Thursday, the fifth day of Revelation, is the day that God pours out his great wrath upon the earth in judgment against the sins of mankind. It is a time of great terror and destruction -- a period of tribulation like the world has never seen before or ever will see again.
In many respects, Thursday is like the period of plagues that preceded the Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt (Ex. 7:14-12:33). Prior to both events, the people of God are severely persecuted by their earthly rulers. In both cases God sends horrendous plagues upon the persecutors while protecting his own people from the brunt of the destruction. In both cases, the word of God is proclaimed to the persecutors throughout the period of calamity. In both cases, the earthly rulers and their followers refuse to listen to the message proclaimed, repent of their sin, or obey the voice of God. In both cases, the saints are miraculously delivered from the overpowering onslaught of their attackers while the enemies of God are utterly destroyed. And in both cases, God's people leave forever their land of bondage, pass through a period of judgment, and eventually enter a wonderful land of promise.
But as there are similarities between the Exodus and the Day of Death, so also are there differences. One such difference is simply a matter of scale. The Exodus experience is a relatively minor conflict between two almost insignificant dynasties of world history. But the Day of Death is the actual culmination of world history itself. It is the unleashing of forces destructive beyond imagination in a global conflict that threatens to destroy the whole world.
Another difference between the Exodus and the Day of Death is God's objective in each case. The purpose of the Exodus was to reveal to the world the identity and power of God (Ex. 6:7, 7:5, 7:17, 14:18, 16:12, etc.), while that of Thursday will be to demonstrate to mankind the inevitable consequences of sin and the need of salvation (GAL 6:7, HOS 8:7).
Unfortunately, just as the people of Egypt failed to recognize the identity of God and respect his power, so also the people of the last days will fail to turn from their sins and accept his salvation. In fact, the day ends with the lament, "But the rest of mankind ... did not repent..." (REV 9:20-21,16:11).
Like Wednesday, Thursday begins with a spiritual event that the world never perceives. In this case it is the supernatural "sealing" of God's servants to protect them from the wrath to come.
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I REV 3: 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. |
II REV 7: 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. |
III REV 9: 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. |
V REV 16: 2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. |
VI REV 18: 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. |
Just as Israel was spared from the brunt of the plagues in Egypt, so also the saints of God will be shielded from most of the destruction that occurs on Thursday. This protection of the faithful is one of the primary differences between the Day of Sin and the Day of Death. On Wednesday, the followers of Satan are branded with the mark of their earthly master (13:16-17), while on Thursday, the saints of God are stamped with the seal of their heavenly Father (7:3, 9:4). Both days are filled with pain and suffering, but the saints are the ones who must endure the persecutions of Wednesday while sinful mankind must endure the plagues of Thursday. This is just one more example of the contrasting similarities predicted by the Harmony of Revelation.
Throughout the Day of Death, the Church of God is faithfully proclaiming the gospel of Christ, so that once again the message to the church at Philadelphia becomes appropriate.
I
REV 3:
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
From this passage we see that the saints are not only protected from the coming global trials (3:10) but also are promised an "open door" which no one can shut (3:7-9). This certainly was not the case during the preceding Day of Sin, for throughout that three-and-a-half-year interval, Satan had kept the door of evangelism closed by killing everyone who attempted to witness in the name of Christ.
Of course, he would like to do the same thing on Thursday, but his Antichrist is too busy trying to reestablish his earthly kingdom to worry about the testimony of a few insignificant Christians. Furthermore, God does not allow those who would harm the saints to do so during this time. So once again, as in the Day of Salvation, Satan is unable to prevent the proclamation of the gospel to the lost (11:3-6; 14:6-7). Nevertheless, as long as he retains his power to deceive the nations, he can and he will prevent people from listening (9:20-21; 15:8; 16:11; 20:7-8).
Among those saints who are sealed at the beginning of the Day of Death are a large number of Christian Jews:
II
REV 7:
1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 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,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
This is the first of only two instances where the chronology of the Harmony of Revelation is broken. The other, which occurs in Revelation 14:1-5, will be discussed later. However, it is interesting to note that both of these exceptions deal with a group of 144,000 faithful followers of Christ.
It is also interesting to note that the chronology of the two exceptions is perfectly anti-symmetrical. In other words, the first passage occurs at the beginning of Saturday but describes events taking place at the beginning of Thursday while the second passage occurs at the beginning of Thursday and describes events taking place at the beginning of Saturday.
One can only wonder why God inserted this single, anti-symmetric pair of exceptions into the otherwise perfectly consistent chronology of the Harmony of Revelation. If the Harmony really is true, one would expect there to be NO exceptions. But if it is false, one would expect there to be many more than just two exceptions. Furthermore, those exceptions, regardless of their number, would be expected to contain NO obvious symmetry. Therefore, the presence of two perfectly anti-symmetrical exceptions constitutes a true mystery worthy of investigation.
I believe the key to understanding this mystery is the reference to the 144,000 children of Israel.
Perhaps you never noticed, but the word "Israel" is mentioned by name only three times in the whole book of Revelation. The first time (2:14) is concerned with Israel's sins of the distant past and the third time (21:12) is in reference to the names of the gates of the New Jerusalem in the distant future. Since neither of these two references pertains to what happens to the children of Israel during the end times, the one and only passage in all of Revelation that refers by name to the Israel of the latter days is the second reference (7:4) -- the one quoted above and associated with the number 144,000.
This observation raises a number of interesting questions. For example, why is Israel mentioned so rarely in the book of Revelation? Why are the tribes of Israel listed in Revelation not the same as those mentioned elsewhere in the Bible? (GEN 35:23-26; EXO 1:2-4; NUM 1:20-43; 1CH 2:1-2; EZE 48:31-34) What is the significance of the number 144,000? Why are the two passages that mention the 144,000 presented in reversed chronological order? And why are there exactly 12,000 in each tribe rather than more from one tribe or another?[1]
Surely the answers to these questions will become more evident as the time of the fulfillment of this prophecy approaches. However, the answers to some of these questions seem fairly obvious even now.
Israel is hardly mentioned in Revelation because the book was written to and for Christians. It was not written to, for, or about the Jews, who are just as lost as everybody else who has not accepted Christ as Lord. Therefore, the real surprise is not that Israel is seldom mentioned in Revelation, but that it is mentioned at all.
Indeed, one would think that having fulfilled their destiny of bringing Christ into the world and having rejected God's only Son, the Jews themselves would have been rejected by God and doomed to extinction just like their northern brothers. Yet for his own namesake, God has protected the Jews and preserved them throughout the centuries so that, during these latter days, once again they can play a major roll in his plan for the redemption of all mankind.
Why are the 12 tribes in Revelation different from those mentioned elsewhere in the Bible? Probably because the Israel of Revelation is different from the Israel mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. In fact, the ten northern tribes of Israel ceased to exist when they were conquered and absorbed by the Assyrians (2KI 17:5-18). And the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi eventually were merged into a single people known today as the Jews.
Oh, I know that certain individuals have proposed that traces of the original Israeli blood now run through the veins of various Gentile races throughout the world and that this passage refers to those Gentile Christians. But such a proposal is ludicrous. Even if there were irrefutable proof that certain Gentiles did possess Israeli blood, by now that blood would have been so tainted with interracial and inter-religious marriages that such descendants could not be called the children of Israel by any stretch of the imagination.[2]
In fact, the only people alive today who legitimately can claim to have any significant amount of Israeli blood are the Jews. Therefore, the Israel of Revelation must represent the Jews of modern times. But whether it pertains to the modern nation of Israel or the collective Jewish people currently dispersed throughout the world, the Israel of Revelation symbolizes a different people and a different organization from the Israel of the Old Testament. No wonder its tribes are named differently.
What is the significance of the number 144,000? I believe that Biblical numerology supplies the answer. The number 144,000 is equal to 12 times 12 times 1000. Since 12 signifies God's people, kingdom, or nation and 1000 signifies a large number, then 144,000 stands for a large number of God's people within a people, kingdom within a kingdom, or nation within a nation.
The first of these nations has already been identified as the Jews of modern times. The second surely must represent the only other Kingdom of God mentioned in the Bible; namely, the Kingdom composed of born-again Christians. Therefore, the 144,000 children of Israel surely must represent a LARGE NUMBER OF CHRISTIAN JEWS. In fact, the Christian Jews living today in the modern nation of Israel could well be or become these prophesied, special people.
Why doesn't the chronology of the 144,000 fit the rest of Revelation? Probably because these Christian Jews do not "fit" into the normal order of things. Being both Christians and Jews, they do not fit in as being either Christians or Jews.[3]
Nevertheless, during the Day of Sin, they can expect to experience great persecution just like all the other Christians. Indeed, living among their unbelieving brethren, they may well experience even greater tribulation than the others.
In any case, these Christian Jews of the last days are singled out as being very special in the sight of God, apparently because they are a special people within a special people. In fact, we shall see later that their faithful witnessing is instrumental in bringing about the eventual salvation of the rest of their kinsmen as well as the salvation of an unknown number of gentiles throughout the world!
Of course, the world is completely unaware of the sealing of God's faithful servants to protect them from the wrath to come. In fact, the first indication to the world that Thursday has begun is the sudden and total collapse of the international economic system.
Up until that very moment, the world believed everything was wonderful and proceeded full speed with "business as usual." Indeed, from the world's point of view, things had never looked better. World unity finally had been achieved (through the successful efforts of the Antichrist); world peace had been established (through the destruction of Christians and others who opposed the new world order); and social welfare and security had been guaranteed (through the strict regulation of all aspects of the society). No longer were people enslaved by the antiquated morality of Christian ethics but were free to enjoy whatever pleasures they could imagine. They were completely liberated from the cares and responsibilities of life because the Government supplied all of their needs. Their only duty was to obey the Antichrist and to worship his Government.
Yes, there were a few unhappy people who hated the way things were going, who were oppressed and abused, and who were forced to supply the goods and services that the others enjoyed. But such people did not deserve a better life because they were still struggling against the new world order.
So, as far as the world was concerned, everything was great and getting better. Then God stepped in and everything came crashing down.
No wonder God is blamed for all the evils that suddenly come upon mankind. No wonder his name is cursed throughout the Day of Death. No wonder nobody turns to him in humble repentance. They all are too angry about the loss of their wealth, their security, their pleasures, and their DREAMS of what a "perfect" world OUGHT to be.
Revelation 18 describes in detail this total collapse of the world economic system. It also describes the great lament that follows the collapse.
VI
REV 18:
1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city. for in one hour is thy judgment come.
11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls.
17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city.
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness. for in one hour is she made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
At first it may seem hard to reconcile the above worldwide sorrow with the hatred expressed for Babylon a few verses earlier (17:16-18). But remember, this paradox is a general characteristic of satanic rule. People love to sin, but hate the wages; they love pleasure, but hate the cost; they love prosperity, but hate to pay the price. Therefore, in the case of Babylon, they love partaking of her economic affluence, but hate submitting to her repressive governmental policies.
What a contrast to God's Kingdom where, instead of this inevitable love-hate relationship, there is the perpetual love-love relationship. The citizens of God's Kingdom not only love the abundant life, they also love to submit to one another under the benevolent reign of God.
You will notice that I have been speaking of a total worldwide economic collapse even though the prophecy (17:18) refers only to the destruction of a single city; namely, "that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth." How is it possible for the kings and merchants of the earth to look upon Babylon's fall from afar (18:9-10,15-16) if the calamity truly is worldwide?
It is possible because the initial crash will take place in a single city in a single hour (18:17,19) of a single day (18:8). As news of the event is transmitted instantaneously throughout the world, the whole earth will witness the resulting panic within that city and watch the "smoke of her burning" from afar (18:9). This is when the wailing and lamentation will take place. Later on, after the full impact of this economic disaster has had time to affect the whole world, everyone will be too busy worrying about his own fate to lament the tragedy of this great city.
In Revelation 18:4 God calls his people out of Babylon "that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." This event is reminiscent of God's calling Lot's family out of sinful Sodom (GEN 19). However, this time the calling appears to be worldwide in scope. In fact, there are several reasons for believing that the saints of God are being called out of ALL the major cities of the world and not just out of the capital city called Babylon.
In the first place, you will notice that Babylon is held accountable for all the "slain on earth" (18:24) and not just those who died within her borders. Part of the reason for this, I am sure, is that the orders to persecute and destroy Christians came out of Babylon. Nevertheless, the rest of the world is not found guiltless. People in every nation willingly participated in the slaughter of the innocent; so justice demands that they also share in the punishment. Furthermore, other passages parallel to this one suggest that the plagues, indeed, will be worldwide (8:7-13; 9:3-4,18; 16:3, etc.)
In the second place, the intricate interdependence of the international economic system makes it impossible for the capital city to completely collapse without the other cities of the world being affected to some extent.
In the third place, it will be the high-density population centers of the world that will be the hardest hit when commerce, transportation, production, and distribution cease after a total economic collapse. Tall buildings and high technology won't help much when supplies of food, medicine, and energy are no longer replenished. People in the population centers are going to starve, loot, kill, and die despite all efforts of the governing authorities.
Obviously, no one living in any of the major cities of the world will escape the plagues. But in the countryside, at least some of the people will stand a chance. This is why I believe that Christians will be called out of ALL the cities of the world, not just the one city referred to as Babylon.
Actually, I am amazed that it is necessary to call ANY Christians out of ANY city at this time, considering the great persecution they have just been experiencing there. Are they like Lot? Do they love the city life so much that they have learned to accept the immorality that surrounds them?
I hope not. I prefer to believe that, as members of the "faithful church" (3:7-13), they have returned to the population centers now that the intense persecution has subsided in the hopes of winning some lost souls for Christ. Or perhaps it is the intense persecution itself that has been calling (driving) the saints out of the cities for the past three and a half years.
In any case, at or before the time of Babylon's fall, the faithful Christians are called out of the cities of the world. Therefore, heaven can rejoice about the justice administered to the wicked city of Babylon (18:5-8,20,24) and the finality of her judgment (18:21-23).
Three Accounts of Revelation describe the sequence of events that follow the fall of Babylon. The sixth Seal contains a brief summary of the results, while the Trumpets of Judgment and the Vials of Wrath provide detailed descriptions of the chronology. All three accounts prophesy a time of great turmoil, suffering, and death experienced by those who have not been faithful to God during the great persecution. Indeed, the suffering will be so great that those who live through it will "seek death but will not find it" (9:6).
As is always the case with our loving God, this tremendous suffering is not inflicted upon mankind solely for God's pleasure or enjoyment, but for the sake of justice and for the purpose of bringing mankind to repentance. Time and again, throughout this whole period of suffering, the Almighty is saying, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (GAL 6:7)
This period of retribution begins with voices, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.
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II REV 6: 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; |
III REV 8: 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. |
Since these things have been occurring from the dawn of time, it is doubtful that very many people will recognize such signs as an indication that God's wrath has come. Oh, a few perceptive Christians may recognize such signs for what they are, but the bulk of mankind certainly will not.
Most people will remain completely oblivious as to the seriousness of the situation until they, themselves, begin to experience the suffering.
V
REV 16:
1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
You may interpret this scripture as you will, but to me the following scenario seems perfectly logical:
Immediately after the collapse of the world economic system and the accompanying panic and pillaging in the cities, severe shortages begin to occur. Without a continual supply of food, medicine, energy, jobs, and money, and without the removal of garbage and other forms of pollution from the urban environment, the cities become a living cesspool.
For a while the United World Government is able to ration out the dwindling supply of food to the hungry masses. It also is sufficiently powerful to contain any local riots that take place and to provide a certain amount of environmental cleanup. But eventually the situation becomes unmanageable. Without sufficient food, adequate medicine, and a healthy environment, numerous diseases run rampant throughout the population centers. Sickness, sores, and the stench of decay fill the cities.
Eventually, the suffering mass of humanity within the cities can be contained no longer. Starving people break out into the countryside pillaging farmlands and destroying crops as they consume everything in sight.
III
REV 8:
7 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.
The farmers and the local governments fight back, trying to preserve their land and resources. But the people are desperate and the result predictable: hail (bullets, missiles, and bombs) and fire (arson and explosions), mingled with blood (from the wounded and slain) cause a third of the world's vegetation to be burned up (destroyed).
With the land crops devastated, as a last resort, mankind turns to the oceans for its food supply. In figurative language one could even say that the mountain of humanity burning with hunger plunges destructively into the sea.
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III REV 8: 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. |
V REV 16: 3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. |
As the fishing grounds are depleted, jealousy, envy, and strife develop over the remaining resources. Fishing boats are sabotaged and destroyed. Open warfare develops between nations as the desperation intensifies. Even the shipping of other goods (those few goods that are still being produced) is threatened by the hostilities. Maritime law and authority are all but ignored; so the "big gunboats" of the United World Government step in decisively. Ships are destroyed, the oceans turn red with blood, and the sea life is devastated.
One of the above passages says, "the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died" (8:9) and the other says "every living soul died in the sea" (16:3). Since "a third" constitutes a significant fraction of and since "every living soul" could be interpreted to mean essentially every living creature, both of these passages say that by the time mankind finishes harvesting, polluting, and destroying the oceans, there will not be enough seafood remaining to supply even a fraction of what the world needs to survive.
As the food supplies dwindle and starvation increases, open rebellion against the United World Government becomes more and more prevalent. To restore law and order, the Antichrist must strengthen his military capacity at all costs. People and the environment become expendable in order to increase weapon production. River after river is polluted with industrial, chemical, nuclear and biological wastes. Even the ground water is contaminated beyond safe consumption. Suffering is intense. People die.
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III REV 8: 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. |
V REV 16: 4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. |
Revelation16:5-7 reminds us that all of this suffering and death should come as no surprise. It is all the direct consequence of man's own sin.
V
REV 16:
5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
This passage says that the suffering and death experienced during these times are not so much the supernatural intervention of God into history as they are the natural consequences of man's abuse of this planet's ecology, disdain for human life, and contempt for God's moral laws. The specific charge brought against mankind is the way it treated the saints during the Day of Sin. But the real justice of the punishment is that mankind is forced to drink its own excretions.
The burning star mentioned in Revelation 8:10, as well as the other falling stars of Revelation 6:13, 8:8, and 9:1, could symbolize anything from the perfectly natural to the metaphysical. If these stars are like those mentioned in Revelation 1:20, they should be interpreted as angels, or possibly some other supernatural phenomena. But if they are literal descriptions of physical events, they might represent something as simple as a meteor shower.
Indeed, a meteor shower could well explain many of the catastrophes previously discussed. After all, this would not be the first time in history that the earth has been devastated by a meteor impact.[4]
Certainly a large meteor falling into the ocean would constitute a "great mountain burning with fire" (8:8). Furthermore, it would destroy a large fraction of the ocean's ships and wildlife. Similarly, smaller meteors from the accompanying shower could pollute the streams, burn the earth's vegetation, cause the earth to swelter under the ensuing heat, and/or cause the sun, moon, and stars to be blotted out by the dust thrown into the stratosphere.
But, personally, I doubt that the plagues of Thursday are either supernatural phenomena, like angels, or freak natural phenomena, like meteor showers. Why? Because the justice administered through such unrelated phenomena appears to be more artificial or contrived than consequential.
Yes, I know that God can and has used both natural and supernatural catastrophes to judge mankind in the past. And he surely can and will do so again in the future. But more often than not God allows the natural consequence of man's own sins to bring about its own punishment.
Since we have already seen how all of the previous catastrophes can be explained as the natural consequence of man's sins, let us extend this scenario one step further. If we do, then we conclude that the natural consequence of unrestricted military buildup in a sin-rampant society is the long-feared, all-out, global, thermonuclear holocaust.
Therefore, I tend to agree with others who interpret most of these "falling stars" as incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles. And, of course, the most "glaring" (excuse the pun) consequence of a thermonuclear explosion is the heat and radiation from the initial fireball.
V
REV 16:
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
Of course, this scorching heat could also be the result of a runaway "greenhouse effect." The rampant burning of natural forests, food crops, and industrial fuels during the Day of Death could easily raise the carbon dioxide level of the atmosphere so high that the temperature at certain points on the earth would be virtually unbearable.[5]
But whether the blistering heat described in this passage is due to a meteor shower, a nuclear holocaust, the greenhouse effect, or some combination of all three, one thing is perfectly clear: mankind will agonize under the scorching heat of this horrible phenomenon.
Another thing is also clear: the suffering will be insufficient to bring about repentance. Indeed, instead of recognizing the suffering as the consequence of its own sinful acts, mankind will curse God for inflicting such pain (16:9).
One reason I believe the "greenhouse effect" is not the major cause of the aforementioned heat is because of the period of darkness that follows immediately afterwards:
|
II REV 6: 12b and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. |
III REV 8: 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. |
V REV 16: 10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, 11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. |
This is an exact description of the "nuclear winter" predicted by scientists to follow immediately after a nuclear holocaust.[6]
I can see it now:
As humanity grows more and more desperate during these trying times, the number of nations rebelling against the United World Government continues to increase. In order to reestablish his supreme position of authority and force everyone into submission, the Antichrist unleashes his recently reconstructed nuclear arsenal.
Recognizing the worldwide phobia about nuclear weapons, he is confident that such an awesome display of raw power and destruction will terrify any surviving nations into immediate surrender. If the heat from the explosions and the cold of the "nuclear winter" do not do the job, then surely the dread of radioactive fallout and the fear of further retaliation will. Surely after such a holocaust, no surviving rebels will have either the means or the will to resist any further. And any sympathizers (or potential future rebels) certainly will think twice before openly defying the United World Government ever again.
But desperate, starving, dying people cannot continue obeying a system that provides no hope. So the rebellion continues and the Antichrist is forced to change tactics, lest he destroy himself along with the whole planet.
When the nuclear devastation fails to bring about civil obedience, he sends out armies of "locusts" to "torment" the rebels.
III
REV 9:
1 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.
11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
To me these flying "locusts" which sting like "scorpions" appear to be very similar to modern military helicopters spraying selective biological strains or possibly chemical agents from their tails. Such a weapon can be designed to leave the food crops unharmed but inflict severe pain and suffering upon human beings without killing them.[7]
The idea behind such a weapon is to inflict a punishment worse than death upon those who would rather die than submit. Unlike nuclear bombs, which kill everyone, this weapon can be delivered selectively to those small pockets of focused resistance.[8]
For "five months" this torment continues.
Since the number five means representative in Biblical numerology, the five months of torment is a period of time which represents the whole duration of suffering. Or, if the number five is interpreted as half of ten, then since ten indicates sufficiency, five would indicate half-sufficient or insufficient. In other words, the five months of torment would be insufficient to ensure obedience. Or, if the number five is associated with Satan,[9] if a month is recognized as the primary division of the year, and if several months constitute a season, then the five months of torment could well symbolize Satan's season of affliction. But regardless of the specifics, every one of the above interpretations indicates that the torment will last however long is needed for Satan to conduct this campaign of torture.
Literally, of course, "five months" is slightly less than half a year.
But even this campaign of selective torment turns out to be inadequate to quell the widespread rebellion. So the Antichrist decides to pull out all stops and simply kill everyone who continues to resist, no matter what it takes, no matter how many people die.
III
REV 9:
13 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.
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: 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.
V
REV 16:
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
The well-disciplined army of the east (probably China), 200 million strong, marches across the dried-up Euphrates riverbed from Asia into Europe crushing completely every hint of resistance. But this time, instead of helicopters, the support machinery sounds more like armored tanks belching fire, smoke, and brimstone out of their turrets and a stream of poisonous gas out of serpentine hoses mounted in their rear.
The fatality rate of this campaign is enormous. Once again a large part ("a third") of the world's population is killed. When this number is added to those who have already died from the other plagues, one must conclude that the total number of people (unbelievers) who die during this Day of Death truly is staggering, probably more than three-quarters of the world's population.
Yet, throughout this whole period of suffering and death, mankind remains unrepentant. (9:20-21; 16:9,11)
This is why it is so very important to lead as many people as possible to the Lord today, before the Day of Salvation ends. For once the "day" is over and "night" begins, it will be too late.[10]
Two interesting inserts occur here in the middle of the Trumpets of Judgment account: namely, the description of a Bittersweet Book and the ministry of Two Witnesses. The Bittersweet Book is particularly puzzling because it has no obvious connection with the rest of the descriptions of the latter days.
III
REV 10:
1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
Although the symbolism in this passage is not obvious, the location of the episode provides a clue as to its proper interpretation. Specifically, it occurs immediately after the lamentation for the lost souls of unrepentant mankind and immediately before the evangelistic crusade of the aforementioned Two Witnesses. Indeed it ends with the command to preach (prophesy) to the world.
Every time I read this section of Revelation, it thrills my heart to be reminded that even though sinful men are justly reaping the wages of their sins, even though they had ravished the earth and persecuted God's people, and even though they continue to reject God's call to repentance, still God loves them and sends witnesses to testify of his great love. Such a demonstration of God's love, patience, and forbearance is indeed sweet to the taste, honey to the lips, and joy to the soul.
But the way God's witnesses are treated and, more importantly, the way their message is rejected, truly is nauseous to the stomach, bitter to the bowls, and sickening to the heart.
So I believe the Bittersweet Book represents the Word of God proclaimed to unrepentant mankind throughout the Day of Death.
This period of witnessing is described in the fourth Account of Revelation:
IV
REV 14:
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
Here we see an angel proclaiming the everlasting gospel to everyone on the earth. Since it is quite doubtful that any unrepentant human beings will observe such a supernatural display taking place in heaven, we conclude that the actual witnessing must be performed on earth by those few faithful Christians who survived the Day of Sin. Unfortunately, as stated earlier, all of their pleas fall upon deaf ears.
Surely this is a sad and frustrating time for the saints of God. Loving, caring, preaching, praying, pleading -- all to no avail -- they see the multitudes dying in their sins without any hope of salvation. Still, they continue being faithful, even while others hate them, blame them, curse them, and blaspheme their God.
This is why Christians who die during the Day of Death are called "blessed" (14:13). Even though they currently are experiencing neither persecution nor the plagues, it is only through death that they finally are able to rest from their frustrating and fruitless labors.
But wait a minute. How can Christians be dying during the Day of Death? Doesn't the Harmony predict that they are protected by the seal of God?
Yes, it does. But it does not say that they do not die from natural causes. Furthermore, we shall see that at least two Christian witnesses are martyred during this time period. Therefore, the seal of protection is not a blanket protection from all forms of suffering and death. It is a supernatural protection only against the direct consequences of God's wrath.
An example of this supernatural protection is contained in the third Account of Revelation, which describes the ministry of the above-mentioned Two Witnesses:
III
REV 11:
1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
Here we see how God gives special power to these Two Witnesses, not only to protect them from danger, but also to allow them to send plagues upon those who would attempt to harm them.
Could these be the very same plagues described earlier in this chapter? Possibly, but I doubt it; because the previously mentioned plagues were visited upon all of mankind, not just upon the people in the "Holy City." Furthermore, the earlier plagues were given as retribution for previous persecutions against the saints, not as a protection against current attacks. So this current power to call down plagues appears to be a local phenomenon granted to two special individuals.
I say "individuals" because that is the obvious, literal implication of the passage. However, we ought at least to consider a more symbolic interpretation of the passage. After all, the "Two Witnesses" could represent two groups of people rather than two individuals. Indeed, the fact that they are identified as two candlesticks (11:4) suggests that they actually do represent two congregations or two churches.[11]
For example, the witnesses could represent the only two groups of Christians recognized by the Harmony to exist during this period of time; namely, the few surviving Gentile Christians and the 144,000 Jewish Christians. However, Revelation 11:8 tells us that after the Two Witnesses eventually are killed, their dead bodies will be left lying in the street (singular) of the city (singular) in which Christ was crucified. Therefore, the bodies of these Two Witnesses will be left lying in one of the streets of Jerusalem. Since it is highly improbable that all the Gentile Christians of the world plus the 144,000 Jewish Christians of that day will be killed and left lying on a single street of Jerusalem, then it would appear that the only reasonable interpretation of this passage is the obvious, literal interpretation: namely, that the Two Witnesses are two special individuals openly proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nation of Israel.
But wait a minute. Preaching the gospel to the Jews is the mission of the 144,000 Jewish Christians, isn't it?
Yes, it is. But if they are anything like the other Christians at that time, they have been called out of the cities. Therefore, the 144,000 Jewish Christians are probably witnessing in the countryside outside of Jerusalem while these two special witnesses are testifying within the city. This distinction in their calling and ministry reinforces our previous conclusion that the Two Witnesses are two specific individuals not directly associated with any other Christians of that day.
In fact, it is even possible that these Two Witnesses are two Old Testament saints who have been sent back from heaven. After all, both Revelation 11:4 and Zechariah 4:14 tell us that the symbolism of the two olive trees beside the lampstands represent two individuals currently standing beside the Lord of the earth. This, plus the fact that their style of ministry is very similar to that of such Old Testament prophets as Moses (EXO 7-12), Elijah (2KI 1:2-17), and Elisha (2KI 2:23-24, 2KI 6:11-23), suggests that the Two Witnesses are two resurrected saints.[12]
Or, perhaps these Two Witnesses are the only two persons in the Bible who have never experienced death; namely Enoch (GEN 5:24) and Elijah (2KI 2:11). Since "it is appointed unto men once to die" (HEB 9:27), perhaps these two have been sent back to keep that appointment. In fact, Malachi has even prophesied that one of these two individuals, Elijah, would be sent back "before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD" (MAL 4:5).[13]
In any case, whether these Two Witnesses are sent back from heaven or born and raised on the earth, the evidence indicates that they are two specific individuals who preach the gospel of Christ to the Jews in Jerusalem.
Notice that Revelation 11:1 mentions the "temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein." From the context of this scripture, it would appear that this reference pertains to an earthly temple in Jerusalem. So we can conclude that by the beginning of the Day of Death the Jewish temple has been rebuilt and the Old Testament practice of offering animal sacrifices has been reestablished.
Either this temple was rebuilt at the very end of the Church Age or it was constructed sometime during the Day of Sin. In either case, the rebuilding of the temple must have been a relatively recent accomplishment because the whole duration of Wednesday is only three and a half years long.
Since the presence of the rebuilt temple is mentioned nowhere else in the book of Revelation, we can conclude that it plays a relatively minor roll in the drama of the last days. However, the rebuilding of the temple does provide us with an important clue as to the exact timing of the events of the last days. On the very day that the construction of the Jewish temple begins, we can be certain that the Days of Sin and Death are virtually upon us.
Once the temple is dedicated, we also can expect to see animal sacrifices re-instituted. But animal sacrifices today are an abomination in the sight of God because they declare that the lambs of men can accomplish what the Lamb of God could not, namely, the atonement of sin[14] Surely this is why God terminated that practice in the first century shortly after his own perfect sacrifice was given. Surely this is also why God will terminate the practice again once it has been re-instituted during the latter days.
Perhaps he will even use the Gentiles to accomplish this feat by having them deliberately desecrate the altar. Perhaps the Gentiles will slaughter an animal upon the Jewish altar, which is just as much an abomination in their sight as their own animal sacrifices are in the sight of God.[15]
Of course, all of this is a type of "reading between the lines" because there is no direct reference to animal sacrifices anywhere in the book of Revelation. However, we do know for a fact that the Gentiles seize "the court which is outside the temple" and "tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months" (11:2). So throughout the Day of Death, the Gentiles control at least a portion of the temple grounds and trample the city of Jerusalem.
But hadn't they been doing that throughout the preceding three and a half years of Wednesday? Apparently not.
Even though the Antichrist did rule over Jerusalem during the Day of Sin (13:7), he apparently did not oppress Israel any more than he did any other nation.[16]
Apparently the Jews either formed an alliance with the Antichrist as he rose to power or else they passively submitted to his conquest. In either case, Israel had learned to play the game of international politics quite well by the time of the conquest and offered no serious opposition to the establishment of the United World Government.
Why then are the Jews oppressed on Thursday?
Probably for the same reason everyone else is oppressed at that time; namely, because they rebelled against the Antichrist. In fact, it would appear that the Jews were among the first nations of the world to begin rebelling, the first to be re-conquered, and the first to be treated as an example to the others. Apparently, they were stripped of all semblance of military power, prohibited from practicing their religion, and subjugated to the authority of the occupying forces.
Such a scenario explains how both the Jewish and the Gentile authorities are able to rationalize away the miracles performed by the Two Witnesses in Jerusalem. After all, one would think everyone would be afraid to oppose these Two Witnesses lest they be destroyed by their plagues.
But apparently both the Jewish and the Gentile authorities in Jerusalem do not believe the Two Witnesses have any special supernatural power. They believe the only reason the Two Witnesses cannot be captured is that Jerusalem has been left destitute. They believe that when the Antichrist removed his army after re-conquering Israel, he left neither the Jews nor the small occupying force of the Gentiles sufficient power to capture these two crafty troublemakers.
Of course, they also believe that the Antichrist has the power to capture these two offenders; but on Thursday he is more concerned about crushing worldwide rebellions than about stopping the ridiculous preaching of two crazy evangelists in a city that already has been subdued. After all, these Two Witnesses are not even preaching military rebellion, and even if they were, no one is joining their cause.
So the Antichrist leaves this minor problem in the hands of his appointed Gentile authorities. But without the manpower or the firepower to subjugate the two troublemakers, these authorities cannot prevent the Two from preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ with impunity.
How long does all this go on? Until the Antichrist finally reestablishes his undisputed authority over the world. Then, and only then, is he able to turn his attention to such minor problems as these troublemakers, muster his forces back to Jerusalem, and eliminate the problem. Therefore, the Witnesses continue proclaiming the gospel of Christ to the Jews until the end of the Day of Death.
There are two verses in the third Account of Revelation that tell us how long that will take (11:2-3). The first says 42 months and the second says 1260 days. Both say three and a half years! Sound familiar?
Since we have already discussed the symbolism associated with this number, we quickly reach the same conclusions here as elsewhere: the Day of Death will last long enough to accomplish a complete part of God's timetable (one day of Revelation). In all probability, that will be literally three and a half calendar years.
Throughout history, from the time of Christ through the Day of Death, the Jews as a people have rejected Jesus as their Messiah. One reason for this is that it is impossible for the Jews as a people to accept Christ as Savior and still retain their Jewish identity.
Even if 90% of all the Jews living today were to accept Christ as their Messiah, the remaining 10% still would have rejected him. Since the 90% finally would realize that Christ has fulfilled all the requirements of the Old Testament Law, that salvation is by grace rather than works, and that in Christ all men are brothers (whether Jews or Gentiles), it follows that they would cease to be Jews in the traditional sense, even if they retained their Jewish heritage.
Only the remaining 10% could and would continue to be identified as orthodox Jews. Only that 10% would continue to propagate their traditional Jewish culture, customs, and identity to their children and their children's children. So within one generation, the only true Jews remaining on the earth would be the descendants of those few who had rejected Christ.
Of course, this argument is only valid as long as there are future generations to consider. Since this is not the case for the last generation, that generation not only can but also will accept Christ as their Savior and Lord (ROM 11:25-26).
By reading between the lines of Revelation 11 we can see how this comes about:
During the Day of Sin, when the Christians of the world are experiencing severe persecution, Israel, like every other nation of the world, is brought under the control of the United World Government. Except for the most dedicated Christian Jews (namely, the 144,000) everyone in Israel eventually submits to the authority of the Government, even to the point of pledging their supreme allegiance to it and accepting its economic supremacy over their lives.
But with the total socioeconomic collapse of the United World Government following the Fall of Babylon, Israel, who has always resented being under subjection to any Gentile authority, takes advantage of the opportunity to declare its independence. But in spite of the depressed economy, the war machine of the Antichrist is still fully functional. And because of the worldwide crises, the Antichrist is in desperate need of the remaining oil resources of the Middle East. Therefore, Israel is quickly subdued, along with every other nation of the region who might have revolted at that time.[17] Then, as an example to any other nation that might be considering a revolt, Israel is totally humiliated and stripped of all power, dignity, and rights -- including the right to practice their religious ceremonies.
In their broken-hearted condition, they cry out to God for a Deliverer -- the long promised Messiah -- to liberate them from this oppression. But instead of a Deliverer, God sends them two messengers who only torment them with the thought that they have already rejected the Deliverer that God has already sent.
Both the Jews and the gentile Government try to silence these Witnesses, but to no avail because of the supernatural power of the Witnesses, the weakness of the Jews, and the preoccupation of the Government with more pressing matters.
For three and a half years these Two Witnesses preach in Jerusalem while the hundred and forty-four thousand do so in the countryside. Certainly they preach about the incarnation, ministry, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and return of Christ. Surely they also predict their own upcoming death, resurrection, and ascension as proof of the truth of their testimony. But, of course, all of this is rejected by the Jews, just as the witness of other Christians throughout the world is rejected during this period of time.
Then, at the end of the Day of Death, after the Antichrist has devastated the earth, killing most of the population and re-subjugating the rest, he decides to elevate himself once again in the eyes of his subjects by demonstrating his own power and superiority over anyone who worships the one true God. Taking advantage of the situation in Jerusalem, he allows the whole world to hear the testimonies of the Two Witnesses and to learn how no one previously has been able to subdue them. Then he demonstrates his own power by killing them.
III
REV 11:
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
To prove that the testimony of the Witnesses is false, the Antichrist insists that their dead bodies be left lying in the street to rot. Carefully he secures the area and then openly challenges the two dead prophets to rise again.
He commands the world to celebrate his triumph and proclaims a period of international festivities, accompanied by merry making and gift giving. After years of worldwide turmoil and rebellion, the United World Government finally has reestablished world order. The enemies of the state have been destroyed, social stability has been restored, economic recovery is on the way, and the future of planet Earth once again is bright beyond comparison.
For three and a half days, the celebration continues with periodic updates of the rotting bodies displayed on international television and with continuous programming designed to elevate the Antichrist and ridicule the testimony of the Witnesses. As a final climax to the festivities and as a final proof that these Witnesses were false prophets, a worldwide satellite-linked telecast of their prophesied "resurrection" is scheduled. Everyone is encouraged to watch the "countdown" of this "nonevent" as the Witnesses fail to rise from the dead. This spectacular non-resurrection will constitute the final triumph of the Antichrist as he demonstrates conclusively to the whole world that the claims of Christianity throughout the ages have been absolutely false.
Three days go by and nothing happens[18] -- three and a half days and still nothing. Then in stunned amazement, the whole world looks on as the testimony of the Two Witnesses is verified and the power of God is demonstrated through the resurrection of their bodies and their supernatural levitation into the sky!
Of course, I suspect that as soon as the stunned censors comprehend the significance of the event they will cut off the telecast, but not before the whole world is aware of what has happened. And even if the rest of the world is not allowed to hear the voice of God calling the Witnesses and to see their actual ascension, we can be certain that the Jews in and around Jerusalem will witness the whole event from start to finish.
Seeing with their own eyes the death, resurrection, and ascension of these Two Witnesses and hearing with their own ears the voice of God calling them home, most of the nation of Israel will finally realize that the testimony of the Witnesses was true and that the very Jesus whom they had been rejecting for some 2000 years truly was and is their long-promised Messiah.
I said "most" of the nation Israel because, as always, there are a few stubborn hearts who refuse to believe the truth even when it is demonstrated beyond the shadow of a doubt. Perhaps these people will deny the facts just as others did in the Day of Christ. Perhaps they will convince themselves that everything they have seen was simply some kind of elaborate hoax perpetrated by the "144,000" Christian Jews.
In any case, in less than one hour, God causes a great earthquake within the city to kill "7000" men. If taken literally, this constitutes ten percent (a tenth part) of some 70,000 people living in Jerusalem at the time.
Figuratively, of course, the number "7000" means a complete (7) large number (1000) of people. I suspect, therefore, that the people who are killed in the earthquake are precisely those "10%" of the Jews who stubbornly refuse to believe the overwhelming evidence that Jesus really is God's long promised Deliverer.[19] Therefore, the only Jews surviving this earthquake in Jerusalem are those who finally do believe the testimonies of the Witnesses and accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah, Savior, and Lord.
In fear and trembling, they give glory to God and praise him for his wonderful love, for his enduring patience, for preserving them as a people, and for fulfilling his promise of bringing the nation of Israel unto himself through Jesus Christ.
I say the "Nation of Israel" rather than the "City of Jerusalem" because I am convinced that the Jews in the countryside also are aware of the events that take place in the city and also accept Jesus as their Savior. In fact, I believe that sufficient news of these events are telecast throughout the world to enable not only the Jews living outside of Israel, but also some of the Gentiles, to come to a saving knowledge of Christ.
This is the last opportunity people will ever have to be saved, the one and only significant opportunity of salvation following today's Church Age. Throughout the days of Sin and Death, Satan was able to deceive the nations so that no one came to believe in Christ. But now, through the supernatural intervention of God, this veil of deceit once again has been lifted so that the survivors of Satan's seven-year reign on earth experience one last opportunity to turn to God.
Praise the Lord that we have a God so loving that in spite of our sin and rejection -- even to the very end of the age -- he continues to seek and to draw all men unto himself by providing a last-minute opportunity for salvation.
But this last-minute display of God's great love is no excuse for our failure to witness today. The very same Harmony that predicts this last opportunity for salvation also predicts that very few people will live to take advantage of that opportunity. The vast majority of mankind is going to perish during the days of Sin and Death. They will never see another opportunity of salvation beyond today.
As previously mentioned, the Church during the Day of Death is faithfully witnessing for Jesus Christ, even until the very end. Yet the first Account of Revelation describes the Church at the end of Thursday as being "lukewarm."
I
REV 3:
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
How can the Church be lukewarm at the end of the Day of Death? Surely, the few Christians who have survived the Days of Sin and Death will not have grown lukewarm so soon. Surely, the Jews who, as a nation, have just turned to Christ will not be lukewarm. Surely, no newly converted Gentile Christian elsewhere in the world will be lukewarm. But if none of these people, then who?
Well, ask yourself, "What is the character of a lukewarm church?" Is it not a group of people who believe themselves to be Christian but whose lack of commitment denies that belief? Is it not a body of uncommitted believers?
If so, then it is not very difficult to identify such people at this time in history. Consider the people who were saved during the Day of Salvation seven years earlier, but who denied that fact in order to avoid persecution. Consider the people who remained in the apostate churches sanctioned by the Antichrist. Consider the people who rejected Christ during the Day of Salvation but began having second thoughts during the days of Sin and Death. Consider the people who secretly accepted the Gospel proclaimed by Christians during the Day of Death but made no public confession.
Like members of the lukewarm church of today, these people believe themselves to be Christian -- to be members of the universal Church -- to be saved. But whether saved or not, they collectively constitute a large body of uncommitted believers -- a worldwide, lukewarm church.
And what does Christ say to these uncommitted believers? He says, "If you're not saved (you think you are rich but are not) (17), then get saved (buy my gold and be clothed and healed) (18). If you are saved, then repent and be zealous" (19).
When Christ says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock" (20), he is telling these uncommitted believers to get off the fence -- make a decision one way or the other -- either fully accept his Lordship or reject it. Otherwise, he will spew them out of his mouth (16).
Indeed, at this point in history, time has literally run out for making a decision about salvation. This is absolutely the last opportunity people will ever have to be saved -- to accept voluntarily the Lordship of Christ.
But our loving God is not willing that any should perish (2PE 3:9), so he has provided the dramatic resurrection of the Two Witnesses to give these lukewarm "Christians" that one last opportunity to become either "hot" or "cold" toward Christ. Unfortunately, when the Jews become "hot," most of the rest of the world reacts by turning "cold."
Although some Gentiles throughout the world probably are saved at this time, their numbers must be few or they would have been mentioned somewhere in the book of Revelation. So once again we come to the conclusion that the real opportunity for salvation is during the current Church Age -- an age that is rapidly drawing to an end.
When the Jews as a nation turn to God and accept Christ as their Messiah, Savior, and Lord, the Antichrist becomes infuriated. His victory celebration has been turned into defeat and the rebellious Jews once again have despised his authority -- this time, by turning to Christianity.
After three and a half years of struggle to regain his global empire, the Antichrist is not about to allow this puny little nation of Israel to threaten his own lordship of the earth. So he gathers together the armies of the world, Gog and Magog, and assembles them in a place called Armageddon. His intent is clear -- the complete annihilation of the Jewish race.
Little does he realize that he is setting the stage for the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
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V REV 16: 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. |
VII REV 20: 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9a And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: |
As the overwhelming forces of the United World Government advance, the little nation of Israel retreats toward the beloved city of Jerusalem. Their new found faith in Christ is severely tested as their helpless and hopeless plight registers on their conscious minds.
They have no weapons because their last vestige of armament was confiscated by the Antichrist three and a half years earlier. So the Antichrist quickly assembles a force more than adequate to obliterate this tiny city. The only reason he delays his attack is to allow time for additional troops to come and participate in the slaughter.
Surrender is impossible for Israel. Even if the Antichrist were willing to take prisoners, which he is not, the newly converted Jews could not deny the Lordship of Christ by accepting the lordship of the Antichrist. After spending 2000 years finding Jesus, they certainly would rather die now than give him up.
Without some miraculous intervention by God, the complete annihilation of Israel is inevitable. What the world's anti-Semitic forces could not accomplish in 2000 years of persecution after the Jews rejected Christ, the Antichrist is about to accomplish in a matter of days after they accept him.
Clearly, the Jews have no options. They cannot surrender. They cannot win. They can only die or trust in the Lord to deliver them. So trust, they do. And pray, they do. And wait, they do. And watch, they do.
Not only they, but Christians throughout the world trust, pray, wait, and watch for the second coming of Christ.
"Surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." (22:20)
[1]Everywhere else in the Bible the number of people in each of the tribes are different. For example, see NUM 1:20-49 and NUM 26:7-50.
[2]See EZR 10:10-11.
[3]Since they still retain their Jewish heritage and traditions, they are not like other Christians, and since they have accepted Christ as their Savior and Lord, they are not like other Jews.
[4]Some scientists even believe that a meteor impact caused the extinction of the dinosaurs millions of years ago.
[5]Carbon dioxide traps the sun's heat in the earth's atmosphere just like window glass does in a greenhouse or a closed-up automobile.
[6] Or a major meteor impact.
[7]The preservation of food crops is very important at this time because the Antichrist must find some way to feed his supporters if he ever hopes to regain his position of authority.
[8]Since Christians at this time are not promoting rebellion against the government but rather preaching repentance toward God, they are not among the prime targets of this campaign (REV 9:4).
[9] This is common in secular numerology, but not Biblical numerology.
[10]Compare John 9:4 where Jesus says, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." .
[11]Since the candlesticks in REV 1:20 symbolized churches, it is only reasonable to assume that they represent churches in this passage as well.
[12]Indeed, Moses and Elijah have already returned to the earth once, when they met with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration (MAT 17:1-9, MAR 9:2-10, LUK 9:28-36). So there is no reason why they could not do so again throughout the Day of Death.
[13]In MAT 17:10-13 Christ also says that Elijah both had come (as John the Baptist) and will come (as one of these Witnesses?) to "restore all things."
[14]Atonement is a "church word" which means to pay the price of sin or to justify God's forgiveness of sin. Therefore, a person who offers an animal sacrifice today is saying, "God, I will not accept your sacrifice of your beloved Son, but you should accept my sacrifice of this animal and forgive me of my sins." In essence he is saying, "God, your sacrifice is not good enough to pay for my sins, mine is better."
[15]See DAN 11:31 and MAT 24:15-16 for prophecies pertaining to this event and HEB 9:19-10:14 for an explanation of why animal sacrifices are no longer appropriate in God's sight.
[16]It was the Christians, not the Jews, who were persecuted during Wednesday.
[17] Including any rebelling Muslem nations surrounding Israel.
[18] The amount of time Christ was proclaimed to be dead before rising again.
[19]Notice the similarity between this selective destruction and the one that occurred during the time of the Exodus (NUM 16:28-33). Those Israelites who stubbornly refused to believe the overwhelming evidence that Moses was God's long promised deliverer were also selectively destroyed.