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Revelation 10 and 11. An Angel Announces the End of Time. Introduction. Scene change between the 6 th trumpet and the 7 th trumpet Question – What happens to prepare the way for the second coming? What does God do to prepare his church? Matt 25 Parable of 10 virgins. Angel of Rev. 10.
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Revelation 10 and 11 An Angel Announces the End of Time
Introduction • Scene change between the 6th trumpet and the 7th trumpet • Question – What happens to prepare the way for the second coming? • What does God do to prepare his church? • Matt 25 Parable of 10 virgins
Angel of Rev. 10 • He has his feet on “land” and “sea” with a “little scroll”“open” • Compare Daniel 12:5-9 • Same angel
Angel of Rev. 10 • Daniel’s angel closed the scroll until the timeof the end • John’s angel has an open scroll–time will not be delayed –time of end is here
Who is this Angel? • Daniel = Michael (Jesus) • Revelation = Rainbow (Rev. 4), face like sun, legs like fire, loud voice (Rev. 1) = Jesus
What is this Scroll? • The scroll that was sealed in Daniel is now open • It is the book of Daniel! • Daniel’s prophecies would now be understood
When would the end be? • Daniel 12:6-13 • Until the end of the time, times, half a time (1260 days) v. 7 • 538 AD – 1798 AD • Daniel’s prophecies would be opened about 1800!
Were Daniel’s prophecies understood before 1800? • 200 AD – Julius Africanus believed that the 70 weeks of Daniel 9 were 490 years were from the “time of Artaxerxes up to the time of Christ” • 1200 AD – Joachim of Flora – devout Catholic monk believed the 1260 days of Dan. 7 ran from the time of Christ up until the time of the Holy Spirit – which he believed would come shortly
Were Daniel’s prophecies understood before 1800? • Martin Luther suggested that the 1260 days began between 602-610 – during the reign of Eastern Emperor Phocas, who called the pope the “head of all the Holy Churches”.
Were Daniel’s prophecies understood before 1800? • Others offered dates of the end from 1655-1866 for the 1260 days. • However, when the pope was exiled in 1798 during the French Revolution many commentators began to see that it had just ended – Bell, King, Cunningham, Maitland, Keith, Bickersteth, Irving, Croly, Habershon, Wolf among many others
Renewed Interest in Prophecy • As soon as the pope was exiled, Protestant scholars began to study prophecy again • Many came to see that the next great fulfillment of prophecy was the prophecy of Daniel 8 – the 2300 days – and they came to believe that would happen in 1843-1848 AD
Sweet but Bitter! • 10:8-9 John takes the scroll and eats it • Tastes sweet but a terrible stomach ache • Ezek. 2:10-3:4 -11 Ezekiel eats a scroll that is sweet but its message turns bitter • Message is sweet the results are disappointing! • 10:11 Prophesy again to all people, worldwide • Little scroll contents, a prophetic revelation to be given to all people
No More Time! • Rev. 10:5-11 - The angel swore by God, that there should be no more time (Gr. “chronos”)! • The mystery of God was to be fulfilled! The prophecies of Daniel are ending. • Then He commanded John to eat the scroll – it was sweet and then it became bitter!
What Happened After 1800? • William Miller, oldest of 16 and father of eight was converted to Christianity in 1816 • He studied the Bible for 15 years – comparing every text - until 1831
William Miller • As early as 1818 – he believed that Christ would cleanse the sanctuary of Daniel 8:13,14 as early as 1843 – but didn’t want to preach! • 1831 – his nephew asked him to preach at their local church
William Miller • In time, as more and more people converted, they came to believe that Christ would come back on October 22, 1844 • The Millerite movement (1831-1844) attracted about 135,000 people in America and in Europe
Great Disappointment • Many described this movement as the “sweetest” time of their spiritual lives • However, October 22, 1844 came and went without the second coming of Christ
Bitterness of Disappointment • After this movement there was much bitterness and many left the movement in discouragement • Many continued to study – Hiram Edson – and began to prophesy again
“Measure the Temple” • Their mistake was that they thought the sanctuary was the Earth, not the one in Heaven • They needed to re-examine the temple in Heaven
Results of the Millerite Movement • Out of this movement came a few churches • The biggest one grew from a mere 10,000 believers after the Great Disappointment to over 17 million members in over 220 countries of the world (Seventh-day Adventist Church – 1863)
Other Adventist Denominations • Church of God-Saints of Christ, 40,000 members • Church of God 7th Day, 11,000 members • Evangelical Adventists – non-existent • Life and Advent Union – merged with: • Advent Christian Church – 25,000 members • Seventh-day Adventist church – 18 million members
Seventh-day Adventist • What is the difference? • Message began to include: • Salvation • Bible and Sabbath • 2nd coming • Sanctuary • 3 angel’s messages • Spirit of Prophecy
Fulfillment of Rev. 10? • Angel on “land and sea”– America and Europe • “Eat the scroll”– study and understand Daniel • “Sweet in the mouth”– initial joy of looking forward to the second coming • “Bitter in the stomach”– the disappointment of Jesus not coming • “Prophesy to many nations, tongues, and peoples”– Adventist movement prophesying in all the world
Chapter 11 Two Witnesses • Rev. 11:1 Measure the temple, altar, people • Temple = Most Holy Place • Most holy place – Atoning blood, law of God • Altar of incense - intercession • People of God – made holy • Rev. 11:19 Temple and ark of the covenant
Day of Atonement • Day of Atonement • Atonement for sanctuary, altar of incense, congregation • Blood of the sacrifice sprinkled on 10 commandments • Restoration of heavenly sanctuary message • Preparation of God’s people for 2nd coming
Measure What Temple? • The one in Jerusalem is destroyed • Heavenly sanctuary was clue for early Adventists to understand 1844
Outer Court Trampled 42 Months • Same time period as Daniel 7 – 1260 days (42 months x 30 days) • 1260 years (Num. 14:34, Ez. 4:6) • Time period when people were in outer court – called themselves Christians, but didn’t understand sanctuary
Two Witnesses • These witnesses were to testify in sackcloth for the same time period – 1260 days (v. 3) • Holy Scriptures – Old and New Testament
Two witnesses • Two olive trees and lampstands (v. 4) – Zechariah 4:2,3 • Fire comes out of their mouth and consumes their enemies (v. 5)
Power to shut Heaven… • Shutting Heaven: reference to the story of Elijah (I Kings 17:1) • Water…blood: reference to Moses and the first plague in Egypt (Ex. 7:19)
When they have “finished” • Verses 7-9 seems to indicate that once the two witnesses finish then the beast will arise from the “abyss” and “make war” with these two witnesses • They would “conquer and kill them” and leave their bodies in the “great city” which is called “Sodom and Egypt”
When They Have Finished • For “three and a half days”“those who dwell on the earth” would “rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents” • After the 3 ½ days – the two witnesses would return to life and go up to Heaven – a great earthquake – a tenth of the city would fall – 7,000 people would be killed – the rest were terrified and gave glory to God
What Happened Around 1798? • French Revolution • An atheistic revolution occurred where the government and religion of France was overthrown
Factors Leading to French Revolution • France was oldest Catholic country • Rejected Reformation • Persecuted Huguenots (8 wars) • Enlightenment -Jean Jacques Rousseau -Francois Voltaire
French Revolution • Rousseau: All people ought to be free, but it is allowable for the minority that thinks they know what is best for the majority, to impose their will on the majority (Marx, Lenin) • Voltaire: wrote after Lisbon earthquake in 1755 that God doesn’t care, that we need to take care of ourselves
French Revolution • When Revolution began they were so anti-Christian that they threw out the old calendar (with 200 holy days) a made a new one with a 10-day week and new months • They made a new religion with the Goddess of Nature statue in Paris • Priests were forbidden to work – and many of them were killed – (5000)
French Revolution • France went to war – for 23 years! • Huge volunteer army – 510,000 marched on Moscow
French Revolution • During the French Revolution nobody knows how many people died • Guillotine “was red” • Paris – out of 700,000, 100,000 were either arrested or killed
Three and a Half Days • November 26, 1793 – decree was issued in Paris abolishing religion • June 17, 1797 – decree removing restrictions on religion • Almost 3 ½ years exactly Christianity was illegal
Great City, Sodom and Egypt • Great city where “Jesus was crucified”, Sodom and Egypt = symbols of France’s worldliness, rejection of God and hatred of Christianity
After Three and a Half Days • The Two Witnesses would come to life and be taken up to Heaven as Jesus was - in full sight of the earth • People would be terrified and gave glory to God
Great Earthquake • This was a time of revolution – France, America, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Greece • Historian – described it as an earthquake!
Tenth of the City…7 Thousand • The effects on France were terrible… and they suffered more than any nation
How did the Witnesses “come to Life” • The early 1800’s: a huge revival of missionary activity • Bible societies
The Seventh Trumpet • V. 14 – this is the last woe on the world • V. 15-18 – this is the time of the judgment
The Seventh Trumpet • This is the final judgment • Reward for the saints • Destruction for the wicked
God’s Patience • For over two thousand years God warned His church and the inhabitants of the Earth and finally it is time for judgment