A tenth of the city fell. Our journey through Revelation. Part 7

Life can get hectic at times, and in that short time I got distracted and needed to remind myself what I am working on.

I opened the last post with "Seven seals have been opened. Within the seventh seal are seven trumpeters. The previous trumpet, the sixth in this vision, has blown releasing four angels who have spent their traitorous lives bound in the Euphrates river. These must be comparable to great generals within the armies of Satan, for they command an army of 200 million demonic horsemen. These creatures are like nothing man has ever seen, and are therefore fallen angels themselves."

We are on a relentless migration in our attempt to absorb and understand Revelation. Currently, we are in Revelation 11 where we covered the two witnesses.

They no sooner die and are taken off the earth when this happens.

Revelation 11:13 ESV And at that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Previously we saw: 200 million demonic horsemen killing and tormenting mankind; two prophets from God that have the ability to kill, and now, a hellish earthquake, only one of many. Because of this earthquake, a tenth of the city fell. I believe I would fear the horsemen over the earthquake, but nonetheless, a destruction it is.

Here's an odd thought. Since the wrath, we are reading about, and this is all under the wrath, is directed at two people groups – the unrepentant Jews and the nations, then how does this earthquake impact the nations? I suppose an earthquake of this magnitude has a global, far-reaching impact, but haven't we already experienced a global earthquake that has the rich and poor hiding in caves, crying out for the rocks to fall on them and save them from the wrath of God? So, let's assume that the intention is to have a local impact. Then who are the recipients? Israel/Jews, and one other people group, who like to call themselves Palestinians. What has been happening immediately before this quake? Two witnesses, who maintain a strong position in the streets of Jerusalem, declaring the greatness of God, spewing fire (I think that would be correct since the Palestinians/Hamas/Muslims will be trying everything they can to kill these two), reigning plagues and shutting off the rain for 1260 days. Is it possible that this “woe” is a directed judgment at Israel for not acknowledging God in the evidence of these two witnesses and at the same time a judgment against those who continued to spit in the face of God by attempting to kill the witnesses?

Consider this. Jesus told Pilate,

"You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. " John 19:11a ESV

And to the crowd who came to take him in the garden, Jesus replied,

“Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” Matthew 26:53 ESV

The point being, no man could have touched these two witnesses, to harm them, unless, as Matthew's gospel quoted,

“all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled” Matthew 26:56

just like the events that happened to Jesus. Keep in mind that the Jewish mind thinks very critically, and will be looking for the evidence in the law and the prophets. They have that evidence in this statement of prophecy.

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. (Malachi 4:5 ESV)

You can argue about who these two persons are until you are blue in the face and you will not change the fact that they are coming and in a powerful way.

Back to our migration.

Do you realize that the first woe, announced in Revelation 9, coincides with the blast of the fifth trumpet and continues along with the second woe, for two chapters? There is nothing that segregates the first woe from the second. By the time we get to Revelation 11 the world is deeply under the effects of the sixth trumpet. It is possible that the deadly impact of 200 million horsemen and the two witnesses may be the second woe.

What is the premonition given to us in chapter ten of Revelation?

“ but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.” Revelation 10:7 ESV

I do not know what that says to you, but it tells me that the entire reason we have run this race is about to come to fruition. The idea of a mystery is splattered throughout the bible. While it was a mystery to many, some got it. We see that in Hebrews and a few other places.

“By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations--the City designed and built by God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10 MSG)

They may not have known the name, or where it was, but they knew it was real and they were going there eventually. Not so different from us, is it? The mystery really came down to redemption and a restored life with the Father, to those who wanted it. But, you cannot go telling that to just everyone, like Satan or he would try to thwart the plan; that was his only hope. However, Satan's attempts failed, but oh how he tried. (Having King Herod kill off every child in the region, two years and under is a good example. Thinking that putting Jesus on the cross and killing him there must have seemed like a good idea for a moment, but that failed also.)

Just knowing that the mystery will be finally fulfilled has me excited.

Revelation 11:15-19 ESV (15) Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever." (16) And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, (17) saying, "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. (18) The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth." (19) Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.

As usual, I have to tear it up to see what is in it.

• there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever."

This in itself is merely a statement. It denotes an action taking place, but where do we see that? We already have some evidence that Christ has completed his mission and taken the seat of authority.

Revelation 1:17-18 ESV When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, (18) and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

This introduction is made in - if I may take the liberty, the beginning of the story, and still I am having difficulty wrapping my mind around all that it conveys. However, it demonstrates that God was never really out of control as he fulfilled his plan, and that was to create an environment for those which were made in his purposeful and exacting image. Nothing has changed, WE are still his purpose, created in his image.

In the book of Hebrews, we find Jesus, our high priest, having taken His seat at the right hand of the Father. The important aspect of this is why, and you find the details that answer the 'why' embedded on almost every page of the letter to the Hebrews.

Consider that for a moment: The writer wrote this letter directly to unbelieving Hebrews. This is the same uphill battle that the Apostle Paul waged, as he would come into a city and go to the synagogues, where he would preach about the hope we can have in the Messiah, all the evidence of which is found in the scriptures they so fervently study. Some believed while others rejected what Paul said.

Why would the writer Hebrews make such a detailed effort to change hearts and minds, unless he wanted the Jews to see that Jesus was the warrior king they awaited and that he was seated, merely awaiting the moment when the Father says go get them and end this mess.

Hebrews 7:23-8:1 NASB The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing, (24) but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. (25) Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (26) For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. (8:1) Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

Doesn't this, much like Revelation 1:17-18, show us a king that has already conquered. He is not stressed but waiting. Until that time arrives Christ constantly intercedes, on our behalf, before the Father.

For me at least, the obvious part of this equation is the cross. It was the line drawn in the sand. On that cross, no less an altar than the one the priesthood used, the price was paid. That cross was no different from the pole with the bronze serpent wrapped around it, that Moses raised in the desert, for Jesus became the serpent on the pole that day. The price, paid by his blood and life, was the full price necessary and mandatory to buy the freedom of man out from under an oppressive ruler, Satan. I strongly suggest you read Hebrews, for all this is there.

If you are like me, then you have asked questions like:

• Why then aren't things different?
• Why is Satan still running rampant?
• And, why is the world still filled with evil and getting worse?

I suspect the best answer lies in God using these things to refine us, and, at the same time, bring about His judgment upon the world. Don't get me wrong, the day will come when Satan is put out-of-the-way and men of violence will be silenced. Until that day comes we have to stay faithful.

• “And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, (17) saying, "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.”

Let's focus on the elders for a moment.

When I try to make sense of this based upon what I know, I get twelve tribes and twelve disciples. Alright, there is clearly some significance. Now, based upon my understanding that this book of Revelation was written to Jewish converts with a deep understanding of the law and prophets (The Old Testament), then there is something there that few understand and fewer have been taught. So, allow me to defer to Pastor John MacArthur's commentary.

In his notes on Revelation 4:4, where the elders first show up, he writes:

twenty-four elders. Their joint rule with Christ, their white garments (Rev_19:7-8), and their golden crowns (Rev_2:10) all seem to indicate that these twenty-four represent the redeemed (Rev_4:9-11; Rev_5:5-14; Rev_7:11-17; Rev_11:16-18; Rev_14:3; Rev_19:4). The question is which redeemed? Not Israel, since the nation is not yet saved, glorified, and coronated. That is still to come at this point in the events of the end. Their resurrection and glory will come at the end of the seven-year tribulation time (cf. Dan_12:1-3). Tribulation saints aren't yet saved (Rev_7:9-10). Only one group will be complete and glorified at this point—the church. Here, elders represent the church, which sings the song of redemption (Rev_5:8-10). They are the overcomers who have their crowns and live in the place prepared for them, where they have gone with Jesus (cf. John 14:1-4).

While I have issues with some of the things Pastor John says and believes, this makes sense. What do I do with it is the next question. Let's work on the principle that Revelation pertains to a time of judgment upon the earth that we mistakenly call 'the tribulation'. I say that because God never promised us an exclusion from tribulations, in fact, they are guaranteed to us.

John 16:33 NASB "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

The time of judgment is specifically called a time of wrath, and, it is God's wrath. Since Jesus Christ took all the wrath we deserved when He went to the cross, then, WE are NOT destined for wrath or punishment.

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1 Thessalonians 5:9 NASB

All this tells me that WE, the church and body of Christ, are already there, with Him, in heaven. When did that happen? I believe that it happens right here.

"After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." Revelation 4:1 NASB

What things is John being shown? He has just been shown the church age, ending with the apostate Laodicean church. If you are not aware, naive or just choose to close your eyes, refusing to see what is going on around you, we are that last church, the Laodicean church.

The elders cry out:

"We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth." (Revelation 11:17-18 NASB)

I think it is fairly clear that God has never suffered defeat, nor has He relinquished control of the throne at any time, although we think so. God is merely awaiting the moment that he unequivocally makes his enemies His footstool.

It seems as though Satan is in his last throes of death on earth and he knows it. So, what does he do, raise more havoc? This has nothing to do with Satan attempting to win converts to his side of the fence, he could care less. It has everything to do with him trying to kill anything that looks like God. Think about that for a minute. We are created in God's image, now the fact that most of us do little to act like that is irrelevant, we are still the enemy, and in his mind, worthy of death.

But consider this scenario: In the movie Saving Private Ryan, in the process of taking Omaha beach, one of the squad members gets killed and must be replaced. The only available person is a clerk and would rather not fire a weapon. At the end of the movie, he is relegated to carrying ammunition. However, the stress of being shot at finally gets to him and we find him sitting in a stairwell sobbing as one of his squad mates, who is upstairs, desperately calls out for ammo. In the scene, a big German soldier goes up that same stairwell. He pushes the sobbing soldier aside, goes upstairs where the other squad member is, and gets into a bloody, hand to hand fight, eventually killing the soldier upstairs. The German, on his way back down merely, looks at the pathetic, sobbing soldier and walks away because it is obvious that he is not a threat.

I have to tell you, I know far too many people like this (I was one), and it has motivated me to be more proactive in how I talk to people and how I pray. Whether I can make an impact or not, I have determined that the enemy is not going to win on my watch.

In a sense, what I am ending on is the idea that we get back in the battle. I understand, you did not even know there was a battle. You certainly would have known if your family member struggled with substance abuse or cancer. Perhaps you are like me, and you have no problems except your own personal anger issues, that someday get you killed as you mouth off to someone on the road.

Get a grip, we all have issues and there is only one person to turn to, and that is Jesus Christ. The Word of God tells us to cast all of our cares on Him. One could imply that means all of them, including how much I might be hurting inside. Ask Jesus into your life as a permanent resident. Not a part-time slumber party guest, but the lasting relationship that He intends to make, and then watch how He changes your life.

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• For it is given over to the nations. The continuing migration toward Revelation 16. Part 6

For it is given over to the nations. The continuing migration toward Revelation 16. Part 6

Chapter ten of Revelation is an interlude that also introduces what is to come prior to the seventh trumpet being blown.

Seven seals have been opened. Within the seventh seal are seven trumpeters. The earlier trumpet, the sixth in this vision, has blown releasing four angels who have spent their traitorous lives bound in the Euphrates river. These must be comparable to great generals within the armies of Satan, for they command an army of 200 million demonic horsemen. These creatures are like nothing man has ever seen, and are therefore fallen angels themselves.

As I have tried to understand what these judgments are, and the order in which they fall, there is this oddity. Odd in that, with the exception of “ it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months”, it seems like a peaceful scenario. What could it mean and what does it mean to us?

Revelation 11:1-2 ESV Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, (2) but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months.

First, this makes me aware that at some point the temple will be rebuilt. Here we are in January of 2016 and I have recently become aware of some amazing information. It seems that by all accounts, the temple was built within the city of David. That means it can be rebuilt possibly half a kilometer north of where we think it should be. Hopefully, the Muslims will have one less thing to fight over.

Do you have any doubt about who the Gentiles are? If you want a generalization, then it is anyone outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ. We could take this all the way back to Ishmael if we had to.

Genesis 16:11-12 Darby “And the Angel of Jehovah said to her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael, because Jehovah hath hearkened to thy affliction. (12) And he will be a wild-ass of a man, his hand against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell before the face of all his brethren.”

I think it is fair to say, this is the beginning of the Arab nations as most Middle Easterners will tell you that they trace their heritage back to Ishmael and Abraham. While at a recent bible study the teacher said just that. The statement elicited some negativity from the argumentative old man in the back of the room. (He fancies himself the wealth of all knowledge.) His response, to make it short, was, “no it's not!” He ranted loudly as he attempted to dominate the teacher, but he offered nothing for evidence. Allow me to expose some evidence by taking you to Daniel's prophecies.

In Daniel chapter two, we find Daniel, not only telling the king what the dream was but explaining it as well. In his explanation we find this:

Daniel 2:41-44 Darby “And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter's clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. (42) And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. (43) And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay. (44) And in the days of these kings shall the God of the heavens set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the sovereignty thereof shall not be left to another people: it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, but itself shall stand for ever.”

I want you to notice the word mixed. It is the Hebrew word ‛ărab. Do you really think a Jew reading about the Gentiles trampling on the outer court has any doubt in their mind about what that means? Its primary interpretation lends itself to the Arab/Muslim world.

How long does this trampling go on? Forty-two months, or 1260 days. One might also say, three and one - half years. Does this sound familiar? It should, it coincides with the amount of time that the so-called treaty remains intact, and, one other aspect, the two witnesses.

Let's move on.

Revelation 11:3-6 ESV “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." (4) These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. (5) And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. (6) They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire.

When do these two witnesses show up?

We cannot be positive, but we can make some logical assumptions. Since they are only here for a short time, 1260 days, then God needs to make good use of them doesn't he? It would make sense for them to be witnesses to new believers seeing how the church as we know it will be gone. A peculiarity that helps us to understand those left on earth is that Matthew 25 opens with a parable about 10 virgins – all going to the same wedding. Sadly, fifty percent are unprepared and do not make it in. This is extremely symbolic of the church and tells me that the fifty percent will be here to struggle through the time of wrath, just as the nations will.

Would I ask you to follow the lead of those who could not lead themselves? Not likely, so, it makes sense, to me anyway, that God would send these two to show the world what he meant for us live in all along.

Revelation 11:7 ESV And when they have finished their testimony, the beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them,

I cannot be only one that sees the correlation between their being done, and this beast that rises from the bottomless pit. Do not go looking for some creature, it is a man, empowered by either Satan himself or a fallen angel/demon.

Daniel 7:25 ESV He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.

When we read Daniel 7:25 do we see a man speaking or a demon?

Let me show you something from the Acts of the Apostles that demonstrates a demon acting out through a man.

“When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” (Acts 13:6-10 ESV)

I believe Paul began by addressing the man, but his efforts take a quick turn when he calls Elymas the “enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” How could this man fulfill all those roles? He couldn't unless Paul is addressing the activity of a demon in a man.

Doesn't what we see here sound like what we saw in Daniel 7:25 where it says, “he will speak words against the most high.”?

What do they do? They function as witnesses, but of what? This is not a good time to lean on religious traditional answers. A witness attests to what they know or has seen. This can be done through words or through visual demonstration. So, these are testifying to Jesus, as the Messiah; God, as the supreme ruler of the universe (in contrast to say, Allah.)

They protect themselves. How? “ if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.”

They have control over the weather. “They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying,”

And, as they desire, “they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague,” This opens the door to the slightest of irritations.

As you probably ascertained, the two witnesses can also be seen as deadly. Who or what is their wrath directed at? The nations. I realize that spectrum seems a little broad a for two men, but they do shut down the rain and send plagues of every variety upon the earth, as they will.

So why they are here? They are here to:

• Show that God is in control, not the robber barons that think they run the earth.
• Draw attention to God by their actions and words.
• Demonstrate to people continuing to come to Jesus, how to walk in the power God intended.
• And, because of where they stand upon the earth and the violent attempts against them, it may be that they also serve as protection for those building the temple and wishing to use it.
  No, we believers, prior to the rapture, do not have the freedom to call fire down from heaven upon our enemies, but, we are instructed to love them. One of those directives comes from Jesus himself:

  Matthew 10:16 ESV "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

Ponder their actions for a moment.

Revelation 11:5 ESV “And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed.”

Do you, like most of us, assume that they just stand in one spot, doing Jewish-oriented, religious things? Not hardly. Here is where the problem lies, we consistently put God in a box. As I have thought about these two, it does not make sense to merely have them stand there. In contrast, what kind of witness could they be if they were proactive? Very lively and visual ones for sure.

A few examples of proactive lives would be Peter and Paul:

Peter, now filled with the Holy Spirit and with the fire of God, stood on the day of Pentecost, in front of the large crowd that had gathered because the noise coming from the disciples (this included Mary and many others) was loud enough and so unusual that many heard them speaking in foreign languages, magnifying God. While Peter may have been brash at times, was there anything he did that demonstrated him acting boldly like this? No, if anything Peter fled, gave up the ministry, and went back to fishing. Later, we see Peter running one of the first home churches. It was on his watch that the couple who lied to God came separately to the home, bringing their “gift.” Peter said, why have you lied, you did not have to; and, independently they both dropped dead. Read Acts 5:1-15 and John 21.

Paul, knowing that he would have to leave a particular town, preached long into the night. A boy grew tired as he sat in the upper window where Paul was preaching and while sleeping fell out to his death. Paul, rushed down, prayed over him, raised him back to life and continued preaching.

The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews tells us of people, who through faith fought against whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions, put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners. Through faith, women received their dead relatives raised back to life. Read Acts 20.

But then, as some will say, these are old stories. That is why we have testimonies. Yes, most come out of third world nations, but they sound much like this description in Hebrews. I suppose the ideal thing would to be for you to read your bible. Elisha, a man of God, made an ax head to float because he understood how much trouble the young man would be in. The object here is not so much our ability to do unusual stuff as it is to know the one who gives us the power. We are not called during this time of grace to call fire down from heaven, but the day is coming when some will stop marauding forces from finding them or hurting them by using the name of Jesus. I suggest you read 2 Kings 6.

Know this, even though things look bleak God will preserve some. Others will die, just as they are today.

"But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. (Mark 13:9-13 ESV)

I am going to venture a guess that most have figured out that I write to those left behind. Isn't it funny though how we religious folk can sit back and say, that won't be me. Don't you think that our Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East, Africa, China, and North Korea were hoping that as well. They had hope and still the worst case scenario consumed them, and now they are dead. Suppose worse yet, are those being tortured for their faith like Richard Wurmbrand was.

Since anything less than a relationship with Jesus is not a viable option, what will you do? Who will you put your trust in? I strongly suggest Jesus, and before the wrath comes.

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You must again prophesy. The continuing migration toward Revelation 16. Part 5

Suppose you find yourself in unbearable circumstances.

That seems a rather odd thing to write because I am also involved with a Recovery program and, even if our immediate safety may not be at stake, our sanity might be. Having been rescued, in a sense, you often have to return to the only dry place you know, but that is where the factors that feed your instability or addiction are. At times and seasons like this, it feels like you are going to die here, and that is not what I really wanted.

It is possible that the Apostle John felt that way. First ask yourself, where is he? This dream/vision that he is having did not come to him while sleeping in the penthouse of some safe, warm hotel. He is stuck on a small island, intended for prisoners, and he might be in a cave. Why is John here? Because he is a dissident - someone who thinks differently, not conforming to government standards. The possibility that he will never know life off this rock he is living on is good.

Out of the midst of the most incredible dream a person could have, God says to him:

Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, "Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, "Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey." And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. And I was told, "You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings." (Revelation 10:8-11 ESV)

I am involved with several bible studies. The people who write the questions for them have probably been sitting in a comfortable, safe, well-lit place. As they sit there this brilliant question comes to them. How does it make you feel as you read that God is saying to you, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings”? Wow, my mind runs through a huge range of emotions in a moment like this:

If what I was doing got me here, would I be willing to do it again?

If it seemed as if there was no hope, what would I be hoping in this time?

Can God really come through for me?

Does he really care about me enough to get me out of here?

Hey, I am just being honest; sorry if you can't handle that. Oh, and this message that John received, it is not going to be valid or highly understandable for a couple of thousand years, which puts the message in our ballpark. Did John know all that? Because many of us in the church have lived in an expectancy of Jesus return ever since?

Think about this. Once Saul/Paul gets put back on the road as an evangelist, a huge aspect of his message is based upon on what is known from the Old Testament, and it consists of this, that Jesus is coming back soon and that we can have a strong hope in that; evidence of this comes from the letter Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica. One line there reads:

“ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10 ESV)

And yet, Paul had to write them a second letter because someone or something had gotten them off track. They had lost their hope or, at least, had it dashed to bits. One of the prominent things I see when I read Paul's letters to this church body is that we as a church will be delivered from wrath, just as Noah was, and so was Lot. Wrath is God's punishment upon the nations – those who fight against God, and the Jews who reject him. It is not a judgment upon the church (those of us who are in Christ). And, it is a primary focus of the Revelation. That brings us to Paul's second letter, which states,

“Don't be fooled by anything they might say. That day of the Lord will not come until the turning away from God happens. And that day will not come until the Man of Evil appears, the one who belongs to hell.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3 ERV)

The turning away has a name, apostasy, and you find it in many translations. Look around you, and be honest; do you see people turning to God, or rejecting him?

On a recent Friday morning, 1/29/2016, one of my older friends shows me a portion of some thesis about apostasy. There was no title, and the author was not listed, but the theme was wrapped around judgment, sin, and hopelessness; standard religious junk. The comments I read proved to me that the author did not understand the character and nature of God. My friend asks for my thoughts and comments. When I began to share why this paper was wrong, my friend began to defend this garbage. As I thought about this throughout the day, and how I had referenced the apostasy in this post, I felt I needed to talk about the apostasy for a moment.

What apostasy is may have been best defined by John MacArthur (Note: I am not a huge fan of John MacArthur because he despises the work of the Holy Spirit, but he is very intelligent and worthy of paying attention to in many other areas.) In commenting on 2 Thessalonians 2:3, he speaks of the apostasy or the falling away,  when he says,

The “Day of the Lord cannot occur until a deliberate abandonment of a formerly professed position, allegiance, or commitment occurs (the term was used to refer to military, political, or religious rebellion). Some have suggested, on questionable linguistic evidence, that this refers to "departure" in the sense of the rapture. Context, however, points to a religious defection, which is further described in verse 2 Thessalonians 2:4. The language indicates a specific event, not general apostasy which exists now and always will. Rather, Paul has in mind the apostasy. This is an event which is clearly and specifically identifiable and unique, the consummate act of rebellion, an event of final magnitude.”

So, even before I looked at MacArthur's commentary, my mind was already going in a similar direction, and, there is no doubt that there is a generalized apostasy happening all around us. I pay attention to the not-so-mainstream news, and I am aware that the Vatican is telling us that God and Allah are the same; I see churches appointing openly homosexual priests and pastors; and, we of the “civilized nations” are sacrificing babies on the altar of abortion, just as Israel did shortly after their escape from Egypt. Are we turning our backs on God? Absolutely.

The key to identifying the event MacArthur speaks of is to find the main character, which Paul does, calling him the "man of sin." That event may not have happened yet, and it may come in the form of a Presidential order, making Christianity illegal. I know, some will shout for joy at that, but what people do not think about when things like that happen is that if they can strip the rights of one group, what makes you think they will not strip your rights too. Here in America the FEMA camps, just like pow camps, are awaiting us.

The phrase, “That day of the Lord” is used many times in end times prophecy to show a point at which God/Jesus intervenes. Because of the context, I understand that this is talking about the rapture of the church.

Within verse three we see three things happening:

• The day of the Lord coming
• The turning away from God (the apostasy)
• The appearance of the man of evil.

He has different names: The man of sin; the man of lawlessness; the son of perdition; the son of destruction, and, the Antichrist. These names are translations of the same verse, however, Daniel 9:26 gives him another name, “the prince who is to come”. Look at other translations and you get "future leader"; "their leader", and, "a coming leader."

I want to add one more thing to this conversation. As I skimmed through the apostasy thesis, the author decided to make this the unforgivable sin.

Sadly, my friend seems to agree with the thesis. I pointed out quickly to him that Jesus himself gave us the definition and said it was attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to Satan. My friend, in trying to explain to one of our group that showed a few minutes later, took my position as though it had long been his. I have heard comments about committing the unpardonable sin my entire life, and NO ONE has ever given a clear definition. Then one day, just a few years ago, while studying the Gospel of Matthew, I ran across this:

“Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:31-32 ESV)

Who was he talking to, and what did they say, that drew this kind of ire? We have to back up a little bit to find the answers we need.

“Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, "Can this be the Son of David?" But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons." (Matthew 12:22-24 ESV)

Jesus had cast the demons out of a man who was blind and could not talk. However, when Jesus gets done with the man, the man can now, both talk and see. The crowds were amazed and began speaking rather excitedly about it, and this catches the ears of the Pharisees; they respond with, “ It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”

Yep, they said it. They just said that Jesus, the Son of God, was only able to operate through the power of Satan. That must have put a real bad taste in Jesus' mouth for in response to the Pharisees, we see Jesus saying this:

Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:25-37 ESV)

The Pharisees had been far enough away to espouse their murmured hatred, but Jesus knew their thoughts and began to tear into them verbally. He was very clear when he told them that they had crossed that line of unforgivable sin, blasphemy.

So, I can comfortably say, that apostasy is not the unforgivable sin.

Why are we giving this section so much attention? Because the day is coming in which so many things will happen come upon people like a sudden devastation and far too many don't seem to believe it. You might liken the coming chain of events to an F5 tornado which you can see coming. Those of us that have not experienced a tornado perceive them as a sudden event, even though the signs have been hanging in the sky for hours. Although the tornado may be somewhat random in its direction, the devastation is widespread and complete where it touches down.

I wish I could tell you who we are looking for, then you could either be aware or find something else to scoff at. I imagine John felt the same way, but Islam and Allah had not been invented as yet.

I have my opinions and I believe that one of the major players in the prophetic scheme is Islam. I think it and it's world leaders fit nicely into the prophetic scheme of things, as do their twisted beliefs and prophecies. Since we in America, at least, those who are paying attention, know we have a Muslim president, then there is the possibility that he actually could turn out to be the Antichrist. Only months ago I would have told you that was impossible, but things have changed and anything goes now. Since we know it is a man we can clearly rule out Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany.

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