The Sixth Chapter of the Revelation

Armageddon

The Sixth Chapter of the Revelation

In this chapter we find a prophetic description of the historic development signified by the horses referred to by Zechariah. We will follow it up in the order it reveals the events designed to pre­pare the way for the kingdom of God to become established on the earth.

1. John says:

"And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see".

The book sealed is the book of judgment revealing to the people of God how He will open the way to the kingly throne of the Mes­siah — the righteous King of the people. In His personal mission on the way to that throne He was slain as an innocent lamb by the church and state, and, concerning the development of His throne and kingly power, He remains as the slaughtered Lamb until the end of the time of the Gentiles. Then He will break the seals of that book of God's judgment and the consequences will be realized on the earth.

The breaking up of the first seal is causing a great noise; one of the four beasts says: "Come and see." The word "beasts" in this connection is in the Greek "sowon," and means, the "living ones." It has reference to the class of human beings that become impressed by the spiritual influence issuing out from the heavenly throne. We understand that class to be the seed of Abraham in its scattered state among the Gentile nations. They say to each other: "Come Come and see." The Gentile class, to the contrary, take no interest in the events and hence they stand before it as dead subjects. It does not impress them at all, only to exite them to anger.

In the fifth chap. and sixth verse we read:

"And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth."

The Lamb of God slain by the rulers of the worldly kingdom so as to hinder it to become the King of the universe, stands in the midst of the prophetic throne, i. e. the kingly throne to become established as the fifth universal throne on the earth, and is sur­rounded by the four living ones and twenty four elders. And that Lamb has seven horns and seven eyes — signifying the sevenfold spiritual power that will go forth and work among the people in the entire world.

The Covenant that Christ at His first coming opened, is now to become established by the two houses, Israel and Judah. And to that Covenant belongs the temple of the New dispensation. In the temple of the Old covenant there were twenty four elders, re­presenting the different tribes. They constituted a shadow of things to come, hence the prophetic movement of the New covenant will also develop twenty four elders as representatives of the twelve tribes. The prophetic description goes ahead of time, the fulfill­ment thereof develops gradually, until all is complete.

The seven horns and eyes on the Lamb we understand to mean the kingly power to become increased, as it meets the opposition, sevenfold. The beast with its seven head-powers will raise hind­rances in the way for the development of the kingly throne. And as it increases its opposing military power, the Lamb of God will also increase its spirit-power.

The appellation "The Lamb," signifies also that its position in the kingly movement is not offensive but defensive. It .will de­fend those that are actuated by the Spirit and stand by the truth revealed to them.

The eyes on the Lamb signifies the light it spreads about among the people. It causes knowledge to increase from time to time and it is by that knowledge the peoples are brought step by step nearer to the Messianic kingdom from time to time. That increase of knowledge was foretold by the revealing angel to Daniel in chap. 12. 8-40. And then the angel adds:

"And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."

When was the "daily sacrifice taken away from Jerusalem? When king Nebuchadnezzar conquered the Jews and destroyed their temple. The historians agree that that occurred the year 606 B. C. Then "the abomination of desolation," the temple cult of the heath­ens, was set up instead, and it continues until now. The holy cove­nant became broken, and the holy people was subjugated under the worship of the gods of the sun.

Then to the question: How long will that condition continue? The angel answers first: 1290 days. One day for a year. 1290 and 606 makes 1896. That answer concerns the knowledge that should be increased — the knowledge leading to the restoration of the covenant. From that appointed time the people subject to the restoration would be affected by the increasing knowledge and covenant together. Was it not about 1896, or let us say, at the clos­ing up of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th Century, the inter­national brotherhood of the laboring classes was brought about? It was a particular knowledge that effected that union. The spir­itual knowledge had gone before and prepared its way.

It was the advent movement, or the proclamation compris­ing the second coming of Christ, that affected those that were inclined to religion. Then followed the labor-movement, also a peace movement, loosening the people from certain captive bonds the nations they serve have laid upon them. It has taken the se­venty years' period to bring about those two preparatory move­ments, and it has been done by spreading literature, and by lectures, that have enlightened the minds of the people.

Then, finally, the end of the " seventy years Is reached and a change is set in. 1914 ends that period. The horses the prophet saw standing among the myrtle trees (peace stations) are sent out. The Revelator sees the Red horse and describes him thus : "And there went out another horse which was red: : and power was given him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and there was given him a great Sword" — the world war.

It is at the opening of the seals of the little book the changes are brought about. They are historic changes, realized by the present generation. All the changes from the ending of the 2300 years are applicable to this last generation. It will receive all the signs and realize all the different historical changes brought about by the finger of God, and, finally, it will become tested by the com­ing of the great King and the establishment of His kingdom.

Then, again, we notice in the prophetic description of Zecha­riah that he refers to four carpenters (some translations say four blacksmiths). It means the strongest kind of workers, classes of heavy workers, that unitedly represent strength. And What is their mission? To fray and to break off the horns that have scatter­ed the seed of Jacob and kept it in servitude. The time of their captivity is at its end and then comes the change.

The national horns of the Gentiles unitedly hold the family of Jacob in bondage until the time that his deliverance according to the promises is at hand.

The Black horse of Rev. 6th chap, follows on after the Red horse and brings a famine in the world. It is that we now begin to realize. The sustenance of food becomes short, and is dealt out by weight. The rider on the horse has a pair of balances in his hand, denoting that the food will be dealt out by weight. This was also foretold by Jehovah when He warned the children of Israel what would be their punishment if they turned away from the covenant. He says by the prophet:

"And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied. " Lev. 26: 23-26.

He threatened them several times with a sevenfold punishment if they turned away from the covenant, and still they did just what He warned them not to do.

Seven different periods of punishment should they have to pass through. Then we ask: How long was each one of those periods l If we turn to the words of Jehovah when He made the covenant with Abraham, we find the answer. He measured off their times of punishment when He said: "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years."

The four hundred years' period belongs to the two covenants and contains the measured off time of punishments. Seven such periods are, according to the words of Jehovah, set apart for the people of the covenant to suffer as strangers among the nations.

Seven times four hundred makes 2800. And when should that long period of punishment begin? We get the answer by following up their history. They revolted from the throne of David, the throne of the covenant, in the second year of the reign of Reho­boam, 975 B. C. They chose Jeroboam to be their king, and he led them gradually into the works and worship of Baal. He built churches and altars like the heathens and chose from the people a baalistical priesthood, which increased from time to time. They were thus brought further and further from the Lord of the co­venant, and having continued thus for about seventy-five years, God sent Elijah with a warning message of their punishment. The great drought came first, and by it the prophets of Baal were re­moved. But Baalism was still, by the influence of Jezebel, continued. Finally their calamity resulted in their captivity by the Assyrians 724 B. C.

It was about 900 years B. C. when Elijah proclaimed their entrance into the special punishment from Jehovah, and from that point of time we reckon the beginning of the 2800 years. 900 subtracted from 2800 leaves 1900. The beginning of the present century is thus marked for a change in their condition of captivity and punishment. According to the historic events the Bible refers to concerning the changes they have been subject to in past ages, it takes about twenty or twenty five years to bring about such changes, whence we conclude that the covenant before them will not close them to its bosom until the last four hundred years have passed.

The old Russian, Tolstoy, was by many of his countrymen looked upon as a prophet, and even the Czar considered him to be such, hence he sent a friend of his, that knew Tolstoy, to hear what he had to say "concerning the future state of Europe." Here fol­lows the prophecy he then made:

What Tolstoy Predicted.

"The great conflagration will start about 1912 (the first Bal­kan war was in 1912), set by the torch of the first arm (carrying the flame of war) in the countries of southeastern Europe. It will develop into a destructive calamity in 1913 (The second Balkan war, incited by Austria-Hungary, which aroused deep enmity be­tween Germans and Slave, was in 1913). In that year I see all Europe in flames and bleeding. I hear the lamentations of huge battle fields. But about the year 1915 a strange figure from the north—a new Napoleon—enters the stage of the bloody drama. He is a man of little militaristic training, a writer or a journalist, but in his grip most of Europe will remain until 1925. The end of the great calamity will mark a new political era for the old world. There will be left no empires and kingdoms, but the world will form a federation of the United States of nations."

The first part of his prediction has thus far proved itself to be true. Concerning the "strange figure from the north," that he refers to, is, what we would say about it, the man the prophet Ezekiel speaks of in his 9th chapter. He describes him as being "clothed with linen (priestly attire) and that he has a "writer's inkhorn by his side." He keeps on writing as he goes along on his special mission. He is thus not a common writer.

He carries on his mission among six other men, who hold destructive weapons in their hands, the riders described in Rev. 6th chapter. As their mission is to destroy those that have not the seal of God in their foreheads, the man with the inkhorn must conse­quently be the very one that marks those that receive the seal. His writings open their mind that they understand the judgment of God going on in the world, and they take their stand for the covenant of God. According to Rev. 7th Chap., that Sealer gets finally such power over the nations that he turns down the war winds in all quarters of the earth.

Concerning the scarcity of food, the prophecy says that a quart of wheat will cost a day's wages, and barley about three quarts for the same price. All to be dealt out by weight.

The opening of the fourth seal reveals the terrible condition brought about by the famine, wars and revolutions. Death is then the supreme ruler on the earth.

The next seal opened reveals the altar of the covenant. The temple-movement is then going on leading the people into the covenant, and that union is not understood and not tolerated by the powers of the church and state, hence they unitedly kill as many as they can lay their hands on. In their last trial to put an end to the heavenly movement, they capture and kill the two witnesses of Christ, and by that time the number to be killed becomes ful­filled.

The calamities that already go on in the world settles it as a fact that the prophecies referred to are on the way to become ful­filled. A look at the great Russia is enough to convince any con­siderate mind.

The two horses, the white and the red, have accomplished that much already. After comes the rest of the powerful horses, as the seals of the little book are broken, and at last, when the seventh seal is under the breaking power, the kingdoms of this world are passing over unto the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

The seventy years, which the prophet Jeremiah refers to, cover also the last period. This is evident by the following comparison:

"For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be ac­complished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jer. 29. 10. 11.

Then in chapter 31.31 we read of the renewance of the covenant, that is the new covenant, thus:

"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Ju­dah."

The two houses will then come together in the train, moving out from the "north country and from the coasts of the earth."

V. 8. The tribe of Ephraim, which led the rest of the nine tribes when they in the days of Rehoboam separated from the throne of David, will now again take the lead back to the same throne. The Son of David, our Lord Jesus Christ, will this time be seated on it as the King of kings. The Lord says of Ephraim in connection with this movement under the new covenant: "For I am a father to Israel and Ephraim is my first born."

V. 9. Ephraim will be the first to take hold of the gospel of the kingdom at the time the procla­mation of its coming is at hand. He will first of all give the trumpet sound: "The time is fulfilled; the kingdom of God is at hand." And thus he will lead the rest of the tribes with him and they will all finally unite as the house of Jacob, having fulfilled their service in bondage by Laban, the great property owner.