“‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken great power and have begun to reign.”
~ Revelation 11:17
Hi James and Ellen,
Are you a pre-trib‘er’, a mid-trib‘er’, a post-trib‘er’ or an amillennium‘er’? Eschatology is the area of theology that explores what the final days will be like for guys, gals and kid who are living on planet Earth. Whenever your grandpaa comes to a place in the Bible as he is reading/studying though the Bible – such as Revelations 11, your grandpaa begins to think about what it will be like for guys, gals and kids during those last days compared to what life is like today on planet Earth. The churches that your grandmaa and grandpaa went to when they were kids your age both promote a belief paradigm that all guys, gals and kids may be now enjoying a millennial period of relative peace. A millennium is equal to one thousand years. During a period of ‘one thousand years’ – which your grandpaa believes that this length of time may be being used both literally and figuratively, God – as God the Son – Jesus, will rule on planet Earth and Satan will be bound. Your grandmaa and grandpaa have also heard different guys and gals teach in churches and they have read books that promote beliefs that focus on a seven year tribulation period. Your grandpaa thinks that there are everywhere on planet Earth a lot of guys and gals who are intrigued with what the final events of the history of mankind will be like – otherwise there would not be the kind of sales that there have been in the ‘Left Behind’ series. Your grandpaa has read the first three or four books in the ‘Left Behind’ series.
Apostle John was an old guy when a sadistic Roman emperor – whose name was Domitian, had enough of Apostle John’s teaching against paganism and the need to accept a new belief paradigm which involves accepting by faith why Jesus suffered and died on a cross. Domitian banished Apostle John to the Isle of Patmos where he had to survive alongside criminals who had been sentenced there to work in the mines that were on the Isle of Patmos. The Isle of Patmos is a volcanic outcropping that is located in the Aegean Sea. Apostle John was one of the twelve guys who God – as God the Son – Jesus, chose to invest over two years of His life to mentor and teach a new belief paradigm. By the time that God – as God the Spirit, breathed the words on Apostle John for him to scribe in what is now known as the Revelations Book, Apostle John had endured horrific things done to him. Apostle John would spend about eighteen months on the Isle of Patmos. God – as God the Spirit, had Apostle John have visions to give him insights of what the final events of the history of mankind will be like. Apostle John in the vision that he had in this chapter was given a reed to measure just the inner court of the temple of God that he saw in the vision that he was having. Your grandpaa believes that the temple of God that Apostle John saw in his vision will be located in the city of Jerusalem and that the ensuing events will take place in the city of Jerusalem. God – as God the Spirit, also asked Apostle John in this vision to count the number of guys and gals who were in the inner court worshipping Him. The outer court of the temple of God covered about 26 acres. The outer court of the temple of God was being trampled by Gentile guys and gals. Gentile guys and gals were considered to be the archenemies of God’s specially chosen guys and gals. Some guys think that what is to take place next in Apostle John’s vision has already taken place – maybe from 168 B.C. to 165 B.C. – which is when the Syrian tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes persecuted God’s specially chosen guys and gals. Your grandpaa thinks that God has given His specially elected guys and gals clues in the visions that He – as God the Spirit, gave to Apostle John as to what the final days of the existence of mankind will be like – which guys and gals have been trying to uncover or unravel for the past almost 2000 years.
Your grandmaa and grandpaa are not sure which one of the three trib periods to accept. Your grandpaa thinks that Apostle John was alluding in this vision to a seven year timeframe which has a dramatic change taking place in it after the initial three and a half years. Your grandmaa and grandpaa believe that sometime during the seven year timeframe that Jesus – as God the Son, will descend again to planet Earth from heaven with a loud triumphant shout of joy to collect each one of His specially elected guys, gals and kids who have made a decision of faith to believe in Him as his or her Lord and Savior. Your grandpaa does not know whether this vision that God – as God the Spirit, breathed on Apostle John to record in the Revelations Book begins the seven year timeframe or that it begins the second three and a half years of the seven year timeframe or that it is at the end of the seven year timeframe. Your grandpaa leans towards a belief that this vision that God – as God the Spirit, breathed on Apostle John may begin the second three and half year timeframe. God – as God the Father, is going to send two guys – who will be dressed in sackcloth, as witnesses of His omnipotence to the temple of God – which your grandpaa believes will be located in the city of Jerusalem. These two guys will stop rain from falling, turn water to blood and send plagues that they will choose to send. The two guys will then have the beast from the Abyss kill them BUT after three and a half days, the two guys will come back to life and . . . which leads to the next woe which is introduced by twenty-four elders in verse 17 as they are bowing to God – as God the Father, “saying: “‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken great power and have begun to reign.”’ Would you rather be amillennium‘er’s or trib‘er’s? Are you looking forward to the triumphal return of God – as God the Son – Jesus to planet Earth? Your grandmaa and grandpaa believe that the triumphal return of God – as God the Son – Jesus to planet Earth to collect them is imminent because of the different crises that are taking place today on planet Earth.
Revelation 11 (621)