The Last Great Day

This Great Sabbath Day, the last one of the annual cycle, looks ahead to the resurrection of the rest of the dead, the final test of mankind at the end of the Millennium, the Last Judgement and then the joy when Jehovah’s Eternal Kingdom, including the New Jerusalem, is fully established.

The Last Great Day is linked to the week-long Feast of Booths, which in the Old Covenant is also a celebration held at the end of the year’s harvest. Leviticus speaks of this Day: (Leviticus 23:39)

“Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh new moon, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you will celebrate the Feast of Jehovah for seven days; on the first day there will be a Sabbath observance, and on the eighth day a Sabbath observance.”

This is the eighth day of the Feast─Eight stands for new beginnings. For example, the eighth day is first day of a new week. The day of circumcision for male Israelites is also on their eighth day, marking a new relationship with God: (Genesis 17:10-13)

“This is My covenant which you will keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you will be circumcised; and you will be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

“He who is eight days old among you will be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

And even in Moses’ time, God made it clear that the real circumcision was that of the heart: (Deuteronomy 10:12-17)

“And now, Israel, what does Jehovah your God require of you, but to fear Jehovah your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul,1 and to keep the commandments of Jehovah and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

“Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to Jehovah your God, also the earth with all that is in it.2 Jehovah delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer. For Jehovah your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the Great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no favouritism nor takes a bribe.3

But this eighth day of the Feast of Booths is remarkable in many special ways. The previous seven days all require everyone to live in temporary Booths. This requirement does NOT apply to the Last Great Day. As we will see, that is because this is the Day which marks the beginning of us residing permanently in God’s New Jerusalem.

But first: Should Christians keep these Annual Holy Days? What does Jeshua say? (John 7:37-39)

Now on the Great Day, which is the last day of the Feast, Jeshua stood and He cried out and said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.4 Everyone who believes in Me, just as the Scriptures say, rivers of living water will flow from his belly.”5

But this He spoke about the Spirit, which they who believed in Him were about to receive; for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jeshua was not yet glorified.6

So we see that Jeshua kept the Last Great Day, and He spoke of living waters being given on it, and we are told to walk exactly as He walked: (1 John 2:6)

He who says “I am in Him.”, it is necessary for him to walk just like He walks.

Indeed, Jeshua performed a similar, but physical, version of providing living waters during the Exodus: (Exodus 17:6)

“Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in the Desert,7 and you will strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”8 And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

And it will come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, Jehovah of Hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.9

“On the fourteenth day of the first new moon, you will observe the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread will be eaten. . . .

“On the fifteenth day of the seventh new moon, at the Feast, he will do likewise for seven days, according to the sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the oil.”

Jeshua also talks of keeping the Annual Holy Days during the Kingdom of God: (Luke 22:14-16)

And when the time arrived, Jeshua came and sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.

And He said to them, “I have greatly desired that I eat Passover with you before I suffer; but I say to you now, I will not eat of it from now until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”

What does this Last Great Day represent in God’s Plan of Salvation? (Revelation 20:4-10)

And I saw seats, and they sat on them, and judgement was given to them and the souls of those who were cut off11 for the testimony of Jeshua and for the word of God, and because they had not worshipped the beast nor its image, nor received the mark between their eyes nor on their hands.12 They lived and reigned with Messiah for one thousand years.

And this is the first resurrection.13 Blessed and holy are they who have their part in the first resurrection, and the second death has no authority over them, for they will be priests of God and of the Messiah, and they will reign with Him for one thousand years.14

And when the thousand years have ended, Satan will be released from his imprisonment and he will go out to seduce all the nations in the four ends15 of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them to war, whose number is as the sand of the sea.16 And they went to war over the expanse of the earth and surrounded the city of the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from heaven from God and devoured them.17

And the devil, their seducer, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet were cast, and they will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

And so we see that Satan fails in his final attempt to overthrow God and will never deceive anyone again.

The rest of mankind will be resurrected and judged, and those who reject Christ and His salvation will be entirely destroyed in the Lake of Fire: (Revelation 20:11-15)

Then I saw a great white throne and He who sat on top of it, He who earth and heaven fled away from before His face. And no place was found for them.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. And another book was opened, that of Judgement.18 And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Sheol gave up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to their works.

Then Death and Sheol were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

“When the Son of Mankind comes in His glory, and all His holy envoys with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. And all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, like a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep to His right, and the goats to His left.

“Then the King will say to those who are to His right, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom which has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world:20 for I was hungry and you gave Me food to eat; and I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; and I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; and I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then those righteous ones will say to Him, ‘Our Lord, when did we see that You were hungry and feed You, or that you were thirsty and gave drink to You? And when did we see that You were a stranger and take You in, or that You were naked and clothed You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and come to You?’

“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’21

“Then He will also say to those to His left, ‘Get away from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire which is prepared for the devil and his envoys: for I was hungry and you did not give Me food to eat; and I was thirsty and you did not give Me a drink; and I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, and I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

“Then they will also answer and say, ‘Our Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not serve You?’

“Then He will answer and say to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of these little ones, you also did not do it to Me.’ And these will go to everlasting torment,22 but the righteous into everlasting life.” Matthew 25:31-46

Even death is to be destroyed; then Jeshua will give the Kingdom back to His Father: (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)

But now the Anointed is risen from the house of the dead, and is the First-fruit of those who sleep. For since by a man came death, also in this way by a man came life for the dead. For just as by Adam all the children of men die, also in this way by the Anointed all of them will live.23

But each person in his order: the First-fruit was the Messiah, afterwards those who are the Messiah’s at His Coming.24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the Kingdom to God the Father, when He destroys every ruler and every authority and all powers. For He is going to reign until all of His enemies have been set under His feet.25

The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For He will bring all into submission under His feet.26 But when it says “all things are subjected to Him,” it is understood that this excepts the Father who subjected all to Him.27 Now when all is subjected to Him, then the Son will be subjected to the Father who subjected all to Him, that God may be All in All.28

Then our old heavens and earth will be destroyed and replaced with new ones. This is such a momentous transformation that the Bible mentions it many times:

Isaiah 65:17-19 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; the voice of weeping will no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying.29

Psalm 102:24-28 I said, “O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations. Before time You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure. Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed.

But You are the same and Your years will have no end.30 The children of Your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before You.”

Isaiah 34:4-5 “All the host of heaven will be dissolved, and the heavens will be rolled up like a scroll; all their host will fall down as the leaf falls from the vine, and as fruit falling from a fig tree. For My sword will be bathed in heaven; indeed it will come down on Edom, and on the people of My curse, for judgement.”

Luke 21:33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”

2 Peter 3:5-15 For this they choose to disregard: that by the Word of God the heavens and the earth began and the land arose from the waters and in the water,31 by which the world that existed then was flooded with water and was destroyed.32

But the heavens and the earth which exist now are preserved by His word, and they are reserved for fire on the day of judgement and the destruction of the wicked children of men.33

And you must not disregard this fact, beloved, that to Lord Jah one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day.34 Jehovah does not delay His promises, though some people consider them delayed, for His Spirit is long-suffering toward you, for He does not desire that any person should perish but that every person would come to repentance.35

But the Day of Jehovah36 will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away quietly, but the elements will be set on fire and destroyed; and the earth and the works that are in it will be exposed.

Therefore, since all of these things will be destroyed, what is right for you? How holy should your way of life and your worship of God be? For you expect and eagerly desire the coming Day of Jehovah,37 in which the heavens, tried by fire, will be dissolved and the elements will be set on fire and melt. But we look forward to the new heavens and new earth, according to His promise, in which righteousness dwells.38

Therefore, beloved, as you expect these things, take care to be without spot and without defect, and you will be found by Him in peace; and the patience of the Spirit of Lord Jah39 is salvation.

Revelation 21:1 And I saw the new heavens and a new earth, for the former heavens and the former earth had departed and there was no sea anymore.40

And at last God’s New Jerusalem will come to earth. We will break for the Thanksgiving ceremony and lunch. We will learn more about that wonderful city and God’s everlasting Kingdom after that.

We will Break for the Eucharist (Thanksgiving) of Bread and Wine as Jeshua established at the Last Supper. Let us always remember what our Father Jehovah and His Son Jeshua have done for us, and the huge price that they paid to save us and give us everlasting life.

Matthew 26:26-29 And as they were eating, Jeshua took bread, and blessed and broke it, and He gave it to His disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

And He took a cup, and He gave thanks, and He gave it to them, and He said, “Take, drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed in exchange for the many for their release from sins.41 And I say to you, I will not drink of this product of the vine from this hour until that day when I will drink it with you anew in the Kingdom of My Father.”

Let us meditate upon these things and our readiness for taking the Bread and the Wine.

Now we will take the Bread and then the Wine according to Luke 22:19 and 20 [─using unleavened bread and red wine (or red grape juice).]

And He took bread, and He gave thanks and He broke it and He gave it to them. And He said “This is My body which will be given for your sakes; you will do this for My memorial.” Luke 22:19

[Rise up and offer the unleavened bread to Jehovah and give thanks for it, using Jeshua’s words above. Then break the unleavened bread into pieces and pass them around. Wait for everyone to receive their bread and eat it.]

Then He also took the cup after they had dined. He said “This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which will be shed for your sakes. Luke 22:20

[Rise up and offer the wine to Jehovah and give thanks for it, using Jeshua’s words above. Then pour the wine into glasses and pass them around. Wait for everyone to receive their wine and drink it. Then thank Jeshua for offering us His body and blood for our healing, our salvation and our life, both for now and for everlasting life.]

Afternoon Service

Now, the New Jerusalem, which Jehovah God has made for us, descends onto the new Earth. Jeshua and Jehovah our God will live among us, giving us a river of living waters: (Revelation 21:2-22:21)

I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from Heaven, from beside God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from heaven that said, “Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with the children of men, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and this same God will be with them and be their God. And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will be no death from now on, nor grieving, nor trauma, nor will there be diseases again, for His sake.”42

Then I walked and He who sat on the throne said to me, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alap and the Tau,43 the Origin and the Fulfilment. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to the one who thirsts.44 And he who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But the cowards, and unbelievers, and the evil, and the defiled, and murderers, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and idol worshippers, and all liars will have their part in the lake of fire burning with brimstone, which is the second death.”

Then one of the seven envoys who had the seven vessels filled with the last seven plagues came and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And he carried me in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending from heaven, from the presence of God. And it had the glory of God. And its light was like precious stones, like jasper, as clear as crystal. And it had a great and high wall with twelve gates in it, and twelve envoys at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve branches of Israel: three gates on the east, and three gates on the north, and three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.

Now the wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the apostles of the Son. And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city and its wall. And the city is laid out with four sides, and its length is as its width. And he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand stadios.45 Its length, width, and height are equal. Then he measured its wall: one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, which is that of an envoy.

And the wall was constructed of jasper; and the city was pure gold, in the likeness of pure glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city are adorned with precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx and onyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh golden chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: one pearl for each, and every one of the gates was one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like it had glass in it.

But I did not see a palace in it, for Lord Jah, our God, upholds all and He is its palace.46 For the Lamb and the city do not need the sun or the moon to illuminate them, for the glory of God illuminates them, and the Lamb is its lamp. And the nations47 will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will not be shut by day, nor will there be night. And they will bring the glory and the honour of the nations into it.

And there will not be anyone who is defiled, or who creates pollution or lies, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book.48

And he showed me the river of the water of life, as pure and clear as crystal, coming out from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the centre of the street, and on this and that side of the river, were the trees of life, which bear twelve fruits, each giving its fruit every month.49 And their leaves are for the healing of the nations.

And there will not be any curse,50 and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His Name will be between their eyes. And there will be no night there: They will not need lights or lamps or the light of the sun, for Lord Jah, our God, gives them light and will be their King forever and ever.51

Then he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true.” And Lord Jah, God of the spirit of the holy prophets,52 sent His envoy to show His servants the things which will happen soon.

“Behold, I am coming soon! Blessings to the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

I am John, who saw and heard these things. And when I saw and I heard, I fell down to worship before the feet of the envoy who showed these things to me. Then he said to me, “Seer! No! I am your fellow servant, and one of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

And He said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. He who does evil will do evil again; and he who is foul will be foul again; and the righteous will do righteousness again; and the holy will be sanctified again.”53

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to his work. I am the Alap and I am the Tau, the First and the Last, the Origin and the Fulfilment.”

Blessed are those doing His commandments; they will have access to the trees of life, and they will enter the city through the gates.54 Left out are fornicators and murderers and idol worshippers and the defiled and sorcerers and all seers55 and workers of lies.

“I, Jeshua, have sent My envoy to testify these things among you in the assemblies. I AM! I am the Root and the Offspring of David, his companion and the bright Morning Star. And the Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come and let him take the water of life freely.”

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: whoever adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and whoever takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the trees of life, and from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming.” Come quickly, Lord Jah Jeshua!56

The grace of our Anointed Lord Jeshua be with all of His saints. Amen. Revelation 21:2-22:21

Indeed the entire universe will be changed, as Isaiah also prophesied: (Isaiah 51:6-8 and 66:22)

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look to the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and its inhabitants will die in the same manner; but My salvation will be forever, and My righteousness will not be broken.

“Listen to Me, knowers of righteousness, people who have My Instructions in their heart: do not fear the reproach of man, and do not bow before their blasphemings.57 For the moth will eat them like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but My righteousness will be forever, and My salvation from generation to generation.”

Isaiah 66:22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make stand before Me,” says Jehovah, “So will your seed and your name stand.

And what about us? ─ We will become like Jeshua and His Father: (1 John 3:1-3)

Behold how greatly the love of the Father abounds to us, that He has called us and made us His children! Because of this, the world does not know us, because it does not know Him either.

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we are going to be, but we know that when He is revealed, we will be like Him, and we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

. . . Jeshua the Anointed, the faithful witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. He loved us and released us from our sins in His own blood, and He has made us a priestly kingdom to God and His Father. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.58

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. And they, all the families of the earth, will mourn for Him.59 Yes! Amen.

“I am the Alap and the Tau,” says Jehovah God, “He who is and He who was and He who is coming, He who is Almighty.”60

I, John, am your brother and son, your companion in suffering, and in the patience which is in Jeshua. I was on the island that is called Patmos because of the Word of God and because of the testimony of Jeshua the Anointed. I was in the Spirit on the first day of the Weeks,61 and I heard behind me a great voice, like a trumpet, which said, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven congregations: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

Then I turned to know the voice which spoke with me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden menorahs,62 and in the midst of the menorahs was the likeness of the Son of Mankind, and He wore an ephod and was girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and His hair were as white as wool, like snow, and His eyes like flames of fire; His feet were like Lebanese brass, which is refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; and in His right hand there were seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp lance, and I saw Him looking like the sun in its strength.

And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; for I am the First and the Last, and I am He who lived, and He who died, and behold, I am alive forever and ever.63 Amen. And the keys of Death and of Sheol are mine.” Revelation 1:5-18

Yes, we will be like Him in that we will also be spirit-based beings. However, we are only adopted children of God and we have not personally helped create the entire universe nor died to redeem all of mankind. Therefore we will be far less exalted than our Messiah Jeshua, but we will be granted the joy of living forever with Him.

And I heard a great voice from heaven that said, “Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with the children of men, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and this same God will be with them and be their God. And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will be no death from now on, nor grieving, nor trauma, nor will there be diseases again, for His sake.”

Then I walked and He who sat on the throne said to me, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

Zephaniah 3:17 Jehovah your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you in His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

Psalm 16:11 You will show me the Way of Life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Permission is given to copy and distribute this service provided it is copied entirely and distributed without charge.

Scripture quotes are from the CHCoG translation, based on the Aramaic Peshitta New Covenant.

10 Note that chapters 36 to 48 of Ezekiel are all prophecy concerning the Great Tribulation and beyond.

11 As in the Peshitta, meaning that all who were killed for their faithfulness to God are included. The Greek instead (and incorrectly) has “beheaded”, restricting this group to only those who die from one unusual method of death.

12 Literally ‘on between their eyes’, suggesting the mark might be visible as well as internal.

13 This is the first general resurrection of the saints, after the small resurrection in Jerusalem when Jeshua was raised from the dead (Mat 27:52-53). This First Resurrection occurs at the Harvest in Rev 14:14-16. Many Greek manuscripts begin this verse with “But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.”

15 From the Aramaic. The Greek translation uses gonia here, which usually means a corner, either open or concealed.

17 This is a ‘repeat’ of the harvest of the wicked shown in Mat 13:24-50 and Rev 14:17-20. This time they are consumed by fire. Also 2Pe 3:7

19 This prophecy is dual, in that it contains elements relating to when Jeshua returns at the start of the Millennium, and also to what happens at the White Throne judgement at the end of the Millennium.

22 The Aramaic says ‘everlasting torment’, not ‘everlasting tormenting’. This indicates that the torment is everlasting for them, in that it lasts until they are totally destroyed. The Greek says ‘to be cut off forever.’─that is, eternal death.

36 As in Joe 2:31, Zep 1:14, 2Th 1:8; Jehovah is rendered as Lord Jah (MarJah) in the Peshitta.

40 2Pe 3:13 It is unclear whether this means no physical seas at all, or no Mediterranean Sea, or no ‘sea’ composed of different nations of peoples. It may also refer to the original Sea which was beneath the Expanse (crust) at Creation, and will be completely gone by this time. Or it may refer to the ceremonial Sea used to cleanse the priests (2Ch 4:2-6), which will no longer be required, as there will be no more sin.

42 Isa 65:17-19 As in the Aramaic. Greek manuscripts replace ‘for His sake’ with ‘for the former things have passed away.’ Compare with Gen 3:17-19

43 In Greek this is ‘Alpha and the Omega’.—that is, the first and last letters of each language’s alphabet.

45 Over 2,200 kilometers. As the city is also 2,200 kilometers tall, it seems that the new earth may be very different to our current earth, as it is unlikely that such an enormous city could be supported by our present planet and atmosphere. If the city is pyramidal, and 150 billion people live in it, we will each average about 4,000 times the living space we now have in Australian suburbs.

46 Translated as temple in some versions. As in the Peshitta, also see Eze 37:26-28, Isa 60:5-7

48 The Greek has “corruption” instead of “pollution”. It also adds “of Life” to the Lamb’s Book.

51 As in the Peshitta, also see Dan 7:18, Isa 60:19, Eze1:28, Joh 14:1-3, Heb 11:13-16

53 Unlike the Greek, the Aramaic still allows the possibility that sinners could repent even at this last moment.

55 This clearly means all ‘seers’ who work lies and do not obey God, as John is addressed as a ‘seer’ in vs 9 above.

59 Based on Zec 12:10, which focuses on Israel. Revelation expands it to include the entire earth.

60 As in Isa 48:12, Exo 6:3; Jehovah is rendered as Lord Jah (MarJah) in the Peshitta.

61 That is, the first day of count towards Pentecost, which is the Day of the Wave Offering, which commemorates Jeshua’s resurrection and return to heaven with His Blood.

62 Exo 25:31-37: The menorah is a seven-branched lampstand that burns olive oil. It reminds us of God’s seven day Creation and His seven Spirits. The seven menorahs thus remind us of the 49 days leading up to Pentecost, in this vision represented by Jeshua.