Agents of the Apocalypse -- David Jeremiah (Chapters 3-4)

AHH!!! Sorry guys, it's been like 4 months since I've been able to make a post! SO much has happened since then! O_O Summer came and went. I went to Peru for the third time and came back. Started another semester of school, which is SUPER crazy!

But yeah, I'm STILL sloooooowly making my way through this Dr. David Jeremiah book, "Agents of the Apocalypse".

Anyway here are my notes on these 2 Chapters!

Chapter 3
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Revelation 7:1-8 (about the 144,000)
They are:
-Selected from the 12 Tribes of Israel
-Sealed on their foreheads
-Servants of the living God
-Separated unto God
-Strong in faith
-Spared from coming judgment
-Secure in midst of tribulation
-Successful in ministry
-Set apart for the Kingdom
-Singing a new song in Heaven
(from Mark Hitchcock quote)

12000 witnesses from 12 tribes
The number 12 associated with Israel.

Revelation 14 -- seal of protection
God sealed people off from wraths:
-Genesis 6-8 The Great Flood
-Genesis 19 Lot escaping Sodom
-Exodus 12 Sealed firstborn Jews
-Joshua 2, 6 Rahab & Scarlet cord
-1 Kings 19 7000 Israelites who had not bowed to Baal
The seal of the living God will not be merely an external mark; it will also be a moral badge.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22; John 6:27; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30
Revelation 14:4-5, Revelation 6:17-7:3

"In Revelation 14:1-5, John sees the 144,000 at the end of the Tribulation standing triumphantly on Mount Zion -- the city of Jerusalem. Notice he doesn't see 143,999. All 144,000 have been divinely preserved by the Lord. Not one has been overlooked."

2 Thes. 2:3 Falling away
(massive revival AFTER Rapture)

144,000 song incorporated with harps. Harps associate with joy!

Chapter 4
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The 2 witnesses' ministry
*Their Personalities*
-Revelation 11:4; Zech. 4:1-14
-Revelation 11:3 special relationship
Elijah -- because Malachi the prophet predicted that Elijah would come before the Second Advent to prepare the way for the Messiah (Mal. 4:5-6).
Elijah was miraculously taken up into heaven (2 Kings 2:9-11) just as the 2 witnesses will be (Rev. 11:12).
The witnesses will have the same power to withhold rain as Elijah did (1 Kings 17:1, Rev. 11:6).
Elijah called down fire from heaven (2 Kings 1:10) as will the 2 witnesses (Rev. 11:5).
The duration of both the drought in Elijah's day (1 Kings 17:1, Luke 4:25, James 5:17-18) and the ministry of the 2 witnesses (Rev. 11:3,6) is 3 years and 6 months.

Enoch (believed by scholars), Moses more likely -- because Moses appeared with Elijah at the transfiguration of Christ (Mat. 17:3).
God gave Moses the ability to turn the water into blood (Ex. 7:19-20) and the witnesses will be given that same power (Rev. 11:6).
God preserved Moses' body so that he might be restored (Deut. 34:5-7); the bodies of the witnesses will be restored as well (Rev. 11:11).
Satan contended with Michael the archangel for the body of Moses (Jude 1:9). Hindering plan for the last days?
Moses and Elijah stand for the Law and the Prophets. Since the ministry of the witnesses will occur within the Jewish nation, it makes sense that representatives of the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) would appear to the Jews.

*Their Prophecies* -- Revelation 11:3
Duration of prophetic testimony: 1260 days
First judgment
Deut. 17:6 -- Why 2: Used to validate truth.

*Their Power*
The power of their preaching
-Jesus Christ is the Lord of all the earth, there shall be no rain.
-Testify of human wickedness to their faces
-Testify of the character of the judgments just past as having been directly from God, and warn of more terrible coming judgments.
-Decry the blasphemous claims, --that man is to be defied, denounce all the goodness of man as a lie.
-Testify that Jerusalem is spiritually "Sodom and Egypt", announce coming judgments upon the city/people, tell the Jews that they killed Jesus (1 Thes. 2:15-16), and that He will yet be the King over all the earth.
Romans 1:18-21 People will demand the witnesses be shot.
The Power of Their Plagues: 3 forms
1. The plague of death -- protected (Rev. 11:5)
2. The plague of drought (Rev. 11:6)
3. The plague of disease (Rev. 11:6)

*Their Persecution* -- Revelation 11:7
(the hands of the Beast -- Anti-Christ)

The Death of the Witnesses
(36 references to the Beast in Revelation)
3 and 1/2 years consolidating governments, forging a peace treaty with Israel.
The murder of the witnesses will be his first celebrated act.

The Display of their Bodies
Deut. 21:22-23 ---> Rev. 11:8
-Sodom: known for sexual perversion
-Egypt: persecution of Jewish nation
Outwardly, Jerusalem will seem better than ever, but inwardly it will reek with rottenness and death, much like Sodom and Egypt.

The Delight of their Enemies
Rev. 11:10 (turned into a holiday)
Only mention of rejoicing during the Tribulation period. (real revelation of the heart of man: delight at the death of God's Witnesses)
-Rev. 11:11-12     2 miracles
Paul describes the Repture of the church occurring in a moment (1 Cor. 15:52), the rapture of the witnesses will be viewed by all. (Rev. 11:12)
Rev. 11:13 earthquake
"They would not allow burial to the slain witnesses, and now they themselves are buried alive in the ruins of their own houses, and in hell forever." -J. A. Seiss
Original text: "men of name" -- leaders/well-known individuals
Joy at the death turns to fear (no change of heart... Rev. 11:13)

Agents of the Apocalypse ~ David Jeremiah (Chapters 1 & 2)

I'm reading Agents Of the Apocalypse by Dr David Jeremiah that I borrowed from my grandma (like many months ago!). Good stuff in here so far and I'm only on chapter 3! Here are some quotes from Chapter 1 & 2 that I loved!

Ch.1
Revelation in Greek: apokalypsis
Apocalypse in Greek: an uncovering, an unveiling, a manifestation of.
Purpose of Revelation: unveil the majesty/power of Jesus Christ.
The Rapture reference in Ch.1 vs.1 signifies that "shortly take place" means "suddenly comes to pass, rapid progression after something happens."

Idea: not necessarily soon, but suddenly & without warning
To say that an event is near means it is the next major occurrence on the prophetic calendar.

"There is nothing new to say on the subject. But there is a new way to say it. I read Revelation not to get more information, but to revive my imagination." -Eugene Peterson

Earth can be said as being "enemy occupied territory".

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, "Revelation was written in order that God's people who were passing through terrible persecutions/adversity might still be able to go on rejoicing."

Jesus could come at any minute. We need to have an, "I don't want Him to find me here" attitude.

Ch 2.
If not 1 believer remains after the rapture, how will people be saved during Tribulation?
-God's 2 witnesses will come into the world to prophesy and perform miracles.
-144,000 Israelites who are "sealed" for God's service (Rev. 7:4)

"Removal of believers from the world at the rapture will not remove the Scriptures." -Dr. Henry Morris
Marytrdom will be as common as it is uncommon in the West today.
(Rev. I 2:11; Ps. 44:22)

Revelation identifies the enemies of God as those who have shed the blood of His people. "Every faithful Christian must be prepared to die." -Richard Bauckham

Rev. 1:9, John's exile. The restraint of the Holy Spirit will be removed from the earth!
"If there is not anything to be saved from, we do not need a savior." -Dr. W. A. Criswell

Rev. 6:9 - John's vision shifts from Earth back to heaven.
The age of grace will turn into the age of judgement.

The Lord provides 5 comforts for these martyred souls:
1. Refuge
-Donald Grey Barnhouse: "We are not to think that John had a vision of an altar with souls peeping out from underneath. The altar was the place of the sacrifice of blood. To be 'under the altar' is to be covered in the sight of God by that merit which Jesus Christ provided in dying on the cross. It is a figure that speaks of justification."
2. A Robe
-Dr. John Walvoord offers a possible answer on if people who died during the Tribulation have physical bodies: "The fact that they are given robes would almost demand that they have a body of some kind. A robe could not hang upon an material soul or spirit. It is not the kind of body that Christians now have (the body of earth), nor is if the resurrection body of flesh and bones of which Christ spoke after His own resurrection. It is a temporary body suited for their presence in heaven but replaced in turn by their everlasting resurrection body given st the time of Christ’s return."
3. A Rest
-Rev. 6:11; Rev. 14:13
4. Retribution
-Rev. 14:18-20
5. A Reward
-Rev. 20:4.  Justice/peace that eluded them during their lifetime.

**A Christian is martyred every 4-5 minutes.