|
|
 |
 |
이메일 : bamjoongsori@bamjoongsori.org |
|
      |
|
|
|
| |
|
| 1. 주의 날을 예비하라(영문번역) = 오태진 |
◆ 민병석
| 03-13 | VIEW : 18,978 |
| |
 |
"Prepare the day of the Lord"주의 날을 예비하라-1
아이디 : 3212355 이름 : 오태진역 번호 : 72 조회 : 95
게시일 : 2008-02-22 22:14:38 수정일 : 2008-02-23 18:56:32
아래의 "주의 날을 예비하라"는 영문 번역본은 민병석 목사님의 저서를 오태진형제가 번역한 애정어린 노고의 산물입니다. '밤중소리'사역의 세계적 확장을 위하여 수고를 아끼지 아니한 오형제에게 감사를 드립니다. (1차분, 1장-20장)
..... Prepare the day of the Lord.....
By Pastor Byung-Seok Min
** King James Version (KJV) is used for the English Bible verses reference.
** This is a rough draft translation of the original Korean text. If you would like to make any suggestion or correction regarding the translation, please contact bamjoongsori at gmail dot com. Thank you for your help.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction: The Euphrates war is approaching
1. When does the 'end of the world' occur in the biblical viewpoint?
2. What is the purpose of giving us the book of Revelation?
3. What is the responsibility of the servants who does not preach the book of Revelation?
4. What kind of eschatology interpretations are there?
5. What is dispensational eschatology?
6. When is the Lord returning according to time-limited eschatology?
7. When does the Euphrates war, the martyrdom of the two witnesses, and the relocation to the shelter prepared by God occur?
8. What is the book of Daniel talking about?
9. Why doesn't the Jews acknowledge the (first) Advent of the Messiah?
10. What is the meaning of the statue in Daniel 2?
11. Who is the little horn in Daniel 7?
12. What does the ‘seventy weeks’ mean in Daniel 9?
13. When will the temple be built in Jerusalem?
14. What about the time between 69 weeks and one week?
15. What is the relationship between the one week covenant and 7 years tribulation?
16. What does the four winds mean in Daniel 7?
17. Are the 7 years tribulation and the millennium kingdom symbols or reality?
18. How does the seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials, and three woes relate to each other?
19. What is the relationship between the seven seal events and the end times?
20. What are the meanings of the first seal and the white horse?
21. The second seal and the red horse
22. The third seal and the black horse
23. The fourth seal and the pale horse
24. The fifth seal and the inquiry of the martyrs
25. The sixth seal and the end of mankind
26. The first trumpet and the Antichrist
27. The second trumpet and the ten horns (the powers of affliction)
28. The third trumpet and the evil ideas
29. The fourth trumpet and spiritual darkness
30. The fifth trumpet and the first woe (The woe of locusts)
31. The sixth trumpet and the second woe (The Euphrates war)
32. The seventh trumpet and the seven vial judgement and the third woe
33. What is the relationship between the two witnesses and 144000?
34. Does the prepared place of God really exist?
35. Where is this place that people are taken, written in Matthew 24:41?
36. What is the difference between the Euphrates war and the Armageddon war?
37. Does God has different salvation plans for Jews and the church?
38. How does Antichrist relate to the fate of European Union?
39. Who is the Antichrist? What does he do?
40. What are the seven heads and ten horns?
41. Who is the false prophet that appears in the end of the times?
42. Who is the whore?
43. What does 666 symbolize?
44. How does the mark of the beast and bar codes relate?
45. When does the rapture occur?
46. What does the 1335 days mean in the book of Daniel?
47. How do we live in the millennium kingdom?
48. What is the order and timing of the resurrection?
49. Who is the first to rise?
50. What kind of body do we have after the resurrection?
51. What is heaven like?
Epilogue: 1. Interpreting the book of Revelation in eschatological premillennialism perspective.
Epilogue: 2. Autobiography of my research and procedures of eschatology
About the author
For more information, please visit http://bamjoongsori.org (Korean site)
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Last update: 2/21/2008
1. When does the 'end of the world' occur in the biblical viewpoint?
The timing of the end of the world is concealed in the Bible. However, it reveals the signs of the end so that we can discern.
The end of the world will surely come. The Bible testifies that it will happen and it describes what it will be like in detail. Therefore, we believe. However, concerning ‘when’, even Jesus said, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." (Matthew 24:36).
Because God did not reveal the time, there is no way for us to tell when the end will occur. However, the end time events that are prophesied in the Bible must take place first before the end comes.
God has hidden when those things will happen but revealed us the signs of the end time so that we may discern. There are many references about the sign of the end of the world in the Bible. However, in particular, the book of Daniel in the old testament and the book of Revelation in the new testament treat this issue most extensively.
1) For the Lord to return, it is written that Jerusalem must first be taken over by the gentiles and must be “left unto you desolate".
“Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Matthew 23:38-39).
2) For the Lord to return, the desolate Jerusalem must be recovered.
The most definite end time event is the recovery of Israel. There are many prophesies in the Bible mentioning the recovery of Israel at the end time (Isaiah 11:11-12, Jeremiah 31:8-9, Amos 9:14-15, Ezekiel 38:8-9, Zechariah 14:10, Acts 1:11, Romans 11:25-27).
The desolation of Jerusalem that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 23 occurred in AD 70. The Lord meant that Israel will be dispersed among the world since the desolation of Jerusalem until Israel calls upon the one "who comes in the name of the LORD", which is the time He will return. Jesus prophesied that Israel will be recovered and remaining Jews will accept Jesus.
Israel woke up from its 2000 years of long dormancy and finally became an independent country in May 15, 1948. Israel's declaration of independence is in fact a declaration of God that Christ's Second Advent is very near. Through the 6 day war after the declaration, Jerusalem has been recovered and Israel is now one of the world powers and an explosive warehouse due to the conflict with the Arab nations. This is the definite sign of the end time that we should notice.
3) The one week covenant, which is the 7 years peace treaty must be signed.
In the upcoming historical events, an union of the 10 power nations called 10 horns will appear and dominate world economy, politics, and military power. The one who is in charge of the 10 horns (which is the beast, i.e. the antichrist) will appear and develop schemes so that he can rule the world. The world war that is about to take place will be refrained because of this man for 7 years.
This is the seven year peace treaty which is represented as ‘one week covenant’ in the Bible. The 7 years tribulation starts from this treaty - the countdown of the apocalypse. The beginning of the 7 years is the start of the end time and the end of the 7 years is the end of the end time.
2. What is the purpose of giving us the book of Revelation?
The book of Revelation is given so that we may discern the signs of the end days and to be prepared as the bride of Jesus.
Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way for salvation. Knowledge of the book of Revelation has nothing to do with salvation. Revelation may help people who are saved to strengthen their faith and grow. However, Revelation is not for salvation.
The book of Revelation is given to us so that we, the bride of our Lord Jesus Christ, can be prepared when He comes back. Bible testifies "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." (Revelations 1:3)
The blessing here is not about salvation. About the time when Jesus comes, there will be great tribulations in this land and the antichrist will come and cause people to receive the mark of the beast. There will be unprecedented disasters by the result of the war. Many other mysterious events will follow one after another.
The book of Revelation is the word of God revealing secrets of those events, sign of the end time, and activities of the antichrist. It lets us avoid the tribulation, realize the identity of the antichrist and his secret, how the Lord will deliver His church from the later three and a half year tribulation period to the prepared shelter, how we will meet Jesus in the air, and what kind of blessings we will receive as the people of the millennium kingdom in this land after the tribulation.
When the end time arrives, God will let his servants understand His revelation so that His people may be prepared as the bride.
Of course, there are already many servants of the Lord in churches where they witness and teach the book of Revelation. However, when the end time comes, the Lord will let the two witnesses (the servants of the Lord who are called for martyrdom to spread this prophetic message to the world) witness this prophetic message in the first three and a half year tribulation period so that all people may listen.
On the other hand, the secularized church will form a pan-religious whore-church, reject the truth, and accept the antichrist as their messiah, the false god. In order to discern these events, understanding the book of Revelation biblically is essential.
Therefore, believers should keep these words close to themselves, hope in the Lord to come back, and be prepared to accept the bridegroom by devoting their lives for the Lord.
3. What is the responsibility of the servants who does not preach the book of Revelation?
The book of Revelation is the message of Jesus given to Apostle John to reveal the end time events to the servants of the Lord.
The book of Revelation is the message of Jesus given to Apostle John to reveal the end time events to the servants of the Lord. It is written, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John (Revelations 1:1)." However, if the servant of the Lord does not understand the book of Revelation, it is obvious that he or she cannot receive the blessing that is promised in the book of Revelation.
The servant of the Lord is someone who spreads the gospel. The gospel is about Jesus Christ and therefore, they are witnessing Jesus. In particular, the news of His return and we, the believers, becoming the bride of the Lord is the most important message of the gospel. However, if the servant of the Lord is blind or dumb regarding this message, he or she will be responsible for neglecting his or her duty.
Evil servants are the ones who are not telling the sheep to be prepared for the returning bridegroom. Rather, they are busy with the worldly matters, putting happiness, wealth, and having a successful life in the center of faith (Matthew 24:48-51). Even if there were hundreds of thousands of people in this kind of congregation, this would not a church that the Lord will be pleased with, nor a church that the Lord will be looking for.
It is written, "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand (Revelation 1:3)." However, if the servants of the Lord does not preach this message, not to mention that they do not know the message themselves, how can we say that they are not responsible?
4. What kind of eschatology interpretations are there?
In my opinion, the futuristic interpretation is the best eschatology interpretation.
There is no special method that guarantees correct interpretation for eschatology. Rather, it is a matter of how firm the interpreter's biblical foundation is, whether he or she has wisdom and intuition for eschatology research. It will be difficult for a pastor to correctly interpret the message of revelation if he or she is constrained by traditional theological hypotheses.
1) Historical interpretation: Historical interpretation assumes that the revelations are historical events. If the historical events are not diagnosed correctly, the interpretation is no longer dependable. (footnote 1)
2) Dispensational interpretation: This interpretation is based on dispensationalism theology arguing that the rapture will occur before the tribulation. The end time events are mainly focused on the Jews. This interpretation contains too many contradictions and is no longer regarded as a credible interpretation.
3) Past interpretation: This method interprets the events written in the book of Revelation as historical events that occurred in the past. It regards that all events of the book of Revelation already happened in the first century - thus, the moral of the book is to learn lessons from the history. (footnote 1)
4) Futuristic interpretation: This method regards the book of Revelation as a prophesy that is yet to be fulfilled in the future. It regards the events will take place in the end time when the Lord comes back.
There will be many opinions regarding which method is the best method for eschatology interpretation according to each people's theology and research viewpoint. However, I believe that the futuristic interpretation is the best tool for eschatology interpretation.
It is important that the interpretation is biblical and not necessarily bounded by theological theories. However, it is difficult to pinpoint the what is the absolute best interpretation method.
Footnote 1: Main difference between historical / past interpretation.
Past interpretation views that the revelations are accomplished at the first century. Historical interpretation views that the revelation is an on going process which is the whole history of mankind which will continue until the Lord returns.
5. What is dispensational eschatology?
"Rapture before the 7 years tribulation" which is becoming popular in Korean churchs is the result of dispensational eschatology. Dispensational eschatology makes interpretation of the book of Daniel and/or the book of Revelation difficult. In addition, it also creates time-limited eschatology.
'Dispensationalism' starts from John Nelson Darby, an English minister in the 18th century. Ever since Darby’s work, it has been systematically developed by Scofield and exercised huge influence on American churches. It is still popular worldwide. Originally, dispensational theology is based upon dispensational eschatology.
1) What is dispensational theology?
Dispensationalism divides history in the Bible into 7 parts as the following:
First generation: No sin age -- The garden of Eden
Second generation: Conscience age -- After the tree of the knowledge of good and evil event to the age of Noah
Third generation: Human ruling age -- After Noah to Abraham
Fourth generation: Covenant age -- From Abraham to Moses
Fifth generation: Law age -- From Moses to Jesus
Sixth generation: Church age -- From Jesus to just before the 7 years tribulation
Seventh generation: Millennium age
Dispensational theology claims that God has different ways of salvation for each age (e.g., through conscience in the conscience age, covenant in the covenant age, law in the law law age, and faith in the church age).
2) Characteristics of dispensational eschatology
Dispensationalism regards that the book of Revelation is for the Jews and not for the church. Revelations after (including) chapter 4 is interpreted entirely for Jews.
Dispensationalism claims that when the Lord returns, it will be a dual return (return in the air, return in the land). This 'dual return' has been one of the essential claims, always accompanied with the pre-rapture of the 7 years tribulation. First, the believers will be raptured before the 7 years tribulation in the air and meet the Lord. After the 7 years tribulation, the Lord returns in the land, hence, the dual return.
Therefore, dispensational theology assumes 'pre-rapture to the 7 years tribulation' because this is the core of its theology. This core cannot be disregarded by no other circumstances. Sadly, this 7 age categorization is, in fact, the epicenter for the confusion of Revelation interpretation.
The pre-rapture to the 7 years tribulation in the dispensational eschatology is based on "delayed kingdom hypothesis". They claim that Jesus came to this earth to build the Messiah kingdom but the Jews killed their Messiah on the cross. Therefore, the Messiah kingdom has been delayed in which resulted today's church age. According to this hypothesis, the Messiah kingdom has been delayed because the Jews did not receive Jesus as their Messiah.
The delay became the time for the gentiles, the church age. It claims that the 7 year tribulation is for the recovery of the Jews and has nothing to do with the church - therefore, a different age. Thus, dispensational eschatologists claim that it is necessary for the church to be raptured before the tribulation.
Dispensational eschatology argues the following as their main message
1. The church will be raptured before the 7 years tribulation and stay in the air for 7 years (the so called 7 years air marriage ceremony period)
2. After the church rapture, the 7 years tribulation begins.
3. The antichrist will appear immediately after the church rapture.
4. Most likely, the pope will be the antichrist.
5. 144,000 people are the earthly (contrast to the spiritual) Jews.
6. The book of Revelation is given to the Jews, not to the church.
7. The believers will be changed while they are being raptured and will enter into the millennium kingdom. The Jews will enter into the kingdom with their earthly fleshes.
The young American missionaries who came to Korea in the early days were mostly pastors who studied dispensationalism. Therefore, we cannot deny that the Korean church has been greatly influenced by dispensational theology and eschatology.
"Rapture before the 7 years tribulation" which is becoming popular in the Korean church is the result of dispensational eschatology. Dispensational eschatology makes interpretation of the book of Daniel and/or the book of Revelation difficult, adding a stumbling block on biblical interpretation of eschatology.
6. When is the Lord returning according to time-limited eschatology?
There is no prophecy in the Bible regarding when (year, month, day, time) the Lord will return.
When Jesus was mentioning about the time of his return, he said “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only (Matthew 24:36)”. We notice that he said the message in present tense (not in past or future tense). This present does not mean the present at the time when Jesus was speaking, but it should be interpreted from then until the time when He comes back. Thus, this message is interpreted as present nowadays.
At that time, the return of Jesus was regarded as a future event and nobody knew when He would return. Even today, the return of Jesus belongs to the future and likewise, no one knows when He is returning. This will be so until He does come back.
However, we should be able to read the signs of His return which is prophesied in the Bible. Jesus wants us to know and recognize the signs of His return and He explained about those signs in many places in the gospel. Furthermore, He revealed what will take place in the end times in the book of Revelations in detail.
However, we should remember that a sign is just a sign. There is no more or less meaning. Those signs are given so that we may be awake and be prepared as the bride. That is why it is written "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand" (Revelations 1:3).
Nowhere in the Bible mentions about the date and time of when the Lord is returning. As it has been in the past, there will be no revelations to anybody in the future as well. The Bible clearly warns us in Revelations 22:18-19 what will happen for someone who adds to the prophecy, which includes the timing of the Lord’s return. The sign and timing (date and hour) need to be distinguished. We do not need to know which year, day or time the Lord is returning because it will do no good to our faith. However, we need to discern the time through the signs.
7. When does the Euphrates war, the martyrdom of the two witnesses, and the relocation to the shelter prepared by God occur?
All of these events will happen during the 7 years tribulation. Therefore, the timing of these events may be known only by the signs that will be shown in the 7 years tribulation.
1) The structure of the book of Revelation proceeded by 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 3 woes
The book of Revelation reveals things that will happen in the future and there is a rule for the proceedings of each prophecies.
It starts with the 7 seals event, as written in Revelation chapter 6. The 7 seals event provides us a general picture of the end time revelations. The activities of the 4 horses are the core events that will occur in the 7 years tribulation.
The 7 seals revelation is described in detail with the 7 trumpets event. The revelation regarding from the first to the fourth trumpet is given in chapter 8, the fifth to sixth trumpet in chapter 9, and the seventh trumpet in chapter 16. The final judgment revelation is given in the seventh trumpet and the rest of the event descriptions are further explanations about the trumpet revelations.
The trumpet revelation can be categorized by events. From the first to the fourth trumpet revelation in chapter 8 is about the worldwide confusion and spiritual darkness caused by the appearance of the beast and the whoredom forces.
The fifth trumpet in chapter 9 is about the first woe (the persecution of the church caused by the beast and the whore during the tribulation), the sixth trumpet is about the second woe which is the Euphrates war (Nuclear war that will kill one third of the world population), and finally, the seventh trumpet which is the third woe, God's judgment on this land, the seventh vial judgment, that will break the earth into three pieces, which finalizes God's judgment of this world.
2) The martyrdom of the two witnesses
Many people does not realize that the Bible provides a clear revelation of the timing of the Euphrates war, the martyrdom of the two witnesses, and the relocation to the shelter prepared by God.
We can read from chapter 11 that the two witnesses prophesy for 1260 days. 1260 days are 3 years and a half in terms of years and 42 months in terms of months. However, after their prophecy and martyrdom, the world does does not come to an end by the judgment of God but there are more sin and the beast starts to rule the world. Therefore, the activity of the two witnesses takes place in the first 3 year and a half, not in the later 3 year and a half period. They will be martyred by the end of their prophetic 1260 days which is the end of the first 3 and a half year period.
3) The Euphrates war
Then, when will the Euphrates war occur? In Revelations 9:15, it says "for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year" meaning that the time (hour, day, month, year) is unknown so readers should not attempt to figure out the time. The Euphrates war corresponds to the second woe and to the sixth trumpet (Revelation 9:12-15).
Now, let us take a look at Revelation 11:13-14. It is written "And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly"
We need to understand what is this event that caused the collapse of one tenth of the city and the killing of seven thousand people indicating. In verse 14, it says that this is the "second woe". The second woe is the Euphrates war (Editors note: refer to Revelations 9:12-16). Revelations 9:15 says "And the seventh angel sounded". Therefore, the severe earthquake corresponds to the sixth trumpet event, which is the Euphrates war. The damage caused by the war is described as: "was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand".
When identical events are described in the book of Revelations, sometimes it uses different expressions for the event. However, God has let us understand the meaning of the revelations in the context.
In the beginning of Revelation 9:13, it is written: "And the same hour was there a great earthquake". That very hour is the time when the two witnesses ascended to heaven after hearing the voice from heaven, which is after being martyred when they finished their 1260 days of prophecy.
Therefore, the Euphrates war which is the sixth trumpet and the second woe occurs almost at the same time of the two witnesses' resurrection and ascension. This is the world war that will occur immediately after the first 3 year and a half tribulation which is right after 1260 days, or, in the beginning of the later 3 and a half year tribulation.
There is something we need to know and to be thankful about. This Euphrates war will be the worst war in human history where more than 2 billion people will die from this war. Imagine what would it be like if the believers were to be exposed to this kind of catastrophe. How frightening would that be? But thanks to God, He has planned the ministry of the two witnesses and by the end of their ministry, the believers will be moved to the prepared shelter and the Euphrates war will occur right after the relocation.
Notice that Euphrates war is different from Armageddon war. The Armageddon war occurs when the Lord returns, and it is a war between the heavenly forces and the forces of the beast. The Armageddon war has nothing to do with us.
4) Relocation to the prepared shelter.
Now, let us talk about the problem of the prepared shelter for the church. Revelation regarding the prepared shelter is given in Revelation chapter 12. The prophecies in chapter 12 is not about Mary, the birth of Jesus, or His resurrection and ascension. The book of Revelation is about “things which must shortly come to pass (Revelation 1:1)”. The word “shortly come to pass” refers to the end time. There is no need for the stories of Mary, the birth of Jesus, or His resurrection and ascension to be written in the book of Revelation.
A woman clothed with the sun symbolizes the candlestick church which is the bride in white robe. The child who the woman gave birth to are the servants of God, the 144,000 people (Revelation 7). These are the the two witnesses who will prophecy, be martyred, and ascend to heaven.
However, we need to pay special attention to verse 5 and 6 of chapter 12. It is written “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”
Here, the two witnesses, who are revealed as a man child who will rule all the nations with a rod of iron, will hear a voice from heaven and ascend to the throne of God. They appear as the 144,000 on the heavenly Mount Zion, singing a new song. The moment when they were being ascended, the church of God (candlestick church) who gave birth to the child will be moved to the prepared wilderness (the prepared shelter for the the later 3 and a half year tribulation) by the power of God.
Here, ‘feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days’ means that the church will be protected in the shelter prepared by God in the later 3 and a half year tribulation. Thus, the church of God will be moved to the prepared shelter with the help of the ‘two wings of a great eagle (Revelation 12:14)’ at the point when the two witnesses finish their first 3 year and a half year tribulation period ministry, martyr, and ascend to heaven.
The Bible reveals that the Euphrates war, the martyrdom of the two witnesses, escape of the church to the shelter will occur simultaneously by the time the two witnesses finish their 1,260 days of prophesy.
8. What is the book of Daniel talking about?
The book of Daniel is the revelation of the last days for the Jews
The purpose of the Lord giving Daniel prophetic messages is to save the Jews in the last day who read and understand the book of Daniel.
However, the last day revelations written in the book of Daniel is still sealed to the Jews. Therefore, presently, the Jews do not understand the last day revelations in Daniel.
Nevertheless, this book is not sealed to the church. The Lord let us understand the book of Daniel by giving us the book of Revelation. The Lord himself said “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)” in Matthew 24:15. We cannot understand the message if it is sealed.
The book of Daniel describes the signs of the end times, how the antichrist will appear and what he will do in detail. Therefore, there are many things that we can learn from the book of Daniel regarding the last day problems in the book of Revelation.
In order to understand the book of Daniel, correct interpretation of the statue which appeared in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in chapter 2, the appearance of the antichrist in chapter 7, and the 70 weeks and 1 week revelation in chapter 9 is important.
9. Why doesn't the Jews acknowledge the (first) Advent of the Messiah?
The Jews thought that the Messiah kingdom era would arrive when the Messiah came. The Messiah kingdom is their hope and the very reason why they are waiting the Messiah.
In the old testament, the (first) advent of Christ, the second advent of Christ, the judgement of the last day, and the kingdom of the Messiah is not revealed or described in detail as it is in the new testament.
In particular, the distinction of the first and second advent of the Messiah is not clear in the old testament. It is difficult to find the prophesy of the activities and persecution of Christ except in Isaiah 53 and a few other verses. Occasionally, there are some revelation in the old testament but those can be recognized only after we link the events that happened in the new testament.
In the old testament, prophesies regarding the first Advent of the Messiah, the forthcoming of the Gospel, salvation of the gentiles, and salvation through faith in Christ (not by the observing the law) is not written clearly, and even for those that are written down, they are hidden. It is not surprising that Jews,who were famous for having thorough knowledge of the old testament, mostly failed to understand the mission of the Messiah on His first Advent.
Since the old testament does not mention about the Gospel era but only the Messiah kingdom, the Jews still does not admit the first Advent of the Messiah and await for the Messiah to come and establish His kingdom - for the Jews.
It was unimaginable for them to think of the salvation of gentiles by the Gospel. The Gospel era was not their concern. They were not able to discover the forthcoming of the Gospel era through the Messiah because they were preoccupied with the thoughts that they are the chosen people and God only loved them - that salvation would only come to them.
The Jews believe and hope that when the Messiah comes, a new era for the Jews which is the Messiah kingdom era will come. It is this Messiah that they are waiting for. We would need to take this into consideration when we are doing the old testament eschatology research.
10. What is the meaning of the statue in Daniel 2?
The statue revelation in Daniel chapter 2 is an introductory revelation of the to be established kingdom of God.
Summary of Daniel chapter 2
The book of Daniel reveals the forthcoming of the Messiah kingdom that Israel has been waiting and hoping for. God shows how the nations will rise and fall and how the Messiah kingdom will be established through Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.
Daniel chapter 2 starts with the statue story: from the head which symbolizes Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom (Babylon) to the feet that symbolizes the nation that will be doomed in the end time.
Structure of the statue
First nation (Head of fine gold) Babylon
Second nation (Breast and arms of silver) Medo-Persia
Third nation (Belly and thighs of brass) Greece
Fourth nation (Legs of iron) Rome
Fifth nation (Feet part of iron and part of clay) The world kingdom era of the end time = The reign of the antichrist when ten horns appear
In the end time, the king of the ten horns which is the antichrist (little horn) will appear and rule the world for 42 months. The time of his days are referred to as the world kingdom era. God will judge the nations and establish a new eternal kingdom, which is the Messiah kingdom or the millennium kingdom. The book of Daniel describes how this kingdom will be established in the historical prophetic perspective.
The breakage of the image by the stone that was cut out without hands (Daniel 2:34) represent the judgement of the world kingdom by the second Advent of Jesus. It reveals that the kingdom of God will come and the world kingdom era will be history.
Daniel chapter 2 is an introductory revelation of the whole book of Daniel. The dream of the statue image summarizes the book of Daniel. God reveals the prophecy in detail in the following chapters. Daniel chapter 2 is in fact, the beginning and the end of the book of Daniel.
This revelation is given to Daniel by God so that the Jews in the end time could read, understand the revelation, and be saved. That is why Jesus said “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)” in Matthew 24:15.
11. Who is the little horn in Daniel 7?
This man (little horn) in Daniel appears as the beast in the book of Revelation which is also referred to as the antichrist.
Reference of the little horn appears at Daniel chapter 7. He is one of the ten horns that will appear in the end time and will eventually rule over the ten horns. He will also rule the world for 42 months and will causes people to receive the mark of the beast. This man (little horn) in Daniel appears as the beast in the book of Revelation which is also referred to as the antichrist.
This man appears in the end time. With cunning skills, great power and leadership, he will unite the ten horns and rule them. With Satan on his back, he will rule the world politically, economically, and militarily. His power comes from Satan as it is written “and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” (Revelation 13:2b)
This beast is also religiously recognized as the living messiah by the aid of Satan’s second beast. This second beast is mentioned in Revelations 13:11: “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.” This (second) beast is also referred to as the false prophet. He helps the little horn (the antichrist) to unite the religious groups to form the whore church.
However, this little horn will be judged by the Lord (a stone that was cut without hand) at Armageddon. The Lord will establish a new kingdom for the believers (Daniel 7:21-22).
12. What does the ‘seventy weeks’ mean in Daniel 9?
‘Seventy weeks’ is a very important revelation that indicates the sign of Jesus Christ’s first Advent and the sign of the forthcoming Messiah kingdom.
1) The beginning of the seventy weeks
People try to set the beginning of seventy weeks so that it will fit the birth of Jesus. They do that in order to get the accurate timing. However, this is a temptation. We need to escape from this temptation to get the correct answer.
Many people say that Jesus started his public life when he was 30. However, there is no reference confirms this point. There is just one reference that mentions his age in Luke 3:23a, “And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age.” 30 and about 30 is different. We cannot assume that the age of Jesus was 30 years old when he started his public life since “about 30” covers some certain range of his actual age.
We need to keep in mind that the timing of the chronicles of biblical events are not exact. This is due to the fact that each nations used their own calendar system. We should also keep in mind that the calendar systems of the old days were not based on scientific foundations. Therefore, it would be impossible to calculate the exact date of historical events.
We are currently using the gregorian calendar which was decreed on 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. Before then, Rome was using its own calendar and so was Egypt. It has not been that long for using 365 days = 1 year. In the old days, people used to use lunar calendars with different rules according to each tribes and regions instead of using solar calendars.
No matter how hard a theologian tries to figure out the date of the historical events with many ancient documents in today’s calendar system, it cannot be done precisely. Thus, when mentioning the dates in the Bible, “about” or “approximately” needs to be used (e.g., about 150 years ago, approximately 200 years ago).
Many people try to match the beginning of the seventy weeks with the decree of the return of the Jews. Of course, the return of the Jews is an important matter but we need to pay attention to the decree of the reconstruction of Jerusalem. God told us the timing of the beginning of the seventy weeks in Daniel 9:25 “ from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem.” We can find when this decree was issued from Nehemiah 2:5 and it is about B.C. 445.
This timing may show some discrepancies with the public life of Jesus that currently we know of. However, it is not biblical trying to find answers from somewhere else. God’s prophesy is not about pinpointing the exact year, month, and day when the prophecy is fulfilled. God reveals matters with signs with approximate timing.
2) The anointment
Anointment is mentioned twice in Daniel 9. Once in verse 24: “and to anoint the most Holy” and another in verse 25: “unto the Messiah the Prince” (editor’s note: Messiah is translated as “the anointed one” in the Korean bible, which is what Messiah means).
However, verse 24 is a general remark of the seventy week prophecy and time flow is not continuous to verse 25. When the 69 weeks are done and the 70th week come, (by the return of the Lord) the Messiah kingdom is established. Therefore, “the most Holy” in verse 24 refers to the Messiah of the second Advent, not the first Advent, and the anointment is for Jesus becoming King of the Messiah kingdom.
Verse 25 divides the contents of verse 24 into two (first and second advent) and reveals the signs. “unto the Messiah the Prince” in verse 25 means the baptism of Jesus of the first advent, his starting of his public life as the Messiah (Matthew 3:16, Luke 4:18).
Therefore, the two anointments are not referring to the same event in the same timeframe but refers to two different anointments with long time intervals. One is the anointment as the King in the millennium kingdom and the other one is the anointment who will start his public life. Jesus has two roles as the Messiah. Of course, for both times, he has the status of the king so the anointment occurs twice (John 18:36-37, Luke 22:29-30, Revelation 20:6).
It was not the case that Israel did not understand Daniel’s prophecy. They knew that it was time for the Messiah to come and they were eagerly expecting him to come. That is why they were asking John the baptist if he is the Messiah. That is why many followed Jesus, believing him being the Messiah, the descendent of David. They knew that it was time for the Messiah (according to the prophecy of Daniel) when Jesus was ministering.
However, they stumbled because they did not understand the word, “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off” (Daniel 9:26).They believed that their Messiah would never die and be their king forever. After losing hope from Jesus, they were shouting “Let him be crucified.”
Along with the fulfillment of Jesus Christ’s first advent, the fulfillment of the one week is also important in the seventy weeks prophecy. If we admit the beginning of the seventy weeks and believe that Jesus came in 69 weeks starting from the beginning of the seventy weeks, we would also need to believe that the beginning of the one week will start from the ratification of the one week covenant,done by the antichrist, and be prepared for the returning Lord who will come 1 week afterwards.
Israel received the judgement of God by not receiving Jesus. If we do not believe the signs of the one week and fail to be prepared for the returning Lord, we will either receive the mark of the beast or fall into the great tribulation and endure the time of trials.
13. When will the temple be built in Jerusalem?
Nowhere in the Bible indicates when the temple of the Jews be built in Jerusalem. However, the reconstruction of the temple is implied in the prophecy of Daniel: “... cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease.”
Nowhere in the Bible indicates when the temple of the Jews be built in Jerusalem. However, Daniel 9:27 indicates that the antichrist will invade to Jerusalem and cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease for the later 3 and a half year (among the 7 years tribulation, the one week), which implies the construction of the temple.
The holy place spoken by Jesus in Matthew 24:15: “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place” refers to the temple in Jerusalem that will be built. “...cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease”, in Daniel implies the construction of the temple.
Jesus was referring to Daniel’s prophecy: “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate..” The last sentence “and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate” means that the antichrist will desolate the Jerusalem temple (2 Thessalonians 2:4).
Of course, the temple was destroyed by Titus of Rome at AD 70, leaving no stone left upon another (Matthew 24:2). However, Daniel’s prophecy reveals that in the end times, the temple of Jerusalem will be rebuilt.
The bill for reconstruction of the Jerusalem temple has already been passed by the Israeli parliament. The construction material for the temple has been prepared. We need to pay attention to when the Jerusalem temple will be built because that will be another sign for the end time.
14. What about the time between sixty nine weeks and one week?
Israel is in the center of the stories of the Bible. Therefore, it is unthinkable of biblical historic revelations without Israel. From AD 70, when Israel was destroyed by the Roman army let by Titus, to May 15, 1948, the reestablishment of Israel, there is no revelation in the Bible. Now, Israel is back and the end time revelations will be fulfilled.
Why there needs to be an interval between sixty weeks and one week
Within the seventy weeks, there must be an interval between sixty nine weeks and one week. (You should read Daniel 9:24-27 and understand the context.)
The seventy weeks which is 490 years is the period for the complete salvation of the Jews. It is the time for the establishment of the promised Messiah kingdom.
However, God is not progressing the 490 years continuously but split into two periods and fulfills His promise.
One is the 69 weeks which is the combination of 7 weeks and 62 weeks. This period starts from the decree of restore and building of Jerusalem to the (first Advent) Messiah’s anointment and his ministry of salvation on the cross. This “7 + 62 = 69 weeks” reveals the timing of Christ’s first Advent and this prophecy has been fulfilled (Daniel 9:25-26).
Next is the left 1 week from the 70 weeks. This 1 week is not continued from the 69 weeks but will start when “he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week”, where he in this passage is the antichrist. The antichrist has to come and sign the treaty of the 1 week (Daniel 9:24-27).
Israel is in the center of the stories of the Bible. Therefore, it is unthinkable of biblical historic revelations without Israel. From AD 70, when Israel was destroyed by the Roman army let by Titus, to May 15, 1948, the reestablishment of Israel, there is no revelation in the Bible. This is the period of the interval between the 69 and 1 week.
That is the remaining 1 week starts when the antichrist comes who will “confirm the covenant with many for one week”. We will sign the peace treaty of 1 week, that is, 7 years, and the 1 week revelation begins. That is the time when the 7 years tribulation starts.
15. What is the relationship between the one week covenant and 7 years tribulation?
The one week covenant is the 7 years peace treaty signed by the antichrist. The kingdom of God which will be fulfilled by the return of Christ, starts when the one week covenant starts and completes by the time the one week covenant ends. That is why the 1 week is referred, in new testament terms, the 7 years tribulation.
1) The one week covenant in the book of Daniel
The one week covenant is the 7 years peace treaty signed by the antichrist, which will become a very important issue to Israel in the future. Since this covenant will appear as a real historical event, Israel will notice this covenant and so will the whole world. When the treaty is signed, the world will enter into the 7 years tribulation period, the end time of the world, and the prophecies of the book of Revelation will be fulfilled. When the half of this period passes, the Jews will face religious persecutions from the antichrist and it will continue until the rest of the half of the 7 years period, as written as “a time, and times, and a division of a time (Daniel 7:25)” (Editor’s note: In the Korean Bible, it says “a time, and two times, and a half time” which is three and a half time in combination.) And through the return of the Lord, the new Messiah kingdom will be established in this land as it is written “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ (Revelation 11:15)”.
In the literal sense, ‘one week’ means 7 days. However, the Bible introduces ways of interpreting a day as a year in may places. This is not symbolic interpretation. We are following the way how the Bible calculates days (Numbers 14:34, Ezekiel 4:6).
2) The seven year tribulation in the book of Revelation
There are records of passages and numbers regarding 7 years in the book of Revelation. If you look closely, you will find that those are in the same context of Daniel’s ‘one week’, ‘in the mist of the week’(NIV: in the middle of the ‘seven’), and ‘a time, and times, and a division of a time’.
1. Revelation 11:2 says ‘and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months’. The antichrist who has the court which is outside the temple will tread on the holy city (Jerusalem) for 42 months. This represents that the Jews will be religiously persecuted during those time as it is written in Daniel 7:25. Also, in Revelation 13:5, it is written that “and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”This 42 month is the same 42 month that is mentioned in Revelation 11:2 which refers to the later 3 year and a half period of the 7 years tribulation. During this period, the antichrist will rule not only Jerusalem but the whole world. However, in Revelation 11:3, it is written “ And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth”. Here, the 1260 days is different from the former 42 months.
2. In Revelation chapter 12, we can find a gracious revelation of God describing how He will protect His church from the tribulation. Here, 1260 days and ‘a time, times, and half a time’ appears. A woman gave birth to a child and the child is caught up to God and to His throne. The woman fled by the power of God into the wilderness which is also prepared by God so that she can escape from the dragon’s persecution. The duration of her stay at the wilderness is described as 1260 days in verse 6 and ‘a time, and times, and half a time’ in verse 14. The same period described in different terms clearly indicates that those two periods are identical.
3. We can learn from the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation that the first 3 and a half year period is a refine / repentance period for the church when the two witnesses prophecies again globally (Revelation 10:11. footnote 1) while the later 3 year and a half year period is the great tribulation period where the wold is ruled by the antichrist. For the later 3 year and a half year period, the Jews and Jerusalem will undergo the tribulations that are prophesied in Daniel 7:25 and Zechariah 12:1-5. After that, the Lord will return and the millennium kingdom will be established.
Footnote 1: Prophecy “again”
Here, “again” indicates that this is another prophecy. Probably, this term is used to separate the Good News of the new testament from the prophecies of the two witnesses at the end time.
16. What does the four winds mean in Daniel 7?
The four winds are the 4 world powers that will provoke the world war (the Euphrates war) in the end time.
The four winds are the 4 world powers that will provoke the world war (the Euphrates war) in the end time. The world powers could be nations but it could also be groups of nations (blocks) that engages in the Euphrates war that will threaten world peace.
The direct cause of the Euphrates war comes from the order of God, “Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.” Then, who are the four angles that are bound in the Euphrates river? Revelation 7:1 tells us about these four winds as the following.
“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.” The four winds of the earth are the forces that will start the catastrophic war in the end times.
As we can see from the expression ‘four winds’ in Revelation 9, these are the forces that will provoke the world war in the end times. The bounded four angles are linked with the four winds of the heaven in Daniel 7:2 because they are identical.
Daniel 11:40 describes about the end time war as “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him (NIV: engage him in battle): and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.”
Here, there are three forces that are engaged in this war: the king of the south, north, and ‘him’ whom the king of the south pushed (engaged). The king of the south represents the Arab union, the king of the north is the northern force (relative to Israel) that will attack Israel in the end times as written in Ezekiel 38 which corresponds to Russia nowadays, and the one who the king of the south pushed (engaged) is the king of the ten horns, the antichrist. It is difficult to identify the remaining fourth wind. Perhaps, it could be Israel and its supporter, United States.
The collision of the four winds will be initiated by the end of the first three and a half year period which is the end of the 1260 days, the beginning of the later three and a half year period, when the false messiah enters Jerusalem which is when the king of south attacks the beast.
US will engage in this war and Gog and Magog will bring a big army from out of the north parts to the middle east to attack Jerusalem (Ezekiel 38:14-15). In this war, the nuclear warheads manufactured by the superpowers will be used and the whole world will face nuclear warfare. One third of the world population will die out of this war. This is the judgement of God, done by the nuclear warheads made by man. This is the Euphrates war, which is revealed to us as the second woe.
17. Are the 7 years tribulation and the millennium kingdom symbols or reality?
The problem of whether the expressions or duration of the 7 years tribulation or the millennium kingdom is literal or symbolic is a theological controversy.
The problem of whether the expressions or duration of the 7 years tribulation or the millennium kingdom is literal or symbolic is a theological controversy. This problem comes from the book of Daniel.
The answer for this question depends on whether the ‘kingdom of God’ in the book of Daniel is referring to the Messiah kingdom when Jesus returns or to the church of the new testament era. If it is interpreted as the church, the problem becomes symbolic whereas if it is interpreted as the Messiah kingdom, the expressions are literal and real.
However, by observing the context of the revelations or the theme of the book of Revelation (the returning of the Lord), the answer is obvious. If the return of Jesus is the biblical truth, the events that will occur when He returns cannot be symbolic and the duration of the 7 years tribulation cannot be symbolic as well.
About the thousand years of the millennium kingdom, when Jesus returns, a kingdom will be established in this land as it is written “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever (Revelation 11:15)” and Revelation chapter 20 makes it clear that this is not a symbolic expression.
Revelation 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
18. How does the seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials, and three woes relate to each other?
When we research the book of Revelation, it is important that we understand the meanings of the seal, trumpet, vial, and woe,
The relationship of the 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 vials
The 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 vials are not independent events. These end time events are closely related to one another. If we fail to understand the relationship of these, the interpretation of the end time events becomes very confusing.
The seventh seal proceeds with the 7 trumpets event and the last seventh trumpet proceeds to the 7 vials event. The 7 vials judgement concludes the final judgement of mankind. For the woes, the firth trumpet is the first woe, the sixth trumpet is the second woe, and the seventh trumpet is the third woe. Correct recognition of the seal, trumpet, vial, and woe let us find the correct answer for Revelation interpretation.
1) The book of Revelation starts with the opening of the 7 seals. Jesus showed us the tribulations, disaster, and the judgement of mankind through the opening of the first six seals.
God’s judgement is shown in chapter 6 as a whole and it is repeated through the seven trumpets in the rest of the book of Revelation. Therefore, Revelation chapter 6 is known as the outline of the tribulation, or the outline of the Revelation.
2) From chapter 8, we see a new form of judgement performed by sounding a trumpet. The trumpet sounds after the opening of the seventh seal according to verse 1.
The seals end with the sixth seal and the seventh seal acts as a signal to initiate the seven trumpets. Chapter 8 contains the first to the fourth trumpet events and the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpet proceeds afterwards. The fifth trumpet is the five months woe of the locusts. The sixth trumpet is the Euphrates war. Finally, the seventh trumpet is the final judgement of mankind.
3) Next in the book of Revelation, there are three great tribulations that are called as woes. In chapter 9, the first woe which is the five months locust woe is described.
This woe occurs only to the people who do not have the seal in their foreheads. This is the spiritual persecution that the believers undergo (editor’s note: reason why the people who do not have the seal of God in their foreheads is interpreted as the believers is given in this book chapter 30) in the end of the first 3 year and a half period. They will be persecuted by the forces who follow the antichrist and when this persecution ends, the first three year and a half period ends, followed by the Euphrates war, which is the second woe, the great world war.
By this war, one third of the world population suffers death. Next is the third woe which is known as the seventh trumpet or the seven vial judgement. This woe is the final woe, the judgement of mankind due to the return of the Lord.
4) And then, there is a tribulation that is called the seven vials. This is equivalent to the seventh trumpet and to the third woe. It is the final judgement of mankind (Revelations chapter 16). The prophecy that this earth will be destroyed by fire is fulfilled here (Zephaniah 1:2-3, 2 Peter 3:7-11)
Table of the 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 vials, and 3 woes
< 7 seals>
First seal event
Second seal event
Third seal event
Fourth seal event
Fifth seal event
Sixth seal event
<7 trumpets>
Seventh seal event ...................
First trumpet event
- through the 7 trumpet events
Second trumpet event
Third trumpet event
Fourth trumpet event
Fifth trumpet event.......(First woe)
Sixth trumpet event.......(Second woe)
<7 vials>
Seventh trumpet event...(Third woe)...................
First vial judgement
-through the 7 vial events
Second vial judgement
Third vial judgement
Fourth vial judgement
Fifth vial judgement
Sixth vial judgement
Seventh vial judgement
19. What is the relationship between the seven seal events and the end times?
The seal event is mentioned in chapter 6 only. This event provides an overview of the book of Revelation. Events up to the sixth seal contain all the events of the end time.
1) Background of the 7 seals
Apostle John was living on exile on the Greek island of Patmos. One day, he heard a voice from heaven telling him “Come up hither.” In the spirit, he saw the throne of God. John described God who was sitting on the throne as “to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald (Revelation 4:3).” He saw “in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back side, sealed with seven seals (Revelation 5:1).” While John was watching the throne, he heard a loud voice of a strong angle saying “Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? (Revelation 5:2)”
Since John saw no man worthy to open the book and loose the seals of the book in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, he wept much. Then, one of the 24 elders comforted John not to weep saying that “behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof (Revelation 5:5)” Then, John saw Jesus, the Lamb, standing in the middle of the four beasts. He took the book with the seven seals out of the right hand of God that sit upon the throne.
This book with seven seals is the scroll that will ultimately save the people of God and judge this world and Satan. The people of God will be saved as written in this book while this world and Satan will be face God’s judgement. God gives the power of opening the book and the power of judgement to the one who overcomes by opening the seals. Here, the one who overcomes is the one who overcomes the power of sin and death. Jesus is the one who overcome these and He appears here as the Lamb.
2) The relationship between Revelation chapter 6 and the seven seals.
Therefore, Revelation chapter 6 is the overview of the tribulation by the opening of the seven seals. The seven seals represent the complete power of judgment of God. However, Revelation chapter 6 shows the overview of the whole 7 years tribulation by opening the seven seals. The whole event, starting from the beginning of the seven years tribulation to the end of seven years tribulation when Jesus returns, is described in this chapter, showing that Jesus is the judge of the end times.
Every time a seal is opened, a new event occurs. This indicates that all events happen according to what is written in the book of judgement of God. It shows that whatever happens in this world, it is an event that is written in the book of judgement, which is the plan and will of God.
20. What are the meanings of the first seal and the white horse?
The bow represents the gospel of repentance and horse rider’s crown represent the crown of life which is the highest honor that the martyrs receive.
The white horse appeared when the first seal was opened.
There are many interpretations of the meaning of the white horse.
1) There are people who say that the white horse is the antichrist. This view is one of the most popular view among Korean churches and this kind of interpretation originates from the Pentecost branch churches. It takes too much time to explain this problem. However, I would like to mention that the white horse does not represent the antichrist.
2) Some people interpret the white horse as Jesus. Although seemingly adequate, the white horse is not Jesus. It says that the rider of the white horse has a bow and he went forth conquering and conquering.
3) The color ‘white’ is always related to God or Jesus representing holiness or righteousness. When Jesus was opening the fifth seal, it is written that God gave white robes to the martyrs.
The white robe is the robe of righteousness given to the martyrs. In Revelation 19:14, we see the heavenly army coming down from heaven with Jesus. “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”
The context of the white horse in chapter 6 should be understood along with chapter 19. They both has white horse as a common factor an |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
