(NOTE: The universally accepted King James translation of
the New Testament can be used as a guideline. Hereafter, the
correct translation of John’s original writings is interspersed
throughout the King James translation in
bold italics.)
6:1 And when the Lamb opened one of the seals, I saw and heard, as it were
the noise of thunder, and one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
As mentioned
in the commentary of Revelation 4:5, the "noise of thunder" is the
instruction and power coming from God. The angels ("four beasts"
or cherubim) speak and do the will of the Father in all things.
Therefore, their voices are also described as “the noise of thunder.”
For the
first four thousand years, while abiding by the laws of nature which
govern the earth, the angels of God allow the human race to do whatever it
is inclined to do according to the desires of the people. It is important
to note again that the seals represent general time frames of human
progression and do not specifically occur in 1000 year intervals.
However, the advanced Beings who control the course of this solar system
know, by their experience, that it usually takes about 1000 years of
mortal life for the transitions from one stage to another to take place.
When
discussing the events that occur during the opening of the sixth seal,
for example, it is better to relate the time frame as near the
end of time in which we have no contact with extraterrestrial Beings,
If we knew of them, we would gain a greater understanding of who, why, and what we
are doing on this planet; thus taking away our freewill to govern
ourselves according to our own knowledge.
During
the opening of the first four seals, the angels ("the beasts") direct
John to, “Come and see what the people of the world do to
themselves.” What John sees is a “horse” and a “rider,”
which figuratively represent the actions and interactions of humankind in
its environs upon the earth. Each horse is different in color, and each
rider appears unique in his actions, figuratively representing what human
nature has led people to do according to their free will.
Horses
are wild until tamed and forced into submission by the commands of the
rider. The free will of the horse (the natural world) is directed and
controlled by the free will of the rider (humankind).
When the
fifth and sixth seals are opened, John receives no invitation to “come
and see,” and there are no horses with riders mentioned. During the time of the fifth and sixth seals, the angels ("the
beasts"), who during the first four seals were speaking
to John figuratively in heaven, and not upon the earth, are now very much
involved in the state of the world, and at times, control nature and its
course beyond the free will of humankind.
Throughout the latter times, the angels must be available to curtail the
technological and scientific understanding of the elements of the natural
world, such as electricity and electronics, chemical, biological and
nuclear energy that humans begin to come up with on their own. If they
do not maintain some control, the people would destroy themselves and the
earth. The angels ("beasts") are not present in heaven in the vision John
has of the opening of the fifth and sixth seals,
because they are needed upon the earth doing their work and directing the
course of humankind for its sake and protection.
Human
nature is what it is, and what it has always been when free-willed beings
are allowed to exist. There has never been a time when there have not
been humans in some part of the Universe. The makeup of the human body
consists of billions of independent molecular entities all seeking a level
of balance. This balance causes different atoms to bond together to form
molecules, cells, organs, bone and tissue. The final end of all molecular
and quantum creation and interaction is to arrive at the balance they seek
naturally; which balance always conforms to eternal natural laws which
have always existed. Humans recognize and identify this balance as happiness.
To arrive
at this optimum state, a set plan has been outlined, an evolution
followed, and a progression set in motion that has never changed, nor ever
will. This is the eternal plan of salvation attributed to God, the
Creator of all things, whose mysterious persona is revealed with the
knowledge that there have always been Gods to oversee the eternal plan of
life.
Because
of Their eternal experience, the Gods know exactly how free-willed beings
act in certain situations and under certain conditions. In modern science
labs, truths are established by experimentation which includes the
observation of how certain substances act and react in different
environmental situations. Once the conditions have been re-created, and
the outcome observed long enough, and the conditions produce the exact
same reactions and results, science then resolves itself to calling the
conclusive outcome: a law of nature, laws of mathematics, etc. Science
arrives at this conclusion because the outcome becomes consistent, and its
behavior is replicated under the same set of circumstances.
Gods are
simply omnipotent, omniscient, and advanced scientists who have been
observing the exact same conditions and outcomes forever; thus making the
conclusions of Their observations, the “Eternal Laws of Heaven and
Earth.” Gods do not experiment, having no need to increase Their
knowledge. They use these eternal laws to produce the end result of Their
desires, which in every case, is to reach the final outcome all laws
produce, i.e., balance. This balance is always experienced and recognized
by the advanced and eternal human being as happiness.
Modern
science has proven on a molecular level that all atoms continue in a state
of imbalance and act “radically” until they find their balance. When
placed on an earth and given free will to act according to their natures,
humans (radicals) seek happiness (balance) and act according to their free
will (radically) until they find it. It takes about 7000 years of
mortality to find this balance.
The
“human experiment,” per se, follows the eternal laws of nature, and will
eventually produce the desired result. However, before it does, it must
go through the same procedural and customary steps it has always followed
to arrive at the same end.
The “seven
seals” symbolize the seven necessary steps outlined in the “Book of
Life” (thus the book being sealed with seven seals) necessary
to graduate through the stages of the “human experiment” on this earth.
This in essence becomes a trial or probationary period in which those who
do not understand the full effects of happiness, will, after
experiencing what doesn’t make them happy. John’s figurative horses and
riders demonstrate the different stages of this wonderful scientific
exploration of happiness.
6:2 And I saw, and beheld a white horse upon the earth:
and he that sat on him had a crown given unto him, and around and
about the crown appeared a rainbow; and he went
forth conquering, and to be conquered.
It is no
secret from where John borrowed his presentation of four different colored
horses. However, the secret is hidden sufficiently enough so that “eyes
that do not see” will remain blind:
“And I turned, and
lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came four chariots out
from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of brass. In
the first chariot were red horses; and in the second chariot black horses; And in the third chariot white horses; and in
the fourth chariot grisled and bay horses. Then I answered and
said unto the angel that talked with me, What are these, my lord? And the
angel answered and said unto me, These are the four spirits of the
heavens, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.
The black horses which are therein go forth into the north country; and
the white go forth after them; and the grisled go forth toward the south
country. And the bay went forth, and sought to go that they might walk to
and fro through the earth: and he said, Get you hence, walk to and fro
through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.”
(Zechariah 6:1-7)
When
humans were first introduced into the natural world, they were innocent
and pure in nature ("white horse"), having been taught the laws by
which they should abide to be happy. This truth is figuratively expressed
in the stories of Adam and Eve, who walked, and conversed with, and were
taught by God in the metaphoric Garden of Eden. Once expelled from His
presence, they continued for some time to live righteously as they had
been commanded.
Throughout scripture, a “crown” represents certain rights and
powers given to an individual. Innocent and pure humans (the “rider”
upon the “white horse”) were given the right and power to act and
be acted upon (“conquering, and to be conquered”) according to the natural
laws of the earth:
“And God blessed
them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the
earth, and subdue it [conquer it]: and have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every
living thing that moveth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)
In
John’s figurative expressions of the human race, he uses the descriptive
symbol of the twelve tribes of Israel and the stones respective to each
(See the commentary of Revelation 4:3.) The "crown" is made up of
twelve stones, which, when light passes through, creates a "rainbow"
effect (This same reference to the number “twelve” being the people
of the earth is used in Revelation 10:1 and in 12:1.) Humans, who
were given the
right and power to act and to be acted upon according to their own free will,
received their first instructions (light) from the Gods who placed
them upon the earth.
6:3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say,
Come and see.
6:4 And there went out upon the earth another horse that was
red; and a crown of power was given to him that sat thereon
to take peace from the earth, and there was given unto him a great sword,
because it was allowed that they should kill
one another.
During
the first years of human existence, there was widespread peace and harmony
until the people of the earth began to divide themselves into families,
communities, cities, and nations of the world. With these divisions, each
group/nation bolstered its manifest right to exist by going forth and
overrunning other lands, bringing the weakest among them under the subjection of the strongest.
"Peace
was taken from the earth" when humans began to kill each other during
their quest to subjugate others under their man-made laws and ordinances.
And so it happened, by the course of human nature (Satan/Lucifer), that war began
to destroy them and take away their peace and happiness. During the
opening of the "second seal" the horse and its rider are presented as
"red", symbolizing the blood spilt from the people of the
earth.
6:5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say,
Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse went forth upon the
earth; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6:6 And I heard a voice that came from the throne which was in the midst of the four beasts say,
Let them sell a measure
of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; for
thou seest that they hurt not the oil and the wine.
With the
opening of the "third seal," another aspect of human nature began to
be manifested as humans placed value upon the material things of the earth
and their worth according to their own judgments. This is symbolized by
the “pair of balances” in the rider’s hand.
Humans
began to use money - buying and selling those things that were necessary for
life ("wheat and barley," figuratively) - and hoard for
themselves those things which they valued the most ("oil and wine").
They ascribed one person’s value within their societies as greater than
another simply by the nature of work each performed.
During
this time, the great trading nations of the earth became established, and
their elite classes and leaders began to accumulate riches and strength at
the expense of the poor and oppressed, thus becoming accomplished in the
acquisition of personal and national wealth.
Worldly
commerce and economy is established by the wealthy and powerful who hold
the “balances” in their hands, determining the worth of
products and human life. Slavery is forced upon the weakened and
powerless masses by the strong, who rely on them to satisfy their bottomless appetite for material gain. This is what Daniel refers to
as “the abomination that maketh desolate,” and which John later
refers to as “the beast.” (See Revelation 17:3-5.) It is the
methods and means used to acquire the riches that make one person’s house
full, while leaving the other’s house desolate and empty:
“And arms shall
stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and
shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.” (Daniel 11:31)
Furthermore, this great “abomination that maketh desolate” is
descriptive of the economic policies of the world, which make humans
completely desolate of the Spirit of God. Their hearts become so set upon
the things of the world, and its honors and glories, that their spirits
are left desolate and barren as to things pertaining to
righteousness (doing unto others what they would have others do unto
them). Because of this abomination, few are able to become rich,
but by the course of acquiring riches followed by those who do, the
majority of humans are left desolate of equality and happiness.
This
inequality is a great abomination to the happiness promised by a God, who
is not a respecter of persons, and has created the earth to be shared
equally by all. This is, and shall always be, the abomination that
brings the most misery and unhappiness to the earth and human existence.
The horse and rider that represent this aspect of human nature are
presented as black (darkness), signifying the great wickedness of
humankind because of the commerce and values set up among them.
6:7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the
fourth beast say, Come and see.
6:8 And I looked, and beheld a pale horse upon the
earth: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed
with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,
to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts
of the earth.
Civilization advanced and progressed upon the earth until it had
discovered, as it supposed, the ultimate innovation in politics, business,
social welfare, and national warfare. This particular rider (human
action) was the only one given a name by John as he leads the reader of
his Revelation metaphorically through the stages of human
development. This "name" ("Death and Hell") is a
result of the greatest civilization ever established in the pre-modern
world, and which (according to the understanding of the world at that time), covered “the
fourth part” of the known earth.
The world
had never known a united group of people like this great empire. Its
decadence, leisure, and world dominance permeated every aspect of life.
Its soldiers meted out death to any individual, or any nation, that stood
against it. Its sporting events included barbaric acts of competition and
brutal human sacrifices; delivering thousands to death at the fangs and
claws of the beasts of the earth. It literally created hell
on earth for any who stood in its way.
Its
political policies created a very wealthy class of relatively few
individuals with great power. This consequently created a middle-class,
which buffered the impact that absolute wealth and power had on the
majority of people. This majority included the poor laboring class that
always suffered in poverty. Throughout history, the poor majority had
been able to rise up and overthrow the few in power when the situation
called sufficiently for reformation. But during the historical period
this horse and rider represent, the middle class stood in their
way.
Teetering
on the edge of wealth and believing that they could become just as the wealthy,
the middle-class stood between the rich and poor: coveting one, while
fearing a return to the other; validating the actions of the rich, while
pacifying the cries of the poor.
The
military strength of this type of human civilization overpowers weaker
nations and leaves many desolate; causing thousands of deaths from the
effects of war, hunger, disease, and poverty left over from its military
conquests and occupations. There is no part of this type of
civilization that promotes equality, or the Royal Law—do
unto others what you would have them do unto you.
Until
modern times, there has not been another nation rise to such world
prominence (according to the principles and desires founded in its name
[works]), until this type of society’s modern fraternal twin “came
up out of the earth.” (See Revelation 13:11.)
People
use their free will to become what they desire, and by these actions make
a name for themselves. Given time in following their innate
natures, the human race seeks self-validation through unification. The
name - given anciently: the Great Roman Empire; and in modern times:
the United States of America - represents the works of the "pale
horse" and its "rider".
These man-made names, can well be described as Death (both
physically and spiritually), with its effects creating a literal Hell
on earth. When desires are set upon materialism and the honors of pride,
the world loses its spiritual roots—the blood that gives life to
its body. For our own sake, we were allowed (power was given unto them)
to form these societies. In these societies, the sacrifice of the
blood of Jesus Christ (which is his teaching us how to love one
another) is nowhere to be found. Thus, John presents it as a pale
horse—strong in might and purpose and able to bear its rider, but
barren of the blood (of Christ) that brings color to its skin.
6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw the souls of them
upon the earth who were slain upon the altar for the
word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
An altar
is something built by mortal hands for the purpose of making an offering
upon it, usually dedicated to a Deity. When one obeys the commands of
God, one is effectually dedicating his or her works “upon the altar”
before God, figuratively exclaiming, “Here, O my God, are my works that
I have fulfilled and dedicated to Thee!” Therefore, being “slain
upon the altar” means that one has sacrificed one’s life “for the
word of God” by keeping His commandments.
In the
same spirit Jesus said:
“He that findeth
his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find
it.” (Matthew 10:39)
John is
referring to all those upon the earth who have “lost their lives”
in dedication to obeying the commands of God. It is truly a great
sacrifice to live the gospel of Jesus Christ in a world that rejects it. The
gentle and reassuring spirit of Psalms explains:
“I will say unto
God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the
oppression of the enemy? As with a sword in my bones [i.e., being
slain], mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me,
Where is thy God? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou
disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is
the health of my countenance, and my God. Judge me, O God, and plead my
cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and
unjust man. For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me
off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? O send out
thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy
hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God,
unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my
God. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted
within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of
my countenance, and my God.” (Psalms 42:9-11, 43:1-5)
Isaiah
reiterates the purpose and symbolism of altars:
“At that day shall
a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One
of Israel. And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands,
neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves,
or the images.” (Isaiah 17:7-8)
Moses was
commanded to construct an altar to specified dimensions. This is symbolic
of the commandments of God being specific in their purpose, which Jesus
gives as the greatest law and commandment of all the prophets—do unto
others what you would have them do unto you.
Ezekiel
borrows the symbolism to reiterate that the law of God is exact, and thus
should our works be exact as we offer them upon an altar before the
Lord:
“The altar of wood
was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners
thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and
he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD.” (Ezekiel
41:22)
Ezekiel
continued in his teachings by figuratively expressing that we should purge
ourselves of sin (which is anything we do to another that we wouldn’t want
done to us) and purify our lives throughout mortality (seven days),
which is our symbolic offering upon the altar to God:
“Seven days shall
they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.”
(Ezekiel 43:26)
6:10 And the four and twenty elders cried with a loud voice,
saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge them that
dwell on the earth and avenge their blood, which has
been spilt upon the altar?
In other
words, the prophets who have been sent to teach the people what they
should do to serve God properly, are asking how long the Lord will allow
the earth to remain in a state where living the word of God is such a
tremendous sacrifice.
6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them who were
sacrificed upon the altar; and it was said unto them, that they
should rest yet for a little season until their fellowservants and their
brethren who would also be killed upon the altar as they were should fulfill their works.
Uninspired
teachers would interpret the above passage as referring to those called of
God, or in this case, who have called themselves to be
missionaries, pastors, bishops, or administrators of God’s word. They
assume in a pious attitude of sacrifice and self-glorification, that these
leaders must also be killed before the Lord comes again. Inasmuch as the
true nature of “slain or sacrificed upon the altar” has now
been properly revealed, John’s later description of those given “white
robes” puts the truth in proper perspective:
“After this I
beheld, and, lo, this great multitude, which no man could number, of all
nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne,
and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their
hands; And one of the elders spake unto me, saying, Who are these who
are arrayed in white robes? and from whence did they come? And I
said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they who
came out of great tribulation, and have washed their own robes, and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9, 13-14)
Clothing has
always symbolized one’s actions, deeds, and thoughts. Notice John was not told that Christ washed the blood out of the robes, but “These…have
washed their own robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” The
works of Christ cannot save us unless we learn to do the same works he
did, apply the principles he taught, and follow the example he set,
and for which he lost his life, and lose ours in the same way.
Here John
is telling us that those who follow the teachings and precepts of Christ
will rest from all worldly trials and adversity that cause
tribulation in one’s life, supporting what he heard Jesus teach the
people:
“Come unto me, all
ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye
shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light.” (Matthew 11: 28-30)
All must be
allowed to live in mortality and prove themselves worthy to live in
eternal worlds where they will not cause problems. Until one learns to
always do unto another that which they would want done unto them, they
will not be allowed to possess an exalted body that never dies and live on
a planet which supports this type of body.
Those who
learn and apply the gospel of Jesus Christ (given a white robe)
will rest from tribulations and hell that others are experiencing in
life. Nevertheless, mortality must be allowed to continue “yet for a
little season” until all have been given ample opportunity to “fulfill
their works.”
6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a
great earthquake and the earth reeled to and fro like a drunkard;
and the sun became black, clothed in a sackcloth made
of hair, because the moon was turned into
blood;
One of the
most significant rules in understanding the writings of prophets is this:
When a prophet is expressing himself figuratively, everything he
writes is given as a figurative expression. The reader cannot pick or
choose which parts of the prophecy are literal, and which parts are
symbolic.
Common
sense tells us that the sun cannot become “black as sackcloth of hair”
and the moon cannot turn into “blood”. Therefore, those who are
waiting for the literal “great earthquake” of this otherwise
figurative portrayal, are going to be waiting a long, long time. False
teachers and leaders have misinterpreted what is going to happen in
fulfillment of this verse, when, in fact, the “great earthquake” is
occurring even as they read these words. They simply do not know or
understand the metaphoric way in which it is presented to them in John’s
writings.
To understand
these things, one must take into consideration the source from which John
took his symbolism. Throughout the Old Testament, clues are given
to help reveal the proper origin and understanding of John’s mysterious
metaphors:
“For the stars of
heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun
shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her
light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the
wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to
cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a
man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of
Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out
of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his
fierce anger.” (Isaiah 13:10-13)
Isaiah is
saying that people are not allowing the light from within to shine forth
in good works (stars…shall not give their light). Therefore, they
receive none of the light from God (sun shall be darkened). The
prophets are those who teach and preach to the people who live in
darkness, reflecting the light they receive from God to the people who are
in need of harsh reminding to return to the commandments of God.
The
moon has no light of its own, but reflects the light of the sun that
shown yesterday and the sun that will shine tomorrow, giving this light to
a darkened world. The prophets of God are metaphorically presented as the moon. When the people choose wickedness over righteousness, God
withdraws His prophets from among the people (the moon shall not cause
her light to shine). When the people reject, cast out, and kill the
prophets, “the moon becomes as blood.”
The “earthquakes”
represent the great wickedness of the human race upon the earth,
signifying that the world as a whole is not doing what it was naturally
commanded to do—stand with balance and firmness in keeping the
commandments of God.
Isaiah’s writings give
further explanation:
“And it shall come
to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the
pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in
the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of
the earth do shake. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean
dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and
fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the
transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not
rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD
shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of
the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as
prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and
after many days shall they be visited. Then the moon shall be confounded,
and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and
in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.” (Isaiah 24:18-23)
Those in
mourning wear sackcloth. John suggests that God is in mourning when
people live wickedly. God figuratively blackens the sky with “a
sackcloth made of hair,” thereby keeping the light of the sun
from shining through to give warmth to the earth. In other words, because
of the wickedness of the people, God does not send revelation or
inspiration.
The first
part of the human body that receives warmth from the sun, when a person is
standing erect, is the head, which is covered with hair. Here John
presents the hair as black, signifying that the head is receiving no
sunlight, which would have lightened the hair with more exposure.
Similarly,
we have the vision of Christ in which he is seen as one with hair as white as snow.
Other Old
Testament writings reiterate John’s theme:
“How then can man
be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not
pure in his sight.” (Job 25:4-5)
“Wherefore, when I
came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my
hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to
deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a
wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for
thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth
their covering.” (Isaiah 50:2-3)
“And when I shall
put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I
will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.
All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set
darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 32:7-8)
“The earth shall
quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon
shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:” (Joel
2:10)
6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth because of the great
earthquake, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she
is shaken of a mighty wind.
We now know
that the great earthquake is figurative of the wickedness of humankind.
We know also that John uses stars to represent the inhabitants of the
earth. Therefore, why do the stars of heaven fall to the earth as the “untimely
fig”? Because the unbalanced people are shaken by the "earthquake"
(wickedness) which causes them to fall into transgression.
John
borrowed Isaiah’s figurative expressions:
“And all the host
of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as
a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from
the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.” (Isaiah 34:4)
Throughout
scripture prophets have referred to people and their works as fig or olive
trees. The tree itself represents humankind; its branches,
the differing peoples of the earth. The fruit of the tree
represents the actions, deeds, and thoughts of the people. The word of
God is the sunshine and the rain that comes from heaven which
nourishes the tree. The roots take in the nutrition from the
earth, representing the work of the prophets upon the earth, which include
the greatest prophet of all, Jesus Christ, who said:
“A certain man had
a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon,
and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold,
these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none:
cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him,
Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung
it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt
cut it down.” (Luke 13:6-9)
When a fig
tree receives proper nutrition and pruning, it thrives, and its branches
and fruit stand strong and firm against all winds. When it has not
been nourished properly, its branches and fruit are weak, and unable to
hang on, and are cast to the earth before they are fully ripened. This
means that before humankind learns the proper way to live with each other
(being ripened), in preparation to receive eternal bodies and live
on eternal planets, they will most certainly fall because of the winds
(which will later be revealed as the false doctrines and precepts of the
world) that blow upon the earth.
All true
prophets knew this secret:
“I found Israel
like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the
fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-peor, and
separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were
according as they loved.” (Hosea 9:10)
“All thy strong
holds shall be like fig trees with the firstripe figs: if they be
shaken, they shall even fall into the mouth of the eater.” (Nahum
3:12)
“The vine is dried
up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm
tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are
withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men.” (Joel
1:12)
“But they shall
sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall
make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.”
(Micah 4:4)
“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the
labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the
flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the
stalls:” (Habakkuk 3:17)
6:14 And it came to pass that the heavens
opened
as a scroll is opened when it is rolled together; and every
mountain and island was moved out of its place
because of that which was written therein.
Figuratively,
every action, every deed, and every thought are symbolically
written in a book ("scroll") kept in heaven. In other words, the
works of humankind are recorded through the technological advancement of
Beings which reach far beyond our current capabilities of making a video
documentary of someone’s life. The mystery is, that the recording devices
are incorporated into our own spiritual makeup, which elements have
the ability to record everything we think and do.
Not permitted
to explain this mystery in its fullness in their day, the ancient prophets
made reference to what John has hinted:
“Take thee a
roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto
thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations,
from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this
day. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I
purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way;
that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.” (Jeremiah 36:2-3)
“And when I
looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was
therein; And he spread it before me; and it was written within and
without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and
woe.” (Ezekiel 2:9-10)
Of all
the attributes of humankind that draw us away from doing unto others what
we would expect to have done unto us, none is as devastating and
corruptive to peace and happiness as pride. Pride causes many to
put themselves above others or to separate themselves, believing they are
superior. The prophets figuratively characterized those who put
themselves above others as “mountains.” Those who isolate
themselves from the rest of the world, believing they are more righteous
than others, are expressed as “islands.”
When the
truth is finally revealed, when “the scroll (containing the
memories of what they have done) is opened up,” the exalted and isolated will learn of their great wickedness and
will be brought down. This is because they will realize that they are no different, no better,
or no more right, than any other person upon the earth.
John’s
continued prophecy, “And every island fled away, and the mountains were
not found” (see Revelation 16:20), reinforces what his ancient mentors
proclaimed:
“Keep silence
before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let
them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to
judgment.” (Isaiah 41:1)
“According to
their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries,
recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay
recompense.” (Isaiah 59:18)
“And the word of
the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward the
mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, And say, Ye mountains
of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the
mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I,
even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high
places.” (Ezekiel 6:1-3)
6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and
the chief captains, and the mighty men, yea even every man who bringeth bondage upon another who is not free, hid
themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
6:16 And these said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us,
and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the
wrath of the Lamb, whose countenance we cannot bear.
6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who among us
shall be able to stand?
John has shown
us the stages and effects of human development when we are left to our own
devices with complete control over our environment and actions. Our
Father and Creator does not get angry as we prefer to think, or have been
taught by false leaders and teachers. John has led us to quite a
different understanding of what is meant when we speak of the “the
wrath of God,” which refers to His non-intervention in the
affairs of humankind.
When we
are undeserving, we are left to suffer the full effects of our
self-imposed situations. He has taught us that when we do not live by the
Royal Law, we do not receive the intervention or divine instruction
from above through righteous and true prophets—the sun is darkened (no
light or revelation is given) because of our wickedness. As a result of
rejecting the prophets and killing them, the moon is turned into blood.
This is the wrath of God. It is happening now, and will continue until
Christ himself comes to the earth to teach what he has always taught: Do
unto others what you would have them do unto you.
Our pride, our
families, our nations, our desire for material gain and honor all of our
works due to our human natures, lead us away from this Royal Law
upon which all other laws and all the prophets are predicated:
“Therefore all
things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to
them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)
John is
warning us, as did those before him:
“But they that
escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of
the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity. All hands
shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water. They shall also
gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame
shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads. They shall
cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their
silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the
wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their
bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.” (Ezekiel
7:16-19)
“But who may abide
the day of his coming? And who shall stand before him with clean hands
when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner's fire, which is used
to remove the impurities of element, and like fullers' soap, which
is used to clean the works of his hands. And he shall sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver and of gold. And with a fervent
heat shall the elements of this earth be refined, even the gold and silver
filled with dross. And he shall purify the sons of Levi, who have
corrupted the people and led them astray, filling them with dross. And he
shall purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord
an offering in righteousness. For behold, all their offerings they
have polluted, and there are none who are pure. But they shall know good
at that day, that they might cast out the evil from among them.”
(Malachi 3:2-3)
