The Must-See Connection Between Revelation 6 and Leviticus 26 - Part 4
In Part 3, we continued examining the judgments of Revelation 6 as they relate to Leviticus 26.
Let’s continue this examination.
The judgments of Revelation 6 are symbolized by the swords of the first two riders in Revelation 6:1-4.
Remember, in Leviticus 26 the word sword is used by God to symbolize judgment upon old covenant Israel for violating the law of Moses (the word sword is used 7 times in Leviticus 26).
Let’s continue to take a look at the judgments of Revelation 6 and see how they compare with Leviticus 26.
In Revelation 6:5-6 we read about the following judgments:
- peace taken from the land of Israel
- death
- weighing and rationing of food
Compare Leviticus 26:26 (rationing the bread by weight) with Revelation 6:5-6 (“Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages.)
These are the same judgments in accordance with violating the law of Moses.
Let’s continue the comparisons between Revelation 6 and Leviticus 26.
In Revelation 6:8, the words sword, famine, plague, and beasts are used.
Then I looked and saw a pale green horse. Its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed close behind. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth [land of Israel], to kill by sword, by famine, by plague, and by the beasts [the armies of nations] of the earth [land of Israel].
The words sword, plague, and beasts are also used in Leviticus 26.
Famine is directly implied in Leviticus 26 because of the lack of food in the land of Israel, resulting in food being measured on scales then rationed (Leviticus 26:26), and the flesh of children being eaten (Leviticus 26:29).
NOTE: According to Josephus (the Jewish historical writer during 70 AD), parents ate the flesh of their children just before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Let’s look at another comparison.
In Revelation 6:9-10, we see the avenging of the blood of those who were killed for their belief in Jesus.
Revelation 6:9-10 reads,
And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony [those up to 70 AD who were killed for their belief in Jesus…the killings began when Stephen was killed in Acts 7] they had upheld. And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You AVENGE our blood [the blood of those who were killed by unbelieving Israel - the same ones who rejected Jesus and had him crucified]and judge those [those who killed the believers in Jesus] who dwell upon the earth [land of Israel]?”
Compare the avenging of blood in Leviticus 26:25 with Revelation 6:9-10.
Leviticus 26:25 reads,
And I will bring the sword on you to AVENGE the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands.
Jesus spoke about the days of vengeance in Luke 21:20-22.
But when you [the people of Israel] see Jerusalem surrounded by armies [70 AD], you will know that her desolation is near [the judgments for violating the old testament/covenant of law - see Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28]. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country stay out of the city. For these are the days of VENGENCE, to fulfill all that is written [see Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 and 32].
Jesus continued in Luke 21:23-24:
How miserable those days [when the judgments of the old covenant law arrive] will be for pregnant and nursing mothers! For there will be great distress upon the land [of Israel] and wrath against this people [the people of Israel who violated the covenant of law, rejected Jesus as the Christ, and killed many of those who believed]. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations. And Jerusalem will be trodden down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
Note: Notice Jesus’ use of the words vengeance, land, this people, and sword. His words are referring to the people of Israel in the land of Israel under the law of Israel.
Leviticus 26:25, Revelation 6:9-10, and Luke 21:21-24 all display vengeance against Israel for violating the law.
Part of this vengeance was the avenging of the blood of those from Israel who believed in Jesus (Revelation 6:9-10).
Many of the Jewish believers in Jesus in the first century were killed by their fellow countryman.
Revelation 6:9-10 refers to the vengeance upon the Jewish unbelievers for killing (spilling the blood) their fellow countryman who were believers.
This vengeance occurred during the time leading up to AD 70 and in AD 70.
Let’s continue comparing the judgments in Revelation 6 with the law-based judgments in Leviticus 26.
The Sixth Seal in Revelation 6:12-16, contains terror because the day of vengeance arrived.
Notice, in Leviticus 26, the terror that would seize the people of Israel as a result of the judgments coming upon them for violating the law.
Relating to the terror of the judgments, one interesting comparison is the words of Jesus in Luke 23:26-30 to the daughters of Jerusalem concerning judgment upon Israel.
Luke 23:26-30 reads,
As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then,
“ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’
Compare these words of Jesus with Revelation 6:12-16 about terror and the mountains falling on us and the hills covering us..
The words of Jesus and Revelation 6:12-17 are taken from Isaiah 2:10, 19 and 21, as well as Hosea 10:8 which described the law-based judgments that strike terror in those experiencing judgment.
We will finish this comparative study of the judgments in Leviticus 26 with the judgments of Revelation 6 in Part 5: CLICK HERE
