THE FIFTH SEAL continued. Revelation Chapter 6 VERSE 11 “Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” THEN A WHITE ROBE WAS GIVEN TO EACH OF THEM: This is a repeated (and thus important) symbol in Sardis. These white robes were promised to the…
THE FIFTH SEAL continued. Revelation Chapter 6 The entire section of Revelation 6:9-11 requires some deductive reasoning. On the surface these verses might well seem to imply that those under the altar must rest UNTIL the completion of the suffering of all the members of the Church. But this conclusion is absurd to all who have studied prophecy and who realize that the beginnings of judgement and pay-back to Babylon DO NOT AWAIT the completion of the Church. But how…
THE FIFTH SEAL Revelation Chapter 6 VERSE 9 “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.” WHEN HE OPENED THE FIFTH SEAL, I SAW: This picture, as we shall see, takes place at the END of Sardis. The John class can look back and see the results of the age. They can see that many faithful saints…
Revelation Chapter 3 VERSE 1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” AND TO THE ANGEL: “The angel of the fifth Church was John Wycliffe, an extraordinarily talented man of great zeal and learning. He was a student at Oxford during the great plague years….
The Fifth Church, Sardis. “The name Sardis, in a more modified application, means “that which remains” in the sense of a used garment or remnant; something out of which the life or virtue has departed. As its name implies, Sardis was the remains of the true Church carried over from Thyatira. The slow, persistent crushing oppression of former centuries had left telling effects. “Worn out” by a long series of bloody persecutions, the object of which was to exterminate the…
THE FOURTH TRUMPET Revelation Chapter 8 VERSE 12 “Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.” THEN THE FOURTH ANGEL SOUNDED: Peter Waldo. He sounded quite loudly. The descriptions of the fourth Trumpet show the reactions of his teachings. AND A THIRD OF SUN…
THE FOURTH SEAL Revelation Chapter 6 VERSE 7 “When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” This is the last in the series of Seals using the four Living Ones and the four horses. This is appropriate since the first four Churches, Seals, and Trumpets show the deterioration of matters spiritual. After Thyatira, things begin remarkably to improve so that (Rev 8:13) at the end of the fourth Trumpet…
“The star or angel to the Church of Thyatira was Peter Waldo, a rich merchant of Lyons in southern France. Approximately A.D. 1157 several of the principal citizens of Lyons were conversing together on various matters, as was customary in Italy and France during the summer. Suddenly one of them fell to the ground and expired. This awful occurrence, an example of the mortality of man and a vivid reminder of the death penalty upon the human race, terrified one…
“The Fourth Church was Thyatira meaning “sweet perfume of sacrifice”, which is suggestive of relatively slow-burning incense and implies a long period of suffering. (Thya)-teiro denotes “to rub hard,” especially in regard to the effects of pain and sorrow on body and mind, “to wear away, wear out, distress.” Thus, those Christians in the Thyatira era who were submissive to the Lord’s leadings and the crushing experiences became, as a result of their obedience, like a sweet powdered incense or…
THE THIRD TRUMPET Note: Brethren have come up with a number of seemingly viable explanations for the symbols in this Trumpet. It is altogether possible that more than one explanation works and is correct. When measuring the tabernacle with the standard 18-inch cubit, one set of excellent truths is discovered; when measuring it with the pyramid (25-inch) cubit, another set of excellent data results. It is hardly beyond God to have a number of correct and meaningful interpretations possible in…