The First Seal Opened

THE FIRST SEAL OPENED

By
James Scott Trimm
An excerpt from the book and DVD
Seven Seals, Seven Thunders
http://nazarenespace.com/page/books-dvds

In the Book of Revelation Yochanan is "in the spirit" (1:10) and gives a Ma'aseh Merkavah (account of the divine throne) (Rev. 4). In the right hand of the figure on the throne ia a book sealed with seven seals (Rev. 5). Beginning in Rev. 6 each of these seven seals are opened. Associated with each of the seals is a thunder (Rev. 6 & 10).

THE FIRST THUNDER

Now as the first seal is opened we read:

6:1. And I saw when the lamb opened one of the seven seals,
and I heard one of the four beasts that spoke
as the voice of thunder,
Come and see.
6:2. And I heard and I saw,
and behold, [there was] a white horse
and he who sat on it had a bow and a crown was given to him

and he went out victorious, both conquering and to conqure.
(Hebraic-Roots Version)

At once we are faced with the obvious question: Who is the man on this white horse? Its certainly not the Lone Ranger. The Christian commentaries are split about 50/50 on who this rider is.

Halley's Bible Handbook says:

"This may symbolize Christ setting out to Conquer the world..."

While Unger's Bible Handbook says:

"The rider in the white horse, is the Antichrist..."

Now how could Christians be so confused about who this man is? Can Christians not tell the difference between their Jesus and the Antichrist? Well at any rate the identity of this rider is a mystery.

OK now lits look at Rev. 10:

1. And I saw another angel who descended from heaven and was clothed with a cloud and a bow of heaven [was]
upon his head and his appearance [was] like the sun and his feet [were] like pillars of fire.
2. And he had in his hand a little open book,
and he placed his right foot upon the sea
and the left upon the land.
3. And he cried out with a loud voice as a roaring lion.
And when he had cried out,
the seven thunders spoke with their voices.
4. And when the seven thunders spoke,
I was preparing to write.
And I heard a voice from heaven of the seven saying,
Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it.
5. And the angel that I saw standing upon the sea
and upon the land, who lifted his hand to heaven,
6. Even he swore by him who lives forever and ever,
he who created the heaven and that which is in it and the earth
and that which is in it, that there should not be any more time.
7. But in the days of the seventh angel,
when he is about to sound,
the mystery of Eloah is completed
that he announced to his servants the prophets.

Now "the mystery of Eloah" in verse 7 in context would seem to be the things which the seven thunders spoke in verse 3 which Yochanan (John) was forbidden to write in verse 4.

Compare the usage of "thunder" in Rev. 10 with the usage of "thunder" in John 12:28-30 where a voice from heaven speaks and those who do not understand it hear only thunder.

OK now lets look at verse 7 line by line in detail:

7. But in the days of the seventh angel,
when he is about to sound,

In Revelation there are seven angels with seven trumpets. The seventh angel blows his trumpet in 11:15 and initiates the restoration of the Kingdom of YHWH. This verse seems to foreshadow the coming blowing of the seventh trumpet in 11:15.

the mystery of Eloah is completed

As we have said this appears from the context to refer to the things revealed by the seven thunders (10:3) which Yochanan was not permitted to write (10:4). When the seventh trumpet blows in 11:15 these things will have been completed.

which he announced to his servants the prophets.

Now what does this mean? Does it refer to Yochanan? No because Yochanan was not permitted to reveal these mysteries. Could it refer to the prophets of the Tanak? Well if Yochanan was not permitted to reveal it in his time it does not make sense that it had already been revealed. So if the prophets of the Tanak contain these things they would be sealed (see Is. 29:14-15, 18; Dan. 12:4, 9). At any rate Rev. 10:7 tells us that YHWH is getting ready to do something. The Tanak tells us:

7 For the Adonai YHWH will do nothing,
but He reveals His counsel unto His servants the prophets.
(Amos 3:7)

So it would appear that sometime after the time of Yochanan and before the blowing of the seventh trumpet "his servants the prophets" will reveal some things that had been sealed.

Now one of those things would be the identity of the man on the white horse in the first seal corresponding to the first thunder (Rev. 6:1-2). So that rider's identity would be revealed before the blowing of the seventh (last) trumpet.

OK now lets look at a parallel section of Scripture in 2Thes. 2:

1 But we urge you, my brothers,
concerning the coming of our Adon Yeshua the Messiah
and concerning our gathering together to him,

This refers to the time of the blowing of the last trumpet:

16 Because our Adon, with a command
and with the voice of the chief angel
and with the trumpet of Eloah, will descend from heaven
and the dead who are in the Messiah will rise up first,
17 And then we who remain who are living will be caught up with them as one in the clouds,
for the meeting of our Adon in the air,
and thus we will always be with our Adon.

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery.
Not all of us will sleep,
but all of us will be changed;
52 Suddenly, as the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trumpet sounding,

and the dead will rise without corruption and we will be changed.
(1Cor. 15:51-52)

2Thessalonians continues:

2 that you neither quickly be shaken in your minds,
nor be troubled, neither by word, nor by spirit,
nor by a letter, as though from us, [saying] namely,
Behold, the day of our Adon has arrived.


Referring to the blowing of the last trumpet.

3 Do not let anyone deceive you in any way,
because [it will not come] except an apostasy should come first
and the son of man of sin be revealed, the son of destruction,


So here we are told that before the blowing of that last trumpet two things would have to happen first:

1. an apostasy

2. the son of man of Torah-less-ness is revealed

This exactly parallels Rev. 10 which tells us that the seven thunders, including the identity of the man on the white horse, whould be revealed before the blowing of the last trumpet.

4 who is an adversary and exalts himself over all that is called a god and that is reverenced, so that he will even sit in the Temple of Eloah as Eloah and will make himself appear as though he is Eloah.


So this Torah-less-one claims to be the God of the Bible.

5 Do you not remember that while I was with you I told these things to you?
6 And now you know what restrains, that he should be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of Torah-less-ness has already begun to work;

however [it will work] by itself when that which now restrains is taken away from the midst.
8 And then the Torah-less-one will be revealed, whom our Adon Yeshua will consume

by the breath of his mouth, and he will abolish him with the manifestation of his coming.


But this has been sealed until a certain time. The identity of this Torah-less one is a mystery until a certain time, then it is revealed.

9 For the coming of that one is by the working of HaSatan

with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 and with all the deception of Torah-less-ness that is in the destroyed ones,
because they did not receive the love of truth, by which they should have life.
11 Because of this, Eloah will send to them the working of deception
that they might believe a lie,
12 and [that] all of them might be condemned, those who did not believe in the truth,

but delighted in Torah-lessness.


This Torah-less one comes with signs and wonders in conection with a lie which is counter to the truth. The biblical definition of truth is in Psalm 119:142, 151. The Torah is truth. The lie therefore must be Torah-less-ness.

13 But we are bound to give thanks to Eloah always on your behalf, our brothers, beloved of our Adon, that Eloah chose you from the beginning to life by the sanctification of the Spirit and by the trust of the truth.


Remember truth = Torah (Ps. 119:142, 151)

14 For to these things he called you by our proclaiming to be

a glory for our Adon Yeshua the Messiah.
15 Therefore, my brothers, stand fast and hold firmly to the commandments
that you learned, whether by word or by our letter.

Paul concludes by telling us that the key is to hold to "the commandments".

OK let us look further in the scriptures to see if we can learn more about the identity of this Torah-less-one. Lets look at 2 Cor. 11:3-4.

3 But I fear lest as the serpent deceived Havah by his craftiness,
so your minds will be corrupted from the simplicity that is with the Messiah.
4 For if he who came toward you had proclaimed to you another Yeshua
whom we had not proclaimed, or you had received another spirit that you had not received,
or another good news that you had not accepted, you might have been persuaded well.


Notice here we are warned about "another Yeshua/Jesus". This other Yeshua/Jesus comes in conection with a lie/deception. Remember the Torah is truth (Ps. 119:142, 151). Remember the Torah is truth (Ps. 119:142, 151). This true spirit causes us to walk in his statutes and to be careful to observe his ordinances (Ezek. 36:27). By contrast the "other Yeshua/Jesus" comes with a Torahless Spirit.

Notice also that this "other Yeshua/Jesus" comes with "another Gospel". Now the true Gospel is "the word of truth" which is to be "obeyed" (Col. 1:5; 2Thes. 1:8). Now the Torah is the "word" (Is. 2: 3) and the Torah is "the truth" (Ps. 119:142, 152) so then it would seem that the true Gospel is the Torah. But this "other Yeshua/Jesus" will come withh ANOTHER Gopel of Torahlessness.

Finally note that this "other Yeshua/Jesus" comes in connection with "another spirit". The true Spirit is the Spirit of truth who guides us in Truth (Jn. 16:13)

(Is it a coinsidence that Paul goes on in 2Cor. 12:1-4 to relate a vision in which a man learned words that he could not reveal? compare Rev. 10:3-4). Ok now lets look at another passage in Matthew 7:

20 And you, by their fruit you will know them.
21 Not everyone that says to me, 'Adonai, Adonai,'

will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that do the will of my Father,

which is in heaven, the same will enter with me into the Kingdom of Heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, 'Adonai, Adonai', did we not eat and drink

in your name and have we not prophesied in your name?

And in your name have cast out shadim? And in your name done many powerful works?
23 And then will I profess to them, that I know them not.

Depart from me, all you workers of Torah-less-ness.


It seems that these people followed a "Torah-less" one that had the same name as Yeshua/Jesus. But they did not do the will of the Father (Torah). (This does not mean that we are saved by works, only that there is no saving power in the Torah-less "other Yeshua".)

So who is the Torah-less-one who is revealed before the blowing of the final trumpet?

Could it be the Torah-less Jesus of Christendom? The Christian commentaries are split 50/50 over the identidy of the man on the while horse in the first seal (Rev. 6:1-2) as to whether he is the Antichrist or their Jesus Christ. How could they be so confused? Can they not tell the difference between their Jesus and the Antichrist? Perhaps both groups of Christian commentators are right. Perhaps the man on the white horse IS their Jesus and IS the Antichrist.


THE SWORD OR THE BOW

Notice that the man on the white horse in Rev. 6 carries a bow:

6:2. And I heard and I saw,
and behold, [there was] a white horse
and he who sat on it had a bow and a crown was given to him
and he went out victorious, both conquering and to conquer.
(Hebraic-Roots Version)

Now lets compare this man with the man on a white horse in Rev. 19:

11. And I saw heaven opened, and behold,
[I saw] a white horse and he who sat upon it
was called faithful and true
and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
12. And his eyes [were] like a flame of fire
and on his head [were] many diadems.
And he had a name written [on him]
that no [one] knew except himself.
13. And he was clothed with a garment dipped in blood
and his name was called The Word of Eloah.
14. And the armies in heaven followed him
upon white horses clothed with fine linen, white and pure.
15. And from their mouth[s] a sharp sword came out,
by which they might kill the nations. And he will rule them

with a rod of iron and he will tread the winepress of the wrath of Eloah almighty.
16. And he had a name written on his garments, on his thighs, King of Kings and Lord of Lords .

Notice that the man on the white horse in Rev. 6:2 is armed with a bow but the man on the white horse in Rev. 19 is armed with a sword. Why the difference? Why does the man on the white horse in Rev. 19 carry a sword while the man on the white horse in Rev. 6:2 carries a bow?

Well lets examine the scriptural symbolism which such a sword holds. In Ephesians 6:13-20 we read about "the whole armour of God." In this armour is included "the sword of the spirit" which we are told is "the Word of God." (Eph. 6:17). According to Hebrews (Heb. 4:12) this sword is a "two edged sword". This reminds us of the sealed book which is written on both sides (Rev. 5:1; Ezek. 2:9-10) And the "flying scroll" of Zech. 5:1-4 which has Torah commands written on both sides:

1 Then again I lifted up My eyes, and saw, and behold a flying roll.
2 And he said unto me: 'What see you?' And I answered:

'I see a flying roll; the length thereof is twenty cubits, and the breadth thereof ten cubits.'
3 Then said he unto me: 'This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the whole land;

for every one that steals shall be swept away on the one side like it;

and every one that swears shall be swept away on the other side like it.
4 I cause it to go forth, says YHWH Tzva’ot, and it shall enter into the house of the thief,

and into the house of him that swears falsely by My name;

and it shall abide in the midst of his house,

and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.'
(Zech. 5:1-4)

What is the "Word of Elohim"? According to Isaiah the "Word of YHWH" is the Torah:

...For the Torah will go out from Zion,
and the Word of YHWH from Jerusalem.
(Isaiah 2:3)

Here "Torah" and "the Word of YHWH" are used in synonymous poetic parallelism as synonyms, just as "Zion" and "Jerusalem" are synonyms. This is also expressed in Jn. 17:17 which tells us:

...Your Word is Truth.

and Ps. 119:142:

...Your Torah is Truth.

Demonstrating that the Torah is the Word of God.

So the Messiah returns on a white horse armed with the a sword which represents the Torah. By contrast the man on the white horse in the first seal attempts to imitate the true Messiah but unlike the true Messiah, he is swordless (Torah-less).

So why then does the man on the white horse in Rev. 6:1-2 carry a bow? Perhaps this is a further clue as to his identity. Could this bow point to his true identity? Could he represent Nimrod "the mighty Hunter" and the first King of Babylon (Gen. 10:8-10) who became the basis for the god Tammuz/Adonis who was a mighty hunter? We shall learn more about this in chapter two.


MESSIAH AS TORAH

It remains to be said that the Messiah is the Torah incarnate.

Let us demonstrate this fact:

The Torah is:

The Word (Is. 2:3)

The Light
(Prov. 6:23; Ps. 119:105; Is. 8:20; 51:4)

The Truth (Ps. 119:142, 151)

The Way (Deut. 9:12; 11:22-28; 30:15-16)

At the same time the Messiah is:

The Word (Jn. 1:1-3, 14-18; Rev. 19:13)

The Light (Jn. 8:12; 1:4-5, 9; 3:19; 9:5; 12:35-36, 46; 14:6)

The Truth (Jn. 14:6)

The Way (Jn. 14:6)

This it is clear that the Messiah is the Torah incarnate (see Jn. 1:1-14). Thus the Torah is the substance of who the Messiah is. The Torah and the Messiah are inseparable. One cannot reject the Torah and accept the Messiah. If one rejects the Torah, one has rejected the substance of who the Messiah is. One who THINKS that they have accepted Messiah without Torah have accepted only the Torahless one, the other Yeshua/Jesus, the man on the white horse without the sword in the first seal.



WHO IS THE BEAST?

Now lets examine the "beast" of Revelation 13. Most scholars agree that this "beast" is the same as the "man of sin" in 2Thes. 2. This is made clear by comparing 2Thes. 2 with Revelation.

Both seem to commit the abomination of desolation.
2Thes. 2:4 with Rev. 13:6 and Dan. 7:8, 11, 25.

Both have signs and wonders performed in their name. 2Thes. 2:9 and Rev. 13:13 & 19:21
(see also 2Cor. 11:3-4 & Mt. 7:20-23 cited above)

Both are destroyed by the mouth of Messiah.
2Thes. 2:8 and Rev. 19: 15, 20-21

Moreover we have already shown that the figure in 2Thes 2 is the Torah-less Jesus of Christendom. This agrees well with what we know of the beast of Revelation 13, that he is a dead and resurected god whom the whole world worships (see Rev. 13:3-4, 8, 12).

In Revelation 13:18 we are told that the “number of the beast” is 666. In Hebrew letters and numbers are the same thing. Each letter has a numeric value and so each word is also a numerical expression. The normal and easiest way to write 666 in Hebrew is wsrt, I am aware of only one Hebrew word which is made up of these four letters rwts satur which means “hidden, protected and concealed”. This number is telling those with understanding that the identity of the “beast” was hidden, protected and concealed until it would be revealed.


WHO IS THE IMAGE OF THE MAN IN DANIEL 2?

In Daniel 2 we are given a dream vision which relates to the last days (Dan. 2:28)

There is an image of a man. The head is made of gold. The breasts and arms are silver. The belly and thighs are brass. The legs are iron. The feet are made of iron and brass
(Dan. 2:32-33)

There is this stone which is hewn out of a mountain without hands (Dan. 2:34) which is hurled at the feet and shatters the image. The stone then grows into a mountain.

Daniel goes on to tell us that these body segments represent Kingdoms. (2: 38-44) Daniel also tells us that the mountain that the stone grows into is the Kingdom of ELOHIM.
(2::44-45)

Now lets look at what Daniel didn't tell us. You see there are things in the Book of Daniel pertaining to the last days that were closed and sealed up until the last days (12:9)

Now if we are living in the last days then we can expect that this book might start to be unsealed. And we can expect that the prophecy of Dan. 2 has something to say to us in the last days (2:28)

Now this being the case the key questions that come to mind in relation to Dan. 2 are:

1. What does the stone represent?

2. Who is the image of the man
made up from the composite of the Kingdoms?

First lets deal with the first of these. Where in the Tanak is there a stone which is hewn out of a mountain without hands? Could it be the original Torah tablets (the ones Moses smashed and replaced)? Could this stone that grows into the Kingdom be a Torah message? Maybe its a remnant groups who keep the Torah (Rev. 12:17).

But this stone shatters an image. Its the image of a man, and it is a composite image made up of certain Kingdoms. We see these Kingdoms represented again in Dan. 7 as four beasts. In Rev. 13 & 17 we have another composite of these four beasts.

So the image of a man in Dan. 2 must be the same man as the beast of Rev. 13 & 17, since they are both composites of the beasts of Dan. 7.

Now the beast of Rev. 13 & 17 is a dead and resurrected god whom the whole world worships (Rev. 13:3-4, 8, 12) He is the ANOMOS one of 2Thes. 2.

If this is the case then the image of the man which is shattered by the stone (Torah/Torah movement) In Dan. 2 must be the image of this dead and resurrected Torahless- god whom the whole world worships.

The Torah is a message that is going to totally destroy an image that the whole world worships. It is the image of a dead and resurected Torah-less god whom the whole world worships.

This is also illustrated in Rev. 19 when the sword (Torah) proceeds from the Messiah's mouth and destroys the beast.


CONCERNING THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION

It should be noted that just before the last 3 1/2 years mentioned in Daniel 9:27 (we will cover this in more detail in Chapter Five) the abomination of desolation occurs (Mt. 24:15; Mk. 13:14; Lk. 21:20; Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; 2Thes. 2:4; Rev. 13:6; Is. 14:13-14). This event may involve a Christian army (or even the army of a Christian nation) invading Jerusalem, taking over the rebuilt Temple and dedicating it to Jesus Christ. Since Christian theology has it that "Jesus" abolished the sacrifices and offerings, they would also put an end to these, thus fulfilling Dan. 9:27.

I know many of you are learning from the work we are doing here at Worldwide. Through the Truth Talk and Clear Truth podcasts and our free Davar Bible School course we are reaching people all over the world with the Message of Torah and Messiah, places like Malaysia, Congo, Singapore etc..

Now we need your help. Tithes and offerings coming into this ministry have been low. Our financial situation is dismal. I am asking you to donate whatever you can. I know people are disgusted with “TV evangelists” and mega ministries begging for money while their leaders live in mansions. Believe me we are struggling to keep the modest home we live in now.

Right now go to http://www.nazarenespace.com , click on the Pay Pal box and give whatever you can afford. (You can also donate directly thru PayPal by sending paypal donations to donations@beitnetzarim.com . You can also mail donations to Nazarene Judaism; PO Box 471; Hurst, TX 76053). If everyone would do this, imagine what this ministry could accomplish.

James Trimm
Worldwide Nazarene Assembly of Elohim
http://www.wnae.org
http://www.nazarenespace.com