Armageddon For Beginners, Dave Mckay [reading books for 7 year olds TXT] 📗

the dead, that he conquered death. Today's world doesn't give much credence to that. But who else is as qualified to give answers to the puzzles of life and death? What if Jesus actually did rise from the dead? What if he can conquer death? And what if he actually can give you eternal life? Wouldn't it be stupid to ignore him?

It has been said that even the richest people would sacrifice all their wealth to live another five or ten years, if they knew that they were only hours away from certain death. They would, of course, be stupid not to. In the face of death, things suddenly get into proper perspective. But for the bulk of our lives most of us live as though we will never die.

This Christ, the date of whose death was predicted hundreds of years before he was even born, whose life has changed the course of history, who claims to be the Son of God, says that he can give eternal life to anyone who will put their faith in him. True, he asks you to give up everything you own to follow him. But is that really so much to trade for eternal life?

Leo Tolstoy, the world famous author of War and Peace, had this to say about life and death:

"We have learned to look ahead in every part of our lives; but we do not look ahead to where life itself is leading. You may do all you can to protect yourself from danger and sickness, but in the end a building will fall on you, or a king will have you killed, or you will simply die in your bed with few people taking any interest in it…

If you know ahead of time that all your strength will not be enough to win the war against death, wouldn't it be better to change now, and use your life for something that will not be destroyed by death?… If there is a meaning to life, it will not come in a life that is lived without faith and without God. To live a life with meaning, you must live one that is not destroyed by death.

We have been tricked into doing very cruel things to make our lives better and safer… But only in working for God and others can we find true life, life that will not be destroyed by death." (What I Believe, chapter 8)

John saw that the "Lamb that was slain" was really able to conquer war, greed, and death. But he also saw that the Lamb did it without the usual weapons. He saw that the answer to life does not lie in more weapons or more money. It lies in taking up your "cross" and following the Lamb to death if need be… without hitting back, and without hating your persecutors.

Are you ready to do that?

Appendix, Chapter 11

Revelation 6:1-8. I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard (as if it were the noise of thunder) one of the four beasts saying, "Come and see." I saw, and behold, a white horse. And he that sat on him had a bow. A crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer.

When he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, "Come and see." And there went out another horse that was red. Power was given to him that sat on it, to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. There was given unto him a great sword.

When he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, "Come and see." I beheld, and lo, a black horse, and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny. And see that you not hurt the oil and the wine."

When he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, "Come and see." I looked, and behold, a pale horse. His name that sat on him was Death; and Hell followed with him. Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

Revelation 19:11-16. I saw heaven opened and behold, a white horse. He that sat on him was called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war… and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew but he himself. He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. His name is called The Word of God. The armies which were in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. He has on his vesture and on his thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Luke 16:13. No servant can serve two masters; either he will hate one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money].

(Back to Table of Contents)

 

12. The Twelve Tribes

12. The Twelve Tribes

On page 40 we gave you a rough outline of The Revelation. The introduction, we said, features a book with seven seals. The time of great trouble is marked by seven trumpets. And God's punishment of the world is marked by seven "vials" or containers of judgment that are poured out on the earth. Each division overlaps slightly on the ones before or after it.

So when the fifth seal on the book was opened, it gave John a glimpse of the time of great trouble (also called the Great Tribulation). He saw martyrs crying out to God and asking how much longer they would have to wait for Christ to return and save them. They were told that they would have to wait a little longer until other believers had been tested in the same way.

The sixth seal gave John a further glimpse of what would happen during the Tribulation. There was a great earthquake; the stars of heaven fell to earth; the sun was blackened; and the moon turned red.

Then there was the seventh seal. It appears that the entire seventh chapter represents the seventh seal, although the seal itself is not mentioned until the first verse of the eighth chapter. John said that there was silence in heaven for about half an hour after the last seal had been opened. It is as though all of heaven was left speechless at the conclusion of this powerfully moving "book" or movie.

What happened in the seventh chapter (when the last seal was opened) was that 144,000 "servants of God" were "sealed in their foreheads" in preparation for the coming troubles. Apparently these 144,000 people will grow in numbers during the Great Tribulation, because then John says he saw "a great multitude which no one could number" (Revelation 7:9), and he was told, "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14)

In chapter seven ("The Missing Week") we talked about this visible restoration of God's people for the last seven years of earth's history. Although these 144,000 people represent God's chosen people, it is a mistake to confuse them with the Jews of today. There were originally twelve tribes of Israel, and the tribe of Judah was only one of them. The Jews get their name from one of two tribes that they represent (Judah and Benjamin). The other tribes no longer exist.

A more complete description of the 144,000 appears in Revelation 14:4-5, where we see that these people are not distinguished by their ancestry so much as by their faith: "These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile; for they are without fault before the throne of God."

 

There are two key phrases here. One is that these people are guileless. In other words, they are deeply sincere. They want to know the truth at any cost to themselves, and they are prepared to change their lives to conform with the truth.

The other phrase is that they "follow the Lamb wherever he goes". So they are genuine followers of Jesus – not just "professing Christians" who think they are doing well if they go to church on Sunday. Instead, they are honest to goodness obedient Christians.

There is a third phrase describing these people, which we will not go into now. They are described as "virgins", or "unmarried daughters". This feminine term is combined with masculine terms in such a way as to imply that gender is not an important issue in determining membership in this army. There is room for debate over whether the virginity spoken of here is a literal sexual thing or just a form of spiritual commitment.

Reference to the tribes of Israel (just before the book focuses on the Great Tribulation) points us back to Daniel's prophecy and the last seven years for God's people. The Jews were only one of twelve tribes at the time of Christ, but they were still officially "God's people"... until they rejected his Messiah.

This final revelation of God's people will be those who have not rejected his Messiah (or Lamb). These people will be visibly united for seven last years.

Appendix, Chapter 12

Revelation 6:9-17. When he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. They cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, Oh Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" White robes were given unto every one of them, and it was said that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brothers that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

When he had opened the sixth seal, there was a great earthquake. The sun became black as sackcloth of hair. The moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell to the earth… and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man hid themselves in the dens 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 that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?"

Revelation 7:2-4. I saw another angel ascending from the East, having the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants