Sunday, September 20, 2015

4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse #7 - Part 75 of Riddles, Enigmas & Esoteric Imagery of Revelation


When we were last together in our study of the symbolism of Revelation chapter 6, blog #6 began to explain the symbolism under the 6th seal...

I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold. there was a great earthquake, and the sun became as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood...and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind...then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place...Rev. 6:12-14.

We have already defined the symbolism for stars and earthquake as a warning to Israel of what would come to pass in their very near future - war of 70 A.D.  What is the symbolism for sackcloth of hair?

Sackcloth of Hair symbolism describes an eclipse of the sun...sun becomes as sackcloth of hair.  In the coming war against Israel for rejecting Jesus Christ as their Savior, the leadership - symbolized by the sun - will experience mourning and death for this egregious act. When the ancient prophets grieved over the sins of this nation, they sat with sackcloth over their heads a sign of their grief which warned of judgment to come if they did not repent.  Darkness is in the hearts of the Sanhedrin and their light will be extinguished - eclipse of the sun.

Moon became as Blood symbolizes how war and bloodshed will be experienced by all the proud and disobedient leaders, fomented by the idolatries of the unrepentant and defiant rejecters of the Messiah.

Sky Receded symbolizes God's judgment of Israel since the words are written on a scroll and sealed by God.  When the scroll is rolled up we understand that what is written on it is complete and irreversible.

Mountain/Island moved out of its place symbolizes that no portion of Israel will be left untouched by this devastating judgment.  Mountain symbolizes a proud people.  Island moved out of its place symbolizes a complete sweeping away of the old religious system. This symbolism describes the devastating results of the Wrath of the Lamb upon Israel for rejecting Jesus as their Messiah and His new religious system...Rev. 6:16. 

And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains...and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb...for the great day of His wrath has come and who is able to stand?"...Rev. 6:15-17.

Who rejected Jesus Christ and His new religious system?  The religious leadership - Sanhedrin - rejected Him and influenced the Roman leadership to kill Him.  So upon whom would the wrath of the Lamb be executed?  Only Israel qualified to receive the wrath of the Lamb. But first He gave them 40 years to repent before they would face His wrath. The number 40 in the Bible symbolizes a probationary period of time.

This verse is the only place in the Bible with the term:  wrath of the Lamb.  Once the wrath of the Lamb was exercised in the war of 70 A.D., this prophecy was fulfilled. This is the reason it is not seen again - no other fulfillment is required.  The reason John sees His wrath under the 6th seal is because the number 6 defines the sum total of human achievement. Without God, men's achievements fail.

During the war described under the 6th seal, we see prophesied that the three million people - kings, commanders rich & poor - barricaded behind the wall in Jerusalem will cry out to the mountains and rocks...fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb...for the great day of His wrath has come and who is able to stand?  What does this mean?

Did Jesus prophesy that during the coming war Israel would cry to the mountains, "Fall on us!"   Stay tuned...

God's sheep question the doctrines of men...sheeple follow without question ~~~~






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