(Gen 5:21-24) And Enoch [Heb: initiated /// to narrow, fig. to initiate or discipline: - dedicate, train up] lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah [the oldest patriarch at 969 years]: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not [Heb: he was nothing, did not exist]; for God took him.

(Heb 11:5) By faith Enoch was translated [Gk: transferred, transported, changed sides] that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

 

(Judg 7:6-8) And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth [thereby being "vigilant" (1 Pet 5:8) by keeping their eyes on the enemy], were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people [the 9,700] bowed down upon their knees to drink water [and put their face toward the water]. And the LORD said unto Gideon [Heb: feller (warrior) /// to fell a tree, cut asunder], By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites [Heb: brawling, contentious /// discord, strife] into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place ["his tent" v.8]. So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel [the support soldiers] every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men [the combat soldiers]: and the host of Midian was beneath him [i.e., beneath Gideon (a type of Jesus Christ) and the combat soldiers] in the valley.

retained = Heb: to fasten upon, to seize, to catch (up): take (hold).

(1Th 4:16,17) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first [be resurrected; this is a description of the sixth seal sealing/rapture/first resurrection]: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [Gk: seized][raptured] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air:

(2Ki 2:11,12) And it came to pass, as they [Elijah and Elisha] still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot [Heb: chariot, the upper millstone] of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind [symbol of the Holy Spirit] into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.

Commentary: The function of the upper millstone being Israel is received, but who are those horse-men? Perhaps they are those horse-men of fire in Joel 2:1-11? Perhaps they are us?

 

(Mat 17:1-3) And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured [Gk: transformed] before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses [representing the dead in Christ] and Elijah [representing those which are alive and remain in Christ] talking with him.

(Rev 7:1-8) And after these things [after the proclamation of Rev 6:12-17, but still during the sixth seal] I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth [four aspects of the Holy Spirit], that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till [Gk: until] we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand [144,000] of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand [74,600]. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand [46,500]. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand [45,650]. Of the tribe of Asher were sealed twelve thousand [41,500]. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand [53,400]. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand [32,200]. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand [59,300]. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand [Levi was not initially numbered but taken (dedicated) for service to the tabernacle (i.e., for service to the Lord Jesus Christ)]. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand [54,400]. Of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand [57,400]. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand [40,500]. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand [35,400].

(Rev 12:5) And she [the church universal: Rev 12:1] brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron [Rev 2:27; 19:15]: and her child was caught up [Gk: seized] unto God, and to his throne. [Rev 12:5 is the overview of the details of Rev 7:1-8]

Commentary: The first numbering (1490 B.C.) of the children of Israel was of every male, "From twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war." (Num 1:3). These were their numbers including the tribe of Dan which was then numbered 62,700, but herein the tribe of Dan has been omitted and replaced by the tribe of Manasseh. Why?

Commentary: (Gen 49:17) Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

Commentary: "fall backward" = In Genesis 49 (1689 B.C.), their dying father Jacob prophesied over each of his twelve sons (the twelve tribes). However, the tribe of Dan is excluded in this present and last prophecy of the sealing of the combat soldiers. Let the following 12 verses serve as a dire warning to all those who would encourage and/or practice the "falling backward" deceit: Gen 49:17; 1 Sam 4:18; Psa 40:14; 70:2; Isa 1:4; 28:13; 44:25; 59:14; Jer 7:24; 15:6; Lam 1:8; John 18:6. However, the tribe of Dan may be included in the next and lesser grouping (in terms of responsibility and authority) of support soldiers (Rev 7:9-17), or Dan may not be included at all.

 

(Rev 7:9,10) After this [after the sealing of the combat soldiers] I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude [this division into two groups parallels Gideon’s division of 300 combat soldiers and 9,700 support soldiers], which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. [see Rev 7:9-17 for complete details]

(Gen 32:10) I [Jacob] am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands [Heb: two armies].

(Rev 12:6) And the woman [the church: Rev 12:1] fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there [she (they) lack acceptable nourishment and need to be fed the Word of God] a thousand two hundred and threescore days [3 ½ years].

 

(Rev 20:1-6) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit [Gk: abyss] and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him [with "a great chain"] a thousand years [bound Satan for the 1,000 years duration of the Millennium], And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season [at the advent of the Seventh Seal]. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them [Saints], and judgment was given unto them ["Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" 1 Cor 6:3, i.e., Satan and his fallen angel minions]: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded [a favorite act of those who worship a moon god] for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years [the Millennium]. But the rest of the dead lived not again [i.e., were not then resurrected] until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection [i.e., the rapture: 1 Thes 4:13-18; the sixth seal]. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death [at the conclusion of the sixth seal and beginning of the seventh seal] hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign [Gk: rule: king (s)] [as "kings and priests" Rev 1:6; 5:10] with him a thousand years [from the conclusion of the fifth seal/beginning of the sixth seal to the conclusion of the sixth seal/beginning of the seventh seal (i.e., the wrath of God)].

Amen