Half-an-hour's silence in heaven   (1) And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. In the general meaning, the present symbolic heaven represents the ecclesiastical power of the nominal church. That heaven is already being removed and replaced through the third heaven of elevated Christ, Head and Body. During the Gospel Age in this religious heaven, among nominal believers were also present true people of God. "God (…) raised us up with him [Christ Jesus], and made us to sit with him in the heavenly [places]." (Eph. 2:4-6.) Symbolic John or, class of John, was seized in the day of Christ second presence, and he was given a privilege of watching from the Divine viewpoint an activity and experiences of God's people in this period. What represents the half-an-hour's silence on the tiny scrap of the religious heaven, where the saints of God resided? Parable of our Lord about the paying of penny (gr. denarius; Matt. 20:1-16) represents disseminating of the Truth among the nations during His second presence (gr. parousia), from dawn of it (1874) to manifesting of it (gr. epifaneia – 1981). The thorough understanding of God's Plan took place ...more

John is being snatched away to the third heaven   The book of the Revelation is the fullest prophetic description of God's Kingdom on the earth established in so-called the Day of the Lord. The restoration of mankind to the lost paradise and harmony with God is the aim of millennial rules our Lord in his Day. Scripture teaches about three worlds. "The world to come" began with the second presence of Jesus Christ, named also the Day of the Lord. Organization of every of these worlds is presented in Bible as symbolic heavens (ruling powers) and symbolic earth (ruled societies).       The first heavens and earth were before the flood; the second, this present evil world and its ruling powers (first and second are under Satan); the third, the new heavens and earth, wherein dwells righteousness. The third will be under the rule of Christ and his saints. It is during this latter that all the glorious promises of peace and prosperity will be fulfilled. This dispensation of the kingdom of God is symbolically termed a new heavens (government) and new earth (subjects) in contradistinction from the heavens and earth which now are, "the present evil world," or order of things. As the powers ...more

SAMSON The prayers of all the saints have been heard   There we learn that the plan of God, with reference to man, spans three great periods of time, beginning with man's creation and reaching into the illimitable future. Peter and Paul designate these periods "three worlds."       The first, from creation to the flood, was under the ministration of angels, and is called by Peter "The world which was." (2 Pet. 3:6). The second great epoch, from the flood to the establishment of the kingdom of God, is under the limited control of Satan, "the prince of this world," and is therefore called "This present evil world." (Gal. 1:4; 2 Pet. 3:7). The third is to be a "world without end" (Isa. 45:17) under divine administration, the kingdom of God, and is called "The world to come – wherein dwelleth righteousness." (Heb. 2:5; 2 Pet. 3:13). The first of these periods, or "worlds," under the ministration of angels, was a failure; the second, under the rule of Satan, the usurper, has been indeed an "evil world"; but the third will be an era of righteousness and of blessing to all the families of the earth. The present, or second period, is called "the present evil world," not ...more