El Shaddai Ministries

Pastor Mark Biltz: Sit down, buckle up, here we go. I am going to do something a little bit different while we are talking about the Book of Revelation. I want to go back for a minute to Genesis. How many of you know we have got to connect dots? If we are going to really understand what the Bible says, we have got to connect the dots back to the beginning. He declared the end from the beginning.

In Genesis 1:26 and 27, it says that Elohim, or God, said, "Let us make man in our image or our shadow, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, cattle, all the earth, every creepy crawler that creeps on the earth." And it says, "So God created Adam or man in his own image. In the image of God created he him. Male and female created he them."

Don't you think when God creates man, that was very significant on that day? It is like the crowning point of his creation. And yet, look at Psalms 8, verses 4 through 9. It says, "What is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you visit him? You made man a little lower than angels, but it says you have crowned him with glory and honor."

Why did he make man? He made man to have dominion over the works of your hands. Can you imagine God created everything and then he put it in our hands to be in charge of? You put all things under his feet. Look what he put under man's feet: all the livestock, the sheep and oxen, the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air, the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas. "Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth."

So what do we find in Genesis 2:20? Man, or Adam, the crowning point of his creation, gave names to all the livestock. Naming shows authority over. So Adam has authority and he is the one who gives names to all the livestock, to all the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field. Mankind is king of all in one sense, under God, of course. Adam was made in God's image.

Look at Deuteronomy 32, verse 6. This is the first place where God is told to be man's father. It says, "Do you thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he your father that bought you? He is the one who made you, he is the one who established you." We see man is created in God's image. That is the way God represents himself.

Now look at this. Who is the king of the livestock? The king of the livestock is going to be the ox. Look at Proverbs 14:4. "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase is by the strength of the ox." The word for oxen there is Alaphim. The word Aleph stands for God. Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, Aleph, Aleph, Aleph. And Alaphim means ox. Why do you think they made a golden calf? Because the calf or the ox represented God.

First off, we see the king of the livestock is the ox. But the interesting thing about an ox—you ever heard someone say, "He is as strong as an ox"? The ox represents strength, but the other thing is the Aleph makes no sound in Hebrew. That also tells you it is very humble. It is silent. The ox represents servanthood and strength.

The Aleph goes first. It is the one who carries the burdens, it is the one who pulls the ox. In ancient Hebrew, we saw it was an ox. Yeshua is represented by an ox as well. Yeshua has a face as a human. The Aleph represents Yeshua in the sense that he was a servant, like the ox. Look at Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 8.

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Messiah, who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and he took upon them the form of a servant. He was made in the likeness of men. Being found in the fashion as a man, what did he do? He humbles himself. He becomes obedient to death, even the death of the cross."

When it comes to livestock, the ox is the king of the livestock. Who is the king of the birds? The king of the birds is going to be the eagle. Look at this in Deuteronomy 32, 11 and 12. We also see God compares himself not only to an ox, but God compares himself to an eagle.

It says, "As the eagle stirs up her nest, flutters over her young, spreads abroad her wings, takes them, bears them on her wings, so the Lord alone did lead him and there was no strange God with him." As a matter of fact, in Exodus 19, verse 4, God says, "You see what I did to the Egyptians, how I bear you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself."

Psalm 91:4 says, "He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will trust." Again, we know God is not a bird, but God tries to relate to us in different ways. He wants us to understand him as our Father, as our brother, as our husband. There are a lot of different levels. Here God is representing himself as a man, as the second Adam.

He represents himself as the ox. He is the servant, he is the one who carries the load, he is the one who is silent as we talked about even in the very name Elohim. He also not only represents the king of the livestock, he represents the king of the birds. But guess what else? He is also the king of the beasts. Look at Hosea 5:14. He represents himself as a lion.

"I will be unto Ephraim as what? A lion. As a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, I am going to tear and go away. I will take away and no one will rescue him." We see in Hosea chapter 13, verse 7, God says, "I will be unto them as a lion. As a leopard by the way I will observe them." What is interesting in Proverbs 28:1, it says, "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are going to be as bold as a lion."

We are created in God's image and the righteous are supposed to be as bold as a lion. But our favorite verses, we all know from the Book of Revelation where we are at right now, Revelation 5, verse 5. We know one of the elders said to John, "Don't weep because the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals."

I think it is fascinating that God has himself represented as a man, coming in the person of Yeshua. He represents himself as the king of livestock, the ox. He is represented as the king of the birds, the eagle. He is represented as the king of the beasts, the lion. And what these I believe represent as far as God's attributes: as a man, it represents his humanity or God is compassionate.

As the ox, representing his strength and yet he is humble. We have a humble God. As the eagle, it is his ability, his vision to see the past, the present, the future. He sees above everything. And then also he has the boldness and fierceness in protecting and caring for his own children as a lion. Now, with that in mind, let's go back to Ezekiel, chapter 1, and verse 4 and 5.

It says, "I looked and behold there was a tornado, a whirlwind coming out of the north. A great cloud, fire infolding itself. Brightness was all about it. Out of the midst was the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of what? Four living creatures. And this was their appearance. They had the likeness of what? A man."

Verse 10 says, "As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, the face of a lion on the right side. They four had the face of an ox on the left side, and they four also had the face of an eagle." So in one sense, these creatures are beholding to the world God's attributes. I think it is interesting that it was the king of the beasts, the king of the birds, the king of the livestock, the king of creation. God is represented. Look at Numbers chapter 2, verse 2 and 3.

"Every man of the children of Israel are to pitch by their own standard, with the ensign of their father's house, far off about the tabernacle of the congregation they are to pitch." Now, it says on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they be of the camp of who? Judah. And Judah is represented by the lion. To the south, Reuben is represented by the man. To the west, Ephraim is represented as the ox, and to the north, Dan is represented as the eagle.

Again, this is the layout. It is showing you all about the temple, the tabernacle, even the faces of the cherubim themselves. We see in Numbers 2, verse 10, on the south is the standard of the camp of Reuben. On the west is Ephraim. Dan will be on the north side. According to rabbinic tradition, the standard of Judah was the figure of a lion, Reuben was the likeness of a man, Ephraim was the figure of an ox, and Dan was the figure of an eagle.

The four living creatures that are united in the form of the cherubim described by Ezekiel were represented upon these four standards of Israel. I wanted you to see that connection. And so in Revelation where we were in chapter 6 and verse 1, it says, "I saw the Lamb open one of the seals and I heard as it was the noise of thunder and these four beasts saying, 'Come and look-see.'"

This scroll is being unsealed and unrolled, but the events in the scroll were written thousands of years before, fully preplanned, and they will soon be orchestrated by the master conductor. We have to understand as he is opening these seals, these are not just something new, even though they are new to happen, but they were preplanned thousands of years ago by God.

In Revelation 6:2, he sees a white horse. One sitting on it had a bow, a crown, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. We know that speaks of war. And then in verse 4, we see the other horse that went out was red. Power was given to him that sat to take peace from the earth, that they should kill one another, and there was given to him a great sword.

Then we saw in verse 5 and 6, he then sees a black horse. He had a pair of balances in his hand and he heard in the voice of the midst of the four beasts, "A measure of wheat for a penny." In other words, famine. How many know oftentimes after war comes famine? That is what happens.

In verse 8, then he sees a pale horse. And his name that sat on him was death and hell followed with him. Power was given to them over a fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, famine, death, and with the beasts of the earth. That is what these four horsemen, combined, are going to do.

I do not know if you realize this. This is something that has not happened before. And look at this. We have eight billion people in the world right now. That means two billion people will die during this time. That has not happened. But we are looking at something different than has ever been seen before.

Then we see in verse 9 through 11, he opens up the fifth seal and he saw under the altar the souls of those that were slain. Okay, so these are people who are dead, for the word of God, for the testimony which they held. And here they are crying with a loud voice and what are they saying?

"How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" So what happens? White robes are given to them, every one of them, and they were told that they should chill for a little while until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled.

Do you know what you can read out of this? If you ever thought about it, so much for the state of the dead. They are awake, they call out. You ever wondered, what happens to the dead? Are they just asleep or are they cognizant of what is going on? Well, here we see the state of the dead. They are crying out, "God, when you going to avenge?"

Obviously, they have a sense of awareness, they can talk, and they must have some kind of a body because they are given white robes. I do not know what kind of a body they have, but that is kind of interesting looking at this. Just something to ponder. But look at Psalms 82, verse 2. This is where John gets this from.

Here we see the righteous are crying out, "How long, God, will you judge unjustly and accept the persons of the wicked? Why do you allow them?" Look at Psalms 94, verse 1 through 3. Who does vengeance belong to? God. He says, "O Lord our God to whom vengeance belongs, O God to whom vengeance belongs, show yourself. Where are you? Lift up yourself. You judge the earth, render a reward to the proud."

"How long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?" The proud are going to be rewarded just like the righteous are. How many of us feel like sometimes the wicked triumph? And you wonder, "God, this is not fair." David was asking that very question in the Psalms. He says, and then it says, "Oops, I saw how they were in slippery places and I saw how they ended up and now I understand."

Look at Deuteronomy chapter 19, verse 11 through 13. "If any man hate his neighbor and lie in wait for him, rise up against him and smite him mortally so he dies, then he flees into one of these cities of refuge, the elders of the city will send and fetch him there and then they are going to deliver him over into the hand of the avenger of blood."

If it was an accident, that is different. If he did it on purpose, the murderer gets turned over to the avenger of blood that he may die. "Don't pity him. You should put away guilt of innocent blood from Israel that it may go well with you." So the person who murders intentionally gets turned over to the avenger.

Well, look at who is our blood avenger? Yeshua. And look at John chapter 8 and verse 44. "You are of your father the devil, and the lust of your fathers is what you're going to do. He was a murderer from the beginning. He did not abide in truth because there is how much truth in him?"

And when he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. Well, guess what? Yeshua is your kinsman blood redeemer, and he is going to get that murderer turned over to him and he is going to avenge everything. How many of you are glad for a kinsman redeemer?

I think it is fascinating when you look at these seals. Notice this in Revelation chapter 6, verse 12 through 14. "I beheld when he opens which seal?" Six. "Okay, how many seals are there? Seven. He opens the sixth seal, John's looking, and there was a great earthquake."

How many of you have been in an earthquake? How many of you want to be in a real big one? No. There is no feeling like total helplessness than when you are in a major earthquake. And then it says the sun became black as a sackcloth of hair. The moon becomes blood. The stars of heaven fall to earth even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

The heavens depart as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and every island were moved out of their places. That is amazing to me. How many things? Earthquake, the sun becomes sackcloth, the moon becomes blood, the stars in heaven fall, the heaven departs as the scroll, every mountain and every island is moved.

Seven things are there. Seven means completeness. That means this is just a complete, utter destruction. Now, I do not believe all these things happen at the same moment. I believe this is a progression of events. Whether this takes place over a year, a month, a week, I do not know, but they do not happen all at once.

What it does tell us from this and showing seven different things is that this is just a complete thing of God. This is totally God. How many you know there is no human that can cause an earthquake? No human can cause an eclipse. No human can cause the stars of heaven to fall or wrap up the heavens as a scroll. How many of you have tried to move Mount Rainier lately? It is not going to move.

Where does John get this from? Well, let's go look at Isaiah chapter 34. I think Isaiah had to be one of his favorite books. Verse 2 through 5. The indignation of the Lord is upon how many nations? All. His fury is even going to be upon all their armies.

It says he has utterly destroyed them, he delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain will be cast out and their stink will come up out of their carcasses. The mountains will be melted with their blood. Here it is: "All the host of heaven will be dissolved, the heaven shall be rolled together as a scroll." I wonder if that is where John got that from.

All their host or the stars will fall down as the leaf falls from off the vine, as a falling fig from the fig tree. And God says, "My sword will be bathed in heaven." Whose sword? God's sword. And then look at this in verse 15 through 17. The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the chief captains, the mighty men, and every bondman and every free man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains.

How many people are there? You have got seven. You have got kings, great men, rich men, chief captains, mighty men, bondmen, free men. Again, this is telling us this is universal. There is no one being spared at this time. But look at this. What are they saying to the mountains and the rocks that they are hiding in?

"Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who's sitting on the throne." Who is sitting on the throne? Yeshua. "And from the wrath of the who? The Lamb. The great day of whose wrath? His wrath is come. Who's going to be able to stand?" This is not the wrath of the devil. It is not the wrath of the Father. It is the wrath of the Son.

There is no greasy grace here. A lot of people look at Revelation and they see the catastrophes coming and say that can't be God, that must be the devil. I tell you what, when you read this in the plain context, it is his wrath that is coming upon the world. Who is going to be able to stand? Well, we might just look at that next week.

But those who are going to stand are those that are with the Lord, I can tell you right now. That is who is going to be able to stand. I believe these events are going to be totally unique, unlike any other. This will be more dramatic, I believe, than the plagues in the Exodus. I mean, the plagues of the Exodus was pretty dramatic. That is going to be nothing compared to what is going to happen.

Just as Noah's flood wiped the earth clean, this time it will be by fire and Yeshua will wipe the earth clean as well. But that is where we have to be careful what we are made out of. Are we made out of wood, hay, and stubble or gold, silver, precious stones? The fire does not harm gold, silver, or precious stones. It just changes the form.

As a matter of fact, look at Isaiah chapter 2. We are going to look at verse 12 and verse 17 through 19. Here it is again. You can see this is where John gets his revelation from. The day of the Lord of Hosts will be on every one that is proud and lofty. So this day that he is talking about here is not on his kids. It is on the proud and the lofty.

"Upon every one that is lifted up, he will be brought low. The loftiness of man will be bowed down and the haughtiness of men will be made low." But what do you know about God? He lifts us up. It is this divine equilibrium. It says the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. The idols—what is he going to do to all the idols?—abolished.

It says, "And they will go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves of the earth for fear of the Lord, for the glory of his majesty when he arises to shake terribly the earth." I believe that this time is coming, and when he shakes terribly the earth, how many you know that is going to wake a lot of people up?

I believe there are many things that have to happen first, so I don't think this is on the immediate horizon whatsoever. But I do believe that we need to be prepared, we need to be studied up, because everything that can be shaken will be shaken. That includes our walk. That includes our faith.

There are people right now all over the world, especially with what is going on with our elections, Israel's elections, a lot of people are being shaken. But just the way it is. What they are looking for is stability. Someone who is stable. That's where we need to be strong, we need to be stable, we need to support the people, give them something to hold onto.

Like it says, ten from every nation will have hold of the tzitzit trying to say, "Okay, I heard God is with you." If you don't have God in your life, you're going to be scared. If you have God in your life and you believe and you have faith, you're going to be solid. And that is what people are looking for.

Next week we are going to jump into Revelation 7, which is very exciting. But we have the women's ministry today, so we're going to end just a little bit early. Let's stand and we're going to pray and get ready for next week. Next week is going to be incredible. We're going to have Rabbi Pesach Wolicki not this coming Monday but next Monday. Bonnie Duell here next Shabbat.

One of the things that I think that is going to make us stand is praise and worship. We need to be prayer—we have got to pray—and we have got to praise. And I think that has to come from our heart. It can't just come from, "Okay, it's time to sing a few tunes." So let's pray as the musicians come forward. Do we have any musicians come forward? Yeah, come on up.

Let's focus, let's take a minute. I believe like I said before, 2020 is going to be an incredible year. We have entered an incredible year. Can you believe one month is almost over halfway over? I believe this is going to be a year of vision, 2020 vision, and we are going to see prophetically just where we're at.

We will see what happens if this Middle East peace agreement comes out this year. I think that will be huge to see what that entails. See what happens in November with our election. I tell you what, after the election, many of you may want to go with me to Israel. I already know what has transpired there. So if you haven't signed up, sign up.

Let's pray. Father, we just thank you so much that you love us so much. Give us ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to understand. Father, draw us near to you that we may know that we truly can trust you with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength. In Yeshua's name, amen.

Father, just make each one of us people of the book, that we would want to just study, get to know you more, your character, your nature. Change us from glory to glory, O God. We don't want to ever stay the same. We want to be moving forward. Father, right now I just want to pray for your sheep of your pasture. They are your kids, your flock.

You said you not only want to bless your people, you want to put your name on them. And this is what you told them to say: "Yevarekheka Adonai Veyishmereka. Ya'er Adonai Panav Elekha Vihunneka. Yissa Adonai Panav Elekha Veyasem Lekha Shalom. The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace." In that most incredible, wonderful name, Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh. Amen. Go in peace and bless someone on your way out. Amen.