Revelation 1:13-18 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength. 17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: 18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Revelation 4:1-2 1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. Ezekiel 8:1-3 8 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me. 2 Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the color of amber. 3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy. Daniel 10:5-9 and 16 5 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 6 His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. 7 And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. 9 Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. 10 And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. 16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. Daniel 7:9-10 and 13-14 9. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
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A. Chapter 4. "After these things I saw" John is called up to heaven in the Throne Room of God: 24 Elders on thrones with crowns perhaps recalling 12 tribes and 12 apostles as mentioned in Revelation 21 of the New Jerusalem. David's 24 priestly divisions (1 Chronicles 24) may also be in sight here. 7 Spirits of God and a sea of glass. 4 Living Creatures recalling the cherubim Ezekiel 1 and 10, with 6 wings recalling the seraphim in Isaiah 6:1-8. These 4 Living Creatures mirror the 4 Beast Kingdoms in Daniel chapter 7, but they are God's Kingdoms, not earthly kingdoms of fallen men. The Kingdom of Heaven is recalled here in these 4, denoting 4 different eras or stages, with a seraphim prince (like Michael the archangel over Israel in Daniel 10) over each church kingdom era. B. Chapter 5. "And I saw" A sealed scroll held in the right hand of God. Then the Lamb who is worthy appears to open the seals. All heaven praising God. B. Chapter 6. "And I saw" Christ the Lamb opens the seals. They are in a 4 and 3 pattern, just like the churches (4 churches in chapter 2, 3 churches in chapter 3). This 4 and 3 pattern resurfaces throughout Revelation. 1-4 seals: The four horseman here are reminiscent of the four horsemen in Zechariah 6 (notice the pattern), who are compared also to the 4 winds of heaven again. Each Living Creature is assigned to a seal and says "Come and see". These horsemen, then, each come at a different time allotted to them in history. They are not in the seventh seal, they are different seals that are opened at different times in history. 5th seal: The martyrs in Heaven ask how long before justice is served. By the time this seal is opened, martyrdom will come back in full force against God's people, the church. 6th seal: This is a preview of what is to come in the seventh seal; the world recognizes the Lamb of God is come, and brings God's wrath against them. The sky departs like a scroll rolled up: the scroll is what we are trying to open here by opening the seven seals, and it is being rolled up, the judgment day has come and is at completion. A. Chapter 7. "And after these thing I saw" 4 angels holding the 4 winds back (denoting all cardinal directions: N,S, E, W and God's power to move, a heavenly force or chariot, see Zechariah 6). I saw a strong angel (likely Christ) with God's seal with loud voice saying hold the winds until we seal the tribes. See Ezekiel 9 and Exodus 12. Then the great multitude from all over the earth from the Great Tribulation appears, with robes washed in blood of the Lamb. As: Throne room with 24 elders (12 Israelite tribes and 12 Jewish apostles) and 4 Living Creatures (church eras) ~to~ 12 Israelite tribes sealed (144,000 total) and a great multitude from the tribulation out of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues (the church). Bs: The sealed scroll ~to~ the seals of the scroll being opened. The scroll contains the written judgment of God on the whole earth in the last days, when the seventh seal is opened. Gem Stones, According to Rows and Firstborn
Exodus 28:16, the high priest's breastplate stones Revelation 9:17 Jacinth. Oh, there you are Dan, you went missing from the list of tribes in chapter 7. What on earth are you doing here? (See also Genesis 49:16-18 and Deuteronomy 33:22 for further symbolism) Revelation 21:19: Tribal stones in the foundation of the New Jerusalem; however, they symbolize apostles, the foundations of the church instead of the tribes of Israel; perhaps the stones symbolize some kind of prescribed division that will exist in the New Heaven and Earth among all God's people. The Israelite tribes are symbolized by pearls, by one precious stone, symbolizing the unity of the tribes, and perhaps moving past the prescribed divisions that once defined them in the Old Testament. Numbers 2:3-34: Order of tribes, in groups of three, in all four cardinal directions. Daniel 10:6 and Song of Solomon 5:14 and Ezekiel 1:16 (the wheels of the cherubim who hold up the throne of God): Beryl. And who is it that comes from the tribe of Judah? ;) Beginning with Reuben, the first born, going clockwise. South: First Row. First Born. First two of Leah, and firstborn of her handmaid who was fifth overall. First Children. Reuben the firstborn, Simeon, Gad Sardius, Topaz, Carbuncle West: Second Row. All Rachel's blood grandsons and son. Last Children Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin Emerald, Sapphire, Diamond Middle: No Row. Third of Leah Levi North: Third Row. Rachel's handmaid's firstborn. 2nd from Leah's handmaid, 2nd from Rachel's handmaid. First Middle Children. Dan, Asher, Naphtali Ligure (unknown) or Jacinth, Agate, Amethyst East: Fourth Row. 4th from Leah, then she stopped bearing for a time. 5th and 6th sons after Leah started to bear again. Last Middle Children Judah, Issachar, Zebulun Beryl, Onyx, Jasper 1) Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn, Leah's first child. 2) Simeon was the second son of Leah. 3) Levi was the third son of Leah. 4) Judah was the fourth son of Leah. After bearing Judah, Leah stopped bearing children for a time. 5) Dan was Bilhah's first child, Rachel’s handmaid. 6) Naphtali was Bilhah's second child. 7) Gad was the fist child of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid. 8) Asher was the second son of Zilpah. 9) Issachar was 5th biological son granted to Leah. 10) Zebulun was the 6th biological son given to Leah. 11) Joseph was Jacob’s twelfth child and Rachel’s first, God allowed her to conceive. Manasseh and Ephraim are Jacob's; a double portion. 12) Benjamin was Jacob’s last child, the second of Rachel, who died during labor. Note: Gad, Reuben and half tribe Manasseh settle on the east side of Jordan. |
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