Biblical Commentary

Christogenea 02-11-2011: Revelation Chapters 8 and 9

Here I am going to pick up roughly where Eli James and I had left off with our series on the Revelation three weeks ago. I know a lot of people are disappointed that a schism has developed between Eli and I, but I want you all to know that this has nothing to do with personalities. It only has to do with academic practices and the fact that – as can be evidenced over the programs that Eli has done since January 23^rd – our beliefs related to Scripture have grown much too far apart for me to continue working with him. While I enjoyed the two years I spent working with Eli, it is over, and the end of our working relationship is permanent. Now I pray that I am able to continue this Revelation series, presenting what little I can discern to the best of my ability.

Revelation Chapters 6 and 7 – Yahweh's Covenant People, 01-22-2011

In Chapter 5 we saw a scroll with seven seals, and the scroll had writing on it front and back. Only Yahshua Christ Himself – who is the lion of the tribe of Judah and the root of David - was able to open the seven seals, and each time he opens one, we see a pronouncement is made concerning things which are to happen upon the earth. The seventh seal itself contains 7 trumpets, and the seventh trumpet contains seven vials. The first seal is finally opened at the beginning of Chapter 6. I must say that the imagery of Revelation Chapter 5 hearkens to a challenge which Yahweh made at Isaiah 41:21-29, where we see that only Yahweh can tell us the past or the future, and therefore all other prophets are false. This passage in Isaiah is a direct challenge to all false religions:

Revelation Chapter 5 – Yahweh's Covenant People, 01-08-2011

V 1 And I saw at the right hand of Him sitting upon the throne a scroll, written on the inside and on the back, having been sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty messenger proclaiming with a great voice: “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loosen its seven seals?” 3 And no one was able in heaven nor upon the earth nor under the earth to open the scroll or to see it. 4 And I wept much, because no one is found worthy to open the scroll or to see it. 5 And one from among the elders says to me: “Weep not! Behold! The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and its seven seals!”

Yahshua Christ is the Lion of Judah and He is also the root of David. This is the Christian Paradox, and it has been argued since the time of Christ: For that reason Christ asked the Pharisees “If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?”, as we see recorded at Matthew 22:45. That He is God, Yahweh Himself having come as one of His own sons, is the only way that He could possibly be both the Root and the Offspring of David (cf. Isaiah 11:1, 10, Rev. 22:16). Of all of the sons of Adam, only Yahshua is worthy to open the seven seals, because only Yahshua is blameless and only Yahshua is God. Only God Himself can see the future. The scroll is a metaphorical device, and it is about to be opened in these images which are related to John. The complete opening of the scroll is in stages. First there are 6 seals, and then a seventh which itself consists of seven trumpets. The seventh trumpet consists of the pouring of seven vials, so we have a picture of sevens nested to three levels.

Chapter 3 Program Introduction:

From last week we have been covering the messages to the seven Assemblies of Asia. Last week from Chapter 2 we have already discussed the messages to the assemblies of Ephesos, Smurna, and Pergamos. 

We saw it mentioned to the Ephesians that they had left their first love, which must have been that Gospel and Christian instruction brought to them by Paul of Tarsus, and they were warned to return to it. They were complimented for rejecting false apostles, and especially also the Nicolaitans, who were evidently pedlars of idolatry and licentiousness, and who also bore a form of what may be called proto-Gnosticism, as we had seen from the early Christian writers. From their name, which means “people-conquerors”, it is evident that those promoters of a professional priesthood, which have forever sought to subvert and rule over the people, is being described.

We then saw in the message to the church at Smurna, which means anointing, that this assembly was not criticized. Rather, they were warned about those enemies of Yahweh who would persecute them, and encouraged to stand firm in the face of that persecution.

II “1 For the messenger of the assembly in Ephesos, write: Thus says He commanding the seven stars in His right hand, He walking in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your works and your toil and patience, and that you are not able to bear evils, and have tried those calling themselves ambassadors yet they are not, and you have found them liars, 3 and you have patience and have endured on account of My Name and have not grown weary. 4 But I hold against you that you have left your first love. 5 Therefore remember from where you have fallen and repent and do these first works. But if not, I shall come to you and I shall remove your lampstand from its place, if you should not repent. 6 This other thing you have: that you hate the works of the people-conquerors, which I also hate. 7 He having an ear must hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies! To he who prevails I shall give to him to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of Yahweh.

Ephesos: The word is apparently from ephesis, which is a word with a wide variety of meanings. It may be a throwing, hurling or shooting, or in another sense permission or license. The name may also be appetite or desire, and so it may mean desirable. There was a famous festival held there in honor of the idol Artemis from the earliest times, and the town may have grown up around that, since if the name does refer to throwing and hurling, it seems to be named after the games. This town was long famous for its large but roofless temple of Artemis, whom the Romans called Diana.

I 1 A revelation from Yahshua Christ which Yahweh had given to Him to show to His servants the things which are necessary to happen quickly, and He having sent explained through His messenger to His servant Iohannes, 2 who bore witness to the Word of Yahweh and the testimony of Yahshua Christ, as many things as he had seen. 3 Blessed is he reading and those hearing the words of the prophecy and keeping the things written in it, for the time is near.

This John who “bore witness to the Word of Yahweh” must therefore be that John who wrote the Gospel, which he considered to be the Word which became flesh (John 1:14). As it was discussed in the opening notes of this presentation, there are many witnesses from the second and third centuries of the Christian era which also attest to the Apostle John's authorship of the Revelation.

An introduction to the Revelation including documentary evidence to the antiquity of the Revelation and some of the historical testimony that John the apostle and author of the Gospel bearing that name also recorded the Revelation.

See below for program notes. See also  http://christreich.org/content/notes-revelation for program notes, related papers and other information as this series develops. 

Like the rest of the New Testament, there are many witnesses to the text of the Revelation which are quite old, however when the Christogenea New Testament translation was created, the concern centered exclusively with those manuscripts which are esteemed to predate the 6th Century AD, which was the time of Justinian and when the Roman church first began to extend its reach and consolidate its power over Christendom. So that the listener has an idea of the age of sources for the text, here are the relevant witnesses to the Revelation which are from that remotest antiquity: