Transcript Isaiah - God's Character

“Is this the one who destroyed the
world?” (14:20)
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“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw
the Lord. He was sitting on his throne,
high and exalted, and his robe filled the
whole Temple. Around him flaming
creatures were standing, each of which
had six wings. Each creature covered its
face with two wings, and its body with
two, and used the other two for flying.
They were calling out to each other: ‘Holy,
holy, holy! The LORD Almighty is holy!
His glory fills the world.’” (Isaiah 6:1-3)
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“The servant grew up before God--a
scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a
parched field. There was nothing attractive
about him, nothing to cause us to take a
second look. He was looked down on and
passed over, a man who suffered, who
knew pain firsthand. One look at him and
people turned away. We looked down on
him, thought he was scum.” (Isaiah 53)
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Message to the seven churches
“At this point I had another vision and
saw an open door in heaven. And the
voice that sounded like a trumpet, which I
had heard speaking to me before, said,
‘Come up here…’ There in heaven was a
throne with someone sitting on it. His face
gleamed like such precious stones as
jasper and carnelian, and all around the
throne there was a rainbow the color of an
emerald.” (Revelation 4:2-3)
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“Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of
the One who was sitting on the throne.
There was writing on the inside and the
outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with
seven seals. And I saw a strong angel, who
shouted with a loud voice: ‘Who is worthy
to break the seals on this scroll and open
it?’” (Revelation 5:1-2)
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“No one in heaven or on earth or under
the earth was able to open the scroll and
read it. Then I began to weep bitterly
because no one was found worthy to open
the scroll and read it.” (Revelation 5:3-4)
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“But one of the twenty-four elders said to
me, ‘Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the
tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne,
has won the victory. He is worthy to open
the scroll and its seven seals.’ Then I saw a
Lamb that looked as if it had been
slaughtered, but it was now standing
between the throne and the four living
beings and among the twenty-four
elders…He stepped forward and took the
scroll from the right hand of the One sitting
on the throne.” (Revelation 5:5-7)
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God on the throne holds a scroll. Surrounded by:
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4 living creatures
24 elders
No one is worthy to open the scroll
The violently slaughtered Lamb on the throne is
worthy
A “new song”: “Again I looked, and I heard angels,
thousands and millions of them! They stood around
the throne, the four living creatures, and the elders,
and sang in a loud voice…And I heard every creature
in heaven, on earth, in the world below, and in the sea--all living beings in the universe---and they were
singing…”
How you are fallen from heaven,
O Shining one, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
You said in your heart,
"I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the
stars of God;
I will sit on the mount of assembly on the
heights of Zaphon;
I will ascend to the tops of the clouds,
I will make myself like the Most High.”
But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the depths of the Abyss.
Those who see you will stare at you,
and ponder over you:
“Is this the one
who made the earth tremble,
who shook kingdoms,
who made the world like a desert
and overthrew its cities,
who would not let his prisoners go home?”
All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
each in his own tomb;
but you are cast out,
away from your grave,
like loathsome carrion,
clothed with the dead,
those pierced by the sword,
who go down to the stones of the Pit, like
a corpse trampled underfoot.
You will not be joined with them in burial,
because
you have destroyed your land,
you have killed your people.
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“Then war broke out in heaven. Michael
and his angels fought against the dragon,
who fought back with his angels; but the
dragon was defeated, and he and his
angels were not allowed to stay in heaven
any longer. The huge dragon was thrown
out---that ancient serpent, named the
Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole
world. He was thrown down to earth, and
all his angels with him.”(Revelation 12:710)
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“The likelihood that Revelation has a chiastic
structure that puts the ‘war of the ages’ at the
center of the chiasm sets this section apart as
the one that gives perspective to the entire
narrative.”(1) This section of the book stands
out as “a fresh beginning”(2) , “an
uncharacteristically abrupt fresh start” (3), “the
pinnacle of the apocalyptic prophecy” (4)
1. Tonstad, “Saving God’s Reputation”, 56
2. Rologg, “Revelation”, 139
3. Bauckham, “Climax of Prophecy”, 15
4. Bousset, “Offenbarung”, 335
7 Seals
7
Trumpets
7 Bowls
7
1-6
7
1-6
1-6
7
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The seventh seal ends with a scene at “the
golden altar of incense” (Revelation 8:3) and
with “…rumblings and peals of thunder, flashes
of lightning, and an earthquake.” (Revelation
8:5)
The seventh trumpet ends with a scene at “the
Covenant Box” and with “flashes of lightning,
rumblings and peals of thunder, an earthquake,
and heavy hail.” (Revelation 11:19)
The seventh plague ends with “A loud voice
from the throne in the temple” and with “flashes
of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder,
and a terrible earthquake.”(Revelation 16:17-18)
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1st four trumpets are poured out on the:
1. earth
2. sea
3. rivers and springs
4. sun, moon and stars
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1st four bowls are poured out on the:
1. earth
2. sea
3. rivers and springs
4. sun, moon and stars
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6th trumpet: “Release the four angels
who are bound at the great Euphrates
River!” (Revelation 9:14)
6th bowl: the angel pours “out his bowl
on the great Euphrates River.”
(Revelation 16:12)
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4th Seal: Rider on a pale-colored horse.
“They were given authority over one fourth
of the earth, to kill by means of war, famine,
disease, and wild animals. (Revelation 6:8)
Trumpets: one third of the earth, sea, rivers,
sun, moon and stars...
Bowls: “Every living creature in the sea
died.” (Revelation 16:3)
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Seals: “holding back the four winds because
the people are not yet sealed.” (Revelation
7:1-3)
Trumpets: They have “the mark of God’s
seal on their foreheads” (Revelation 9:4) and
the winds are no longer held back – “release
the four angels” (Revelation 9:14)
Bowls: “…with them the wrath of God is
ended” (Revelation 15:1).
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“War in heaven…the ancient serpent of old…thrown
down to the earth” (Rev. 12)
The third trumpet: “A large star, burning like a torch,
[which] fell from heaven…” (Revelation 8:10)
The fifth trumpet, “I saw a star which had fallen
down to earth, and it was given the key to the abyss.”
“His name in Hebrew is Abaddon; in Greek the name
is Apollyon – meaning ‘the Destroyer’” (Revelation
9:11).
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven,
holding in his hand the key of the abyss and a heavy
chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent –
that is, the Devil, or Satan – and chained him up…the
angel threw in into the abyss, locked it and sealed
it…” (Revelation 20:1-3, see also Isaiah 14:15).
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"the prince of this world." (John 12:31,
14:30)
"the god of this age", and "the ruler of the
kingdom of the air" (2 Corinthians 4:4;
Ephesians 2:2).
"the whole world is under the control of
the evil one" (1 John 5:19)
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“Their utter stupidity can be illustrated in any
number of ways, but especially with their
misreading of the divine enigmas and their
insistence that there exists a being opposed to God,
whom they know by the name devil (in Hebrew,
Satanas…”).
But they [the Christians] show how utterly
concocted these ideas are when they go on to say
that the highest god in heaven, desiring to do such
and such – say, confer some great gift on man –
cannot fulfill his purpose because he is opposed and
thwarted by a god who is his opposite. Does this
mean that the Son of God can be beaten by a devil?
Celsus on the True Doctrine: A Discourse against the Christians (trans. R.
Joseph Hoffmann; New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987), 9899.
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Philadelphia: “I have opened a door in front
of you, which no one can close.”
(Revelation 3:8)
Laodicea: “Listen! I stand at the door and
knock; if any hear my voice and open the
door, I will come into their house and eat
with them, and they will eat with me...”
(Revelation 3:20-21)
“At this point I had another vision and saw
an open door in heaven.’” (Revelation 4:1)
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Both Ezekiel and John are presented with
a scroll that was “covered with writing
on both sides…” (Revelation 5:1).
“I saw that there was writing on both
sides – cries of grief were written there,
and wails and groans.” (Ezekiel 2:10)
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1st seal: “…a white horse. Its rider held a
bow, and he was given a crown. He rode
out as conqueror to conquer.”
(Revelation 6:2).
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“The Sovereign LORD said, ‘Mortal man,
denounce Gog, the chief ruler of the
nations of Meshech and Tubal, and tell
him that I am his enemy. I will turn him
in a new direction and lead him out of
the far north until he comes to the
mountains of Israel. Then I will knock his
bow out of his left hand and his arrows
out of his right hand.” (Ezekiel 39:1-3)
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2nd Seal: “A second horse went out. It was fiery
red. Its rider was given the power to take peace
away from the earth and to make people
slaughter one another. So he was given a large
sword. (Revelation 6:4)
4th Seal: “I looked, and there was a pale-colored
horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades
followed close behind. They were given
authority over one fourth of the earth, to kill by
means of war, famine, disease, and wild
animals.” (Revelation 6:8)
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“Even Satan can disguise himself to look
like an angel of light!” (2 Corinthians
11:14)
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“Holding back the winds” (Revelation
7:1-3)
“He was allowed to wage war against
God’s holy people and to conquer them.
It was also given authority over every
tribe, people, language, and nation.
Everyone living on earth will worship
it…” (Revelation 13:7)
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The first four seals highlight the destructive reign
of Satan: war, famine, persecution, and death.
In this context, the fifth seal asks the logical
question:
“When the lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under
the altar the souls of those who had been
slaughtered because of God’s word and the
testimony they had given about him. They cried
out in a loud voice, ‘Holy and true Master, how
long before you judge and take revenge on those
living on earth who shed our blood?’” (Revelation
6:9-10)
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“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who
planted good seed in his field. But that night as
the workers slept, his enemy came and planted
weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.”
(Matthew 13:24-25)
“An enemy has done this!’ the farmer
exclaimed. ‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they
asked. ‘No,’ he replied, ‘you'll uproot the wheat
if you do. Let both grow together until the
harvest.’” (Matthew 13:28-30)
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“…the repeated identification of Satan as ‘the
deceiver’ solicits an understanding of the means
by which the uprising must be overcome. As a
deceiver, Satan wins support for his cause and
programe by something other than what he truly
represents. If this is the case, [the] simple
demolition of the deceiver will not suffice unless
or until his true character has become manifest.
Such a perception of the cosmic conflict depends
on [the] presentation of evidence for its resolution.
To the extent that the deceiver wins support by
purporting to be what he is not, he must be
unmasked by evidence to the contrary, that is, by
the evidence of his own actual deeds.
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To the extent that the deceiver gains influence by
slandering his opponent…his cause will unravel if the
actual deeds of his opponent turn out to be different
from what the slanderer has made them out to be. The
crucial point relates to the fact that a conflict of this
nature cannot be resolved by force. Inevitably, this
requirement exposes at least one troubling risk that is
intrinsic to the non-use of force: If the deceiver is
partly to be unmasked by the evidence of his own
actions, it means that he will be granted the
opportunity to bring his design to fruition. Satan must
be allowed to commit evil for his evil character to be
manifest. The political risk to the diving government
of this projected policy, not to mention the theological
risk, hardly needs to be elaborated.” (Tonstad)
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Revelation 19, another rider:
 “Faithful and True”
 A sword coming out of his mouth
 He has a “robe…covered with blood”
(Revelation 19:13)
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“The first angel blew his trumpet. Hail
and fire, mixed with blood, came pouring
down on the earth. One-third of the earth
was burned up, a third of the trees, and
every blade of green grass.” (Revelation
8:7)
“I saw a large red dragon with seven
heads and ten horns, with seven crowns
on his heads. His tail swept away onethird of the stars in the sky, and he threw
them to the earth.” (Revelation 12:3-4)
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“When the influence of Revelation 12 is
felt…the recurring ‘third’ suggest a sense that
will not be a reference to quantity…[but] an
answer to the question, ‘who?’ …the ‘thirds’
under the trumpets serve as a signifier of
agency and therefore as a telltale sign of
demonic activity. The revelator perceives in
these ‘thirds’ the fingerprint of Satan on all the
instances of disaster and suffering that he
catalogues…” (Tonstad, pg 112)
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3rd trumpet: “…a great star fell from the
sky, burning like a torch. It fell on onethird of the rivers and on the springs of
water.” (Revelation 8:10)*
“How you are fallen from heaven, O
shining star, son of the morning! You
have been thrown down to the earth, you
who destroyed the nations of the world.
(Isaiah 14:12)
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5th trumpet: “I saw a star that had fallen to
earth from the sky, and he was given the
key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. When
he opened it, smoke poured out as though
from a huge furnace, and the sunlight and
air turned dark from the smoke. Then
locusts came from the smoke and
descended on the earth, and they were
given power to sting like scorpions…from
their mouths came out fire, smoke and
sulfur.” (Revelation 9:1-3,17)
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“They have a king ruling over them, who
is the angel in charge of the abyss. His
name in Hebrew is Abaddon; in Greek
the name is Apollyon (meaning “the
Destroyer”)” (Revelation 9:11)
“You have destroyed your land, you
have killed your people” (Isaiah 14:20)
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“Then I heard a mighty voice from the
Temple say to the seven angels, ‘Go and
pour out on the earth the seven bowls
containing God’s wrath.’” (Revelation
16:1)
“…the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation
6:16)
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“I was shown that the judgments of God would not
come directly out from the Lord upon them, but in this
way: They place themselves beyond His protection.
He warns, corrects, reproves, and points out the only
path of safety; then if those who have been the objects
of His special care will follow their own course
independent of the Spirit of God, after repeated
warnings, if they choose their own way, then He does
not commission His angels to prevent Satan's decided
attacks upon them. It is Satan's power that is at work
at sea and on land, bringing calamity and distress, and
sweeping off multitudes to make sure of his prey. And
storm and tempest both by sea and land will be, for
Satan has come down in great wrath. He is at work.
He knows his time is short and, if he is not restrained,
we shall see more terrible manifestations of his power
than we have ever dreamed of.” {14MR 3.1}
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“Daniel, don’t be afraid. God has
heard your prayers ever since the
first day you decided to humble
yourself in order to rain
understanding. I have come in
answer to your prayer.” (Daniel
10:1,11-13)
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“The angel prince of the kingdom of Persia*
opposed me for twenty-one days. Then
Michael, one of the chief angels, came to help
me… Now I have to go back and fight the
guardian angel of Persia. After that the
guardian angel of Greece will appear. There is
no one to help me except Michael, Israel’s
guardian angel. He is responsible for helping
and defending me” (Daniel 10:13,20; 11:1 –
GN).
* ”spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia”
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“Everyone worshiped the dragon…”
(Revelation 13:4)