Promises and Secrets

Promises and SecretsPromises and Secrets

A website for those not afraid to examine their beliefs, compare them to the real world, and make sure they fit.



Warning! Revelation is about to be fulfilled

VIEWPOINT



Revelation is one of those Bible books that people avoid because of the "symbolism". This author may get the dates a little wrong, but his message of the Bible is right on target.

FACT



There are many books published with opinions on the book of Revelation and its meaning. Larry Wilson, in his new book Warning! Revelation is about to be fulfilled, is trying to help prepare the world for the wrath of God that is coming.


BLUE VIEWPOINT



Occasionally we find an author who cares enough to share his discoveries about the real truth in the Bible with the world. Larry W. Wilson is one of those.

His 2014 booklet Warning! Revelation is about to be fulfilled (2014) is one of those gems that gets right to the point and seems to get most of it right. While there are a few of his deductions in the book which seem to fly in the face of the book of Revelation itself, most of what he says is accurate and scary in its message. This page is to give you and idea of what is in his book.

While not in agreement with his tendency to set dates, his thoughts and descriptions of events described in Revelation do give body to concepts that many may not look close enough to see. He explains the date-setting by saying that the point is to give a feel for the order of events, not to be predictive. This explains the dates, but does not explain why he feels that some of the events of tribulation have already passed and the second half is about to begin.

There are a few things that beg for explanation by Mr. Wilson regarding the difference between the clear word of the Bible and statements he made in the book. They include the makeup of the 144,000 witnesses (page 9), the concept of annihilation (page 18), and the incorrect quoting of the 6th commandment pages (31 and 36). Putting forth these concepts confuses the intent of the Word and leads people to make descisions based on the idea of a God Who does not keep His word. Let's take a look.

The 144,000 witnesses

Wilson clearly states on page 9 that:

"These people, from every nation, kindred, tongue and people, will speak for God for 1260 days. The 144,000 will be ordinary people who will come from every religious background, and they will harmoniously proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to the human race."

This book, by the author's own design and admission, is an attempt to get out the messages "hidden" in Revelation behind symbolism. However, Revelation Chapter 7 starts out with some angels getting ready to inflict disaster on the land and the sea (verses 1 through 4
1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. 2Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God." 4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

). The only possible symbolism here is if the angels are not really angels, but that really doesn't change the meaning of the verses. This is followed by the sealing of the 144,000. We are not told who they are by name, but we are told about their ancestry. Now, in Rev 7:4-8, we see something that does not seem very symbolic:

Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

5From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
    from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
    from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
    from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
    from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
    from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
    from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
    from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
    from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.

Now, this list is immediately followed by a "transitional phrase", a literary term meaning to change the subject, between the 144,000 and the multitude:

(Greek Interlinear)

9After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, (NIV, emphasis mine)

10After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, (NKJV, emphasis mine)

If we are told where they came from in the text, and someone comes along to tell you that is not where they came from, who are you supposed to believe? It's not as if we are speaking of four-headed beasts, evil dragons, or upside-down mermaids that must be symbols to be interpreted in order to discover who they represent. These are people who are to witness to the world about God. They have a history and we have that history explained clearly.

While it is easy to understand the possibility of his missing the fact that there is a transition in the Bible that moves from the 144,000 list to the multitude that is from every "nation, tribe, people and language (tongues)", it seems odd that the author would miss the direct conflict with the meaning of the passage as written. Usually, this kind of redirection accompanies a change designed to make some other point down the road, usually to justify some pet theory that cannot be justified if the group is all Israelite.

Also, if it was John's intention to let us know that these 144,000 were from the nations and not from the Israelite tribes as he said, and this is an example of how he informs us of that, how are we supposed to interpret the rest of his book? Something else is going on here.

A guess might be that the author's 144,000 are supposed to be witnesses for God, but the author doesn't think that the Jewish people will make a good witness to the rest of the Sunday-keeping world. Making them part of the nations, in his eyes, might give their message a chance. Loose, but possible.

Annihilation?

The author of the pamphlet is a fan of the interpretation of "eternal punishment" as being the annihilation of those who do not make it to eternal life. This means that when their judgment is complete, they will just disappear from existence. Trying not to belabor this point, refer to the statement in the main subject of the author's book, Revelation 14, specifically to verses 9 - 11:

9A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10they, too, will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. 11And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name."

My fireplace does not smoke when the fire burns out, and the fire will not continue if it runs out of fuel. Also, if one is annihilated, there can be no torment or punishment. Of course, God could keep the eternal fire burning after the fuel is gone, but why would He do that if there was no longer a reason?

The sixth commandment

In this day when people soften the commandments by refusing to keep the Sabbath, worship idols of self and money, and soften God's stand regarding homosexuality, they seem to have gone the other way with the sixth commandment by making it stricter than God did. The author perpetuates that idea on page 31 and 36. When you ask people "What is the sixth commandment?", they will almost invariably say "Thou shalt not kill." (The Catholics will say "Thou shalt not commit adultery." because they do not separate out the second one about images, so for them our topic is the fifth commandment.)

Now, that is considerably more than what the Bible actually says in the original language. In fact, if people follow that logic, God has broken His own commandments by killing and commanding his people to kill. Oh, you can say that He had his angels, minions, or some demons do it, but that still means He did it.

What does the commandment from God really say? Let's check out some sources. All these refer to Exodus 20:13:

13You shall not murder. (NIV)
13You shall not murder. (NASB)
13You must not murder. (NLT)
13Thou shall not kill. (KJV)
13You shall not murder. (NKJV) Note: this came after the KJV
13Do not murder. (CJB)

and finally, in Hebrew:

(Hebrew Interlinear)

There are more, but you get the idea. The modern commandment about taking the life of the innocent has been made by many to be more strict than the real commandment. This is the stricter meaning that is chosen by Mr. Wilson. In the past, I find that when this is done, people usually have a reason that better fits their personal argument or interpretation. The goal is usually persuasion. It is probably a good idea to keep this in mind as you read this book, but don't let that dissuade you.

Summary

Aside from these major points of disagreement, Larry Wilson has given us a scary insight into the book of Revelation as he sees it, and he gives it to us with some warnings that should make everyone curious about the books - both his and the book of Revelation. If you want some excellent insight, I highly recommend this book.








Disagree? Find an error? Contact us at glenjjr@gmail.com and give us your view.

Contact Us | Back to Top



Discussions ::

Warning! Revelation is about to be fulfilled


contact


YELLOW VIEWPOINT



Tell us your side.