticipated for some 4,000 years prior to John’s writing. In fact, at Romans 16:25 it is referred to as, ‘the revelation of the mystery that has been kept quietly for the ages.’

The prophecy that the Revelation is explaining, is the first one found in the Bible. At Genesis 3:15, God said to the Snake (the Slanderer), ‘I’ll create hatred between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will watch for your head and you will watch for his heel.’

So here in the Revelation, the four characters of Genesis 3:15 are identified. They are:

· The ‘snake’ (or dragon) is the Slanderer

· The Slanderer’s ‘seed’ are (in part) the Slanderer’s messengers

· The ‘woman’ who gives birth to the seed is God’s faithful heavenly organization (the ‘Jerusalem Above’)

· The ‘woman’s seed’ (which was ‘born’ when the Slanderer was thrown out of heaven) is God’s entire Kingdom arrangement – Jesus and his ‘chosen ones,’ which were selected from among men. They make up ‘the New Jerusalem.’

For more information, see the linked document, The ‘Seed’ – God’s Kingdom.

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The Wild Animals

The ‘wild animals’ of Revelation appear to picture human governments in ‘the Lord’s Day.’ As proof of this, notice what Revelation 17:10-12 says: ‘And there are seven kings. Five have fallen (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece), one is (Rome), and the other (England and the United States?) hasn’t arrived yet. But when he gets here, he will only be allowed to stay for a little while. However, the wild animal that was but isn’t, is an eighth king that comes from the seven, and it goes off into destruction.’

So, there are three different government types mentioned in the Revelation. They include:

1. The seven-headed ten-horned wild animal than comes ‘out of the sea’ (Revelation 13:1) – The 7 heads and 10 horns (due to the complete numbers of 7 and 10) appear to represent a composite of all worldly governments that are under the control of the Slanderer and his messengers.

2. The two-horned wild animal that comes ‘out of the earth’ (Revelation 13:7 -- also identified as ‘the False Prophet’ at Revelation 16:13) – This animal appears to be the last world power, and the two horns indicate that it is a combination of two countries (Great Britain and the United States?)

3. The ‘image’ of the wild animal is described as, ‘the wild animal that was but isn’t, is an eighth king that comes from the seven’ (Revelation 17:8.) – This appears to be what used to be the League of Nations (when it ‘was,’) that went out of existence during WWII (when it ‘wasn’t), then was revived as the United Nations. Notice that the Bible describes this wild animal as ‘an eighth king,’ and that it’s end comes at Armageddon.

So, what is ‘the mark of the wild animal’ that condemns those who have it? It doesn’t appear to be a literal mark, but rather, it seems to refer to the support that people gives to these ‘animalistic’ worldly governments (patriotism?).

For more information, see the linked document, The Mark of the Beast, and the link ‘The Wild Beast.’

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The Great Babylon

The ‘whore’ that is identified in Revelation the Eighteenth Chapter appears to be a composite of all ‘Christian’ and Judaic religions that have shared in having a ‘throne over the kings of the earth.’ After all, what other group has wielded such an influence over worldly governments throughout the ages?

Why have we concluded that this whore constitutes unfaithful ‘Christian’ and Judaic religions? Well, take the time to read God’s pronouncement against Jerusalem, as found in Ezekiel Chapter Sixteen, and you’ll see striking parallels to the prophecies concerning the Great Babylon in Revelation. And since unfaithful Jerusalem was in a covenant relationship with God, those who she represents today must also be those who claim a covenant relationship with God, Christendom.

Then why is she referred to as Babylon? Well, unfaithful Israel was referred to by the names of other unrighteous places, such as Sodom and Egypt, in order to illustrate just who she was acting like. And remember that after the Medes and Persians destroyed the ancient city of Babylon, it’s a fact that many Jews remained in that city, considering it their home, which wasn’t at all what God wanted.

Now, some believe (and teach) that the Great Babylon has already fallen. Yet, notice the location of this prophecy in the book of Revelation… it comes after the first mention of the Battle of Armageddon (but not after it happens, which is further described in Chapter Nineteen), and just prior to ‘the marriage of the Lamb.’ So, its destruction, as described in Revelation 17:16, will come at the hands of the ‘ten horns’ of the wild animal, which clearly symbolizes all the rulers of the earth. And it is then that we read (at Revelation 18:4) of the warning for ‘my (Jesus’) people’ to get out of her. So, since its destruction by the kings of the earth hasn’t happened yet (as it did in the fall of ancient Babylon), the Great Babylon doesn’t appear to have fallen.

She is called a whore, because she claims to represent the God of the heavens, but she has really sold her allegiance to the ‘wild animals’ of the earth, and these will eventually turn and destroy her. And she is likely called Babylon, because pagan doctrines that originated in ancient Babylon are still being taught in her.

An insight into why she is called a whore can be found in the words of James 4:4, which say, ‘Adulteresses, don’t you know that if you’re a friend of the world, you’re an enemy of God? So, whoever wants to be a friend of the world is putting himself down as God’s enemy.’

Notice that the ‘whore’ of Revelation was guilty of doing what James mentioned as being wrong. She is deeply involved in this world’s politics.

And if you read Ezekiel Chapter twenty-three, you will see how God Himself likened Jerusalem to a woman who was promised to Him but became a whore through her unfaithfulness… which is what much of modern Christendom and Judaism has done today. So, God is the One who explained who this whore is.

In the past, others have identified the Great Babylon as being the Catholic Church (see the book The Two Babylons, by Alexander Hyslop). Yet, there is no single religion that can be pointed to as standing alone in its involvement in corruption and political entanglements, for almost all are guilty of this today.

Yet, others have described the Great Babylon as being all religions, both Christian and pagan. And though this could be so, Jesus’ people cannot be found (as such) within pagan religions. And in the account found in Ezekiel Sixteen, the guilt and destruction of other non-Israelite peoples is also mentioned. So, if the vivid account of the condemnation of Jerusalem, as found in Ezekiel, parallels the condemnation of the Great Babylon, and this specifically pictures those who claim a covenant relationship with God, then the other religions are not left off the hook.

Our conclusion that the destruction of the Great Babylon and the destruction of ancient Jerusalem pictures the overthrow of all Christendom and Judaism seems to be supported by the prophecy concerning events leading up to Jerusalem’s destruction found in Ezekiel 9:4-6, where we read, ‘Go through the midst of the city – through the midst of Jerusalem – and put a sign on the foreheads of the men who are groaning and deeply upset over all the lawless deeds that are being done in their midst … go through the city behind him and strike! Don’t allow your eyes to spare or show mercy. Kill and wipe out old men, young men, virgins, women, and children! But don’t go near those who are wearing the sign… and start at My Holy Places!’

Notice that this destruction was to start in God’s holy places and with the elders who were there in the Temple (‘the House of God’). And then salvation was to come from among all in Judah who were sighing and groaning over the bad things that they saw being done by those who called themselves the leaders of God’s people. So, our conclusion is that the Great Babylon represents all Christendom, and those who must get out of her are all the honest hearted who are found in Christendom.

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New Jerusalem

At Ephesians 2:21, 22, Paul spoke of Jesus’ chosen ones as being assembled ‘into a Holy Temple for Jehovah’ as ‘a place for God to live in by [His] Breath.’ What is he talking about here?

Paul’s reference is later explained in the Revelation, where this Temple of God was spoken of as being assembled of ‘a hundred and forty-four thousand who were purchased from the earth,’ (Revelation 14:3) and are taken to heaven from among the symbolic earthly ‘twelve tribes of Israel.’ (see Revelation 7:4, 5).

They then make up a heavenly ‘city’ or seat of government for the earth. Notice how Revelation 21:2, 3 describes it,
‘I also saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It had been prepared as a bride who is dressed for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne say, Look! God’s tent is with men. He is going to pitch his tent among them. They will be His people and He will be their God.’

Finally, Revelation Chapter 22 gives us a vision of this glorious Holy City, which is built on a foundation of the ‘twelve Apostles of the Lamb.’ Notice the description found at Revelation 22:9-12, 14, ‘He said, Come here! I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife. So, he carried me away by [God’s] Breath to an enormously high mountain. There he showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City, coming down out of heaven from God. It had all the glory of God. It had a shine like the most precious of gems. It gleamed like a crystal-clear jasper stone. It had thick high walls and twelve gates. And at the twelve gates, there were twelve messengers. [On the gates] were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. The city wall also had twelve foundation stones, and the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb were written on them.’

This is the special hope of those who are chosen to be a part of God’s arrangement to govern the earth from this ‘New Jerusalem’ and to ‘become one’ with Jesus as ‘the bride of the Lamb.’

For more information, see the linked document Jerusalem and the Israel of God.

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Messengers

Most Bible translations render the Greek word aggelos (pronounced ahn-gel-ose – with a hard g) as angel wherever it is found. However, aggelos is just the Greek word for messenger. True, in most cases where the Bible speaks of angels, it is referring to spirit messengers from God. However, this may not be the meaning in every instance, and always translating it as angel may distort what was said in certain instances.

For example, consider the words at Acts 12:15, where Peter had just been released from prison and had appeared at the door of some faithful Christians. In Greek, the latter part of this verse reads, ‘oi de elegon Ho aggelos estin autou,’ and is often translated as, ‘They began to say, It is his angel.’

This rendering doesn’t sound reasonable, for it would have been bizarre for Christians to assume that an angel from God (who looked like Peter) was standing and knocking at their door. Rather, the rendering we have used herein makes more sense, ‘So they said, It’s his messenger.’

Another good example of why aggelos shouldn’t always be translated as angel can be found at Genesis 32:3, which reads in Greek, ‘Apasteile de Iakob aggelous emprosthen autou pros Hesau ton adelphon autou,’ or, ‘Sent of Jacob angels ahead of him toward Esau the brother of him.’ Here Jacob was obviously sending human messengers to his brother, not heavenly ones.

And consider the words at Numbers 20:14, where we read that Moses sent messengers (gr. aggelous – messengers, plural) from Cades to the king of Edom.’ Then in verse 16, it says that ‘Jehovah … heard our voice and sent His messenger (gr. aggelon – messenger, singular) who brought us out of Egypt.’

Also, consider the words of Haggai 1:13, where we read: ‘Then the Messenger (or angel) of Jehovah, Haggai, one of the [many] messengers (or angels) of Jehovah, said to the people, Jehovah says I am with you!’

Yet, Haggai was just a man not a spirit.

Obviously, although the same word (with only conjugated variations) is used to speak of two different types of messengers here… those who are human and those who were sent from heaven by God. As the result, most Bibles translate the first instance as messengers, but the second as angel. We have not chosen to make this distinction, and we have rendered the word as messenger or messengers in each instance, because this proper translation of the word provides readers a better look at what position these heavenly sons of God held. For angel isn’t a heavenly rank it’s a duty.

Also, translating aggelos as messenger (when it truly means an ‘angel’) helps to provide readers a better, deeper understanding of the actual role that such spiritual sons of God play in His dealings with mankind. And it helps us to understand why the Bible never speaks of female or baby angels.

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The Seven Stars

As Revelation 1:20 says, ‘The seven stars signify the messengers of the seven congregations.’

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The Morning Star

Admittedly, our rendering of Psalm 110:3, ‘For, since the time that you came from the womb, I made you to be the morning star,’ could be wrong, because it differs from the Hebrew text and other translations of the Septuagint. The Greek word in question here is eosphorou, which some translate as dawn. However, others argue that the word should be translated as morning star, and we find this logical because Jesus referred to himself as the morning star at Revelation 2:28, and again at Revelation 22:16. So, this would explain what scripture he was quoting.

Notice that this rendering is also more in harmony with the principles of Hebrew poetry, for it better reflects the thought of the previous verse, ‘In that mighty day you’ll be the sovereign, and in the brightness of your holy ones you will shine.’ It also just makes more sense than the Hebrew words, ‘in the splendors of holiness from the womb of the dawn,’ which don’t appear to mean very much, and which don’t tie into other prophesies.

Revelation 2:28 says, ‘I’ll also give him the morning star.’ Notice the explanation the Bible itself provides at Revelation 22:16 of who this morning stare is; ‘I (Jesus) sent my messenger to you [so you would] bring this testimony against the congregations. I’m the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.’

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The Lamp Stands

Notice what was represented by the lamp stands in the Revelation. Revelation 1:20 says, ‘The seven lamp stands signify the seven congregations.’ So, lamp stands must picture callings or groups of Christians.

Where the lamp stand is spoken of as being ‘removed’ (at Revelation 2:5), this appears to indicate that the congregation will be removed from its position of favor.

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Stumble or Trap?

The Greek word scandalon means the trip lever of a trap. And while it is often translated as stumble, the meaning has more to do with stumbling into a trap.

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Fornication or Sexual Immorality?

The Greek word porneia means much more than copulation between individuals who aren’t married to each other. The term literally means that which is sold (by prostitutes). So it includes all the types of services that might be sold by a prostitute, not just copulation.

It also just refers to acts between unmarried persons (which is what happens in prostitution). This includes such actions between unmarried ‘consenting adults,’ although there may be no exchange of money, because, where porneia is found in the Greek Septuagint, the Hebrew Law shows that it involves intimate relations between unmarried persons.

Because the English word fornication carries the nuance of just copulation between unmarried persons, we have used the broader term sexual immorality here to indicate the full range of the term.

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Spiritism, Druggery, or Involvement in the Occult?

The Greek word that is translated involvement in the occult at Galatians 5:20, is pharmakia. This word has been translated many ways over the years to fit particular religious ‘hot buttons.’ Some have applied it to forbid spiritism and others have applied it to forbid the use of illicit drugs (due to the ‘pharmacy’ connection). However, the word refers specifically to the use of ‘magic potions’ that are supplied by mystics, such as witches and the like. And some connection to modern-day (prescribed and patent) medicines as sold in drug stores could be implied. However, the difference is that modern medicines aren’t supposed to suggest ‘magical’ or occult powers.

The particular Greek/English interlinear Bible that we used when preparing this version translated pharmakia as druggery. However, the nuance that druggery implies in American English simply isn’t correct. It suggests the misuse (abuse) of mind-altering drugs… and that isn’t the primary meaning of pharmakia. While mind-altering drugs would likely have played a role in ancient potions, the corrupt act mentioned here clearly refers to any involvement in occult practices and contact with the demons.

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The Kingdom

The word Kingdom is translated from the Greek word basileia, which refers to the realm of a king (basil).

A common misconception about this Kingdom is that it isn’t real… that it’s just a state of mind. This conclusion is based on Jesus’ words found at Luke 17:21 which say (in Greek), he basileia tou Theou entos hymon estin (the Kingdom of the God in you is). These words are then translated as, ‘for God’s Kingdom is within you.’ However, this couldn’t be the correct meaning, because, notice that (at Luke 17:20) Jesus said these words in reply to a question that was raised by the Pharisees, and he certainly didn’t believe that the Kingdom was in their hearts.

So, what did Jesus mean? He was saying that he, the king of that Kingdom, was there in their midst, and that the hope of becoming kings in that Kingdom was being offered to them. And while it’s true that real Christians ever since that time have in fact been members of that Kingdom in their hearts, the word Kingdom (an area of rule) implies that there will be an actual time of rule and a realm for Jesus and his faithful servants. And, since it appears as though some of these kings will rule from heaven, the place where they rule from is called ‘the Kingdom of Heaven.’

However, Kingdom of Heaven appears to refer to the rule from heaven and not to the place where those who are ruled will live. We draw this conclusion from Jesus’ words as found at Matthew 8:11, which reads: ‘Many from the sunrise and sunset will come and recline [at the table] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven.’

That such faithful individuals as Abraham weren’t really in heaven at the time Jesus spoke these words (but they were alive in God’s memory), is confirmed by what Jesus said at John 3:13, ‘Nobody has gone to heaven other than he who came from heaven, the Son of Man.’

So, Matthew 8:10-12 must be referring to Abraham and his descendants living under the rule of a heavenly Kingdom government. These faithful ones don’t appear to qualify to be rulers in heaven themselves, because they weren’t ‘born again’ to receive the value of a spiritual life, nor were they part of the ‘Sacred Agreement for a Kingdom’ (Luke 22:29) that Jesus made with his Apostles just prior to his arrest and execution.

Notice how Jesus showed that the Kingdom of God hadn’t already arrived at the time he was speaking, for we are told at Luke 19:11, ‘While they were listening to these things, he told them another illustration, because he was getting close to Jerusalem, and they all thought that the Kingdom of God was about to happen instantly.’ Then Jesus told about a man who made a long trip to a distant land to receive kingship. So, a long period of time was obviously involved between when Jesus would leave on his journey (to receive kingship in heaven), and the time when he would return to reward his faithful slaves.

There is a definite time for this Kingdom to start its rule, which is made clear by the words of Revelation 12:10. For there we read, ‘Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of His Anointed began. Because the one who has been accusing our brothers has been thrown down… the one who has been complaining about them day and night in front of our God!’

So, when the Opposer and his messengers are/were expelled from heaven, God’s Kingdom begins there. However, it must await the end of the ‘short period of time’ before God’s opposers are destroyed at ‘Armageddon’ and any of its effects will be seen on earth.

Then, what IS the Kingdom? The term appears to refer to a coming rulership of the earth by God, Jesus, and a spiritual Israel that originates in the heavens but extends to those in charge on the earth, for John wrote at Revelation 1:6, ‘[Jesus] made us to be a Kingdom of Priests to his God and Father.’ And he wrote that a heavenly group sang this song to him about Jesus (at Revelation 5:9, 10):

‘You bought people for God with your blood,
From every tribe, language, ethnicity, and country.
Then you made them rulers and Priests to our God,
And they’ll rule as kings on the earth.’

Then at Revelation 2:26 it’s recorded that Jesus promised: ‘I’ll give he who conquers and obeys whatever I tell him to do down to the end, power over the nations.’

And again at Revelation 3:21, Jesus promised: ‘Then I’ll allow the one who conquers to sit down with me on my throne, just as my Father has allowed me to sit on His throne, because I have conquered.’

For more information, see the linked document, The ‘Seed’ – God’s Kingdom.

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What does In Mean?

The Greek word εν (en) simply means in. However, it is translated as in, one, in union with, and as other words, depending on the context, in most Bibles.

Especially in the book of John do we find the question raised, ‘Was Jesus really the same person as the God?’ This question is raised because the text at John 10:38 literally says, ‘… in order that you should know and you may be knowing that in (en) me the Father and I in (en) the Father.’

However, the text above is often translated as, ‘I and my father are one.’ Is this the true sense of what John wrote? Is Jesus ‘one with’ (the same as) the Father?

That could be a correct translation, but not in the context of the way the book of John was written. For example, notice how John 14:20 reads: ‘εν εκεινη τη ημερα υμεις γνωσεσθε οτι εγω εν τω πατρι μου και υμεις εν εμοι καγω εν υμιν,’ or, ‘In that the day you will know that I in (εν) the Father of me, and you in (εν) me, and I in (εν) you.’

So, if John 10:38 means that Jesus is the same person as his Father, then John 14:20 means that all of Jesus’ followers are the same person and that they are also the same persons as Jesus and his Father. Is this a logical conclusion? No, because it doesn’t harmonize with numerous other scriptures that show his followers to be individuals, but one with (or in unity with) Jesus and God.

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Demons

2 Peter 2:4 speaks of ‘messengers’ who were put into ‘Tartarus’ for bad acts they committed during the time of Noah. Genesis 6:3 speaks of these as ‘sons of God’ (gr. uioi tou Theou) and it tells of their coming to earth to marry ‘the daughters of men’ (gr. thygateras ton anthropon). However, these ‘sons of God’ don’t appear to be quite the same as the ‘messengers’ who are to be thrown out of heaven during ‘the Lord’s Day,’ mentioned at Revelation 12:7-9. Since the ‘sons of God’ who came to earth and assumed human bodies in Noah’s day couldn’t be destroyed by the downpour (flood) and they had forsaken heaven, they were apparently put into a prison-like state here on the earth, where they are no longer able to roam. This group is specifically referred to as the demons in the Bible.

It is interesting that, except among modern materialistic and scientific societies, demons are recognized as real throughout the world and by almost all of its religions, both modern and primitive. Such universal acknowledgement by diverse people with no cultural ties is one of the strongest arguments for their existence.

Demon is a Greek word that seems to be derived from diameno, which means fixed in one place. From other Bible accounts about demons, it appears that this ‘fixing in one place’ means that they must be associated with either living or non-living things, which is referred to as ‘possession.’

At Acts 17:18 the Epicureans and Stoic Philosophers of Greece asked about Paul’s teaching a ‘foreign demon.’ And although most translations render his words as ‘foreign god,’ they truly said ‘demon’ (gr. daimonion). This is also true of Paul’s reply found at Acts 17: 22, ‘Men of Athens, I see that you’re a lot more afraid of the demons than others are.’

The reason why this term was used is obvious. The many pagan idols and Gods of Athens, although made of metal and stone, had the backing of demons. And the people recognized the power that was given to lifeless objects through ‘possession’ by their gods.

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Called and Chosen

There seems to be quite a bit of difference between these two words (called and chosen) and their implications for the people involved. For, notice what Jesus said as recorded at Matthew 22:14, ‘Many are the called but few are the chosen (gr. polloi eisin gar cletoi, oligoi de eclectoi).’ And this verse could be possibly even be translated as ‘Many are the nominated but few are the elected.’

These words of Jesus seem to put an end to the notion that everyone who is called by God was foreordained to that position before his/her specific birth. Rather, what was determined is that there would be people in general (not specific individuals) who would be chosen. Because, as Jesus makes clear here, not all who are among the called (or the nominated) to this hope are thereafter counted among the chosen (elected). For, why would God call people if He already knew that there was no chance of their being chosen?

Notice how this was stated at Revelation 17:14. There we are told, ‘Then they’ll go and fight against the Lamb. But, because he’s the Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb and those who are with him (the called, elected, and faithful) will conquer them.’

So, ‘the called’ also have prove faithful in order to become ‘the elected’ to serve with Jesus.

That was the point of Jesus’ parable at Matthew 22:1-14, which (as Jesus said) was an illustration concerning ‘the Kingdom of Heaven.’ In that parable, many were initially ‘called’ to the banquet of the King, but they didn’t want to come. The obvious reference here is to the Jews who were invited first to become kings in that Kingdom, but who for the most part, rejected the invitation.

The king then ordered his slaves to go out into the streets and ‘call’ anyone who wishes to come to the banquet. These words obviously refer to the calling of people of the nations, or the gentiles (gr. tas ethne – the ethnics).

So, is this parable talking about being called to heaven to rule there with Jesus… for isn’t the wedding banquet for God’s son to be held in heaven, and aren’t those who are invited to God’s banquet the bride who will be with Jesus in heaven? We have always thought so, but notice that the guests in this parable aren’t referred to as virgins (as was the case of those mentioned in Revelation 14:1-4). Rather, they are called ‘both the wicked and the good,’ which is a strange way to refer to the ‘Saints.’

Next, as the parable continues, the king noticed a guest who wasn’t properly dressed for a wedding feast (he didn’t have the required qualities). This guest was then bound and thrown back outside (but not killed). Do as you can see, he was called but not chosen. Now, if we were to assume that this banquet is held in heaven, and since he was already there at the feast, we must ask: was he then kicked out of heaven… and if so, we would also have to ask, then why was he taken there to begin with?

Now, we do know that there are those who are taken to heaven to rule with Jesus, but they are likely the bride at the wedding feast, not the guests (see Revelation 17:7-9). For, notice what Paul said of himself at Philippians 3:11, ‘… so I can somehow be found worthy of the upward resurrection from the dead.’

What was Paul talking about here? It appears as though, when speaking of ‘the upward resurrection,’ he was saying that although he had been ‘called,’ he may not have been ‘chosen’ yet for heavenly life. That this is what he was likely talking about, can be seen from what he said at Philippians 3:12, ‘[I’m not saying] that I’ve made it yet, or that I’m already perfect.’ Then he continued with the words (at Philippians 3:14), ‘I am running toward the goal, the prize of the upward (gr. ano – upward or higher) calling from God through the Anointed One Jesus.’

So, notice that the Bible speaks both of a ‘calling’ and of an ‘upward calling,’ which we assume refers to being called to heaven. And how would Paul know that he had been ‘chosen’ for this lofty reward? It appears as though such a person must first endure incredible suffering for his/her beliefs (as did Jesus), for notice what Paul wrote at Romans 8:17, ‘We have to suffer together so we can also be glorified together.’

Such suffering must be much more than what is typical of the suffering and death of mankind. Does this ‘suffering’ require a dying a martyr’s death? That seems to be the gist of the prophecy at Revelation 6:9-11, which says, ‘When he opened the fifth seal, I saw the lives of those who had been slaughtered because of the Word of God and because of the testimony that they gave, underneath the altar ... Then they were each given a white robe and they were told to take it easy just a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow slaves and brothers was filled (who were going to be killed, as they were).’

But, in the case of Jesus’ words found Matthew 22:14, (‘Many are called but few are chosen’), we would have to conclude that God calls many people from among mankind to become His faithful slaves and to thereafter attend the wedding banquet of the Lamb (whether in heaven or earth is not stated), but not all who are called are found worthy.

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The Word

The Greek word logos is often rightly translated as word. However, logos implies a greater meaning than that; it means the expression of a thought. So Jesus is truly the complete expression of God’s thoughts.

People have often wondered why John used such unusual wording to start this, his literary masterpiece. Yet, it is obvious he was explaining Genesis 1:1-3. For, notice how that scripture reads, ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. But the earth was unsightly and unfinished, darkness covered its depths, and God’s Breath moved over its waters. Then God spoke (gr. eipen), saying, May there be light, and light came to be.’

So, you can see that God spoke, and the things came into existence by means of some unnamed person or force.

Now, follow John’s opening words (at John 1:1-4) and notice how they dovetail with and explain Genesis 1:1-3: ‘In the beginning there was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was powerful. He was with God long ago, and through him it all came to be… life came to be, and this life was the light of all men.’

As you can see, the account in Genesis says that God spoke things into existence, and John is explaining what God said (what the ‘Word’ was). In other words, God ‘spoke’ and the ‘Word’ (Jesus in his pre-human existence) did the work.

So, if John 1:1 appears to support the idea of a trinity to some, this is unintentional. John was simply trying to impress on his readers that; although Jesus isn’t mentioned in Genesis 1:1, he was there with God and was himself a powerful god who actually did the work (with God’s power) when God ‘spoke’ the heavens and earth into existence.

Are we to conclude from John’s writing here that Jesus’ heavenly name is ton Logos (the Word or Expression of a thought)? No! Recognize that John was just employing inspired play on words to draw attention to the phrasing of Genesis 1:1. Jesus’ pre-human name was likely Michael, which means: Who is Like God (not a question but a statement). And John called him ‘the Word’ to point out Jesus’ most ancient high position as a co-worker with God, who created whatever things God spoke.

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Bless or Praise?

This is a tough one and we won’t say that our position on the translation of this word can’t be changed. The Greek word that we are struggling with is eulogetos. The first part of the word eu, is Greek for good. The last part of the word, logetos, means words (or expressions). So, a literal translation of eulogetos is good words. And our question is: Is this all that a blessing amounts to?

Yes, we know that this word has been translated as bless, blest, and blessing in other Bibles. So why rock the boat? Because these translators have simply found too many errors in many commonly accepted renderings. And here, for example, if eulogetos is properly translated as blessing each time (which carries the English nuance, ‘causing good things to happen’), then, how can humans ‘bless God?’ We do know that we can praise God, however.

Eulogetos is the word that we derive the English word eulogy from… that is, the kind words that are said of the deceased at a funeral. Such words are never said as a blessing (it’s a bit late for that); they are said in praise of the deceased individual. However, there are definitely places where eulogetos can’t be translated as praise or praising.

Perhaps the real meaning is (or is at least is similar to) praise. And when praises come from God, this means blessings to humans.

This isn’t the same word that we have rendered as blest in other portions of this translation (for an example, see Matthew 5:5). The word in question there is makarios, which is rendered as happy in certain other Bibles. However, we believe that blest is the proper way to translate that Greek word.

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Ark or Chest?

What is an ark? Why, everyone knows of Noah’s ark, and of the Ark of the Covenant… don’t they? Yes, most people do. But, just what is an ark? That is an ancient English word, the meaning of which has been long lost in history. It is translated from the Greek word kiboton (kee/boat/on). So, most people simply don’t grasp what it’s talking about today, and any concept that they might have of what it looked like may come from pictures in children’s storybooks that show a big boat with all sorts of animals looking out the windows.

An ark is simply a box or chest. If you carefully examine the description of the measurements that God gave Noah, you will see that He told Noah to build a three-story wooden box that was about ‘five-hundred feet long, eighty feet wide, and fifty feet tall.’ It was rectangular; it had a roof, at least one window, and a door. It wasn’t to be a ‘boat’ that could navigate, because, all it had to do was float. Nor did the animals look out the window(s); they were kept in stalls.

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The Heavens or Sky, the Earth or the Land?

In both the Ancient Scriptures of Israel and in the Christian Era Scriptures, we find all the realm of creation divided into three entities; the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English we understand that there is a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In the beginning God created the sky and the ground.’

This is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above, and the water. There was no technical understanding of the earth as a planet, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space… it just wasn’t necessary at the time. However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, translators must choose the proper words to provide the right nuances in English, so readers can grasp the proper meaning of each text.

This is why you’ll find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You’ll also find the Greek words ge and ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at 1 Peter 3:5, 6, for example, are translated herein as, ‘The thing that they don’t want to understand is this: That the ancient earth and sky were out of the water, but (in obedience to God’s instructions) they stood together between the waters.’ (For an example of the problems created by the wrong use of the words ge and ges, see the linked document Isaiah 24 - Is It Speaking of Armageddon?).

Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located ‘between the water.’ So, although other Bibles translated this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is to that portion of the heavens that are close to the earth, or the sky. Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘meek’ as inheriting the earth; since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth, we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not land or ground.

And finally, when it comes to the seas (gr. thalassa), there are already distinctions as to different types of waters in the Greek text. For instance, seas are called thalassa and rivers are called potamos (or ‘flowing’). However, notice (in Revelation 20: 13) how the resurrection of the dead is divided between those who died on land and those who were lost in the water, ‘The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things they did.’

We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ‘Then I saw a new earth and sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea.’

In the case of where EliJah was taken in a celestial chariot, most people think he was taken to (as their Bibles put it) ‘heaven,’ where he went to live with God. This isn’t true, because King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12). So God had apparently used the celestial chariot to take him into the sky (the proper translation here), where he was then taken to another place here on the earth. For more information on this, see the linked document, The Hereafter.

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Who Was John, the Apostle?

John (who wrote the Bible books of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation) was apparently one of Jesus’ earliest followers. And although many Bible critics and commentators have pointed out that John many not have written the books attributed to him because of language and style, remember that when he did his writing he was almost 100 years old, so like Paul, he likely used others as a secretaries to do the actual writing.

John and his brother James, who were later appointed to be Apostles (or Sent Ones), were Galileans (considered ‘country bumpkins’ by people in Judea) who worked as fishermen for their father in a business that seemed to be co-owned by Peter (Simon).

Although Jesus was particularly fond of John, and some Bible critics often think of John as a laid-back dreamer, Jesus referred to him and his brother as ‘the Sons of Thunder.’ So this common view of John’s passive personality doesn’t seem to be well founded.

It is interesting that John appears to have been known and liked by the Jewish Chief Priest, CaiAphas. For notice what the account at John 18:15, 16 tells us, ‘Now, Simon Peter (and another disciple) followed Jesus. The Chief Priest was familiar with that disciple, so he went into the High Priest’s courtyard along with Jesus, but Peter stood outside at the door. Then the disciple who knew the High Priest went outside and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.’

So, many of the things that happened and were said inside the Chief Priest’s house (as well as in the palaces of Pilate and Herod after Jesus’ arrest) seem to have come to us as the result of John being there and serving as an eyewitness. Therefore, Peter wasn’t the only disciple who stayed with Jesus after his arrest.

So, why was John (a disciple of Jesus) allowed into this important meeting? It appears as though John was a relative of the High Priest, for Acts 4:5, 6 tells us: ‘Then the next day, they held a meeting in Jerusalem that included the rulers, elders, and Scribes, as well as AnNas the Chief Priest, CaiAphas, John, Alexander, and all the rest of the Chief Priest’s relatives.’

It’s a fact that whenever Peter and John were together, as when they stood before the Jewish High Court, Peter did most of the talking. However, this doesn’t appear to have happened because Peter outranked John, or because John was tongue-tied or shy. Rather, it seems that John deferred to Peter because he was older, and a friend and partner of his father. You will notice that later, John, Peter, and James (not John’s brother, who was an early Christian martyr, but James, the half-brother of Jesus and the writer of the book of James) were later referred to by Paul as the ‘pillars’ (or the leaders) of the early Christian Congregation. Thereafter, James served as the spokesman for the three when the matter of circumcising the gentiles had to be decided.

As Jesus prophesied, John lived the longest of all the Apostles, dying at around the age of 100, either by execution or as the result of poor health from his long stay in an ancient prison. And it was shortly before his death that he did all his writing. So, the book of John is quite different in its format from the Gospels of Mark and Luke, which seem to be more based on and influenced by the book of Matthew.

For this reason, the Gospel of John provides us a far greater insight into who Jesus actually was and the things that he thought and did. John was obviously very impressed with the privilege he had of being ‘the loved Apostle’ of the most important individual who ever walked this earth, and of the privilege that he and others would have of becoming ‘one’ with Jesus and his Father in heaven. So, the opening words of the book of John reflect that awe, as he poetically tried to impress us with the full meaning of who Jesus actually was in his pre-human life as ‘the only created’ son of God.

John’s three epistles (letters) were written to congregations to warn of the dangers that they were facing from within. This is because ‘the great turning away’ that Paul foretold was already in progress. For ‘Christians’ were starting to deny that Jesus was the ‘Promised One,’ or perhaps that there ever was a Jesus. So John labeled them as the ‘Antichrists,’ and told Christians not to have anything to do with such individuals.

The book of Revelation that John wrote, recorded a vision of ‘the Lord’s Day,’ which he received from God through Jesus. And although some critics have concluded that this was some sort of hallucination, Revelation provides a fitting climax to the entire Bible by bringing together the four mysterious characters mentioned in the first prophecy in the Bible (at Genesis 3:16): the snake, its seed, the woman, and her seed. Then if fills in all the gray areas as to who each of these individuals prove to be, and it shows the full meaning of the roles they will play in God’s purposes. Far from a hallucination, the Revelation explains in detail what is really happening to us today, what will soon happen, and what the hope there is for all obedient mankind. For more information, see the linked document, The Seed - God’s Kingdom.

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Amen

Amen is a Hebrew word that was never really translated into English; it was just Anglicized. In Greek it is pronounced, ah-main. The reason why it was never translated is that ancient scholars were afraid to change this supposed ‘magical’ word that ensures God will listen to the prayer. There is no record in the Bible of anyone ending prayers with amen, although it was likely said. And the fact that others who were present said amen at the end of prayers to show that they agree, is indicated by Paul’s words at 1 Corinthians 14:6.

In addition, amen isn’t said in the Bible just at the end of a Prayer. Paul used the word frequently in his writings to affirm that what he was writing was, or would be, true. And that’s the literal meaning of amen as it is rendered here, ‘may it be.’

So, should Christians end their prayers with the word amen, or with the phrase, may it be? It really makes no difference. In fact, neither really has to be said for God to hear the prayer, or for Him to understand that it is concluded.

The problem with saying amen is that most people really don’t know what it means today. They think of it as just a word that you end prayers with. However, saying amen (or may it be) at the conclusion of a prayer indicates that the one praying assumes the things that were asked are as good as done – and he or she should also believe that.

In several places we have left the word amen unchanged, for example, at Revelation 3:14, where Jesus was referred to symbolically as ‘the Amen,’ or, he who ‘causes things to be’ (under the direction of God).

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Undeserved Kindness or Caring?

The Greek word caris is where we derive the English word care or caring. However, the Greek word carries a slightly different meaning. Old English Bible translations have rendered caris as grace. However, the nuance that grace implies (smooth and flowing) totally distorts the meaning of this term in contemporary American English.

Most Bible dictionaries prefer to see caris translated as undeserved kindness. However, this phrase, which may or may not make some minor technical difference in the meaning, adds wordiness, and that distracts from the ease of reading. So you will find it translated as care, caring, or kindness herein, depending on the setting.

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Cosmos or World?

In Jesus’ discussion about the sheep and goats found at Matthew 25:34, he said, ‘Then the king will tell those on his right, Come, you who have been praised by my Father, inherit the Kingdom that has been prepared for you from the founding of the world.’

In Greek, the words we have translated as founding of the world are katabole cosmou, or down-throw arrangement. You may recognize that the English word cosmos is a derivative of cosmou. And cosmos (which we pronounce as cas-mose, but the Greeks pronounces as cas-mas) is the word that modern peoples usually use when referring to the universe today (thank you Mr. Sagan). So, why have we translated it as world, and what is meant by the term, founding of the world?

Actually, cosmos is used many times in the Bible and in many different ways. For example, when Paul urged Christian women to dress modestly, he used the word cosmos to describe well-arranged clothing, and arrangement is probably the closest English meaning of the word. So, it isn’t always translated as world.

And although it has been said that the word world doesn’t appear at all in the Hebrew texts of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (Old Testament), it really does appear there several times in the Greek Septuagint. And the reason why they say that world doesn’t appear there is because the equivalent Hebrew word is translated (in different Bibles and in different places) as arrangement, ornamentation, honor, delight, universe, earth, army, etc.

Yet, in the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), where cosmos appears several times, it is usually translated as world… such as the world of Noah, the light of the world, the field is the world, etc. So, the term doesn’t seem to apply to the earth, but rather to the arrangement of human society on the earth.

Actually, two different Greek words are often translated as world in the Septuagint, cosmos and oichonomeo; and oichonomeo does appear to refer to the earth, because it means the habitation, or, the place where [man] dwells. So the Septuagint (OT) clearly delineates these two words (that are both commonly translated as world).

But notice how the word cosmos was used by Paul at Romans 5:12, ‘Sin entered the world (cosmos) through one man, and this sin resulted in death. So, death spread to all men and everyone has sinned.’

So, it seems likely that the arrangement we call ‘the world’ started around the time of Adam’s sin in Paradise, when man created for himself and all life on earth a new arrangement or set of circumstances (which was something other than what God had planned). We have come to this conclusion based on the many scriptures that refer to the world in a negative context, and the fact that it (the current set of negative circumstances) will soon be done away with.

Yet, the Scriptures also indicate that the present world (arrangement) began after the Downpour of Noah’s day, and Noah inherited the world prior to that time. For, notice what we are told at Hebrews 11:7 ‘Because of his faith, Noah (after being given a divine warning of things he hadn’t seen yet) trusted in God and built a large chest to save his family. And due to this righteous faith, he condemned the world and became its heir.’

Also notice what was said at 2 Peter 2:4, 5, ‘Why, God didn’t spare the messengers who sinned, but by threw them into the dark pits of Tartarus, where they are awaiting His justice. And He didn’t spare the first world. Yet, He guarded Noah (who was a preacher of righteousness) along with seven others, when He brought a downpour on a world of godless people.’

So, apparently there have been two different worlds or arrangements; the one that Noah inherited that started before the Downpour, and the second one that we are now living in, and which the righteous will inherit at its destruction. For we read at 1 John 2:17, ‘And the world with all its desires is passing away, but the one who does what God wants remains through the age.’ And Romans 4:13 says, ‘Abraham and his seed weren’t given the promise of inheriting the world because of the Law; it was because of his righteousness, which came from his faith.’

Thus from the above, we have concluded that what Jesus said about the Kingdom having been prepared for the sheep since the founding of the world must mean that the Kingdom was God’s plan for the righteous since at least the time of the Downpour, and possibly since the time of Adam’s sin in Paradise.

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The Seven Congregations

After explaining that it is a vision of ‘the Lord’s Day’ (Revelation 1:10), the first portion of Revelation speaks of messages to seven congregations, which (because of the stated period) may represent all faithful congregations, lamp stands, or Christian religions in our time; for notice how all the problems of modern religions are represented by these chosen groups:

· One had fallen from the position it once had

· One was being persecuted for its faithfulness

· One was faithful but was infected by the teachings of the Nicolaitans and some were following the teachings of Balaam

· One was serving faithfully, but was influenced by a Jezebel force

· One was spiritually dead

· One was plagued by the synagogue of the Slanderer

· One was lukewarm and neither hot nor cold.

So, it appears as though this prophecy is foretelling that the Opposer would infiltrate many Christian religions to the core during the Lord’s Day.

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Nicolaitans

The infiltration of this sect into two of the seven congregations that Jesus addressed in the Second and Third Chapters of Revelation has raised the question of what they were teaching that he found so offensive. This is important, since the description of these congregations seems to be mirrored among modern Christianity.

An Early Christian elder, Iranaeus, identified the Nicolaitans in his treatise ‘Against Heresies,’ in the Second Century. He said of them that they are an ‘offshoot of the knowledge which is falsely so-called,’ and he explained that they ‘lead lives of unrestrained indulgence.’

This description seems to mirror what Paul warned Timothy of at 1 Timothy 6:20, 21, when he wrote, ‘O Timothy, guard this hope and turn away from all the unclean and opposing empty talk that is falsely called knowledge, through which some who once showed promise in the faith were turned aside.’

So, this corrupting influence seems to have taken root in congregations as early as the middle of the First Century, for Iranaeus seems to have been quoting Paul.

What is this falsely called knowledge that was (and still is) a corrupting influence on Christians? Apparently, it is acceptance of a philosophy that people may be Christians and still do whatever they wish. However, others have looked at the name Nicolaitans, and suggested that its Greek meaning, (nicao) to conquer (laos) the people, refers to the earliest form of a priestly order or clergy.

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Questionable Words in Revelation 20:5

Revelation 20:4, 5 reads, ‘Next, I saw thrones. And those who sat down on them were the ones who were executed with axes for testifying about Jesus and for telling about God, and who hadn’t worshiped the wild animal or its image, and who hadn’t received the mark on their foreheads and on their hands. Then they were appointed judges, and they came to life and ruled as kings with the Chosen One for a thousand years. (The rest of the dead don’t come to life until the end of the thousand years.) This is the first resurrection.’

This familiar description of the resurrection has been quoted for years and used as a basis for many religious doctrines. Yet, the words shown in bold above are in question because they aren’t found in the Bible’s oldest manuscript of the Revelation, the Codex Sinaiticus. And while many attribute this deletion to a scribal error, we are always concerned when we find possible additions to the Bible text, and this one is by its nature suspect, because it appears to be a clarification.

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The Two Witnesses

Who the two witnesses of Revelation 11:3, 4 are or will be is open to religious debate, which we won’t enter here, for that is just speculation. We know that they are described as, ‘The two olive trees and the two lamp stands that have been standing on the earth in front of the Lord.’

So, we know that they represent callings or gatherings, because we were told at Revelation 1:20, ‘The seven lamp stands signify the seven congregations.’

Why are there two and not seven? Because the messages to the seven congregations prove that not all are faithful, and what God’s Law requires is that a matter is proven at the mouth of two or more witnesses.

What testimony will be required of these two witnesses? We don’t know, but in the case of ancient Israel there were two witnesses (Joshua and Caleb) who could testify to what Jehovah had done by delivering His people from Egypt and through the Red sea. They were also witnesses to their receiving the Law from God, and to the people’s agreeing to be party to His Sacred Agreement. So in this case, the two witnesses will be able to testify to some great act by God. Otherwise, there would be no need for witnesses.

What is this great act? All we have is what the following verses tell us. Revelation 11:3 says they will ‘prophesy for one-thousand two-hundred and sixty days wearing sackcloth.’

Then verses 3-6 say, ‘If any of their enemies wish to harm them, fire will come from their mouths and consume them. So, if anyone wants to persecute them, that’s how they’re going to die, because they’ve been authorized to close up the sky so no rain will fall during the period of their prophesying. They’re also authorized to turn water into blood and to bring every sort of plague to the earth whenever they wish.

Verses 7 and 8 continue, ‘And when they’ve finished their witnessing, the wild animal that comes out of the pit will fight against them, conquer them, and kill them. Then their corpses will lie in the main street of the great city, which [God’s] Breath refers to as Sodom and Egypt. It’s where their Lord was hung on a pole.’

And verses 11-13 tell us, ‘However, after the three and a half days, God sent His breath of life into them and they stood up on their feet, and this frightened those who saw them. Then [the two witnesses] heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, Come on up here. And their enemies saw them go into the sky in a cloud. A tremendous earthquake followed this and a tenth of the city [of Sodom and Egypt] toppled. This earthquake killed seven-thousand people and frightened all the rest, so they gave glory to the God of heaven.’

There were also two other witnesses that the Bible speaks of, Moses and Elijah, who were with Jesus in the transfiguration. This is an interesting match up, because the death of neither one was witnessed by man (though both died). Does this have significance?

There were three witnesses who came along with Jesus at that time, Peter, John, and James. And what did they see? At Matthew 16:28 Jesus said concerning this, ‘I tell you the truth, some of you who are standing here won’t taste death until you see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.’

So, perhaps these findings will provide some clues as to who the two witnesses are or will prove to be.

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1,260 Days; Time, Times, and Half a Time; Forty-Two Months

You’ll find three similar periods mentioned in the Revelation, because they all represent 3-1/2 years according to the Hebrew calendar.

Revelation 11:1, 2 ‘Now, go measure the Temple of God, its altar, and those who are worshiping there. Don’t pay any attention to the courtyard outside the Temple. Don’t measure it, because it has been given to the nations, and they’re going to trample the Holy City under their feet for forty-two months.

• Revelation 11:3 ‘Then I’m going to have my two witnesses prophesy for one-thousand two-hundred and sixty days wearing sackcloth.’
• Revelation 12:6 ‘Then the woman escaped into the desert to a place that God had prepared for her, where she would be fed for a thousand two hundred and sixty days.’

Revelation 12:14, ‘However, the woman was given the two wings of a huge eagle so she could fly to her place in the desert where she’s fed for a time, times, and half a time, and where the snake can’t reach her.

• We find the same prophetic periods mentioned in the book of Daniel, for there we read:
• Daniel 7:24, ‘And the ten horns are ten kings that will arise, and after them, another will arise that will overwhelm the previous kings and humble three of them. He will speak great words and mislead the Holy Ones of the Most High, and he will be allowed to change times and laws for a time, times, and a half a time.

What does all of this signify?

Well, 3-1/2 days is exactly half of a week, so it indicates something that is started but hasn’t been completed, or it can be the period of completion. Take for example, the ministry of Jesus. It lasted for exactly three-and-a-half years, and thereafter, it appears that there were three-and-a-half years between his death and the conversion of the first gentiles. So in this case, the periods seem to indicate the time of offering the kingdom to the Jews exclusively, and how long it would be thereafter before the opportunity would be offered to others.

Of course, the three-and-a-half years of Jesus’ ministry were also the last appeals to the people of Jerusalem before they were rejected. Then it appears as though the second half of that period was realized in the year 66-C.E., when the Romans first attacked Jerusalem and then left (allowing Christians to flee the city,) until its final destruction in 70-C.E.

Of course, Daniel seemed to be speaking of our time, when the last great world empire would ‘change times and laws’ for 3-1/2 years. And the Revelation was written after the destruction of Jerusalem, so those words must also be fulfilled in our day.

Will we try to tell you what all of this means? No, we will leave this in the hands of speculators. Just recognize that there is a 3-1/2 year beginning, followed by a later 3-1/2 year conclusion. So if we identify an ending, we must also find what 3-1/2 year period started it.

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Crowns, Turbans, and Diadems

In the Bible, we read of two different types of royal headgear that was worn by Kings, crowns (gr. stephanos) and turbans (gr. diademas). Which did the kings of Israel, such as David and Solomon, wear?

A study of history shows that most kings wore some sort of hat on official occasions, which varied by time and by country. The gold headpiece that was worn by the pharaohs of Egypt, for example, could be referred to as neither a crown nor a turban. But in the Middle East, the common headgear for kings was usually a turban that was set with gold and jewels. And this custom remained true for the most part throughout history, because crowns were generally thought of by the faithful as representing the rays of the sun. However, golden crowns were used by pagan kings throughout the world as their sign of appointment by God.

The first mention of a crown being worn by a king of Israel is found at 1 Samuel 12:30, where King David took the gold crown from the head of the Ammonite king of Rabbath, named Malchom, and placed it on his own head. However, it doesn’t appear as though this was the custom of kings of Israel thereafter, for the placing of Malchom’s crown on his head seems to represent David’s victory, not his envy at the Pagan king’s headgear. And the fact that all Israelite men wore turbans can be seen in the depictions of Israelites in war scenes from Assyria that are currently on display at the British Museum.

If you study uses of the word crown in the Bible, you’ll see that most instances are talking about the top portion of the head, not a hat. However, there are notable exceptions to this.

At Revelation 12:3, the dragon is shown as having seven heads and ten horns, and ‘on its heads were seven royal turbans.’ We have translated this verse as saying there were seven ‘royal turbans’ on its heads, because the Greek word used there was diadema, or through wraps, indicating that they were wearing turbans (although many religious depictions incorrectly show them wearing crowns).

However, there appear to be good uses in the Bible for the word crown as a symbol of athletic victory, not necessarily of kingship. Take for example, the following occurrences:

· ‘A crown that rots away. However, we receive one that doesn’t rot.‘

• ‘He will receive the crown of life that the Lord promised to all those who love him.’
• ‘You will walk away with the enduring crown of glory.’
• ‘But be faithful to death and I’ll give you the crown of life.’

So, if it is true that the crown is more a sign of victory (a garland) in the Bible than of kingship, this gives us a better understanding of verses such as the following:

· ‘A crown of twelve stars.’

• ‘He had a golden crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.’

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Jehovah

Although there are no existing ancient Christian Era Scripture (New Testament) manuscripts that contain the full name Jehovah, there are four reasons why we (and other Bible scholars and translators) believe that it existed in the original text. They are:

1. The Name is found in many of the Hebrew Scripture texts that are quoted by Jesus and his disciples

2. Jesus mentioned God’s having a Name in ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ and at John 5:43, 10:25, 12:13, 17:26, and in numerous other places

3. The Name still appears in a combined form in Revelation where the word hallelujah is used (Hallel means praise, u implies second person, and Jah is a shortened form of Jehovah.)

4. The fact that Christians who lived in Jerusalem were still worshiping at the Temple of Jehovah late in Paul’s ministry proves that they still viewed Jehovah as their God (see Acts 21:20-26).

So, this Bible is one of two that we are aware of that uses God’s Name in the Christian Era Scriptures, which makes it quite unique. However, you will see that we have avoided using it in places where the Greek words ho Kyrios could have been speaking of Jesus, using the Name Jehovah mostly in quotations from Hebrew texts which were clearly speaking of The God.

That the Name Jehovah (which means, He who Causes to Be, or, The Creator) was originally in the Bible, is documented in all ancient Hebrew texts. And it is most likely that the Septuagint translation which Jesus and his Apostles used (most quotations they gave seem to have come from an ancient Septuagint) carried that Name, but probably in the four Hebrew characters that represent the English consonants YHWH.

Notice this comment by Robert Hanhart, who contributed the Introduction to ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture.’ He stated therein that, ‘All Greek biblical texts of Jewish origin found to date, whether from pre-Christian or Christian times, transmit the name יהוה Jehovah not in the form κύριος [Lord] encountered in all the LXX [Septuagint] manuscripts of Christian origin, but in some form of the Tetragrammaton.’ (See: ‘The Septuagint as Christian Scripture,’ 2002, book, p.7, by Martin Hengel. Introduction by Robert Hanhart, published by Baker Academic. ISBN 0-8010-2790-X).

You will see how in the book of Isaiah, for example, God is often referred to in Greek as Kyrios ho Kyrios, or, Lord the Lord (see Isaiah 48:16 LXX). And these are obvious examples of texts where God’s Name was omitted, for such sentences should clearly read Jehovah the Lord, or Lord Jehovah.

Since the words God and Lord both seem to have been substituted in the text wherever God’s Name originally appeared, it is difficult to know where to reinsert the Name in place of the titles. We could refer to the Hebrew texts and insert it wherever the Name appears there, but that would be out of harmony with the purpose of presenting this translation of the Septuagint on its own merit. So, wherever the term the Lord appears in obvious reference to God, we have decided to insert the Name Jehovah.

The rule that other translators have adopted for inserting God’s Name is to simply use it wherever the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) appears in the oldest existing Hebrew texts (which aren’t that old). However, it can be proven that these texts and such insertions are unreliable. For example, there is the instance when Abraham was talking to three ‘men,’ one of whom he referred to as the Lord (יהוה). In this case, Abraham was obviously speaking to a messenger from God (likely His representative, Michael), because, as God told Moses, ‘No man can see God and live.’ So in such instances we have left the term ‘Lord’ unchanged, because that is likely the actual word Abraham used.

Also, in the writings of many of the Prophets, you will notice that they were often spoken to by God’s messengers, who the Prophets referred to as the Lord. And these messengers (angels) thereafter went on to give them messages from Jehovah. For example, notice the wording of Jeremiah 2:1: ‘Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, Go and yell in the ears of Jerusalem! Tell them that thus says Jehovah …’ So in this Bible you’ll see an interspersing of the term the Lord, when it appears to be referring to the angel messenger, and as Jehovah, when it appears to be referring to God.

Notice again the wording of Amos 4:13, where the one who gave the message to that Prophet (the Lord) definitely put Jehovah in the third person (though he is apparently saying that he did much of the work of creating) for there he said: ‘{Look!} I brought the thunder and I made the wind; and I report to men of His caring. For He produces the dawn and the fog, and is mounted on the heights of the earth… His Name is Jehovah God the Almighty!’

Then look at the words of Zephaniah 1:9, where the Prophet wrote: ‘And I asked, What are these, O Lord? And [God’s] messenger replied (he who was speaking to me), I will show you what all these things mean.’

So, it appears as though the Greek word kyrios should be translated as Lord or the Lord when it is referring to the angel who was speaking, and as Jehovah in many cases when it is speaking of God… regardless of how modern Hebrew texts may read, for from the context you can clearly see that these verses are quoting someone other than God.

However, the Lord (kyrios) would also have been used by Hebrew writers when speaking of God in poetry, where the previous or following verse uses the Name Jehovah; for the rule for a following verses is to use a simile.

Another important place where it appears as though the term the Lord should be used instead of the name Jehovah, is where people do something in His Name, as in James 5:10, which speaks of ‘Prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.’ For, since Jehovah is God’s Name (in English), they would not be speaking in the Name of Jehovah (which is His Name), but in the Name of the Lord (Jehovah). Yes, this could be an arguable point, but where there is some question and the understanding isn't changed, we believe it is better to take a cautious approach.

Probably the most striking and confusing reference to the Lord is found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth, and you made the heavens with your hands. But they’ll pass away while you still remain. For like clothes they will grow old. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them. Yes, you’re the one and your years will never expire.’

As you can see, the reference to the Lord here appears to be speaking of God (Jehovah). And if you go back to the scripture Paul was quoting (Psalm 102:25-27), you’ll see (from the context of the surrounding verses) that it appears to be speaking of Jehovah there also, and this is the conclusion of many, because the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) appears there in both the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts. Yet, the entire First Chapter of Hebrews is discussing Jesus and his special position before God. And Paul is clearly quoting Psalm 102:25-27 to make the point that Jesus made the heavens and the earth, that he will remain through the ages, and that he will eventually rebuild (repair) them after they grow old.

So, either Paul misapplied this scripture, which seems unlikely, or both Hebrew and Greek versions of Psalm 102 have been badly corrupted through the years, which our research proves is possible. As the result (because the answers are unclear), we have deviated from our rule of capitalizing the first letter of the words You and Your in many places in Psalm 102 and Hebrews 1, and from inserting the Name Jehovah where its use may be in doubt. However, this opens another can of worms, for it brings into question the accuracy of major portions of the Hebrew text and the use of the Tetragrammaton rule altogether.

It has also been suggested that since Jesus ‘shines with the same glory, is the exact image of His (God’s) being, and is responsible for everything that’s said through His power,’ as we were told at Hebrews 1:3, anything that is said about God also applies to Jesus… perhaps.

Of course, the easy answer to why Paul used Psalm 102 in reference to Jesus, is because Jesus is actually Jehovah, as many theologians claim. But this is proven untrue by the other words in the same First Chapter of Hebrews. For notice the following verses:

• Hebrews 1:3 ‘He sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places.’
• Hebrews 1:4 ‘He has become so much greater than the [other] messengers [of God] and so different, that he has inherited a [special] name among them.’
• Hebrews 1:5 ‘For example, to which of His [other] messengers did He ever say, You’re my son. Today I’ve become your Father. Or, I will become his Father and he will become My son.’
• Hebrews 1:9 ‘You loved righteousness and hated wickedness. That’s why God (your God) anointed you with the oil of great joy among those who are your partners.’
• Hebrews 1:13 ‘And to which one of His messengers did He ever say, Sit here on My right until I set your enemies as a stool for your feet?’

(For more information on this subject, please see the linked document Who Was Jesus?)

The word that is translated lord (gr. kyrios) is found throughout the Bible in Greek texts and is usually used as a term of respect for men, such as a king, governor, or homeowner… and it is also frequently translated as master. So, whenever you see the term master used in the Bible, recognize that it is translated from the same Greek word as lord. And as translators, it’s easy to see how inappropriate it is to always refer to God as ‘the Lord.’ This was something that was started by later Jewish copyists, and the custom was adopted in English Bibles in the Fifteenth Century. Yet, even then the translators showed where God’s name once appeared in the Hebrew text by capitalizing all the letters, as in LORD (see Exodus 6:1). And in the King James Bible, the name Jehovah still does appear in four texts (see Exodus 6:3).

Some have objected to putting the name Jehovah in the Greek text, for they say that that use of the Name would have been offensive – and might have resulted in stoning – if Jesus and his disciples had actually spoken it. Yet, the Name had to be used when preaching to the Gentiles, or they simply wouldn’t have known which Lord the disciples were talking about (remember, they were polytheistic). And to call God the Lord when most gods (and many men) were also called lord, would have been very confusing to everyone that Jesus’ disciples preached to, both Jews and Gentiles. So we question whether the use of God’s Name was considered as offensive prior to Jerusalem’s destruction by the Roman armies (70-C.E.).

The reason why the Name was removed from later copies of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel was because Jewish Scribes had become so awed with God’s Name that they refused to write it or say it, so, they started substituting the term ‘the Lord’ (the Master) wherever His Name was found. And since all existing versions of the Septuagint come from the Second Century or later, it isn’t surprising that God’s Name has been omitted from such modern texts. The fact that the name Jehovah was once there is well substantiated from ancient Bible manuscripts, both Hebrew and Greek. In fact, a verse in the Jewish Talmud claims that Jesus received his miraculous powers because he had sewn the Holy Name (Jehovah) into his skin, which indicates both their (his enemy’s) recognition of Jesus’ miraculous powers and the common view of God’s Name.

Forgetting God’s Name is a practice that has had a long history with the Jews, for apparently they were trying to do this during the time of the Prophet Jeremiah (sometime in the early Seventh Century B.C.E.), for we read at Jeremiah 23:27: ‘They’ve devised ways to forget My Name, then they use their dreams to describe to their neighbors, how their fathers were the ones who’ve forgotten My Name, and turned to the service of Baal.’

What about the Christian Era Scriptures? Recognize that most early Christian Congregations (and especially those in Judea) were predominantly made up of Jews, and their traditions seemed to have had a strong negative effect on Christian conduct and doctrine throughout the world. For example; almost all of Paul’s letters (Romans through Hebrews) contain strong references to Judaizers in the congregations, and this influence likely led to substituting Lord for God’s Name in Christian writings after the deaths of the Apostles.

Perhaps Christians would more deeply appreciate the need to use the name Jehovah, rather than the title ‘Lord,’ when referring to God, if they understood that the term ‘the Lord’ in the language of the Canaanites was ‘Baal’ or ‘Beel.’ And the same term in modern-day Arabic is ‘Allah.’

Then, what of those who prefer a more exact Hebrew pronunciation of the Name, which can be Yahweh (yah-h’-Wĕh), Yahwah (yah-h’-Wah), or Yehwah (yĕh-h’-Wah)? That is commendable if their reasons are consistent. For, if their concern is to properly pronounce Bible names (not a hatred for God’s name as it is pronounced in English), they will also be found promoting the proper Hebrew pronunciation of His son’s name, Ieshuah (Ye-Shuah), or Iehoshuah (Yĕ-h’-shuah)… or at least the proper pronunciation of his name in Greek, Iesous (Yay-sous).

But then they would also have to start changing hundreds of other Bible name containing a J (such as John, Jeremiah, Jonah, Jerusalem, etc.), and they would find that almost every other Bible name is currently mispronounced in the English language.

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Dragon’s Messengers

At Revelation 12:9 we read, ‘He (the dragon) was thrown down to the earth along with his messengers. In Greek, the word that is translated messenger is aggeloi (angels). So, God and Jesus have their ‘messengers,’ and the Slanderer and Opposer has his. How many? Revelation 12:4 says that ‘he drags a third of the stars of heaven.’ So it looks like the dragon has great (but limited) success.

Are these messengers ‘demons?’ No, for demon (gr. diameno) appears to mean fixed in one place, which describes the ‘sons of God’ who came to earth and assumed human bodies in Noah’s day. Because they had forsaken heaven, they were put into a prison-like state here on the earth during ‘the (Great) Downpour. From other Bible accounts about demons, it appears that this ‘fixing in one place’ means that they must be associated with either living or non-living things, which is referred to as ‘possession.’

However, notice that the ‘messengers’ in John’s vision still had access to the heavens until they lost the battle there in ‘the Lord’s Day.’ At that time, they were thrown to the earth, but there is no indication that they became fixed to objects or people. So, this may be the reason why the Revelation refers to them as ‘messengers,’ not as demons.

Why would ‘a third’ of God’s heavenly messengers choose to follow the dragon in rebellion? While the Bible deals with the extent of the earthly rebellion against God, one can only imagine the full extent of the heavenly rebellion.

A glimpse into the type of offer that the Slanderer might have made can be seen by the offer that he made Jesus after his 40-day trek in the desert. Luke 4:6 tells us, ‘Then the Slanderer said, I’ll give you power over all of these and the glory of them, because they have been given to me and I can give them to whoever I wish.’

So, the Slanderer has power over all the governments of the world as the above statement shows (also see Revelation 13:7). And offering heavenly messengers their own worldly governments, empires, and even religions, must have been the enticing lure… POWER!

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The Dead

Revelation 20:12 speaks of the ‘dead’ ‘standing before the throne’ and ‘being judged.’ Since they are able to stand for judgment, in what sense are they dead?

Note that at Matthew 9:60 Jesus said, ‘Let the dead bury their dead.’ And at Romans 8:10, Paul speaks of the body being ‘dead’ because of sin. Then at 1 Corinthians 15:22 he explains that, ‘Because of Adam, all men are dying.’

So the conclusion we must reach is that all men are considered as dead and dying in front of God, due to inherited (and their own) sins. Thus the scriptures in the Revelation Twenty appear to be speaking of living people (some of whom will have already been resurrected) who will stand before God and be judged either to life for the ages, or to the permanent destruction of the ‘lake of fire.’

However, from the promises of Jesus, it does appear that people can be considered no longer dead even before the resurrection. For, notice what is recorded that he said at John 5:24, ‘I tell you the truth: He who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me, has life for the ages. He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’

And Paul wrote at Romans 5:17, ‘And if (because of that one error) death started its reign through [Adam]; then those who receive His caring and the gift of righteousness during this life will even be more sure to rule as kings through Jesus the Anointed One.’

So, it appears as though a person is considered no longer ‘dead’ as of the time when his/her name is written in ‘the book of life.’ This doesn’t mean that they won’t die, but that they are considered as ‘alive’ in God’s eyes, and they will not be counted among the dead who are raised in the resurrection (for more information, see the linked document, The Resurrection).

This appears to be the meaning of Jesus’ words at Matthew 22:32, which say, ‘Haven’t you read what God told you about the resurrection of the dead, [when he said], I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He isn’t the God of the dead, but of the living.’

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The Day of the Lord

Throughout the Bible, we find references to ‘the Day of Jehovah,’ and ‘the Day of the Lord.’ Are both of these references to the same time, and if so, how do we know?

There is no conflict between the two Days; in fact, they appear to be the same. Notice what we are told in the Revelation, when it is speaking of the beginning of that Day (at Revelation 12:10), ‘This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of his Anointed One began.’

As you can see, the purposes of that Day are tied together. For, the establishment of God’s Kingdom (with the battle in heaven and the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers) and the authorization for Jesus (the Lord) to rule appear to begin at the same time.

So, does the Lord’s Day begin when the things spoken of in the Revelation start to happen? It appears to be so, because it starts out with John’s words (at Revelation 1:10), ‘Through the Breath [of God] I found myself in the Lord’s Day.’

What are some of the features of that Day? Well, they appear to start with the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers from heaven (See Revelation 12), which is followed by the destruction of ‘the Great Babylon’ (See Revelation 17, 18). Then in rapid succession there comes the ‘marriage of the Lamb’ (acceptance of the rest of the Anointed ones to heaven?), the Battle of Armageddon, the abyssing of the Opposer and his messengers, and the resurrection (see Revelation 19, 20). And finally, the Opposer is released for a short time, which precipitates the battle against Gog of Magog, and which is thereafter followed by the descent of ‘New Jerusalem’ to the earth, and the making of the ‘new earth and sky’ (see Revelation 21).

Also, in the prophecy found at Joel 2:1-12, ‘the Day of the Lord’ appears to start with the destruction of Jerusalem by worldly armies (the destruction of the Great Babylon?), and this is followed by the destruction of the worldly armies, in Joel Chapter Three (Armageddon?). And in between these two events, we read of the marvelous outpouring of God’s Breath upon His faithful servants (Joel 2:28-32).

Peter wrote in length about this period, and at 2 Peter 3:7 he wrote: ‘It was also promised that; What’s [now] in store for the earth and sky is fire, which [will come] during the Judgment Day, when godless men will be destroyed.’ And although many misinterpret these words as describing just the destruction of the wicked at Armageddon, the context shows that he was looking at a much longer period of time, the total ‘Lord’s Day’ or ‘Judgment Day’… the ‘thousand-year’ period spoken of at Revelation Chapter Twenty. For what he said about the burning of the earth and sky and of the ‘new earth and sky’ corresponds exactly with the end of the thousand years and the promises found at Revelation 21:1.

So, from the periods described in the Revelation, near the end of Jesus’ thousand-year reign there will be a judgment of the wicked (those who join with Gog of Magog) and they will be destroyed. Then there will be a ‘new earth and sky.’ What does that really mean? Perhaps we’ll all have to live to see it to be sure.

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The Time of Difficulty

The Greek work thlipsis (pronounced: thel/eep/sees) is used several times in the Bible, but it is difficult to find an equivalent word in common American English to translate it. It implies a painful, difficult time, and it was used to describe a woman’s childbirth labor. Tribulation and travail are nice old English words that describe the meaning fairly accurately, but they aren’t the types of words you would read in a newspaper today, so we have tried to use more common words to translate it, depending on the circumstances.

Notice how Jesus applied this thlipsis when he was describing the climax of the time when he would be ‘near’ (at Matthew 24:21), ‘Then there will come a difficult time, such hasn’t happened since the world’s beginning until now, nor should ever happen again.’

Actually, Jesus appears to have been quoting a prophecy in the book of Daniel here, as he had just done in verse fifteen. But this time he is quoting the words found at Daniel 12:1, which read (in the common Bible of his time, LXX), ‘At that time Michael the great prince will stand up – the one who [watches] over your people’s children. Then there will be a time of difficulty (gr. hemera thlipsios) such as has never been from the time there was a nation on the earth until then. That’s when your people will be delivered – everyone [whose name] is written in the book.’

So, obviously both scriptures are speaking of this same period.

When will this ‘time of difficulty’ begin? In answer, let’s consider when this period started in the parallel fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy upon the city of Jerusalem. Notice that the period was to begin immediately after the thing described at Matthew 24:15, 16 happened, ‘When you see the disgusting destroyer standing in the Holy Place, then those in Judea should run to the mountains.’

The ‘disgusting destroyer’ was found to be ‘standing in the Holy Place’ when the armies of Rome first camped around Jerusalem. That’s when Christians were told to (and history says they actually did) get out of Jerusalem and hide in the mountains. Then, the ‘difficult time’ started for Jerusalem, as the Roman armies returned and built a fence of pointed stakes around the city, which caused the people to starve. Thereafter, they were slaughtered by the tens of thousands.

So, what parallels will there be when the ‘difficult time’ finally arrives? Well, notice that what happened to Jerusalem was the (God-inspired) action of a great worldly army against an unfaithful religious people. Revelation the Eighteenth Chapter speaks of a similar event when describing a symbolic woman called ‘the Great Babylon.’ There she is spoken of as being destroyed by worldly armies. So, the indication is that the symbolic destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Great Babylon both picture a coming war upon unfaithful ‘Christian’ (and possibly Jewish) religions by worldly governments, and that is to be preceded by an exceedingly difficult time for those who remain in them.

Is this ‘difficult time’ the same thing as ‘the Battle of Armageddon?’ No, for that battle appears to come against the armies that do the attacking sometime after the great time of difficulty and after they destroy symbolic Jerusalem.

It would be presumptuous for us to try to set out the order in which all these things will happen. However, it is later in Jesus’ account (at Matthew 24:29, 30) that we read: ‘Then the sun will grow dark, the moon won’t put out light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of Heaven will shake. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky and all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in grief. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky, with power and great glory.’

So, does the sign of the Son of Man appear in the sky before the great time of difficulty or after it? Although the order of Jesus’ words would indicate that it happens before the great signs appear in the heavens, the same prophecy as found in Luke’s account seems to indicate that the attack against Jerusalem in 66-70 C.E. showed that he was somehow already present and directing the attack of the Roman armies against unfaithful Jerusalem. So, whether the great time of difficulty and the Battle of Armageddon come before, during, or after ‘the sign of the Son of Man’ appears in the sky is unclear.

And finally, Revelation the Seventh Chapter speaks of a huge crowd of people who apparently survive this ‘great time of difficulty.’ Notice that it says (in verses 9, 10) ‘After all this I saw a crowd so large that nobody could count them. They came from all countries, nationalities, ethnic groups, and languages; and they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were all wearing white robes, carried palm branches in their hands, and they were shouting, We owe our salvation to our God who is sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb.’

Then verse 14 goes on to tell us, ‘These are the ones that have come out of the great time of difficulty (gr. thlipsis).’

So, according to these verses (and history), this faithful group escapes the ‘great time of difficulty’ by fleeing the unfaithful religious institutions (such as the unfaithful Jewish religion in Jerusalem was during the first great time of difficulty) that will soon be destroyed by worldly armies. Then the Battle of Armageddon against the kings of the earth and their armies begins.

For more information, see the linked document The Great Tribulation.

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The Large Crowd

Who are these that are described (at Revelation 7:6) as ‘a crowd so large that nobody could count them,’ that come from ‘all countries, nationalities, ethnic groups, and languages’ and are ‘standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb?’

Notice that they aren’t the same as the 144,000 ‘slaves of our God,’ nor do they seem to comprise the Israel from whom the 144,000 are taken, for they are mentioned after these two groups. Revelation 7:2-4 tells us: ‘Then I saw another messenger who was coming up from the sunrise. He had the seal of the living God, and he shouted aloud to the four messengers who were allowed to harm the earth and sea, saying, Don’t harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, until after we’ve sealed the slaves of our God in their foreheads. And I heard how many of them had been sealed; a hundred and forty-four thousand from among every tribe of the sons of Israel.’

So, notice that (as the text tells us) the 144,000 are chosen from or out of (gr. ek) Israel, for verse 4 reads in Greek: ‘και ηκουσα τον αριθμον των εσφραγισμενων εκατον τεσσερακοντα τεσσαρες χιλιαδες εσφραγισμενοι εκ πασης φυλης υιων ισραηλ,’ or, ‘and I/heard the number of/the/sealed, hundred forty four thousand, sealed from all tribes of/the/sons of/Israel’ (which we think to be Spiritual Israel). But the large crowd comes from ‘all countries, nationalities, ethnic groups, and languages.’ So, they don’t seem to comprise Israel at that time.

Revelation 7:14-17 tells us concerning them: ‘These are the ones who have come out of the great time of difficulty. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. That is why they are in front of the throne of God and worshiping him day and night in his Temple. He who is sitting on the throne will spread His tent over them. They won’t be hungry or thirsty anymore, and the sun won’t beat down on them with blistering heat, because the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them. He will guide them to the fountains of waters of life. And God will wipe all the tears from their eyes.’

So, this huge group of people appears to be those who will be baptized and make needed changes in their lives (‘washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’), but they will have specifically lived through the ‘great time of difficulty’ that immediately precedes the destruction of the Great Babylon and the Battle of Armageddon.

Revelation Chapter Seven says they are shouting, ‘We owe our salvation to our God who is sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ And, because they are standing ‘in front of the throne’ (not sitting on it with God and Jesus), they have obviously continued to live here on the earth. And being ‘guided to the fountains of waters of life’ indicates that their names have not yet been written in the Book or Scroll of Life.

For more information on who this large crowd could signify, see the linked document Similarities between the Exodus and the Events of Revelation.

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Anointed

Notice that in this Bible translation, 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22 (for example) says, ‘The One who guarantees that we all belong to the Anointed One, and He who anointed us, is God.’

So, why didn’t these translators just go ahead and render the word (Anointed) as Christ – as countless other translators have done? For two reasons:

1. Because Christ has almost totally lost its meaning to most Bible readers today, and most have come to believe that ‘Christ’ was part of Jesus’ name. It wasn’t.

2. Because Christ is word that was made up by early Bible translators and is only used in that form when they think that the Bible was speaking of Jesus. In other places it is correctly translated as anointed.

If you look at the above verse in Greek, you’ll see that it reads, ‘Ho de bebaion hemas syn hymin eis Christon kai chrisas hemas Theos,’ or, ‘The of stabilizing us with you into Anointed and anointing us God.’

You will notice here that Christon (Christ or Anointed) and chrisas (anointed) are both derived from the same root word, which by the way, is Greek for olive oil. Why olive oil? Because, that substance was traditionally poured over the heads of those who God chose to be kings over Israel. For example, David and Solomon were both anointed (oil was poured over their heads) in proof of the fact that they had been chosen by God to be kings over Israel.

So, the word means anointed. But if you prefer the word Christ, then David and Solomon were Christs, for you can’t have it both ways.

Such a physical anointing with oil appeared to picture receiving God’s Holy Breath, which happened to Jesus at his baptism, to 120 of Jesus’ disciples at Pentecost of 33-C.E., and to other First-century Christians. So Jesus didn’t really become the Christon (Christ, Anointed, or Chosen One) until he was anointed with Holy Breath at his baptism (when the ‘dove’ came down on him).

If you understand this nuance, you get the true meaning of the word Christ (Anointed) as it applies to Jesus; it means that he was the one who God chose to be king over His people. Also, Paul was telling the Christians in Corinth that they too would be anointed… become ‘christs.’ For when they were ‘anointed’ and sealed in their hearts by God’s Holy Breath, they were selected to be ‘kings over the earth’ (Revelation 5:10).

Also, notice what can be learned from a proper understanding of the Greek words by looking at Matthew 24:24. For what he actually said was, ‘Because false Anointed ones and false prophets (gr. pseudo christon kai pseudo prophetai) will arise and they will perform great signs and omens to mislead (if possible) even the elected.’

So, Jesus wasn't necessarily saying that people would come claiming to be him, but people would come falsely claiming to be the anointed and prophets.

At Exodus 29:29 we find that Aaron and his sons were to be ‘anointed’ as Priests to Jehovah, and that this action would make them ‘holy,’ or clean. It also signified that had been ‘chosen’ to this office by God. And in Leviticus, when we read of the ‘anointed’ Priest, the reference seems to be to the one who had been chosen for the special office of what later became known as the High Priest, which gives credence to our translating Christos as Anointed One, rather than Christ, in the Christian Era Scripture (NT) portion of this Bible. However, at least in the case of Aaron and his sons, fragrant herbs were added to the oil to give it a pleasing odor. This is implied at Exodus 25:7 where the Israelites were asked to donate ‘fragrances for anointing oil.’ And we find the exact formula for the anointing oil at Exodus 30:34, where we read that it was to be made of ‘sixteen pounds of choice myrrh flowers, eight pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, eight pounds of sweet-smelling calamus, sixteen pounds of cassia (for the Holy Place), and a gallon of olive oil.’

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The Tent of God

The statement found at Revelation 21:3 (‘Look! God’s Tent is with men. He is going to pitch His Tent among them’), may sound unusual to most people. For, why would God refer to Himself as living in a tent?

The Greek word that we have translated tent is skene (pronounced skaynay). The word is used throughout the Bible and may also be translated as booth and as tabernacle. But really, none of these words (tent, booth, or tabernacle) is an accurate description of what skene means in the English language. It implies a temporary-type dwelling that can be made of cloths, skins, or sticks and branches. For example, God’s Sacred Tent in the desert was made of cloth and covered with skins, while the tents that the Israelites were to live in during what has become known as ‘the Festival of Booths,’ was made of sticks and branches. The Greek word oikos (pronounce oy-koss), on the other hand, refers to a permanent dwelling, and it is usually translated as house.

For example: when the Israelites were wandering in the desert, the Sacred Tent of Jehovah was to be temporary, but Solomon later built His Temple, which was referred to as a House. Yet, despite that description, God never really lived there. And that may be the reason why God refers to his coming to ‘tent’ with mankind. The term likely refers to His temporary presence or representation, not to His coming to the earth to live among men.

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Lake of Fire

The Lake of fire, which is spoken of several times in the Revelation, is often thought to be Hell Fire. However, notice that what many Bibles call ‘Hell’ is actually to be thrown into this lake. For at Revelation 20:14 we read, ‘Finally, death and the grave (gr. Hades) were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire symbolizes the second death.’

This lake of fire seems to symbolize the same thing as what Jesus called Gehenna, which is often translated Hell Fire. Yet, the word simply means the Valley (heb. ga) of Hinnom. The Valley of Hinnom (also referred to as ‘the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom’) was a garbage dump that was located along one of Jerusalem’s outer walls. It was a beautiful park before Jerusalem’s conquest by Babylon, but it was defiled when apostate Jews offered their children as sacrifices on an altar to the God Molech there. Then, after the repatriation to Jerusalem, the valley was used in a disrespectful way.

As a garbage dump, it was customary to keep the garbage burning to reduce the stench and to limit vermin, so sulfur was frequently poured into the dump to keep the fires burning hot. This is why Jesus, when using the term, spoke of the fire as not being put out there. Also, because worms (maggots) bred along the edges of the dump, he could say that the worms don’t die (or live perpetually). So, there is no indication that he was talking about humans.

The only cases where humans were actually thrown into Gehenna provides an insight into what Jesus was talking about when he referred to people going there: The dead bodies of particularly vile condemned criminals were thrown into Gehenna’s fires whenever the population felt that they were undeserving of a decent burial.

As you read the Scriptures, you’ll notice the importance that Hebrews placed on being ‘laid to rest with their ancestors.’ So, when Jesus spoke of people being thrown into Gehenna, he was obviously referring to unrepentant sinners being thrown into the ‘garbage dump.’ In other words, in the eyes of God they were unworthy of a resurrection.

This same condition is also referred to in other places in Matthew’s account as the fire of the age, and as ‘the lake of fire’ in the Revelation. Why was that term used? Because fire destroys, and those who are destroyed there (such as the Slanderer, the wild animals that picture the worldly nations, and the Great Babylon) will be gone forever.

Then why are those who go there spoken of as being tortured through the ages (such as at Revelation 20:8)? To understand this nuance, you must first understand how ancient peoples used the term that we’ve translated as torture. In Bible times, jailers were called by the same term, not necessarily because they performed physical acts of torture, but because by locking people up they were creating a form of mental torture.

And this is the thought that’s implied by being thrown into the ‘lake of fire’ or the ‘garbage dump.’ Since symbolic things such as governments, churches, the Slanderer, and even death and the grave are thrown there, the ‘torture’ doesn’t imply experiencing pain, but it refers to the fact that such things will be locked away there forever. And as Revelation 20:14 explains it, ‘The lake of fire symbolizes the second (or eternal) death.’

For more information, see the linked document; Is there a Burning Hell?

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Mystery

The Greek word that is translated as mystery here (Sacred Secret in other Bibles) is mysterion, which is the root word of the English word mystery.

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The Tree of Life

The book of Genesis speaks of a Tree of Life that God had put in the middle of the Paradise of Delights (Garden of Eden) at Genesis 2:9. And one of the reasons why God expelled Adam and his wife from the Paradise was, according to Genesis 3:22, to keep them from partaking of the tree and continuing to live. Was this a real tree?

Well, since the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad and Evil was a real tree, we can only assume that the Tree of Life was literal also. But the fact that there was such a tree raises the question: Was Adam truly born perfect, having the ability to live forever, as some have said?

Perhaps we can say that Adam wasn’t imperfect, because he hadn’t proven unfaithful at first. However, he didn’t have the gift of life in the age yet, or else there would have been no need for a Tree of Life.

Still, he might have been considered imperfect by God, because he hadn’t been tried and tested, as Jesus (his corresponding ransom) had been, for this appears to be the reason for the tree. Notice, for example, what was said of Jesus at Hebrews 5:8, 9: ‘And although he was the Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. Then after his [training] was finished, he became the one who brings salvation in this age to everyone who obeys him.’

But either way; apparently man was only designed to live less than 1,000 years (one day with God) before being allowed to eat from the tree. For, without partaking of the Tree of Life, that’s about how long Adam and his pre-Downpour descendants actually lived.

Yet, this conclusion raises more questions. For example:

• Does this mean that man was created mortal and corruptible (see 1 Corinthians 15:50-54)?
• Does this mean that Adam had to partake of the Tree of Life continually to remain alive and to free him from the corruption of the aging process?
• Will there be Trees of Life on the earth in the future?
• And if so, must man continue to eat from these trees in order to live, or can faithful mankind truly become undying and incorruptible without being taken to heaven?

Understand that the following are just suggested conclusions based on our continuing study of the Bible, and with more study these conclusions may change. However, it appears as though man was created corruptible and mortal, for why else would he need the Tree of Life? But all mention of the Tree (or Trees) of Life in the Bible seems to indicate that partaking of it is just a one-time requirement (see Genesis 3:22 and Revelation 2:7). And if our conclusions about the meaning of the words at 1 Corinthians 15:50-54 are correct (see the linked document God’s Promise of an Inheritance), the faithful will be raised without any need for the Tree of Life, because they have proven to be righteous, and they will be resurrected both undying and incorruptible.

As for the future; the Bible does speak of there being Trees of Life, for Jesus promised faithful Christians (at Revelation 2:7), ‘I’ll allow the one who conquers to eat from the Tree of Life that is in the Paradise of God.’ And Revelation 22:2 tells us: ‘On both sides of the river were trees of life that put out twelve crops of fruit, one each month, and the trees’ leaves are used to cure the nations.’ So it appears as though faithful Christians who survive until that time will immediately be allowed to eat from the Tree of Life, and those of the nations (those who had not proven faithful until the end of the 1,000 years) will also be allowed to partake of the life-giving fruit at that later time.

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Divine Habitation

There are several places throughout the Bible where the Greek word naos is used, which is commonly translated as temple, and that could in fact be the correct translation. However, the Greek word for temple is ierou, so it would be presumptuous to assume that both words mean the same thing. As the result, we have often translated naos into other words such as Divine Habitation, which is what naos actually means, for the Greeks used that word to describe the dwelling place of their gods.

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Paradise

At Luke 23:43, one of the criminals who was hung next to Jesus when he was impaled, expressed belief in Jesus and asked Jesus to remember him when he got into his Kingdom. Jesus words, ‘Amen, soi ego semeron met emou ese en to paradeiso’ (Amen, to you I say today with me you will be in the paradise), have been translated ‘I tell you that, today you will be with me in paradise.’

The inference of such a translation is that this person would be in ‘paradise’ with Jesus that same day. However, Jesus wasn’t even resurrected until two days later. In addition, the word paradeiso really means a garden or park (a place on earth); because, paradeiso is the same word that was used to describe the ‘Garden of Eden’ (Paradise of Delights in the land of Edem) in the Greek Septuagint.

Recognize that this criminal had never been baptized and had done nothing else to that point to be found worthy of being appointed a king in heaven. So, Jesus’ words should obviously have been translated as; ‘I’m telling you this today; you will be with me in Paradise.’ In other words, Jesus was telling him that day; that he would be resurrected in the paradise garden (here on earth) when Jesus begins his rule as king over the earth.

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