Other references in the Study on Revelation
The apocalyptic literary style generally incorporates certain emphases:
- Dualism = There are two forces at work in the universe and history. In the O.T. they are the God of Israel and any forces opposed to Israel. In the N.T. they are God and Satan.
- Cosmic = The earth, underworld, heaven, and their inhabitants are all involved in the struggle.
- Eschatology = End of time or the last things. The writings deal with two times: present and future. The present age is evil and under the control of Satan. Much of earth’s inhabitants are followers of the evil oppressor. The righteous followers of God are oppressed, persecuted and helpless. They may even be put to death by their evil contemporaries. There is no hope for God’s followers in “this age.” Present things are going to get worse before the end.
- God will deliver = The only hope of the righteous is for God to intervene. The believers are assured that God will soon engage Satan in a cosmic conflict and overthrow Satan. God will win and usher in a New Age completely under God’s control. Believers will live under God’s protection in an eternity of blessedness as their reward for faithfulness to God.
- Other-worldly = Some writings state that the current evil earth will be replaced with a newly created incorrupt earth. Others state this evil earth will be replaced by a perfect heavenly city that will descend from above.
- Visions = Often, yet not always, seen in apocalyptic writings, meant to gain attention and inspire authority.
- Pseudonymity = Usually ascribed to some ancient, famous authority which gives credibility to the writing.
- Messianic figure = Some (not all) refer to a coming savior/liberator. Daniel and Isaiah (24-27) do not. Some refer to an opposing evil figure, such as an antichrist.
- Interim age = Some refer to a time period between the “end time” and the “new age.”
- Angels and demons = both good and evil combatants are mentioned frequently.
- Bizarre symbolism = Literary impressionism such as references to mythological and astrological birds and beast, to produce a desired effect; i.e., fear or security.
- Numbers = Ancient people thought numbers had a mystical significance.
- Coming Woes = As the end draws near, earthly disasters and irregularities in the heavenly bodies will occur. What takes place on earth is determined by what happens among the heavenly bodies.
- Divine responsibility = Humanity is relieved of any responsibility for the improvement of the present age. Everything must be left to God. Righteousness consists of loyalty and devotion to God, to be demonstrated in fidelity to Israel and proper worship rituals. Wickedness demonstrates itself in idolatry, the persecution of the righteous, or in belonging to a people other than the Jewish nation.
Hal Lindsey, The Late Great Planet Earth, 1970, Zondervan.
Matthew 24:32-35 reads, “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
Matthew 24:36, Jesus says,“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
Numbers have significance, and they may not necessarily be meant to be taken literally. For example: 4 = the world; 6 = imperfection; 7 = perfection; 12 = the tribes of Israel, or the apostles; 1000 = immensity. So, 1000 people may be simply a whole lot of people – too many to count. And, millennium (1000 years) may simply be more years than we can imagine.
Revelation speaks to their current suffering in two ways:
- Encouragement to persevere in the faith, and consolation to those who are suffering – they will be vindicated and rewarded.
- The assurance that God will intervene to judge and punish those who are afflicting the church.
In ancient times, during periods of Christian persecution, people would often “make the fish symbol” by drawing a simple fish outline on the ground, usually in sand, as a secret way to identify fellow Christians without raising suspicion from authorities; if someone drew the first part of the fish, another Christian would complete the drawing, signifying their shared faith.
The basic theme you will see repeated is the petitions of the persecuted Christians, the divine response, the plagues of punishment as God intervenes, and the celestial bliss of the redeemed. Here are the divisions of the book as I will be talking about them. This is not the “be all, end all.”
- Introduction = 1:1-20
- Unit One: 7 Letters = 2:1-3:22
- Unit Two: 7 Seals = 4:1-8:1
- Unit Three: 7 Trumpets = 8:2-11:18
- Unit Four: 7 Signs = 11:19-15:4
- Unit Five: 7 Bowls = 15:5-16:21
- Unit Six: 7 Sights = 17:1-20:15
- Unit Seven: New Heaven = 21:1-22:5
- Epilogue = 22:6-21
Chapter One Resources
1 Corinthians 14: 6, 26
6 Now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you in some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?
26 What should be done then, my brothers and sisters? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.
Galatians 1:12 reads, “…for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
John 7:16-17, 28
16 Then Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine but his who sent me. 17 Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own.”
28 Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him.”
John 8:28, So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me.”
John 12:49-50, “…for I have not spoken on my own, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment about what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I speak, therefore, I speak just as the Father has told me.”
Revelation 19:10, “Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’”
Revelation 22:9, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters the prophets and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”
Revelation 22:7, “Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Luke 11:28, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”
1 Thessalonians 5:27, “I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers and sisters.”
Colossians 4:16,“And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea.”
Revelation 1:5-6, “To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”
Revelation 22:18-19, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
Romans 8:15, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’”
Galatians 4:6, “And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”
Mark 14:36, “He said, ‘Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me, yet not what I want but what you want.’”
Luke 11:2, “So he said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, may your name be revered as holy. May your kingdom come.’”
Exodus 19:6, “…but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”
Revelation 20:22, Jesus says, “Surely I am coming soon.”
Revelation 21:5-8, (God speaking) “And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life. Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.’”
Daniel 10:4-6 reads, “On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris), I looked up and saw a man clothed in linen, with a belt of gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the roar of a multitude.”
John 20:16 reads, “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher).”
John 20:28 reads, “Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”
Revelation 7:2 reads, “I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to damage earth and sea…”
Colossians 2:18 reads, “Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, initiatory visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking…”
Chapter Two Resources
Acts 21:11 reads, “He (Agabus) came to us and took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and will hand him over to the gentiles.’”
Jesus introduces himself with a different designation each time:
(1) him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands (2:1);
(2) him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again (2:8);
(3) him who has the sharp, double-edged sword (2:12);
(4) the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze (2:18);
(5) him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars (3:1);
(6) him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open (3:7);
(7) the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation (3:14).
1 Thessalonians 1:3 reads, “…remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Hebrews 6:10 reads, “For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do.”
Matthew 24:11-12 reads, “And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.”
Matthew 22:36-40 reads,“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Revelation 21:8 reads, “…as for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Numbers 31:16 reads, “These women here, on Balaam’s advice, made the Israelites act treacherously against the Lord in the affair of Peor, so that the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.”
Acts 15:20, 29 reads, “…we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from sexual immorality and from whatever has been strangled and from blood… that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.”
Acts 16:14 reads, “A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.”
Acts 14:27 reads, “When they arrived, they called the church together and related all that God had done with them and how he had opened a door of faith for the gentiles.”
Chapter Three Resources
Revelations 4:1 reads, “After this I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’”
Revelation 11:12 reads, “Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here!’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies watched them.”
Revelation 12:5 reads, “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a scepter of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne”
Revelation 21:22 reads, “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.”
Revelation 7:15-17 reads, “For this reason they are before the throne of God and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat, for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Psalm 23:6b reads, “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”
Colossians 2:1 reads, “I want you to know how greatly I strive for you and for those in Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face.”
Colossians 4:13, 15-16 reads, “For I testify for him that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis… Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea and to Nympha and the church in her house… when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea.”
Chapter Four Resources
Mark 1:10-11 reads, “And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’”
Ezekiel 1:26,28 reads, “And above the dome over their heads there was something like a throne, in appearance like sapphire, and seated above the likeness of the throne was something that seemed like a human form… Like the bow in a cloud on a rainy day, such was the appearance of the splendor all around. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.”
Chapter Five Resources
Matthew 1:1, 23 reads, “An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham… and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means, ‘God is with us.’”
Romans 1:3-4 reads, “…the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Psalm 141:2 reads, “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.”
Revelation 6:10 reads, “…they cried out with a loud voice, ‘Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long will it be before you judge and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?’”
Revelation 8:3-4 reads, “Another angel with a golden censer came and stood at the altar; he was given a great quantity of incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that is before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.”
Colossians 1:15-20 reads, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.”
References to both God & the Lamb include 6:16, “hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb“; 7:9, “standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb“; 7:10, “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb“; 14:4, “first fruits to God and the Lamb“; 21:22, “the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple;” 21:23, “the glory of God gives its light, and the Lamb is its lamp;” 22:1, “flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb“; 22:3, “the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city.”
Chapter Six Resources
Revelation 20:12, 15 reads, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books…and anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 13:8 reads, “…and all the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slaughtered.”
Revelation 21:27 reads, “But nothing unclean will enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Revelation 20:12 reads, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books.”
Revelation 10:2, 8-10 reads, “He held a little scroll open in his hand. Setting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land…Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, ‘Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll, and he said to me, ‘Take it and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach but sweet as honey in your mouth.’ So I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter.”
Revelation 8:1 reads, “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”
Zechariah 1:8-11 reads, “In the night I saw a man mounted on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the shadows, and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses. Then I said, “What are these, my lord?” The angel who spoke with me said to me, “I will show you what they are.” So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, “They are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.” Then they spoke to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, “We have patrolled the earth, and the whole earth remains at peace.”
Zechariah 6:1-7 reads, “And again I looked up and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. The first chariot had red horses, the second chariot black horses, the third chariot white horses, and the fourth chariot dappled gray horses. Then I said to the angel who spoke with me, ‘What are these, my lord?’ The angel answered me, ‘These are the four winds of heaven going out, after presenting themselves before the Lord of the whole earth. The chariot with the black horses goes toward the north country, the white ones go toward the west country, and the dappled ones go toward the south country.’ When the steeds came out, they were impatient to get off and patrol the earth. And he said, ‘Go, patrol the earth.’ So they patrolled the earth.”
Revelation 19:11-16 reads, “Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and wages war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a scepter of iron; he will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’”
Revelation 11:7 reads, “When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will wage war on them and conquer them and kill them…”
Revelation 13:7 reads, “Also, it was allowed to wage war on the saints and to conquer them. It was given authority over every tribe and people and language and nation…”
Mark 13:5, 22 reads, “Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray’… False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.’”
Luke 21:9, 11 reads, “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately… there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues, and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.”
Matthew 24:7 reads, “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places…”
Mark 13:8 reads, “For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”
Psalm 45:5, regarding Yahweh/God, reads, “Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; the peoples fall under you.”
Deuteronomy 32:23-25, Yahweh/God says about Israel, “I will heap disasters upon them, spend my arrows against them: wasting hunger, burning consumption, bitter pestilence. The teeth of beasts I will send against them, with venom of things crawling in the dust. In the street the sword shall bereave, and in the chambers terror for young man and woman alike, nursing child and old gray head.”
Ezekiel 5:16-17, Yahweh/God says to Israel, “…when I loose against you my deadly arrows of famine, arrows for destruction, which I will let loose to destroy you, and when I bring more and more famine upon you and cut off your supply of bread.I will send famine and wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children; pestilence and bloodshed shall pass through you, and I will bring the sword upon you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Revelation 14:13 reads, “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.’”
Leviticus 4:7 reads, “The priest shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is in the tent of meeting before the Lord, and the rest of the blood of the bull he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the entrance of the tent of meeting.”
Leviticus 17:11, 14 reads, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you for making atonement for your lives on the altar, for, as life, it is the blood that makes atonement… For the life of every creature—its blood is its life; therefore I have said to the Israelites, ‘You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.’”
Hebrews 11:4 reads, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks.”
Genesis 4:10 reads, “And the Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen, your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!’”
Psalm 79:5-7 reads, “How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealous wrath burn like fire? Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you and on the kingdoms that do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation.”
Psalm 79:10 reads, “Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes.”
Luke 23:34 reads, “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’”
Acts 7:60 reads, “Then (Stephen) knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he died.”
Luke 18:7 reads, “And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them?”
Matthew 5:6 reads, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
Romans 12:20 reads, “…if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink, for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.”
Amos 5:24 reads, “…let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”
Matthew 6:10, 13 reads, “May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven… And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.”
1 Corinthians 16:22 reads, “Let anyone be accursed who has no love for the Lord. Our Lord, come!”
Revelation 22:20 reads, “The one who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
Revelation 7:9, 13-14 reads, “After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands…Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, ‘Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from? I said to him, ‘Sir, you are the one who knows.’ Then he said to me, ‘These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’”
Chapter 6:12-17 and Chapter Seven Resources
Mark 13:24-25, Jesus said, “But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”
Compare to:
Matthew 24:29, Jesus said, “Immediately after the suffering of those days
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.”
Luke 21:25-26, Jesus said, “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
Mark 13:26-27, Jesus said, “Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels and gather the elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.”
Compare to:
Matthew 24:30-31, Jesus said, “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Luke 21:27, Jesus said, “Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory.”
Zephaniah 1:14-15 reads, “The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast; the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter; the warrior cries aloud there. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness…”
Mark 13:28-29, Jesus said, “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.”
Wind speeds by hurricane category:
Ezekiel 5:12 reads, “One third of you shall die of pestilence or be consumed by famine among you; one third shall fall by the sword around you; and one third I will scatter to every wind and will unsheathe the sword after them.”
Ezekiel 9:4, 6 reads, “Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of those who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it… Cut down old men, young men and young women, little children and women, but touch no one who has the mark. And begin at my sanctuary. So they began with the elders who were in front of the house.”
(early Jewish writings) Psalms of Solomon 15.6, “For God’s mark is on the righteous for [their] salvation. Famine and sword and death shall be far from the righteous“
John 16:23, 30, Jesus says, “On that day [Jesus’ return] you will ask nothing of me. Very truly, I tell you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you… (and the disciples respond) Now we know that you know all things and do not need to have anyone question you; by this we believe that you came from God.”
2 Corinthians 12:1-6 reads, “It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows—was caught up into paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me.”
2 Corinthians 5:7 reads, “…for we walk by faith, not by sight.”
1 Corinthians 13:12 reads, “For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
1 John 3:2 reads, “Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.”
Chapter 8 Resources
Exodus 19:17-19 reads, “Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now all of Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended upon it in fire; the smoke went up like the smoke of a kiln, while the whole mountain shook violently. As the blast of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses would speak and God would answer him in thunder.”
1 Cor 7:1, 8, 29-32 reads, “Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: ‘It is good for a man not to touch a woman.’ …To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain unmarried as I am. … I mean, brothers and sisters, the appointed time has grown short; from now on, let even those who have wives be as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no possessions, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord…”
Hebrews 12:18-19, 26-29 reads, “You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them… At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.’ This phrase, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for indeed our God is a consuming fire.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16 reads, “For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 reads, “Look, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
Mark 11:23 reads, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.”
Hebrews 12:18 reads, “You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest…”
Galatians 3:13 reads, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’”
Jeremiah 23:15 reads, “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets: I am going to make them eat wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.”
Chapter 9 Resources
Luke 10:18-19, Jesus said, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. Indeed, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you.”
Joel 2:1, 11 reads, “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming, it is near— … The Lord utters his voice at the head of his army; how vast is his host! Numberless are those who obey his command. Truly the day of the Lord is great, terrible indeed—who can endure it?”
Proverbs 30:27 reads, “…the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank…”
Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6 reads, “One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and the accuser also came among them. The Lord said to the accuser, ‘Where have you come from?’ The accuser answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.’ The Lord said to the accuser, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.’ Then the accuser answered the Lord, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.’ The Lord said to the accuser, ‘Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!’ So the accuser went out from the presence of the Lord… One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and the accuser also came among them to present himself before the Lord. The Lord said to the accuser, ‘Where have you come from?’ The accuser answered the Lord, ‘From going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down on it.’ The Lord said to the accuser, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.’ Then the accuser answered the Lord, ‘Skin for skin! All that the man has he will give for his life. But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.’ The Lord said to the accuser, ‘Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.’”
Luke 10:20 Jesus said, “…do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Jeremiah 23:15 reads, “Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the prophets: I am going to make them eat wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has spread throughout the land.”
Jeremiah 10:1-16 reads, “Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: Do not learn the way of the nations or be dismayed at the signs of the heavens, for the nations are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are false: a tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan; they deck it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammers and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor is it in them to do good. There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For that is your due; among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms there is no one like you. They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction given by idols is no better than wood!Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. They are the work of the artisan and of the hands of the goldsmith; their clothing is blue and purple; they are all the product of skilled workers. But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation.Thus shall you say to them: The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens. It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses. Everyone is stupid and without knowledge; goldsmiths are all put to shame by their idols, for their images are false, and there is no breath in them. They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish. The portion of Jacob is not like these, for he is the one who formed all things, and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; the Lord of hosts is his name.
Romans 1:18-32 reads, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and injustice of those who by their injustice suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. Ever since the creation of the world God’s eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been seen and understood through the things God has made. So they are without excuse, for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Their females exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the males, giving up natural intercourse with females, were consumed with their passionate desires for one another. Males committed shameless acts with males and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them over to an unfit mind and to do things that should not be done. They were filled with every kind of injustice, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. They know God’s decree, that those who practice such things deserve to die, yet they not only do them but even applaud others who practice them.
1 Corinthians 10:19-20 reads, “What do I imply, then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons.
2 Peter 3:8-9 reads, “But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”
Chapter 10 Resources
Revelation 22:16 reads, “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
Daniel 12:7 reads, “The man clothed in linen, who was upstream, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven. And I heard him swear by the one who lives forever that it would be for a time, two times, and half a time and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be accomplished.”
Ezekiel 2:9-3:3, reads, “I looked, and a hand was stretched out to me, and a written scroll was in it. He spread it before me; it had writing on the front and on the back, and written on it were words of lamentation and mourning and woe… He said to me, ‘O mortal, eat what is offered to you; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.’ So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. He said to me, ‘Mortal, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.’ Then I ate it, and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey.”
Chapter 11 resources:
Revelation 21:15 reads, “The angel who talked to me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city and its gates and walls.”
Ezekiel 40:2-3 reads, “He brought me, in visions of God, to the land of Israel and set me down upon a very high mountain on which was a structure like a city to the south. When he brought me there, a man was there whose appearance shone like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand, and he was standing in the gateway.”
Zechariah 2:1-2 reads, “I looked up and saw a man with a measuring line in his hand. Then I asked, ‘Where are you going?’ He answered me, ‘To measure Jerusalem, to see how wide and how long it is.’”
Revelation 21:22 reads, “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.”
Luke 21:24 reads, “…Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the times of the nations are fulfilled.”
Zechariah 4:2-3 reads, “He said to me, ‘What do you see?’ And I said, ‘I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it; there are seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. And by it there are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.’”
Zechariah 4:6 reads, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
1 Kings 17:1 reads, “Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.’”
Luke 4:25 Jesus said, “But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months and there was a severe famine over all the land…”
James 5:17 reads, “Elijah was a human like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.”
1 Kings 18:36-38 reads, “At the time of the offering of the oblation, the prophet Elijah came near and said, ‘O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your bidding. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have turned their hearts back.’ Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust and even licked up the water that was in the trench.”
Jeremiah 8:1-2; 14:16 read, “At that time, says the Lord, the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of its officials, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be brought out of their tombs, and they shall be spread before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, which they have loved and served, which they have followed, and which they have inquired of and worshiped, and they shall not be gathered or buried; they shall be like dung on the surface of the ground… And the people to whom they prophesy shall be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and sword. There shall be no one to bury them—themselves, their wives, their sons, and their daughters—for I will pour out their wickedness upon them.”
(Apocryphal Jewish book) Tobit 1:16-18 reads, “In the days of Shalmaneser I performed many acts of charity to my kindred, those of my people. I would give my food to the hungry and my clothing to the naked, and if I saw the dead body of any of my nation thrown out behind the wall of Nineveh, I would bury it. I also buried any whom King Sennacherib put to death when he came fleeing from Judea in those days of judgment that the King of heaven executed upon him because of his blasphemies. For in his anger he put to death many Israelites, but I would secretly remove the bodies and bury them. So when Sennacherib looked for them he could not find them.”
Ezekiel 5:5; 38:12 read, “Thus says the Lord God: This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her… to seize spoil and carry off plunder, to assail the waste places that are now inhabited and the people who were gathered from the nations, who are acquiring cattle and goods, who live at the center of the earth.”
Psalm 2:1-2 reads, “Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed…”
Revelation 11:18 (Revised English Bible) reads, “The nations were angry, and your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great.”
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 reads, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”
Matthew 25:46 reads, “…these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”
John 5:28 reads, “…the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice.”
Acts 24:15 reads, “I have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.”
Chapter 12 Resources
Luke 2:34-35 reads, “Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul, too.’”
Matthew 2:16 reads, “When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the magi.”
Genesis 3:1, 14-15 reads, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?… The Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.’”
Luke 10:18, Jesus says, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.”
Romans 8:33-34, 38-39 reads, “Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ who died, or rather, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us… For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Mark 13:20 reads, “…if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved, but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days.”
Matthew 24:22 reads, “… if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved, but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.”
Exodus 19:4 God says, “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”
Daniel 7:25; 12:7 reads, “He shall speak words against the Most High, shall wear out the holy ones of the Most High, and shall attempt to change the ritual calendar and the law, and they shall be given into his power for a time, two times, and half a time… The man clothed in linen, who was upstream, raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven. And I heard him swear by the one who lives forever that it would be for a time, two times, and half a time and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be accomplished.”
Isaiah 40:31 reads, “… those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Chapter 13 Resources
Daniel 7:1-7 reads, “In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream: I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then, as I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a human being, and a human mind was given to it. Another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, had three tusks in its mouth among its teeth, and was told, ‘Arise, devour many bodies!’ After this, as I watched, another appeared, like a leopard. The beast had four wings of a bird on its back and four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the visions by night a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth and was devouring, breaking in pieces, and stamping what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that preceded it, and it had ten horns.”
Jeremiah 15:2 reads, “And when they say to you, “Where shall we go?’ you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Those destined for pestilence, to pestilence, and those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine, and those destined for captivity, to captivity.”
Ephesians 6:12 reads, “…our struggle is not against blood and flesh but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Romans 13:3-4 reads, “…rulers are not a terror to good conduct but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval, for it is God’s agent for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority does not bear the sword in vain! It is the agent of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.”
John 5:19, 30 reads, “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own but only what he sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise… I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.’”
John 16:13-14, Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
Revelation 17:11 reads, “As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth, but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.”
Revelation 17:9 reads, “This calls for a mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; also, they are seven kings…”
1 John 2:18 reads, “Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour.”
Chapter 14 resources
Exodus 13:2 reads, “Consecrate to me all the firstborn; whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelites, of human beings and animals, is mine.”
Leviticus 2:9-14, “The priest shall remove from the grain offering its token portion and turn this into smoke on the altar, an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the Lord. And what is left of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings by fire to the Lord. No grain offering that you bring to the Lord shall be made with leaven, for you must not turn any leaven or honey into smoke as an offering by fire to the Lord.You may bring them to the Lord as an offering of choice products, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing odor.All your grain offerings you shall season with salt; you shall not omit from your grain offerings the salt of the covenant with your God; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. If you bring a grain offering of first fruits to the Lord, you shall bring as the grain offering of your first fruits crushed new grain from fresh ears, roasted in fire.”
Nehemiah 10:35-37 reads, “We obligate ourselves to bring the first fruits of our soil and the first fruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord; also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our livestock, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks; and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our soil, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our rural towns.”
1 Corinthians 15:23 reads, “…each in its own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”
Romans 8:23 reads, “…we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”
Romans 16:5 reads, “Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert (firstfruits) in Asia for Christ.”
1 Corinthians 16:15 reads, “Now, brothers and sisters, you know that members of the household of Stephanas were the first fruits in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints…”
James 1:18 reads, “In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave birth to us by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.”
Luke 3:17 reads, “His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
1 Peter 1:19 reads, “…with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.”
1 Peter 5:6-9 reads, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves; keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.”
Deuteronomy 23:9-10 reads, “When you are encamped against your enemies, you shall guard against every evil thing. If one of you becomes unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he shall go outside the camp; he must not come within the camp.”
1 Samuel 21:5 reads, “David answered the priest, ‘Indeed, women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition; the vessels of the young men are holy even when it is a common journey; how much more today will their vessels be holy?’”
2 Samuel 11:11 reads, “Uriah said to David, ‘The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing.’”
2 Corinthians 11:2 reads, “I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”
Galatians 3:28 reads, “There is no longer Jew or Greek; there is no longer slave or free; there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.”
Mark 1:15 reads, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
Matthew 4:17 reads, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Revelation 16:9 reads, “…they were scorched by the fierce heat, but they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues, and they did not repent and give him glory.”
Acts 14:15 reads, “…we bring you good news, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.”
Isaiah 21:9b reads, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon, and all the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground.”
Jeremiah 51:7 reads, “Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine, and so the nations went mad.”
Revelation 19:3 reads, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.“
Hebrews 4:10 reads, “…for those who enter God’s rest also rest from their labors as God did from his.”
Mark 13:26 reads, “Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory.”
Matthew 24:30 reads, “…they will see ‘the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven’ with power and great glory.”
Mark 13:27 reads, “Then he will send out the angels and gather the elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.”
Luke 3:17 reads, “His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”