Daniel 2:7-13 - Put the wise men to death!

2:7-9

The astrologers don’t quite seem to have caught on yet to what is happening, or at least are hoping things aren’t actually going in that direction! The king now makes it clear that yes, he does expect them to tell him what the dream was, not just interpret it. The king has a deep distrust of his wise men. As mentioned before, this is a characteristic of dictators. The same also applies to democratic leaders. As time goes on they very easily become increasingly distrustful of those around them, fearing conspiracies against them.

2:10-13

The astrologers are aghast. It is odd that the astrologers are singled out, though they may just be representing all the “wise” men. No king had ever asked such an unreasonable thing before. So they tell the king that he is asking the impossible and is being totally unreasonable. Dictators tend not to take too kindly to being told they are behaving like idiots, even when it is true. So the king ordered the execution of all the wise men. What good this was supposed to do the king is a mystery, but such logic rarely hinders dictators. His madness also meant that Daniel and his friends were in the firing line as well. We will sometimes be the victim of the irrationality of others.

Revelation 7:9,10 - Before me was a great multitude

7:9

We then see a great multitude from every tribe, people and tongue. Now this could be seen as additional to the 144 000, or as expanding on the vision of the 144 000. So the 144 000 is purely symbolic, with God then showing that this means there will be many, many people saved from all over the world. This line would seem to be consistent with the whole teaching of Scripture. They were all standing before the Lamb, and wearing white, and waving palm branches (reminiscent of Palm Sunday). So we see three things. First they are all praising the same God. Then they are all purified (by the blood of the lamb), and they worship Jesus. I believe physical Israel and Jerusalem are still important, but both Israel and us Gentiles are saved by the same gospel through faith in the same Lord Jesus Christ.

7:10

Everyone in the multitude cried out “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb”. Now remember that this vision is given to John at a time of persecution, and is given to all of us for times of persecution. In those times it can look as though all is lost, as though the whole world is against (as it may well be). Whatever the situation, the end result is that multitudes of people will confess the Christ is Lord. 

Daniel 2:1-6 - Tell me my dream!

2:1-3

Nebuchadnezzar had dreams. These troubled his mind. Given what comes later, it may be that he couldn’t remember what the dreams were, or at least not in detail. Maybe just having a hazy memory of the dream. Whatever the case he was greatly troubled by the dream. So he summoned the “magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers. These were the people in the kingdom who should have been able to help the king out in this matter. These sorts of things were, of course, forbidden in the Levitical Law (Deut 18:9-12).

2:4-6

“The astrologers answered the king”. It is at this point that the text is written in Aramaic until the end of chapter 7, where it reverts back to Hebrew. It may be because these chapters are relevant to the Gentile world, whereas from chapter 8 onwards they are more directly relevant to Israel. Anyway, the astrologers seem very sure of themselves and their ability to give the king the answer he wants. However, things are not quite as they seem. First, the king makes it clear that there is a severe penalty to be paid if they do not interpret his dream! On the other hand, if they do interpret the dream there is a great reward. There is also a sting in the tail, the king says “tell me the dream”. So they not only have to interpret the dream, but also tell him what it was! This is clearly unreasonable, but dictators do unreasonable things. It would also be rather foolish of the king to get rid of all his wise men, but dictators do this. Stalin was paranoid and had many purges, this meant that at the time of World War II many of his best generals and other leaders had been killed in the purges. This nearly resulted in Russian losing the war. Fortunately, there were some decent generals left, Marshall Zhukov in particular. Moreover, Hitler had an equally malign influence of the execution of German military strategy.

Revelation 7:2-8 - Then I heard the number of those who were sealed

7:2,3

John then sees another angel, and this angel has the seal of God. This means that he has been given authority by God to execute certain actions. This angel calls out in a loud voice to the other four angels. “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of God”. God’s people are not at the mercy of random events. We may experience terrible times, as many Christians have done, and still do today, but these happen at God’s decree. So the people of God are to be sealed. We should note that a similar thing happened in Ezekiel 9:4. We should also note that marks on foreheads are not just the preserve of the antiChrist! Nor should we get het up by microchips etc. God never forgets His people.

7:4-8

We now come to the numbers, which always spark off debate. Very roughly there are those who seek to apply a more or less literal interpretation, and then there are those who take a more or less symbolic approach. I tend towards the matter. Also, here we have the issue of whether this is applying to physical Israel or to the church more generally. Again I favour the latter. The way things go under this approach is as follows. The 144 000 represents completeness and Israel. 12 is the number of Israel, and 144 is twelve squared, and 1000 is the cube of ten, ten being the number of completeness. God’s plan was always that all humanity would be blessed (see Gen 12:3). Israel is a kind of microcosm of humanity. So  the full number of Israel will be saved. There are some quirks in the list of tribes. One is that the tribe of Dan is missing. It is generally assumed that this is because of the association of Dan with idol worship. Dan’s place is taken by Manasseh, though Manasseh was only a half tribe.

Daniel 1:18-21 - He found them ten times better

1:18-21

After the training period, presumably the three years, the chief official present all them to the king, Nebuchadnezzar. The king examined each of them, and found that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were better than all the rest, so they were enrolled into the king’s service. They were questioned on all matters of wisdom and understanding and were found to excel in all of them. They far outperformed the magicians and enchanters. God was demonstrating His glory. Daniel remained in the service of the king until the first year of Cyrus’ reign. He would outlast several rulers.

Revelation 7:1 - I saw four angels

7:1

There is now a gap between the sixth seal having been opened and the opening of the seventh seal. The seventh seal is somehow more significant than the previous sixth. I think that this would support the view that the seals (along with the trumpets and bowls, and indeed the whole book of Revelation) both represent how things are throughout time, along with there being a climactic ending. So in terms of means of interpreting Revelation, a combination of the idealist approach (i.e. giving general lessons on how things work, and how to deal with severe situations) and the futurist view. And this must be mixed with the preterist view as well, in terms of awareness of the historical situation at the time also being essential to a right understanding of Revelation. 

So we now see four angels “standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds”. Everything is under God’s control, even the most climactic events. Events do not happen until and unless God permits them to occur. So the end of the age will not happen until God says so. It is God who is in control.

Daniel 1:11-17 - Please test your servants

1:11-14

As noted earlier, Daniel does not get all uppity, but allows God to prove Himself. So Daniel offers that he and his friends will follow what is often known as the “Daniel fast”. They would eat only vegetables and water for ten days. The official could then assess their well being against that of the other young men who would be on the normal diet. The official agreed and they were tested for ten days. While this is called a Daniel fast we should note that it isn’t really fasting. It is perhaps worth noting that the official may have benefitted from this if he had been able to take choice foods that Daniel wasn’t eating for himself.

11:15-17

God passed the test! Unsurprisingly. Daniel and his companions looked healthier and better fed than any of the other young men. Perhaps we can see this as an example of “man shall not live by bread alone”. So the guard continued to allow them to eat vegetables and drink water. God did not just look after their physical bodies, but also gave them “knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning”, this would include Babylonian literature and learning. Daniel could also interpret dreams and visions, something which would be very relevant for the rest of the book.

Revelation 6:12-17 - Fall on us and hide us

6:12-14

The opening of the sixth seal is accompanied by a great earthquake, signifying the momentousness of the event. The sun turned black, and the moon blood red. I guess that the latter is the reason why some get so excited when “blood moons” are due. However, we should remember that the predominant Biblical use of this sort of imagery is associated with God’s judgement. Judgement is the theme that is upfront here. There is more to come, stars in the sky fell to earth and the heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and mountains and islands were removed from their place.

6:15-17

Everyone on earth, from slaves to the rulers of the earth, those in positions of power and authority, and those with great wealth, went to hide in caves. This is a cataclysmic judgement striking fear in to all. No one could escape from the judgement. They wanted to die, or at least for the rocks of the earth to fall on them, which would lead to their death. What were they so afraid of that anything would be better than facing up to it? It is the wrath of the lamb! “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” All this is a reminder that whatever terrible forces Christians  might be facing, and there are times and places when they face truly terrible things, the world will one day face something much worse, the wrath of the lamb!

Daniel 1:8-10 - Daniel resolved not to defile himself

1:8

While they accepted the new names they refused to eat what they considered to be defiled food. So Daniel has accepted a new name, and Babylonian education, but refuses the food. Why the distinction? There are various possibilities. One is that the food and drink may have been involved in offerings to idols, though this might be importing a New Testament controversy into the Old Testament. Another is that the food would not meet with Levitical food laws. Yet another option is that it implied close friendship or commitment to the king. We do not necessarily need a nice clear cut explanation. It could be that it went against Daniel’s conscience, and it is usually not wise to do anything that goes against one’s conscience. So “Daniel resolved not to defile himself”.

1:9,10

Having resolved not to defile himself, see how Daniel goes about implementing this resolve. First, what he does not do. He does not go about it in a high handed manner. He does not exalt himself, but acts humbly. We need to beware of falling into the trap of acting out of our flesh, for even if we are “right” we can easily end up being wrong in the way we pursue our “right” action. Note also “God had caused the official to show favour”. We are not alone, it is not all down to us. God acts as well, and He acts in such a way that if we act graciously and righteously we will succeed. We are to walk humbly with our God (Mic 6:8).

Revelation 6:10,11 - How long Sovereign Lord?

6:10

The souls of the martyred call out to the Lord, “How long until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” This tends not to sit well with our current mindsets, but it is our mindsets that need to change. There needs to be justice upon the earth. Injustice leads to death and exploitation of the poor and weak. Most political or revolutionary organisations will be claiming to be seeking to bring justice, and may even be genuine in their claim. However, history has proved again and again that men are not good at bringing justice and so often simply replace one injustice with another form of injustice, often an even worse form. It is only the Lord who will bring true justice. This will only happen perfectly when He returns. In the meantime it does not mean we do nothing! What we need at present is governments dedicated to justice and recognising the limits of their humanity and respecting the Lord. This will never achieve perfection, but it can improve things. “And avenge our blood”. It is wrong for Christians to be persecuted and even killed. This should be avenged, but it is the Lord who avenges (Rom 12:19). There are two mistakes we can make. One is to take vengeance into our own hands. That will always end badly, usually resulting in untold horrors. The other is to discount vengeance altogether. That is not actually a Biblical concept! There will be vengeance, but we must leave that in the Lord’s hands, which is what the martyrs are doing here.

6:11

Vengeance and justice would come, but not yet. The martyrs were each given a white robe. Then they are told that the reason they have to wait is so that the full number of the martyrs is completed! More people have to die for their faith, and that is still going on today. This is a hard teaching, but it is part of the Bible, and we cannot ignore it.

Daniel 1:3-7 - Among those who were chosen

1:3-5

One of the interesting features of the narrative part of Daniel is to see how they worked within Babylon. They did not shun Babylon, but worked for and within the system, following God’s instructions through Jeremiah to seek the peace and prosperity of the city (Jer 29:7). Yet, at the same time, they did not compromise their faith. So the chief of the court officials was to seek out the most able of the Israelites and bring them into the service of the king. Aramaic was the primary language used in Babylon. The chosen ones were to have excellent physical and mental characteristics. They were to be fed the best food (i.e. from the king’s table), and were to be trained for three years.

1:6,7

The book focuses on Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. In Hebrew their names mean: “God is my judge”; The Lord shows grace”; Who is what God is?”; and “The Lord helps”, respectively. The chief official gave them new Babylonian names. These mean: “Bel protect his life”; “command of Aku (Sumerian moon-god)”; “Who is what Aku is?”; and “servant of Nebo”. So their new names involve various Babylonian gods, but they did not seem to object to this. Likewise, Joseph was given an Egyptian name (Gen 41:45). You could say a similar thing about us as the days of the week are named after various gods, yet we use them quite happily.

Revelation 6:7-9 - Its rider was named death

6:7,8

The fourth seal is opened in the same way, by the Lamb and with a proclamation by one of the living creatures. This time it is a pale horse representing Death and Hades. The horse and its rider were given power over a quarter of the earth to kill them. They would be killed by the sword, plague and famine, and by the wild beasts of the earth. There is a question of whether we see these various seals as prophecies of what is to come, or a description of how things are. Or maybe it is both. We certainly see all of these things present in the world now, and have been throughout history at various times and places, sometimes more intense than others. However, it is still possible that there will come a time when these things are super-intense, with the world in utter collapse. And there is a lot of evidence, both Biblical and observational, for this view.

6:9

We now come to the fifth seal. This time there is no mention of the Lamb opening the seal, nor any declaration from one of the living creatures. Moreover, this time the vision is not of the earth, but of heaven. Heavenly realities are real and are relevant to our lives on earth, not as a means of escapism, but on equipping us to live godly lives here and now. John sees the souls of those who “had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained”. There are two immediate lessons. The first is that holding to the word of God can be very costly. The second is that those who pay the ultimate price will be in heaven.

Daniel 1:1,2 - In the third year

1:1

The events are dated as starting from the “third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah”. Now Babylon and Judah had different systems of counting dates. Under the Babylonian system this would have been 605 BC, since the first full year of his reign was New Year’s Day after his succession in 608 BC. Under the system used in Judah the year of accession was counted as the first year, so under that system this would have been his fourth year. Things like this can account for a number of apparent discrepancies in Bible dates. E.g. Jer 25:1 refers to this as the fourth year. Since Daniel was writing in Babylon it would be natural for him to use the Babylonian system.

1:2

As we have been reading in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, Judah, along with many temple artefacts, were taken off to Babylon. This happened as a result of God’s judgement upon Judah’s sin. There were three main deportations, one in 605 BC (the one including Daniel and his friends), 597 BC which included Ezekiel, and a third after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 586 BC. Note that it says “the Lord delivered ...”. All the events were in God’s hands. Note that this verse does not necessarily imply that Jehoiakim went to Babylon, 2 Kings 24:6 says he died in Judah.

Revelation 6:3-6 - The rider was given power to take peace from the earth

6:3,4

The second seal is opened, again it is opened by the Lamb. And again we have one of the living creatures saying “Come!”, this time the second one. So presumably it was the first one who proclaimed the first seal. This time the horse is a fiery red, and its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill one another. He was given a large sword. If we look at the world there are many times when we see strife and we wonder why on earth people cannot just get on, why do they think it is a good idea to kill one another over this or that political fact. We no doubt find it hard to come to terms with the Lamb opening these seals, but we cannot deny that the things that the seals unleash happen on the earth, and happen again and again.

6:5,6

The Lamb then opens the third seal, and the third living creature calls “Come” to John. John is to see what is happening. This time it is a black horse and he has a set of scales. This one signifies very tight conditions on the earth, famine but not quite starvation. The amounts mentioned would be subsistence levels, people just about able to survive, but only just.  “And do not damage the oil and the wine”. The wheat and barley were the basic necessities of life, oil and wine were luxuries. The luxuries were not to be touched by this rider. Again, this is something we see in times of difficulty. The poor and the ordinary people would suffer, but the rich and the elite will seem to be able to carry on as normal.

Daniel - Introduction

Daniel

Introduction

Although Daniel is grouped with the major prophets, it is something of a unique book in the Old Testament. We could say that it is the Old Testament equivalent of Revelation in the New Testament, and there are many links between the two. 

The first half of the book is narrative, containing some well-loved stories. The second half is apocalyptic, consisting of dreams and visions. Daniel does look towards the very end, but also deals with specific events as well. Daniel names particular kingdoms, Revelation does not, which is perhaps a pointer to how we should interpret Revelation. Daniel is also written in two languages.It starts off in Hebrew from 1:1 to 2:4a, then it continues in Aramaic, reverting back to Hebrew after the end of chapter 7.

Historically the narrative covers events from 605 BC and Nebuchadnezzar to Cyrus in 537 BC. The majority of commentators think the book was written sometime in the second century BC and is largely fictional. As with Isaiah, one of the reasons is that they do not seem to think that God can foretell the future. I think God may differ on that point! There are other reasons as well, including linguistic reasons, and supposed historical inaccuracies. We need to be very careful about historical inaccuracies for the evidence for ancient historical events is often very limited, and there are a number of cases where the Bible has later proved to be right! With regard to Daniel, the commentary by Joyce Baldwin (see below) gives a useful analysis of why Daniel should not be rejected! So for a detailed argument for accepting Daniel as being written by Daniel see Baldwin (or equivalent source). Here is a summary of arguments for the authenticity of Daniel from my study Bible:

• The four empires are the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek and Roman. So even with a 2nd century BC writing, it is still looking forward a significant time period.

• Linguistic evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls argues for an earlier writing of Daniel.

• The prophetic nature of Daniel cannot be dismissed.

Anyway, let’s get to the important stuff! Daniel is living in an ungodly kingdom, having been carried off, along with his friends, into exile. What we see in the narrative sections is an example of how to live in an alien and ungodly kingdom. Daniel lived through about four rulers. So we get wisdom on how an individual, or group of individuals, can live Godly lives in such circumstances. The visions then give a grand overview of what is going on, and the nature of the spiritual battle. So we see what is happening at a very down-to-earth level, and what is going on in the “heavenly realms” (to use terminology from Ephesians. So we have a practical and a spiritual understanding, and the two go together.

Bibliography

Daniel - An Introduction and Commentary, Joyce Baldwin, TOTC, IVP (1978).

Revelation 6:1,2 - The Lamb opened the first of the seven seals

6:1

We now come to the opening of the seven seals. In Revelation there are seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls. All are associated with God’s wrath being poured out upon the earth. There are some who see the three sevens as consecutive, but the more likely view seems to be that they are three views of the same event. So there will be some similarities, but also some differences. I think we make a mistake if we try to overinterpret things in Revelation, and are in danger of missing the big picture and real message. Each of the sevens follows a similar pattern of the first four being concerned with the earth, the next two with heaven, and then special treatment of the seventh.

The Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. It is important that the Lamb is involved in opening the seals. First it demonstrates His authority, but it also shows that He is associated with the wrath of God. People don’t like the idea of the wrath of God, and try to make out that Jesus is somehow offers a different picture. Such ideas are unbiblical nonsense. Jesus opening the first seal is followed by one of the living creatures saying in a voice like thunder, “Come!”. The seals and their consequences originate from heaven.

6:2

Next we see the first of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, a white horse. The colours of the four horses more or less match those foretold in Zechariah 6. The horse rides out like a conqueror bent on conquest. We are not told explicitly who the rider is. Some have identified him with Christ, and others with the progress of the gospel. Both of these suggestions seem most unlikely and do not fit with the immediate context at all. I think it is better to see it just as earthly powers going out on conquest. This is something that we see again and again in history. Seemingly powerful nations seek to conquer and dominate. They eventually come to nothing, but in the meantime cause a lot of trouble and suffering. All this is part of God’s plan.

Ezekiel 47,48 - The river from the temple

47,48

We now come to the part of 40-48 which most people know and which has been preached on. Namely, the water flowing from the temple.  Initially the water was just trickling, but gradually builds up through ankle deep, waist high and then deep enough to swim in. The water is live giving. God is a life-giving God, He also created us to be life-giving people. In Genesis 1 mankind was commanded to go forth and multiply. Abraham was promised that all nations would be blessed through him. Jesus said that living waters would flow from whoever believes in Him (John 7:37). 

The flowing waters part goes from 47:1-12, we then get stuff about the division of the land and boundaries. The land is divided among the tribes of Israel, and the foreigners who live among them. Ezekiel’s prophecies are very much couched in terms of the tribes of Israel, with the occasional nod to its wider impact. Isaiah, on the other hand, is very strong on the global nature of the gospel. Why is this? It is probably because Ezekiel was written at a time when the destruction of Jerusalem was taking place, and the subsequent exile. So defeat was what they were in the midst of experiencing, it looked as if Israel was finished. Isaiah wrote at a time when the Assyrian invasion was turned back by God, and the Babylonian captivity was many years ahead. There is one further point, the fact that so many of God’s promises are expressed in terms of Israel does strongly imply that Israel has a very real and important part in God’s plans.

“And the name if the city from that time will be, “The Lord is there”. Judah was a sinful nation, and the Lord cannot dwell among such a nation. This needs to be dealt with, but God does not abandon His purposes. The same apples to the whole world. God will not dwell among a sinful people, but His plan is to save many people.

Revelation 5:11-14 - Worthy is the Lamb!

5:11,12

Next John sees thousands upon thousands of angels. They were encircling the throne, and the living creatures and elders, then they proclaimed the glory of the Lamb. The Lamb was worthy, for He had fulfilled the task given to Him by the Father. So He is worthy to received “power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise”. This is why we are to praise the Lord, and it is why the whole of heaven praises the Lord. The Lamb, not the powers of the earth, receives glory and honour.

5:13,14

All the inhabitants of heaven have been praising the Lamb, now all the creatures in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea begin to praise the Lord. One day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess (Phil 2:9-11). Whatever the state of the world may be at any one time, we know that the destiny of the world is that one day every knee shall bow. This vision is given to John, and to all of us, as an encouragement, and as a reminder of the truth. The living creatures and the elders affirm all this with their Amen’s.

Ezekiel 43-46 - God' glory returns to the temple

43-46

Earlier in Ezekiel he saw the glory of the Lord depart from the temple. Now Ezekiel has a similar vision to the one he had earlier, but this time he sees the glory returning. In some ways this is like God casting mankind out of His presence in the Garden of Eden, and His return to dwell with man. God takes full account of man’s sin, but His purposes for man will not be thwarted by our sin. However, this not an overlooking of past sins, for He delcares that Israel will no longer defile His Name. Israel will be ashamed of all her sins.

We then get lot more details about the altar and the priesthood. The Levites are demoted, apart from the line of Zadok. There are details about the priesthood and sacrifices. Given that the sacrifices would all be superseded I do find it difficult to get excited about this.

Revelation 5:9,10 - You have made them to be a kingdom and priests

5:9

There is now a new song. Because of the cross things have changed. And we are told why they have changed. Why was the Lamb worthy to open the scroll? Because He was slain and with His blood (i.e. with His death on the cross) He has “purchased for God people from every tribe and language and people and nation”. The atonement is central to all God’s plans being fulfilled. People who deny the atonement aspect of the cross, in fact whose who deny the centrality of the atonement aspect, really are utter fools. Everything hinges on the atonement. There are many other thighs that flow from this, but Jesus paying for our sins is the foundation of it all. The global reach of the cross is also central to God’s plans. Back in Gen 12:3 we read that all peoples on earth will be blessed through Abraham. People from all over the world belong to God. Later on we will see the counterfeit of this with the Beast demanding worship from all peoples.

5:10

It isn’t just a matter of “saving” people, we are saved for a purpose. Yes we do need to be saved. We need to be forgiven, we need our debt of sin to be cleared, but that is just the start. Right back in Genesis God created us to have dominion over the earth, to look after the places. We are “saved” so that we can fulfil God’s purpose for our lives, both as individuals and as a race. So Jesus bought a people “to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth”. Jesus makes us a kingdom and priests. And we will reign on the earth. Being saved is not just a matter of “going to heaven”. This earth will pass away, but there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and we have a purpose on that earth.

Ezekiel 40-42 - I see a wall

40-42

There is no point pretending otherwise, but there is a lot of these chapters about which I have very little to say, so I won’t say it. In fact, “if you have nothing to say don’t say it” is a maxim that many would do well to observe and would shorten many a meeting! Many years ago when I was at Merton College, Oxford University (which is where I became a Christian, having been an atheist) the College Christian Union did a sponsored Bible reading, reading through the whole Bible. One of my slots was Ezekiel 40-48.

I emphasise that this failure to have much to say on these chapters is a reflection on my lack of understanding, it is not God’s fault!

According to Taylor there are 4 main approaches to this part of Ezekiel. The first is the literal, i.e. Ezekiel envisaged that a temple following the dimensions etc given in these verses. In favour of this view is the very fact that we do get a lot of detail. However, such a temple was never built. The second temple and Herod’s temple do not match these dimensions.

The second view is the symbolic one, which sees it as symbolising the church. The amount of detail given would tend to count against this view.

Next is the dispensationalist view. Taylor rejects this view outright, and I agree with him. This view would see a temple following these dimensions being built, and sacrifices being reintroduced. 

The fourth view, and the one favoured by Taylor, is an apocalyptic view, representing how things will be when God’s plans come to fruition. Taylor outlines this as:

• The perfection of God’s plan, represented by the symmetry of the temple.

• The centrality of worship, represented by the detail given of the worship aspects.

• The abiding presence of the Lord with His people.

• The blessing of God flowing out to all the earth (see chapter 47)

• The orderly allocation of duties to His people.

Anyway, chapters 40-42 contain a lot of architectural information.

Revelation 5:6-8 - The Lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed!

5:6

Having just been told that the Lion of Judah is able to open the scroll we get a surprise, we see a picture of the Lamb that was slain. Now we need to remember the situation. The gospel says that a man who was crucified is the saviour of the world and is the one with all authority. Humanly speaking this is a ridiculous state of affairs, especially when the power of the Roman Empire is bearing down upon the Christians. So this vision is a strong affirmation to John, and to all of us who read this book, that the lamb who was slain is indeed our saviour, and is the one with all power and authority. The Lamb is surrounded by the living creatures. The seven eyes indicate that He sees all that is going on in the world. In particular He knows what is happening to you and to me. The seven horns represent His perfect and complete strength. Jesus Christ is Lord!

5:7,8

The Lamb took the scroll from the right hand of the One who was on the throne (i.e. from the Father). Note that this was a very simple operation. On the cross Jesus completely fulfilled all that was necessary to atone for our sins. In Him all God’s plans and purposes can be fulfilled. The mystery has been revealed. The elders and the living creatures all fell down and worshipped the Lamb. Note that in chapter 4 they fell down and worshipped the One who was on the throne. Now they fall down and worship the Lamb. This is further evidence for the deity of the Lamb.

Then we read that the elders each had a bowl of incense, which represented the prayers of the saints. When we are in very difficult circumstances, under great pressure, our prayers can seem so weak and pointless. This part of the vision is assuring them that their prayers reach right up into the throne room of heaven. They are mightily effective.

Ezekiel 39:21-29 - I will display my glory

39:21-24

The nations will receive punishment from God. The nations will also understand what God was doing with Israel. They went into exile because God was punishing them for their sins against Him. It was not because of their military strength that Assyria and Babylon were able to triumph. God deals with people and nations according to their deeds. That was why He hid his face from them, i.e. He did not answer their cries of distress.

39:25-29

But now He would restore the fortunes of Jacob. He would show compassion to Israel and be zealous for His Name. Note that the two go together. Israel had been sinful and faithless, but she would forget these times. There will be a transformation. Indeed God will be proved holy through them, in the sight of the nations. They would be the witness that they were always meant to be. They will realise their sinfulness, they will know that the Lord is God, they will be completely restored by the Lord, and He will pour out His Spirit upon them. Here we have a pretty good summary of the gospel.

Revelation 5:1-5 - Who is worthy to break the seals?

5:1-4

The Greek actually means the scroll was on the right hand, rather than in the right hand. The scroll presumably represents the destiny of the world (Morris), the outcome of all things. It represents God’s plans and purposes for the world. John desperately wanted these plans to be revealed. Every true Christian wants God’s plans to come to fruition in the world, to release us and the world as a whole from the effects of sin, and the influence of evil and the evil one on the world.

The mighty angel was no “ordinary” angel, but an extremely powerful one. “Who is worthy ...” The scroll was sealed, God’s plans were sealed, and the seals needed to be broken in order for the scroll to be opened. The opening of the scroll would represent the manifestation of God’s plans.

However, there was an enormous problem. There was no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth who was worthy to open the scroll. I.e. there was no one who was worthy to release God’s plans and purposes into action. Indeed, no one could even look inside the scroll. When it says there was no one, it really means that there seemed to be no one, for in verse 5 we will see that there was in fact someone who was worthy. The “in heaven etc” means in the whole of creation.

It seemed as though God’s purposes could not be realised upon the earth, so evil would triumph. So John “wept and wept”. He was deeply distraught at this state of affairs.

5:5

We now get the answer to John’s tragedy. One of the elders tells him not to weep. The Lion of Judah has triumphed! Revelation is the only place where the term “lion of Judah is used, though lion is used in some places. “Root of David” is also unique to Revelation, though, of course, “son of David” is used elsewhere. Anyway, the key point is that the Lion of Judah has triumphed, and so able to open the scroll and its seven seals. The fact that the scroll has seven seals is significant. It is completely sealed, there was no easy way to open it. But Jesus has provided the complete and perfect solution. And so through Him God’s plans can be realised.

Ezekiel 39:11-20 - And so they will cleanse the land

39:11-16

The hordes of Gog will be buried in Israel. The place they sought to conquer will be the place where they perish. Hamon Gog means “hordes of Gog”. As I mentioned earlier, the key message is the complete destruction of evil. There will be so many dead that it will take the Israelites seven months to bury them. So again we have the number seven. We may find it hard to imagine such a scene, but if you read histories of the first world war you will find it a little easier to imagine, but no less horrific. The land will be cleansed, but it will take them seven months to do so.

39:17-20

The dead hordes of Gog are then described as a feast for the birds and wild animals. This would be going on before they were all buried. The emphasis is on the completeness of the destruction, and that the seemingly mighty and invincible forces of the enemy are defeated. It is the mighty men, the military horses who all die. Forces which claimed to be mighty, which even seemed to be mighty, come to nothing at all. Before God there might is meaningless.

Revelation 4:8-11 - You are worthy, our Lord and God

4:8

The “eyes” signify that the creatures see everything that is going on. So the starting point for John’s vision is that the king is upon His throne, and He knows everything that is going on. We would like a much simpler (in our eyes) solution than the way that things work out (which involves much suffering). However, we need to know that the Lord is in control. Moreover, the creatures are singing “Holy, Holy, Holy ...” They see and know everything and they still believe that the Lord is Lord. 

4:9,10

The four creatures give glory to the Lord, and the twenty four elders join in with this, giving it their full support. They fall down and worship the Lord, and lay their crowns before Him. We are also reminded that the Lord is eternal. So on earth we have seeming mayhem, and men rebellion against the Lord, in heaven we see the Lord being honoured and worshipped. We need to fix our eyes on heaven. Not so that we can escape the world, but so that we can live properly in the world.

4:11

The truth is that the Lord is worthy to receive “glory, honour and power”. Why? Because He created all things. Man created nothing, God created everything. That puts us on a rather different footing! Everything was created by God and has its being purely because of God. When we live as if there is no God, as the secular world does, we are living by a lie. We need to live by the truth.

Ezekiel 39:7-10 - I will make known my holy name

39:7,8

“I will make known my holy Name”. This is not vaingloriousness on the part of God. It would be if God was a mere mortal, but He is not. He is the creator of the universe and everything that is seen and unseen, He is the sustainer of all things, and He is perfectly good. Individuals and people groups can only live properly when they know the Lord. As the Old Testament outlines in great detail, Israel usually profaned the name of the Lord, this would no longer happen. Israel would know His name (i.e who God truly is, and knowing Him relationally as well, not just academic knowledge), and so the nations would also know Him. The same applies with the church, that is why it is so tragic when churches decide that it is a good idea to follow the world’s ways rather than God’s ways, for then we are denying the world the opportunity to know the Lord. 

“It is coming! It will surely take place”. God will ensure that such a day does indeed come to pass.

39:9,10

The weapons that were intended to be used against Israel would be used for fuel, for practical use. This supply would last for seven years. Seven appears three times in this chapter, and seven is the number of completeness, indicating the apocalyptic nature of the chapter. “They will plunder those who plundered them”. There will be a complete reversal of the situation envisioned by the forces of evil. We should remember this when we see evil apparently rampant in the world. 

Revelation 4:5-7 - These are the seven spirits

4:5,6a

We get more of the picture, with thunder and lightning, things often associated with the presence of the Lord. The seven lamps, representing the “seven spirits of God”, or the “sevenfold spirit” are John’s enigmatic way of referring to the Holy Spirit. Seven represents perfection and completeness. The glassy sea may be harking back to the temple, see 1 Kings 7:23. It is perhaps more likely that the sea represents God’s separateness. 

4:6b,7

The throne was surrounded by four living creatures. The description is very similar to that of the living creatures that Ezekiel saw (Ezek 1:5-11). The creatures represent the supreme beasts in various spheres. The lion is the king of the beasts, the ox is the most powerful, man is the pinnacle of God’s creation, and the eagle is the supreme being in the air.

Ezekiel 39:1-6 - Prophesy against Gog

39:1

We continue with Gog and Magog, and the complete destruction of Gog and Magog. We will find the details lurid and may wonder why the Bible contains this sort of stuff. Evil is more pervasive and destructive than we ever imagine. What we see here is a picture of the complete overturn of evil, there is nothing left. In the world people were glad when the Nazis were utterly defeated, when the Berlin Wall fell, when apardheid collapsed in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa. But while these were the end of one evil, they were not the end of evil. Evil arose again, just in other forms. What we see in the Bible is the complete destruction of evil.

39:2-6

“I will turn you around and drag you along”. This sort of terminology would normally apply to what happens to a defeated enemy, and indeed it does so, but here Gog is being brought to fight against Israel. We should recognise that the attacks of the world on God’s people are brought about by God. Now this in no way excuses the persecutors, they are responsible for their actions. But it is God’s purposes that are being fulfilled. Here we have the battle at the end of time, and Gog will be struck down by the Lord. All the nations that attack Israel will fall. They will be left as food for the carrion birds and wild animals. None of the attacking nations will be safe.

Revelation 4:3,4 - Surrounding the throne

4:3

The appearance of the one sitting upon the throne is described as having the appearance of “jasper and ruby”, and there is a rainbow that shone like “emerald”. The precise identification of precious stones named in the Bible is difficult as they did not have precise scientific definitions in those days. However, the key message is the splendour of the situation. 

4:4

There were twenty four thrones surrounding the throne, with twenty four elders on them, each dressed in white and wearing a crown of gold. As you can probably guess, there are various ideas about why the number 24, and who the elders were. In all of Revelation I don’t think it is particularly fruitful to get hooked up on all the details, rather the general impression is often the key message. The 24 may represent 12 from Old Testament (based on the 12 tribes) and 12 from the New Testament (eg 12 apostles). Some think the elders are some form of angels, and the number 24 comes from 1 Chron 24:4. We should remember that Jesus says we will sit on thrones with Him, and even says this in Rev 3:22. 

Ezekiel 38:14-23 - I will make myself known in the sight of many nations

38:14-16

We often think that if people see the benefits of the Christian life they will want to become Christians. The truth is that some people will, but some won’t. That is the sort of situation, but on a much more serious scale, that we have here. The evil forces see God’s people living in peace. So they gather a great army to advance against God’s people. See in v18 what it says “I will bring you against ...” What will happen is simultaneously the work of God, the work of the devil, and the work of man. Now it is God’s purposes that will be fulfilled, but man and the devil are responsible for their actions. The evil forces think they will destroy and plunder the good land that God has given to His people, what will actually happen is that the nations will know the Lord, and He will be proved holy before them.

38:17-23

We now get an outline of what will happen, of what is really going on. Everything is happening according to the will of God. Gog will attack, but this will arouse the fierce anger of the Lord. On that day His wrath will be poured out. We should note that there are parallels with various parts of Revelation here.  The hordes of God will be utterly defeated. “Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Revelation 4:1,2 - Before me was a door standing open in heaven

4:1

We now enter the main body of Revelation, and John is given a revelation of heaven. In Col 3:2 we are told to set our minds on things above. In order to understand what is happening in the world and, more importantly, how to react to it, we need to have a heavenly perspective. We also need to note that the word heaven is used in various ways, both in the Bible as a whole, and within the book of Revelation. It can mean, as it does here, the dwelling place of God. It can just refer to the heavens in the sense of the sky. It can be the place of spiritual conflict (this is especially the case in Ephesians), it can also be a heaven that is going to pass away, rather than an eternal place. Anyway, here it is the dwelling place of God and is eternal. John is commanded to “come up here”. Some pre-trib rapture proponents see this as being the rapture, but this really is an example of eisegesis, i.e. reading into Scripture what we want to see. “I will show you what must take place”. These events are not best guesses, but are things that must happen. 

4:2

“At once I was in the Spirit”. The Holy Spirit was opening John’s mind to see these things. The first thing he sees is “a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it”. The first thing is that there is a throne. There is a place of ultimate and overall authority. Looking at the world this can seem unlikely at times, but we need to know that this is true if we are to have the right perspective on things. So there is a throne, and there is someone sitting upon it. There is someone who has ultimate authority, and he is exercising that authority.

Ezekiel 38:7-13 - You will devise an evil scheme

38:7-9

The vast army would think that it had got itself together, but in reality God had called the hordes together, using Gog to do this. “In future years ...” This is looking to a long time ahead, and it is looking to a time when there is a land that “has recovered from war”. Revelation 20:8 speaks of Satan going out to deceive the nations, gathering a vast army to attack God’s people. And this happens after the millenium, after a time of godly rule. Rev 20:8 even mentions “Gog and Magog”. So it seems certain that we are meant to link this passage with Revelation. So there will be a vast army on the march against the people of God.

38:10-13

The invading army will be full of evil intent. Its leader will be especially so. He will also think that the people of God will be easy prey, living in a land without walls. This would imply that having a defence force is not part of the millennial kingdom. This ties in with Zech 2:4,5 where God says the new Jerusalem will be a city without walls, for God Himself will be a wall of fire around it. The land will look rich (because it will be rich), offering easy plunder to the massed armies. What we are looking at in this chapter is a people who are dependent upon God for their protection. The forces of evil think the people of God have no protection, but they could not be more wrong, for God Himself will be their protection.