REVELATION 4-6
SEGMENT III
page 5 OF 5

1.      The High Priest was found worthy on the Day of Atonement.

The doctrine of parallel temples contributes to the matrix in the Chart above. In Leviticus 16, the High Priest had to be found worthy before he could cleanse the earthy temple on the Day of Atonement. To gain God’s approval, the High Priest had to present himself before God within the Most Holy Place with the blood of a young bull. The bull came from the High Priest’s herd. In other words, the High Priest had to provide his own blood for the sacrifice. The parallel here is obvious, Jesus provided His own blood for the redemption of sinners, and after a careful examination, He was found worthy before the Father, the 24 elders, and the angelic host to receive the Book of Life.

After the High Priest received God’s approval in the earthy temple, the High Priest proceeded to remove the record of sin from the temple. (Leviticus 16) There are three points in this process that should be considered.

a.       The Day of Atonement service in the earthy temple shadowed the cleansing of Heaven’s temple. We know from Daniel 8:14, the cleansing of Heaven’s temple began in 1844. Even though the Day of Atonement occurred every year in the earthy temple, Paul indicates that the judgment day would convene once, near the end of the world. (Acts 17:31; Hebrews 9:26; 2 Corinthians 5:10) The Jews, even to this day, call the Day of Atonement, “Yom Kippur” which means “The Day of Judgment.”

Many people do not recognize this, but the book of Hebrews centers on the ministry of Jesus in a “Day of Atonement” capacity. Paul wrote, “We have this hope [of salvation] as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf…” (Hebrews 6:19,20, insertion mine) “For Christ is not entered into the [Most] holy places made with [human] hands, which are the figures of the true [temple in Heaven]; but in Heaven itself, now to appear in the [actual] presence of God for us [just like the High Priest did on the annual Day of Atonement when he went behind the veil.] Nor yet that he [Jesus] should offer himself often [again and again], as the high priest entereth into the [most] holy place every year [on the Day of Atonement] with the blood of others; For then must he often have suffered [every year] since the foundation of the world: but [right] now once in the end of the world hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:24-26, KJV, insertions mine)

Paul clearly understood the doctrine of parallel temples. (Hebrews 8:1-5) He understood the annual cleansing of the earthy temple on the Day of Atonement was a shadow of a “one time” cleansing of the heavenly temple that would begin near the end of the world. Because Paul thought he was living close to the end of the world, he believed that Jesus had entered into the Father’s presence [that is, the Most Holy Place] at the time of His ascension to intercede for mankind. (Hebrews 6:19,20) The problem with this perspective is timing. Paul, like the other disciples of Jesus, was convinced that he was living at the end of the world and he clearly says so in other places. (Hebrews 1:1,2; 1 Corinthians 7:29; Romans 13:12) However, the book of Revelation did not exist in Paul’s day and the book of Daniel had not been unsealed. The point is that Paul saw the exaltation of Jesus as man’s High Priest, and he saw Jesus serving in the Most Holy Place at “the end of the world” as our High Priest without knowing the timing of what he saw. Paul had the same limitations that Daniel and John had; they did not know about 1798 and 1844. To his credit, Paul wrote, “For we know in part and we prophecy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.” (1 Corinthians 13:9,10)

b.   In ancient times, the worthiness of the High Priest was determined just before the temple was to be cleansed. The heavenly process is consistent with the fact because Jesus was found worthy in 1798, which is just before He begun to cleanse the temple in 1844.

      c.   The High Priest could not enter the Most Holy Place except on the Day of Atonement. (Leviticus 16:2) This is a particularly important point. Only one Service in the earthy temple concerned the Most Holy Place. This service occurred on the Day of Atonement and the purpose of this service was the cleansing of the temple. Because the book of Hebrews is concerned with the exaltation of Jesus (Hebrews 1-5) and Christi’s ministry in the Most Holy Place on the Day of Atonement (Hebrews 6-10), Paul’s comments in the book of Hebrews must be understood as taking place at, or near, the end of the world.

            (Hebrews 9:26) In other words, the ministry of Jesus as our High Priest – care- fully described in the book of Hebrews – applies after He was found worthy in 1798.

2.      The matrix aligns Daniel 7, Daniel 8 and Daniel 9 with Revelation 4-6.  After reviewing the Chart above, we find the prophetic matrix easily aligns Daniel 7, 8 and 9 with Revelation 4-6.  The doctrines regarding the state of the dead and parallel temples also contribute to this sequence of events. Let us review how Bible history and recorded history affirm the presence of a relationship between 1798 and 1844.

The 1,260 years of persecution by the little horn, power in Daniel 7 ended in February 1798, because the Father issued a restraining order against the little horn shortly after He took His seat. 

The seventy weeks of Daniel 9 began in 457 B.C. and terminated with A.D. 33. Jesus confirmed the synchrony of these dates by conducting the Passover service for His disciples at the right time in A.D. 30 (Mark 14) and by dying on the cross in the middle of the seventieth week. Jesus died on Friday afternoon, April 7, A.D. 30. John 19)

According to Daniel 9, seventy weeks of probationary time were granted to Israel as a last chance to fulfill God’s covenant. The seventy weeks were “cut off” from the beginning of the 2,300 years mentioned in Daniel 8:14 so that if Israel was faithful to God (in Plan A), the 2,300 year prophecy (in Plan B) would not be necessary. In fact, the book of Daniel would have remained sealed forever if Israel had been faithful to God and His covenant. Since Jesus affirmed the middle year of the seventieth week with His death, there is no question that the seventy weeks and the 2,300 years began in 457 B.C. Consequently, there is no question that the 2,300 years terminated in the Spring of 1844 and the cleansing of Heaven’s temple began at that time.

Daniel and John Favorably Compare

Before we conclude this investigation on timing, please review the following parallels between Daniel and John:

Daniel 7:9: “As I looked, thrones [plural] were set in place.”

Revelation 4:2,4: “…before me was a throne… Surrounding the throne were twenty four other thrones and seated on them were twenty four elders.”

Daniel 7:10: “…Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.”

Revelation 5:11: “Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.”

Daniel 7:9: “The Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of His head was white like wool.”

Revelation 4:3,4: “The One who sat there had the appearance of a jasper [having translucent brilliance, golden quartz color] and carnelian [having the multilayered brilliance of a ruby]. The elders were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads.”

Daniel 7:9,10: “His throne was flaming with fire and its wheels were all ablaze.”

Revelation 4:5: From the throne came flashes of lightening, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne seven lamps were blazing.”

Daniel 7:13: “I saw one like a “son of man.’ He approached the Ancient of Days.”

Revelation 5:7: “The Lamb approached the Father sitting on the throne and took the scroll from His right hand.”

Daniel 7:14: “He [the Son of Man] was given authority, glory and sovereign power.”

Revelation 5:9,12: “…They sang a new song, ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and open its seals.’ ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.”

These parallels are interesting, but not identical. In fact, if there were no other information, these parallels would be close enough to say they were describing the same event. However, we have other data that tells us Daniel and John are describing the same scene, so the differences are more helpful than harmful because the details add information from two different perspectives. The differences between Daniel 7 and Revelation 4-6 can be compared to Daniel 2 and Daniel 7 where there are two different perspectives of the same thing, even though the visions are very different.

Now that we have examined the timing of Revelation 4-6, please review this next chart. Notice the vertical alignment of the various elements that have been discussed thus far.  

Revelation 4-6 Expands The Matrix

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