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REVELATION 6

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SURVEY OF CHAPTERS 6 AND 7

The Lamb now proceeds to unseal the scroll, and so disclose what is written on successive sections of it. The first six seals are broken, and then there is a parenthesis, as we shall see, before the seventh seal is broken. The first four seal-judgements will be introduced by one of the four living creatures, who summon the horses and their riders, for the judgements concern events upon the earth, and come under the jurisdiction of these heavenly representatives of earth’s affairs. Seals five to seven are not put in operation by the living creatures, for they concern matters of a spiritual nature. The seals, trumpets and vials are all grouped in this way, four then three, with a parenthesis of some sort between the sixth and the seventh.

The parenthesis between seals six and seven consists of three things. First, the appointment of 144,000 preachers from amongst Israel, who will go forth to preach the gospel of the kingdom. This is recorded in chapter 7:1-8. Then, second, in 7:9,10, the results of their preaching, as a great multitude stand before the throne and ascribe the salvation they have to God’s power alone. Third, 7:11,12, the angels which stood about the throne give praise to God. They had been appointed as ministers to those who were heirs of salvation, Hebrews 1:14, and now their task is done, and they disclaim any credit for themselves, but give all the glory to God. Clearly, since the white-robed multitude had come out of the great tribulation, verse 14, this second revelation of Christ is now completed, for the vision has taken John to the end of the tribulation period.

STRUCTURE OF CHAPTERS 6 AND 7

(a) 6:1-8 The first four seals broken.
(b) 6:9-17 The fifth and sixth seals broken.
(c) 7:1-8 The 144,000 sealed and sent forth to preach.
(d) 7:9-17 Their converts come out of the Great Tribulation and stand before God.


THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION CHAPTER 6, VERSES 1 TO 8:

6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

6:3 And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

6:5 And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

6:7 And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.


(a) 6:1-8 The first four seals broken.

6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals- now begins the process of judgement which the Lamb has shown Himself competent to carry out, and which He has been authorised to perform.
And I heard, as it were the noise of thunder- the storm of Divine judgement is about to break upon the earth, and these thunder-claps announce its approach.
One of the four beasts saying, Come and see- because the first four judgements affect material things upon the earth, the living creatures who represent the affairs of the physical earth before God are commissioned to instigate the judgements. We are not told which beast is in view in each case, they are simply named first, second, etc. Although when the living creatures are first mentioned in 4:6,7, they are described as first…second…third…fourth, so this is possibly the order here as well.

6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

It is interesting to notice the correspondence between the prophecy of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24, and what we have in this chapter. Noticing this will give us help with the passage, for there is very little detail given of the seals, probably because the Lord Jesus had already spoken of the times to which they relate. These are His words:

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many”, Matthew 24:4,5.

And I saw, and behold a white horse- the first seal being broken, a length of scroll is unrolled which tells of the riding forth of a personage on a white horse. In Zechariah 1:8 we are told of a man riding on a red horse, yet in verse 11 he is described as the angel of the Lord. The prophet is being assured that God has the interests of His people Israel at heart, despite the opposition of their enemies. It is the same in Zechariah 6:1-8, where there are red, black, white and grisled and bay horses which go forth towards the four quarters of the earth, to ensure that God’s interests are furthered in the earth. Now we know from Daniel 8 that evil angels seek to counteract the influence of God’s angels, and it is the same here.
The rider is on a white horse, which speaks of righteousness. This might seem to indicate that he comes in righteousness, until we remember that the apostle Paul described the ministers of Satan coming as false apostles and deceitful workers, pretending to be ministers of righteousness, 2 Corinthians 11:13,14. This personage surely represents that spirit of antichrist the apostle John referred to in 1 John 4:2,3. He is coming to deceive, in order that men’s hearts may be prepared to receive the Antichrist when he comes into public view, and claims universal homage.
And he that sat on him had a bow- he has a bow, but no arrow is mentioned. There is the vague threat represented by the bow, but that threat is not yet put into effect, and men are being lulled into a false sense of security; a tactic often employed by the Devil, but here allowed by God as a judgement upon men.
And a crown was given unto him- in the final analysis men only rule because the Most High allows it, (“For there is no power but of God”, Romans 13:1), and whilst this personage is preparing the way for the rule of Antichrist, nonetheless God is still in control. He is allowing the Devil to over-reach himself, so that he may be finally and utterly destroyed. “The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth over it the basest of men”, Daniel 4:17. Antichrist will certainly come into the category of “basest of men”.
And he went forth conquering, and to conquer– he is allowed to go forth to conquer by peaceful means, and to succeed in doing so. This is the activity of spirit-beings who influence the minds of men so as to prepare the way for the reception of the Antichrist, and their activity takes place during the first phase of his rise to power during the first half of Daniel’s 70thweek. We know this because the Lord Jesus referred to the middle of the seven-year period further on in His prophecy, so it has not yet come when the first seal is broken.

6:3 And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

The words of the Lord Jesus about this are as follows:

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:” Matthew 24:6,7.

And there went out another horse that was red- the second seal is broken, and a further part of the scroll is unrolled and read. The peaceful conditions that had initially been brought about by the rider on the white horse are now ruined. This no doubt is part of the Devil’s plan, so that Antichrist may assert himself as being the only answer to earth’s troubles. Notice power is given to him, so all is completely under the control of heaven.
And that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword- we now know why the horse is the colour of blood, for much blood will be shed at this time as nations and kingdoms rise against one another in a time of unprecedented carnage. The great sword is being used, not to execute justice, (for God has only given governments the sword to use as a sword of justice, Romans 13:4), but to wage war.

6:5 And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see- the words of the Lord Jesus about this are:

“and there shall be famines”, Matthew 24:7.

And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand- black is the colour of the skin of those who are starving to death. Jeremiah described the conditions that prevailed during the siege of Jerusalem, and he said, “Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine”, Lamentations 5:10; see also 4:7-10, where mothers were so desperate for food that they cooked their own children, as God had warned they would if they went over to idolatry, Deuteronomy 28:49-57. We shall see in the next verse that the balances are not used to weigh out the meagre food that the poor will be allowed, for the ration is given as a volume, not a weight. The balances are the symbol of commerce, and would indicate that the food supply will be firmly in the hands of the business leaders, and they will control who gets the food. Catherine Bertuo, the Executive Director of UN food distribution, in a speech at the United Nations in September 14th, 1997, said, “Food is power; we use it to control behaviour…we do not apologise”. If this is true now, what will conditions be like when God judges the earth, and allows sin to have full rein?

6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny- the wage of a labourer in John’s day was a penny, as we see from Matthew 20:1,2. A measure is a volume of about one and a half pints. This is approximately the flour needed to make a loaf of bread. A poor man will need to work the whole day to earn enough to feed Himself and his family just with bread. All this is the consequence of crucifying the Man who could feed thousands with a few loaves.
And see thou hurt not the oil and the wine- whilst famine conditions prevail for the poor, the rich are safeguarded from hardship. In this way the turmoil and unrest on the earth will be aggravated, for the poor will be desperate for food, yet the rich have luxuries. The chaos of the French Revolution, when the oppressed and starving poor rose up against the aristocracy, will be repeated on a world-wide scale.

6:7 And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

The corresponding passage in Matthew 24:7 is:

“and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows”.

6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him- this pale horse is pale green, (the Greek word gives us the word chlorine, a green gas). This is the colour of gangrenous, rotting flesh. We are given the name of the rider this time, and it is death, and he has a companion, hell, for death and hell always go together for the unbeliever.
And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth- note again that all is under the control of God, for power is given unto him; Satan has not wrested power from God. Either the wrath comes upon a quarter of the earth’s area, or, as is more likely, over a quarter of the earth’s population. Death is allowed to come to those who are the victims of war, (sword); or famine, (hunger); and with death, (as a result of the disease and pestilences that will inevitably break out at that desperate time.  Their death will not be accidental, or slow, but will come to them suddenly and without warning).  But then another horror, for the decimation of the population and the upheavals of those times will result in wild animals roaming about uncontrolled, with the consequent terror that will bring, to say nothing of the awful of death many will suffer as a consequence.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION CHAPTER 6, VERSES 9 TO 17:

6:9 And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

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;

6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

6:17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

(b) 6:9-17 The fifth and sixth seals broken.

The second group, consisting of two seals now comes before us. Whereas the first four had to do with natural calamities, the fifth and the sixth have to do with spiritual matters.  The seventh seal opens up the whole of the remaining judgements.

6:9 And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

The corresponding words of the Lord Jesus were:

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another”, Matthew 24:9,10.

And when He had opened the fifth seal- the Lamb is the one who superintends this event by Himself. The first four seals involved the intervention of the living creatures, concerned as they are with life on earth. Here the matter is beyond them, having to do with the souls of believers.
I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain- the altar in tabernacle days had a network halfway up, on which the sacrifices were laid and exposed to the fire, and when the process was over, the ashes fell through the grating to the area below. These worthies have suffered in the fires of persecution, and they loved not their lives unto death. Yet this is not the end for them; the Lamb takes note of their situation.
For the word of God, and for the testimony which they held- they have not died as a result of the calamities spoken of under the first four seals. They are martyrs who held fast to the word of God, and maintained a testimony in the face of the opposition of Satan. They did this for the sake of the name of the Lord Jesus, the true Messiah.

6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

And they cried with a loud voice- like Abel’s blood, which called from the ground for vengeance upon Cain, Genesis 4:10, these also cry to be avenged. The Lord Jesus spoke of the persecutions of saints of old time using the illustration of Abel and Zecharias, Matthew 23:34-36. Abel’s blood cried for vengeance, and Zecharias called on the Lord to look upon his death and require it at the hands of his slayers, 2 Chronicles 24:20-22. These are the first and last martyrs of the Old Testament. Yet when Stephen, the first martyr of the New Testament era died, he said, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge”, Acts 7:60. He had captured the spirit of this current age of grace, and called for mercy for his murderers, just as the Lord Jesus prayed on the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”, Luke 23:34.
Saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true- they address God in Old Testament terms as Jehovah, a further indication that these are not church saints. They ascribe holiness to God amidst all the blaspheming of God’s name that is going on around them; they ascribe truth to Him despite all the lies that the supporters of the Antichrist are propagating.
Dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? They are confident that if God judges, it will be to vindicate them and avenge them of their enemies. They have learnt the truth of the Imprecatory Psalms, which call down vengeance upon the enemies of God and His Messiah, and being in an age other than the age of grace, they cry to God to ask for vengeance on those who have killed them. See Psalm 74;9,10; 79:5; 89:46; 94:3,4. The duty of the kinsman in Israel was not only to redeem his brother, but also if necessary to avenge the wrong done to him. See Deuteronomy 19:1-6; Joshua 20:1-6.
This call for vengeance is not appropriate for those of this age killed for their faith, but it will be in the tribulation period. John himself had requested that fire should come from heaven to consume the Samaritans who refused to welcome the Lord Jesus. The Lord rebuked him with the words, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them”, Luke 9:35,36. This shows just one of the marked differences between the present age and the one to come. These martyrs label the men of earth as “those that dwell on the earth”. This does not simply mean their physical location, but also their moral position. They were settling down on the earth, rejecting all thought of heaven, and waiting for the utopia that antichrist was promising them.

6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

And white robes were given unto every one of them- they had toiled hard for God in a righteous way, stripping off their garments, so to speak, for earnest labour, so it is appropriate that robes should now be given to them, for their work is over. They had furthered the cause of righteousness in a day when unrighteousness reigned, so the white robe that signifies practical righteous is given to them. They were reckoned righteous by faith, as all believers of every age are, and now each one is personally robed righteously, to honour the character of their testimony for God.
And it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season- their time for reigning with Christ was not yet come, so they must rest after their labours, and do so in the disembodied state. It would only be a little season; in fact not much more than three and a half years.
Until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled- so God’s reply to their call for vengeance is that they should wait for a little season until their brethren would be killed, and then vengeance would be executed. So there are two groups mentioned here. Linking this with the fact that after the mention of pestilences in Matthew 24:7, (which corresponds to the fourth seal), there is the setting up of the abomination of desolation in the temple, we are able to say that the first group of martyrs is connected with the first half of Daniel’s seventieth week, (“the beginning of sorrows”, Matthew 24:8), whereas the second group consists of those who will be killed during the great tribulation proper, the second half of the seven year end-time period.
These are referred to as fellow-servants, for they will labour in the same way “for the word of God and the testimony which they held”. They are brethren, too, for they share the life of their heavenly Father. They are those the Lord Jesus refers to as His brethren in Matthew 25:40. Men’s reaction to these testimony-bearers will show their reaction to Him. To hate them is to hate Him, to feed and clothe them is to do the same to Him.
Notice that their brethren are going to be fulfilled. This either means that their number will be filled up, or their testimony will be completed, or they will be given a sense of fulfilment when their task is done.

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;

The words of the Lord Jesus regarding this were these:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”, Matthew 24:29,30.

And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal- like the other five previews John was given of the future revelation of Christ, this one reaches on to the end. It tells of the coming of the Son of Man to judge the inhabitants of the earth, prior to the setting up of His kingdom.
And, lo, there was a great earthquake- not only does John behold, he wants us to take note also, hence the word “lo”. God said through Haggai the prophet that in the Day of the Lord He would “shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land”, Haggai 2:6.
The sixth seal tells of the reaction of men to the return of Christ to earth, as they face the wrath of the Lamb. This corresponds to Matthew 24:30, where Christ prophesies His return to the earth. By issuing these prophecies He put Himself under test, for a prophet whose predictions did not come to pass was to be stoned to death, such is the seriousness of the offence, see Deuteronomy 18:20-22. If prophets cannot be trusted, the concept of Divine prophecy is undermined, and God rests His reputation on fulfilled prophecy. In Isaiah 41:21-24 He challenges the forces of evil to foretell the future, but if He cannot either the challenge is pointless. As events unfold in the times we are thinking of, the nation of Israel will come to realise He spoke the truth after all. In this way they will be prepared to receive Him, either before He comes or when He does so.
And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair- sackcloth was the garment of mourning, and even the sun laments the wickedness of men that calls forth the wrath of Christ as He comes. Isaiah 50:3 reads, “I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering”. God is able to display in the heavens these warnings to men. Not only does heaven mourn over earth’s sin, but men are called to repent in dust and ashes, and make sackcloth their covering in repentance.
And the moon became as blood- this is quite often the colour of the moon during an eclipse, but this is no eclipse, but the Creator showing His displeasure with the inhabitants of the earth.

6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth- some scientists believe that the stars are moving away from the earth at present. Yet imagine their consternation at the coming of Christ when their instruments say that the stars are now moving towards the earth! Just as God confounded the astronomers of Daniel’s day, so He will do so again. Only the Creator can manipulate the stars in this way; but then, He created them and sustains them.
Even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind- fig trees often produce figs in the winter, which, when shaken by strong winds, all fall down at once. They are not proper fruits, but untimely, or unripe. The fig tree is used in Scripture as a figure of mere profession, but the men of earth have not even professed to believe. They produce nothing that will come to harvest. The fig tree is pollinated by the fig-wasp, which lives inside male figs known as caprifigs, which are produced several times a year.

There is such a thing as solar wind, the streams of energy that emanate from the stars. Now it appears that not only are the stars travelling in the opposite way to normal, but so is the solar wind, thus shaking the stars with the very energy they had emitted.

6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together- just as when a scroll is rolled up, the writing appears to be distorted and out-of-place, so with the stars. The familiar constellations disappear as the stars alter their positions relative to one another. The night-sky as men know it is departed, and it is the hand of God that has done it. This is a rebuke to those who thought that their lives were directed by the stars. Superstitious people like that will be terrified by a sight such as this.
And every mountain and island were moved out of their places- not only are heavenly objects affected as Christ shakes the heavens, but Haggai had prophesied that the earth would be shaken too. Mighty underground forces are unleashed which cause mountains and islands, (many of which are the tops of mountains anyway), to move out of position, causing widespread disruption and terror.

6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man- the inhabitants of the earth, of whatever class, are moved with fear as these events take place. They have become used to scientists explaining everything, but now they are confounded. The ruling classes, the kings and great men; the business community, the rich men; the military, whether captains or foot-soldiers; slaves and freemen, employed and self-employed, are affected.
Hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains- the political classes have ensured their safety from nuclear attack by building nuclear bunkers, and now they flee to these “dens”, like frightened wild animals. Those less provided for had to make do with natural caves in the rocks.

6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

And said to the mountains and rocks- they will find that their hiding-places are not enough to shield them from the sight of Christ coming, for “every eye shall see Him”, 1:7. They will wish the very places in which they are hiding would crash down upon them, if only they can avoid His wrath.
Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne- “the face of the Lord is against them that do evil”, 1 Peter 3:12, and they find that His countenance is angry.
And from the wrath of the Lamb- this is one of the most startling descriptions of Christ in Scripture. He who bled and died upon the cross in deepest compassion for men, is now angry with them. They have spurned His grace, and insulted God in doing so. This wrath is not spite, but righteous anger against sin and sinners.

6:17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

For the great day of His wrath is come– as is the case with all the vision-revelations John is given, the end of the period is alluded to in some way. Here there is reference to the great and notable day of the Lord that Joel spoke of, Joel 2:30,31. God’s words through the prophet were, “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come”. The one who has waited patiently for men to repent and come to Him for salvation, is now sent forth to judge the earth. Man’s day is over, and as Isaiah said twice over, “the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day”, Isaiah 2:11,17.
And who shall be able to stand? Well might the question be asked, for these men have no standing in grace before God, and they are totally unable to stand up under the fierceness of the wrath of God. So in one sense the answer to the question is “None”. But in another sense the answer is “Some”, for the next chapter will tell of those who pass through the time of tribulation, and at the end of it is said of them that they “stood before the throne, and before the Lamb”, 7:9. They do this because they have come to know the salvation He died to obtain.

 

 

REVELATION CHAPTER 6

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THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION CHAPTER 6, VERSES 1 TO 17

6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

6:3 And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

6:5 And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

6:7 And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

6:9 And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

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;

6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

6:17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

SURVEY OF CHAPTER 6:1 TO 7:17.

In chapter 6:1 to chapter 7:17 Christ reveals Himself as one who in the midst of wrath remembers mercy, see Habakkuk 3:2.

The Lamb,  having been seen to have taken the scroll from the hand of God in chapter 5,  now proceeds to unseal it, and so disclose what is written on successive sections of it. The first six seals are broken, and then there is a parenthesis, as we shall see, before the seventh seal is broken. The first four judgements will be introduced by one of the four living creatures, who summon the horses and their riders, for the judgements concern events upon the earth, and come under the jurisdiction of these heavenly representatives of earth’s affairs. Seals five to seven are not put in operation by the living creatures, for they concern matters of a spiritual nature. The seals, trumpets and vials are all grouped in this way, four then three, with a parenthesis of some sort between the sixth and the seventh.

The parenthesis between seals six and seven consists of three things. First, the appointment of 144,000 preachers from amongst Israel, who will go forth to preach the gospel of the kingdom. This is recorded in chapter 7:1-8. Then, second, in verses 9 and 10, the results of their preaching, as a great multitude stand before the throne and ascribe the salvation they have to God’s power alone. Third,verses 11 and 12, the angels which stood about the throne give praise to God. They had been appointed as ministers to those who were heirs of salvation, Hebrews 1:14, and now their task is done, and they disclaim any credit for themselves, but give all the glory to God. Clearly, since the white-robed multitude had come out of the great tribulation, verse 14, this second revelation of Christ is now completed, for the vision has taken John to the end of the tribulation period

6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals- now begins the process of judgement which the Lamb has shown Himself competent to carry out, and which He has been authorised to perform.

And I heard, as it were the noise of thunder- the storm of Divine judgement is about to break upon the earth, and the thunder-claps announce its approach.

One of the four beasts saying, Come and see- because the first four judgements affect material things upon the earth, the living creatures who represent the affairs of the physical earth before God are commissioned to instigate the judgements. We are not told which beast is in view in each case, they are simply named first, second, etc. perhaps the order is that of their mention in 4:7, where they are called “first…second…third… fourth”.

6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

It is interesting to notice the correspondence between the prophecy of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24, and what we have in this chapter. Noticing this will give us help in interpreting Revelation 6, for there is very little detail given of the seals, probably because the Lord Jesus had already spoken of the times to which they relate. These are His words:

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many”, Matthew 24:4,5.

And I saw, and behold a white horse- the first seal being broken, a length of scroll is unrolled which tells of the riding forth of a personage on a white horse.   In Zechariah 1:8 we are told of a man riding on a red horse, yet in verse 11 he is described as the angel of the Lord. The prophet is being assured that God has the interests of His people Israel at heart, despite the opposition of their enemies. It is the same in Zechariah 6:1-8, where there are red, black, white and grisled and bay horses which go forth towards the four quarters of the earth, to ensure that God’s interests are furthered in the earth. Now we know from Daniel 8 that evil angels seek to counteract the influence of God’s angels, and it is the same here.

The rider is on a white horse, which speaks of righteousness. This might seem to indicate that he comes in righteousness, until we remember that the apostle Paul described the ministers of Satan coming as false apostles and deceitful workers, pretending to be ministers of righteousness, 2 Corinthians 11:13,14. This personage surely represents that spirit of antichrist that the apostle John referred to in 1 John 4:2,3. He is coming to deceive, in order that men’s hearts may be prepared to receive the Antichrist when he comes into public view, and claims universal homage.

And he that sat on him had a bow- he has a bow, but no arrow is mentioned. There is the vague threat represented by the bow, but that threat is not yet put into effect, and men are being lulled into a false sense of security; a tactic often employed by the Devil, but here it is allowed by God as a judgement upon men.

And a crown was given unto him- in the final analysis men only rule because the Most High allows it, (“For there is no power but of God”, Romans 13:1), and whilst this personage is preparing the way for the rule of Antichrist, nonetheless God is still in control. He is allowing the Devil to over-reach himself, so that he may be finally and utterly destroyed. “The Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth over it the basest of men”, Daniel 4:17. Antichrist will certainly come into the category of “basest of men”.

And he went forth conquering, and to conquer- he is allowed to go forth to conquer by peaceful means, and to succeed in doing so. This is the influence of spirit beings who influence the minds of men so as to prepare the way for the reception of the Antichrist, and their activity takes place during the first phase of his rise to power during the first half of Daniel’s 70thweek. We know this because the Lord Jesus referred to the middle of the seven-year period further on in His prophecy, so it has not yet come when the first seal is broken.

6:3 And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

The words of the Lord Jesus about this are as follows:

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:” Matthew 24:6,7.

6:4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

And there went out another horse that was red- the second seal is broken, and a further part of the scroll is unrolled and read. The peaceful conditions that had initially been brought about by the rider on the white horse are now ruined. This no doubt is part of the Devil’s plan, so that Antichrist may assert himself as being the only answer to earth’s troubles. Notice power is given to him, so all is completely under the control of heaven.

And that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword- we now know why the horse is the colour of blood, for much blood will be shed at this time as nations and kingdoms rise against one another in a time of unprecedented carnage. The great sword is being used, not to execute justice, (for God has given governments the sword of justice to maintain order, Romans 13:4), but to wage war.

6:5 And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see- the words of the Lord Jesus about this are:

“and there shall be famines”, Matthew 24:7.

And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand- black is the colour of the skin of those who are starving to death. Jeremiah described the conditions that prevailed during the siege of Jerusalem, and he said, “Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine”, Lamentations 5:10; see also 4:7-10, where mothers were so desperate for food that they cooked their own children, as God had warned they would if they went over to idolatry, Deuteronomy 28:49-57. We shall see in the next verse that the balances are not used to weigh out the meagre food that the poor will be allowed, for the ration is given as a volume, not a weight. The balances are the symbol of commerce, and would indicate that the food supply will be firmly in the hands of the business leaders, and they will control who gets the food. Catherine Bertuo, the Executive Director of UN food distribution, in a speech at the United Nations in September 14th, 1997, said, “Food is power; we use it to control behaviour…we do not apologise”. If this is true now, what will conditions be like when God judges the earth, and allows sin to have full rein?

6:6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny- the wage of a labourer in John’s day was a penny, as we see from Matthew 20:1,2. A measure is a volume of about one and a half pints. This is approximately the flour needed to make a loaf of bread. A poor man will need to work the whole day to earn enough to feed Himself and his family just with bread. All this is the consequence of crucifying the Man who could feed thousands with a few loaves.

And see thou hurt not the oil and the wine- whilst famine conditions prevail for the poor, the rich are safeguarded from hardship. In this way the turmoil and unrest on the earth will be aggravated, for the poor will be desperate for food, yet the rich have luxuries. The chaos of the French Revolution, when the oppressed poor rose up against the aristocracy, will be repeated on a world-wide scale.

6:7 And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

The corresponding passage in Matthew 24:7 is:

“and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows”.

6:8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him- this pale horse is pale green, (the Greek word gives us the word chlorine, a green gas). This is the colour of gangrenous, rotting flesh. We are given the name of the rider this time, and it is death, and he has a companion, hell, for death and hell always go together for the unbeliever.

And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth- note again that all is under the control of God, for power is given unto him; Satan has not wrested power from God. Either the wrath comes upon a quarter of the earth’s area, or, as is more likely, over a quarter of the earth’s population. Death is allowed to come to those who are the victims of war, (sword); or famine, (hunger); and with death, (as a result of the disease and pestilences that will inevitably break out at that desperate time). But then another horror, for the decimation of the population and the upheavals of those times will result in wild animals roaming about uncontrolled, with the consequent terror that will bring, to say nothing of the awful of death many will suffer as a consequence.

The second group of seals, now comes before us. Whereas the first four had to do with natural calamities, the fifth and the sixth have to do with spiritual matters, and the last seal opens up the whole of the remaining judgements.

6:9 And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

The corresponding words of the Lord Jesus were:

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another”, Matthew 24:9,10.

And when He had opened the fifth seal- the Lamb is the one who superintends this event by Himself. The first four seals involved the intervention of the living creatures, concerned as they are with life on earth. Here the matter is beyond them, having to do with the souls of believers.

I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain- the altar in tabernacle days had a network halfway up, on which the sacrifices were laid and exposed to the fire, and when the process was over, the ashes fell through the grating to the area below. These worthies have suffered in the fires of persecution, and they loved not their lives unto death. Yet this is not the end for them; the Lamb takes note of their situation.

For the word of God, and for the testimony which they held-they have not died as a result of the calamities spoken of under the first four seals. They are martyrs who held fast to the word of God, and maintained a testimony in the face of the opposition of Satan. They did this for the sake of the name of the Lord Jesus, the true Messiah.

6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

And they cried with a loud voice- like Abel’s blood, which called from the ground for vengeance upon Cain, Genesis 4:10, these also cry to be avenged. The Lord Jesus spoke of the persecutions of saints of old time using the illustration of Abel and Zecharias, Matthew 23:34-36. Abels blood cried for vengeance, and Zecharias called on the Lord to look upon his death and require it at the hands of his slayers, 2 Chronicles 24:20-22. These are the first and last martyrs of the Old Testament. Yet when Stephen, the first martyr of the New Testament died, he said, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge”, Acts 7:60. He had captured the spirit of this current age of grace, and called for mercy for his murderers, just as the Lord Jesus prayed on the cross, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do”, Luke 23:34.

Saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true- they address God in Old Testament terms as Jehovah, a further indication that these are not church saints. They ascribe holiness to God amidst all the blaspheming of God’s name that is going on around them; they ascribe truth to Him despite all the lies that the supporters of the Antichrist are propagating.

Dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? They are confident that if God judges, it will be to vindicate them and avenge them of their enemies. They have learnt the truth of the Imprecatory Psalms, which call down vengeance upon the enemies of God and His Messiah, and being in an age other than the age of grace, they cry to God to ask for vengeance on those who have killed them. See Psalm 74;9,10; 79:5; 89:46; 94:3,4. The duty of the kinsman in Israel was not only to redeem his brother, but also if necessary to avenge the wrong done to him. See Deuteronomy 19:1-6; Joshua 20:1-6.

This call for vengeance is not appropriate action for those of this age killed for their faith, but it will be in the tribulation period. John had requested that fire should come from heaven to consume the Samaritans who refused to welcome the Lord Jesus. The Lord rebuked him with the words, “Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them”, Luke 9:35,36. This shows just one of the marked differences between the present age and the one to come. These martyrs label the men of earth as “those that dwell on the earth”. This does not simply mean their physical location, but also their moral position. They were settling down on the earth, rejecting all thought of heaven, and waiting for the utopia that antichrist was promising them.

6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

And white robes were given unto every one of them- they had toiled hard for God in a righteous way, stripping off their garments, so to speak, for earnest labour, so it is appropriate that robes should now be given to them, for their work is over. They had furthered the cause of righteousness in a day when unrighteousness reigned, so the white robe that signifies practical righteous is given to them. They were reckoned righteous by faith, as all believers of every age are, and now each one is personally robed righteously, to honour the character of their testimony for God.

And it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season- their time for reigning with Christ was not yet come, so they must rest after their labours, and do so in the disembodied state. It would only be a little season; in fact not much more than two and a half years.

Until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled- so God’s reply to their call for vengeance is that they should wait for a little season until their brethren would be killed, and then vengeance would be executed. So there are two groups mentioned here. Linking this with the fact that after the mention of pestilences in Matthew 24:7, (which corresponds to the fourth seal), there is the setting up of the abomination of desolation in the temple, we are able to say that the first group of martyrs is connected with the first half of Daniel’s seventieth week, (“the beginning of sorrows”, Matthew 24:8), whereas the second group are those who are killed during the great tribulation proper, the second half of the seven year end-time period.

These are referred to as fellow-servants, for they will labour in the same way “for the word of God and the testimony which they held”. They are brethren, too, for they share the life of their heavenly Father. They are those the Lord Jesus refers to as His brethren in Matthew 25:40. Men’s reaction to these testimony-bearers will show their reaction to Him. To hate them is to hate Him, to feed and clothe them is to do the same to Him.

Notice that their brethren are going to be fulfilled. This either means that their number will be filled up, or their testimony will be completed, or they will be given a sense of fulfilment when their task is done.

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;

The words of the Lord Jesus regarding this were these:

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”, Matthew 24:29,30.

And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal- like the other five previews John was given of the future revelation of Christ, this one reaches on to the end. It tells of the coming of the Son of Man to judge the inhabitants of the earth, prior to the setting up of His kingdom.

And, lo, there was a great earthquake- not only does John behold, he wants us to take note also, hence the word “lo”. God said through Haggai the prophet that in the Day of the Lord He would “shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land”, Haggai 2:6.

The sixth seal tells of the reaction of men to the return of Christ to earth, as they face the wrath of the Lamb. This corresponds to Matthew 24:30, where Christ prophesies His return to the earth:

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory”.

By issuing these prophecies He put Himself under test, for a prophet whose predictions did not come to pass was to be stoned to death, such is the seriousness of the offence, see Deuteronomy 18:20-22. If prophets cannot be trusted, the concept of Divine prophecy is undermined, and God rests His reputation on fulfilled prophecy. In Isaiah 41:21-24 He challenges the forces of evil to foretell the future, but if He cannot either the challenge is pointless. As events unfold in the times we are thinking of, the nation of Israel will come to realise He spoke the truth after all. In this way they will be prepared to receive Him, either before He comes or when He does so.

And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair-sackcloth was the garment of mourning, and even the sun laments the wickedness of men that calls forth the wrath of Christ as He comes. Isaiah 50:3 reads, “I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering”. God is able to display in the heavens these warnings to men. Not only does heaven mourn over earth’s sin, but men are called to repent in dust and ashes, and make sackcloth their covering in repentance.

And the moon became as blood- this is quite often the colour of the moon during an eclipse, but this is no eclipse, but the Creator showing His displeasure with the inhabitants of the earth by making the moon blood-coloured, the symbol of death.

6:13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth- some scientists believe that the stars are moving away from the earth at present. Yet imagine their consternation at the coming of Christ when their instruments say that the stars are now moving towards the earth! Just as God confounded the astronomers of Daniel’s day, so He will do so again. Only the Creator can manipulate the stars in this way; but then, He created them and sustains them.

Even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind- fig trees often produce figs in the winter, which, when shaken by strong winds, all fall down at once. They are not proper fruits, but untimely, or unripe. The fig tree is used in Scripture as a figure of mere profession, but the men of earth have not even professed to believe. They produce nothing that will come to harvest. The fig tree is pollinated by the fig-wasp, which lives inside male figs known as caprifigs, which are produced several times a year.

There is such a thing as solar wind, the streams of energy that emanate from the stars. Now it appears that not only are the stars travelling in the opposite way to normal, but so is the solar wind, thus shaking the stars with the very energy they had emitted.

6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together-just as when a scroll is rolled up, the writing appears to be distorted and out-of-place, so with the stars. The familiar constellations disappear as the stars alter their positions relative to one another. The night-sky as men know it is departed, and it is the hand of God that has done it. Perhaps this is a rebuke to those who superstitiously believe that the constellations govern their lives.  God is showing clearly that it is He that controls the affairs of men.

And every mountain and island were moved out of their places- not only are heavenly objects affected as Christ shakes the heavens, but Haggai had prophesied that the earth would be shaken too. Mighty underground forces are unleashed which cause mountains and islands, (many of which are the tops of mountains anyway), to move out of position, causing widespread disruption and terror.

6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man- the inhabitants of the earth, of whatever class, are moved with fear as these events take place. They have become used to scientists explaining everything, but now they are confounded. The ruling classes, the kings and great men; the business community, the rich men; the military, whether captains or foot-soldiers; slaves and freemen, employed and self-employed, are affected.

Hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains- the political classes have ensured their safety from nuclear attack by building nuclear bunkers, and now they flee to these “dens”, like frightened wild animals. Those less provided for had to make do with natural caves in the rocks.

6:16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

And said to the mountains and rocks- they will find that their hiding-places are not enough to shield them from the sight of Christ coming, for “every eye shall see Him”, 1:7. They will wish the very places in which they are hiding would crash down upon them, if only they can avoid His wrath.

Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne- “the face of the Lord is against them that do evil”, 1 Peter 3:12, and they find that His countenance is angry.

And from the wrath of the Lamb- this is one of the most startling descriptions of Christ in Scripture.  He who bled and died upon the cross in deepest compassion for men, is now angry with them. They have spurned His grace, and insulted God in doing so. This wrath is not spite, but righteous anger against sin and sinners.

6:17 For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

For the great day of His wrath is come- as is the case with all the vision-revelations John is given, the end of the period is alluded to in some way. Here there is reference to the great and notable day of the Lord that Joel spoke of, Joel 2:30,31. God’s words through the prophet were, “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come”. The one who has waited patiently for men to repent and come to Him for salvation, is now sent forth to judge the earth. Man’s day is over, and as Isaiah said twice over, “the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day”, Isaiah 2:11,17.

And who shall be able to stand? Well might the question be asked, for these men have no standing in grace before God, and they are totally unable to stand up under the fierceness of the wrath of God. So in one sense the answer to the question is “None”. But in another sense the answer is “Some”, for the next chapter will tell of those who pass through the time of tribulation, and at the end of it is said of them that they “stood before the throne, and before the Lamb”, 7:9. They do this because they have come to know the salvation He died to obtain.

DOCTRINES OF SCRIPTURE: Resurrection of Christ

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INTRODUCTION:

 The resurrection of the Lord Jesus from the dead is a fundamental part of the Christian gospel, as Paul makes clear in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. That He really died is seen in that He was buried, that He really rose is seen in the fact that He appeared (not simply was seen, but deliberately confronted people). His resurrection had been prophesied in the Old Testament, hence the apostle says He was raised according to the (O.T.) Scriptures. See Psalm 16; Psalm 21:2-6; Psalm 22:21-31; Psalm 40:1-3; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 52:13, 53:10,11. It was also prophesied by the Lord Jesus Himself, although His disciple did not grasp the fact. Only Mary, who sat at His feet and heard His word, saw that He was going to die, and so anointed Him for His burial whilst He could appreciate it. She must also have seen that He would rise, for she did not go to the sepulchre to seek to preserve His dead body, as the other women did. So the Old Testament views Christ’s resurrection prophetically, the Gospels view it historically, whereas the epistles view it doctrinally.

1.    Romans 1:4: ‘”And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of Holiness, by the resurrection from (of) the dead”. Note the change of verb from verse 3, where Christ is made of the seed of David by incarnation. Here it is not something He was made in time, but what He is eternally is declared by resurrection.  He is ever the Son of God, for “to be the son of” means “to share the nature of”. Since the Father’s nature is eternal, so must the Son’s be, therefore He is the eternal Son of God. This is declared by resurrection. Note that it is not the resurrection from the dead, but rather the resurrection of dead persons, for the word dead is plural. Every time the Lord Jesus raised a person from the dead; every time a sinner is raised from death in trespasses and sins; when saint’s bodies are raised at His coming; when sinner’s bodies are raised  just before the Great White Throne judgement, then on each occasion there is a declaration of His Deity. This is in line with His words in John 5:19-29, where the right of the Lord Jesus to grant life and to raise from the dead, is vested in His equality with the Father.

And then of course there was the declaration of His Sonship when He Himself was raised from the dead. He had said “when (after) ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then ye shall know that I am He”, John 8:28. They should have known He was Son of God by the supernatural events at His crucifixion, for the centurion came to this conclusion, Matthew 27:54. They should have known by His rising again, for Saul of Tarsus was convinced, Acts 9:20.

2.    Romans 4:15: “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification”.  The apostle has been deriving principles from the experience of Abraham and Sarah, who as far as having children were concerned, were dead. Yet they believed God, and as a result He intervened and brought Isaac out of the sphere of death. Whereas Abraham believed God was able to do this in the immediate future, we look back to the distant past and believe that the true “Isaac” has been brought out of the sphere of death to guarantee the promises of God. Paul in effedct asks two questions: “Why was Christ found in death anyway?” and “Why was He raised from the dead?” The answer to the first is our offences, whilst the answer to the second is because of our justification, which means that He was raised again because God was satisfied that His work upon the cross was enough to justify believing sinners.

3.    Romans 5:10: ‘”For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life”. Verse one speaks of peace with God, so that those once enemies of God because of sin, are now reconciled to Him. Now if the work which forms the basis of that reconciliation was done for us whilst we were still God’s enemies, what blessings will He not bestow now that we are friends? And more than this, if Christ’s work of reconciling enemies took place when were in sin, surely we shall be saved from every sort of penalty at the judgement day, for the one who saved us from sin is still our saviour, preserving us eternally from the judgement of God. Because Christ lives eternally in resurrection, the believer is eternally secure. If the suffering and agony of the cross did not put Him off from taking up our case, surely the glory He has now will not prevent Him living to preserve those who believe in Him.

4.    Romans 6:4: “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life”. Paul is showing why it is not in order for believers to continue in sin, i.e. continue to respond to the sin-principle within. The reason here given is that we are buried, and therefore cannot continue in sin. The burial took place when we were baptized, and we were identified with Christ in His (state of) death. But our baptism has a positive purpose, it is not just a negative putting out of sight, but association also with Christ in His resurrection. Christ was raised from the dead because the glory of the Father demanded that such a person should be raised, and not left in the grave. It was not so with us personally, however, so our emergence from the watery grave of baptism is solely because of association with Christ. Having been raised, we have a responsibility to walk in a different sort of way, which is compatible with the new place we have with Christ risen.

5.    Romans 7:1-6: “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God”. The apostle is showing that the believer is not under the Law of Moses, nor will trying to keep that Law result in a victorious Christian life. He uses two illustrations to prove his point. First, that when a person is dead, the dominion of the law, any law, is gone from him. Second, that when a woman’s husband dies, she is free from the law of the husband. He then applies these two principles, namely one’s own death delivering from law, and another’s death delivering from law. Christ has died, and we have died in association with Him, so on both counts we are dead to the Law of Moses. The body of Christ was hung upon a cross, and there He bore the curse of a broken law for us. But His body was also placed in a tomb, and subsequently rose from the dead. By association with Him in these things we are delivered from the law by association with what happened to Christ in His body.

6.    Romans 8:11:”But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you”. The Spirit of God is here described as the Spirit of the God of resurrection. Not only does the Spirit of God empower us so that we are able to live proper Christian lives now, but He is the guarantee that we shall share in the resurrection of the body hereafter. The epistle to the Romans emphasises truth which enables us to live upon the earth, hence we are looked at in this verse as being alive on the earth when Christ comes. When dead saints are raised, then those alive on the earth will share in the same sort of change, even though they have not died. The certainty of this is found in the presence within of the Spirit of God.

7.    Romans 8:34: “Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us”. The only one who could possibly condemn God’s people is Christ, for all judgement has been committed to Him. But far from condemning, He is the very one who defends and supports them. He does this in a four-fold way, because of the four events mentioned here. He died to deal with our sins that would have meant our condemnation. He was raised again  to demonstrate to all who would accuse us that the work of the cross dealt effectively with sins. He is ascended to the right hand of God, the most influential place in the whole of the universe where He wields all power. And He intercedes for us to defend us from the charges the adversary, Satan, would level against us, Revelation 12:10.

ROMANS 5:12-21-an overview

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This passage is critical to a true understand of the chapters that follow it.  It is, however, a complicated section, and these remarks are offered with a view to unfolding its meaning.

It is well-known that the first eight chapters of the epistle to the Romans may be divided into two parts.  The first, 1:1-5:11, deals with sins, the practices of men.  The second, 5:12-8:39, deals with sin, the principle in men.  By sin in this context is not meant one particular sin, but sin as a working principle in men, the force that enables them to commit individual sins.  Sin dwells within men, 7:17, and works in men, 7:13.  So the first section emphasises crimes, whereas the second section the criminal himself. 

It is important that both of these matters be dealt with, for after a person has believed the gospel, 3:26, been justified, 4:5, and had his sins forgiven, 4:7, it may come as a shock to him to find that he is still able to sin.  Indeed, the fact that Christians, sadly, sin, is often cited by unbelievers as reason to not believe, “because Christianity doesn’t work”, or “I wouldn’t be able to keep it up”.  In connection with those objections we should always remember that in the final analysis it is Christ who represents Christianity, for “Christ is all”, Colossians 3:11, but that does not absolve us from the solemn responsibility of being “epistles of Christ, known and read of all men”, 2 Corinthians 3:3. 

At the point where the epistle divides, the apostle sums up his foregoing argument in 5:8,9, where he writes of actions, whether it be of God commending His love, or Christ both dying for us, and also saving us from wrath, or our actions as sinners.  He also anticipates his future argument in 5:10 by emphasis on what state we were in, namely enmity, or what state we have been brought to, reconciliation, and also what state Christ was brought to by our folly, even that of being in death.

Coming to our passage, it may help to set out the main content as follows:

Verse 12 Initial doctrinal statement.
Verses 13,14 Proof that death is the result of the sin-principle within.
Verse 15 Contrast and comparison- offence or gift.
Verse 16 Contrast and comparison- condemnation or justification.
Verse 17  Death reigning or believers reigning in life.
Verse 18 The penalty upon all, and the opportunity for all.
Verse 19 The state of many as sinners, and the state of many as righteous.
Verse 20  The law cannot deal with the sin-principle.
Verse 21  Final doctrinal summary.

Verse 12    Initial doctrinal statement.

5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

The apostle immediately traces the origin of the sin principle right back to Adam, and then shows that “Him that was to come”, verse 14, is God’s answer.  The Last Adam alone is able to deal with that which the first man Adam brought in.  When he fell, Adam became a sinner by nature and practice, and when he begat a son it was in his image and likeness, to represent him as a sinner, Genesis 5:3.  Thus sin entered into the world.  Like a poison being put into the spring that gives rise to a river, so the river of humanity has been poisoned at source.  Hence the apostle’s use of the words “all men”, and “world”.  Not that sin originated with Adam, for Lucifer was the first to sin, Ezekiel 28:15, but he used Adam as the door through which sin might enter into the human race.

The consequence of the sin of Adam was that its penalty, death, passed on all.  If any question whether this is the case, then the apostle has the answer.  All have sinned, and thus is proved the fact that all have a sin principle within inciting them to sin.  But since that sin principle inevitably results in death, then both sin and death have indeed passed upon all men.

Verses 13,14        Proof that death is the result of the sin-principle within.

5:13  (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

5:14  Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

It is important for the apostle to confirm that death is the result of sin within, and not, in general, as a result of particular sins committed.  He does this by referring to the period of time before the law was given at Sinai through Moses.  Before the law-age the principle of sin rested in the hearts of the descendants of Adam the sinner.  But when they sinned, that sin was not put to their account as demanding an immediate penalty.  They did not physically die the moment they sinned.  (The word “reckoned” is not the same as is used in previous passages such as 4:3,4, where it means that God takes account of a person in a certain way.  Here, it means to put a sin to someone’s account for immediate payment by death.  This does not mean that sins committed during the pre-law period are ignored by God, for “God shall bring every secret work into judgement”, Ecclesiastes xxx).  Nevertheless, men still died in the period between Adam and the giving of the law at Sinai, which proves that they did so because of the sin-principle within them, and not because they had transgressed against a known law. 

The consequence of this is very far-reaching, for it shows that even if an unbeliever managed to never sin, (a hypothetical situation, of course), he would still be liable to death because of what he is by nature.  So the gospel is not just about having one’s sins forgiven, but is also about being a new creation, so that there is no obligation to sin. 

Verse 15    Contrast and comparison- offence or gift.                 

5:15  But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

By describing Christ as “Him that was to come”, (immediately following Adam’s sin, God announced the coming deliverer), the apostle has prepared the way to revert back to his consideration of Adam’s fall, after the parenthesis of verses 13 and 14.  He does this by presenting both a contrast, “not as”, and a comparison, “so also”.  The comparison is seen in the fact that both Adam and Christ, each being head over those linked to them, affect deeply their respective companies. 

The contrast is between Adam’s offence, and the grace of God.  Further, that offence resulted in the “gift” of death to the many who have died one by one throughout the history of men, whereas the grace of God results in many being given a different sort of gift.  What that gift is we are not yet told.  We are told that what God does through Christ has a “much more” character to it, which is seen in that the gift has abounded.  The seemingly insurmountable problem of Adam’s sin has been overcome by God in Christ.  He has not solved the problem by introducing a stronger judgement than that meted out to Adam, but by acting in grace.  The condemnation of sinners is a righteous necessity with God, but He is under no obligation to bless them, but chooses to do so because of His grace.

Note that in verses 13-17, and also in verse 19, we read of “many”, indicating the greatness of the problem to be addressed, and also the far reaching consequences of the actions of the two men who are in view in the passage.  In verses 12 and 18, (which are linked together), we read of “all”, for there the universality of the problem Adam introduced, and the universality of the provision God has made in response is brought out. 

Verse 16    Contrast and comparison- condemnation or justification.

5:16  And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.

This verse continues the idea of contrast, (“not as”), and comparison, (“so is”), but whereas verse 15 concentrated on the one offence of Adam, his act of taking a false step, and the fact that God’s act of giving in grace is through one man, Jesus Christ, here the emphasis is on the many offences which result from Adam’s fall, and the way each man relates to those offences.  This is the comparison, for each man has been the means of affecting either adversely (judgement), or for good, (the gift), those involved in each case. 

There is also a contrast, for Adam brought in judgement and condemnation, but Christ brings in justification.  That judgement took the form of condemnation.  God’s verdict, (judgement), went against Adam when he sinned, and he was pronounced guilty, with the implication that there was a sentencing process to follow.  We read of that process in Genesis 3:17-19.  Christ, however, brings in justification, and this despite the many offences committed during the history of men, and the many offences individual sinners commit during their lifetime. 

The condemnation brought in by Adam resulted in men being subject to death, whereas the justification Christ brings in for those who believe not only clears their record, (this is the “Romans 3” side of justification), but also delivers them from obligation to sin in the present, and liability to death in the future.  So it is that the apostle can write in 6:7 that “he that is dead is freed from sin”.  That is, those who by faith are associated with Christ crucified, are no longer under any obligation to sin.  They are not liable to die physically either, for Christ risen has secured their position in resurrection.  Those who are alive when Christ comes will be proof of this, for they shall know resurrection without dying. 

Verse 17    Death reigning or believers reigning in life.

5:17  For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

In verse 16 the emphasis is on sins, but in this verse, on death.  Going right back to the beginning again, the apostle repeats what he wrote in verse 12, that the offence of one man resulted in death.  Now he enlarges on this and declares that death has not only passed upon all men, but has set up its throne in their hearts, and like a wicked tyrant rules their lives.  The abundant grace of God, however, ensures that those who receive the gift of righteousness not only are delivered from the tyranny of death, and receive life, but reign in life.  It is they who are in control.  This is only possible, however, by the agency and strength of Jesus Christ- they have no strength of their own. 

Verse 18    The penalty upon all, and the opportunity for all.

5:18  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

The apostle is now able to take his argument forward from verse 12, having built up a body of background information in verses 13-17 which will enable his readers to follow his line of thought.  He first of all reiterates the truth of verse 12, and reminds us that the offence of Adam has resulted in the condemnation of death upon all men.  He then contrasts the offence of Adam with the righteousness of another man, Jesus Christ.  By righteousness here is meant the act of righteousness carried out by Christ in death, when He set out to reverse the consequences of Adam’s sin, and also bring in rich benefits besides.  Just as the penalty through Adam’s unrighteous act of sinning brought results towards all men, so the blessing through Christ’s righteous act of dying for sin brings results to all men as well.  The word “upon” has the meaning of “towards”, for the penalty came towards all, and so does the gift. 
Not only is the one who believes justified in the sense of “reckoned righteous”, but the legal obligation to death is removed, so justification is “justification of life”.  The ground of resurrection is taken up, so that the believer is clear of the consequences of Adam’s fall.

Verse 19    The state of many as sinners, and the state of many as righteous.

5:19  For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Not only is the condition of man dealt with by Christ, but the nature as well.  By Adam’s disobedience to the plain command of God, man was made or constituted a sinner.  It is not, of course, that God made men to sin, but that by their link with Adam they have become, sinners by nature.  On the other hand, Christ obeyed His Father, even to the extent of death, and those who believe in Him are reckoned righteous by God- that is how He sees them now. 

Verse 20    The law cannot deal with the sin-principle.

5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

The apostle now deals with a possible objection from Jewish readers.  Can the law not remedy this situation?  The answer is that it cannot, for when the law came in, it resulted in the situation becoming worse, not better, for it showed up sins as never before, and offered no remedy for the nature that produced those sins.  It dealt with the symptoms but not the disease.

The only answer to man’s nature as a sinner is the grace of God in the gospel, which alone has the power to overcome the obstacles represented by sin, death, and the law, and set up its rule in the hearts of men on a righteous basis.  That righteous basis being the death of Christ at Calvary, not the supposed good works of men.

Verse 21    Final doctrinal summary.

5:21  That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. 

So it is that the sad truth of verse 12, expressed here as “sin hath reigned unto death”, can be exchanged for “even so might grace reign”.  Grace so dominates the scene that it sweeps sin off its throne in the heart, and robs death of its power over those who believe.  And all this happens on a righteous basis, even the death of Christ, and leaves the way clear for the possession and enjoyment of eternal life in all its fulness.  The apostle is careful at the close of the passage to attribute all this to Jesus Christ, who has shown Himself to be worthy of the title Lord.  He has overcome every dominating principle, and shows Himself superior to them by His death and resurrection.

HEBREWS 2:11-18

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THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS CHAPTER 2, VERSES 11-15

2:11  For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

 2:12  Saying, I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee.

 2:13  And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

THE PATH OF SEPARATION FROM ADAM’S WORLD
2:11    For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified- To sanctify means to set apart.  It is too early in the epistle to think in terms of being sanctified by the sacrifice of Christ, 10:10.  In the context, the captain of our salvation has separated us from the world of Adam of which we formed part.  In His prayer in John 17, the Lord Jesus spoke of sanctifying Himself, that His people might be sanctified by the truth.  Sanctification, or holiness, has not to do in the first instance with separation from sin, (we must not confuse sanctification with purification), but rather involves separation from the ordinary, to be occupied with the sacred.  Christ ever sanctified Himself during His life down here, and this qualifies Him to sanctify His people now.  He had contrasted those who have eternal life with those who only have the life of flesh, John 17:2, and has described His own as given to Him by the Father out of the world, verse 6.  This does not involve being physically removed, but morally distinct.  Given that believers are in the world, He requested that they might be sanctified by the truth.  The truth in question being that regarding the nature of the eternal life believers possess, the very life of God.  It is as we have fellowship with God and His Son in the things of eternal life, (which things were expressed fully by the Son when He was here), that we shall be set apart from the world of Adam.  The closer we get to God, the further we shall be from the world.  Adam associated his race with things that caused them to perish, whereas Christ associates with salvation the race of which He is head.  By passing through this world, and suffering in it, the Lord Jesus has equipped Himself with the experience to lead His people through the same world, with all its sufferings. 
Are all of one- the sanctifier, (Christ), and those sanctified, (His people), all emerge out of one common experience of suffering on the way to glory.  He has already come out of the tomb never to suffer again.  But association with Christ in His burial and resurrection begins a life of suffering for the believer.  From which suffering he will emerge just a certainly as Christ has emerged.  If we suffer with Him, we shall be glorified together, Romans 8:17.  Christ is out of the experience of suffering already, whereas we await that emergence, but because it is certain it can be spoken of as if already accomplished.  It is noticeable that the apostles did not begin to suffer for Christ until He was risen from the dead.
For which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren- “A brother is born for adversity”, Proverbs 17:17, and the common experience of suffering bonds us with our captain.  If He passed through suffering, and the people did not, then there might be room for embarrassment if He called us brethren.  Note the way Romans 8 moves from a consideration of sufferings because of a groaning creation, verses 16-27, to the thought that God’s people shall be brethren with His Son, in glory, verses 28-30.  No amount of privation can destroy that, as Romans 8:38,39 declares:  “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.

THE PATH OF (RESURRECTION) LIFE WITH CHRIST
2:12    Saying, “I will declare Thy name unto My brethren- These are words found in Psalm 22:22 at the point where the scene changes from one of death and great suffering, to resurrection and great glory.  They represent the point where Christ finishes His experience of suffering in this world, and begins to enter His glory, “God raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory”, 1 Peter 1:21. 
The Lord described His disciples as those that had continued with Him in His temptations, and despite the way they had forsaken Him in Gethsemane, He still said to the women, “Go tell My brethren that I go before you into Galilee”, Matthew 28:10.  He also spoke of ascending to His Father and theirs, thus showing He was not ashamed to associate with them, even if they had been ashamed, temporarily, to associate with Him.  In this way He began to carry out what He promised in His prayer to His Father in John 17:26, and continued the declaration of the Father’s name or character. 
In the midst of the church will I sing praise unto Thee”- If the first phrase involved teaching the Name, this one involves praising the Name.  Praise is the expression of the works of God, and here the Lord Jesus can be thought of as praising God for His great work of delivering Him from death, in answer to His prayer, Hebrews 5:7.  It is noticeable that after the Passover meal a psalm was sung before they left, in accordance with the custom of Israel, whereas we do not read of this in the upper room in the post-resurrection appearances to the disciples there.  Perhaps a psalm, (1 Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 5:19), now has the more spiritual idea of a personal expression of praise, rather than the repetition of the exercises of others.  By singing praise in the church is meant the recounting by the Lord Jesus of His appreciation of the intervention of His Father on His behalf; He does this as His people speak of Him to the Father.  Psalm 22 does not actually use the word sing in the expression that is quoted here, perhaps confirming that singing is not necessarily in view.
There is a possibility that the declaring of the Name is done while His people are still on earth, whereas the singing of praise in the midst of the church will take place in heaven when all the redeemed are safe home.  So one refers to the local assembly, the other to “the church of the firstborn (ones) which are written (enrolled) in heaven”, 12:23.

THE PATH OF FAITH IN GOD
2:13    And again, “I will put my trust in Him”- This is a quotation from Psalm 18, which is mainly an account of David’s deliverance from the hand of his enemies, including Saul.  Now Saul had persecuted David some 40 or more years before, and he seems to have used this psalm as an expression of his dependence on God at every stage of his life.  The first three verses, from which this quote comes, give to us the attitude of David to adversity, and one feature is his trust in God.  Then he records the way in which God vindicated his trust in him by delivering him from his foes.  So we learn that during the time when His enemies had the upper hand, the Lord Jesus was marked by trust in God.  Indeed, this was ever His attitude, for Psalm 22:9,10 says “I was cast upon Thee from the womb; Thou art My God from My mother’s belly; Thou didst make me hope when I was upon My mother’s breast”.  As a result, He knew deliverance from Herod.  Children, even unborn children, are remarkably sensitive to the circumstances in which their mother finds herself.  See, for instance, Luke 1:41.  By implication, His brethren will be marked by this trust too, as they follow the path the captain of their salvation has marked out for them. 
And again, “Behold, I and the children which God hath given Me”- This is a quotation from Isaiah 8:18.  Isaiah had the task of warning the wicked king Ahaz of impending captivity at the hands of the Assyrians.  As a sign to Israel, Isaiah was instructed by God to name his two sons in a particular way.  One was to be Shear-jashub, a name which means “A remnant shall return”, and the other, Maher-shalal-hash-baz, which means “In making haste to the spoil he hasteneth the prey”.  So when Isaiah said to the nation, “Behold, I and the children which God hath given me”, they were a “sign and a wonder” to Israel.  Maher-shalal-hash-baz was testimony that the Assyrian would indeed hasten to invade the land, and take them as a prey.  The other son, however, was God’s promise that even though that happened, a remnant would return from captivity.  So during the present age, believers from the nation of Israel are likewise a testimony to coming judgement on the nation in the form of the Great Tribulation, (and to a lesser extent the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70), and also to the fact that God will be favourable to His people and ensure that a remnant of them will know His salvation.  It is interesting that the Lord Jesus called His brethren “children”, in John 21:5, using the same word which is found here and in the next verse.  So physical descendants are not necessarily in view in the application of the quotation, but a spiritual relationship.  Just as Isaiah’s trust was in God despite the impending judgements, so the trust of the Hebrew believers should be in God despite what would happen to them as a nation in AD 70.

THE PATH OF DELIVERANCE FROM OUR ENEMIES
2:14    Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood- The children in question being those addressed in the previous verse, the children of God, who are the same as Christ’s brethren, true believers.  The present condition of the children is in view because they were not children before they became partakers.  The verb “are partakers” is in the perfect tense, meaning continuation from the past to the present.  Those who share flesh and blood are in a condition of relative weakness, which leaves them vulnerable to attack by evil as they make their way to glory, therefore their Captain steps in to help. 
He also Himself- It is necessary for Him to have the same nature as those He leads, so that He may pass through the same experiences, sin apart, of course. 
Likewise took part of the same- Not only does He share flesh and blood with the children, but shares it likewise, or in the same manner- “Similarly, in like manner, in the same way… is equivalent to ‘in all things’ of verse 17, and hence is used of a similarity which amounts to equality”, Grimme.  The manhood  of Christ is real, even though He is without sin, for a sinful nature is not an integral part of humanity.  Adam was a real man before he sinned- he did not have to possess a sinful nature before he was rightly called a man.  1 Corinthians 15:50 distinguishes between flesh and blood, and corruption, showing that our corrupt nature can be considered apart from our flesh and blood condition.  The Lord Jesus took part of flesh and blood in like manner to the children, by birth of a mother, and He subsequently took part in this condition as He lived amongst men.  Perhaps there is an allusion to the other son mentioned by Isaiah, even Immanuel, the child born of the virgin, Isaiah 9:14, see Matthew 1:23. 
The word used of believers is partakers, meaning they have a common, equal share in humanity, whereas Christ took part, which involves coming in from outside the condition, a testimony to His pre-existence before birth. 
That through death He might destroy Him that had the power of death- Psalm 18, which is quoted in verse 13, and which is found in 2 Samuel 22 also, was written when the Lord had delivered David from his enemies, including Goliath and his sons.  In fact 2 Samuel 21:22 links the defeat of Goliath when David was a youth, with the defeat of his four sons by David’s mighty men, when David was an old man.  Goliath had put the fear of death into the hearts of the armies of Israel, but David had delivered them from that fear, and had beheaded Goliath with his own sword.  So Christ has defeated the greatest enemy of all, the Devil, by using the very weapon that he used. 
By coming into flesh and blood conditions, and by allowing Himself to be condemned to death, the Lord Jesus placed Himself in a position of weakness.  Yet in this weakness He defeated the mightiest force for evil there ever could be.  See 2 Corinthians 13:4.  Since He is now raised from the dead by the power of God, there is no possibility of the Devil being effective against God’s sons.  To destroy means to make of no effect, not annihilate.  In the wisdom of God, the Devil is still allowed some measure of activity, but when his final doom is effected it will only take an “ordinary” angel to bind him and cast him into the lake of fire, Revelation 20:1-3. 

2:15    And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage- those under the law were under the ministration of condemnation and death, 2 Corinthians 3:7,9.  This brought bondage, for they were not free from fear of death.  Imagine a believer in Israel who is returning from sacrificing a sin offering.  As he returns to his tent he sins again; yet it is too late to return to the altar.  He goes to sleep that night fearing that he may die, and die, moreover, with sin upon him.  Through Christ’s death, however, this fear is removed, and death may be faced calmly.  This relates especially to believers who formerly were Jews, and therefore under the law.

THE WORDS OF THE BIBLE, THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, AS FOUND IN THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS CHAPTER 2, VERSES 16-18

2:16  For verily He took not on him the nature of angels; but He took on him the seed of Abraham.

 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

 2:18  For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted. 

THE PATH OF VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION
2:16    For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels- “the nature of” has been added by the translators, since they felt it necessary.  But the word “took” is the key here.  It means to “take up a person to help him, to rescue from peril, and also to succour”.  There is nothing about taking a nature.  The Textus Receptus says “For not indeed of angels takes He hold”.  The point is that He did not come into flesh and blood conditions to help angels, but the seed of Abraham.  Angels have no fear of death, nor does Christ succour them. 
But He took on Him the seed of Abraham- that is, His coming is relevant to the first readers of the epistle, the Hebrews, descended from “Abram the Hebrew”, Genesis 14:13.  They should not think that because the link with Adam has been emphasised in the earlier verses, that they have no special place with God.  “Salvation is of the Jews”, John 4:22.  “Of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came”, Romans 9:5.  The special emphasis, however, is on those descended from Abraham naturally who were believers, and therefore were his seed spiritually, see John 8:33-45; Romans 4:16; Galatians 3:29.   The word “took” is the same as is used in 8:9 of God taking hold of Israel to lead them out of Egypt.  Here our captain takes hold to lead out of the world.  Clearly, the statement in 8:9 does not involve taking a nature.  “For verily” is only found here in the New Testament.  “It is used when something is affirmed in an ironical way”- Grimm.  Vine says it means, “Of course,” or “It goes without saying.”

2:17    Wherefore- this means “for which reason”. 
In all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren- For the purpose of taking hold of the seed of Abraham, He needed to be made like them in all things- note He is made like His brethren, meaning believers.  He is not made like unbelievers in all things, for they have a sinful nature, whereas believers are looked at ideally as being righteous, even whilst in a mortal body.  This confirms that the seed of Abraham in verse 16 means believers.  “Behoved” means “a necessity in view of the subject under discussion”.  Having taken flesh and blood, and come to take hold of believers to help them, it is necessary that He become like them in all relevant things, so that He may minister unto them effectively.  The previous verses have shown believers to be delivered by His various ministries; but they are passing through temptations that may cause them to fall- how can He help them in this? 
That He might be- in order that He might take His place as, or be granted the position of. 
A merciful and faithful high priest- the word for mercy here indicates the outward manifestation of pity, with need on the part of the one shown mercy, and resources on the part of the one showing it.  It is not simply an attitude, but an act, as demonstrated by the Good Samaritan, who was not content to look from a distance, (as the priest was), but acted in compassion. 
Faithfulness marks Him, not only in His relationship with God, 3:2, but also towards believers, the idea behind faithfulness being reliability and stability.  The failures we manifest do not cause our helper to desert us.  Cf. “only Luke is with me”, 2 Timothy 4:11, for the writer of the priestly gospel has learnt the constancy of the One he wrote of, and sought to imitate it. 
In things pertaining to God- in matters that relate to the honour of God.  Aaron was made priest to minister unto God, Exodus 28:1.  The priesthood of Aaron had to do with constant sacrifices and yearly atonement.  Christ dealt with these two aspects before He entered into his ministry, as hebrews 7:28 makes clear.  His sacrifice renders altar sacrifices obsolete, chapter 10, and His work of propitiation is once for all, chapter 9.  His priesthood has to do with helping us move through the world safely, and leading the way into the presence of God. 
To make reconciliation for the sins of the people- reconciliation, the bringing into harmony of persons formerly at variance, is one result of the work of propitiation.  “To” means “for to”, a similar expression to the “That He might be” of the beginning of the verse.  The change of word indicates that, as the scholars say, “this is a separate telic clause”, (a clause which tells us what the goal is).  So there are two goals in view in the verse, the one issuing from the other- He is made like His brethren with the general object of being a faithful high priest for them, and also to make propitiation.  Whilst this is put second, the work was done before He became high priest, but the writer perhaps wishes to link His present work of succouring the tempted with the work that is the support for that ministry.  Compare 1 John 2:1,2, with the advocacy of Christ on the basis of His propitiatory work.  He is the propitiation for our sins in the sense that the one in heaven interceding is the one who once was on the cross propitiating.  The alternative reason for propitiation being mentioned second will be given later.
The Lord Jesus spoke to Mary Magdalene about His brethren, and indicated that He was about to “ascend to My Father, and your Father, to My God, and your God”, John 20:17.  Thus He would still be the link between His people and God, maintaining them in His dual role of Advocate with the Father, and High Priest in things pertaining to God. 
The basis of His advocacy is two-fold.  His person, for He is Jesus Christ the righteous, and His work, for He is the propitiation for our sins, 1 John 2:1,2.  The apostle John was concerned about believers sinning.  The sins of believers are just as obnoxious to God, and just as deserving of wrath, as those of unbelievers.  But we are “saved from wrath through Him”, Romans 5:9, as He pleads the merits of His work.  He is, says John, the propitiatory offering for our sins.  Not was, but is.  In other words, the one who acts for us in heaven as our advocate, is the very same one who hung upon the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. 
He is also our High priest.  Hebrews 2:17,18 form a bridge between chapter two, with its emphasis on the reasons why the Lord Jesus took manhood, and the way in which Israel were tempted in the wilderness as noted in chapter three. 
Note in particular the word “for” which begins verse 18. Too little attention has been paid to this word, and hence the connection between verses 17 and 18 is often lost.  The reason why we have a high priest who is merciful and faithful is that He has been here in manhood and suffered being tempted.  When His people pass through temptation, then He undertakes to deal with their cause.  Because He has been here, and has been tempted in all points like as we are, He is able to help us when we cry to Him for help.  The word for succour is used by the woman of Canaan in Matthew 15:25 when she cried out, “Lord, help me”.  He is able to point us to the ways in which He overcame in the wilderness temptation, and thus we are strengthened to resist temptation.
But what if we fall, and sin?  In that case He comes to our aid in another way.  We see it typified negatively in Leviticus 10:16-20.  The priests were commanded to eat the sin-offerings, if the blood thereof had not been brought into the sanctuary.  This was in order to “bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord”, Leviticus 10:17, where the word for bear is the same as is used for the scapegoat bearing iniquity.  But at the end of the consecration of the priesthood, Moses was angry on God’s behalf, for the priests had failed in this.  One of the functions of priesthood, then, was to personally identify with the sin-offering by eating it, and by so doing bear the iniquity of the congregation, taking responsibility for their failure, but doing so safeguarded by the fact that a sin-offering had been accepted by God.  As they did this the scripture explicitly says they made atonement for the people, Leviticus 10:17.  We see then what the writer to the Hebrews means when he talks of Christ making reconciliation or propitiation for the sins of the people.  He is indicating that Christ personally identifies Himself with His sin-offering work at Calvary, and thus takes responsibility for the failures of His people under temptation.  This is acceptable to God, and His people are preserved, despite their failure.

2:18         For in that He hath suffered, being tempted- only those who resist temptation suffer.  The fact that it is said without qualification that He suffered when He was tempted, shows that He always resisted resolutely.  He therefore knows what His people pass through when they resist temptation. 
He is able to succour them that are tempted- knowing the pressure they are under, He is able to suit the help they need to their situation.  When His people do not resist temptation, then His work at Calvary safeguards their position, hence the mention of propitiation in the previous verse.  To succour means to run to the aid of a person in danger when they cry for help.  See Matthew 15:25, “Lord, help me”; and Hebrews 4:16 “Grace to help in time of need”, where the same word as succour is used.  Because He has experienced the pressure of temptation, and has overcome, when we go to Him for help He is able to point us to the way in which He overcame, as detailed in the temptation accounts in the gospels.