Chapter 71 Four Time Periods
The last few chapters in this book on prophecy will focus on the structure of Revelation. Once the structure is understood, the interpretation of many of the prophecies fall into place, and we create a mind map of Revelation.
The Hebrew festive calendar may be divided into four periods of time: The first part is the major part of the year wherein everybody lives their lives because their sinfulness and their sins are covered by God in the time of grace. The Israelites confess their sins with a sin offering, and their guilt is transferred to the temple.
Then on the first day of the seventh month of the year, Tishri, there is a feast. The trumpet is sounded because it is the Feast of Trumpets. The aim of this feast is to warn the people that the Day of Atonement is fast approaching, and they should prepare themselves for this solemn feast. They need to clean their houses, but more importantly their hearts, making sure that all their sins are confessed among each other and before God. The trumpet is sounded every day from the first of Tishri through to the 10th. There is an atmosphere of urgency.
On the Day of Atonement (10th of Tishri) the congregation comes to the temple in solemnity with their clothes clean and their hearts cleared of all sin. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place of the Temple with the blood of a goat for the congregation. All sins have been confessed, and the high priests bears the sins of the nation, committed during that year, into the Most Holy Place before God. While he is in the Most Holy Place the congregation waits in anticipation. This third period is one day in which the people are focused on their stance before God.
From the 15th of Tishri, for a week, the people of Israel celebrate their liberation from the sins of the past year. Their sins have been cleared before God. This week is the Feast of Tabernacles where the people live in tents and booths to celebrate their sojourn from Egypt to Canaan, their journey from sin to salvation. They celebrate their salvation.
After the Feast of Tabernacles they return home and their new year begins, starting their new period of grace – the first of four periods in the new year.
These four periods are experienced in the small on the Day of Atonement. The day begins with a morning sacrifice where sins may still be confessed. There is grace. Then as the high priests proceeds with the rituals of atonement, first bringing atonement for the priesthood, there is urgency and anticipation among the people. When the high priest enters the Most Holy Place with the blood of the goat for the people, the congregation wait in solemnity. When the high priest returns from the Most Holy Place, having accomplished atonement for the people, the final rituals centre around cleansing the temple and the altar, and the burden of the sins of the whole nation is transferred to the scapegoat. When the scapegoat is led into the wilderness by a strong man, there is rejoicing in the hearts of the people, because their sins are forgiven and they have a fresh start.
Revelation is structured around these four periods. The odd numbered major portions of Revelation (chapter 55) cover these four periods in time starting from the sacrifice of Christ. The first, the Seven Churches, represents the time of grace. It covers roughly 2000 years. We are still in the period of the Seven Churches (Rev 1:9 through chapter 3), but at the very end of the last church. The second period which relates to the Feast of Trumpets and the 9 ensuing days is aptly called the Seven Trumpets (third section of Revelation – Rev 8 and 9). It is a time of urgency lasting 3.5 years. The third period has its antitype in the Seven Last Plagues, the fifth section of Revelation (Rev 15 and 16). It is a time of judgement and solemnity. God’s wrath is being poured out (chapter 64) and I believe it will take 45 days. I have derived that number from the difference between the 1335 days and the 1290 days of Dan 12. The fourth and final period is the Millennium, the seventh part of Revelation (Rev 19 through 21:8). It is a time of relief and rejoicing. The saved will be in heaven for a thousand years in transit from the World of sin to the New Earth. The righteous will be “tabernacling” in heaven during the Millennium.
Every time one of these periods goes over to the next, it is marked by an important event. The four periods are listed below, and the event between them shown in parentheses:
7 Churches (Latter Rain) 7 Trumpets (Close of Probation) 7 Plagues (Second Advent) Millennium.
At each of each respective event, marking the transition of one period into the next, God announces it to the World with thunder, lightning, earthquakes and voices. The Scripture for this follows:
Latter Rain:
Rev 8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Close of Probation:
Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Second Advent (two texts):
Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
The beginning of the 7 Churches was also marked with an earthquake, if you please, when Christ died:
Matt 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
At the end of the Millennium after the fires of hell have expired, God will create a new heaven and a New Earth. Creating the New Earth will certainly go with some shaking of the Earth’s crust.
We see therefore that relating the antitype in Revelation to the sanctuary on Earth which is the type in terms of the festive calendar, Revelation is clarified in a wonderful way, helping us to make sense of the events in Revelation which at first glance seem very confusing.
The last few chapters in this book on prophecy will focus on the structure of Revelation. Once the structure is understood, the interpretation of many of the prophecies fall into place, and we create a mind map of Revelation.
The Hebrew festive calendar may be divided into four periods of time: The first part is the major part of the year wherein everybody lives their lives because their sinfulness and their sins are covered by God in the time of grace. The Israelites confess their sins with a sin offering, and their guilt is transferred to the temple.
Then on the first day of the seventh month of the year, Tishri, there is a feast. The trumpet is sounded because it is the Feast of Trumpets. The aim of this feast is to warn the people that the Day of Atonement is fast approaching, and they should prepare themselves for this solemn feast. They need to clean their houses, but more importantly their hearts, making sure that all their sins are confessed among each other and before God. The trumpet is sounded every day from the first of Tishri through to the 10th. There is an atmosphere of urgency.
On the Day of Atonement (10th of Tishri) the congregation comes to the temple in solemnity with their clothes clean and their hearts cleared of all sin. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place of the Temple with the blood of a goat for the congregation. All sins have been confessed, and the high priests bears the sins of the nation, committed during that year, into the Most Holy Place before God. While he is in the Most Holy Place the congregation waits in anticipation. This third period is one day in which the people are focused on their stance before God.
From the 15th of Tishri, for a week, the people of Israel celebrate their liberation from the sins of the past year. Their sins have been cleared before God. This week is the Feast of Tabernacles where the people live in tents and booths to celebrate their sojourn from Egypt to Canaan, their journey from sin to salvation. They celebrate their salvation.
After the Feast of Tabernacles they return home and their new year begins, starting their new period of grace – the first of four periods in the new year.
These four periods are experienced in the small on the Day of Atonement. The day begins with a morning sacrifice where sins may still be confessed. There is grace. Then as the high priests proceeds with the rituals of atonement, first bringing atonement for the priesthood, there is urgency and anticipation among the people. When the high priest enters the Most Holy Place with the blood of the goat for the people, the congregation wait in solemnity. When the high priest returns from the Most Holy Place, having accomplished atonement for the people, the final rituals centre around cleansing the temple and the altar, and the burden of the sins of the whole nation is transferred to the scapegoat. When the scapegoat is led into the wilderness by a strong man, there is rejoicing in the hearts of the people, because their sins are forgiven and they have a fresh start.
Revelation is structured around these four periods. The odd numbered major portions of Revelation (chapter 55) cover these four periods in time starting from the sacrifice of Christ. The first, the Seven Churches, represents the time of grace. It covers roughly 2000 years. We are still in the period of the Seven Churches (Rev 1:9 through chapter 3), but at the very end of the last church. The second period which relates to the Feast of Trumpets and the 9 ensuing days is aptly called the Seven Trumpets (third section of Revelation – Rev 8 and 9). It is a time of urgency lasting 3.5 years. The third period has its antitype in the Seven Last Plagues, the fifth section of Revelation (Rev 15 and 16). It is a time of judgement and solemnity. God’s wrath is being poured out (chapter 64) and I believe it will take 45 days. I have derived that number from the difference between the 1335 days and the 1290 days of Dan 12. The fourth and final period is the Millennium, the seventh part of Revelation (Rev 19 through 21:8). It is a time of relief and rejoicing. The saved will be in heaven for a thousand years in transit from the World of sin to the New Earth. The righteous will be “tabernacling” in heaven during the Millennium.
Every time one of these periods goes over to the next, it is marked by an important event. The four periods are listed below, and the event between them shown in parentheses:
7 Churches (Latter Rain) 7 Trumpets (Close of Probation) 7 Plagues (Second Advent) Millennium.
At each of each respective event, marking the transition of one period into the next, God announces it to the World with thunder, lightning, earthquakes and voices. The Scripture for this follows:
Latter Rain:
Rev 8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Close of Probation:
Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Second Advent (two texts):
Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
The beginning of the 7 Churches was also marked with an earthquake, if you please, when Christ died:
Matt 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
At the end of the Millennium after the fires of hell have expired, God will create a new heaven and a New Earth. Creating the New Earth will certainly go with some shaking of the Earth’s crust.
We see therefore that relating the antitype in Revelation to the sanctuary on Earth which is the type in terms of the festive calendar, Revelation is clarified in a wonderful way, helping us to make sense of the events in Revelation which at first glance seem very confusing.
Chapter 71 Four Time Periods
The last few chapters in this book on prophecy will focus on the structure of Revelation. Once the structure is understood, the interpretation of many of the prophecies fall into place, and we create a mind map of Revelation.
The Hebrew festive calendar may be divided into four periods of time: The first part is the major part of the year wherein everybody lives their lives because their sinfulness and their sins are covered by God in the time of grace. The Israelites confess their sins with a sin offering, and their guilt is transferred to the temple.
Then on the first day of the seventh month of the year, Tishri, there is a feast. The trumpet is sounded because it is the Feast of Trumpets. The aim of this feast is to warn the people that the Day of Atonement is fast approaching, and they should prepare themselves for this solemn feast. They need to clean their houses, but more importantly their hearts, making sure that all their sins are confessed among each other and before God. The trumpet is sounded every day from the first of Tishri through to the 10th. There is an atmosphere of urgency.
On the Day of Atonement (10th of Tishri) the congregation comes to the temple in solemnity with their clothes clean and their hearts cleared of all sin. The high priest enters the Most Holy Place of the Temple with the blood of a goat for the congregation. All sins have been confessed, and the high priests bears the sins of the nation, committed during that year, into the Most Holy Place before God. While he is in the Most Holy Place the congregation waits in anticipation. This third period is one day in which the people are focused on their stance before God.
From the 15th of Tishri, for a week, the people of Israel celebrate their liberation from the sins of the past year. Their sins have been cleared before God. This week is the Feast of Tabernacles where the people live in tents and booths to celebrate their sojourn from Egypt to Canaan, their journey from sin to salvation. They celebrate their salvation.
After the Feast of Tabernacles they return home and their new year begins, starting their new period of grace – the first of four periods in the new year.
These four periods are experienced in the small on the Day of Atonement. The day begins with a morning sacrifice where sins may still be confessed. There is grace. Then as the high priests proceeds with the rituals of atonement, first bringing atonement for the priesthood, there is urgency and anticipation among the people. When the high priest enters the Most Holy Place with the blood of the goat for the people, the congregation wait in solemnity. When the high priest returns from the Most Holy Place, having accomplished atonement for the people, the final rituals centre around cleansing the temple and the altar, and the burden of the sins of the whole nation is transferred to the scapegoat. When the scapegoat is led into the wilderness by a strong man, there is rejoicing in the hearts of the people, because their sins are forgiven and they have a fresh start.
Revelation is structured around these four periods. The odd numbered major portions of Revelation (chapter 55) cover these four periods in time starting from the sacrifice of Christ. The first, the Seven Churches, represents the time of grace. It covers roughly 2000 years. We are still in the period of the Seven Churches (Rev 1:9 through chapter 3), but at the very end of the last church. The second period which relates to the Feast of Trumpets and the 9 ensuing days is aptly called the Seven Trumpets (third section of Revelation – Rev 8 and 9). It is a time of urgency lasting 3.5 years. The third period has its antitype in the Seven Last Plagues, the fifth section of Revelation (Rev 15 and 16). It is a time of judgement and solemnity. God’s wrath is being poured out (chapter 64) and I believe it will take 45 days. I have derived that number from the difference between the 1335 days and the 1290 days of Dan 12. The fourth and final period is the Millennium, the seventh part of Revelation (Rev 19 through 21:8). It is a time of relief and rejoicing. The saved will be in heaven for a thousand years in transit from the World of sin to the New Earth. The righteous will be “tabernacling” in heaven during the Millennium.
Every time one of these periods goes over to the next, it is marked by an important event. The four periods are listed below, and the event between them shown in parentheses:
7 Churches (Latter Rain) 7 Trumpets (Close of Probation) 7 Plagues (Second Advent) Millennium.
At each of each respective event, marking the transition of one period into the next, God announces it to the World with thunder, lightning, earthquakes and voices. The Scripture for this follows:
Latter Rain:
Rev 8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Close of Probation:
Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Second Advent (two texts):
Rev 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
The beginning of the 7 Churches was also marked with an earthquake, if you please, when Christ died:
Matt 27:51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
At the end of the Millennium after the fires of hell have expired, God will create a new heaven and a New Earth. Creating the New Earth will certainly go with some shaking of the Earth’s crust.
We see therefore that relating the antitype in Revelation to the sanctuary on Earth which is the type in terms of the festive calendar, Revelation is clarified in a wonderful way, helping us to make sense of the events in Revelation which at first glance seem very confusing.
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