We have been looking at the prophetic End Time events as described in Revelation and their correlation to Jesus’ own words in Matthew 24. Most everyone today, over the age of forty would have to say that; they can’t ever remember the magnitude of the perils of war and crime along with the frequency and intensity of world natural disasters. Most people in the over forty generations would admit that there is something different about the times that we live in now.
God’s WORD has been warning the world through the prophets; through the written WORD and through the sayings of Jesus Christ; that there will come a time on the earth; such as has never been, nor will ever be again. The Bible tells us to watch and be prepared. We need to live as if every moment could be our last; but also live as if we will live until we reach a ripe old age of 95. Being prepared does not mean; “stop living;” and watching does not mean to just wait. There is the story of the talents. The one who just waited, who buried his one talent and did nothing; he was cast into outer darkness and his one talent was given to the one who had ten.
We have looked previously at the first six seals and their correlation to today’s world; things already upon us and things yet to come. As we open the seventh seal; there is complete silence for half an hour. We can just gloss over this simple statement; but think about it. Here is the headquarters that runs the universe; it has to be a busy place because our earth is round and people are going to bed as others are just getting up. The affairs of planet earth must keep heaven busy. We have read previously about the throne of God and the four heavenly beasts and the twenty four elders who praise God continuously. All of this activity, praise, worship and normal day in and day out business stops for a half an hour. Every being in heaven will know what this silence announces. It will be a mixture of joy and sorrow. This heavenly host has seen all of the evils going on from the Garden of Eden forward. The return of Jesus Christ will change the governments of the world into the governments of heaven. This will bring great joy. The sorrow will come with all of the events that will try the entire world.
Revelation 8:1-6 KJV And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. (2) And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. (3) And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. (4) And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. (5) And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. (6) And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
For six thousand years; God has been looking to these events and all of the Heavenly host have been watching in prepared readiness along with all of the angels. All of the prayers of all of the saints down through the ages have been sitting on the golden altar of incense before the throne of God. The silence and stillness will erupt in smoke with thunder and lightening and an earthquake! This is the greatest prelude to the greatest moment ever in the entire universe. The resurrection of the saints; will happen with the sound of a trumpet. This trumpet will announce eternal life to those who have allowed God to place His character within them.
God could not give His character to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; to do so would have made them robots. God does not want robots; He wants being like Himself, who voluntarily embrace righteousness! God can create everything and He has. He could become flesh and walk with His creation and He did. He could live and pave the way for us as the captain of salvation and He did and does; but only we can choose Him out of a free moral agency
The trumpets will begin to sound:
An angel sounded the first trumpet and one third of all trees grass and vegetation will be destroyed.
An angel sounded the second trumpet and one third of of all sea life will be destroyed.
An angel sounded the third trumpet and one third of all fresh water; the rivers will be turned to wormwood.
An angel sounded the fifth trumpet which announces three woes and an angel has the keys to the bottomless pit and out of it comes locusts that do not harm vegetation, but inflict illness upon people that will last five months.
An angel sounded the sixth trumpet which announces a huge army of 200 million soldiers that will battle for 1 year; 1 month; one day and one hour.
Revelation 8:7-11 KJV The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. (8) And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; (9) And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. (10) And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; (11) And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. (12) And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. (13) And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
These are horrific events that will effect every man, woman and child. The fifth trumpet unleashes locust which do not harm vegetation, but they strike men with a five month illness so bad that they seek death and can’t find it. John never saw a helicopter; most scholars of the book of Revelation believe that what John saw were modern day helicopters and war implements. The five month disease was some type of biological weapon.
Revelation 9:1-10 KJV And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. (2) And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. (3) And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (4) And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. (5) And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. (6) And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. (7) And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. (8) And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. (9) And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. (10) And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
The Sixth Trumpet 200 Million Man Army
The stage will be set for a mighty army to come from the East. They will kill a third of all men on the earth.
Revelation 9:13-15 KJV And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, (14) Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. (15) And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
Revelation 9:16-21 KJV And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand(200 Million Man Army): and I heard the number of them. (17) And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. (18) By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. (19) For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. (20) And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: (21) Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
In Chapter 10, God tells John to warn the people of the world a second time before the seven last plagues are poured out upon the earth.
The Seven Last Plagues (Revelation Chapter 16)
1. Grievous sore
2. Sea became as the blood
3. Rivers and fountains of waters became blood.
4. Sun scorch men with fire.
5. Darkness
6. Euphrates dries up
7. Destruction of earth at 2nd coming of Jesus
God is not angry with the people of the world without cause. Man has forgotten that he was made for God and not for himself. Human nature is a powerful drive. Without the Holy Ghost abiding within man; he would always bring himself to the brink of destruction. We live in a world of appalling evil; the fruit of man without the guidance of Almighty God; the fruit of man choosing for himself what is right and wrong; instead of following God.
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