Posted on 12/18/2012 by remso

The thoughts of a friend of mine. I understand and agree.

The thoughts of a friend of mine. I understand and agree.

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Revelation 11:1-2, Jerusalem under the power of the antichrist.

Posted on 12/17/2012 by remso

English: Jerusalem, Dome of the rock, in the background the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Deutsch: Jerusalem, Felsendom, im Hintergrund die Grabeskirche (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This was originally written in 2012, but suddenly it has become so relevant again. If you have followed me @ omharris.com, then you can find this post under the same name. I have edited it somewhat. God Bless.

I do not even know where to begin. This is like someone handing you a rope that was tied in knots and used to pull a car out of a ditch, and you are supposed to take the knots out. This fiasco started weeks ago and has only become worse.

Pastor Jeff’s message started in Revelation 11 this particular night, and initiated with a question. I suppose the question is an effort to quell the tensions that people may generally be feeling considering how things are developing in the world, but it could also be an attempt at explaining why he fell off his bicycle.

The question was, “why do these things happen?” I assume that an aspect of the question has to do with life. That would make sense considering the horrors that Middle Eastern Christians are going through. Pastor is tossing out speculative options, one of which includes the option: that it is just our stupidity that causes things to happen. That opinion seems to be running rampant at church for the last couple of weeks. The problem with that assessment is that it excludes the possibility that God really is in control of everything. I realize that makes many of you unhappy, but here is why I believe God is in control:

Joshua 8:26 ESV But Joshua did not draw back his hand with which he stretched out the javelin until he had devoted all the inhabitants of Ai to destruction.

The Hebrew word for devoted here is consecrated.

Joshua did not set the ground rules for this engagement, God did, and God consecrated Ai for destruction. In the Hebrew, the word charam is repeated twice and therefore indicates a complete and utter destruction. Even those in the village that had not come out to fight were killed. The idea you should pick up on is that God ordained this, just as he ordains everything, whether you like it or not. This includes Judas, Pharaoh, the Apostle Paul’s imprisonment, and the events we find in the Revelation.

Revelation 11: 1-2

Jerusalem under the power of the Antichrist.

The last thing John hears that distinguishes the end of chapter 10 is: “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

In essence, this is another indicator that the church is gone from the earth as there is no mention of the church.

Thus we begin chapter 11.

Revelation 11:1-2 GW Then I was given a stick like a measuring stick (A reed). I was told, “Stand up and measure the temple of God and the altar. Count those who worship there. (2) But do not measure the temple courtyard. Leave that out, because it is given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for 42 months.

Given a reed – a measuring device, with instructions to measure all but the court of the gentiles.

Why?

As I began to write I had an image of a real-estate person come into my head. He walked through the building taking measurements for the owner. In Ezekiel’s case, he watched as the owner did the measuring.

Why would “God’s” temple be so quickly given away, especially since they just built it? We are given the answer, but do we understand it? It is given to the gentiles.

Why would He give it over to the gentiles?

This is God’s temple, but is it?

King David was not allowed to build God a temple but his son Solomon was. The temple had been robbed by Israel’s kings and turned into a corrupt commercial enterprise by the time Jesus walked its courts. In 1Samuel 4:21 God declared that the glory had departed from Israel because the ark was taken. It does not really matter because the glory was no longer in the ark, it was in the man Jesus Christ, and on the day he died the temple veil was ripped in two, exposing, in a sense, the emptiness of the holy place to the world and freeing God to be in those who chose to be his people.

As of this writing there is no temple, so yes, your assumption that the temple must be rebuilt is correct. For the Jews to rebuild it and hand it over to the gentiles seems preposterous. This is one of those moments when, as I was writing, the light came on. The Jews, and by extension the nation of Israel, will have a fresh sense of pride and security, but in what? God has always been trying to get them to look to him as their source. Having regained the land to rebuild, their pride will be looking in-ward once again. Can you imagine that.

Islam has had control of the temple mount long enough to believe it is theirs. Read some of the literature about the volatility surrounding the mount and you will find comments indicating that Muslims are willing to state that there was no temple there. Will Islam give up anything without a fight? Not for a moment, but they will for three and half years.

At this very moment the gentiles are struggling to gain control of Jerusalem. Here is a wild ride for you. November 2012 and the United Nations general assembly, by majority vote, granted the Palestinians statehood. From what I understand it is more a symbolic gesture at this point, but I can guarantee you that the can of worms has been opened and Israel is not voluntarily giving up Jerusalem as it’s capital to any terrorist organizations. They (Israel), have openly challenged this “statehood” by moving forward with the building of more homes for Jews, and the Muslims have since posted no trespassing signs, indicating that the “UN decreed land” is Palestinian and that by illegally standing upon it, actions will be taken against you. So the obvious factor here is an increase in strife, contention, and a Muslim populace that has control of the temple mount. Muslims will not allow the Jews to even walk on the temple mount as it is considered holy ground for their mosque. It is now July of 2015 and Israel does have a legal right to the temple mount to pray, but look it up on the internet and you will find they need police protection if they choose to go there.

The third temple, and the Holy City, Jerusalem, are to be trampled by these Gentiles for forty-two months. That is three-and a half years. For 42 months Israel will hardly be recognizable. Therefore the only real purpose that we can attribute to such unusual action is that it fulfills God’s plan. I suppose that I could also say that this is part of God’s judgment against Israel. I can totally see this, but that does not mean I have to like it. I know how I react to things and it will be a slap in the face.

What do we know about those that trample and pollute the temple in the future?

Our natural assumptions, especially if you are religious, is to assume that the gentiles are primarily the Greeks or Romans. The Jews saw them as anyone outside of the covenant, or non-Jewish peoples. Essentially we are using the term Gentiles to describe the nations. Color and ethnicity have little to do with it.

Daniel chapter 9 gives us a little insight. After an extended prayer of repentance over himself, his people, and their lack of faith an angel comes and gives Daniel a look into the future.

I am going to give you two versions. The first translation baffled me, and was a part of why I could not understand end times events for the longest time.

Daniel 9:26 YLT And after the sixty and two weeks, cut off is Messiah, and the city and the holy place are not his, the Leader who hath come doth destroy the people; and its end is with a flood, and till the end is war, determined are desolations.

Although it did not clear things up for me I heard many speakers try to explain “these sixty-two weeks are weeks of years.” Sorry, but it only hurt my head more. Even my MacArthur’s commentary adds, “these are weeks of years.” The following verse tends to say it clearest for me; “After the sixty-two sets of seven time periods…”. Now if I substitute the concept of time periods for years then I am talking about sixty-two sets of seven-year periods (62×7). In this case 434 years.

Daniel 9:26 ERV After the “sixty-two sets of seven time periods”, the chosen one will be killed. He will be gone. Then the people of the future leader will destroy the city and the holy place. That end will come like a flood. War will continue until the end. God has ordered that place to be completely destroyed.

Analyze the passage slowly and it will make sense. Daniel 9:26 KJV “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off”. Compare that with the words that others used in ascertaining the consensus and you will discover that we are talking about Jesus Christ. The NIV called him: “the Anointed One”. Scripture lays out Jesus death on the cross very clearly for us, and history backs it up. So we can say with a confidence that the first sentence is without a doubt talking about Jesus.

Many get caught up in anger, argument, and confusion as they scream out, “but the Roman Emperor Titus destroyed the temple in 70 A.D., so this passage, in reference to a far-flung, future event, is bogus and nonsense!” Not quite so. Josephus recorded the events of the day and makes another choice more viable. The legions in Jerusalem, according to Josephus, were composed of a few Italian troops while the majority were conscripts from locally conquered nations such as Syria and Arabia. Both of which despised the Jews that they were among.

It was the Assyrian troops, under the banner of Rome, that took it upon themselves to sack the temple. Hearing of this Titus ran among them and seeing as the fire they had set was one that could be stopped ordered them to stop their destructive actions and put the fire out. They ignored his order, escalated their actions, and brutally slaughtered Jews in hopes or obtaining any gold they might have swallowed.

Popular religious theory likes to hang their hat on the prince that is to come as being Italian, and therefore the pope himself. The problem with that thinking is that it was not Titus, the Roman general, that destroyed the temple, but the Assyrians. If we follow the path back to the destroyers, then we are talking about a leader that comes out of the middle-east, and is with little doubt Islamic. Are you paying attention to what is going in the Middle-east, and Islam’s impact on the world around you. It is not good and it is coming to your neighborhood.

If you wish to pursue some in-depth scriptural backing for all this then look into: Mideast Beast: The Scriptural Case for an Islamic Antichrist, by Joel Richardson (Author)

Sixty-nine sets of seven time periods have come and gone, and yet there is no future leader as yet, so it is safe to say that this continues to speak of a future time. I suspect that time is just around the corner and not another 2200 years.

Daniel tells us that the people of the prince to come will destroy the city. That is a fairly blunt way of putting it. Revelation 11:2 in the King James version states that they will trample the city and overtake the temple, again.

Seventy weeks (490 years) have been fixed for your people and your holy town, to let wrongdoing be complete and sin come to its full limit, and for the clearing away of evil-doing and the coming in of eternal righteousness: so that the vision and the word of the prophet may be stamped as true, and to put the holy oil on a most holy place. Daniel 9:24 (BBE)

As I read Daniel 9:24 it sounds like God is fully intending to bring everything to an end.

What do we understand as the end? Christ’s triumphant and deadly return to the earth, after which the millennial reign is set up, and the Holy Temple and city are re-established.

Again we are back to scratching our heads as what to do with this mystery time period. Problem is no one really knows, but we can speculate with reason because there are now so many other aspects falling into place.

Revelation calls the this prince/leader that is to come not only the beast (one of many) but also an Antichrist. Paul told us that anything that sets itself up against God, denying his power and life is an Antichrist, so the title fits.

1 John 2:22 NIV Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the Antichrist–denying the Father and the Son.

Who is John writing to?

Jews that will listen to what he has to say.
The church or the body of Christ depending upon your understanding.
The Gentiles or nations.

Why would John write to these groups?

To increase knowledge.

The world deems it self-defeating to give the enemy your game plan? Not when God is in control.
As a warning.

Every group is being warned. Look at the first four chapters of the Revelation and you clearly see the church body receiving warnings, but there is also an opportunity to change.
To establish prophecy.

What does that mean? Revelation 19:10 KJV “…worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” So it makes sense for us to give the testimony of Jesus as an aspect of our speaking to others about our life in Christ. The Jewish reader (the largest majority during this time was Jewish) understands that prophecy is demonstrated and established in patterns. Pattern = Validation, believability, and consistency.

So for chapter 11 to open with the measuring of the temple is hugely significant, especially to the Jewish community. Reading and learning the Law and the prophets was expected and a source of a father’s pride. They knew the relationship to Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 40:1-3 KJV In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither. (2) In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south. (3) And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

If time is to be no more, then the measuring of the New Jerusalem and the temple mark the immediacy of their integration here on earth.

after eating the scroll

John was told, after eating the scroll, that he was to tell many others. I believe that this is further evidence that the church is already gone, because it is not mentioned.

Revelation 10:11 KJV And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

The word before is Epi and carries meanings of “on, at, and before.” To speak “at” someone can be interpreted as an aggressive posture, but we certainly saw the apostle Paul do that at times. It seems that it is often the only way to break through some dense thinking.

In the case of Ezekiel he too is instructed to declare. How does this fit into the “pattern”?

Ezekiel 40:3-4 KJV And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate. (4) And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.

The Jews who read the Revelation were well aware of what Ezekiel had written about a city that was to come. Unfortunately, they did not recognize that it was the Messiah himself who did the measuring the first time. Even the idea that the Gentiles would trample on the Holy City was an understood concept. Jesus himself spoke of this.

Luke 21:24 KJV And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Isaiah 5:5 NIV Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled.

In Isaiah, the example of the vineyard is Israel, and God himself told Israel that it will be trampled.

Let me reiterate something I said earlier. John’s largest audience at the time of writing was Jewish Christians. They did not give up their Jewish understanding, and their training would have had them memorize the prophets I referenced. If you walk away with anything, remember this. This is a very Jewish book and God has not decided to give up on this people. Their understanding and culture is integral to our interpretation. The second thing I wish people could comprehend, this book was meant to be read and understood. Pursue knowledge and understanding. God will open the windows of heaven to those who wish to understand. Proverbs 9:10 tells us: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

I suggest that you accept him as the Lord of your life. I am not very good at this evangelism stuff but try something like this. Jesus, I receive you into my life, and I accept this life that paid so dearly for me to receive. Thank you for bringing me into this family of God and that I get to spend eternity with you. Thank you for life and the peace that you bring into my life. Fill my life with your Holy Spirit as you have promised.

Posted in End times, Prophetic, Thoughts, Thoughts on scripture | Tagged Bible, Christ, end times, Faith, future, Gentile, God, Islam, Israel, Jerusalem, Jesus, Jews, last days, Middle East, muslim, prophecy, rapture, Revelation, Scripture, Temple Mount | Leave a comment

What does it mean to say Merry Christmas?

Posted on 12/16/2012 by remso

My days off are split but I am learning to live with it. I suppose that means no overnight trips into the desert to view the night sky, something I have not seen in over thirty years. But it would be good to have some recovery time for the feet. Oh well. I try to get as many things done in my one as possible, like laundry and early morning bible study. It is about the only day that I have time to sit at the keyboard and input based upon my previous thoughts I have written in my notepad.

12/14/2012

The day starts with another deadly tragedy, but after praying for the survivors and their families, life goes on.

Sitting at lunch we watched a man walk by the window. He was a little bent over but I attributed that to his age. The oddity to me was that he was carrying a small boom box on a day that looked like it would begin to rain hard at any minute.

The man disappeared out of our view momentarily as we discussed whether it was safe for people like that to be out on the streets. Don’t get me wrong, it never crossed my mind that he was an ax murderer, but I happen to know that there is a group home near by, and for years we have had dealings with one of these men. He hits you up for coffee or a cigarette. Having had one of these “homes” in the neighborhood, we befriended a young man who lived there, and he went to the same church as us. He told us that the owners of the house, take almost all of their disability check and feed them simple meals like mac and cheese. The owners of the house near us apparently have made a good deal of money from this and bought another home down the street when house prices were sky-high and the banks were making bad loans to people. I am not keen on people taking such horrid advantage of people who have so few options. Our friend from the home had been adopted by Jehovah’s witness family. His mother had taken drugs while she was pregnant, and he was the unwanted result. Apparently the JW family rejected him as well, even more so when he became a born-again Christian. They threw him out like trash and have nothing to do with him.

Back to the restaurant. The man who disappeared out of our view now returned and started coming toward the sandwich shop we were sitting in. Not a problem except for the eight inch silver strand of drool hanging from a lower lip that never closed. It reminded me of a Saint Bernard dog and the strand would break and flip off every few steps.

He walked right into the sandwich and said high to the owner and manager, addressing both by name. I kept thinking they would offer him a napkin, but no, they merely shook his extended hand and responded back in kind. I thought they were very kind to him and wondered if they would let him have a sandwich (maybe they do this for him on a regular basis, don’t know.)

Now he is approaching our table and all I can see is this drool that is fortunately now only about four inches long. He sticks out his hand to both of us and we shook it. I have to tell that the war going on my head was huge at this point. To make this more poignant, we sat in church one day and listened to a young lady, that was part of the church staff, give her testimony about a recent missionary trip that she went on with the church. All I remember is how disgusted and appalled she was that “these kids wanted to touch my hair. You have to understand, my hair means everything to me, and they have lice and their hands were dirty.” I could not understand why someone did not immediately escort her off the stage. She should have never gone on this trip, and having such an attachment to hair I would suggest to her that she shave her head next time she thinks to share some form of good news about Jesus Christ to people who might see her hair as different and want to touch it.

So with Mr. Silver thread, I had to make a fast decision; one of those, what would Jesus have done moments and I shook his hand. I know people who would not!

I do not believe that I deserve any pats on the back for doing that. I know what I was thinking; I was disgusted, but he was a human, not even aware of his drool, and needed to be acknowledged.

Now the critical moment arises. He wished us a Merry Christmas. Wow, no big deal I suppose, People say that all the time, but this guy pauses for moment after saying it and says, “what does Merry Christmas mean?”

He caught me off guard. I have never been good at evangelism. In fact I hate it, but I love sharing Jesus with anyone who will listen. That is why, if you ask me something about my Lord I will not be timid about the way I speak back to you. I expect that God set moments like this up and quite possibly intended for the person in the next table to hear it. He (God) will hold them responsible for what they hear and do nothing about.

We tried to answer him, but almost everything we said was met with “what does that mean?”

Think about the question: “what does Merry Christmas mean?” It seems simple enough doesn’t, but put yourself in an uncomfortable situation and try to come up some slick answer. I have thought about it a little since then.

Merry:

Webster’s dictionary uses words like jovial; and exhilarated to laughter just to begin with. But that is not helping me, and it certainly would not have helped him. Webster’s continues: Causing laughter or mirth. I was raised in church and laughter though not banned was deemed more appropriate at the church picnic, not in a place of worship. So those coming out of a religious background may not comprehend such a thing. The dictionary also uses terms such as: pleasant; agreeable, and delightful as defining words for merry.

So when applied to Christmas then people are wishing us a time or something more, though they are not aware of it. Christ could and should bring laughter, but not merely because of some drunken office party. And it would be a benefit to be pleasant, but that seems to be the opposite of the stress I see exhibiting itself. And what is it that you take delight in?

Christmas:

Two words really. Let’s consider this one at a time.

As I ponder what Christ did for me, coming into this world a baby. Born of a virgin (to the Catholics an immaculate conception), a miracle in itself. In essence we are acknowledging and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, but it is not just a birth we celebrate, it is all he has done for us by coming, dying, rising again, and leaving us with the promise of his return. Why? So that I could have life; a life most refuse to understand.

Mass:

As I look for origins of the word Christmas I found Wikipedia which indicates what I suspected. Mass is basically a Latin term meaning worship. Coming from a Protestant background worship tends to take on a meaning of communication, often through music. I can tell you what it does to me. It seems to open a channel of communication where I am receptive to his voice. Some of my most precious times have been as a result of times I have spent in worship. Worship, of course, involves so many other things. The church will tell you that even your giving of offering is an act of worship, as is your service. That would be great if it opened channels of communication between you and God.

I think I would be safe in saying that to have a Merry Christmas is asking them to worship Jesus Christ in a life changing way, one that brings joy, laughter, and a pleasant feeling. Having a relationship with Jesus is supposed to give me a comfort in knowing that there is a hope of life with him. Honestly without that I am not sure what we are selling.

I study a lot. Not because I want to beat people up with my tremendous brain power and usage of big words, but because I struggled to understand this stuff I am sharing with you. I am convinced that those who are willing to spend the time getting to know my Jesus through his word, will find this peace.

Merry Christmas-2012 (jesusmyjoy.wordpress.com)
It’s “Merry Christmas” Right?!?! (bethwebb.typepad.com)

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged Belief, Bible, Christ, Christianity, Christmas, Faith, future, God, grace, Happy Holiday, hope, Jesus, Mercy, religion, Scripture, spirituality, testing, thoughts | 1 Comment

Revelation chapter 10, The angel and the open book.

Posted on 12/07/2012 by remso

John MacArthur’s commentary stated that this segment was an interlude between sixth and seventh trumpet judgments. I had already used that allusion recently and did not want to sound redundant. The oddity here is that this still falls within the “woes” aspect. As a believer I find it exciting because after a deluge of death there seems to be some finality to it all. Having read the book I know how it ends, and it ends with my life in perpetual relationship with the Father I have waited all my life to see. I am therefore hard pressed to understand how the end could be a woe. Because it is included I have to consider it.

If you are reading along then you may be starting to scratch your head as you try to put what seems like pieces of the puzzle that do not seem to fit into their proper chronological slots. I think we can sort it out, but we have to be opened minded to some degree because although there is a timing to much of the Revelation it does jump back and forth in time and retells the same segment several times over, but from a differing vantage point.

I think an essential aspect is that you remember that the Revelation is of Jesus Christ (and that includes his church), and that multiple authors, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned aspects of the Revelation, as they understood them, long before John did. Perhaps that will help you keep focus.

Some serious problems coming.

If I were one that had chosen to not only reject God but have opted to fight against him as well, then I have some serious problems coming.

Firestorms – Read Ezekiel 38, 39.
A war with God, where his opponents lose hands down.
Following Satan to his judgment and torment, instead of following Jesus to life eternal.
And the last judgment for those who have died without acceptance of God as Lord of their lives. There is mercy conferred during this time that few seem to pick up on. God still shows mercy to those who demonstrated some form of kindness; the extent and the basis I am not clear on, but this just makes me love Him more.

He had in his hand a little book.

Revelation 10:1 KJV 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:

I carry a Dake’s annotated bible, and he declares that this is Jesus. What do we have that backs this concept up? Primarily descriptions of the same man/angel. Based on what others had recorded in scripture I would agree.

Daniel 12:7 AMP And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right and his left hand toward the heavens and swore by Him Who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half a time [or three and one-half years]; and when they have made an end of shattering and crushing the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Exodus 34:5 KJV And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

Ezekiel 1:28 KJV As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

Revelation 4:3 KJV And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

A scroll or a book, it matters not.

Revelation 10:2 NIV He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,

Think back to how the Revelation began. There was a scroll which was sealed and no one was worthy to open it, until one stepped forth. That one was Jesus Christ the lamb, slain for our payment. He opened the seals and now, after weaving our way through God’s dispensation of wrath upon the nations and Israel, he stands here dominant, holding that same scroll, and declaring it is done, time shall be no more. Read Revelation 4:10- 5:1. This may well be the same scroll.

One of the aspects of this book we call a bible is that is a very Jewish book. John was a Jew and he wrote in way that they would understand. Try to think as he might have. He wanted the Jews to come to know the Messiah as Jesus Christ this slaughtered lamb, and the risen Lord; the same Lord that he was seeing in the heavens, spelling out what was to come. The emphasis to come to the risen Lord as God and Messiah were never greater, and an ever-present desire of his heart.

The concept of “a book” having such influence over their lives was not a new concept to John’s readers. Look up the word book in a word search of scripture and you will find at least 175 references.

Exodus 32:32 KJV Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

Deuteronomy 31:26 KJV Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.

Psalms 69:28 KJV Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

Like the roar of a lion.

Revelation 10:3 NIV and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.

Proverbs 19:12 NIV A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

Jeremiah 25:30 NIV “Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: “‘The LORD will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling and roar mightily against his land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth.

Revelation 5:5 NIV “Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

John had seen the future.

Revelation 10:4 KJV 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.

John, looking into heaven, has seen the future played out to the end of time. Is it possible that there is more and God does not want it revealed? I do not think so because now we are moving into the realm of secrets and God, as I have come to understand him, does not work that way. God has always been straight forward and open in his dealings with man.

Let’s consider the concept of God hiding things from those that are his:

Abraham – Genesis 18:17 ASV “And Jehovah said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do;” The idea here is: absolutely not.
Daniel, a Babylonian captive, and a man who has the ear of king Nebuchadnezzar, has, to save himself and his fellow Hebrews lives, provided the king with the dream and the interpretation of it.

Daniel 2:28-29 ISV But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he is making known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days. “While you were in bed, the dream and the visions that came to your head were as follows: (29) Your majesty, when you were in bed, thoughts came to your mind about what would happen in the future, and the Revealer of Secrets has made known to you what will take place.
Though we can understand that God is the one who unwraps secrets there have been some things that did not need to be openly announced as they followed God’s course of action. Many things that were revealed came in the form of law. Of course the children of Israel balked at that, for it was only a short time ago that they were, in a sense, the children of Egypt, following after the ways of Egypt. And even though Moses had relayed to them how they were to act as they moved toward the promised land they clung desperately to the Egyptian idols and ways that God was trying to save them from. (One of those nasty idols was the god Molech. A half human, half man statue with a hollow body in which a fire would be lit and then a child would be sacrificed on it.)

Deuteronomy 29:29 ISV The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but what has been revealed belongs to us and to our children forever, so that we might observe the words of this Law.”

In the garden a secret was revealed and few could see it. How were they to know? God said of Eve’s offspring, “he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”¹ What did that mean? Throughout time many men have killed snakes and it made no difference. But this statement was different. This was God revealing just enough information about how he would redeem this man and his family back. We call it the plan of salvation. A mystery² hidden³ throughout the ages, and still hidden to some, partly because the “god of this world” has put a veil⁴ over their eyes so that they will not see⁵.

Jesus, speaking to the disciples, answered their question about why he spoke in parables with, “because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,..”⁶

Seems simple enough.

What does the word mystery (or secret) mean? Seems simple enough. Allow me to pull from Webster’s dictionary:

A profound secret; something wholly unknown or something kept cautiously concealed, and therefore exciting curiosity or wonder; ..
In religion,anything in the character or attributes of God, or in the economy of divine providence, which is not revealed to man.
That which is beyond human comprehension until explained.

Here is the essence of understanding. God has revealed his nature and his plan to us through his Word. Mind you many things are suddenly becoming clearer as time has progressed.

For example: Until recently, who would have thought that Islam would rise as a global threat.ⁱ Guised under the cloak of the religious Caliphate they are bent on becoming a violent super power. As a child I would have never suspected such a thing, and having looked a little at history I know that they were silenced and for many years consider to be dead. So many of the middle eastern countries, where Americans are readily killed, were places of beauty with their architecture and seemingly warmhearted people.

In understanding God and his so-called secrets you have to understand that much of what is veiled to you comes out of, (1.) Satan obscuring your view to keep you snared by the “world” and his wish to prevent you from spreading the truth, and (2.) Your choice to not understand.

King Solomon would write things along this line: The pursuit of God is to pursue his nature and wisdom, and he will give this knowledge freely to those who seek it. I, for one, have desired to know God and understand what is happening around me as this world’s system is rapidly collapsing.

Let’s just speculate for a moment. Television paints pictures of an apocalyptic world. One in which only the wealthiest control and have leisure, while those survivors struggle as they work to keep the rich lavished in goods and commodities. What is the ratio there? Not balanced, nor fair. But then what is fair. Take God out of the picture, and that is what “they” wish to do, and what do you have? A world that was much like Noah’s day; one filled with violence and every thought of man was evil. God had to destroy that world and start over. Man cannot live like that for the only one left living will be the bullies of the world, and even bullies will kill bullies.

Paul told us that the mystery has been made known to those who believe.

Ephesians 1:7-10 ERV In Christ we are made free by his blood sacrifice. We have forgiveness of sins because of God’s rich grace. (8) God gave us that grace fully and freely. With full wisdom and understanding (9) he let us know his secret plan. This was what God wanted, and he planned to do it through Christ. (10) God’s goal was to finish his plan when the right time came. He planned that all things in heaven and on earth be joined together with Christ as the head.

Ephesians 1:9 NIV he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

The mystery, though rather developed, is wrapped up in God’s plan to regain us, his creation, back. Jesus, his death and life are central to this plan, and there is an end.

All that we have seen

From Revelation chapter 6 on has been cataclysmic destruction and for the most part, nothing short of confusing to most.

There is a purpose though and it has little to do with the church (defined as those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ.) From chapter 6 through chapter 10 has been wrath and judgment being poured out upon the nations (those that have rejected him) and the Jews.

I won’t be here to do exit interviews but I am sure that there will be many religious folk ducking for cover during the tribulation years. Look at what Jesus said in Matthew 25. 50 percent will be ill-prepared and will not leave with the church in the rapture.

No more delay!

A second aspect of Revelation 10:6 that I want to look at is: “that there should be time no longer:” This only happens when Jesus returns to reign on this earth.

Does wrath end and then Jesus comes striding forth? No! He comes with a sword and the armies of heaven come with him. Those that attempt to contend with him will be slain and they immediately follow their master, Satan, to his place of torment. Once this is accomplished Jesus sits, once again, as King, Messiah, and God. True the thousand-years thus begins, but who is counting. The way I see it: if God that there is time no longer, then as far as I need to be concerned eternity with the Father has begun.

The little book.

Verses 8-10

The little book may be the Revelation itself. The word used for book here is the same as scroll and we should know at this point that Jesus opened the sealed scroll.

You must prophecy against

Revelation 10:11 KJV And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

The word before in this sentence is the Greek word epi, and it can also mean toward or against. John was not done. It makes more sense to say against, especially if you are declaring judgment and wrath.

When you imagine the impact that John would make all these years later, and as knowledge and understanding have increased, we should be able to better understand some of the analogies that Revelation throws at us.

Revelation 10:5-6 NIV Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. (6) And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, “There will be no more delay!

“…And the angel – which I saw stand upon the sea and the earth ….

The prophet Daniel tells us that four beasts come up out of the sea.⁷ In Daniel’s case it is not literal, unless we are dealing with fallen angels (demons) but out of the sea of peoples on the earth. This is another way of saying the nations. Here in Revelation 10:5-6 it may well be literal as Jesus demonstrates his global dominance over all aspects of this earth. I feel confident in speaking of Daniel’s vision for Daniel himself was troubled by it and asked for the meaning. The meaning was given as four kings that would rise to power on the earth.⁸

“…and lifted up his hand to heaven, and swear by him that lives for ever and ever, ..”

Backtracking for a moment. If this is Jesus, and it is, then who is in heaven? The obvious answer God, but then it becomes more confusing. God lives for ever and ever; we know this because he told us so.⁹ We continue.

“… who created heaven and the things that are there in, and the earth, and the sea, …”

Who did this creating? Our minds tend to drift off track as though distracted by an illusionists (magician) so that we do not realize where the object went or came from. But there is no illusion here, merely ambiguity. This same John, the one who wrote the gospel of John said,

John 1:1-3 AMP IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. [Isa. 9:6.] (2) He was present originally with God. (3) All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.

There is no ambiguity in what John spoke about Jesus and the creation. He was and is God, no less than the son of the king is royalty and carries the authority of the throne, but yet he is more and our minds may not wrap around it. I will merely accept it until the day I see him, but I know without a doubt that He is more than just a man. As he stands here, in this verse, he is magnificent. Men have toyed with and mocked him but not this day. Is there any doubt about who he is? Not in my mind, and yet scripture tells me that many still reject him.

“… that there shall be delay no longer:”(ASV)

Nothing, no judgments against the nations or wrath against a rebellious people will stand between Christ’s wrapping this up and moving into the millennial reign.

All that we have read about in Revelation, from chapter 6 on, has been cataclysmic destruction and for many, nothing short of confusion. There is a purpose though and it has little to do with the church: those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ.

I will not be here to conduct exit interviews but I am sure that there will be many religious folk ducking for cover during the tribulation years. Just look at Jesus words in Matthew 25¹⁰. 50 percent are ill prepared and will not leave with the church.

A second aspect of Revelation 10:6 “…. that there should be time no longer:” The King James version and the Greek seem to define this statement to John like this. If the sentence ended with merely, “there shall be delay no longer” that would mean nothing is left to stand between this moment and the end. But to say, “there should be time no longer:” implies not only, no hindrances, but the finality of time.

Why would we possibly have a problem with the end of time. Not that I should care but someone is keeping track of the thousand-year reign for there is a judgment that happens at the end (that is a plus for those that God will show mercy too). Personally, I will leave that to God, but it certainly does imply that someone is keeping track of time. Aside from that, apparently the Jewish feasts are still observed during at least the thousand years, for those that survive the war against God are forced to come to Jerusalem and take part in the feast of tabernacles every year. Again, someone is keeping track.

So are we talking about time as it relates to the conclusion and then the kingdom restored under Christ’s rule? I think so, but I am not sure I see any reason to dwell on it for as far as I am concerned my eternity with the Father has already begun.

the plans he had revealed

Revelation 10:7 NIV But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.”

The mystery is accomplished. I suppose that is the way the world sees it; God is a mystery, all of it. And yet it was not, at least now, looking back, I see that he laid it all out before them in symbols, types and parables, the plan was all there, right down to the serpent on pole.

Paul, in Ephesians 3:8,9 AMP tells us,

“To me, though I am the very least of all the saints (God’s consecrated people), this grace (favor, privilege) was granted and graciously entrusted: to proclaim to the Gentiles the unending (boundless, fathomless, incalculable, and exhaust-less) riches of Christ [wealth which no human being could have searched out], Also to enlighten all men and make plain to them what is the plan [regarding the Gentiles and providing for the salvation of all men] of the mystery kept hidden through the ages and concealed until nowin [the mind of] God Who created all things by Christ Jesus.”

My thoughts:

You probably figured out that I am just regular guy like yourself. The huge difference might be that I have a relationship with Jesus Christ and wait eagerly for his return. I am confident of his return for many reasons but history alone proves that this man Jesus was real and that the things he did and said came to pass and were verified by witnesses. Paul even wrote that many of those men who walked with him were still alive, at the time of his writing, and could verify what Paul wrote.

God has demonstrated a consistent pattern that is believable, and therefore I place my hope in him and feel confident speaking about the direction of future events.

He is coming again to collect his church, and though the tribulations of some people are already great, it will get worse, and do so immediately. Remember pattern is the key word here and we already have a pattern to follow with Noah and Lot. Upon their “escape” from the trouble that was coming the onslaught was immediate.

If you do not think you know this Jesus Christ then I suggest that you ask him to make himself real to you. He will. Ask him into your life and accept you into the family that belongs to God. He already paid the price for your pardon and release, and he did this to show his love at a time when no one loved Him back. There is nothing you can offer or give him that will change his heart of love toward you. You merely need to come to him. He will change you and give you a hope that you have never known before.

Next post: Revelation 11

1Genesis 3:15

2Colossians 2:2

3Ephesians 3:9,10

42Corinthians 3:14

5John 12:40

6Matthew 13:11

7Daniel 7:3

8Daniel 7:16-28

9Isaiah 43:10

10Matthew 25:1-13

iArmistice of Mudros

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HMS Agamemnon on an earlier visit to Moudros during the Dardanelles campaign in 1915

The Armistice of Moudros (Turkish: Mondros Ateşkes Anlaşması), concluded on 30 October 1918, ended the hostilities in the Middle Eastern theatre between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies of World War I. It was signed by the Ottoman Minister of Marine Affairs Rauf Bey and the British Admiral Somerset Arthur Gough-Calthorpe, on board HMS Agamemnon in Moudros harbor on the Greek island of Lemnos.[1]

As part of several conditions to the armistice, the Ottomans surrendered their remaining garrisons outside Anatolia, as well as granted the Allies the right to occupy forts controlling the Straits of the Dardanelles and the Bosporus; and the right to occupy “in case of disorder” any Ottoman territory in case of a threat to security. The Ottoman army was demobilized, and all ports, railways, and other strategic points were made available for use by the Allies. In the Caucasus, the Ottomans had to retreat to within the pre-war borders between the Ottoman and the Russian Empires.

The armistice was followed with occupation of Constantinople and subsequent partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. The Treaty of Sèvres (10 August 1920) followed the armistice, but this treaty was not enacted due to the outbreak of the Turkish War of Independence.

Signs of Christ’s Second Coming (vineoflife.net)
The Falling Away (raptureimminent.wordpress.com)
An Overview of the Book of Revelation (godsbreath.wordpress.com)

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged Belief, Bible, Christ, end times, future, God, Holy spirit, Jesus, prophecy, rapture, Revelation, Scripture, study, thoughts | 2 Comments

Beach Turns Blood Red, Swimmers Flee | ABC News Blogs – Yahoo!

Posted on 11/27/2012 by remso

I recently received a blog implying that we could already be experiencing aspects of the Revelation. Now here again is evidence along that same vein, and I found it on tonight’s Yahoo news.

Sure it’s an algae bloom but it sure looks like blood and the effects of an algae include oxygen deprivation much like the red tides we experience off the Southern California coast. Deprived of oxygen, fish die as well as other things. Expand the range and intensity and the damage is devastating.

This also evokes you to think, is the blood aspect literal? Just watch the moon or sun shine through a smoggy sunset sky and it too will appear to be blood. Just saying, I believe the end is closer than we want to admit.

Beach Turns Blood Red, Swimmers Flee | ABC News Blogs – Yahoo!.

Posted in End times, Prophetic | Tagged Bible, blood, Book of Revelation, Christ, future, Jesus, rapture, second coming, thoughts | Leave a comment

The fifth angel sounded, Revelation 9.

Posted on 11/02/2012 by remso

Revelation 9:1 Moffatt NT (1) The fifth angel blew, and I saw a Star which had dropped from heaven to earth; he was given the key of the pit of the abyss,

John MacArthur’s commentary says, “a star fallen from heaven. Unlike the other stars that will have fallen (Rev_6:13; Rev_8:8), this one will be an angelic being (cf. Rev_9:2)—probably Satan himself (Rev_9:4; Rev_12:7; see notes on Isa_14:12-14; Eze_28:12-15; Luk_10:18).”

We can figure out that it is not a physical star because it is referenced as a “he,” and it is given the keys to the abyss or bottomless pit.

I am not so sure how important this is but it is intriguing for several reasons.

I believe it raises some questions in me about fallen angels. My understanding of who they are and where they are supposed to be is once again based in poorly thought out church tradition. I am just being honest. I have some basic understanding, but I am not a demon chaser and therefore tend not to chase angels too closely either. If I was deeply interested I would do an in-depth study, but I have not.
While Angels in general are servants, messengers and protectors, this one, though stripped of its power, is still responding to someone. Is he responding to God’s commands or Satan’s. If he is responding to Satan’s commands then that means Satan still has some power.

Jesus stripped Satan of his power:

Colossians 2:13-15 NIV When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, (14) having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. (15) And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

But how does this impact the rest of the angels? If you noticed the passage above it states that Jesus disarmed the powers and authorities and triumphed over them in the cross. I am not so sure that this disallows them the ability to act physically with us. For example: When questioned about Job God was explicit about Satan not taking his life. That is interesting for we want to believe that the enemy cannot touch us, he certainly touched Job’s life, and there is no denying the effects of these locusts from hell.

When he opens the abyss, among other things, another angel comes out. This emerging angel is the king over the locust hoard and has the name Apollyon or Abaddon (which means destroyer.) If you have any biblical background then you are aware of several other angelic names: The prince of Persia, Michael, Gabriel. There have to be many more and scripture tells us that they were all very powerful.

In contrast to our falling angel, Revelation 8:10-11 tells us of another falling star.

Revelation 8:10-11 NIV … a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water– (11) the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.

This one is not denoted as having the ability to think as the other did. And the name of this star indicative of a deadly plant. Although they have the similarity of falling from the heavens they have two differing methods and missions.

When I first glanced at this passage I thought of Satan being expelled from heaven. Jesus told us that he saw him fall as lightning, so this concept makes sense to me but the event Jesus spoke of happened in the past. This is what makes Revelation so difficult for some people as there are jumps in time on several occasions. So I have to work on the principal that this is a future event and in context with earlier events associated with the trumpets and seals.

≈ ≈ ≈

Revelation 9:2 NIV When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.

The first thing that strikes me here is the word “like”. Like denotes a comparison but does not necessarily mean that something is burning. I say this because some commentaries want to say that this proves hell is filled with fire. That may well be but that is not what this says and we would do well to not try to make it say other things.

What it is saying is that there is a tremendous amount of smoke coming out, just as there would be from some large industrial chimney. The volume of smoke is enough to block out the sun and sky.

Here is an example of smoke that blocked out the sun and midday.

Aftermath of Mount St. Helens volcano. Photo by Claudia J. Howell / The Oregon Journal

Ric Cole, director of emergency services for Yakima, brushes nearly an inch of dust from the windshield of his car. The city was completely dark at noon.

Smoke is typically the product of combustion but it can be the product of chemical reactions. I do not know what this is but it does not matter. God has ordered it and it could be anything. Is the source relevant? No, but the outcome is.

≈ ≈ ≈

Revelation 9:3 NIV And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.

Out of the smoke comes a locust like creature.

While locusts are mainly known for their destructive nature on plant life, these are not. You even find them receiving commands not to touch the plant life, but they do have stingers or they could not be equated to scorpions. They have the ability to inflict gruesome pain but not death. One sting impacts you for five months. I suppose it is safe to say that the end and Christ’s return to the earth is at least 5 months away at this point.

Revelation 9:4-6 NIV They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. (5) They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. (6) During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

One of the commands given to them is to not hurt those with the mark of God. This applies to the 144,000 Jews set aside by God. No one else is protected.

≈ ≈ ≈

Revelation 9:7-10 NIV The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. (8) Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. (9) They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. (10) They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.

There is a tremendous amount of comparison going on here. None of it says that the locusts are Apache helicopters, freakish little creatures, absolutely, but they are still locusts here to torture those that reject God.

Now would be a good time to ask, who is still here?

The un-repentant – You will not see any hearts turning to God; this includes the nations and Jews.

Revelation 9:20-21 NIV The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood–idols that cannot see or hear or walk. (21) Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

144,000 sealed Jews
Those who have taken the mark and worshiped the beast.

≈ ≈ ≈

Those that were intended to be numbered among the saints have already been slaughtered.

Revelation 7:14 NIV I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Side note: Whose blood was spilled at the deaths of these saints in Revelation 7:14? Their own – and yet there was another whose blood was spilled in intentional offerings, for what? The sins of the world. They were forgiven and purchased back out of captivity, just as we who were previously caught up.

What then separates us? Our refusal to accept Jesus Christ as our life. So to say, they, the martyred, “have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” could also imply that they finally took the last freeing step and accepted his life. If they have accepted his life then Jesus became an integrated aspect of their lives at that moment, just as he did with the believers under grace. The problem most of us have with this is that our choice to see them as being in Christ does not conform with our traditions that include rantings about true repentance demonstrated by a life of contrition and brokenness.

This statement demands that you think outside the box you have lived in. What we have not been taught, because no one seemed to understand, is that the book of Revelation is about God still trying to show mercy to people and giving them continued opportunity to be a part of his family. I can still see so many that do not understand and refuse to understand as their convoluted minds scream out that this God is a God of unjust punishment and horror.

Who is in charge here, God or you? You want an answer? God is, not you.

Those that came out of the tribulation may have merely said, I choose Jehovah, not Allah, and now they are before the throne. Think about it, we who go before, with all of our hangups and problems, do not get to take those issues with us into heaven, and that is precisely why we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and so will these people who now stand before the throne.

Revelation 9:11 NIV They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

I am not sure how important this is but it is safe to say that everything in the bible was put there for a reason. In my simplistic thinking I am reminded of several other angelic names and references to how powerful they are or were.

Several that come to mind:

Gabriel – He shows up several times. Daniel saw him and he appeared to Mary
Michael – One of the chief angels/princes, assisted with Gabriel’s fight with the king of Persia
the king of Persia
the angel of the Lord – Most would agree that this was Jesus Christ appearing prior to his becoming a man through birth.
Each of the churches in Revelation 2 and 3 had an angel assigned to them.
The angel of the abyss, Apollyon in the Greek, Abaddon in Hebrew.

The fallen angels seem to have strongholds on earth as a conqueror captures territory and those that live within their sphere of influence. Revelation chapter 2 speaks of Satan’s seat here on earth. Revelation 9:14 states that one of the heavenly angels are to “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

Revelation 9:12 LITV The first woe has departed; behold, after these things come two woes.

I will pick up with the sixth trumpet in the next study.

As bad as this all sounds it is about to get worse. Here is what I want you to know. You do not have to go through this! This is meant for those who reject the living God and his mercies. It is a time of wrath and judgment against the nations and Israel for turning their backs upon him. Not all have turned their backs and have received Yashua as messiah, and they will, at this time, be with him in heaven, but many will continue to refuse and there will be many that will accept the mark of the beast, the leader most likely of the Islamic caliphate and they will worship the beast, most likely Allah. Should you choose to do that you will have slit your own throat and their will be no hope for you.

God has gently asked, during this time of grace, for you to follow him to a peaceful home, refusing to do that leaves you with one option, following your leader to his destiny, a life of eternal torment.

I implore you to ask Jesus to make himself real to you. He will and you will know a peace that is beyond your understanding.

The Hand of God (outofthedarkintothelight.wordpress.com)
The Thousand Years (ghettoscorner.wordpress.com)
Bound For A Thousand Years (freedomarc.wordpress.com)

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged Abyss, angels, Belief, Bible, Christ, Christianity, end times, future, God, hope, Islam, Israel, Jesus, last days, locusts, prophecy, Religion and Spirituality, Revelation, Satan, Scripture, study, thoughts, torment | 4 Comments

The Seven Seals – the onslaught continues. Revelation chapter 8

Posted on 10/26/2012 by remso

I have felt led to say something for several weeks now, so here goes.

Father, I ask, in the name of your Son Jesus Christ, that these words find their way into the hands of those that you have intended, and that they carry the weight and power that you intended them too.

I ask Father that you embed these words, no matter how foolish I think they sound, into the hearts and minds of those that will come to know Jesus Christ and that they be willing to share your passion whether it be newly found or like a flickering candle has burned within them for some time now. Cause your life to erupt inside of those who find you and give them the courage to face what ever comes their way.

I also pray for those that will not make it in the rapture, and must prove their love for God by giving their lives. Give them a supernatural strength that they did not think was in them. And Father, above all, because your word will not go void or lose its strength, I ask that no matter what comes their way during these dark days ahead, that they are not only filled with courage, but shine as testimonies to the living God. In the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ I ask these things. Amen.

Take the next few paragraphs as you wish but I am speaking wisdom as a prophet of God.

Use faith filled words for God’s word still works and will still the avenger as the Holy Spirit of God empowers you to act boldly. Even today, but especially in the future, this is not a time to listen to religious people; they are among you, trying to lead you to destruction, but here is the key, religious people will crumble under pressure and fall to the mark of the beast. (I strongly suspect that this mark will come in the form of some sort of acceptance of Allah and Mohammed as his prophet, much like the Jews had to do under Hitler’s regime, and you will be required to wear something that shows your subservience.)

Do not give your allegiance to anyone but God, for in so doing you will cut yourselves off from God’s mercy forever. Think of it this way. You are following your leader to his reward, in this case Satan, eternal punishment (Yes, God asked us to follow him, and his path takes us to a world without sin, Satan, and it is filled with God’s presence and love). Stand your ground, in your allegiance to God, no matter what. It is going to be tough but this is where you have to lean heavily on the Holy Spirit.

If you still have access to a bible read about the Holy Spirit and how he interacts with and through people. The book of Acts is filled with examples of this. Some are not so direct and others are very implicit. If the rapture has not come then I strongly suggest that you live a life filled with the Holy Spirit now.

Acts 6:5-8 KJV …. Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, …. (7) And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied …..; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. (8) And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Acts 6:9-15 KJV Then there arose certain of the synagogue. (religious people – they do not believe in the power of God.) They started arguing with Stephen. Acts 6:10,11 CEV But they were no match for Stephen, who spoke with the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him. So they talked some men into saying, “We heard Stephen say terrible things against Moses and God!” Acts 6:12-15 CEV They turned the people and their leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses against Stephen. Then they all grabbed Stephen and dragged him in front of the council. (13) Some men agreed to tell lies about Stephen, and they said, “This man keeps on saying terrible things about this holy temple and the Law of Moses. (14) We have heard him claim that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses gave us.” (15) Then all the council members stared at Stephen. They saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.

Stephen was not miraculously pulled out of that uncomfortable situation but he had a calm assurance settle over him that was not of this world, and they saw it. This is exactly what I am talking about. Stephen was killed (murdered at Saul’s bequest) and Saul, the notable Jew, stood there as they did it. God got Saul’s attention because of what he saw in Stephen, and Saul became the Apostle Paul and carried the good news about this life changing man, Jesus Christ, to the Greeks.

It was not just a bad dream; you are still here. Now what?

Just because you are still be here after the rapture does not mean that God rejected you. Let’s be honest, you rejected him, but hopefully by now you have seen his mighty hand and understand how mislead you were.

Know this, you have not been rejected. God loves you, he always has. He proved his love long ago by sending Jesus his only Son, so that you could have a glorious life with the Father. Unfortunately you rejected him during the time of grace, but his arms are still open, just as they always have been, to accept you into his love and mercy when you come. Merely call on his name. The thief on the cross beside Jesus simply asked to be received into the kingdom; God will do the same for you if you ask him.

Back to the bible study, and the Seventh seal

Revelation 8:1 KJV And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

When attempting to find out what the background depth and meanings of what we read we show intelligence and insight, but we can also be looking for things that do not exist. When you look up the word silence in the Greek it means just that.

Why should there be anything odd about this passage? Primarily because everything I have ever understood about heaven tells me that it is filled with sounds of praise. Every testimony that I have ever read where the person came back from the dead after seeing heaven, said that everything had beautiful sounds associated with it. The silence then, gives this verse the feeling of impact. Perhaps all the residents of heaven are aghast at what is about to happen, or they are in awe of the how the glory and majesty of the God that the earth mocked, is about to show up.

Revelation 8:2 KJV And I saw the seven Angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

As I listened recently to a radio pastor, he spoke about the numbers that show up all over the bible, but especially in Revelation. Some are literal and some are analogies, symbolic of something else, such as completion or purity. I suspect it is safe to say that there are seven literal angels that will carry out this task.

If you have followed me in my trek through Revelation you have noticed trumpet blasts on several occasions. Since this was, in a sense, written to Jewish believers, who maintained and found their Jewishness to be even richer for they found the Messiah they sought for, understood with clarity what was meant by “a trumpet blast”. It is a shofar, and has a very distinct sound.

Begin to pay close attention

Revelation 8:3-5 KJV And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. (4) And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. (5) And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

“….another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.”
Consider what this says. This angel is offering up incense, an extremely symbolic act, but the angel is mingling that incense with the prayers of the Saints.

Numbers 16:47 KJV….. and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

Exodus 30:7-8 KJV And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. (8) And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
A second thing that you need to pay attention to is where these Saints are. the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” They are upon the golden altar.
If God is in control, and he is, then these “Saints” found upon the golden altar have been offered up to God as a sacrifice. Some might see this in a negative light; I do not. God, in offering them up, has made them like the lambs of the old covenant, the covenant done away with by the New one, but that was the time of grace and ended with the rapture.

Literally man, but particularly one man, the false prophet, has offered them up unwittingly, back to God. Islam awaits a prophet they call Jesus Christ also. The problem is that their Jesus is not the son of God but merely a good prophet. According to Islam, he did not die on a cross for your sins (according to Islam only Allah can grant such things and there is no guarantee of that outside of martyrdom in the name of Jihad), for Allah rescued him and he died a natural death.

This Islamic Jesus is understood to be a Jewish convert to Islam, and he is of the lineage of Aaron. That entitles him to be a high priest and serve as such in the temple. (He may already be functioning in that capacity already. Do not be so shocked at that idea for scripture tells us that the dragon – Satan – gives the beast his power.)

Revelation 13:2 KJV And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
These “Saints” that John sees are not the church, they are the martyred through great tribulation. I feel like I found this concept on my own, long ago, but only recently heard other radio pastors, that I admire, saying the same thing. If we go on the principal that scripture interprets scripture and follow the context, then it leads us back to Revelation and God calls those martyred for the name of Jesus and their testimony, Saints. The church is called the church and the body of Christ, and is in Christ. Christ is seated next to the Father and has already spent his time upon the altar, offered up by the priesthood of his day. Do not get them confused.

In response to the prayers of the Saints.

Revelation 8:4-5 LITV And the smoke of the incenses went up with the prayers of the saints out of the hand of the angel before God. (5) And the angel has taken the censer, and has filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth; and sounds and thunders and lightnings and earthquakes occurred.

Stop! – What did the Saints, previously martyred, say to God?

Revelation 6:10 NIV They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

If there is a point to this it is that there is a feel of finality in their conversation. Another aspect that demonstrates the finality of their numbers is that God himself introduces them to John as those who have come out of Great Tribulation. This is the end of them, just do not ask me to give you specific time frames.

Revelation 6:11 NIV Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

The words to note here in verses four and five are “and”. Whether it is following or in response to, the actions that begin to happen seem to clearly be in response to their prayers. I threw in Revelation 6:10 because they asked God how long until he avenges their blood. It is safe, in my opinion, to make the connection between their request of God and what occurs immediately after the angel offers up the incense mixed with prayers.

What happens?

The angel filled the censer with fire and cast it into the earth. – This may be analoguous, but to what I am not sure. There will be plenty of firey objects thrown into the earth in the near future, and you will see some immediate impacts. One commentary indicates that this action shows us the future things to come.
There were voices – When you explore the Greek word translated as voices you find the word phōnē which means a sound or a tone of an inanimate thing. I suppose this might make more sense for in an orchestra the musical instruments are called voices.
and thunderings – Obviously more noise but of a different nature. Thunder has a completely different impact when it booms over your head. You know it means business and there is the potential that somebody just got hurt.
and lightnings – If you read the story of Samuel the prophet, he is old and in his last days. Israel once again is rejecting God and the enemy, the Philistines, is attacking. The elders ask Samuel to pray to God for help. So God responds with earthquakes and lightning upon the Philistines.
Having heard of people surviving a lightning strike I decided to gain some knowledge about lightning. The spark can reach over five miles (eight kilometers) in length, raise the temperature of the air by as much as 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit (27,700 degrees Celsius), and contain a hundred million electrical volts. (3,696 deaths were recorded in the U.S. between 1959 and 2003) or cause cardiac arrest. Injuries range from severe burns and permanent brain damage to memory loss and personality change. About 10 percent of lightning-stroke victims are killed, and 70 percent suffer serious long-term effects. People who are close to a blast incident, such as bomb disposal technicians, soldiers wearing body armor, deminers or individuals wearing little to no protection, there are four types of blast effects on the human body: overpressure (shock), fragmentation, impact and heat. Overpressure refers to the sudden and drastic rise in ambient pressure that can damage the internal organs, possibly leading to permanent damage or death. Fragmentation includes the shrapnel described above but can also include sand, debris and vegetation from the area surrounding the blast source. This is very common in anti-personnel mine blasts.[8] The projection of materials poses a potentially lethal threat caused by cuts in soft tissues, as well as infections, and injuries to the internal organs. When the overpressure wave impacts the body it can induce violent levels of blast-induced acceleration. Resulting injuries range from minor to unsurvivable. Immediately following this initial acceleration, deceleration injuries can occur when a person impacts directly against a rigid surface or obstacle after being set in motion by the force of the blast. Finally, injury and fatality can result from the explosive fireball as well as incendiary agents projected onto the body. (Excerpted from Wikipedia)
and an earthquake – Revelation is filled with earthquakes. Some would seem violent enough to move land masses. An obvious factor is the earth splitting open. This was one of the aspects when God answered Samuel’s prayer. So the Philistines had all these things thrown at them.

And the trumpets have not even sounded yet.

The seven angels prepared themselves to sound.

Revelation 8:6-7 KJV And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. (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 first angel sounded, and there followed:

hail and fire mingled with blood

The effect is that one-third of the trees were burned up and all the green grass.

The Greek word for green is chloros. It is the word that we derive chlorophyll and gives plant life its green color. But the word for grass is chortos and means something a little broader in spectrum. A primary word; a “court” or “garden”, that is, (by implication of pasture) growing crops or vegetation. (Strong’s) Now we are not just talking about your yard but crops. So immediately food production is destroyed.

It’s bad enough to have hail coming down because of its destructive properties. The worst I have been in was about the size of marbles. I thought I was going to lose my windshield, but when we start talking about hail the size of baseballs or bigger, now we are talking the loss of life should you get hit in the head. God takes this one freakish step further by throwing in blood and fire.

Revelation 8:8-9 KJV 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.

The second angel sounded

“and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea:”

the third part of the sea became blood
the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died
and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

How is all this possible in one shot. Of course nothing is impossible with God, but I think we are missing something. Again, the food supply is destroyed, and one-third of the ships are destroyed. A logical approach says: if you strike say the Pacific Ocean you would impact the western seaboard of both the US and South America, Australia, Japan, Russia, and all the Island nations. Potentially affecting a third of all the waters, but I do not think so. The US alone has its navy spread adequately around the globe and I suspect that God is trying to make a global impact.

Consider that at this point in time there has already been a massive earthquake that has flattened mountains and the islands have disappeared.

Therefore the concept of unified land mass and plate shifts take on much more importance.

Revelation 8:10-11 KJV 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.

The third angel sounded

“..a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on:..”

A third of the rivers
upon the fountain of waters (the NIV puts it this way, “and on the springs of water–”)
Many men died because of the waters

How could one object take out not only a third of the rivers but an originating water source that impacts one-third of the earth’s population, unless: we were one contiguous land mass, or this thing is massive beyond comprehension. If size is the case, the effects of a strike of this size will be catastrophic, changing the global climate. A consideration that is worthy and forces us to think outside the box, is that God does not physically have to strike a specific target to do what he wishes to do. Clearly this object will have its effect.

The fourth angel sounded

Revelation 8:12 NIV The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

A third of the sun turned dark
A third of the moon turned dark
A third of the stars turned dark
A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.

A short article on About.com gave me a little insight.

““The sun is a mass of incandescent gas, a gigantic nuclear furnace, where hydrogen is built into helium at a temperature of millions of degrees.” Have you ever wondered what else is in the sun besides hydrogen and helium? I hunted up a table (source: NASA – Goddard Space Flight Center) listing the sun’s elemental composition, which we know from analysis of its spectral signature. I’m sure you’re not surprised that hydrogen is the most abundant element. The sun is constantly fusing hydrogen into helium, but don’t expect the ratio of hydrogen to helium to change anytime soon. The sun is 4.5 billion years old and has converted about half of the hydrogen in its core into helium. It still has about 5 billion years before the hydrogen runs out. “ Chemical Composition of the Sun By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., About.com GuideJune 15, 2010

It could only be God that turns off a third of the fireball that has the potential to continue burning for 5 billion years. The moon on the other hand is a reflective object so the logic becomes even cloudier, and how does one shut down a third of the stars. Perhaps this is the act of a black hole induced phenomenon. Again, it is so contrary to logical possibilities that it has to be God.

What if we can take this last statement literally? What if one-third of the day is darkened? I looked up the word darkened. In the Greek it is the word skotizo and means to cover with darkness or to be deprived of light. As young children the parents took us to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. The ranger that led the trip down made sure we were all secure and then turned out the lights. You could not see your hand in front of your face. Imagine a darkness of this intensity overtaking a third of the day.

What would be the purpose? One thing comes to mind; how many years has man mocked and ignored the creator, calling him anything but Jehovah, and denying his power. Now you will understand what power is.

As bad as any of this may sound it gets worse.

Revelation 8:13 NIV As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

I wonder how there could be anyone left on earth and yet even though no one turns their heart toward God that seems to be one of the purposes for all this wrath. As you read on Revelation you will the phrase, “those whose names are not written in the book of life.” It is a done deal, even now, as you read this, God has already had his eye upon you. You might as well throw yourself at his feet, for he is relentless.

The fact that the eagle cries out three times is indicative of three more trumpet blasts, along with their wrath and judgment, are yet to come.

Together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory (bibleversesforwomen.wordpress.com)
Morning Prayer ~ October 24, 2012 (ronpogue.typepad.com)
Billy Graham 10/26/2012 (reporternews.com)
Luke 10:21 – At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, (church4u2.wordpress.com)
Why Me ??? (myownheart.me)

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An interlude between the seals. Revelation 7

Posted on 10/14/2012 by remso

How often do we, if we have gone to a play, think of an interlude as a break in the action. Things calm down for a moment and you get the chance to relieve yourself, and get a drink before the next scene begins. I cannot say that this is that, but this part of scripture takes us away from the destruction, and seems to be a sea of calm in the midst of the horror.

Some are unwilling to accept this time period immediately after the rapture as God’s wrath upon the nations and judgment against Israel for rejecting him. Allow me to play out a scenario; one that I have shared repeatedly, and have now seen played on television, and called “After Armageddon.” In it, widespread power loss was one of the main implications. It is surprising how damaging the lack of power can be, but who is to say what will happen almost simultaneously with the departure of the church. A large magnitude EMP blast will knock out power to everything. No water, sewer, banking, or the ability to even buy anything. And that is just one scenario. Out of the chaos, those with the most intimidating posture will attempt to overpower and control others. This might be a good time for Islam to pull out their swords and begin demanding allegiance to Allah. Mock me if you wish, but I am warning you, it is coming.

Revelation Chapter 7

Revelation 7:1 KJV 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.

After these things – That should have a familiar ring to it. Look again at Revelation 4:1

Revelation 4:1 KJV After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

The Greek words translated as after this, and “after these things” is the same for both verses, meta tauta. One of the methods of interpretation is to look at other passages that give us some definition. When discussing with other Christians how I feel that chapter 4:1 is the delineating marker between the church age and the tribulation, the concept of meta tauta, or “after these things” is an important aspect to the argument.

I have stated my perspective in several recent posts and I do not wish to go into that now, but I believe that our catching away has already happened.

1 Thessalonians 4:17 KJV (17) Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

We are now looking at what happens to those left here on earth. If you are a believer, anxiously awaiting the bridegroom, then a horrid thought should be crossing your mind. What of those who now have to endure such horrors?

This possibility of being left behind is substantiated by Jesus in Matthew 25. Those who thought they would make it, along with the religious cults, each thinking they were right, now suddenly realize how wrong they were. They will have to go through extraordinary horrors and they will lose their heads as a gesture of their faith, for the time of grace is over.

What are the things

What are the things that have physically happened?

Revelation 6:12-16 NIV I watched as he opened the sixth seal.

(12) There was a great earthquake.
The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair,
the whole moon turned blood red,
(13) and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.
(14) The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up,
and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
(15) Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. (16) They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!

Literal or figurative

John, seeing into heaven, views four angels holding back the wind of heaven. We can take this literally or figuratively. Why, since we know from reading ahead that destruction is coming, and that destruction is literal, should we take this any other way.

If the winds of earth are stopped the temperature will seem to rise primarily because we will lose one of the main causes of evaporation, hence skin cooling due to evaporation. Another possibility is that prevailing winds, and I believe that is what we are talking about, carry with them the temperatures of region they originate from. So I suspect my theory about a dramatic rise in temperature is quite possible.

Do not harm the land

Revelation 7:2-3 NIV Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: (3) “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

We have harmed the land already. Just today 10/08/12, several of the guys at work were discussing the Chernobyl accident. To my understanding this area is still deadly in terms of radiation.

A recent headline stated: “Air pollution will become a bigger global killer than dirty water”; the OECD report says pollution will become biggest cause of premature death, killing an estimated 3.6 million people a year by 2050. Author: Fiona Harvey guardian.co.uk, Thursday 15 March 2012

LiveScience.com writer: Andrea Thompson, in an article dated: 10 September 2007, stated: “Pollution may cause 40 percent of global deaths.” “Water, air and soil pollution, along with other environmental factors, contribute to 40 percent of deaths worldwide each year, a new study concludes.”

A second look

Revelation 7:9 NIV After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

What we do not have is a time frame, but I suspect this all happens relatively fast. If we can wrap a time frame around what is to happen we should start with the martyred saints in heaven. We know from scripture that the antichrist shows up immediately after the rapture. The Antichrist is in operation for seven years, but there are dramatic changes at the three and half-year mark. We also know that the two witnesses from God, testify in the streets for three and a half-years. This interlude, as I called it, begins right after (meta tauta) John’s seeing the martyred in heaven.

There is a finality to what John sees at this point, so we can assume that we have hit the mid mark. This should also be about the same time that God calls the two witnesses back home.

Revelation 7:13-14 KJV And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? (14) And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

This verse definitely implies an end to the slaughter of those that are to slain for the Lord.

Revelation 6:9-11 KJV And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: (10) And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (11) And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Does that also mean an end to the violence? Not hardly. Islam is clearly against the Jews and bible believers, but their list of offenders includes anyone who subverts the will of Allah, according to them, by not worshiping him alone.

I will also mention here that I do not have a problem with the concept of the two witnesses showing up immediately after the rapture and here is why.

Based primarily on Joel’s prophecy, which Peter quoted on the day of Pentecost; a prophecy about the end of time. Take a look at Joel chapter 2 and focus on the first two verses for a moment.
Joel 2:1-2 KJV Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; (2) A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.

Keep in mind that “the day”, in Hebrew yom can mean a time period and not just a day. And look also at the associated descriptions of that time period as they parallel what happens during the “day of the Lord” in Revelation. Now consider that Peter pulled a portion of this scenario and spoke of the hope and strength that will be demonstrated during the tribulation years.

Joel 2:28-30 NIV “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. (29) Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (30) I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

What will bring this about in them, when they did not have these attributes before?

Perhaps the two witnesses standing in the streets become a visual testimony of how the power of God works and what you are capable of doing. Survivors during this time may follow their lead. The two witnesses will testify of Jesus Christ during this time but who is to say that many do not emulate them, for the Holy Spirit, contrary to many opinions, is still here on the earth.

Worthy of consideration is that Peter spoke of these attributes prior to what we consider “the day of the Lord”, and therefore opened the door to people acting in the power and glory of God even now, but this is the primary thing that religion fights most actively, anyone demonstrating God’s power, or speaking out in power regardless of the life changes those words may bring.

The timing of the death of the two witnesses and their removal from the earth. Although I am not so sure how closely we should follow Islamic prophecies, but we should take note. The primary reason that we should be concerned is that they parallel our end times events with a precision that only Satan could dream up. And what is his goal? To deceive as many as possible from following Jesus Christ to eternal life with Father God, something that eludes him. One of the characters of end times is the false prophet. When you compare the false prophet of scripture with the Jesus Christ that Islam is awaiting there is an alarming possibility of deception, and when examining the Jesus that Islam awaits, he comes not as the Son of God, but he comes as the enforcer of Sharia; a Jew that is a Muslim convert, and he is of the lineage of Aaron, making him capable of being a high priest. His advent coordinates with the death of the two witnesses which puts his arrival at about the three and half-year mark. That means the end of the martyred is over at this point or comes to an end in a very short time .

Revelation 7:14 KJV And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

When you look at the KJV you can clearly see the terminology great tribulation. The Greek does not support the word the in the sentence. To use the word “the” prior to the “great tribulation” gives it a specific time frame. To state it as coming out of “great tribulation” makes it open-ended and can easily apply to those that merely suffer horribly throughout this time period.

An obvious factor is that as of this date 10/11/2012 the Lord has not come back, triggering the onslaught of destruction associated with great tribulation, and yet Christians are being murdered in rapidly growing numbers. Pick any Muslim majority nation and you will find Christians suffering through dire tribulations.

This group of martyred before the throne puzzles me, and this is why: You spend your life caught up in cultist teachings, turning a blind eye to the truth which confronts you with every sunrise, or you blatantly live a life rejecting God, and now faced with a life or death decision, you muster the courage to squeak out a faint response in which you show, at the least, a refusal to bow to Allah. There are such quantities of people being pushed through the rapid decision-making process that the executioners won’t waste any time with coercion, they will just lop your head. At that point you win, for you will be ushered before the throne, changed in the twinkling of an eye, to a new home where you will understand God and his love like never before, and you will find yourself bowing in worship and awe, overwhelmed by love and mercy that you never understood or thought possible; the same God you spent your life rejecting; you and an uncountable number of Saints.

Think about that, changed instantly. God will not allow sin into heaven so something has to change, and it is not God’s policies. As I think about it two changes have to take place:

An immediate change, as God accepts you as his own and you instantly become as one of his adopted children.
The second happens almost as quickly as your spirit separates from your body.

Those of us who were caught up out of here in the rapture, were still living in broken bodies, subject to the sins ravages, but we too were subject to the same policies of Heaven, NO SIN ALLOWED! Fortunately we were changed, faster than you can change thoughts. I long for that day; the moment when my mind is free from this anguish I carry in my head.

I know I belong to him and where my eternal home will be, but I live with a daily awareness that my choices to indulge my flesh and sin, have caused tremendous harm. If there is a peace, it is knowing that I am loved eternally, regardless of my failures.

God shall wipe away all tears

Revelation 7:16-17 KJV They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. (17) For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

So many of us have no idea what is to hunger, but what if hunger implies a variety of things, like mental anguish. I struggle with a mild depression, more frequently than I want to admit, and I hunger for a freedom from the bars on this mental cell. Arrogance says, God has set you free and Jesus has stripped the chains off you. That is so much easier to say when you think your perfect and sinless. The problem with that kind of thinking is the arrogant spirit associated with it. Those who act this way set themselves up as gods, selfishly pushing God aside for they can do it themselves.

Who are the ones Jesus called humble?

Those who come like a child, humble and willing to learn readily, accepting so much of what they hear. As much as I long to be that humble, child like person, for some reason I fight it. I want to make some adult, grown-up decisions and have someone listen to me. To not have that happen frustrates me and I have to resist lashing out in anger. In truth, my anger is based in feelings of failure and inadequacy. Many times I have to fight off the lies from the devil that tell me I am a failure.

When you consider the two main examples we have of a pre-tribulation escape from wrath, they are the ones that Jesus himself gave us. I am hard pressed to find much fault in Noah, but a study of Lot’s life is filled with bad decisions, and do not really present him as that much of a righteous man from a human point of view. In the case of Lot, there are several striking things about him that scripture makes about him, if you will pay attention. God saw them. Here’s my point. I have loved God for a long time, and though I feel I failed him many times, He has never turned his back on me. So all my fears about having to go through the tribulation, which I suspect is mere minutes away, may well be unfounded because I tend to look through tainted human and religious eyes, and God does not. What does that say about the fifty percent of Matthew 25. I suspect they are those who merely carry on using religious titles, thinking they deserve something more. Christian science followers feel they are “good” people, and will use references to the bible if it evokes some euphoric feeling, but they give no honor to God, nor will they honor Jesus as the Son of righteousness, giving him no place in their hearts. This is typical for many; they carry on in a self-righteous manner because it makes them look better, and promotes good business with some people. It does not mean a thing without the life of Christ within you.

Ask Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God into your life. I am not asking you to change anything. I am telling you that even your gut tells you that you feel lost and hopeless without him, and you know something horrid is coming. What you really want is love, that you have never known. How would I know that? Because it is the downfall and nature of every man to want love, but without Christ we do not know what that love is. Be honest; every encounter you have may bring you some momentary relief because you were distracted long enough to not feel the loneliness (many find that relief in alcohol), but that person you used means nothing to you and has no intention of filling that void inside; only Jesus Christ can do that.

Allow him to change you from the inside out. Aside from the changes, he is your only hope.

A response to my post, “A Short Course in Revelation” – part one. (omharris.com)
Sermon Notes: Rediscovering the Purpose & Power of Bible Prophecy (flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com)

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged Belief, Bible, Book of Revelation, Christ, deception, end times, Faith, future, God, HolySpirit, hope, Israel, Jesus, last days, rapture, Revelation, Scripture, thoughts | Leave a comment

Revelation 6:17 MKJV for the great day of His wrath has come

Posted on 10/07/2012 by remso

Revelation 6:17 MKJV for the great day of His wrath has come, and who will be able to stand?

A study on “the great day of the wrath.”

The concept of the day of the Lord, and no this is not a different time frame, is scattered throughout both the old and new testament. A passage that is familiar to many is:

1 Thessalonians 5:2 AMP (2) For you yourselves know perfectly well that the day of the [return of the] Lord will come [as unexpectedly and suddenly] as a thief in the night.

One of the first things I want to ask yourself is, who is this wrath intended for?

The simple answer is: not the believer. I wish I could assure you that it was none of you, but I cannot. The simple qualifier is a personal, loving relationship with Jesus Christ and of course, the Father, but Matthew 25 is the place where Jesus spoke of the ten virgins, all headed to the wedding. Five were unprepared, not having enough oil and ran out before the groom came. At the most inconvenient time they had to go out and try to buy more. We should be able to quickly see that fifty percent of those desiring to go to the wedding are unprepared. To be honest this is very scary to me.

Raised in a “Christian” home there were so many things that were done backward. One major one was having to pray this prayer every night, “if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” That phrase alone kept me in fear and bondage for half my life. When you consider that one of main themes in Christianity is faith; faith that God loves you and has chosen you, long before you opted to clean up your life, which by the way, you cannot do. This prayer works in complete opposite. It kept me in fear that any minor sin committed throughout the day would condemn me to hell and a life without the Father. This also served to confuse me about the love of God which Paul wrote extensively about in Romans and Corinthians. I had to rebuild my mindset by reading the bible for myself.

In terms of preparation you cannot have someone else feed you, beside being unable to put on your own armor, you look ridiculous having a bib put on you while someone has to spoon feed you. How do you know they are feeding you the truth? You have to learn to think for yourself, guided by the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us that he will guide you into all truth. Do not get me wrong here, you need fellowship. I know I certainly do, but I am not going to associate with flakes that do nothing more than fight with you over what they believe. At one bible study we attended (at the time, we were doing Rick Warren’s 40 days of purpose) a lady would lash out at those she disagreed with, interjecting her theology by stating, “John MacArthur says.” I think that if you are going to open your mouth so boldly then you better back it with the word, not what Pastor John has to say, beside that, Pastor John is adamantly against the moving of the Holy Spirit in the believer today, and that forced me to put him very low on my list of notable commentators for years. I have since added his commentaries to my bible study program, but just don’t ask me to cling so tightly to him.

1 Thessalonians 1:8-10 ESV (8) For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. (9) For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, (10) and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

These people who Paul wrote to were anxiously awaiting the return of the Son from Heaven. I only know of a few who feel that way. At least there are few that want to share that with me. Those that do, have an assurance that he is coming soon to deliver us from the wrath that is to come. We also have Jesus references to Noah and Lot as examples of deliverance from God’s wrath. Look these up in Matthew 24 and Luke 17, and then read the original stories in Genesis.

I feel led to clarify what motivates my thought process writing all this. Although I no longer choose to hang with them, I used to go to a “bible study” at a hamburger stand. The man who considered himself the leader of that small group was adamant about his concepts of the “great tribulation”. When I pointed out, from scripture, that we are looking at God’s wrath and judgment being poured out on the nations during the seven-year period, he promptly attempted to correct me, stating repeatedly that, “this period in scripture is the seals, trumpets and bowls, and that God’s wrath is only for a specific period time beginning at the half-way point.” How do you segregate it into specific moments in time and not see that it is all God’s handiwork, for a specific reason.

The man from the restaurant flashes through my mind a lot lately. If he is confused then how many others are confused as well. It is not a question of does he know the Lord? I believe the answer is absolutely; but then what does it mean to know someone.

I had a close friend for three years when I was twenty years old. I still bump into him from time to time. He says to me, “I know you!” No he doesn’t, for much about me has changed and my disrupted life has changed it. I have changed in the way I deal with life anymore, I have changed in how I think, and my love for God has grown so much deeper as I spent my life learning of him and realizing the mercy that he shown me. He is no longer the mean judge waiting to strike me down but a God that desires mercy above all; and yet he cannot back down from his word, for without his word there is no God, and that is not going to happen. I only know that by spending time with him; enough time that would allow me to understand how he thinks and what affects his decisions.

God’s wrath is directed at Israel and the nations.

Israel, for rejecting him, the one who brought them out of bondage, and against the nations for they too have rejected him. The nations have taken this rejection one step further and directed their anger and confusion against those who follow the God of the Jews.

Romans 2:3-6 MKJV And, O man, the one judging those who do such things, and practice them, do you think this, that you shall escape the judgment of God? (4) Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? (5) But according to your hardness and your impenitent heart, do you treasure up wrath for yourself in a day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, (6) who will render to each according to his works;

Paul was writing to the Christian body when he wrote this and yet it is a clear definition of why wrath and judgment are coming: hardness of heart, and a lack of sorrow for sins. All this proves even more that my “friend” that led the restaurant bible study was not reading his own bible. That is not a true statement about him, for he constantly would jump to scriptures that he used to lead people to Jesus as he walked the city park, and he was incessantly pouring over the book of Revelation, in an effort to make it clearer or to understand it. And yet he was more confused each day, and refused to look into the old testament.

God gives us specifics

Not only is this a time of wrath and judgment, but God gives us specifics about who his anger is directed at.

Psalms 110:5,6 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries.

In saying kings can we generalize and include dictators, presidents, rulers, and those that lord their power over us? Certainly, no one is to be exempt from God’s wrath. They think they are untouchable but they are not.

Most alternate versions tell us that he will judge among the nations, not merely the heathen. We tend to apply our judgmental definitions upon a word like this. The Hebrew word that the KJV translated heathen is goy and means nations, usually a non-Hebrew people.

Psalms 110:6 BBE He will be judge among the nations, the valleys will be full of dead bodies; the head over a great country will be wounded by him.

From the Barnes commentary: Shall strike through kings – The Hebrew word here rendered “shall strike,” – from machats – meaning “to shake, to agitate”; and then, “to shake in pieces, to dash in pieces, to crush”; and here it has the sense of dashing in pieces, smiting, wounding, crushing. The “kings” referred to are the enemies of God and the Messiah.

Revelation 6:12 MKJV And when He had opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.

Revelation 6:14 MKJV And the heaven departed like a scroll when it is rolled together. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

It is possible that these are two separate events. How would you not be aware of the earthquakes and the damage they have left over the last couple of years, and yet this one that is coming will be bigger. Two verses later something, possibly the “great earthquake” has moved every mountain and island out of their place. This is a very dramatic and frightening event, and it is all part of God’s wrath and judgment upon the nations and Israel. My opinion is that the land masses will rejoin, should that be the case it will be very dramatic. Seeing that we see the kings of the earth and the poor, hiding in caves and holes calling out for the rocks to fall on them, only a few verses later, I could be right. It is going to get worse for them.

Revelation 19:15 KJV And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Psalms 2:8-9 KJV Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. (9) Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

Job 20:27 -29 The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him. The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of his wrath. This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God.

Joel 1:15 BBE Sorrow for the day! for the day of the Lord is near, and as destruction from the Ruler of all it will come.

Joel 1:15 ASV Alas for the day! for the day of Jehovah is at hand, and as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

Joel 2:1 ESV Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is near,

Doesn’t this tend to push us to understand who the nations are?

Originally the implication was anyone outside of Israel. Once God brought about our adoption, we Gentiles (a part of the nations) are no longer consider the nations but the church, the body of Christ. Who is left? Anyone outside of Israel and the church body. We tend to see most of these people as third world nations, but I assure that many of those considered the nations live in wealth, right here in the United States of America.

Why would God direct all this wrath at the nations? It is hard to believe that the nations have had the same opportunity to know this Jesus Christ that I have come to know. God’s word tells us the opposite, and holds them entirely responsible for their own reactions to what they know. What might seem even more peculiar is that I see this as God’s extended mercy toward those have incessantly rejected him and his love.

Romans 1:18-21 ESV For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (19) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. (20) For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (21) For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Acts 17:31 MKJV .. He has appointed a day in which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He appointed, having given proof to all by raising Him from the dead.

Ephesians 4:7 MKJV But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

This passage in Ephesians could be argued as one directed exclusively at the Church, but then what do we do with Paul’s letter to the Romans where it is argued and defined that Christ died once for all. That all is not exclusive to merely those of an affluent society. Christ died for the nations, therefore God’s love was extended to every man. Now it is entirely up to that man to accept that life. The hows’ and whys’ are not for you to define, but know that a merciful God has everything under control, and desires that all come into knowledge of his Son. Is it possible that he can make that happen without you and I? Absolutely, but that does not excuse us from going into all the world, no matter how small our world is.

2 Timothy 1:9 MKJV who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the eternal times.

This is another passage that after writing it out, I thought I would do better to cut it for it too was written to a specific church body. But consider what it says. God decreed that grace would be given, not specifically, but over the populations of earth, before the earth was formed. Did David not say, “before I born, you knew me”. You cannot deny that God cast his love upon the inhabitants of earth with one great payment.

1 John 5:20 MKJV And we know that the Son of God has come, and He has given us an understanding so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him that is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and the everlasting life.

This one may be the hardest to argue my way out of for the implications are that the understanding came after rebirth. But what if I am wrong and God has given all men the ability to understand and know Him who is true. What makes sense about this argument is that scripture tells us that the god of this world has blinded their eyes.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 AMP (3) But even if our Gospel (the glad tidings) also be hidden (obscured and covered up with a veil that hinders the knowledge of God), it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing and obscured [only] to those who are spiritually dying and veiled [only] to those who are lost. (4) For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers’ minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God.

Bottom line, it is rejection of his sacrifice, his son, and his love. The reality, I suppose, is that God made man for relationship, one in which he could shower his love on us by showing us the riches of his glory. That is exactly what scripture tells he still intends to do.

Ephesians 2:7 AMP He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.

So if I reject God’s offer of son-ship and all he wants to show me, then what am I doing that offends him? Turning my heart toward another, Satan, effectively making Satan my father, and following him to destruction and eternal torment designed for him. There is no plus side to that offer, it is merely his destination and those that follow him will go there with him. God does not wish that for you, but it is a choice that you are making. A choice; think about that!

All the whining that people do, saying, “if God is so good then why does he let bad things happen?” and “why did God do that? Perhaps it all boils down to man making choices. Those that have some understanding of the garden scenario know that Adam made a couple of fast, bad choices. Those decisions were right up there with the highest form of treason, for he rejected God, rejected truth, and bought a lie, selling out the world for ages to come. What the plan of redemption shows us is God’s plan to restore things back to a corrected state. One where there is no longer a tempter to corrupt it. Having lived in this broken condition, given to me by Adam, for over 50 years, I cannot even imagine what it will feel like to not be broken. I know and experience some relief from my brokenness because of the relationship that I gained by accepting Jesus Christ into my life. Yes there have been some horrendous moments of sin, but that is exactly why God has to put things right. Until that day we will still be prone to exhibit sinful, and broken behaviors.

The entire time period is the day

God is not breaking it down into segments, the entire time period is the day. Now there is a day coming, also to be feared, for on that day he calls all the dead before him to be judged. That will not fair well for many.

The word day is yom in Hebrew and can also mean time, or year.

Genesis 1:8 KJV And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

Every reference to day in the creation event is the word yom, and carries the same connotations. Some have interpreted the word to mean eons of time. It is indeterminate without some clarifying such as nightfall or dawn.

Joel 2:11 AMP And the Lord utters His voice before His army, for His host is very great, and [they are] strong and powerful who execute [God’s] word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible, and who can endure it? [Isa. 26:20, 21; 34:1-4, 8; Rev. 6:16, 17.]

Maybe we are the ones that assigned what is to come into a specific time period. Today’s date is 10/07/2012 and over the last few months tribulations for Christians living in most of the middle east and northern Africa have suffering greatly at the hands of Islamic fanatics.

Matthew 24:21 AMP For then there will be great tribulation (affliction, distress, and oppression) such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now–no, and never will be [again]. [Dan. 12:1; Joel 2:2.]

The inability to endure the time of great tribulation is one of the aspects that Jesus spoke of. Unless God shortened the time no one would survive. I think we assign that survival aspect to the martyred saints, but Revelation 7:9 makes me believe that no one survives outside of the nations, where they will do battle with Jesus at the end of the seven-year period.

Brought into knighthood

The image I see is that of a young man being brought into knighthood. The King, holding a sword across the young man’s shoulder, addresses him, telling him who he is from this moment forth. Describing the newcomers role, powers and duties, also explains with understanding that there will be unsavory moments in this life journey. It is at those moments that you must remember who you are. You are not ordinary, you have been set aside as a representative of the King, never to return intentionally to your old ways. Yes, I understand that in the course of battle and fatigue that you may stumble and end up in the mud, but you are to get up, brush yourself off, remind yourself of who you are and continue on in a dignified manner, worthy of the calling placed upon you.

Into the kingdom they come.

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. (Revelation 7:9, NIV)

Do not think that the mercy and arm of God is stopped or foreshortened, because they come in droves. Imagine the simplicity; Father God, I need you now, take me, and he does. Or as the thief on the cross experienced as Jesus said, “this day you will be with me in paradise.” Folks, there is a paradise and it exists in and with Him, open up your hearts and allow him in. All it takes is your desire, for he has waited for you for so long now.

Father, receive me into your kingdom. I receive this Jesus Christ, the Messiah that the world has longed for. Make yourself real to me this day and change me. I know that from this moment on I am yours and the relationship that I have longed for begins. Thank you for making me new and causing this new life to begin in me. I welcome your changes for you are love.

Always: Always Love. (greatriversofhope.wordpress.com)
Wrath and Mercy (pastorderick.com)

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged Belief, Bible, Christ, Christianity, end times, Faith, future, God, HolySpirit, Israel, judgment, nations, prophecy, rapture, Revelation, Scripture, The Day of the Lord, thoughts, Word of the Lord, wrath. | 1 Comment

The Seals are opened. Revelation 6 and beyond. Part 4

Posted on 09/30/2012 by remso

The Sixth Seal – From the poor to the richest.

And when He had opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs when she is shaken by a mighty wind. And the heaven departed like a scroll when it is rolled together. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him sitting on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of His wrath has come, and who will be able to stand?

(Revelation 6:12-17 MKJV)

Let’s break this down just a bit.

Verse 12: (From the Wuest translation) “And I saw when he opened the sixth seal. And there occurred…”

a great earthquake. (Ezekiel 38:19 For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel.)
The sun became black as sackcloth. (From Websters dictionary: SACK’CLOTH, n. [sack and cloth.] Cloth of which sacks are made; coarse cloth. This word is chiefly used in Scripture to denote a cloth or garment worn in mourning, distress or mortification.)
the moon became as blood. (Where I live we have had beautiful sunsets as the sun shines through whatever is in the atmosphere illuminating the clouds with reds and oranges against the background of blue. Should you happen to catch the moonlight just right you would think it was blood-colored. I suspect that the effect will have a lot to do with pollutants being thrown into the air, but there is always the bizarre possibility that God takes this literal.)
the stars of heaven fell unto the earth. (Lacking astronomical training how would you describe asteroids and meteors striking the earth. As they enter the atmosphere they begin to burn up; those that are large and solid enough continue on, striking the earth. Evidence and theory strongly imply that the earth has been struck by such things on several occasions, creating a havoc that affected the entire earth. And, like so many other things we will see here in scripture, this could be a literal event.)
the heaven departed as a scroll. (The International Standard version says, “The sky vanished like a scroll being rolled up.” I am not sure what that will look like but be sure of this, God is really trying to get the attention of those left here on the earth. I have tried several times to convey to those who read my thoughts, that God is above all else, a God of mercy. Yes, this time period is a time of judgment and wrath, but then ask yourself why. After sending messengers, prophets, and then his own son so many have rejected him. Not only rejected him but brutally killed his son. Not to worry, God raised his son from the dead and this victorious Jesus Christ has been seated as the reigning king ever since. The problem is, few bow to the king. To be honest, I do not care if that concept of bowing before him upsets you anymore, for no one is more deserving of obeisance than Jesus Christ, and I humbly submit myself before him.)
every mountain and island moved out of their place. (As a child in school, our teachers taught what they understood and no one ever taught us that the earth may have been one large land mass now disrupted. I am not a rocket scientist, but just like most of you, I have some common sense. First, looking at a map of the world you can see that they look like worn down puzzle pieces that have been torn apart, and two merely reading scripture, in particular things about the Garden of Eden, tells me that this entire planet was the garden and there was a center. The third thing that should have your attention was the fact that in the most arid environments scientists have found evidence of lush, tropical foliage, along with skeletal evidence of large animals you would never have expected to be there. Point: something extremely dramatic happened to change all that. I can give you a hint. Look carefully at the story surrounding Noah after the flood. Genesis 10:25 tells us of one of Noah grandchildren naming his son Peleg. Peleg is a derivative of palag and it literally means to divide or cleave. I believe that most bible translators spoke of this event in terms of language barriers or ideals because in part they, like most of the world, did not understand or have knowledge of the tectonic plates, and they may have thought the earth was really flat.)

Revelation 6:15-17 ESV Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, (16) calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, (17) for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

I have watched enough of the Discovery channel on television to understand that should a super volcano, like the one beneath Yellowstone Park in Wyoming blow, it could cause many of these things. How the destruction arrives and what forms it takes are really irrelevant for God is making it happen with the express intent of punishing the nations and those who willfully reject his Son as the sacrifice that restores the ability to have a relationship with the Father, and apparently this love relationship was God’s intent when he made man to begin with.

I know that Satan lies to you when you read something like this, telling you that you were created as a toy for God’s perverted pleasure, but what you do not realize is that outside of God’s restoration, your mind filters everything through a broken mindset; one in which you take the ideals your accustomed to and you assign them to God. You have no idea who God is, you cannot outside of asking Him to come into your life. Only then can you begin to understand that God is love. This makes me chuckle, for I have been where you are. I have had to choose to challenge my worldly mindsets and unbelief, asking myself the hard questions like: is this life in Christ for real? What I have found is that God, this invisible entity, for the most part, has consistently come through, exactly as he said he would. Turn to him through Jesus Christ and he will become real to you too.

Sixth Seal (ghettoscorner.wordpress.com)
Another Quote on the Editing Floor (kevinwilkening.wordpress.com)
outline – compilation from EGW Writings (7trumpets.wordpress.com)
Who Are the Tribulation Saints? (raptureimminent.wordpress.com)
The Final Wrath of God, Part 2 (brakeman1.com)

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged Belief, Bible, Christ, Cults, deception, Earth, end times, future, God, hope, Israel, Jesus, Jews, last days, prophecy, rapture, religion, Revelation, theology | Leave a comment

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Revelation 11: 1-2

Jerusalem under the power of the Antichrist.

Why would He give it over to the gentiles?

What do we know about those that trample and pollute the temple in the future?

Who is John writing to?

after eating the scroll

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Some serious problems coming.

He had in his hand a little book.

A scroll or a book, it matters not.

Like the roar of a lion.

John had seen the future.

Seems simple enough.

All that we have seen

No more delay!

The little book.

You must prophecy against

the plans he had revealed

iArmistice of Mudros

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Out of the smoke comes a locust like creature.

Now would be a good time to ask, who is still here?

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Revelation Chapter 7

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Revelation 6:17 MKJV for the great day of His wrath has come, and who will be able to stand?

God’s wrath is directed at Israel and the nations.

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