Feast of Trumpets 2016

From That Time Until the End

The cataclysmic times ahead will affect the whole world and all peoples shown by the opening of the seven seals

Fred R. Coulter—October 3, 2016

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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to the Feast of Trumpets! What a year this has been up to this point!

We’ll just have to wait and see how the election is going to come out, so that we understand how things are going to be looking at that time.

One thing we can always be sure of, the Word of God is true and everything is going to work out exactly as God has said. That doesn’t mean that we have complete understanding; we have some understanding up to a certain point, and we’ll see that as we go through this day of the Feast of Trumpets.

As you know, all the Holy Days are listed in Lev. 23, and this is the 1st day of the 7th month. The Calculated Hebrew Calendar is calculated and coordinated and adjusted to the first day of the 7th month, although the keeping of the Holy Days begins with the Passover, which is in spring.

Lev. 23 doesn’t say very much about the Feast of Trumpets, but we will see that it has great meaning.

Leviticus 23:23: And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel saying, “In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath…”’” (vs 23-24). All Holy Days are called a Sabbath.

“…a memorial of blowing of ram’s horns… [and trumpets] …a Holy convocation. You shall do no servile work therein but you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD” (vs 24-25).

There were the official offerings that were given at the temple, as required in Num. 28 & 29. Then the other offerings were brought by the people. Of course, every Holy Day we likewise take up an offering. We know that God has promised that whatever our circumstances are, He will provide for us.

As Paul said, ‘God’s grace is sufficient’ (2-Cor. 9) in everything that we do. This is very important for us to understand.

There have been those who have not used the monies properly, and God has taken care of them. We apply everything that we have to the work of preaching the Gospel, of which you are a vital part. We appreciate everything that you do:

  • your prayers
  • your love
  • your letters
  • the things that you do
    • in helping other brethren
    • in helping other people
    • in helping get out the message of God to the world

We’re all together in this, and Christ is the Head of the Church!

(pause for the offering)

Let’s begin in Isa. 41. It’s a very interesting place to begin because there are many places in the Bible that we will look at that brings us to the end. Gen. 1 tells us about the beginning. Notice what God says in:

Isaiah 41:4: “Who has planned and done it…” Talking about God’s overall plan. As we know, the Holy Days picture the sequence of events in God’s plan.

“…calling forth the generations from the beginning? ‘I, THE LORD, AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST; I AM HE’” (v 4).

Then we find in the book of Revelation, chapter one, He says it two more times: I AM the First and the Last, I AM Alpha and Omega! Then He says it also at the end of the book of Revelation, showing that the whole Bible is tied together as one unified whole with various parts.

It’s very interesting when you study the account of Adam and Eve. There’s a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah right there, right after their sin, that they had to be saved from their sins.

You find in many prophecies that it’s from here to the end. Now, let’s see this in the book of Daniel, which perhaps displays this more than any other book of the Bible. Dan. 2 talks about the image and it talks about the end. It shows:

Daniel 2:44: “And in the days of these kings, the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed. And the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever”—from that time until the end! The stone that was cut out without hands was Christ. Then we come also to:

Dan. 5-6—we see the end of Babylon

Dan. 7—it’s from that time until the end and the setting up of the Kingdom of God.

Dan. 8—from the time of Belshazzar; then it talks about the kings of Media and Persia and it comes down to the end

Here is what it is at the end, Daniel 8:23: And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have come to the full, a king, fierce of countenance and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up…. [that has not yet happened] …And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power….” (vs 23-24). No, because Satan is the one who gives him the power (Rev. 13).

“…And he shall destroy marvelously, and shall prosper and do his own will, and destroy the mighty and the Holy people…. [v 25]: …He also shall stand up against the Prince of princes. But he shall be broken without a human hand.”

Dan. 9 is the 70-week prophecy, and verse 27 ends at the end with the ‘abomination that makes desolate.’

Dan. 10 carries on from that time

Daniel 11:40: “And at the time of the end, the King of the South shall push at him….” That has happened in repeated patterns, but not to the point of the other Scriptures that show that ‘the man of sin, the son of perdition’ goes into the temple of God proclaiming that he himself is God.

Dan. 12 ends up at the resurrection

All the prophecies that we have in the Old Testament that talk about the end-time, etc., all tell us about from that time to the end.

Matt. 24—we see exactly the same pattern. This is a focal chapter of all the prophecies in the Bible. Prophecy is something that everyone is interested in. What’s going to happen? We have, again, from that time until the setting up of the Kingdom of God!

There are certain key verses in Matt. 24, because there is contained within it cycles. There are things that happen in type, there are things that take place, which occur that look like the prophecy has been fulfilled, but it wasn’t completely fulfilled to bring to the time of the end.

Let’s go through Matt. 24 and see the things that are here, and how many of them have been cyclical. Of course, you can take Matt. 24 and overlay it with the 40 years from 30A.D. when Christ was crucified, until 70A.D. when the temple was destroyed. Of course, 40 is a time of trial and suffering. But that was not the fulfillment of a very key thing in Matt. 24. All of the other things were fulfilled up to a point.

They wanted to know what was going to happen to the building, especially the temple because it was a beautiful building. When you looked at from the Mt. of Olives where they were, it was very spectacular. Jesus had talked about the time of the end and so forth, so they wanted to know when it would be.

Pointing to the most permanent thing that they could see, the temple, Matthew 24:2: “But Jesus said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, there shall not be left here even a stone upon a stone that shall not be thrown down.’” That’s interesting, and of course, the true place of the temple is not where the Mosque of Omar is.

His disciples wanted to know, v 3: “…‘Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the completion of the age?’”

  • the end of the age
  • the beginning and the ending
  • the first and the last
  • from there to here

What we’re going to read next are things that have come in cycles and have happened over and over again down through the time of history from the time of Christ until today.

Verse 4: “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Be on guard, so that no one deceives you. For many shall come in My name, saying, “I am the Christ”; and they shall deceive many’” (vs 4-5).

Has that happened? Yes! Look at Christianity today, look at some of the things that we have covered how that combining Christianity and Islam is becoming the ‘in thing.’ Then He says:

Verse 6: “And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars….” Has that not been the history from the time of when Jesus spoke this until the final battle that we find in Armageddon? Yes! This is cyclical.

“…See that you do not let these things disturb you. For it is necessary that all these things take place, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation…” (vs 6-7). That’s the whole history of mankind.

Look at all of the wars. I got a book: Langer’s Encyclopedia of World History. It’s centered around wars, changing of kingdoms, changing of rulers, and that’s about all that is there. Men fight and war all the time! Look at today!

“…and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places” (v 7). We’ve seen all of those in our lifetime—have we not? And all the disciples down through time have seen those things in their lifetimes, as well.

Verse 8: “Now, all these things are the beginning of sorrows.

Verse 10: “And then shall many be led into sin… [over and over again] …and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another; and many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many” (vs 10-11). True! Happens over and over!

Verse 12 begins to come to the time of the end: “And because lawlessness shall be multiplied, the love of many shall grow cold.” That likewise has happened over and over again, as well.

Verse 13: “But the one who endures to the end, that one shall be saved.” Whether it is the end of your life or the end of the age.

Verse 14: “And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come”—from there to the end!

All of these events have to take place, but they are fulfilled in such a way that people can look at them and scoff and say, ‘Well, it hasn’t happened; God doesn’t exist.’

Let’s come to the next one that is very important to understand and it ties back to the book of Daniel.

Verse 15: “Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the Holy place.’….”

Now, this parenthetical phrase—“…(The one who reads, let him understand.)”—was put there by John. In Rev. 11 John has a vision of the temple, but he lived to see the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in 70A.D. and he lived about another 30 years longer. So, in order for us to understand what this is talking about, this was put in here for us to realize two events:

  • the abomination of desolation did not occur when the temple was destroyed in 70A.D.
  • the man of sin, the son of perdition did not go into the Holy of Holies and proclaim himself to be ‘God,’ which is the final abomination of desolation

There was a type of it with Antiochus Epiphanes when he desolated the Holy sanctuary and offered swine on the altars of God. That was a type of it, but here we need other Scriptures to explain what this is.

Then Jesus says, v 16: “Then… [from that time] …let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains.” It’s going to lead to:

Verse 21: “For then… [at the time of the abomination of desolation standing in the Holy place] …shall there be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until this time, nor ever shall be again.”

The very next verse—22—has not yet been fulfilled. So, we find from v 15 all the way down has yet to be fulfilled, and it ends with the return of Christ and the resurrection from the dead.

Verse 22: “And if those days were not limited… [we know that from other Scriptures that the limit is 3-1/2 years: times, times and half a time] …there would no flesh be saved…” We did not reach the potential of that until the atomic bomb and then the hydrogen bomb, with all the missiles and all the bombs, Now we have artificial intelligence. All of this together, unless Christ would return and stop it, “…there would be no flesh saved…” alive—none!

“…but for the elect’s sake those days shall be limited” (v 22). Then He talks about how the return of Christ is going to be, leading up to Pentecost.

Abomination of Desolation:

This is what sets off the Tribulation. As we’ve mentioned many times, there will be another temple built in Jerusalem. They already have the plans, they’re already to go, but it will not happen until it is time. God has planned it and He will carry it out.

There has never been this occurrence as we find in 2-Thess. 2. Some men, in order to fulfill their own interpretation of these Scriptures like to say that when there was an overthrow of Church of God that those who did it fulfilled this, but that’s not true. This has to be in the temple of God.

2-Thesslonians 2:1: “Now, we beseech you, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him… [in the resurrection] …that you not be quickly shaken in mind, nor be troubled—neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by epistle, as if from us, saying that the day of Christ is present. Do not let anyone deceive you by any means…” (vs 1-3).

That’s a pretty strong warning, because there are many who have come along and have deceived by many means.

“…because that day will not come unless the apostasy…” (v 3). This is the rebellion against God, and that’s what the Feast of Trumpets is all about.

The world is in rebellion against God, and God has a controversy with all the inhabitants of the earth. That’s why all the events at the end encompasses the world. That’s why all of these events have to be put together properly in order to understand them.

“…the apostasy shall come first, and the man of sin shall be revealed—the son of perdition” (v 3). Notice how it describes him. We have those who come close to this: the popes of Rome, but none of them have ever sat in a temple of God, even though some of them profess themselves to be as God. So, you have to have all the facts together when understanding the Scriptures.

Verse 4: “The one who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is an object of worship; so that he comes into the temple of God… [the Greek is ‘naos’: Holy of Holies] …and sits down as God, proclaiming that he himself is God.” Notice all of the qualifiers there:

  • you need a temple
  • you need the apostasy and rebellion against God from the whole world
  • you need the man of sin, the son of perdition
  • you need the temple for him to go into
  • you need him to proclaim that he is ‘God’

greater than any object of worship

  • he sits down in the temple and proclaims himself to be ‘God’

That’s quite a thing! We’ll see the fulfillment of that in just a bit.

Paul says, v 5: “Do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? And now you understand what is holding him back in order for him to be revealed in his own set time” (vs 5-6).

Everything in the plan of God has an appointed time, or a set time. Trumpets is an appointed, set time.

Verse 7: “For the mystery of lawlessness… [Didn’t we see where lawlessness would be multiplied?] …is already working; only there is One Who is restraining at the present time until it arises out of the midst.”

We will see how it arises in just a minute. But the important thing is that nothing happens until it is time! With things going on the way that they are:

  • we still don’t know how much time is left
  • we still don’t know what’s going to happen in Europe
  • we still don’t know how things are going to come in America

All of these events are going to affect the whole world. The reason that we go through these things every year is so that we will not be complacent. We will not say, ‘Oh well, the Bible isn’t true; it didn’t fulfill the way I understood it.’ Maybe the way that people understand it is not correct! That doesn’t mean that any part of the Scripture is not true.

Verse 8: “And then the lawless one will be revealed (whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth, and will destroy with the brightness of His coming).” We will see that there is only one place in the Bible—in the book of Revelation—where that will be fulfilled.

Verse 9: “Even the one whose coming is according to the inner working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in those who are perishing because they did not receive the love of the Truth, so that they might be saved” (vs 9-10).

Think of this: With the Gospel being preached in all the world—and it’s being preached more than ever before, in spite of what some people may think—it is and it will be, and there is more time to do it. This is why that not only we, but every Church of God everywhere, all need to get right with God the Father and Jesus Christ and preach the Truth, and help warn the world. Out in the world we have warnings from:

  • economists
  • governments
  • environmentalists
  • different people about different things in the world

But that all comes back to the fulcrum point of the Gospel and the lawlessness and the rebellion against God that is taking place in this world.

Notice what happens; this can happen at any time to anyone who rejects the Truth. There are some things we just don’t understand. There are some timing of things that we don’t really comprehend, and apart of that is because God always gives space for repentance. God always acknowledges repentance. God is the One, Christ is there opening the seals. Nothing at the end time is going to take place unless Jesus Christ opens the seals and the events unfold.

This can happen at any time, but particularly at the end-time, v 11: “And for this cause God will send upon them a powerful deception that will cause them to believe the lie.” What is the lie? That the man, the son of perdition—the one who is the agent of Satan the devil—is God!

Verse 12: “So that all may be judged who did not believe the Truth, but who took pleasure in unrighteousness.” We are not to be that way. We are to be

  • loving
  • serving
  • overcoming
  • on guard
  • watching these things all the time

Rev. 13—Here again, this starts at a certain point. Just like we have learned in the book of Daniel, these things are event driven. Certain events must take place before other events can happen.

How is it going to work out with a coming one-world government? and A one-world religion? We have seen how they have tried to bring it about, but it hasn’t happened, yet. They try to bring it about again, but it hasn’t happened, yet.

Look at it with everything that has been happening from the Brexit. People are rejecting globalization! They wanted to have a one-world government, religion and no borders! Well, that hasn’t worked out too well. So, it’s kind of backing away from that a bit. So, we don’t know how it’s going to happen.

It’s interesting how in Rev. 13 it is described. Also, it’s interesting that certain types of this have already been done, but the final fulfillment has not. And it’s also interesting, as well, that when you watch the prophecies and things take place, that you have the same kind of thing coming again and again and again.

Revelation 13:1: “1: And I stood on the sand of the sea; and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea… [waters are a type of people that we find in Rev. 17] …having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy…. [all of one] …And the beast that I saw was like a leopard…” (vs 1-2). This combines everything of Dan. 7 into a one new organized one-world system.

“…and his feet like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion; and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne and great authority…. [direct from Satan the devil] …And I saw one of his heads as if it were slain to death, but his deadly wound was healed; and the whole earth was amazed and followed the beast” (vs 2-3).

Notice what they do; here is the apostasy, right here in full bloom; v 4: “And they worshiped the dragon… [Satan the devil] …who gave his authority to the beast…. [because he has power over all nations] …And they worshiped the beast, saying… [because he claims himself to be God] …‘Who is like the beast? Who has the power to make war against him?’”

So, there will come a time, just like it says in 1-Thess. 5; they’re going to say ‘peace, peace, and there is no peace.’ That temporary peace is going to be broken and shattered, and at that point, everything is going to come unglued in the world, and all of the prophecies of Rev. that pertain to the end-time will be fulfilled in rapid succession and fulfill the 3-1/2 year time—times, times and half a time.

Verse 5: “And a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies was given to him; and authority was given to him to continue for forty-two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God…” (vs 5-6)—right in the temple of God, which the Jews are going to build.

Sidebar: Why is God going to have them build a temple? Because the Jews think that if they build a temple, that is going to cause the Messiah to come! But the lesson from God is that no man is going to do anything to compel God to do something that is demanded by a man! Never happen! A man, men, groups of men, or even the whole world!

Notice what’s going to happen right after that wound, v 7: “And he was given power to make war against the saints… [ties in with Rev. 6] …and to overcome them…” Notice why the Bible tells us that there will be a one-world government with a single man as world-ruler. Also it tells us that there will be a false prophet who will do signs and wonders, who will be along side the world-ruler bringing this to pass leading the world into sin!

“…and he was given authority over every tribe and language and nation…. [none of this has ever been fulfilled] …And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear” (vs 7-9). A warning! You’d better listen to the Word of God!

Here is the rise of the false prophet, v 11: “And I saw another beast rising out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, but spoke like a dragon; and he exercises all the authority of the first beast before him; and he causes the earth and those who dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (vs 11-12).

There’s some big-time things going to happen down the road! Everything that is taking place now is going to be adding to or setting the stage for the fulfillment of these events.

Verse 13: “And he performs great wonders, so that he even causes fire to come down to the earth from heaven in the sight of men.” When people see it, they will believe it. They will say, Oh yes, this is God, our Savior has come. Yes, we’re going to have peace and everything is going to be great’—until that deadly wound!

Verse 14: “And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by means of the wonders that were given to him to perform in the sight of the beast, saying to those who dwell on the earth that they should make an image for the beast, which had the wound by the sword, yet, was alive.”

Amazing! You can see it now; not only an image, but tee-shirts, signs, plaques, posters, idols, everything! It’s going to be a time of euphoria for the people of the earth.

It’s going to be so spectacular, v 15: And he was given power to give life to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast also could speak; and he causes everyone who will not worship the image of the beast to be killed.”

Not only the slaying of the saints, but everyone who refuses it. You talk about total oppression! Total destruction coming! Yes, indeed!

This also had to take place before this time, but in the book of Revelation some things follow along in sequence and order, and some of them do not. You have to explain something first, then you explain something later. Here it is, and think about this: the economic situations that are out there, and how they’re going to come about. They’re moving more and more to get rid of cash and to go to credit cards, and then—because there will be such thievery of it—to the mark of the beast in the right hand or the forehead.

Verse 16: “And he causes all… [that’s the first beast] …the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, to receive a mark in their right hands, or in their foreheads so that no one may have the ability to buy and sell unless he has the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (vs 16-17).

Think about that for a minute. Never has there been a time when it would be possible on the whole earth that you could have a system that if you did not have this mark you could not buy and you could not sell. What if you went to the store and you brought out your handy-dandy little card and you swiped it and it said, ‘declined.’ You’d get another card, because you have a half a dozen cards, and you swipe and swipe, and they’re all declined.

You find out that the message that they got from the financial institutions was that all of your cards have been canceled. How are you going to buy anything? Think about that! We’re close to that time.

Please understand, in spite of the prophecies of men, this has to do with buying and selling. It has nothing to do with Sunday-keeping. This is the system that is coming! It was foretold beginning back there in the very beginning, then through the book of Daniel. Then through the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and through other prophecies in the New Testament, and the book of Revelation, which gives us the fulfillment of these things.

(go to the next track)

What we’re going to see is that there will be many things taking place on the earth all during the 3-1/2 year period of the Tribulation. There are two divisions in the Tribulation:

  • the first two years are against Israel and also the rest of the world

after that

  • the rest of the world

It’s really going to be quite something! There will never ever be a time like this again. Another thing to keep in mind is that this is going to affect all nations everywhere on earth. No one will be exempt regardless of what category they fit into:

  • there will be those who will be protected
  • there will be the 144,000

as we covered on Pentecost

  • there will be the great innumerable multitude
  • there will be those in battle
  • there will be those not in battle

It’s going to affect everyone on earth: all nations and all people. That’s why the Feast of Trumpets is a memorial of the blowing of ram’s horns and trumpets, because it depicts the cataclysmic times at the end leading up to the return of Jesus Christ.

Nearly all the places where it talks about The Day of the Lord in reference to the end-times, this is the sequence of events that leads up to the return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the saints, the return back to the earth, and as we see the events unfold through the Holy Days.

Isaiah 13:9: “Behold, the Day of the LORD comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation; and He shall destroy the sinners out of it… [so powerful is this going to be; this ties is with Rev. 6:12]: …for the stars of the heavens and their constellations shall not give light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not reflect its light. ‘And I will punish the world…” (vs 9-11).

We’re going to emphasize certain words here so that we understand this is a worldwide event.

Verse 11: “And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease…” The last one of that will be the Beast Power.

“…and will lay low the haughtiness of the tyrants. I will make man more scarce than gold; even man more than the fine gold of Ophir. Therefore, I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall move out of its place…” (vs 11-13).

This is why no one knows the day or the hour; even though we know the events that will take place, because of the Holy Days, we don’t know the day or the hour, because everything is out of whack!

“…in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger” (v 13).

We can say that this has never happened in the history of mankind, but it’s going to, Isaiah 24:1: “Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste, and turns it upside down, and scatters its inhabitants. And as it is with the people, so it shall be with the priest; as with the slave, so with the master; as with the handmaid, so it is with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. The earth shall be completely laid waste, and utterly stripped; for the LORD has spoken this word” (vs 1-3).

Let’s understand that when God says it’s going to happen, it is going to happen exactly as He has said!

Verse 4: “The earth mourns and languishes; the world withers and languishes; the proud people of the earth wither. And the earth is defiled under its people; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, and have broken the everlasting covenant” (vs 4-5)—the world! We’re going to see that God says He has a controversy with the world!

Verse 6: “Therefore, the curse has devoured the earth, and they who dwell in it are desolate; therefore, the people of the earth are burned, and few men are left.”

Some people think that all men will be destroyed. It doesn’t say that. It says that “…few men are left.”

Jer. 25 is an astounding chapter. I have read and gone over this many, many times, and I’m totally amazed, in going over it again in preparation for this Feast of Trumpets, how absolutely all encompassing and breathtaking and powerful that this chapter is.

Jeremiah never completed this, because he never went to all the nation that are listed here, but he went there in vision. He had a cup of wrath from God, which all nations were to drink of. That could not be fulfilled until the time of the end.

Jeremiah 25:26—after he lists all the kings: “And all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world, which are on the face of the earth…”

Is that all encompassing or not? That’s quite a statement! Get out a globe and look at it. It’s going to affect the whole world. This is something and we’ll see the details of it when we get to the book of Revelation.

“…and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them. ‘Therefore, you shall say to them, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Drink and be drunk, and vomit, and fall, and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among you.’” And it shall come to pass if they refuse to take the cup at your hand to drink, then you shall say to them, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘You shall certainly drink. For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city, which is called by My name; and shall you go unpunished? You shall not go unpunished. For I will call for a sword on all the inhabitants of the earth,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And prophesy against them all these words, and say to them, “The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter His voice from His Holy habitation. He shall mightily roar over His dwelling place. He shall give a shout, like those who tread out grapes, against all the people of the earth”’” (vs 26-30). Those are sweeping statements.

Verse 31: “A noise shall come to the ends of the earth…” There is not going to be a place that this is not going to happen.

“‘…for the LORD has a controversy with the nations; He will plead with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,”’ says the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be stirred up from the farthest corners of the earth. And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth; they shall not be mourned, nor gathered, nor buried. They shall be as dung on the ground” (vs 31-33). Isn’t that something?

Then God lays the blame right where it should be, v 34: Howl, you shepherds… [religious or civil] …and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, you lords of the flock! For the days of your slaughter and of your scatterings are fulfilled; and you shall fall like a choice vessel.” Those are very powerful words.

As we go through the book of Revelation we will see how all of these prophecies of the Old Testament will all fit in together with these prophecies in Rev. None of the prophecies in the Old Testament could be understood without the prophecies of the New Testament. None of them are going to take place without Christ making it happen.

Everything is being built up here on the earth; all the things are getting ready. How long it will be, we don’t know. Many of us will probably be in our place of safety in the grave, but:

  • there are going to be those who are going to have to live through this
  • there are going to be those who will be taken to a place of safety
  • there will be those who will be slain for the Word of God
  • there will be the saving of the 144,000 and great innumerable multitude
  • there will be the vast wars that will sweep across all the way from Asia to the Holy Land with all nations involved

We’re going to see that this is going to be a tremendous time, when the fulfilling of these events takes place.

John was crying because there was no one to open the seals. No one in heaven or on earth was found who could open the seals except the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 5:3-4 9).

First Seal:

Revelation 6:1: “And I looked when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures say, like the sound of thunder, ‘Come and see.’ And I looked, and behold, there was a white horse…” (vs 1-2)—the false christ, the one going about bringing together the one-world religion. There are many others involved and many things are taking place. It’s going on in different place in the world; people are getting together and ‘aren’t we nice, we’re going to be peaceful, we’re going to be wonderful and love each other.’ But that will only last for a short period of time. It will happen.

Second Seal:

The second seal becomes the key important one, because this seal represents what is going to happen when the beast of Rev. 13 is healed from the ‘deadly wound.’ This is the beginning of the Great Tribulation. The beast is given power to make war over all the earth!

Verse 3: “And when He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, ‘Come and see.’ And another horse went out that was red; and power was given to the one sitting on it to take peace from the earth…” (vs 3-4)—not just from a country. Just like we read in Jer. 25, the whole world, all nations, all flesh.

Third Seal:

“…and to cause them to kill one another; and a great sword was given to him. And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say…” (vs 4-5).

Notice that seals 2-6 follow within that two-year period. There are other things going on in different place of the earth. The first part of the Tribulation is against Israel. As we have covered many times, Hosea 5-6 we have the 144,00, which is the lifting of the Tribulation against Israel, but the Tribulation against the rest of the world continues for another year and a half[transcriber’s correction]—for a total of 3-1/3 years.

Here is where it comes: these things happen quickly. When there is war then you have the what is right here: the third seal:

Verse 5: “And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come and see.’ And I looked, and behold, there was a black horse; and the one sitting on it had a balance in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures say, ‘A measure of wheat for a silver coin, and three measures of barley for a silver coin: and see that you do not damage the oil and the wine’” (vs 5-6)—because it’s so precious.

Fourth Seal:

Verse 7: “And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘Come and see.’ And I looked, and behold, there was a pale horse; and the name of the one sitting on it was Death, and the grave followed him; and authority was given to them… [collectively, 2,3,4] …over one-fourth of the earth…” (vs 7-8). Exactly where that is, how that’s going to work out, we don’t know!

“…to kill with the sword and with famine and with death, and by the beasts of the earth” (v 8).

Whenever these things happen, there is always a scapegoat. The scapegoat will be those who claim they are Christians who would not receive the mark of the beast, who would not submit to the authority of the world religion, would not submit to the authority of the beast; the martyrdom of the saints. Yes, we know that just before the Tribulation begins, there will be those taken to a place of safety so that the Church never dies out.

But what we need to understand is not setting our heart on going to a place of safety; let’s set our heart on being faithful to God in all circumstances so whether we go or whether we don’t go, we are faithful. Here this is going to be faithful unto death.

Fifth Seal:

Verse 9: “And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony that they held; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, Holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ And white robes were given to each of them; and they were told that they should rest a short time, yet, until it be fulfilled that both their fellow servants and their brethren also would be killed, just as they had been” (vs 9-11).

This was a vision; not that souls go to heaven, but it’s interesting that what the Spirit of God does with the spirit of man when we die goes back to God. If we’re of the saints, where is it? Somewhere close to the altar of God in heaven! Read Heb. 12 on that.

Sixth Seal:

Just before the next to the last Pentecost the sixth seal is opened, the heavens depart as a scroll and the stars from heaven fall, the moon doesn’t give its light, the sun doesn’t give its light and this fulfills what we read in Isa. 13.

Then there is a pause right here; here is the 50th day harvest of God for Pentecost of the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude.

Remember: From Pentecost to Trumpets is about four months. From Pentecost to Tabernacles four and half months. This involves all the rest of the world and this fulfills the prophecy of Dan. 11 that the kings of the North and the kings of the East, the Beast Power is going launch against them (the kings of the North and East). It’s going to be quite a thing that takes place.

That happens because God is intervening and the angels of God are fighting against men, demons and Satan the devil.

Rev. 8-9 are focal points of the Feast of Trumpets. From the next to the last Pentecost to the last Pentecost, that will be the resurrection on Pentecost. From Trumpets to Trumpets is the last year. These events take place in that last year.

Seventh Seal/Trumpet Plagues:

Revelation 8:1: “Now, when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about a half hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them” (vs 1-2).

Seven trumpet plagues, each one in succession. Again, we have the first four of them come very rapidly, and it comes directly from God.

Verse 3: “And another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar; and much incense was given to him, so that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that was before the throne.”

There are those who are converted people—saints—who were still alive in the flesh at that time and they’re praying to God. That includes the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude and those in the place of safety, as well.

Verse 5: “And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it into the earth; and there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings, and an earthquake. Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound their trumpets. And the first angel sounded his trumpet; and there was hail and fire mingled with blood, and it was cast upon the earth…” (vs 5-7).

Now it’s beginning to involve all the rest of the world! What happened?

“…and a third of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up” (v 7). Keep in mind that when grass burns up… Look, trees and grass have no understanding of what’s going on. So, when they’re damaged and then they get a little water, they start to grow and repair. That’s why when we get to Rev. 9 we find that that is probably what has happened, because when you have all of these things take place, there are going to be great thunder storms going, as well.

Verse 8: “Then the second angel sounded his trumpet…” Feast of Trumpets picturing the things that are the fulfillment of that Feast.

“…and there was cast into the sea as it were a great mountain burning with fire, and a third of the sea became blood; and a third of the living creatures that were in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded his trumpet; and there fell out of heaven a great star, burning like a lamp; and it fell on a third of the rivers, and on the fountains of waters. Now, the name of the star is Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood; and many men died from drinking the waters because they were made bitter” (vs 8-11). Just like the Bible says:

    • Who is going to fight against God?
    • Who is going to stand against God?

No one!

Verse 12: “Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet; and a third of the sun was smitten, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars; so that a third of them were darkened; and a third part of the day did not shine, and likewise a third part of the night.”

So, we have here the shaking of the heavens. That caused a problem with timing. Then we have again with the fourth angel and what happens.

This is why that no one knows the day or the hour. We can know the general time because of the Holy Days. But by the time we get down to the day or the hour, only the Father knows that.

Verse 13: “And I looked; and I heard an angel flying in the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, ‘Woe, woe, woe to those who are dwelling on the earth, because of the voices of the remaining trumpets of the three angels who are about to sound their trumpets.’” Whoa! Three woes!

First Woe:

A great, massive retaliation by the Beast Power against the kings of North and the kings of the East with a secret weapon that is like the sting of a scorpion.

At that time, there are going to be millions of more demons unleashed on this earth. We don’t know how many are in the abyss or the prison. This is the greatest battle that is going to be between men and angels and demons that the world has ever seen.

Revelation 9:1: “And the fifth angel sounded his trumpet; and I saw a star… [a demon] …that had fallen from heaven to the earth, and there was given to him the key to the bottomless abyss. And he opened the bottomless abyss; and there went up smoke from the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit. Then locusts came onto the earth from the smoke; and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power” (vs 1-3).

I’ve never been stung by a scorpion; I have no idea what it’s like, but it seems to be a very nasty and paralyzing. But in this case, it doesn’t kill them.

Verse 4: “And it was said to them that they should not damage the grass of the earth…” It says in Rev. 8 that all the green grass was burned up. So, this shows a period of time from Rev. 8:7 to Rev. 9:4; the grass grew back; it always does. The grass knows nothing about the things going on, except it got burned.

This means that if there was green grass again there had to be rain, there had to be water, and it grew again. They were told that they were not to hurt the grass of earth.

“…or any green thing, or any tree… [so the trees were recovering] …but only the men who did not have the seal of God in their foreheads” (v 4). This shows that men are alive. Who are the ones who have been sealed in their foreheads? The 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude! They are protected at this point. Very important to understand.

Verse 5: “And it was given to them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man…. [it’s going to be so bad]: …And in those days men will seek death but will not find it; and they will desire to die, but death will flee from them. And the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for war; and on their heads were crowns like those of gold; and their faces were like the faces of men” (vs 5-7).

This is the powerful army that it’s talking about in Joel 2.

Verse 8: “And they had hair like women’s hair; and their teeth were like those of lions. And they had breastplates like iron breastplates; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots drawn by many horses running to war; and they had tails like scorpions, and stingers; and they were given power to injure men with their tails for five months” (vs 8-10). This lasts for a total of five months out of a year. How much time is left? If this is a leap year then there are 13 months according to the Calculated Hebrew Calendar, and they have 8 months left!

Verse 11: “And they have over them a king, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but the name he has in Greek is Apollyon.” None other than Satan the devil!

Second and Third Woes:

Verse 12: “The first woe is past. Behold, after these things two more woes are still to come. And the sixth angel sounded his trumpet; and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God; and it said to the sixth angel, who had the trumpet, ‘Loose the four angels who are bound in the great River Euphrates.’ Ten the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were loosed, so that they might kill a third of men” (vs 12-15).

Remember what we read in Jer. 25? Their bodies are going to be left on the earth for the beasts! Now here comes the greatest army.

Verse 16: “And the number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred thousand thousand; and I heard the number of them. And so, I saw the horses in the vision, and those sitting on them, who had fiery breastplates, even like jacinth and brimstone. And the heads of the horses were like heads of lions, and fire and smoke and brimstone shoot out of their mouths” (vs 16-17). This is something!

Again, there are going to be more men killed, v 18: “By these three a third of men were killed: by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone that shoot out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouths; for their tails are like serpents, and have heads, and with them they inflict wounds” (vs 18-19).

Here they come, wave after wave after wave; the armies stretching all the way from the Far East, coming through China, Afghanistan, Iran and on into Iraq and across the Euphrates River and coming into the Holy Land. This is something! As they’re coming it’s going to be quite a thing! This took five months for it to happen. That’s from Trumpets, for five months, then you’re getting into the springtime. Not quite, early spring. Then all of this takes place right after that, having eight months leading up to the next Trumpets.

Here they come, the battle is raging, v 20: “But the rest of the men… [though there are demons involved, there are men involved] …who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands…”

How powerful is belief to cling to by people who will not give up their evil ways? It’s like it says, they’re all mad!

“…that they might not worship demons, and idols of gold and silver and brass and stone and wood, which do not have the power to see, nor to hear, nor to walk. And they did not repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornications, nor of their thievery” (vs 20-21). Quite a powerful thing!

Rev. 10—the seven thunders. We don’t know what they are because God told John not to write them, but they are going to so awesome indeed that God said not to write them.

All of this takes place from Trumpets, five months, then beginning the sixth month down through to the next Trumpets all of this continues. However, don’t forget about Pentecost to Pentecost and the resurrection.

Four months are over, so you have five months and you have eight months, and right in the middle of this you have Pentecost and the resurrection. The second sun, which is the sign of the Son of man in heaven, then comes down to the earth as though it’s going to hit the earth.

As we saw, when it reaches over the Holy Land it’s going to spread out like a giant sea of glass and the resurrection is going to take place. That’s the seventh trumpet; that is the last trumpet (Rev. 11).

Let’s see how the last four months is carried out. All the saints will be on the Sea of Glass; we’ve covered how much we need to learn and how much has to take place. God is going fulfill a specific promise that He gave to all of the saints that they will see the vengeance of God.

Seven Last Plagues:

Revelation 15:1: “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and awesome: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is filled up.”

Verse 6: “And the seven angels who had the seven last plagues came out of the temple; they were clothed in linen, pure and bright, and girded about the chest with golden breastplates. And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the wrath of God, Who lives into the ages of eternity.” (vs 6-7). They went out and poured out the wrath of God!

Here’s this great sea of glass; here are the armies fighting, and now God intervenes directly against them. These seven last plagues are awesome indeed, every single one of them: destruction, killing, destroying just as it says in Jer. 25.

Revelation 16:2: “And the first angel went and poured out his vial onto the earth; and an evil and grievous sore fell upon the men who had the mark of the beast, and upon those who were worshiping his image. And the second angel went and poured out his vial into the sea; and it became blood, like that of a dead man; and every living soul in the sea died” (vs 2-3).

Sidebar: Animal life is called a soul: ‘nephesh.’

Verse 4: “And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers, and into the fountains of waters; and they became blood.” All water everywhere on the earth is going to turn to blood.

Verse 5: “Then I heard the angel of the waters say, ‘You are righteous, O Lord, Who are, and Who was, even the Holy One, in that You have executed this judgment. For they have poured out the blood of saints and of prophets, and You have given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.’ And I heard another voice from the altar say, ‘Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments’” (vs 5-7). But:

  • men will be cursing
  • men will be blaspheming
  • men will be killing each other
  • there will be madness on the earth as never has been

Now a little timeout, v 8: “And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given to it to scorch men with fire.”

Verse 10: “And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; yet, they did not repent of their works” (vs 10-11).

What will it take for some people to repent? Well, only God can answer that question!

Verse 12: “And the sixth angel poured out his vial into the great river Euphrates…”—so that all the armies from the East could come. They were fighting, killing, looting, all of this.

Verse 13: “Then I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet; for they are spirits of demons working miracles, going forth to the kings of the earth, even of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle of that great day of the Almighty God” (vs 13-14).

What a battle that is going to be! Here we are on the Sea of Glass! We’re going to be watching and seeing this. This is going to be something! Then he gives a warning to us to take care.

Verse 16: “And he gathered them together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.” The Battle of Armageddon is between God and the saints and Satan, his armies and the demons.

Verse 17: “Then the seventh angel poured out… [and then the proclamation]: …‘IT IS FINISHED.’” Quite a thing!

Stop and think about—if we can; I don’t think we can possibly understand how many wars there have been in the history of mankind, but there is only one righteous war! That’s with Christ and the saints as we come back down to the earth to put an end to all of this madness and satanism and the kingdoms of this world: killing, looting, destroying and God’s judgment against them! We come down and stop it all!

We descend with Christ to the earth. The armies will be there fighting, but we will overcome because Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords. Then God has a special treat for the beast and the false prophet. An angel is going to take them and cast them into a the Lake of Fire. Then He has a mighty angel come and get rid of Satan the devil, which is pictured by the Day of Atonement; getting rid of the author of sin, because:

  • you can never, never, never bring peace on Earth as long as Satan is here
  • you can never have peace and harmony among men as long as Satan is here

We need to come back for the Day of Atonement, and that’s why it’s a day of fasting. It’s so important to God that Satan is gotten rid of.

This is the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets and the power of God to bring His Kingdom and we will be part of it!

Scriptural References:

Leviticus 23:23-25

Isaiah 41:4

Daniel 2:44

Daniel 8:23-25

Daniel 11:40

Matthew 24:2-8, 10-16, 21-22

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Revelation 13:1-9, 11-17

Isaiah 13:9-13

Isaiah 24:1-6

Jeremiah 25:26-34

Revelation 6:1-11

Revelation 8:1-3, 5-13

Revelation 9:1-21

Revelation 15:1, 6-7

Revelation 16:2-8, 10-14, 16-17

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

Numbers 28-29

2 Corinthians 9

Genesis 1

Revelation 1

Daniel 5-7; 9:27; 10; 12

Revelation 11; 17

1 Thessalonians 5

Revelation 6:12; 5:3-4

Hosea 5; 6

Hebrews 12

Joel 2

Revelation 10; 19

Also referenced:

Book: Langer’s Encyclopedia of World History

 

Books

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