Psalm 64:2,Secret plots of the wicked. When in human history have the wicked—those who hate YHVH—not been hatching up secret plots and conspiracies in an attempt to overthrow YHVH plans and laws and to destroy those who represent his rule of law and kingdom on this earth?
Satan, YHVH’s arch enemy and the one ultimately behind these plots, kicked off this cosmic struggle between the forces of darkness and light, good and evil in the Garden of Eden at the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, when he enticed the first humans to join him in rebellion against haven’s mandates.
This never-ending tug of war between heaven and hell for world domination will culminate in the end times when “rulers [will] take counsel together [i.e., a conspiratorial plot] against YHVH and his Anointed [i.e., Yeshua the Messiah]” (Ps 2:2) in an effort to “break their bands [of YHVH’s rule of law as expressed in the Torah and the Prophets of the Bible] in pieces and cast their cords from us,” (Ps 2:3). Of course, YHVH will laugh in derision or mock and ridicule them for their hubris, and pour his wrath out upon them (Ps 2:4) prior to Yeshua’s second when heaven will place King Yeshua on his holy hill in Zion (Ps 2:6) to rule over the world as King of kings. The book of Revelation prophetically chronicles how this struggle will culminate, even as Psalm two predicts.
All this is to say that the secret plots of the wicked have been going on since man has been on this earth, and they continue to go on to this day. The government-media complex propagandistically derisively refers to this devilish plots as “conspiracy theories” as if to obfuscate their existence and to divert the masses’ attention away from them, but this does not change the fact the wicket of been hatching secret plots to overthrow YHVH and his people since the beginning, even as the Bible clearly shows.
What Does the Bible Say About So-Called“Conspiracy Theories”?
For as long has humans have been on earth, people have formed groups and conceived plans to consolidate resources and riches to rule over other people, forcefully if necessary, for the love of money, power and sexual gratification. It was true when the Bible was written, and it is true today because human nature has never changed from then until now.
The notion that governments and many other organizations are always open and transparent with the people that they supposedly represent or oversee is a belief only for the naive and ignorant. If this were so, then why do governments possess “intelligence agencies” and why do secret organizations exist whose membership is reserved only for certain privileged people and which have elaborate initiation rituals along with penalties if the organization’s secrets are revealed?
Revelation 13:1–14, On the rise of Luciferian, antichrist New World Order technocratic system and the mark of the beasts. See notes on Isa 25:7.
Revelation 13:1, The beast…the sea. Two possible end time scenarios may explain the setting of this vision.
The first scenario is that the beast of Revelation 13 that rises up out of the sea is the end times New World Order, anti-Christ system comprised of the kings of the earth and their armies (see Rev 19:19). This beast is the political and economic branch of the Babylon the Great New World Order system. The metaphor of the sea is a Hebraism meaning “the seas of humanity.” This could be a reference to all the oceans of the earth or just to the Mediterranean Sea, which is in the middle of the earth (the meaning of word Mediterranean) and may symbolically represent all the earth’s oceans. Since all the kings of the earth follows this beast (v. 3), and “all the world” worshipped the dragon who gives authority to the beast (v. 4), it seems that seas is likely a reference to all the seas or oceans of the earth. This beast seems to correspond with the fourth beast of Daniel’s four beast vision (Dan 7:7ff).
The second scenario is that the sea is just the Mediterranean Sea. The island of Patmos from which John received his vision (Rev 1:9) is located just east of Turkey between the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. If this is the case, then the beasts that John sees rising out of the Mediterranean Sea represent localized regional powers and aren’t global in nature. The seven heads being the seven regional empires that have dominated that region over the millennia (Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Persia, Greece, Rome and the Ottoman Turks) seem to give credence to the validity of this second scenario explaining John’s vision. If this is the case, then the ten horns may be ten end time regional Muslim powers under a caliphate confederacy who conspire together for the destruction of Israel. Perhaps Psalm 83:1–8 is a prophecy pertaining to this. These ten nation of Psalm 83 may be the ten toes of Daniel’s ten-toe prophecy (Dan 2:41–42).
Revelation 13:1, Seven heads and ten horns. The seven heads appear to be the seven “world”-ruling manifestations of this Babylonian beast system down through the ages to the present time (i.e. Egypt, Assyria, neo-Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome and end times Babylon the Great comprised of all nations [i.e. the New World Order]). The ten horns may be ten global semiautonomous regional governments, which, when combined, comprise all the nations of the earth and make up Babylon the Great. This may be what Daniel saw in the ten toes of the great image of Daniel 2. Perhaps the two legs of that image represent apostate Christianity and Islam—the two great religions of the world, which are in nearly every nation and become semi-united in some bizarre, demonic way. The two legs of Daniel’s image could also represent the first Roman Empire that then broke into the Eastern and Western Roman Empires. The spiritual descendants of the Western Roman Empire is apostate Christianity out of which comes the European and American-based New World Order, which is the head of Babylon the Great. The descendants of the Eastern Roman Empire became the Ottoman Turkish Empire. The fourth beast of Daniel’s four beast vision also had ten horns (Dan 7:7). Daniel speaks of a little horn coming up in the midst of the ten horns, which plucked three of the first horns up by the roots (Dan 7:8). This same horn speaks pompously (Dan 7:8, 11) and makes war against the saints (Dan 7:21, 22, 25) and prevails against them until Yeshua destroys it at his second coming (Dan 7:11, 21, 22). John uses similar language to describe the political and economic beast of Revelation 13:1. This beast also makes war against the saints and overcomes them (Rev 13:7).
Revelation 13:2, The dragon gave him his power. This is the ultimate end-times antichrist system. Also see notes at 2 Thess 2:3–4 where we discuss the parallels between the Man of Sin, Antichrist figure, Isaiah’s prophecy about the fall of Satan (Isa 14), and the Satan-led leader of end times Babylon the Great as prophesied about in this chapter.
Revelation 13:7–8, Every tribe, tongue and nation…all who dwell on the earth.Does this beast have authority over every single heathen on earth, and every last heathen on earth will worship him? In the Scriptures, all and every are sometimes used as hyperbole where exaggeration is used to emphasize a point. (For a discussion of this, see notes at 2 Sam 16:22 and Zech 14:2.)
Revelation 13:8, Whose names. This states that some names aren’t written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. This seems to counter the idea that all humanity’s names are written in the Book of Life, only to be erased when they fail to receive the salvation of the Lamb.
Revelation 13:11, Another beast.This beast is the religious leg of the Babylon the Great New World Order, and comes out of the earth (probably the European or Eurasian continent), since this would be the perspective of the John, the writer. “Out of the earth” could be a reference to the devil and demon spirits coming out of the pit to torment men (i.e. Rev 9:1–11).
Two horns.The religious branch of Babylon has two horns—one that speaks like a lamb and one that speaks like a dragon. Could this be a reference to an ecumenical uniting of apostate Catholic Christianity (with her apostate daughters) and Islam?
Revelation 13:15, The image of the beast.Inanimate objects can be demon possessed.
Revelation 13:16, He.This is a reference to the religious beast. It is this beast who causes all humans to take a mark on their head or hand, in order that they might buy or sell. In other words, the religious beast component of Babylon the Great uses its miraculous power and spiritual deceptions to entice humanity to worship the image of the first or political and economic beast (a cloak for Satanic worship). This false religion beast is behind the effort to kill all those who refuse to worship the image of the beast.
Revelation 13:18, The number of the beast.Which beast is being referred to here—the first or second beast? The first beast would be political figure, while the second beast would be a religious figure.
It seems that almost everyday, I’m either receiving emails, watching videos, reading news reports, listening to news podcasts or hearing directly from folks about people’s fears concerning government imposed mandates with regard to COVID restrictions being placed on them. These restrictions are often questionable legally if not outright illegal and go against our, often our constitutionally guaranteed, civil rights. What ware we do do about this when it affects our ability to work and provide for our families as well as move about in order to buy food and so on? The following short essay are my thoughts on this.
With regard to State imposed COVID mandates, many of us are watching our governments go rogue and illegal in their march toward tyrannical control over their constituents for the purpose of power and money and to advance various satanic agendas. This has great implications as to how it affects our lives, so what are we to do?
In more and more instances, it seems that the ruling authorities no longer care about the rule of law, and will do whatever necessary, legal or illegal, to advance their genocidal and demonic schemes. For them, the ends justify the means, and this has always been the main rule from their playbook.
The fact is that we are marching irrevocably toward the Babylon the Great new world order just as the book of Revelation predicts would happen in the end times.
As the need for and survival tactic of civil disobedience becomes more and more apparent, we will need to pray for YHVH’s strategic gameplan on how to fight those edicts that are against his word and limit or prevent us from accomplishing his will for each of us. May he give us the wisdom and discernment on how to act, what to say and to know when and how to do it such that we are in his perfect will, so that he will fight our battles for us and glorify his name through us in the process.
Our greatest hour when we can shine the brightest in the darkness of this world is just around the corner. We must hang on to this hope and truth as we go forward.
Yes, to be sure, our lifestyles will change and our civil rights and freedoms abridged, but in the process, our YHVH Elohim will open doors and avenues for us to go through and in which to operate heretofore unknown and invisible to us that will allow us to survive and flourish despite it all. This is our only hope, and we must cling to it for life, or else our faith is mere talk and is in vain. And if that be the case, then as Solomon the wise Preacher declared, as did Paul the apostle, we may as well eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die, for that is all there is.
But no, this is not our fate. On the contrary, it is now time to start thinking outside of the box of the limitations of our own thinking and self-imposed paradigms as we move forward into this uncharted territory that none of us have been in before. After all, YHVH lives outside of our boxes and thus has ways, means and resources at his disposal of which we know nothing about; therefore, we must boldly step forward in faith, trusting in him and praying for wisdom from above, while taking each step carefully under his watchful guidance. He will show each of us the way, and when one door shuts behind us, he will open another in front of us, and we will find the blessing from heaven above in it all if we look for it. Amein.
Revelation 12:1–3, A great sign. According to Ernest Martin in his book The Star That Astonished the Word, in chapter 5(http://askelm.com/star/star006.htm), this passage of Scripture tells us the exact date of Yeshua’s birth; it was the new moon or rosh chodesh of the seventh month, or Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpets. Martin determines this based on John’s description of the sun and the moon with relationship to the woman or the zodiacal constellation of Virgo, the Virgin. Moreover, he reasons that Yeshua couldn’t have been born during Sukkot, for when Yeshua was born, every man, by Roman edict, was to be in the city of his birth for the Roman census. This activity could not have occurred during Sukkot, for at that time every male was to be in Jerusalem for that festival. According to Martin, Yeshua was born on September 11, 3 BCE.
The significance of this date for Yeshua’s birth can’t be overstated. Yom Teruah, according to Jewish tradition and based on Exodos 23:16 and 34:22, marks the date of creation and hence the beginning of the Jewish civil new year. Yom Teruah is on a rosh chodesh or a new moon signifying a renewal or new beginning.
This is the first day and first biblical festival of the fall season,which, prophetically points to events surrounding the second coming of the Messiah leading to his defeating Satan and his henchmen and the establishment of Messiah’s millennial kingdom on earth. This is also the day that many biblical students believe that Yeshua will make his appearance in the heavens of earth’s atmosphere at his second coming and the day of the first resurrection of the righteous dead.
Revelation 12:1–6, Woman clothed with the sun. There is a double prophetic entendré here. The woman refers both to a faithful community of Israelites (a spiritual virgin among the heathen nations of the world) who produced the Messiah, and to the glory of Elohim coming upon an Israelite virgin woman, who gave birth to the Messiah, who would then go on to defeat the devil-serpent. The same woman, or faithful Israelite community, which existed both before and after the coming of the Messiah, is persecuted and forced to flee into the wilderness. Moreover, in Jewish thought, the sun, moon and stars can also represent Jacob, his wife and his twelve sons, who became the twelve tribes of Israel as per Joseph’s dream of Genesis 37:9. Jacob and his offspring eventually became came the faithful community of Israelites out of which came the virgin woman who gave birth to the Messiah.
Revelation 9:1, A star fall from heaven.Likely this is referring to Satan when he is finally, once and for all, cast out of heaven. Yeshua spoke of this in Luke 10:18 when he likens Satan’s fall from heaven to a streak of lightening or a shooting star coming out of heaven.
Key to the bottomless pit. In the end times just prior to the second coming of Yeshua the Messiah, Elohim will give Satan the freedom to release evil spirits imprisoned in the abyss who will go forth to torment men as part of YHVH’s wrath against rebellious men. Perhaps this relates to the perennially enigmatic and troubling passage found in Jude 6 (cp. 1 Pet 3:18–20; 2 Pet 2:4). It seems that the evil, locust-like spirits may be the fallen angels that either rebelled with Lucifer and or were the ones who interacted with humans in the antediluvian world (Gen 6:4–6; Jude 6; 1 Pet 3:18–20; 2 Pet 2:4).
Revelation 9:1, Bottomless pit.(See notes at Deut 32:22; 2 Pet 2:4.) This Greek term (abussos phrear) indicates a large, cavernous hole, pit or abyss with a small opening or orifice like a well and is found several other places in the book of Revelation (Rev 9:2, 11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1, 3). The bottomless pit is analogous to the deepest sheol in the Tanakh (Deut 32:22; Ps 86:13; Isa 14:15) or tartaroo (2 Pet 2:4), and is the place where the angels who rebelled in the time of Satan’s rebellion are being held in chains of restraint awaiting their judgment day (see 2 Pet 2:4). This is also where Satan will be cast at the beginning of the Millennium (Rev 20:1–3), and is to be distinguished from the lake of fire where Satan (and presumably his demons) will be cast at the end of the Millennium to be tormented forever (Rev 20:10).
This passage indicates that YHVH will open the bottomless pit and allow the evil spirits imprisoned therein to torment men for a period of time as part of his judgments against wicked men.
Revelation 9:2, Smoke.Wherever this pit is, it appears to be a place of fire, heat and smoke. The opening of the pit by Satan first releases so much smoke that it darkens the sun and air, if the terminology here is to be taken literally rather than figuratively. If the latter, then the smoke reference could refer to the global spiritual obfuscation that will occur. This phenomenon is the first sign that the demons of the pit are about to be released. After this follows their release and their tormenting of unredeemed humans. This is the wrath of Satan against humanity that precedes the wrath of Elohim. Since Elohim is permitting these demons to torment humans, it is, in reality, an extension of his judgment or wrath against the wicked. Since unsaved humans have rejected Elohim, and more and more are becoming enamored with and turning to outright Satan worship, Elohim his turning them over to the powerful forces of darkness they are seeking over him. These humans will discover what it is like to live in a hellish world where those they wish to serve have full reign to torment them—a world devoid of the protective grace of a merciful Creator.
Revelation 9:3, Locusts.These locusts do not fit the description of the Joel 1 locusts, which destroy all vegetation. Perhaps the vegetation of Joel 1 is a symbolic metaphor. If so, then is the vegetation of Rev 9:3 also symbolic? If so, how do we still reconcile these two passages, since the symbolic analogy of the one would be opposite the other?
These locusts are likely hybridized theriomorphic or animal-shaped descriptions of demonic spirits that have been released from the abyss where they have been kept imprisoned since their rebellion (see 1 Pet 3:19; 2 Pet 2:4), but who will be released to torment rebellious men as part of Elohim’s end time judgments.
Revelation 9:3, Power.(Gr. exousia) These scorpion, humanoid demons have the divine permission, physical and mental power, the authority and right, the ability and strength to torment unredeemed men.
Revelation 9:4, Those men…seal of Elohim.This is yet another proof that YHVH’s saints are on the earth during this period (the first half) of the wrath of Elohim, and that the pre-tribulation rapture theory is an unbiblical concept. What is the seal of Elohim? If we let Scripture interpret Scripture, this seems to be a reference to the sealing of the Set-Apart Spirit of the saints (e.g. John 6:27; Rom 4:11; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30; 2 Tim 2:19 cp. Rev 7:3).
Revelation 9:5, Not kill…tormented.Torment (Gr. basanizo) means “to test the quality of a metal; to question by applying torture; to vex with grievous pains (of body or mind), to torment; to be harassed, distressed.” The demon-locust humanoid creatures can torment and torture unsaved humans, but not kill them. Those who have the seal of Elohim on their foreheads will be untouched. It seems that this will be an amazing opportunity for the sealed saints to evangelize the spiritually lost.
Scorpion. A scorpion can be a biblical idiomatic metaphor for a demonic spirits over which Yeshua gave his disciples authority to trample on as well as other all the powers of Satan (Luke 10:19).
Torment of a scorpion. The symptoms of most scorpions stings are relatively harmless, but the bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus, also known as C. exilicauda), found in the American southwest, is an exception. This species of scorpion is venomous and can cause more serious injury and illness. Initial symptoms include immediate pain and sometimes numbness or tingling in the region stung. Serious symptoms, most common among children, include restlessness, muscle spasms, abnormal and random head, neck, and eye movements, anxiety and agitation, sialorrhea and diaphoresis. In some cases, a scorpion bite can prove fatal for children. In adults, tachycardia, hypertension, increased respirations, weakness, muscle spasms, and fasciculations may predominate.
Revelation 9:7, Locusts.This is likely some demonic, grotesque gargoyle-like demonic creature (or chimera) that is currently inhabiting the bottomless pit, but that will be released at this time for YHVH’s intended purposes.
Revelation 9:21, Sorceries.Gr. pharmakeia. Pharmakeia is a methodology to circumvent Elohim and to open the doorways into the supernatural. It is the mix of science along with magical arts, occultic or hidden, demonic, angelic or paranormal realm and medicine, potions, or herbs for sorcerous reasons to open the mind so that one is in contact with what is beyond the gate or the boundaries YHVH has established between the natural and supernatural (including the demonic) realm.
The Satanic spirits in Revelation chapter nine inhabit the pit, and those who resort to pharmakaia are coming into contact with spiritual entities either from the pit, or from the realm of darkness beyond this earth. Satan is both the angel of the bottomless pit (Rev 9:11) and the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2). There are spiritual gateways or portals down to the pit and out into the universe by which humans can contact beings from other dimensions. There are good and evil portals. YHVH revealed to Jacob a good portal or gateway to heaven at the site of the future Temple Mount when he dreamed of the ladder to heaven (Gen 28:10–16). Yeshua is the only gate or doorway to the Father in heaven (John 1:51). But there are evil gateways that men can open up illicitly through pharmakeia or drug induced states.
Biblical examples of individuals illicitly opening up gateways into the evil realm beyond man’s perception include the witch of Endor who summoned the dead (1 Sam 28:3ff) or demoms masquerading as dead people. We also see this with the slave girl who was possessed with a spirit of divination and who followed Paul in Macedonia (Acts 16:16–18).
Those who come under the influence of pharmakeia put themselves into a drug-induced state to activate gateways into the supernatural realm. Doing this is a form of rebellion against YHVH’s established boundaries that man is not supposed to cross. Witchcraft is also taking something holy and exploiting it for personal purposes. This is what Samuel accused Saul of doing when he kept the cattle he was supposed to kill, so that he could, at a later time, offer up an illicit sacrifices without going through the proper Levitical protocols. Samuel equated this act of rebellion with witchcraft (1 Sam 15:23). Saul had this proclivity, for he had offered up a witchcraft sacrifice once before (1 Sam 13:9–13). Samuel rebuked him for it, yet Saul was willing knowingly to repeat the same mistake again, which was strictly forbidden. Taking that which YHVH has ordained to be used legally one way and defiantly using it another way for one’s own selfish purposes is an act of rebellion and witchcraft.
Revelation 10
Revelation 10:1, Mighty angel [or messenger].Likely this is Yeshua who is not an angel, but Elohim’s Heavenly Messenger.
Revelation 10:2, A little book.Likely referring to the book of Revelation.
Revelation 10:10, You must prophesy again.It appears that the Book of Revelation was written in two parts. Part one was likely written before A.D. 70 when the apostles, based on prophecies in Yeshua’s Olivette discourse, expected the end of the age to occur followed by the second coming. Part two was likely written toward the end of John’s life at the end of the first century. If these conjectures are correct, then Revelation part one ends at the Rev 10:11 and Revelation part two begins at Rev 11:1. Part two is the fulfillment of Yeashua’s prophecy to John that he must prophesy again. (For more info on this subject, see Restoring the Original Bible, pp. 327–330 by Ernest L. Martin and Beyond Acts, pp. 294–299, by Paul R. Finch).
Revelation 11
Revelation 11:3, One thousand two hundred and sixty days.This calculates out to be exactly three-and-one-half years on 360 day year. For a 365.24 day year, this comes out to be 3.45 years.
Revelation 11:3–14, My two witnesses.There is much speculation as to who these two witnesses may be. Moses and Elijah seem to be the chief contenders for these two spots in the eyes of most people. However, we might do well to consider also Moses and Aaron as well.
YHVH Elohim used Moses and Aaron as his proxy to warn Pharaoh and Egypt before bringing his severe and final judgments upon that nation that would end up destroying it. Moses was in the place of Elohim, while Aaron was his prophet or spokesman (Exod 7:1).
Whoever the two witnesses will be, in the end times, history will likely repeat itself. YHVH will raise up the two witnesses of Revelation 11 who will, like Moses and Aaron, warn the world to repent just before YHVH pours out his final judgments that will bring down the Babylon the Great new world order system. This will result in redeemed Israel (or the saints) being completely set free from the spiritual “Egypt” of this world setting in motion the final redemption or second exodus of the scattered tribes of Israel back to the land of their inheritance, where they will join their brother Judah who has, to one degree or another, already returned.
Revelation 11:3, Sackcloth.The Greek word sakkos means “a receptacle for holding or carrying various things, as money, food, etc.; a course cloth, a dark course stuff made especially from the hair of animals; a garment of the like material, and clinging to the person like a sack, which was wont to be worn (or drawn over the tunic instead of the cloak or mantle) by mourners, penitents, suppliants and also by those who like the Hebrew prophets, lead an austere life.”
Revelation 11:31–12:2, The ark of his covenant…woman…being with child.As the ark of the covenant was the symbol of YHVH’s presence with his people Israel, which presence left the temple and Israel due to that nation’s apostasy prior to its conquest by Babylon, so the birth of Messiah speaks of YHVH’s glory returning to Israel. This is why John juxtaposes the ark and the birth of the Messiah in these verses. This is why Haggai encouraged the building of the second temple and prophesied,
‘and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says YHVH of hosts.… The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says YHVH of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says YHVH of hosts.” (Hag 2:7, 9)
Revelation 11:19–12:1–2, 4–5, The ark of his covenant…her Child. The juxtapositioning in this passage of the heavenly ark of the covenant and the birth of the Messiah is more than an interesting coincidence as Micahel Heiser points out. “The ark was the central symbol of God’s presence with Israel. The birth of the [Messiah] in Rev 12:1–7 was John’s way of saying that the presence of God had indeed returned to earth in the form of the Child, the Messiah,” (Reversing Hermon, pp. 65–66).
Thanks to our Australian friends for passing this video along of Capt. Graham Hood, a brave, fellow Christians, whose message needs to be heard.
If you think that what is happening is Australia, France and other countries cannot happen to you, then, sadly, you are blind and ignorant, and certainly know nothing about end times Bible prophecy.
Furthermore, don’t waste your time sending me any hate mail. I’ll just delete it. Like I said recently to one rotten egg tosser, this is not Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, and I’m not Mister Rogers. It’s time to wake up!!!— Natan
Revelation 1:1, Must shortly take place/come to pass. John expected that the prophecies that followed were about to occur. This seems to be proof that the Book of Revelation (at least up to Rev 10:11) was written before A.D. 70. The second half of this book was John prophesying again (see Rev 10:11) and must have been written after the fall of Jerusalem at the hand of the Romans.
Revelation 1:2, Testimony. In the New Testament or Testimony (marturia) of Yeshua (as compared to the Old Testament, also known in the book of Revelation as the Word of Elohim), the word testimony (as found in many places) is either the Greek word marturia or marturion meaning “testimony, witness, or one who testifies.” Interestingly, our English word martyr comes from these Greek words. A martyr is one who testifies to their faith and is killed for it. These Greek words refer to both one who shares their testimony of the good news of Yeshua or the gospel message including their personal testimony. It can also refer to one who as a prophet testifies of future events, but the word is not confined to that meaning only. Consider this. One doesn’t have to be a prophet to testify to the future events that the Bible already tells us are coming such as the second coming, the establishment of Elohim’s kingdom on earth, punishment for the wicked and rewards for the righteous, the glorification of the saints as well as inclusion in the family of Elohim as his glorified and spiritual children. These are all future events and are part of the gospel message.
Marturia and marturian come from the root word martus which is “a witness in a legal or historical sense, a spectator to anything.” As born again believers in Yeshua, we are witnesses to the power of Yeshua in our lives and the validity of the gospel message. For example, Stephen was a martus or martyr (Acts 22:20) as he was preaching the gospel to those who stoned him (see also Rev 2:13 where Antipas was slain for his faith as well). In the Gospel of John, John the apostle writes (marturia) the record John the Baptist in John 1:19. In John 1:32, John the Baptist records or bears witness (martureo) of what he saw pertaining to Set-Apart Spirit coming down upon Yeshua. A little later, John the Gospel writer testifies (martureo) that Yeshua is the Son of Elohim (John 1:34). The word martureo is also used of those who viewed the miraculous resurrection of Lazaurs (John 12:17), and of John who was witness to or who bore record of (martureo) the death of Yeshua (John 19:35). Many more examples could be given, but you get the idea. Marturia and its cognates can have several meanings that include the gift of prophecy, but is not limited to that.
Revelation 1:7, Even they who pierced him. How will those who killed Yeshua see him at his second coming if they are dead? Only those alive on earth and the righteous dead will be resurrected at his second coming will see him. Perhaps, they will see him descending from the New Jerusalem in his power and glory at the end of the Millennium when he will resurrect all the unrighteous dead who then must appear before him on bent knew at the white throne judgment before being cast into the lake of fire. Or perhaps Yeshua is referring to the children of those who were responsible for his crucifixion, since their parents made the responsible for his death as well when they declared, “His blood be on us and on our children” (Matt 27:25).
Revelation 1:10, The Lord’s Day. This verse is one of the cliche biblical passages that mainstream church scholars use to “prove” Sunday’s replacement of the Sabbath. The problem with this position is that there’s no clear scriptural proof that the apostles ever changed the Sabbath to Sunday. What’s more, to view this passage as referring to Sunday is to take a phrase the early church fathers used as a euphemism for Sunday when pushing for Sunday in place of Sabbath observance and to retroactively apply this meaning to John’s use of the phrase. Frankly, it is biased and dishonest scholarship to take the phrase “the Lord’s day” with its second century colloquial meaning and then to back-apply this meaning to John’s use of the phrase when there’s no reason to believe this was John’s intended meaning.
Alternatively, the phrase, “the Lord’s day, can be a reference to the biblical term “the day of the Lord’s wrath” when YHVH, in the end times, will judge the nations for their wickedness. This is a point that several biblical scholars have made (see From Sabbath to Sunday, by Samuele Bacchiochi, p. 111; E. W. Bullinger’s Companion Bible footnote on Rev 1:10; The Jewish New Testament Commentary on this verse, p. 791, by David Sterns).
There is actually more scriptural proof that the phrase “the day of the Lord” is a reference to the seventh day Sabbath than to the first the week. In Isaiah 58:13, the prophet YHVH refers to the Sabbath as “my holy day…the holy day of the Lord.” So conceivably, it could have been on the Sabbath day itself that John received his vision on the island of Patmos about that great and terrible day of YHVH’s wrath that is to come on the earth just prior to the Messiah’s second coming.
Revelation 2
Revelation 2:17, A white stone. The Romans of biblical times exchanged a token of friendship between friends that could be passed on down from one generation to another. The ritual consisted of two friends writing their names on a tile of wood or stone, which was then divided in half and each took the piece containing name of their friend. To produce the counterpart of the one of the pieces to the other friend (or his heirs) guaranteed friendship and hospitality. The white stone with a new name on it is likely a reference to this first century practice (Manners and Customs, p. 70).
Revelation 2:27, A rod of iron. Yeshua’s rod of iron is similar to the scepter of a king, which was taken from the shepherds rod, since a king was viewed as the shepherd of his people. The scepter was not only a symbol of protection, but of power and authority.
Revelation 2:28, The morning star. In the Latin Vulgate Bible (translated by Jerome in about A.D. 400 for the Roman Catholic Church) is the official Latin Bible of the Catholic Church the biblical term morning start is translated into Latin as lucifer. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, when morning star is translated as lucifer, it is not referring to the devil, but rather denotes the exalted state from which he fell. That exalted state refers to the glory of heaven or the morning star (Rev 2:28), and to Yeshua himself who Peter and John refer to as the Morning Star (2 Pet 1:19; Rev 22:16) (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09410a.htm). The name Lucifer appears in some Catholic liturgy. It would seem that this is not a reference to the devil, but to Elohim or to Yeshua.
Revelation 3
Revelation 3:9, Worship/bow down before your feet. This scripture has puzzled many. Who are these saints before which those who are of the synagogue of Satan will at some time in the future bow down in worship? Who are those who are of the synagogue of Satan? First, the saints are wearing crowns (verse 11) and they have the name of Elohim written upon them (verse 12). We know that a group of saints will be ruling with Yeshua in his millennial kingdom (Rev 1:6; 5:10). These same saints will be part of the first resurrection (Rev 20:6), which occurs at Yeshua’s second coming. Not all saints will be kings and priests. There are levels of rewards (and responsibilities) in YHVH’s kingdom depending on how obedient one has been to his Torah-commandments. This Yeshua teaches in Matthew 5:19. Some saints will be the least in his eternal kingdom, while some will be the greatest depending on their level of Torah-obedience. Similarly, Yeshua identifies two groups of saints in his Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt 25:1–13)—the wise saints and the foolish saints. The wise virgins will go into the wedding supper of Yeshua, and presumably will become his bride, while the foolish ones will be left outside. In Revelation chapter three, Yeshua further identifies two groups of believers: those who are spiritually lukewarm and those who are spiritually hot (Rev 3:14–22). It is not a stretch to connect those who are spiritually on fire in Laodicea with those in Philadelphia who have been faithful to his commands, who will be given a crown and who will be worshipped.
Can we further identify these faithful saints who will be worshipped (or before whom the knees of lower order saints will bend, which is the actual meaning in the Greek of the word worship) in Yeshua’s kingdom? They have crowns and are thus ruling as kings and have the name of Elohim written on them. Similarly, the 144 thousand have the seal of YHVH’s name on them (Rev 7:3–4 and 14:1), and they keep his Torah commandments and have the testimony or faith of Yeshua (Rev 14:12). These are the likely candidates for being those Yeshua describes in Matthew 5:19 who will be the greatest in the kingdom of Elohim, and who others will worship (Rev 3:9).
Why would people be worshipping (or bending the knee before) these glorified, resurrected and kingly saints? There are several possible explanations here for this. First, the bride of Yeshua will be ruling and reigning with Yeshua as a queen (in ancient Jewish thought) or like a king (under Yeshua, who is the King of kings, as presented in the book of Revelation). Second, Paul teaches us that those saints who will be resurrected will be literally adopted (Rom 8:15, 23; 9:4; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5) into the family of Elohim as sons or children of YHVH Elohim.
In Galatians, Paul speaks of redeemed believers being both Abraham’s seed and being adopted as sons of Elohim (Gal 3:29; 4:5). Elsewhere where the term adoption is used in the Testimony of Yeshua, it is in reference to our relationship with our Heavenly Father, not with our earthly father, Abraham. The redeemed are therefore, sons or the seed of Abraham, yet adopted into the family of Elohim as spiritual sons (Rom 8:15, 23; Eph 1:5). In other words, the saints are literal sons or seed (physically) of Abraham, yet adopted sons (spiritually) of YHVH. This adoption will be finalized or completed at the resurrection when the saints receive their spiritual bodies (Rom 8:23), for then they will be like him for they shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2).
Elohim is a plural word in Hebrew and can mean many things, and has many usages in the Scriptures. It is used to refer to the Creator, YHVH Elohim, as well as to angels, kings, judges and humans in authoritative capacities. When the saints are resurrected, they will be as Elohim and will be part of the family of Elohim, though they will not be Elohim, who has existed forever and is the Creator of all things. It appears that these saints will be worshipped, not as YHVH Elohim, but as his created sons who have been elevated through the process of redemption, sanctification, glorification and adoption into members of the family of Elohim.
Revelation 3:14, The church at Laodicea.
Laodicean Church: Awaken! Will you pass the test and make the grade?
Life is a series of tests. We either pass or fail them. YHVH is the school teacher who determines whether we will pass or fail, not us. His Word is our text book that tells us how to pass. If we learn the lessons and put to practice the things we have learned, we will pass. If not, we will fail.
The problem is that we’re not just in a regular school classroom where if we fail, it’s really not a big deal in the bigger scope of life. No. Our “classroom” is this life. Whether we pass or fail will determine not only whether we will obtain eternal life or eternal damnation, but if we pass, the grade we get will determine our level of rewards in YHVH’s eternal kingdom. As should be obvious, there are a couple of important things going on here: there is not only the issue of life after death, but if we pass the test of life and are granted eternal life, where will we be, what will we be doing and, most importantly, how close will we be to the Creator. Some people will be existing in close proximity to YHVH Elohim, while others will be living further away.
