"THE BOOK OF REVELATION" Chapter Eleven As the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets continues, two more visions are seen. The first involves John himself as he is given a reed and told to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those worshipping there. He is instructed, however, not to measure the court outside the temple, for it has been given to the Gentiles who will tread underfoot the holy city for forty-two months (1-2). This vision may illustrate that while the city of Jerusalem will undergo great persecution during the Jewish War, which lasted about 3 1/2 years (42 months), the true temple of God will not be destroyed (the church, cf. 1Co 3:16; Ep 2:19-22). Then there is the vision of the two witnesses, which falls into three sections. With power they prophesy 1,260 days (42 months), clothed in sackcloth. Identified as the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the throne of God, they have the power to devour with fire from their mouths those who wish to harm them. They also have power to stop the rain during the days of their prophesying, to turn water to blood, and to strike the earth with plagues (3-6). But when their testimony is completed, the beast from the bottomless pit makes war with them and kills them. For three and half days their bodies lies in the street of the great city that is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt (where Jesus was crucified, i.e., Jerusalem). Those who had been tormented by the two prophets rejoice, make merry and exchange gifts (7-10). However, after three and a half days they are raised to life and ascend into heaven, bringing great fear on those who saw them. In the same hour a great earthquake occurs in which a tenth of the city fell and 7000 men were killed. The rest were afraid and gave glory to God (11-13). The two witnesses are reminiscent of Moses and Elijah, also Joshua and Zerubbabel (cf. Zec 3-4) perhaps even John the Baptist and Jesus, but I do not believe they portend two literal persons. Rather, they represent the witness of the church, with the number two signifying the strength of their witness (e.g., "two or more witnesses"). When their testimony is completed, there will be a time of persecution by "the beast" (later identified as Rome, Re 17:7-17) and those of "the great city" (already identified as Jerusalem, Re 11:8). However, the witnesses (i.e., the church) will be victorious, symbolized by their resurrection and ascension to heaven. The interlude ended, it is time for the third woe and final trumpet. As the seventh angel sounded, loud voices in heaven proclaimed "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" The twenty-four elders then fell on their faces and worshiped God, giving thanks to Him for having taken His great power and reigned. While the nations were angry, His wrath has come. So also has the time come for the dead to be judged (which may refer to the martyrs, who were now vindicated, cf. Re 6:9-11), His servants the prophets and the saints to be rewarded, and for the destruction of those who destroy the earth. Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, with the ark of the covenant in the temple, accompanied by lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake and hail (15-19). The physical temple in Jerusalem, which along with the ark (that had disappeared long before) was once the focal point of God's worship and reign, is no more. Now the temple and the ark are seen in heaven, perhaps symbolizing that the worship and reign of God has become universal rather than localized in a physical city and nation (cf. Jn 4:20-24). We have reached the climax of the first half of the Revelation, in which we have been shown judgment against unbelieving Israel, especially the city of Jerusalem. Through the visions of the seven seals and seven trumpets we learn of the arsenal at God's disposal: conquest, war, famine, pestilence, natural calamities, moral decay, external invasion. Just as God used such instruments in His dealings with the nations in the Old Testament, so His Son would use His power to reign over the nations with a rod of iron (cf. Re 1:5; 2:27; 3:21). Truly, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Re 11:15). The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, as foretold by Jesus in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21, exemplified the power of His reign over the nations. His victory over Rome described later in Revelation will confirm His power and dominion as King of kings and Lord of lords (cf. Re 17:14). We have also seen visions designed to comfort the saints being oppressed by their enemies, especially martyrs. God has taken notice of their suffering, and while persecution may temporarily be their lot, victory will ultimately be theirs! Those who suffer death at the hands of their enemies are promised salvation and the blessing of being in the presence and care of the Lord. Nothing can totally stop their witness, and nothing can keep God from remaining true to His covenant with them! POINTS TO PONDER * The remaining visions in the interlude between the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpets, and what happens when the seven trumpet sounds * The significance of these visions, and possible explanations of what they mean as we summarize what we have seen in the first half of the book of Revelation OUTLINE I. MEASURING THE TEMPLE OF GOD (1-2) A. THE COMMAND TO MEASURE THE TEMPLE AND ITS OCCUPANTS (1) 1. John is given a reed like a measuring rod 2. Told to measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there B. THE COMMAND NOT TO MEASURE THE OUTER COURT (2) 1. Told not to measure the court outside the temple 2. For it has been given to the Gentiles, who will tread the holy city under foot forty-two months II. THE TWO WITNESSES (3-14) A. PROPHESYING FOR 1260 DAYS (3-6) 1. Two witnesses given power to prophesy, clothed in sackcloth 2. Identified as the two olive trees and two lampstands standing before God 3. Those trying to harm them are devoured by fire from their mouths 4. Having power: a. To shut heaven so no rain falls during their prophesying b. To turn water to blood c. To strike the earth with plagues as they desire B. KILLED AND DEAD FOR THREE AND A HALF DAYS (7-10) 1. Their testimony finished, the beast will kill them a. The beast that ascends from the bottomless pit b. Who will make war against them and overcome them 2. Their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city a. Spiritually called Sodom and Egypt b. Where our Lord was crucified 3. The peoples, tribes, tongues, and nation who dwell on the earth a. Will see their bodies three and a half days b. Will not allow them to be put into graves c. Will rejoice over them, make merry, and exchange gifts, because the two prophets had tormented those who dwell on the earth C. RAISED AND ASCENDED TO HEAVEN (11-14) 1. After three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them 2. They stood, and great fear fell on those who saw them 3. A loud voice from heaven tells them to "Come up here" 4. They ascend to heaven in a cloud as their enemies saw them 5. In that same hour there was an earthquake a. A tenth of the city fell b. Seven thousand men were killed c. The rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven 6. The second woe is past; the third woe is coming quickly III. THE SEVENTH TRUMPET: THE KINGDOM PROCLAIMED (15-19) A. VICTORY PROCLAIMED (15) 1. The seventh angel sounded his trumpet and there were loud voices in heaven 2. Saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" B. THE TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS WORSHIP GOD (16-18) 1. The elders fell on their faces and worshiped God 2. Giving thanks to the Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come 3. Because He has taken His great power and reigned 4. The nations were angry, and His wrath has come 5. The time has come a. That the dead should be judged b. That His servants the prophets, the saints, and those who fear His name, should be rewarded c. That He should destroy those who destroy the earth C. THE TEMPLE OF GOD OPENED IN HEAVEN (19) 1. The temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple 2. There were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail REVIEW QUESTIONS 1) What are the main points of this chapter? - Measuring the temple of God (1-2) - The two witnesses (3-14) - The seventh trumpet: the kingdom proclaimed (15-19) 2) What was John given and told to measure? (1) - A reed like a measuring rod; the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there 3) What was he told to leave out? Why? (2) - The court outside the temple - It has been given to the Gentiles who will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months 4) What were the two witnesses to do? (3) - Prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth 5) How are they identified? (4) - As the two olive trees and two lampstands standing before God 6) What happens to those who try to harm them during this time of prophesying? (5) - They are devoured by fire from their mouth 7) What power do these two witnesses have? (6) - To shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy - To turn water to blood - To strike the earth with plagues, as often as they desire 8) What will happen when they finish their testimony? (7) - The beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war with them and kill them 9) Where will their dead bodies lie? (8) - In the street of the great city spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where Jesus was crucified 10) How long will people see their dead bodies? (9) - Three and a half days 11) How will those on the earth react to their deaths? Why? (10) - They will rejoice, make merry, exchange gifts - Because the two prophets had tormented them 12) What happened to the two witnesses after three and a half days? (11-12) - The breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet - A loud voice from heaven called them to come up and they ascended to heaven in a cloud 13) What happened in that same hour? (13) - A great earthquake, in which 1/10 of the city fell and seven thousand men were killed - The rest were afraid and gave glory to God 14) What was heard when the seventh angel sounded his trumpet? (15) - Loud voices in heaven saying "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" 15) What did the twenty-four elders do? (16) - Fell on their faces and worshiped God 16) For what did they give thanks? (17) - The Lord God Almighty took His great power and reigned 17) As expressed in their praise, what had come? (18) - His wrath - The time of the dead, that they should be judged - That He should reward His servants the prophets and the saints - That He should destroy those who destroy the earth 18) What was then opened in heaven, and what was seen in it? (19) - The temple of God; the ark of the covenant 19) What then followed? (19) - Lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail
"THE BOOK OF REVELATION" Chapter Ten Just as there was an interlude between the sixth and seventh seals that included two visions designed to comfort the saints, so we find an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpets with three visions that would have similar effect. Chapter ten contains the first vision in this second interlude, in which John describes a mighty angel coming down from heaven and standing with his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. Of particular note is a little book in the angel's hand. When the angel cried out with lion-like voice, seven thunders uttered their voices, but John is forbidden by a voice from heaven to write the things which the thunders uttered. At this point the mighty angel swears by God that there will be delay no longer, for when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet the mystery of God will be finished, as God declared to His servants the prophets (1-7). Then the voice from heaven tells John to take the book from the angel. As he does so, the angel tells him to eat the book, with a warning that while it will be sweet as honey in his mouth, it will make his stomach bitter. When John eats the book, he is told that he must again prophesy about many peoples, nations, tongues and kings (8-11). The significance of eating the little book is clear enough, for it symbolizes John mastering the contents of the message (cf. Eze 2:1-3:11). As to its contents, it may pertain to the prophecies of chapters 12-22, which certainly contains prophecies of peoples, nations, kings, etc. While the sounding of the seventh trumpet would indicate the mystery of God was finished regarding the judgment of Israel, John would be shown more things to proclaim regarding the judgment of Rome starting in chapter 12. The significance of the seven thunders may forever remain an enigma. Summers believes that John was forbidden to record their utterances because there would be delay no longer and the time for warning was over. Hailey suggests that it may indicate that God has many unrevealed weapons in His arsenal of judgments to be used at His discretion, and that man cannot know all of God's ways. This vision appears designed to impress upon John that with the sounding of the seventh trumpet his work will not be over. Indeed, in chapters 12-22 we shall see the revelation of God's judgment against pagan Rome and ultimately the world. POINTS TO PONDER * The first vision of the interlude between the sounding of the sixth and seven trumpets * The significance of the little book given to John to eat OUTLINE I. THE MIGHTY ANGEL WITH THE LITTLE BOOK (1-7) A. THE ANGEL, THE BOOK, AND THE SEVEN THUNDERS (1-4) 1. John describes another mighty angel coming down from heaven a. Clothed with a cloud b. A rainbow on his head c. His face like the sun d. His feet like pillars of fire e. A little book in his hand f. His right foot on the sea, his left foot on the land g. Who cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars 2. When the angel cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices a. John prepared to write what he heard b. But a voice from heaven instructs him to seal up the things uttered by the seven thunders, and not write them B. THE ANGEL AND HIS OATH (5-7) 1. John sees the angel lift his hand to heaven 2. The angel swears by God that there will be delay no longer a. For in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be finished b. As God declared to His servants the prophets II. JOHN EATS THE LITTLE BOOK (8-11) A. JOHN IS INSTRUCTED TO EAT THE BOOK (8-9) 1. The same voice from heaven instructs him to take the book from the angel's hand 2. He is told to eat the book, which will be sweet as honey in his mouth, but will make his stomach bitter B. JOHN EATS THE BOOK (10-11) 1. Taking it from the angel's hand, he ate it 2. It was sweet as honey in his mouth, but his stomach became bitter 3. He is told: "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings." REVIEW QUESTIONS 1) What are the main points of this chapter? - The mighty angel with the little book (1-7) - John eats the little book (8-11) 2) How does John describe the angel which comes down from heaven? (1-2) - Clothed with a cloud - A rainbow on his head - His face like the sun - His feet like pillars of fire - A little book in his hand - His right foot on the sea, his left foot on the land - Who cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars 3) When the angel cried out, what happened? (3) - Seven thunders uttered their voices 4) What did John start to do? What was he told? (4) - To write what he heard - To seal up and not write what the seven thunders uttered 5) What did the mighty angel swear by God? (5-7) - That there should be delay no longer - That in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be finished, just as God declared to His servants the prophets 6) What is John then told to do? (8) - To take the book from the mighty angel 7) What is he told to do with the book? What did he do with the book? (9-10) - To eat the book - He ate the book, which was sweet as honey in his mouth, but made his stomach bitter 8) What was he then told? (11) - He must prophecy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings
"THE BOOK OF REVELATION" Chapter Nine Following the ominous warning of the angel (eagle) in the previous chapter, the fifth angel sounds his trumpet. John sees a star fallen from heaven, to whom is given the key to the bottomless pit. As the pit is opened, smoke rises that darkens the sun and air. Then locusts with power like scorpions came out of the smoke, to whom was given power to harm only those who did not have the seal of God on their forehead. Their power was limited only to torment, not kill, and only for five months. Even so, men wished they could die. John describes the appearance of the locusts, and identifies their king as the angel of the bottomless pit whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon, both meaning "destruction". Thus ends the first "woe", with two more to come (1-12). When the sixth angel sounds his trumpet, John hears a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God. It tells the sixth angel to release four angels who have been bound at the river Euphrates. These angels had been prepared for the hour, day, month and year, to kill a third of mankind. At this point John hears the number of an army of two hundred million horsemen. Describing the colorful breastplates of those on the horses, he also relates how the lion-like heads of the horses blew fire, smoke and brimstone which killed a third of mankind. They also did much harm with serpent-like tails. Despite these two "woes", the rest of mankind did not repent of their idolatry, murders, sorceries, sexual immoralities and thefts (13-21). As one can imagine, attempts to interpret these visions have been many and some quite fanciful. Together with the first four trumpets, I suggest the fifth and sixth trumpets signify tools at God's disposal to bring wrath upon the persecutors of His people. Though allowed to go only so far, Satan's influence can have the effect of weakening a nation from within. There is also the threat of external invasion by enemy forces. Therefore I concur with others that the vision of locusts from the bottomless pit symbolizes the hellish rottenness and internal decadence that would weaken the enemies of God's people from within. The two hundred million horsemen symbolize external invasion as another instrument God would use. Together with natural calamities, (depicted in the first four trumpets), these combined to bring down apostate Israel (cf. Mt 12:43-45; Lk 21:20-24). As Christians in John's day were oppressed by what seemed to be invincible opponents, visions like these would remind them that those "who do not have the seal of God on their forehead" (Re 9:4; 7:3) would be susceptible to God's wrath. POINTS TO PONDER * The sounding of the fifth and sixth trumpets * The significance of the visions when the two trumpets sounded OUTLINE I. THE FIFTH TRUMPET: LOCUSTS FROM THE BOTTOMLESS PIT (1-12) A. THE "STAR" FALLEN FROM HEAVEN (1-2) 1. With the sounding of the fifth trumpet... a. John saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth b. To whom was given the key to the bottomless pit 2. When the bottomless pit was opened... a. Smoke like that of a great furnace arose out of the pit b. The sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke B. THE "LOCUSTS" AND THEIR POWER (3-10) 1. Out of the smoke locusts with great power came upon the earth a. Power like scorpions b. Commanded not to harm the grass, any green thing, or any tree 2. The extent and nature of their power a. Could harm only those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads b. Could not kill, but only torment them for five months c. Men will seek death, but death will flee from them 3. The locusts described a. Their shape like horses prepared for battle b. On their heads were crowns of something like gold c. Their faces were like those of men d. Their hair was like women's hair e. Their teeth was like lions' teeth f. With breastplates like those of iron g. The sound of their wings like chariots with many running horses h. With tails like scorpions, and stings in their tails (though limited in power) C. THE "KING" OVER THEM (11-12) 1. The angel of the bottomless pit 2. Whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon -- The first of three woes is past; two more to come II. THE SIXTH TRUMPET: THE TWO HUNDRED MILLION ARMY (13-21) A. THE FOUR ANGELS BOUND AT THE EUPHRATES (13-15) 1. With the sounding of the sixth trumpet... a. John heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God b. Speaking to the sixth angel who had the trumpet c. Telling him to release the four angels bound at the river Euphrates 2. The four angels released... a. Who had been prepared for the hour, day, month, and year b. Who were to kill a third of mankind B. THE ARMY OF TWO HUNDRED MILLION HORSEMEN (16-19) 1. John heard the number of them 2. What he saw in the vision... a. Those on the horses had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, sulfur yellow b. The horses had heads like those of lions c. Out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone 3. The power of this great army... a. A third of mankind killed by the fire, smoke, and brimstone b. The power to harm is in their mouth and tails like serpents' heads C. THE FAILURE OF THE SURVIVORS TO REPENT (20-21) 1. Those not killed did not repent of their idolatry 2. Nor did they repent of their murders, sorceries, sexual immoralities, or thefts REVIEW QUESTIONS 1) What are the main points of this chapter? - The fifth trumpet: locusts from the bottomless pit (1-12) - The sixth trumpet: the two hundred million army (13-21) 2) When the fifth angel sounded his trumpet, what did John see? (1) - A star fallen to heaven to whom was given the key to the bottomless pit 3) What came out of the pit when it was opened? (2-3) - Smoke which darkened the sun and air; locusts with power like scorpions 4) What were the locusts allowed to harm? (4) - Only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads 5) What other limitations was placed upon their power (5-6) - Could not kill, but only torment for five months 6) How are the locusts described? (7-10) - Their shape like horses prepared for battle - On their heads were crowns of something like gold - Their faces were like those of men - Their hair was like women's hair - Their teeth was like lions' teeth - With breastplates like those of iron - The sound of their wings like chariots with many running horses - With tails like scorpions, and stings in their tails (though limited in power) 7) Who was their king? What was his name in Hebrew and Greek? (11) - The angel of the bottomless pit - In Hebrew, Abaddon; in Greek, Apollyon 8) What did John hear when the sixth trumpet sounded (13-14) - A voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God - Telling the sixth angel to release the four angels bound at the river Euphrates 9) What were the four angels released to do? (15) - To kill a third of mankind 10) What did John hear next? (16) - The number of the army of horsemen: two hundred million 11) What were the colors of the breastplates of those on the horses? (17) - Fiery red, hyacinth blue, sulfur yellow 12) What were the heads of the horses like? What came out of their mouths? (17) - Like the heads of lions; fire, smoke, and brimstone 13) Who was killed by the smoke, fire, and brimstone? (18) - A third of mankind 14) Where was the power to do harm in the horses? (19) - In their mouths and in their tails 15) Of what did those who were not killed not repent? (20-21) - Idolatry, murders, sorceries, sexual immorality, theft
"THE BOOK OF REVELATION" Chapter Eight Following the "interlude" of the previous chapter, in which reassuring and comforting scenes concerning the saints were seen, the seventh seal is now opened. For about a half hour, there is silence in heaven (1). In contrast to all that happened before, the silence must have been striking! Possibly it signifies awe in heaven for what has already been revealed, or for what is about to be revealed. When God acts, those on earth should be in awe (cf. Hab 2:20; Zec 2:13). Should we not expect a similar reaction from His creatures in heaven (Zep 1:7)? Seven angels are seen standing before God to whom are given seven trumpets. Before they sound the trumpets, another angel with a golden censer comes and stands before the altar. To this angel is given much incense to offer along with the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense and the prayers of the saints ascend before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel takes the censer, fills it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. Noises, thunderings, lightnings and an earthquake follow, and the seven angels with the seven trumpets prepare to sound (2-6). The scene appears to suggest that the sounding of the seven trumpets and the things to follow is God's response to the prayers of the saints. It is reminiscent of what Jesus taught in His parable of the persistent widow: "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?" (Lk 18:7; cf. also Re 6:9-10). As the first four angels sound their trumpets in turn, the environment in particular is impacted: * The first trumpet - Hail and fire, mingled with blood, are thrown to earth; a third of the trees and all the green grass were burned up (7). * The second trumpet - Something like a great burning mountain is thrown into the sea, turning a third of it into blood; a third of the sea creatures died, and a third of the ships were destroyed (8-9). * The third trumpet - A great burning star named Wormwood falls on a third of the rivers and springs of water; a third of the waters became wormwood (a bitter wood) and many men died from the bitter water 10-11). * The fourth trumpet - A third of the sun, moon, and stars are struck, so that a third of them were darkened; thus a third of the day and night did not shine (12). The first four trumpets may signify natural calamities that God would use in His judgment against apostate Israel who oppressed His people. They are reminiscent of the Egyptian plagues (cf. Exo 9-10), brought now against herself that is later called "Egypt" (Re 11:8). That only a third is affected, along with the symbolism of trumpets, suggests that the purpose of these judgments would be to warn, giving many opportunity to repent. Before the final three trumpets sound, an angel (or eagle, in some mss) flies through the midst of heaven with loud voice proclaiming a three-fold woe on the inhabitants of the earth (13). While the first four trumpets were bad enough, the worst was yet to come! POINTS TO PONDER * The opening of the seventh seal, the angel with the golden censor, and the sounding of the first four trumpets * The possible significance of the silence in heaven and the first four trumpets OUTLINE I. THE SEVENTH SEAL - SILENCE IN HEAVEN (1) A. THE LAMB OPENS THE SEVEN SEAL (1a) B. SILENCE IN HEAVEN FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR (1b) II. PREPARATION FOR THE SOUNDING OF THE SEVEN TRUMPETS (2-6) A. SEVEN ANGELS PREPARED (2) 1. Seven angels who stand before God 2. To them were given seven trumpets B. THE ANGEL WITH THE GOLDEN CENSER (3-6) 1. Came and stood before the altar 2. Was given much incense to offer... a. With the prayers of all the saints b. Upon the golden altar before the throne 3. The smoke of the incense and the prayers of the saints... a. Ascended before God b. From the angel's hand 4. The angel took the censer... a. Filled it with fire from the altar b. Threw it to the earth -- Accompanied by noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake 5. The seven angels with the seven trumpets then prepared themselves to sound III. THE FIRST FOUR TRUMPETS (7-12) A. THE FIRST TRUMPET: VEGETATION STRUCK (7) 1. Hail and fire, mingled with blood, thrown to the earth 2. A third of the trees burned up, and all green grass burned up B. THE SECOND TRUMPET: SEAS STRUCK (8-9) 1. Something like a great burning mountain thrown into the sea 2. A third of the sea became blood; a third of the creatures in the sea died; a third of the ships destroyed C. THE THIRD TRUMPET: RIVERS AND SPRINGS STRUCK (10-11) 1. A great burning star fell on a third of the rivers and springs of water 2. Named Wormwood, a third of the waters became wormwood; many men died from the bitter water D. THE FOURTH TRUMPET: HEAVENS STRUCK (12) 1. A third of the sun, moon, and stars struck 2. A third of them were darkened, so that third of the day and night did not shine IV. THREE-FOLD WOE ANNOUNCED (13) A. AN ANGEL (EAGLE?) FLYING THROUGH HEAVEN (13a) B. PRONOUNCING A THREE-FOLD WOE (13b) 1. "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth" 2. "Because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!" REVIEW QUESTIONS 1) What are the main points of this chapter? - The seventh seal - silence in heaven (1) - Preparation for the sounding of the seven trumpets (2-6) - The first four trumpets (7-12) - Three-fold woe announced (13) 2) What happened when the Lamb opened the seventh seal? (1) - There was silence in heaven for about half an hour 3) What did John see next? (2) - Seven angels standing before God, to whom were given seven trumpets 4) What did another angel do? What was given him? Why? (3-4) - Come stand before the altar with a golden censer; much incense - To offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne 5) What did the angel then do with the censer? What then happened? (5-6) - Filled it with fire from the altar and threw it to the earth - There were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake - The seven angels with the seven trumpets prepared to sound 6) Describe what happened when the first angel sounded (7) - Hail and fire, mingled with blood, were thrown to the earth - 1/3 of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass 7) Describe what happened when the second angel sounded (8-9) - Something like a great burning mountain was thrown into the sea - 1/3 of the sea became blood, 1/3 of sea creatures died, and 1/3 of ships destroyed 8) Describe what happened when the third angel sounded (10-11) - A great burning star (named Wormwood) fell from heaven on 1/3 of the rivers and springs of water - 1/3 of the waters became wormwood, many men died from the bitter water 9) Describe what happened when the fourth angel sounded (12) - 1/3 of the sun, moon, and stars were struck - 1/3 of them were darkened, and 1/3 of the day and night did not shine 10) What did John next see and hear? (13) - An angel (eagle?) flying through the midst of heaven - Pronouncing a three-fold woe upon the inhabitants of the earth because of the three remaining trumpets about to sound
"THE BOOK OF REVELATION" Chapter Seven Between the sixth and seventh seals, there is an interlude in which John sees two visions. They may be designed to answer the question raised at the end of the previous chapter: "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Re 6:17) In the first vision John sees four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the winds from blowing on the earth, sea, or on any tree. An angel arises from the east having the seal of the living God, who cries out to the other four angels not to harm the earth, etc., until the servants of God have been sealed on their foreheads. John then hears the number of those who are sealed. They are 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel, with 12,000 from each tribe. Of interest is the fact that Ephraim and Dan are not mentioned, while Levi and Joseph are counted as tribes. This suggests to many that the 144,000 of Israel is symbolic (1-8). The second vision reveals a large innumerable multitude of all nations standing before the throne and the Lamb. Clothed with white robes and palm branches in their hands, they cry out "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" They are joined in their praise by angels, the elders, and four living creatures. John is then told by one of the elders that those arrayed in white robes have come out of the great tribulation, with their robes washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Before the throne of God, they serve Him day and night in His temple. Future blessings are then described: God will dwell among them, they shall be free from hunger, thirst, and the heat of the sun. The Lamb will shepherd them and lead them to fountains of living waters, and God will wipe all tears from their eyes (9-17). What do the two visions mean? The 144,000 of Israel sealed on earth may represent faithful Jewish Christians in Palestine leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. They are sealed and thereby spared from God's wrath (cf. Eze 9:1-11). Eusebius says that Jewish Christians were able to flee to Pella before the Romans overwhelmed Jerusalem, just as Jesus urged His disciples to do in Lk 21:20-24. The second vision provides hope for any who must pass through "the great tribulation" (not just Israel, but "of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues"), for it would not be limited to Palestine, but would spread throughout the Roman empire. Provided they have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, they are assured that they will serve God in His temple in "the intermediate state" (between death and the resurrection). They are also promised future blessings in "the eternal state" (after the resurrection and judgment, cf. Re 7:16-17 with Re 21:1-4). Thus it would be Jewish Christians in Palestine, and Christians among all nations willing to remain faithful, who would be able to stand in the day of God's wrath! POINTS TO PONDER * The identity of the two groups in the two visions seen in this chapter * The comfort promised those who would pass through the great tribulation OUTLINE I. THE 144,000 SEALED ON EARTH (1-8) A. THE ANGELS RESTRAINED (1-3) 1. John saw four angels at the four corners of the earth a. Holding the four winds of the earth b. That the winds would not blow on the earth, sea, or any tree 2. John saw another angel ascending from the east a. Crying with a loud voice to the four angels granted to harm the earth and sea b. Instructing them not to harm the earth, sea, or trees until the servants of God were sealed on their foreheads B. THE 144,000 SEALED (4-8) 1. John "heard" the number of those sealed 2. Those sealed were 12,000 each of the tribes of Israel: a. Judah g. Simeon b. Reuben h. Levi c. Gad i. Issachar d. Asher j. Zebulun e. Naphtali k. Joseph f. Manasseh l. Benjamin II. THE GREAT MULTITUDE IN HEAVEN (9-17) A. JOHN SEES A GREAT MULTITUDE (9-12) 1. Which none could number, from all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues 2. Standing before the throne and before the Lamb a. Clothed with white robes b. With palm branches in their hands 3. Crying with loud voices: "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" 4. Angels, the elders, and the four living creatures also join in with praise a. Falling on their faces before the throne and worshipping God b. Ascribing blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might to God B. THE GREAT MULTITUDE IDENTIFIED (13-17) 1. Asked by one of the elders, John puts the question back to him 2. The elder identifies the great multitude: a. Those who come out of the great tribulation b. Who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb c. Who are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple 3. The elder describes their future blessedness: a. The One on the throne will dwell with them b. They shall not hunger nor thirst anymore; the sun nor any heat shall strike them c. The Lamb will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of water d. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes REVIEW QUESTIONS 1) What are the main points of this chapter? - The 144,000 sealed on the earth (1-8) - The great multitude in heaven (9-17) 2) What does John see next? (1) - Four angels at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds from harming the earth, sea and any tree 3) What did an angel ascending from the east cry out? (2-3) - "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." 4) Who and how many were sealed? (4) - 144,000 of the tribes of Israel 5) In the list of those sealed, what two tribes of Israel are missing? (5-8) - Ephraim and Dan 6) What two names are used for tribes which were not normally listed among the twelve tribes of Israel? (5-8) - Levi (the priestly tribe which did not receive a land inheritance) - Joseph (the father of Manasseh and Ephraim, whose two sons made up two tribes) 7) After the 144,000 are sealed, what does John see next? (9-10) - A great multitude of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues - Standing before the throne and the Lamb - Clothed with white robes and palm branches in their hands - Ascribing salvation to God on the throne and to the Lamb 8) Who else joins in with praise to God? (11-12) - Angels, the elders, the four living creatures 9) Who does the elder identify as the great multitude? (13-14) - Those who come out of the great tribulation, who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb - Who are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple 10) What future blessings are they promised to receive? (15-17) - The One on the throne will dwell with them - They shall not hunger nor thirst anymore; neither the sun nor any heat shall strike them - The Lamb will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of water - God will wipe away every tear from their eyes
"THE BOOK OF REVELATION" Chapter Six In this chapter the Lamb looses six of the seven seals on the scroll. The first four seals reveal four horses and their riders (cf. Zec 6:1-8), commonly referred today as "The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse". Notice what is said about the different riders: "...a crown was given to him..." (the rider on the white horse) "...it was granted to the one...there was given to him..." (the rider on the red horse) "...a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying" (the rider on the black horse) "...power was given to them..." (riders on the pale horse - Death and Hades) Who had the power to give a crown, to grant such authority? Who in the midst of the four living creatures might have spoken? Who had power to give to Death and Hades? When we consider that Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth (Re 1:5), that He has the keys of Hades and of Death (Re 1:18), and that He was in the midst of the four living creatures (Re 5:6), it seems clear that the answer is Christ! In other words, the horses and their riders were acting upon the authority and power given them by Christ. Therefore I suggest the following explanations for the first four seals (1-8): The white horse and its rider - Represents military conquest, such as God used to bring judgment upon Assyria (Isa 10:5-7,12-13,15-16) and Babylon (Isa 13:17-20). The red horse and its rider - Represents civil war, in which people would kill one another, such as God used in His judgment against Egypt (Isa 19:1-4). The black horse and its rider - Represents famine, where necessities (wheat and barley) would be scarce, while luxuries (oil and wine) might be in abundance but of little interest to the hungry. God had used famine in His judgment upon Israel (Jer 14:11-12). The pale horse and its riders (Death and Hades) - Represents death brought about by the sword, hunger, death (pestilence), and beasts of the earth. Such severe judgments God had brought upon Jerusalem in the past (Eze 5:17; 6:12; 14:21). Some see the fulfillment of these things in the Roman advance on Jerusalem during A.D. 67-70, as described by Flavius Josephus in his book, The Wars Of The Jews (Bass, Gentry). With the fifth seal (9-11) we are told why God would bring such judgment. Souls have been slain for the word of God and their testimony, and when the time is right the wicked will be avenged (cf. Lk 18:7-8). Meanwhile, souls of the slain are comforted with white robes and rest. Who were these souls? Perhaps Christians who had already paid the supreme price for following Jesus, such as Stephen (Ac 7:54-8:2), James (Ac 12:1-2), Antipas (Re 2:13). The sixth seal (12-17) describes cosmic disturbances and the despair of those trying to hide from God's wrath. Is this scene depicting the end of time (cf. 2Pe 3:7-12)? The language is reminiscent of that describing God's judgment upon Babylon (Isa 13:1-22) and Samaria (Hos 10:7-8). Jesus used similar language to warn people of the impending destruction of Jerusalem (Lk 23:28-30). Therefore I believe it refers to judgment upon unbelieving Israel for persecuting God's people in the 1st century. The guilty would not escape the Lamb's wrath! Who would stand in that day? The answer is in the next chapter. POINTS TO PONDER * The meaning of the four horses and their riders * The reason for the judgment and wrath described in this chapter OUTLINE I. THE FOUR HORSES AND THEIR RIDERS (1-8) A. FIRST SEAL - RIDER ON THE WHITE HORSE (1-2) 1. The Lamb opens the first seal 2. One of the four living creatures says "Come" 3. John sees a white horse and its rider a. The man had a bow b. A crown was given to him c. The man went out conquering and to conquer B. SECOND SEAL - RIDER ON THE RED HORSE (3-4) 1. The Lamb opens the second seal 2. The second living creature says "Come" 3. John sees a fiery red horse and its rider a. The rider was granted to take peace from the earth, and for people to kill one another b. A great sword was given to him C. THIRD SEAL - RIDER ON THE BLACK HORSE (5-6) 1. The Lamb opens the third seal 2. The third living creature says "Come" 3. John sees a black horse and its rider a. A pair of scales is in the hand of the rider b. A voice in the midst of the four living creatures says "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." D. FOURTH SEAL - RIDER ON THE PALE HORSE (7-8) 1. The Lamb opens the fourth seal 2. The fourth living creature says "Come" 3. John sees a pale horse and its rider a. On the horse sits Death, and Hades followed with him b. Power was given to them over a fourth of the earth c. Power to kill with the sword, with death, and by beasts II. THE SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR (9-11) A. THE FIFTH SEAL - SOULS UNDER THE ALTAR (9-10) 1. The Lamb opens the fifth seal 2. John sees under the altar those who had been slain a. For the word of God b. For the testimony they held 3. They cried with a loud voice: a. "How long, O Lord, holy and true" b. "Until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" B. THEIR CONSOLATION (11) 1. A white robe was given to each of them 2. They were told to rest a little while longer, until both their fellow servants and brethren would be killed III. COSMIC DISRUPTIONS IN THE DAY OF THE LAMB'S WRATH (12-17) A. THE SIXTH SEAL - COSMIC DISRUPTIONS (12-14) 1. The Lamb opens the sixth seal 2. Cataclysmic events occur: a. A great earthquake b. Sun becomes black as sackcloth of hair c. Moon became like blood d. Stars fall to the earth, like ripe figs shaken from a tree by a mighty wind e. Sky receded as a scroll when rolled up f. Every mountain and island moved out of its place B. THE REACTION OF MANKIND (15-17) 1. Great and small, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and rocks of the mountains 2. They cry out to the mountains and rocks: a. "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!" b. "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" REVIEW QUESTIONS 1) What are the main points of this chapter? - The four horses and their riders (1-8) - The souls under the altar (9-11) - Cosmic disruptions in the day of the Lamb's wrath (12-17) 2) Who opens each of the seals in this chapter? (1,3,5,7,9,12) - The Lamb 3) What is seen when the first seal is opened? What was given to him? (1-2) - A rider with a bow on a white horse; a crown, who then goes forth conquering 4) What is seen when the second seal is opened? What was given to him? (3-4) - A rider on a red horse; authority to take peace from the earth, that people should kill one another; a great sword 5) What is seen when the third seal is opened? What is heard? (5-6) - A rider with a pair of scales in his hand on a black horse; "A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine." 6) What is seen when the fourth seal is opened? What was given to them? (7-8) - Death riding on a pale horse, followed by Hades; power over a fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth 7) What is seen when the fifth seal is opened? What are they saying? (9-10) - Souls under the altar who had been slain for the word of God and for their testimony - "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 8) How are they consoled? (11) - A white robe to each of them, told to rest a little while longer - Until the number of their fellow servants and brethren who will be killed is completed 9) What is seen when the sixth seal is completed? (12-14) - A great earthquake, sun becomes black, the moon becomes like blood, the stars of heaven fall to the earth, the sky is receded as a scroll, every mountain and island moved out of its place 10) What do the people on earth try to do? What do they say? (15-17) - Hide themselves in the caves and rocks of the mountains - "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!" - "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
Hebrew Vowels and Bible Integrity
|by||Dave Miller, Ph.D.|
If the Hebrew language originally had no vowels, how do we know we have the Old Testament text as God intended?
It is true that the Hebrew alphabet originally had no vowels. For many centuries, Jews wrote the language without any vowels. But that did not mean that there was any doubt or irresolvable uncertainty about the meaning of the words. When Jews grew up learning their language, just like Americans, they grew up learning how to pronounce words and how to write them. The only reason vowels (which are actually a system of points [dots] and other diacritical markings) were invented was so that Jews who did not speak Hebrew (like the Hellenistic Jewish widows of Acts 6) and non-Jews would be able to pronounce the words. The most widely used pointing system was developed by the Masoretes between A.D. 600-1000 (“The Masoretes and…,” 2002; “Aaron ben…,” 2010). Working primarily in the Palestinian cities of Tiberius and Jerusalem, as well as in Babylonia (modern Iraq), these Jewish scribes/scholars were meticulous in their efforts to preserve the Hebrew text in their transcriptions (known as the Masoretic text). We now know they did an outstanding job, because as the Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered in the 1940s) have gradually been examined, it has become apparent that the condition of the Hebrew text in the second half of the first millennium A.D. was virtually the same as reflected in the Dead Sea Scrolls that date back to the first century B.C. Like the New Testament, the text of the Old Testament has been preserved to the extent that Christians may be assured that they are in possession of the Word of God as He intended.
“Aaron ben Moses ben Asher” (2010), Jewish Virtual Library, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/benAsher.html.
“The Masoretes and the Punctuation of Biblical Hebrew” (2002), British & Foreign Bible Society, http://lc.bfbs.org.uk/e107_files/downloads/masoretes.pdf.
Freethought: Not So Free After All
|by||Kyle Butt, M.Div.|
One of the most popular terms used by atheists and agnostics to describe themselves is the term “freethinker.” Accordingly, their self-styled brand of reasoning, known as “freethought,” is hitting the upper echelons of academia as the in vogue way to think. From the ideas contained in this compound word, its advocates are attempting to lead people to believe that freethinkers are free to think as they like. Supposedly, freethinkers can go where the evidence leads them, since they are not bound by traditional ideas on morality, deity, the inspiration of the Bible, and other “wayward” notions that have “hindered” freedom in the past.
One of the most outspoken defenders of freethought is a man named Dan Barker. Prior to his “deconversion” into freethought, he was a zealous denominational preacher and missionary. In his most famous written work describing his new-found atheism, Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist, he includes an entire chapter titled, What is a Freethinker? At the end of this chapter, Barker says, “Freethought allows you to do your own thinking…. Freethought is truly free” (1992, p. 136). Obviously, Mr. Barker wants everyone who comes in contact with freethought to believe that it is an avenue of thinking that allows each individual to go where his or her thoughts lead.
Upon further investigation, however, freethought is not so free after all. On the very first page of his chapter on freethought, he contends, “No one can be a freethinker who demands conformity to a bible, creed, or messiah.” So, according to Mr. Barker, since he and his group of freethinkers do not think they see enough evidence for the Bible’s inspiration, then all “freethinkers” must reject conformity to the Bible. What happened to the idea that freethought allows “you to do your own thinking.” Again, on the same page he wrote, “Freethinkers are naturalistic” (p. 133), meaning that freethinkers cannot believe in anything outside the realm of what can be measured scientifically using the senses. What if certain evidences compel a person to believe in a supernatural deity? According to freethought, a person is not free to follow that type of evidence. Once again, freethought proves to be much less “free” than we have been told.
Another telling statement from Barker’s pen comes on page 134, where he says, “Individuals are free to choose, within the limits of humanistic morality.” Freethought, then, allows a person to choose freely any set of ethical and moral standards, as long as those standards conform to the “humanistic morality” adopted by Barker and his fellow “freethinkers.” But what if those moral standards fall outside the realm of “humanistic morality?” Then a freethinker must choose some other standard—or cease to be a freethinker.
In one of his concluding paragraphs, Barker states: “A multiplicity of individuals thinking, free from the restraints of orthodoxy, allows ideas to be tested, discarded or adopted” (p. 135). Barker subtly omits the other restraints such as naturalism and humanism, from which freethinkers are not free. In essence, freethinkers, according to Dan Barker, are those peoplewho think like him and his fellow freethinkers. If a person does not think like the humanistic, naturalistic Dan Barker, then that person must be an enslaved thinker, not a freethinker. In reality, “freethought” is a misnomer and is not free after all. In fact, it is one of the “least free” ways to think that is available in the marketplace of ideas. In actuality, the only thing that can ever make a person free is the truth (John 8:32). From the statements quoted above, it is evident that Dan Barker and his fellow freethinkers are not really interested in freedom but, rather, are interested in forming a group of “freethinkers” that toes the party line on such false concepts as naturalism and humanism.
Barker, Dan (1992), Losing Faith In Faith—From Preacher to Atheist (Madison, WI: Freedom from Religion Foundation).
Do Animals Have Souls?
|by||Bert Thompson, Ph.D.|
I know the Bible teaches that every human has an immortal soul. But do animals have souls?
If you ever owned a dog, a cat, or any other kind of animal to which you grew attached, you may have wondered whether or not that animal had a soul. Men and women through the ages have pondered the same question. Animals— whose vast numbers stretch into the millions—are ubiquitous as our co-inhabitants on planet Earth. They serve as an unpaid, ever-dependable, and quite invaluable work force as they help the farmer plow a rough field or the blind person cross a busy city street. They account for a considerable portion of the total world food supply for humans. They provide joy and companionship for young and old alike. They are an undeniable boon to mental health, especially for sick children and the infirm elderly. Surely none among us would doubt the many benefits that accrue as a result of the presence of animals among us.
But do animals possess souls? And if they do, is their soul the same as a human soul? That is to say, is it immortal—will it eventually inhabit either heaven or hell?
The English word “soul” derives from a number of different words in the Old and New Testaments and is used in the Bible in a variety of ways. First, it is employed as a synonym for a living, breathing person. Moses wrote: “All the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls” (Exodus 1:5; cf. Deuteronomy 10:22). In legal matters also, the word soul was used to denote any individual. The Lord told Moses: “Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, ‘If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the Lord concerning things which ought not to be done’ ” (Leviticus 4:2). When Jacob was speaking of himself in Genesis 49:6, he used the expression, “O my soul”—which meant simply “me.” In each of these instances, actual people—individually or collectively—were under discussion.
Second, the word soul can be used to describe the physical form of life that both men and animals possess and that ceases to exist at death. In their Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver, and Briggs noted that the word “soul” (Hebrew nephesh) often is employed to mean “life principle” (1907, p. 659). In Genesis 1:20,24,30, God spoke of thenephesh hayyah—literally “soul breathers” or “life breathers” (often translated as “living creatures” or “life”—cf. Leviticus 11:10). The writer of Proverbs observed in regard to animals: “A righteous man regardeth the life (nephesh) of his beast; but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel” (12:10). Hebrew scholar Hugo McCord therefore suggested:
Then the translators realized that the first meaning of nephesh is “breath,” and so Genesis 1:20,24,30 and Genesis 2:7 all fit together in understanding Moses as saying that all animals and man too are breathers. Breathers, coupled with hayyah, “living,” the translators thought, would be well translated, in the case of animals, as “living creatures,” and in the case of man as a “living being” (1995, 23:87-88).
Third, the word soul can be used to describe something that is immortal and thus never dies. In speaking of Rachel’s death at the birth of her son, Moses wrote: “And it came to pass, as her soul was departing (for she died)” (Genesis 35:18). While Elijah was at the house of a widow in the city of Zarephath, the woman’s son died. But Elijah “cried unto Jehovah, and said..., ‘O Jehovah my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again’” (1 Kings 17:21). Hezekiah celebrated the fact that the soul survives the death of the body: “But thou hast in love to my soul (nephesh) delivered it from the pit of corruption” (Isaiah 38:17).
Centuries later, the Lord Himself warned: “And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28) When the apostle John was allowed to peer into the book “sealed with seven seals” (Revelation 5:1), he “saw underneath the altar the souls of them that had been slain for the word of God” (Revelation 6:9). Each of these passages is instructive of the fact that there exists within man a soul that survives the death of the body.
The question therefore becomes: Can the word “soul” be used correctly in referring to animals? The first definition obviously cannot apply to animals since animals are not persons. But the second definition most certainly would apply to animals. Compare the following passages. In Psalm 78:50 we find an example of the usage of “soul” as “life” when the writer said in speaking of the people of Egypt (who tried in vain to prevent the Israelites from leaving their country’s slavery) that God “spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence.” In this instance, the word “soul” (Hebrew nephesh) is used to denote the physical life of humans. But in Genesis 1:20,24, the identical Hebrew word is employed to speak of animals as “living creatures” (Hebrew nephesh hayyah). In this sense, then, yes, it is correct to say that animals have “souls”—since the word soul means only physical life. In responding to the question, “Do animals have souls?,” McCord wrote: “Yes, when the word soul, nephesh, only means ‘breath,’ as in Genesis 1:20 (ASV), ‘Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures,’ nepheshhayyah, literally, ‘living soul’” (1999).
But can the third definition be applied to animals? Do animals possess immortal souls that one day will inhabit heaven or hell? In this era of evolutionary fervor and an increasing fascination with all kinds of “rights,” we are reminded constantly that man shares a “kinship” with members of the animal kingdom that positively must not be overlooked. Michael Fox wrote:
There is indeed a kinship in the present diversity and evolutionary continuity of all life.... It is more important today than ever before for human beings to be aware of their kinship with all life. It is essential for our survival that we have a strong reverence for all forms of life as our kin... (1978, p. 121).
Those who do not believe in God or accept the Bible as His Word (and thus deny the existence of an immortal soul) generally perceive animals as man’s equal in almost every aspect. Thus, they often refer to animals as being not one whit behind humans in regard to how they should be viewed or treated. For example, in his book, The Case for Animal Rights, Tom Regan acknowledged that each human is “the experiencing subject of a life, a conscious creature having an individual welfare” (1987, p. 59). But he likewise viewed animals as “the experiencing subjects of a life, with inherent value of their own” (p. 59) and so he asked:
What could be the basis of our having more inherent value than animals? Their lack of reason, or autonomy, or intellect? Only if we are willing to make the same judgement in the case of humans who are similarly deficient. But it is not true that such humans—the retarded child, for example, or the mentally deranged—have less inherent value than you or I. Neither, then, can we rationally sustain the view that animals, like them, in being the experiencing subjects of a life have less inherent value. All who have inherent value have it equally, whether they be human animals or not. Inherent value, then, belongs equally to those who are the experiencing subjects of a life (p. 60).
This type of thinking—that men and animals both possess “inherent value equally”—has set the stage for those who profess a belief in God to set forth their claim that animals do indeed possess immortal souls. In his book, All Creatures Here Below, Frank Hoffman stated:
...if the animal sacrifice is the precursor, or type of the final sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, which is a mainstream Christian teaching, is God’s Word not also telling us that animals do have souls?... Now then, why are we reluctant to accept the fact that animals do have souls? Because we are still trying to hold on to some of our pride, and perhaps our greed. If we do not accept the fact that animals have souls, then we may have a self-acceptable excuse for the way we treat the rest of God’s creatures, which is not in accordance with God’s desire, but ours (1998, emp. added).
The position advocated by such writers is completely at odds with the teaching found in God’s Word. First, man and animals do not share kinship—all the claims of evolutionists (and those sympathetic to them) notwithstanding. The apostle Paul addressed this very point in 1 Corinthians 15 when he wrote: “All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one flesh of men, and another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fishes” (v. 39, emp. added). As Stuart Walker correctly commented: “Genesis 1:26-30 and 2:7,21-25 clearly states that man was a special creation with no phylogenetic relationship to any other creature. Thus, there is a phylogenetic discontinuity between man and animals—we are not physically interrelated” (1991, 5:21, emp. added). As Adam previewed the animals in the Garden of Eden for a mate and went about naming them (Genesis 2:18-20), this “discontinuity” became clear. Among all the animals that God had created, there was none that corresponded to him. Not one sufficed to remove him from his personal isolation of being “alone” (Genesis 2:18). As Walker went on to note:
Thus, we share in the life principle, but it is not the life principle itself that is precious.... Ontological continuity cannot be established upon the experiences of life, the intrinsic value of life itself, or physical parallels between animals and humans; rather, we are separated from the animal world by an impassable gulf—a chasm of essential difference in who we are (1991, 5:22, emp. added).
Second, man was commanded to “subdue and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28). The Hebrew word for “subdue” (kabash) is described in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance as meaning “to tread down,” “to bring under subjection,” etc. The same word is used in Numbers 32:22, 29 and Joshua 18:1 where it is used to describe the subduing and pacifying of Israel’s enemies. To kabash, therefore, is to
face that which opposes us and is inimical in its present state to our goals and well-being, and bring it into conformity with our needs—completely pacifying it.... Thus it can be inferred that when God gave Adam dominion over the creative order, He was describing a pre-emptive authority which man would wield over the creation as he interpreted the cosmos and manipulated its functions to man’s benefit... (Walker, 5:25).
Man’s “pre-emptive authority” over the creation, including the animal kingdom, was demonstrated quite forcefully in a single stroke when God granted mankind permission to kill and eat animals for food (Genesis 9:3-4). Interestingly, however, within the same context God specifically forbade manslaughter “for in the image of God made he man” (Genesis 9:5-6). If man “shares kinship” with animals or if animals possess immortal souls, why would God permit him to kill his own kin—relatives whose souls are no different than his own? As Neale Pryor commented: “Animals also have a ruach [a Hebrew word for “breath” or “life”—BT/SE] (Genesis 6:17). Killing one who has a ruach or nephesh would not necessarily constitute murder; otherwise animals could not be sacrificed or slaughtered” (1974, 5:34). God’s prohibition against murder carried over even into New Testament times (Matthew 19:18). At the same time, however, God broadened the list of animals that men could kill and eat (Acts 10:9-14). Why was it that mencould not kill other men, but could kill animals? The answer lies, of course, in the fact that animals were not created “in the image of God.”
Third, although it is true that at times the Bible uses the same terms to refer to the life principle/force in both humans and animals (e.g. Genesis 7:22), and although it is true that those terms may be used to refer to the immortal soul of humans (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Matthew 10:28), they never are employed by Bible writers to refer to an immortal soul in animals. In theirCommentary on the Old Testament, Keil and Delitzsch observed:
The beasts arose at the creative word of God, and no communication of the spirit is mentioned even in ch. ii:19; the origin of their soul was coincident with that of their corporeality, and their life was merely the individualization of the universal life, with which all matter was filled in the beginning by the Spirit of God. On the other hand, the human spirit is not a mere individualization of the divine breath which breathed upon the material of the world, or of the universal spirit of nature; nor is his body merely a production of the earth when stimulated by the creative word of God. The earth does not bring forth his body, but God Himself puts His hand to the work and forms him; nor does the life already imparted to the world by the Spirit of God individualize itself in him, but God breathes it directly into the nostrils of the one man, in the whole fulness of His personality, the breath of life, that in a manner corresponding to the personality of God he may become a living soul (1982, 1:79-80, emp. added).
Man alone was created “in the image and likeness of God” (Genesis 1:26-27)—something that may not be said of animals. Walker therefore asked: “If the putative parallels either do not exist or are insignificant before God, what then is the critical essence of man that distinguishes him from all of creation, and what are the ramifications of this distinction? The key is found in Genesis 1:26-28, 2:18-25, and 9:5-7; it is that only man is created in the image of God” (1991, 5:22, emp. added). Gary Anderson addressed this same point when he wrote:
Man’s concepts of spiritual values, his recognition of morals and his universal acknowledgement that he is responsible for his own behavior set him far apart from the animal world. That is to say, they have no immortal soul, as the following point documents. The spirit of man returns to God who gave it when one dies (Eccl. 12:7). Such is not said of the animal! Adam is called the son of God in Luke 3:38, obviously by creation. What animal is called the son of God or offspring of God? (1989, p. 76, emp. added).
Nowhere does God’s Word indicate that animals were created in God’s image. As Philip Hughes commented:
Only of man is it said that God created him in his image. It is in this charter of his constitution that man’s uniqueness is specifically affirmed as a creature radically distinguished from all other creatures. In this respect a line is defined which links man directly and responsibly to God in a way that is unknown to any other creature. Nothing is more basic than the recognition that being constituted in the image of God is of the very essence of and absolutely central to the humanness of man. It is the key that unlocks the meaning of his authentic humanity (1989, p. 30, emp. added).
But do animals have souls? Animals may be said to have souls—if the word “soul” is used as the Bible employs it in discussing members of the animal kingdom (i.e., to describe only the physical life force found within all living creatures). But if the word “soul” is used to refer to an immortalsoul that one day will inhabit heaven or hell, then no, animals may not be said to possess a soul. This is the only conclusion that can be drawn, respecting the instruction on the subject found within the Word of God.
Anderson, Gary L. (1989), “The Lord...Formeth the Spirit of Man within Him,” In Hope of Eternal Life, ed. Bobby Liddell (Pensacola, FL: Bellview Church of Christ), pp. 70-81.
Brown, Francis, S.R. Driver, and Charles Briggs (1907), A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (London: Oxford University Press).
Fox, Michael (1978), “Man and Nature: Biological Perspectives,” On the Fifth Day, ed. Richard K. Morris and Michael Fox (Washington, D.C.: Acropolis Books).
Hoffman, Frank (1998), “Of Life and Soul,” All Creatures Here Below [Online], URL: http://www.all-creatures.org/book/book-alcr3.html.
Hughes, Philip Edgecumbe (1989), The True Image (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).
Keil, C.F. and F. Delitzsch (1982 reprint), Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).
McCord, Hugo (1995), “What is the Soul,” Vigil, 23:87-88, November.
McCord, Hugo (1999), “Do Animals Have Souls?,” personal correspondence.
Pryor, Neale (1974), “Abortion: Soul and Spirit in the Hebrew Language,” Spiritual Sword, 5:33-35, April.
Regan, Tom (1987), The Case for Animal Rights (Clarks Summit, PA: International Society for Animal Rights).
Walker, T. Stuart (1991), “Animal Rights and the Image of God—Part II,” Journal of Biblical Ethics in Medicine, 5:21-27, Spring.