Revelation Day 19

Does “every eye will see him” in Revelation 1:7 mean all people on the whole earth will see it? Should Revelation 1:7 be better translated as “earth” or “land”…and why is this significant?

Day 19

B. Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, June 10, 2020 (Donate)

When we look at other instances in the Bible similar statements do not necessarily mean the whole of the earth but closer to something like the whole assembly or representatives of the whole. For examples, please see: Joshua 22:12, 1 Kings 1:40, Matthew 3:5, and 2 Corinthians 3:2. It means it will be a public event, not a secret event but out in the open.

Keep in mind that there was a qualifier in the context that those who pierced him would also see – and they are no longer with us! Consider also: Luke 21:32, Matthew 24:34, Matthew 23:36, Mark 13:30, Luke 11:50-51 and Luke 17:23-37.

Regarding Revelation 1:7, many times this is translated as “earth”. But this may be misleading. The Greek word ge (ghay) here is often translated as land. And this may be significant to get the translation into English correct as land and earth would yield two different meanings in these instances.

The context reveals this is talking of the tribes and even those who pierced him, which is obviously discussing the tribes of Israel and the Jews who handed Christ over to the Romans and demanded His crucifixion. 

Matthew 2:6, 2:20-21; 4:15; John 3:22, and Acts 10:39 for example translate ge as land due to the context. Matthew 10:15 and 11:24 discuss the land of Sodom which also used this word. Young’s literal translation actually states it as: “Lo, he doth come with the clouds, and see him shall every eye, even those who did pierce him, and wail because of him shall all the tribes of the land. Yes! Amen!”

So having “earth” gives the impression that the whole world would see this event. However if “land” is meant, this satisfies the context of being the immediate events of judgment for the tribes of Israel. This limits the destructive judgment to the tribes of the land (Israel/Judea) as opposed to the whole earth. 

Re-read Revelation 1:1-9. (I’ll give  you an easy one this time! 😊)

Revelation Day 15

Who does the Bible blame for killing Jesus? And will those who pierced Christ see His coming in judgment?

Day 15

B. Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI

Biblical Authority Ministries, June 2, 2020 (Donate)

According to the Bible, the Jews receive the blame for putting Christ to death: Matthew 27:25, John 19:15, Acts 2:23, 3:13-15, 5:30, 7:52, 10:39, and 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16. Pilate even washed his hands of the blood of Jesus (Matthew 27:24) and Jesus affirmed the greater sin was on those who delivered Him to Pilate (John 19:11). But the Romans were not entirely innocent (like Eve was not entirely innocent in the Garden of Eden, but Adam gets the blame (Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:22).

According to the Bible, those who pierced Christ will see His coming judgment (on the unrepentant Jews). Please see: Matthew 24:30 (in the context of the Temple's destruction and the end of the sacrificial age); Zechariah 12:10; and Revelation 1:7. Since these people no longer live today, it must have happened already.

Furthermore, this makes sense. When the prophets were persecuted and killed, Israel went into judgment for it was by their hand blood was spilt. Of course, a remnant survived.

Should we not have expected that when the Jews, led by the Pharisees, Scribes, Sadducees, and High Priest killed Christ, the Son of God, that they would also be judged severely? Of course, a remnant survived including Paul, Mary, Jude, James, Peter, and many other early Jewish Christians (3,000 in one day, Acts 2:41, 5,000 on another day in Acts 4:4) who rightly repented and believed by the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3) upon seeing or hearing of Christ as the finished sacrifice and resurrected Savior and accordingly received Him as Lord. 

Consider the issue of authority. Christ is indeed the King of Kings (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, 19:16), He exercised His power (Matthew 28:18) over the most powerful nation the world had ever seen (Rome) and used that nation to do His bidding by judging the Jews for their actions against Him and their persecution of His bride, the Church (Revelation 18:23, 21:2, 3:12, Hebrews 12:22, Revelation 21:9, 22:17). Is this too hard for Christ who has all authority? Not at all.

In the same way God used Chaldeans of Babylon with their king, Nebuchadnezzar, to do his bidding against Judah in the Old Testament for judgment (e.g., Jeremiah 25:9, 27:6, Habakkuk 1:6) and used the evil Assyrians to do his bidding of judgment against Israel (e.g., Isaiah 7:17, 10:5-6), so Christ used Rome to enact his judgment on the unrepentant Jews and Jerusalem, its capital—the seat of power for the Pharisees, Sadducees, and High Priest.

The Jews who rejected Christ used the Beast of Rome (just as a person who uses a bit in the mouth of a beast to control the beast) to crucify the Son of God, so God used the same Beast of Rome to enact judgment on the woman who rode the beast (Jews who rejected Christ). And so the owner of the vineyard did not spare the wrath on the workers who killed his son, so God did not spare the wrath on those who killed the Son of God (Matthew 21:33-41). 

Re-read Revelation 1:1-9.