7. Numbers and Angels (Overview, pt. 2)

A Numerical Study of Angels

(mentioned 72 times in Greek)

Truly a breath-taking view of the bay from in front of the cave at Patmos

Seven Individual Angels

1. JESUS’ ANGEL

Revelation 1:1 - The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John. 22:16 - "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."

2. A STRONG (MIGHTY) ANGEL

Revelation 5:2 - Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?"

3. AN ANGEL ASCENDING FROM THE EAST

Revelation 7:2 - Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea,

4. AN ANGEL WITH THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS

Revelation 8:3 - Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 - And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. 5 - Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.

5. THE DEMONIC ANGEL

Revelation 9:11 - And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon (Destruction), but in Greek he has the name Apollyon (Destroyer). (Note Rev. 9:1b - And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.)

6. AN ANGEL STANDING IN THE SUN

Revelation 19:17 - Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,

7. THE ANGEL OF THE LORD GOD

Revelation 22:6 - Then he said to me, "These words are faithful and true." And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.

A TRIO OF THREE ANGELS RELATED TO HEAVEN

THREE ANGELS FLYING IN THE MIDST OF HEAVEN

1.      Revelation 8:13 - And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!" Revelation 14:6 - Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--

2.      Revelation 14:8 - And another angel followed, saying, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

3.      Revelation 14:9 - Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,

THREE ANGELS COMING DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN

1.      Revelation 10:1 - I saw still another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, 3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven…8 - Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, "Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth." 9 - So I went to the angel and said to him, "Give me the little book." And he said to me, "Take and eat it; and it will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth." 10 - Then I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. But when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter.

2.      Revelation 18:1 - After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 2 - And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.  21 - Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore.

3.      Revelation 20:1 - Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 - He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 - and he cast him into the bottomless pit...

THREE ANGELS OUT OF THE HEAVENLY TEMPLE (FROM THE ALTAR)

1.      Revelation 14:15 - And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."

2.      Revelation 14:17 - Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 19 - So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.  

3.      Revelation 14:18 - And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe."

TWO SETS OF FOUR ANGELS RELATED TO EARTH

FOUR ANGELS AT FOUR CORNERS

Revelation 7:1 - After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 - Then 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 granted to harm the earth and the sea,

FOUR ANGELS BOUND AT EUPHRATES

Revelation 9:14 - saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 - So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.

A TRIO OF SEVEN ANGELS RELATED TO JUDGMENT

SEVEN ANGELS OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES IN ASIA

1.      Revelation 2:1 - To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:

2.      Revelation 2:8 - And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,'These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life:

3.      Revelation 2:12 - And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,'These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:

4.      Revelation 2:18 - And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,'These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:

5.      Revelation 3:1 - And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

6.      Revelation 3:7 - And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":

7.      Revelation 3:14 - And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

SEVEN ANGELS WITH TRUMPETS

Revelation 8:2 - And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.

Revelation 8:6 - So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Revelation 8:7 - The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

Revelation 8:8 - Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.

Revelation 8:10 - Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.

Revelation 8:12 - Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.

Revelation 9:1 - Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.

Revelation 9:13 - Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

Revelation 9:14 - saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates."

Revelation 10:7 - but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

Revelation 11:15 - Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"

SEVEN ANGELS WITH SEVEN PLAGUES

Revelation 15:6 - And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. 7 - Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. 8 - The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Revelation 16:1 - Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls* of the wrath of God on the earth." 2 - So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

Revelation 16:3 - Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.

Revelation 16:4 - Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 - And I heard the angel of the waters saying: "You are righteous, O Lord, The One who is and who was and who is to be, Because You have judged these things.

Revelation 16:8 - Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.

Revelation 16:10 - Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain.

Revelation 16:12 - Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared.

Revelation 16:17 - Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!"

SEVEN GROUPINGS OF NUMEROUS ANGELS

THE FATHER’S ANGELS

Revelation 3:5 – He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

MANY ANGELS AROUND THE THRONE

Revelation 5:11 - Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,

ALL THE ANGELS AROUND THE THRONE

Revelation 7:11 - All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

FIGHTING ANGELS (WITH MICHAEL)

Revelation 12:7 - And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,

HOLY ANGELS

Revelation 14:9-10 - Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

DEMONIC ANGELS

Revelation 12:9 - So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

TWELVE ANGELS AT THE GATES

Revelation 21:12 - Also she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

8. Numbers and Voices (Overview, pt. 3)

A Numerical Study Of Voices

From The Revelation of Jesus Christ

THREE VOICES FROM THE TEMPLE/THRONE

One of the paintings of John located at the monastery of John on Patmos

Revelation 16:1 - Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out the bowls* of the wrath of God on the earth."

Revelation 16:17 - And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 

Revelation 19:5 - And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.  

SEVEN VOICES FROM HEAVEN

1.      Revelation 10:4 - And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. Revelation 10:8 - Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, "Go, take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the earth."

2.      Revelation 11:12 - And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

3.      Revelation 12:10 - And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 

4.      Revelation 14:2 - And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: 

5.      Revelation 14:13 - And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. 

6.      Revelation 18:4 - And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 

7.      Revelation 21:3 - And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  

TWENTY ONE GREAT (Greek: MEGA) VOICES

1.      Revelation 1:10 - I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet

2.      Revelation 5:2 - And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 

3.      Revelation 5:12 - Saying with a LOUD VOICE, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 

4.      Revelation 6:10 - And they cried with a LOUD VOICE, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 

5.      Revelation 7:2 - And 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, 

6.      Revelation 7:10 - And cried with a LOUD VOICE, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 

7.      Revelation 8:13 - And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! 

8.      Revelation 10:3 - And cried with a LOUD VOICE, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. 

9.      Revelation 11:12 - And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 

10.       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. 

11.  Revelation 12:10 - And I heard a LOUD VOICE saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 

12.  Revelation 14:7 - Saying with a LOUD VOICE, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 

13.  Revelation 14:9 - And the third angel followed them, saying with a LOUD VOICE, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 

14.  Revelation 14:15 - And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a LOUD VOICE to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 

15.  Revelation 14:18 - And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 

16.  Revelation 16:1 - And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 

17.  Revelation 16:17 - And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 

18.       Revelation 18:2 - And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 

19.  Revelation 19:1 - And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: 

20.  Revelation 19:17 - And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a LOUD VOICE, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 

21.       Revelation 21:3 - And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Revelation: Is Jesus Coming Quickly?

Is The Time of Revelation “At Hand”?

Why is it that several times in the Revelation does it appear that the events will take place “shortly” (1:1), that Jesus will be coming back “quickly” (Rev. 22:7, 12, 20) and that the time was “at hand” (1:3).

We know that the Bible is without error or mistake. Otherwise, if we say the Bible or the author was in error, then there would be nothing that we could be sure of at all. We rightly know that the Bible is not dishonest and does not “shade” the truth. But if there is more than one way to read and interpret a passage and at the same time retain its veracity and accuracy, and also still retain the holiness and inerrancy of the Scriptures, and keep its consistency with other parallel passages, then that will be the proper and appropriate interpretation of the passage. That especially applies with the words in relation to the timing of Christ’s return and the fulfillment of the Book of Revelation.

It is a matter of God’s perspective and purpose versus our own perspective and purpose that God used words that may imply “immediacy” of Christ’s return to ensure readiness of the believers, but those same words can also mean “imminence” or “suddenness” so as to retain the accuracy of the prophecy.

In relation to perspective and purpose, a helpful but admittedly incomplete analogy can be in thinking of how parents and children will view a long car trip. A child will ask, sometimes as soon as he or she begins a trip, “are we there yet?” or “how much longer will it be?”

When Melissa and I would make that trip from our home in Brownsville to Grandma and Granddad’s house in Weatherford, the journey of 10 or 12 hours would sometimes seem overwhelming to our children. In fact, the younger the child, the shorter the attention span (we measured it to be somewhere between a millisecond and a nanosecond). The more mature the child (or in some cases, the parent), the less tedious the wait. So, what was our response to the proverbial question “how much longer? It was of course the proverbial euphemistic answer, “Just a little bit longer.”

Now the purpose is NOT to lie or be dishonest with our kids, but to give them encouragement; we really did not want to frustrate the little ones. The purpose is to let the child know that in the long-run, and in the grand scheme of things, it will in fact only be “a little bit longer.” The purpose is to keep the child from the agony of anticipating something that really won’t be as long as what he or she would imagine once the end of the journey has come. And, by saying “just a little bit longer” actually served the purpose of making the trip seem only “a little bit longer.” The anticipation of a soon arrival helped make the journey enjoyable (especially for the parents!)

The perspective also is that for an adult, who has made many trips before, 10 or 12 hours is in fact actually only “a little bit,” when considering how wonderful the destination will be and in perspective that the length of time the adult has experienced. A day’s journey for a person of 40 years is 1 out of 14,610 days. But from the perspective of a 4 year-old child, a day’s journey is 1 out of 1,461 days, and when you discount the number of days that the child can’t remember from infancy, the perspective of a day is even greater than that of his 40 year-old father. That’s why years go by so quickly as we grow older, and Christmas always seems to never get here for a child. It’s a difference in perspective.

It’s more important to God and His revelation to humanity that we know the certainty of His return than the time of His return. The purpose and perspective of believers is of greater worth to God that we be ready whenever it is that He returns than for us to know the exact hour of His return.

In fact, if the early believers had known that it would have been 2,000 years in the future before some of the things would be fulfilled, their urgency would not have been nearly as great and their despair in the tribulation they experienced might have overwhelmed them. And as we will see, some of the things prophesied in Revelation and certainly in the New Testament passages did actually occur in their lifetimes and throughout the history of the church. That is what Jesus was referring to when He commanded John to write “what you have seen” and “the things which are.”

Jesus is Coming Shortly, Quickly

The Time of Revelation Is Shortly

So let us look at words such as “shortly,” “quickly,” “time is at hand,” KJV (or in the NKJV “the time is near”)

“shortly” “quickly” “speedily”

“Shortly” Greek: tachei tacei 

an adverb translated shortly (4), quickly (2), speedily (1)

Related English words: tachyon-A hypothetical subatomic particle that always travels faster than the speed of light.

Revelation 1: - The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

Re 22:6    And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. 

Are there passages that it means something other than “right away”? The answer is, Yes!

Luke 18:8    I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? Here Jesus used the analogy of endurance of prayer and how the woman actually wore down the unrighteous judge by her long-suffering and patience. But when justice came, it came speedily.

Romans 16:20    And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.

Paul is clearly referring to Satan being defeated, but it did not come right away. Rome persecuted the Christians for hundreds of years after this writing.

“quickly” Greek: tachu tacu  

an adverb translated quickly (12), lightly (1)

Revelation 3:11 - Behold, I am coming quickly! This is Before the Tribulation.

Revelation 22:7 - "Behold, I am coming quickly! This is also Before the Tribulation.

Can quickly be conditional? In other words, can God say He is coming quickly and because of action by people, choose not to come? Yes, that is seen in the book of Revelation

Revelation 2:5 - Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless you repent.

Revelation 2:16 - Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

Other related words can also mean “fast” or “swift,” rather than “soon.”

2 Peter 2:1 - But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 

“time is at hand” (kjv) “the time is near” (NKJV)

kairos (time) engus (is near) Greek: kairos eggus

an adverb translated: nigh (13), at hand (6), nigh at hand (4), near (4), from (1), nigh unto (1), ready (1)

Revelation 1:3 -  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 22:10 - And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 

Jesus used this phrase regarding His crucifixion, saying “My time is at hand” (Matt. 26:18). When combined with time or kairos, it can simply mean “at any moment.” Obviously, by the time of John’s writing the Revelation, salvation was nearer than the writings of Paul, who wrote in Rom. 13:11, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

Jonah. So is it possible that something could be “near” and going to happen “quickly” and yet doesn’t happen? We have seen this in the Old Testament. In the story of Jonah, Jonah preached the message that God told him to preach. What was that message? “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). Yet because they repented, God did not overthrow them at that time. Did that make Jonah a false prophet? No, it showed that God responds to the response of people and their repentance.

Moses. Not only will God respond to people, He will respond in prayer. In Exodus 34, God was going to bring judgment on the people of Israel, but because of the intervention of Moses, God “turned around” or “repented” in what He was going to do.

Luke 13:6-9. God’s judgment which would have come quickly can be delayed by the favorable response of people. This is seen in Jesus’ parable of the fruitless fig tree found in Luke 13:6-9

He also spoke this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?' But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.' "

Thief. Besides “quickly” “at hand”, are there other Scriptures that would lead us to interpret that we should define Christ return as “imminent” rather than “immediate”? Yes, the passages which say that Jesus will come as a “thief.” Matthew 24:43-51 indicates that the long delay requires the people to be diligent to be ready in any hour. The parable is found in the context of when the end of the age will be.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The analogy of a thief is surprising since it compares the arrival of Christ to that of a criminal. Yet the subject of the parable is not Christ, but rather the enduring readiness of the believers. And it is used elsewhere in Luke 12:39, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelation 3:3, 16:15. Like the battery, we should be ever ready.

Revelation and the Olivet Discourse

The Olivet Discourse

While we are on the subject of timing, we will briefly look at the Olivet Discourse, given on the Mount of Olives two days before Jesus died, found in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. (We will revisit these passages when we approach Revelation 4 and following chapters.) It seems like that some of the answers Jesus gave indicated that the disciples would see some of the fulfillment of his prophecy in their own lifetime. And they did!

In order to understand the answers Jesus gave, we must pay attention the questions. For instance, notice:

   In Matthew, His disciples ask Him three questions that they thought were related but we now know are different:

1) “Tell us when will these things be?”

3) And what will be the sign of Your coming,

4) and of the end of the age?"

   In Mark, we see the disciples (Peter, James, John and Andrew) privately asking Jesus the same first question, but a different second question:

1)  “Tell us when will these things be?

2)  And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

   In Luke, the disciples’ questions are identical to Mark’s, but different than Matthew’s second and third questions:

1) “Teacher, but when will these things be?

2) And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?”

Question #1 of “when will these things be?” needs to be clarified. “These things” refer to Matthew 24:2, Luke 21:6 and Mark 13:2. What are “these things”?

Matthew 24:2 “Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone (of the buildings of the temple) shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Mark 13:2 “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Luke 21 - ⁵ Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, ⁶ "These things which you see--the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”

I was able to take this picture in 2004. I cannot wait to
return this summer, ten years later!

History and archeology show us the temple of Jerusalem with its beautiful stones was destroyed in 70 A.D., just as Jesus prophesied nearly 40 years earlier (The stones cast down can still be seen at the foot of the Temple mount in Jerusalem, see photo at the right). Therefore, the first question in Matthew and the two questions in Mark and Luke are different than the final two questions in Matthew. All four questions require four distinct answers. The first two questions are most clearly answered in Luke and the final two are most thoroughly answered in Matthew.

Remember, all three gospels were written prior to 70 A.D., before any of answers were fulfilled. As indicated in their questions, the disciples understandably thought that all four questions were related and would be fulfilled at the same time. If Jesus’ answer seems to combine the four questions, it’s not an error in the Bible, which is 100 percent accurate, and the Bible’s answer proves that it is accurate although not as exact as we would wish it to be.

Reading it now nearly 2,000 years later, it is not as defined as we wish it would be. Even Jesus, veiled and fashioned with the limitations as the Son of Man (see Philippians 2:6-8), He relinquished for a time some of the attributes of omniscience of being the Son of God. At the time of His speaking He did not know all of the details, although His Heavenly Father did, as Mark 13:32 states, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Furthermore, in Acts 1:7-8, Jesus basically tells them that it is not any of their business to know when the time will be, only that their business is to be busy about the Father’s business.

“It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Since the two questions in Mark and Luke surrounds the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D., the fulfillment of some of the prophecies occurred in the lifetime of some of the apostles, including John, the author of the Revelation. The answers to questions three and four (found in Matthew) have not yet been fulfilled. Notice that Jesus says that various signs will take place, but “the end is not yet.” What end? The “end of the age” that the disciples (Question 4) had asked about. Some signs were fulfilled before John’s death, and there will be some signs at His coming for the church (the rapture) and some at the end of the age (His Second Coming to the earth, seen in Revelation 4-22).

What are some signs that have already been fulfilled?

Luke 21: ⁸And He said: "Take heed that you not be deceived. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The time has drawn near.' Therefore do not go after them. ⁹But when you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first, but the end will not come immediately." ¹⁰Then He said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. ¹² But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake. ¹³But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. ¹⁴Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; ¹⁵for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. ¹⁶You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. ¹⁸But not a hair of your head shall be lost. ¹⁹By your patience possess your souls. ²⁰"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. ²¹Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. ²²For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. ²³But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. ²⁴And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. 

Now, we know that everything shown above has already happened (people have come in the name of Jesus, there have been wars and commotions, nations have risen against nations, they have laid hands on believers, put to death, etc.) The times of the Gentiles has not been fulfilled.  

Will some of the things happen again? Absolutely and with even greater intensity in the Tribulation! The “times of the Gentiles” trampling on Jerusalem began in 70 A.D. and will be fulfilled according to Rev. 11:2 during the three and a half year Great Tribulation. The fulfillment came with “some of you” being put to death, namely James and Peter, and numerous other disciples, but definitely not John.

Neither John, nor Paul, nor Peter, nor even Jesus at the writing of the Gospel of Mark knew exactly when the end of the age would be. But they knew what the command was: “Be Watchful” (Rev. 3:2).

Biblical clarity needed for the church

Christians are often more swayed by the world and do not seek out Biblical reasons for right and wrong. Here are 10 Biblical reasons why Christians should oppose homosexual marriage:

 1. God the Father created man and woman and declared it was very good—Gen. 1:27, 31. God declares marriage as a divine union, not merely a civil union.

 2. God the Son, Jesus, defined marriage as between a man and a woman—Matt. 19:4-5

 3. God the Spirit makes a man and a woman one flesh, according to Malachi 2:15, to procreate godly offspring. Gen. 2:23-24 says a mother and father are to procreate a female and another mother and father procreate a male and together they are to become one flesh.

 4. Religion, by its very nature, dictates morality for its adherents. The Bible, especially the New Testament, determines what is right and wrong for Christians.

 5. The world and societal norms are never to determine what is right and wrong for Christians.

 6. The Bible (1 Cor. 5:9-13) says the church is not to accept fornicators, including any sex outside of a married man and woman which includes homosexuality, any more than we would accept those who worship idols, covetous people, abusers, drunkards, or extortioners.

 7. Homosexuality is never affirmed in the Bible.

 8. Homosexuality is repeatedly condemned in Old and New Testament.

 9. All are born sinners. There is no justification for sin due to inclination, including premarital sex, extramarital sex, polygamy sex, incestual sex, animalistic sex, non-consentual sex (rape) and gay/lesbian sex. However, there is no homosexual DNA gene. Numerous people have switched to and from homosexuality as well as desired both due to sin nature, not genetic morality.

 10. The New Testament says marriage is to reflect a husband as Christ, the wife as the church.