EB: 21 Perspective for the Endtimes

Chapter 21

Perspective for the Endtimes

Contents

A) LOOKING UP to see God’s glory

B) Seeing and hearing God in the Revelation

C) LOOKING FORWARD to God’s evaluation & reward

Primary Points

• This message has been one of the most powerful helps to enable the author to experience the necessary faith, strength, courage, passion, and peace to face the Endtimes in a God-glorifying way.
• There is an important motto for anyone obeying Christ’s Last Great Commandment: LOOK UP, NOT DOWN.
• When we use our imagination to see how big, powerful, and caring God is, all of the dangers we imagine we might face on Earth get much smaller and less scary.
• We will feel God’s perfect peace if we LOOK UP! and trust God and fix our thoughts and imagination on Him (Isa 26:3).
• Scripture reveals pictures of God and Heaven. Through these biblical portraits we can “see” God and be awed at who He is and even what He looks like.
• What could possibly give Isaiah the faith, strength, courage, and even passion to obey a difficult command? Isaiah SAW GOD.
• If you will LOOK UP and at the picture Daniel gives you of God, the big scary things in the Endtimes will get smaller in your mind.
• At the very beginning of the most frightening and overwhelming book that exists on Earth, we read: Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come, referring to God the Father (Rev 1:4 ^[1]).
• Every human being who has ever lived has had a book written about their life. And every human being will be evaluated and eternally rewarded or punished according to what was recorded in the books.
• Twice God inspired the list of people who obeyed His command to leave ancient Babylon. Likewise, you can be assured that God will take special notice of those who correctly understand and courageously obey Christ’s Last Great Commandment to leave Endtime Babylon (America), and those people will be recorded in the books and especially rewarded for all of eternity.

As of this writing, this author has spent the last two and a half years thinking, praying, and writing about the biblical doctrine of the Endtimes. When you do that, you will often feel like Daniel who saw visions of these very things. In Daniel chapter 6 he records having to face ferocious lions. He does not describe this as a traumatic experience. But in the next chapters (7-8) he receives visions of the Endtimes and particularly the oppressive activities of the Antichrist.

As a result, he wrote, “I, Daniel, was troubled [kera] in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed [behal] me (Dan 7:15 NIV). He later wrote, I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days… I was appalled [shamem] by the vision (8:27 NIV). The Aramaic word for troubled (kera) can be translated as “distressed,” which means, “pain or suffering affecting the body or the mind.” ^[2] Disturbed translates an Aramaic word meaning to “dismay,” which means: “upset, unsettle, to grieve.” To be appalled (shamem) means to feel “shock.” ^[3]

The courageous Daniel who had faced lions, suffered emotional and mental anguish, grief, exhaustion, and shock when he saw what God’s people will experience in the Endtimes. This author can testify that he has experienced the same in his studies of Daniel’s and John’s visions of the Endtimes and what they mean for the Church.

How does one overcome the emotional and mental weight of what God has revealed and commanded for His Church in the Endtimes? This author would testify that the biblical truth in this chapter has been one of the most powerful helps to enable him to experience the necessary faith, strength, courage, passion, and peace to face the Endtimes in a God-glorifying way. That experience and its affect can be summed up in Isaiah’s proclamation about God when he experienced something similar: You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isa 26:3 NLT). Even in the Endtimes.

A) LOOKING UP to see God’s glory

A.1) The importance of LOOKING UP

There is an important motto for anyone obeying Christ’s Last Great Commandment: LOOK UP, NOT DOWN. To merely “look down” is to only focus on all the challenges, tasks, sacrifices, and even dangers of living on Earth in the Endtimes, including obeying Christ’s Last Great Commandment. Even as you consider practically obeying Christ’s Last Great Commandment very heavy questions will press upon your heart and mind.

How would I tell others I’m leaving America? Who would come with me? What would be all the things I would need to do to actually leave America and live in a foreign country? What would it feel like to leave all kinds of things and people in America and live in a foreign country? How would we survive the famines and plagues Jesus predicted? How would we protect ourselves from desperate and violent people? What will The Greatest Persecution be like?

When we think about these things, our imagination goes into high gear. God created us with an imagination. Unfortunately, we use it to try to foresee the future and the dangers and threats that could occur so we can prepare for them and feel safe. We use our imagination to invent strategies to make us feel safe in the scary future we see. In fact, our imagination usually creates powerful pictures in our mind of the very worst things that could possibly happen.

But all of this just “looking down” at what might happen on Earth makes all of these things seem huge and overwhelming in our minds. That kind of thinking and imagining leads to one exhausting, heavy, and depressing result: WORRY. We use our God-given imagination to worry, worry, worry about the future.

Instead of just LOOKING DOWN to see things on Earth, we need to LOOK UP and see God on His throne in Heaven. Only then will we have any hope of having the faith and strength to obey Christ’s Last Great Commandment in a God glorifying way.

What does it mean to LOOK UP in the Christian life? God commands us to LOOK UP when we read: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Col 3:2 NIV). To set your mind on things above includes focusing your imagination on things above. What then should we be focused on? We need to use our imagination every day to see and worship God who is on His throne right now. When we use our imagination to see how big, powerful, and caring God is, all of the dangers we imagine we might face on Earth get much smaller and less scary.

The greatness of God makes even the biggest and scariest things on earth looks small. The greatness and glory of God makes it a privilege to do even the most sacrificial and painful things for him. The power of God makes even the scariest things on earth look weak.

This is why Scripture promises: You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isa 26:3 NLT). This is an essential promise for us to believe in the Endtimes if we are going to face it with a God-glorifying faith, strength, courage, and peace. This is an amazing promise. We will feel God’s perfect peace if we LOOK UP! and trust God and fix our thoughts and imagination on Him.

The Apostle Paul revealed something amazing about his life that we envy. He wrote that he experienced visions and revelations from the Lord when he was caught up to paradise in the third heaven and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words (2 Cor 12:1-2, 4 NLT). Paul saw the exalted Lord in heaven. Have you ever wished you could experience that? To just visit Heaven briefly to see the Lord. What would that do for your faith, your courage, and your commitment and devotion to God? It would transform it forever.

We probably are not going to be temporarily transported to Heaven like Paul. But we can experience something similar. Fortunately, Scripture reveals pictures of God and Heaven. They are rare, but they are there. Through these biblical portraits we can “see” God and be awed at who He is and even what He looks like. ^[4] Again, you will probably not be given a vision of God like Paul, Isaiah, Daniel, and John. But their visions of God can guide your imagination to see God for yourself. You use your imagination to sin. Why not use it to put yourself before the very throne of God to see and worship Him?

This is what the very first phrase of the Lord’s Prayer is encouraging us to do. Jesus said:

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. (Matt 6:9-10 NLT)

Jesus wants us to begin prayer by LOOKING UP! to our Father in Heaven and being reminded His will is always done … in heaven because of His power and authority. This is one reason God revealed these pictures of Himself. Not so we would create physical idols of His image to worship, but so we could “see” in our mind Who we are praying to.

Why did God reveal these pictures of Himself? As we study them you will notice all but one of them appear in the context of biblical prophecy about what God’s people will experience in the Endtimes. Why is this? Because God understands that LOOKING UP and seeing Him is the only way we will have the faith, strength, courage, and even peace about serving and glorifying Him in the Endtimes.

A.2) God the Father’s picture in Isaiah

For example, the picture of God the Father in Isaiah was given in the context of giving Isaiah a very difficult task. God says to the Prophet Isaiah:

“Go, and say to this people, ‘Listen carefully, but do not understand. Watch closely, but learn nothing.’ Harden the hearts of these people. Plug their ears and shut their eyes. That way, they will not see with their eyes, nor hear with their ears, nor understand with their hearts and turn to me for healing.”

Then I said, “Lord, how long will this go on?” And he replied, “Until their towns are empty, their houses are deserted, and the whole country is a wasteland; until the LORD has sent everyone away, and the entire land of Israel lies deserted.” (Isa 6:9-12 NLT)

How would you like God to give you that assignment? Being a messenger of condemnation to God’s people. Preaching to harden the hearts of these people, and just make them angry at you. Preaching to hurt them more, not for healing. God was asking Isaiah to do a very difficult, painful, and thankless task. Which is why Isaiah asked, “Lord, how long will this go on?” And the answer was until God’s people completely failed and were completely punished.

What could possibly give Isaiah the faith, strength, courage, and even passion to obey such a difficult command? Isaiah SAW GOD. Before God gave him this great task, Isaiah says:

It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim [lit. “fire beings” ^[5]]… They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” (Isa 6:1-3 NLT)

THAT is what you need to use your imagination to SEE as you face the possibility of the Endtimes and obeying Christ’s Last Great Commandment. What does God your Father LOOK LIKE? He is sitting on a lofty throne, wearing a long robe, with mighty seraphim (“fire beings”) worshipping Him. In the days of kings, the height of a man’s throne, the material and length of his robe, and the majesty of his palace attendants were all a measure of his power, respect, and glory. Certainly God, and everything about Him, is more awesome and powerful than anything or anyone on Earth! LOOKING UP to see God’s glory will give you the faith, strength, courage, and even passion to do anything for Him.

But Isaiah also experienced God’s grace. The sight of the God’s glory led Isaiah to exclaim:

“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” (v. 5)

Isaiah felt completely disqualified to do anything for God because of His sinfulness. We can struggle with the same as we merely LOOK INWARD or BACKWARD to see the weaknesses and sin in our life. We need to again LOOK UP and see God’s grace for us. How did God respond to Isaiah’s sinfulness? Isaiah says God sent one of the seraphim who flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for” (Isa 6:5-7). Likewise, God sent Jesus to come to you, He touched your life, and your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for. Like Isaiah, you too can serve Him because you have been forgiven by the grace of such a glorious God.

But knowing God’s grace alone will not be sufficient to give you the faith, strength, courage, and passion to do hard things for God. You can be convinced of God’s forgiveness and still lack the power to face the future with peace instead of worry. This is why God revealed both His grace and glory to Isaiah. It is not just what God does for you that compels you to obey Him. Just as important is WHO HE IS. Isaiah knew that God is not only merciful, but majestic and worthy of all your adoration. Only seeing the awesome glory and power of God could sustain Isaiah on the difficult mission God gave Him.

Isaiah was changed when he saw the Lord (Isa 6:1) and His glory. As a result Isaiah writes: Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” What was Isaiah’s response after he saw the Lord? Isaiah said, “Here I am. Send me” (Isa 6:8 NLT). It was not just God’s forgiveness, but His awesomeness that led Isaiah to cry out, “Here I am. Send me!” It did not matter what being God’s messenger to this people would require. Seeing God gave Isaiah the faith, strength, courage, peace, and even passion to gladly serve and obey God. This is why Isaiah later said to God, You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isa 26:3 NLT). He said that from experience. Seeing God’s glory changed Isaiah.

This is why Scripture says: We all, who … contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory (2 Cor 3:18 NIV). The awe you experience from meditating on God’s glory changes your life. It transforms you from being overwhelmed, afraid, and discouraged, to being strong, fearless, and zealous for God.

God will do the same for you whenever you become overwhelmed with what He is commanding you to do, or allowing you to experience. LOOKING UP to imagine and meditate on God’s glory and power will also strengthen you to face the Endtimes and obey Christ’s Last Great Commandment in a God-glorifying way.

A.3) God the Father’s picture in Daniel

In Daniel chapter 7 the Prophet describes terrifying visions of the Endtimes. Daniel saw powerful pagan empires portrayed as mighty and ferocious beasts (v. 3). This included a fourth beast portraying Antichrist’s Beast Empire in the Endtimes. To Daniel, it looked terrifying and frightening and very powerful and it devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet (v. 7, NIV, NLT). Daniel also saw the future Antichrist himself who will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints (v. 25) and will be waging war against the saints and defeating them (v. 21 ^[6]).

The Endtimes will be a horrific time on Earth, even for the Church, the saints. It will seem like Evil is the most powerful force in the Universe, doing whatever it wants, even to God’s people. Which is why, as noted above, the Prophet later admitted, “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me” (v. 15 NIV). Merely LOOKING DOWN on what will be happening on the Earth in the Endtimes will have the same affect on us.

Which is why in the middle of this vision God gave Daniel a rare picture of God in Heaven. God wanted Daniel to LOOK UP from what the Antichrist will be doing on Earth, to focus on how God will be ruling everything from Heaven. Daniel writes:

As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool… Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. (Dan 7:9-10 NIV)

Clearly, this is God the Father because God the Son (described as a son of man) is portrayed later as one who approached the Ancient of Days (v. 13). ^[7] God the Father is called the Ancient of Days referring to His eternal nature. Accordingly, Scripture describes Him elsewhere as the eternal God (Deut 33:27) and the God who has ruled forever (Ps 55:19 NLT). ^[8] In the face of powerful evil in the Endtimes, God wants to remind us they are very temporary compared to Him and His Kingdom. In fact, the vision ends by predicting:

The court [in Heaven] will pass judgment, and all his [Antichrist’s] power will be taken away and completely destroyed. Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.” (Dan 7:26-27 NLT ^[9])

No matter how powerful the Antichrist may become, God will easily destroy him and his kingdom on Earth when his God-given purpose is completed. This promise must be kept in mind by those who will face the Antichrist in the Endtimes. As demonstrated elsewhere, his Greatest Persecution will only last a mere 3.5 years (cf. BBP ch. 15) during which the saints will be oppressed and defeated (vs. 21, 25). But after that, God’s kingdom on the New Earth will last forever and the greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to those same saints for all of eternity!

THAT is the future that God wants you to focus your imagination on. Not all the threats and difficulties you might encounter on the Earth in the Endtimes because you obey Christ’s Last Great Commandment. If you will LOOK UP and at the picture Daniel gives you of God, the big scary things in the Endtimes will get smaller in your mind.

God the Father is pictured as wearing pure white clothing and having pure white hair. This is why I refer to this picture as the God in White on His Throne. That sums up the picture I want to have of God when I need faith to face the future.

The color white obviously refers to His holiness, although His white hair probably refers to His infinite wisdom. ^[10] Humans can look at God’s plan for the Endtimes and question its goodness. But everything predicted about the Endtimes will happen exactly as God wanted it and planned it. So we should remember that God predestined what will happen, using perfect wisdom. Do you really want to question the Ancient of Days with pure white hair? Therefore, we should seek to understand the GLORY of God’s Endtime plans.

Finally, Daniel saw that ten thousand times ten thousand Angels stood before God the Father. One translation explains, the many tens of thousands stood ready to serve him (NET). But not only Him, but God’s people in the Endtimes. All angels are ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation (Heb 1:14 NIV). So here is Daniel’s vision of the Endtimes. God the Father, dressed in white and with white hair, will be sitting on His throne in ultimate charge of everything in the Universe, and constantly sending out His Angels to help His people. Be assured, God will send Angels to help you when you are doing something really hard for Him like obeying Christ’s Last Great Commandment.

Again, to have the necessary faith, strength, courage, and even passion to obey God in really hard things, we need to LOOK UP with our imagination and see this God. Which is why God revealed a picture of Himself in the midst of Daniel’s vision of the Endtimes. God wanted Daniel and us to have His perspective on the Endtimes. To see things on Earth from Heaven’s perspective. Then we will know that these beast empires, and even the last beast empire of the Antichrist, are small and weak compared to how big and powerful God is.

If Daniel did not focus on God, who was on His throne watching and reigning over all of this, then the Antichrist and His persecution of God’s people would seem too big and too scary. And knowing that we may experience what Daniel saw of the Antichrist will also be too big and too scary for us, if we do not LOOK UP and keep seeing how big and powerful and caring God is, even in the Endtimes.

LOOKING UP to see and worship God our Father in White on His Throne will give us the biblical purpose, passion, and perspective we will need in the Endtimes. Seeing Him reminds us that our purpose is to please and glorify Him. Seeing Him gives us a passion to love and serve Him. Seeing Him gives us a heavenly God-centered perspective on everything on Earth.

When we are afraid of what might happen in the Endtimes, we must LOOK UP to see our Father in White on His Throne surrounded by flaming Angels, who is controlling everything in the world and our life. When we are overwhelmed about all the things we need to do in the Endtimes, we need to remember we are doing all of it for our Father in White on His Throne who will see all we do for Him, and it will all feel like a privilege. If we will continue to LOOK UP and see our Father in White on His Throne, as we face the Endtimes, we will experience what Isaiah said of God: You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isa 26:3 NLT).

 

B) Seeing and hearing God in the Revelation

B.1) God the Father’s picture in Revelation

The book of Revelation is by far the most frightening and overwhelming book that exists on Earth. Partly because it is not a fictional story, but a prophecy from God about the end of this world. It predicts a very dark and painful future for the world and the Church. It is not until the very end of the book that we read of the perfect New Earth. The dark and painful predictions begin primarily in chapter 6. These include: the emergence of the Antichrist to conquer the world (cf. vs. 1-2), catastrophic war when the people, place, wealth, and technology of Endtime Babylon (America) will be destroyed (cf. vs. 3-4), severe economic hardship caused by the destruction of Endtime Babylon (America), such that a loaf of bread will cost an entire day’s wages (cf. vs. 5-6), the deaths of all people living on one-fourth of the earth … with the sword of violence and famine and disease (v. 8), and finally, the murder of a multitude of God’s people during The Greatest Persecution (cf. vs. 9-11; 7:9, 14).

Such predictions of the Endtimes are overwhelming. So much so that popular teaching in the Church tries to ignore or diminish the pain that is predicted for Christians in the Endtimes. But God wants His people to face the Endtimes with God-glorifying faith, strength, courage, peace, and even joy. He wants us to experience what Isaiah experienced when he said of God: You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isa 26:3 NLT).

So what does God do? In the beginning chapters of the scariest and heaviest book in Scripture, He gives us the most detailed pictures we have in Scripture of both Heaven and God the Son in all their glory. Before God reveals the dark and painful future the Church will face, He reveals His power, control, and glory.

Why? Again, to give us God-pleasing faith, strength, courage, passion, and peace, as we contemplate facing the Endtimes and obeying Christ’s Last Great Commandment revealed in the same book. It is in these pictures that we can best experience the life-changing, faith altering transport of the Apostle Paul to the third heaven (2 Cor 12:2), before we face the Endtime catastrophes on Earth. Before God warns His people of these catastrophes, He wants to remind them that He is on the throne allowing them, and fulfilling His purpose for His people through these painful events.

First, we will look at Revelation’s picture of God the Father. John writes:

I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like sparkling diamonds and red rubies. And the glow of a green emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. (Rev 4:2-3 ^[11])

The Person described here is clearly God the Father as He is distinguished from the Lamb, God the Son, throughout the passage (cf. 5:5, 7; 6:16; 7:10). ^[12] Admittedly, it is difficult to understand the meaning of all the imagery here. Once again, we see God the Father sitting on a throne in heaven, portraying His power and control over everything predicted in the Revelation. As MacArthur notes:

A vision of God’s immovable throne reveals He is in permanent, unchanging, and complete control of the universe. That is a comforting realization in light of the horror and trauma of the end-time events about to be revealed. ^[13]

Likewise, Thomas comments here that the Greek word (thronos) translated throne is used 11 times in Revelation chapter 4 to refer to the throne of God the Father. He concludes: “The major focus of chapter 4 upon the throne is its symbolism of God’s sovereignty exercised in judgment… Though evil reigns for a time on earth, God will ultimately prevail.” ^[14]

The glory of God the Father is so brilliant that John can only say He looked like (homoios horasei “similar in appearance”) the most beautiful and precious gemstones like sparkling diamonds and red rubies and a rainbow like a green emerald. The Prophet Ezekiel gives us the best interpretation of what all this brilliant color means. He saw a very similar vision of God the Father (cf. Ezek 1:25-28) and concluded: This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD (v. 28). MacArthur notes regarding the imagery: “All the shining, flashing facets of the glory of God are compared to a diamond, brilliantly refracting all the colors of the spectrum.” ^[15]

Of course, such pictures of God the Father cannot completely reveal how glorious, magnificent, and powerful He is. But there are beings in Heaven right now who are looking at Him. You cannot physically see God right now, but they can. And their response to what they are seeing is another way you can begin to grasp the power, glory, and authority of God.

Regarding the four living creatures we read: Day and night they never stop saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (4:6, 8 NIV).

Regarding the twenty-four elders we read: They lay their crowns before the throne and say: “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (4:10-11 NIV)

Regarding the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders we read they are constantly singing in a mighty chorus: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing” (Rev 5:11-12 NLT).

Finally, regarding every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea we read that that they are singing: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne [God the Father] and to the Lamb [God the Son] forever and ever.” And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb” (5:13-14 NLT).

And we will do the same if we will LOOK UP and imagine God with all the power, glory, and majesty Scripture ascribes to Him. Do you think those beings who see and worship God right now in Heaven are afraid of anything on Earth, including the Endtimes? No they are not. Why not? Because they always see God.

B.2) God the Father’s encouragement in Revelation

Revelation’s picture of God the Father is certainly glorious. However, the most encouraging aspects about God the Father at the beginning of Revelation is not what He looks like, but what He says. At the very beginning of the most frightening and overwhelming book that exists on Earth, we read: Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come, referring to God the Father (Rev 1:4 ^[16]). Notice God says this only 4 verses into the book. Your Father greets you with grace and peace before He reveals the unprecedented and world-ending wars, famines, plagues, earthquakes, and persecutions that His Church on Earth will experience in the Endtimes. Why?

Because only a few verses later: The Lord God the Father says … “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end… I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One (Rev 1:8 NLT ^[17]). God the Father is the Beginning, the End, and Everything in between of everything in the Universe. Everything exists for His purposes and glory, including His people in the Endtimes. And despite the powerful evil forces that will control this world, they will be no match for the Almighty One. It is by His will and by His power and for His glory that everything in the Revelation will be fulfilled exactly how He says it will.

God the Father is called the Almighty ten times in the NT. 9 of the 10 times are all in the book of Revelation (cf. 1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 15; 21:22). The word Almighty is translated from a Greek word (pantokrator) that comes from two words, one meaning “all” or “everything” (pantos), and the other meaning “to hold” (kratein). God your Father is telling you 9 times throughout the book of Revelation that He holds and controls everything in His power, including the Endtimes. Which is why before describing the unleashing of His punishments for Earth, we read:

Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne [God the Father]. There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals. (Rev 5:1 ^[18])

Revelation reveals that this scroll contains the Trumpet and Bowl Punishments that God the Father will unleash on this world (cf. CET ch. 14, sec E). God the Father gives the scroll to God the Son (Rev 5:7) because He alone is worthy to take the scroll and open its seals (5:9). And it is Jesus Christ who breaks every one of the seven seals on the scroll, unleashing the disasters they contain (cf. 6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 8:1). Yes, the Antichrist will have his time to rule this Earth. But God wants us to LOOK UP and see that God will be in complete control of the catastrophes occurring in the Endtimes.

This is why Revelation 6 says the first horseman depicting the beginning of Antichrist’s activities will be given a crown … as a conqueror (v. 2 NIV). Likewise, the horseman depicting War will be given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword (v. 4 NIV). The horseman of Death will be given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth (v. 8 NIV).

The Greek word translated given (edothē) is important in the book of Revelation and is used 18 times. As Osborne explains: “It denotes the sovereign power of God over all his creation, even the forces of evil. Everything Satan and his minions do in the book occurs only by divine permission.” ^[19]

Likewise, God’s sovereignty in this is described in Revelation chapter 13 where we read of the beast Antichrist:

There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him… It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. (vs. 5, 7 NASB)

Who gives these demonic forces the power to do their deeds, including overcoming the saints? Ultimately, it is God the Father, the Creator and Ruler of the Universe. ^[20] In one sense, these horsemen are doing the Devil’s will and derive power and authority from Him. But the Devil is only an Angel originally created by God. It is God the Father alone who ultimately grants the power and authority for anyone to do anything in His Creation. Including the demonically empowered disasters of the Endtimes. If you will LOOK UP in the Endtimes to remember the opening statements in the Revelation, it will enable you to experience God-pleasing faith, strength, courage, and zeal in the Endtimes. Or as Isaiah said of God, You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! (Isa 26:3 NLT).

C) LOOKING FORWARD to God’s evaluation & reward

In Daniel’s picture of God and Heaven quoted above, he saw that thrones were set in place and the court was seated, and the books were opened (7:10). These same thrones and books are described at the end of Revelation where we read another description of God the Son. The Apostle John writes:

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were evaluated according to what they had done as recorded in the books… each person was evaluated according to what they had done. (Rev 20:11-13 NIV ^[21])

Given the presence of a great white throne at this event, it can be referred to as The Great White Throne Evaluation. ^[22] It is probably the exalted Christ sitting on this throne ^[23] as Jesus described the same event when He said:

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.” (Matt 25:31-33 NIV)

At this event, every single person who has ever lived will stand before Christ to be evaluated. ^[24] John saw that the earth and sky fled from his presence indicating that the New Heavens and Earth have been created and eternity has begun (cf. Rev 21:1-4). Therefore, it will not matter how long it takes to evaluate every person, because time will not exist. Every human being who has ever lived will have their personal appointment with Christ, even if it requires the first ten million “years” of Eternity.

What will happen at The Great White Throne Evaluation? All of humanity will be standing before the throne and books will be opened. One will be the book of life which will reveal who is eternally saved (the sheep, Matt 25:32), and who is eternally damned (the goats). But the text makes it clear that other books will also be opened. These could be called the Books of Deeds. Every human will be evaluated according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

This is a life-changing revelation. Every human being who has ever lived has had a book written about their life. Throughout all of human history, beings in Heaven (probably Angels) have watched the life of every human being and recorded in their personal book … what they had done. And every human being will be evaluated and eternally rewarded or punished according to what was recorded in the books.

Thankfully, no sins of Christians will be recorded in the books. Scripture promises elsewhere, God … forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross (Col 2:13-14 NLT). As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault (Col 1:22 NLT). Love … keeps no record of wrongs (1 Cor 13:4-5 NIV), and neither does God for those He loves.

THIS is the future we need to imagine when we consider facing the Endtimes. Not all the bad things that might happen to us on Earth. But rather, the most important “day” in our life. The most important “day” in every human’s life. When we are standing before the great white throne and the glorious King Jesus who will be seated on it. When books are opened that recorded what we decided and did in the Endtimes, and we are evaluated and eternally rewarded for those things.

No doubt, it will be recorded in those books who correctly understood and courageously obeyed Christ’s Last Great Commandment. In fact, Scripture contains something similar. As noted in previous chapters, God commanded an Exodus from ancient Babylon. Those who obeyed it are written about in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. More specifically, both Ezra and Nehemiah recorded the same list of the men of Israel (Neh 7:7; cf. Ezra 2:2) and their leaders who obeyed God, left Babylon, and returned to Jerusalem to rebuild God’s temple. It is easy to skip this list as simply a boring and unimportant biblical record of names. But God inspired this list into His eternal Word twice! Why?

Because He wanted it recorded for all eternity who left the comfortable idolatry of ancient Babylon, to face the struggles of rebuilding their temple and worship of God in Jerusalem. Likewise, you can be assured that the same God described throughout this chapter, will take special notice of those who correctly understand and courageously obey Christ’s Last Great Commandment to leave Endtime Babylon (America), and those people will be recorded in the books and especially rewarded for all of eternity.

Instead of merely LOOKING FORWARD to imagine all the difficulties we will face in the Endtimes, we should LOOK FORWARD past the Endtimes to what will follow. Do not just focus on your future on Earth. Focus on your future after this Earth. God gave you pictures of Him and Heaven for this very reason. When you set your mind on things above, not on earthly things (Col 3:2), you will once again have God’s perspective on the Endtimes. You will see your far future shining so bright, that it will illuminate whatever darkness you perceive in the near future of your life in the Endtimes.

1. Because v. 5 includes Jesus Christ, it is clear that the one being described in v. 4 is God the Father. Accordingly, Thomas writes:

   Though one might at first see a reference to Jesus Christ here, such a possibility is excluded by His being named as the third part of the source in 1:5 (Swete). Instead, this refers to God the Father. (131) ↑

2. Websters. ↑

3. Ibid. For more on Daniel’s emotional experience, and arguments against the claims by my translations that he was sinfully anxious or afraid of his vision, see Additional Studies in the Endtimes #5. ↑

4. Unfortunately, many claim that it is unbiblical (even heresy) to believe God the Father has a real body. It is claimed that the pictures of God in Scripture, as in Daniel 7, are anthropomorphisms. This is a fancy word for saying that the pictures do not reflect reality, but put things in terms humans can understand.

   This view was popular in the Early Church and is partly based on Jesus’ statement that “God is spirit” (John 4:24). But contrary to many, this does not necessarily mean He cannot have a body. God the Spirit has no body, but God the Son certainly does. So there should be no automatic problem with deity having a physical body. Remember, we are made in God the Father’s image, and we have a spirit, but also a body. In other words, God is more human than many think.

   Scripture promises that when a new heaven and a new earth are created then God’s dwelling place will be among the people, and he will dwell with them (Rev 21:1, 3). Be assured that we will not just be fellowshipping with a spirit or blob of energy for eternity. On the contrary, The throne of God [the Father] and of the Lamb [God the Son] will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face (Rev 22:3-4 NIV).  ↑

5. The Hebrew word serāpîm means “fire beings” (Oswalt, at Isa 6:1). ↑

6. In both Dan 7:21 and 25 the word saints replaces holy ones as it was translated in the 1984 NIV. This helps to understand that these saints will include the Church which is synonymous with the saints in the NT. ↑

7. Tanner comments: “Most Christian commentators … understand the Ancient of Days as a reference to God the Father (421). ↑

8. Hill comments here regarding the phrase Ancient of Days: “The expression is an idiom for the eternality of God and in context contrasts the eternal God and his eternal kingdom with all temporary earthly kingdoms. ↑

9. As noted above saints replaces holy ones here as well. ↑

10. Tanner mentions the white hair as a sign of wisdom (422). Likewise, writing of Christ’s white hair (Rev 1:14) MacArthur comments it reflects the “holy knowledge and wisdom [of] the Father” (Rev, 46). ↑

11. The grammar and translation of Rev 4:2-3 primarily follows the NLT. Sparkling diamonds translates a Greek word (iaspidi) that is usually translated as jasper. Normally this referred to a stone of a variety of colors. But here it probably refers to the same jasper used to describe the appearance of the New Jerusalem where we read: It shone with the glory of God and sparkled like a precious stone—like jasper [iaspidi] as clear as crystal (Rev 21:10-11 NLT). It seems best to identify a clear-colored jasper sparkling like crystal as a diamond.

    Accordingly, BDAG notes that “diamond” is a possible meaning for the use of the Greek word (iaspidi) at Rev 21:11. Accordingly, MacArthur writes of its use in Rev 4:3:

    Revelation 21:11 describes jasper as “crystal-clear”; therefore, it is best to identify this stone as a diamond. All the shining, flashing facets of the glory of God are compared to a diamond, brilliantly refracting all the colors of the spectrum. (147)

    Thus the translation used here, sparkling diamonds. For further support of this translation see Thomas, 563.

    Red rubies translates a Greek word (sardiō) often translated with obscure terms like carnelian (NLT, ESV, NET) or sardius (NASB). The NIV is most helpful rendering it as ruby. BDAG defines the term as “as a precious reddish stone.” Red rubies seems the best translation. ↑

12. Accordingly, at Rev 4:3 Thomas says this is “undoubtedly God the Father” because He is distinguished from the Lamb (561). ↑

13. MacArthur, 146. ↑

14. Thomas, 561. ↑

15. MacArthur, 146. ↑

16. Because v. 5 includes Jesus Christ, it is clear that the one being described in v. 4 is God the Father. Accordingly, Thomas writes:

    Though one might at first see a reference to Jesus Christ here, such a possibility is excluded by His being named as the third part of the source in 1:5 (Swete). Instead, this refers to God the Father. (131) ↑

17. The identical description of God the Father in 1:4 makes it clear that Who is speaking here is The Lord God the Father. ↑

18. The fact that the Lamb Who had been slain (Rev 5:6) is portrayed as the One Who took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne (v. 7), makes it clear that the One on the throne in both Rev 5:1 and 7 is God the Father. ↑

19. Osborne, 277. ↑

20. Some want to deny that God is ultimately responsible for Antichrist’s ability to afflict the saints (Rev 13:7). However, Thomas explains:

    A significant question is whether his [Antichrist’s] ability is God-given or not. It relates to both occurrences of (edothē, “was given”) in v. 5 [and v. 7]. One opinion relates the verb to (edōken, “gave”) in vv. 2, 4, and concludes that it comes from the dragon. It reasons that the use of the same form in v. 7a could not say that God gives the beast the ability to overcome the saints (Smith). This rationale does not appear valid, however, because vv. 5-8 have a different perspective from vv. 1-4.

    The new perspective notes the providence of God that allows the beast his degree of authority so that the saints will be able to endure it for a while (Kiddle). Furthermore, if this were the provision of the dragon, he would hardly limit the operation of the beast to forty-two months (Beasley-Murray). He would have him continue indefinitely.

    The better opinion is that edothē carries the connotation “granted by God” as it does throughout the rest of the book (cf. 6:4, 8; 7:2; 9:5) (Alford, Swete, Lenski). God allows the beast to blaspheme for a limited time [and kill the saints], but will still hold him accountable. One of the great lessons in Daniel from which John draws so heavily is the sovereignty of God over the world’s governments (cf. Dan. 4:17, 25, 32) (Caird). The future will be no different. (1121-22) ↑

21. The translation of Rev 20:11-13 is the NIV with one exception. The word judged is replaced with evaluated. The Greek word used here (ekrithēsan) comes from a root word (krinō). It can mean “to condemn” or “administer justice” and “often the emphasis is unmistakably laid upon that which follows the Divine Judge’s verdict, upon the condemnation or punishment” (BDAG #5). Likewise, the word judged gives most English speakers the same ideas.

    But this cannot be the meaning here. Christians are being evaluated at this event and there is no condemnation or justice or punishment for those who belong to Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1 NLT). Therefore, we need to look at other meanings for the Greek here (krinō). Accordingly, it can merely mean, “express an opinion about” (BDAG, #2a). A related Greek word (krisis) can mean: “the judgment of one person upon or against another, in the nature of an evaluation” (BDAG #1b).

    This is surely the meaning of the text here. Of course, the text eventually describes the punishment of unbelievers when it says, Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15 NIV). But Jesus described the same event and added “the righteous will go into eternal life” (Matt 25:46 NLT). Therefore evaluated is a much better translation of the Greek in Rev 20:12-13 (ekrithēsan) than judged. ↑

22. As MacArthur notes, this event is, “commonly known as the Great White Throne judgment” (245). But for reasons shared in the previous endnote, it is better to refer to it as The Great White Throne Evaluation. ↑

23. Osborne writes at Rev 20:11 that him who was seated on a great white throne is “probably God [the Father]” but “it could well picture both [the Father and Son] on the throne” (720). However, the one who was seated (kathēmenon) is in the singular tense.

    Thomas writes at Rev 20:11, “The Almighty Father is undoubtedly the One seated on this throne, as He has been throughout the book (cf. 4:2-3, 9; 5:1, 7, 13; 6:16; 7:10, 15; 19:4; 21:5)” (1540). But Thomas adds the many times that God the Son is also described in the Revelation as on a throne (cf. 3:21; 22:1, 3, 12; cf. John 5:26-27; Heb. 1:3). See also the same event described in Matt 25:31-46 When the Son of Man comes in his glory and will sit on his glorious throne (v. 31). Therefore, MacArthur’s explanation is better, supporting the claim that it is God the Son, Jesus Christ, that is portrayed him who was seated on a great white throne in Revelation 20:11:

    Though the Father and the Son share the throne, it is the Son who is uniquely in view here, since Scripture teaches that He will judge sinners. In John 5:22 Jesus said, “Not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,” while in verses 26–27 He added, “Just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.” In Acts 10:42 Peter declared that Jesus “is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. (249) ↑

24. Some claim that there will be multiple divine evaluations conducted in the Endtimes (cf. Thomas, 1539-40). However, it seems more likely that there is one Great White Throne Evaluation after Eternity begins, for every person that has ever lived. This would include those who are resurrected in the First Resurrection and reign in the Millennium (cf. Rev 20:4-6). The Millennium will be their unique reward for facing the Antichrist in the Endtimes. However, their eternal rewards to be enjoyed on the New Earth will not be given until after the Millennium and The Great White Throne Evaluation they will experience with the rest of humanity after Eternity begins. ↑