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September 23, 2006
Greetings brethren, welcome to the Feast of Trumpet’s 2006. And we’ve certainly seen a lot of things transpire this past year. And every year we get closer and closer to the fulfillment of the events that are prophesied in the Bible, and of course the Feast of Trumpet’s is one of the key important—as you might say—fulcrum points in history because this day pictures the establishing of the Kingdom of God on earth by Jesus Christ and the saints.Greetings brethren, welcome to the Feast of Trumpet’s 2006. And we’ve certainly seen a lot of things transpire this past year. And every year we get closer and closer to the fulfillment of the events that are prophesied in the Bible, and of course the Feast of Trumpet’s is one of the key important—as you might say—fulcrum points in history because this day pictures the establishing of the Kingdom of God on earth by Jesus Christ and the saints.
Now let’s come to Leviticus 23. Let’s also understand all of the holy days are connected, the Sabbath puts us in contact with God, the holy days tell us what he’s doing—and let’s understand something about the holy days—though they seem unimportant to the world, they are absolutely important to God. Because what people don’t understand about the holy days is this: Every one of the holy days pictures an epical historical event that God fulfills. For example, the Sabbath, right after the creation of man: It was given as a day of rest, sanctified to be holy. It was an epical beginning of man and his relationship with God. And then we come down to the Passover, epical historical event with Abraham, with the children of Israel, an epical historical event with the killing of the firstborn, the destruction of Egypt, and then the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the exodus to leave. Pentecost, the giving of the 10 Commandments, an epical historical event.
And then we come right down through the New Testament with all of these. Passover, the greatest event to take place from the beginning of the history of the world, the prophecy of the death of the Son of God. Who would save the world from sin, happened on the Passover day. And the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, He was, right as it began, He was put into the tomb. Three days and three nights later, He was resurrected, toward the end of the Sabbath. And then on the wave sheaf offering day, He ascended to heaven, an epical historical event. And then Pentecost, the beginning of the church, an epical historical event, and the resurrection from the dead for the first resurrection on Pentecost. An epical historical earthshaking event as we saw on the day of Pentecost. And now we come down to the Feast of Trumpets, and again, it is going to be an epical and historical event, and profound, telling the plan of God, lying out step-by-step how He’s going to fulfill it. And it’s not generally revealed to the world because the world doesn’t know, the world doesn’t understand. And especially today, as Satan is deceiving the whole world with all of these false gospels, and Gnostic gospels, and things like this, and people just going after it head over heels.
So we come to the Feast of Trumpets, and the Feast of Trumpets is an epical event that is going to take place. Now let’s come to Leviticus 23, and pick up here in verse 23, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel, saying: “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath…” so all the holy days are a Sabbath, “ ‘…a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. No servile work is to be done, and to make an offering made by fire unto the LORD’ ” (Lev. 23:23). And so with all the holy days because these picture major events that God is going to do, these are special, and we should bring an offering that is special to God. And we should always realize that we are to seek first the kingdom of God in His righteousness.
And then the blessings that God gives us then, are to be reflected in the offerings that we give to God. So you know all about that, and brethren, just realize that we try and use everything that God sends us to preach the word of God, to publish the gospel, to send out books to people, to help them in their circumstances. And we are not here to build an organization; we are not here to build up the name of any man. We are here to preach the truth of God, to help and serve the brethren, and to make known the word of God as much as possible, as God will open the doors for us to reach out to the world, which we’re doing in a very dramatic way with the book now that was published this last summer, “Occult Holidays or God’s Holy Days—Which?” And in there, it contains the entire plan of God, and it is going to be a fantastic book, having an impact on people such as never has been in recent years. So keep all of that in mind when you send in your tithes or offerings for the holy days, and remember that God is able to give back to you in blessing [so] that all of us will have sufficiency in all things. So at this time we’ll take a pause, and we’ll take up the offering.
And now brethren, let’s continue on and see the meaning of the day of the Feast of Trumpets, which is going to be one of the most, as we can say earthshaking events to hit the world since its creation. Now, let’s come to Matthew the 6th chapter, Matthew the 6th chapter because this is part of our prayer, when we pray, according to the model prayer. So let’s pick it up here, Matthew 6:9, “Therefore, you are to pray after this manner: ‘Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.’ ” Now, when you are praying that way, just remember, you’re coming before God the Father on His throne, Jesus Christ at His right hand, the 24 elders out in front before the throne, and around the throne is a rainbow and it sits on the sea of glass. There are thousands, and thousands, and 10,000 times 10,000 angels there praising God, and the message is “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is to come, for all these things have been created for your will, and your pleasure.” So when we say “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10), now it’s always going to be done that way. But the reason that we pray for it this way, is because there is always a space of repentance that God gives. And whenever there’s something that comes along that is going to be a disaster that’s going to happen, that there is going to be a judgment by God, He always gives a time and space of repentance. Now we’ll see that in several instances here, as we go through. That’s why in Ezekiel 33, God says, you know, “O Israel, turn you, turn you, for I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked would turn from his way” (Ezek. 33:11, KJV paraphrased) And so, in everything that God does, there is that measure of repentance because God has given free moral agency and choice, and who knows what people will do. And so, that’s why there is given that space. So, we need to realize that that’s part of the will of God. And the reason that we do this, is this: So when we come to God, we don’t come to God and pray to Him and pray for our will to be endorsed by God. Now it is true, as Jesus said that when we ask He will answer, and whatever we desire, He will give. Now that’s according, if it is according to, the will of God.
Now, “Your Kingdom come,” comes in two different ways. Number one, it comes to us upon conversion. Let’s come back to Colossians the 1st chapter, and see that. Colossians 1, it comes to us when we are converted, not that the Kingdom of God becomes within, as some people say. That’s not true. But we come under the jurisdiction of the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ, as our Lord, and Master, and High Priest in heaven right now, and soon coming King, when Jesus returns. Now let’s pick up here in Colossians the 1st chapter, and let’s see how the Kingdom of God comes to us, and in our Christian lives, in the way that we live, and walk, and so forth. Now He says in verse 10, Colossians 1, “That you may walk worthily of the Lord…” and this is our goal, this is what we need to do in everything we do. And we’re going to talk about how we need to have the right kind of attitude and mind set in the endtime, so that we can do the will of God in our lives; that God will be with us; that God will help us; that God will bless us and strengthen us. “…unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God.” And all of this has to do with preparing for eternal life. See, because we are in training for eternal life; we’re in training to be kings and priests; we’re in training to rule this world. And the first place that begins is to let Christ rule in us. Now, verse 11, “Being strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, unto all endurance and longsuffering with joy.” So, regardless of our circumstances, we’re always looking to God the Father; we’re always looking to Jesus Christ. We are developing, and growing in heart, in mind, and spirit, in knowledge of God. And this gives us the strength, and this gives us the conviction, and this gives us the endurance of the longsuffering, “Giving thanks to the Father, Who has made us qualified for the share of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” Now that’s what God is doing and we have a literal, absolute, inheritance. Now we talked about that in the past. Now, verse 13, “Who has personally rescued us from the power of darkness and has transferred us unto the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:10-13). Now that means this, that once we have been called, and have repented, and have been baptized, and received the spirit of God, then we are brought under the jurisdiction of Jesus Christ. We are under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of God. So when we pray, “Your Kingdom come”, we’re praying, that in the first instance, that we are always subjected to the Kingdom of God, that is to God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Now when we understand that, we realize that there is no room for a hierarchical authoritarian government in the ministry of God, or as the Catholics have with their hierarchy. They say, outside of the hierarchical Catholic Church there is no salvation. Well that’s a bunch of humbug. There is no salvation in it because salvation comes from God. So that’s how we are there.
Now let’s notice how it is to work in our lives, and in our hearts, and in our minds. Let’s come over here to Chapter 3, and verse 14. And the reason I’m going through things is so that we can see, how do we have the attitude to face all the horrendous things that are going to take place as pictured by the Feast of Trumpets? Now last year, we saw all those hurricanes hit America, we had the tsunami, we’ve had earthquakes, we’ve had wars. And as we’re going to see, that’s just a start. Because what the Feast of Trumpets pictures—in the intervention of God, and the kingdom of God, coming on this earth, and God’s judgment on the world. Because just as the Passover pictured the judgment of God against all the gods of Egypt, and against the firstborn in Egypt, so likewise from the time of Pentecost down through Trumpets it pictures the judgment of God on this world, and it is going to make what happened in Egypt look like child’s play.
Now Chapter 3, verse 14, “Above all these things...” and He list all the character things as we covered during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, “put on love…” and that is the key. You must be fortified with the love of God, by loving Him with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul, all your being, and you’re going to hear me say that over, and over, and over again because that is where our strength comes from. Because that is where we’re going to receive the resolve that is going to guarantee that we will be faithful unto the end. That will give us the mind set, as we’re going to see here, in a little bit, that we need to have to be able to be faithful to Christ in the face of the worst disasters that are going to come upon the face of the earth.
Now granted, many of us who are older, God is going to spare us, He is going to take us to the grave in peace and that will be our place of safety. That’s fine, that’s all part of God’s purpose. But there are those of us who are going to have to live through it, and we’re going to have to be strengthened with the Spirit of God. And you’re not going to be strengthened when you see these things happening and all of the sudden, you start praying, and all of the sudden, you start studying—too late! You have to build and develop the character now. Verse 15, “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which you were called into one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” Now that’s the whole key, we’re to live by every word of God; we’re to live by the words of Christ. And we’re to have His words dwelling in us richly. Now let’s look at it this way, if Christ is going to dwell in us, which He is, and God the Father is going to dwell in us, which He is, then the words of Christ ought to richly dwell in us too. Because that establishes our minds, establishes our hearts, establishes our thoughts, and gives us the defense against all the events that are going to take place in the world because you need to be defended here, mentally and spiritually first. Now notice, “…rule in your heart…” So let Christ rule in you. You stop and think about this for a minute—we have to just do a little sidebar here, as they call in legalese—Christ is to rule you, not the ministry. The Holy Spirit of God is to lead you, not the ministry. Yes, the ministry is here to teach, and to help, and give counsel, and advice. But the greatest advice is: Look to God the Father and Jesus Christ, not what we would do of ourselves, or the ministry would do for you. “To which you are called into one body and be thankful…” Yes, “Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:14-16).
Now stop and think a minute, when Paul and Silas were cast into prison, what did they do? They prayed to God, and they sang, and God intervened and helped them, see. So in all circumstances, Paul was one who really set the standard here. Now, let’s realize this, the kind of attitude we need to have is this: We need to be tenderhearted to God, and Jesus Christ, and the brethren. Now then, we need to have a mind and a forehead of flint, toward all the evils, and troubles that are coming in the world.
Now let’s see that, let’s come to Jeremiah the 1st chapter. Jeremiah the 1st chapter, and let’s see what God told Jeremiah. Now Jeremiah had a really lonely ministry. He had no friends, he had no brethren, the only one he had was his secretary Baruch. And you read through the book of Jeremiah, and see the things that Jeremiah went through. God knew it was going to be difficult, so here’s what He told him. He says here, Jeremiah the 1st chapter and let’s pick it up in verse 15, Jeremiah 1:15, “ ‘For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” now on the endtime God is going to call all the nations, He’s going to gather all the nations, “saith the LORD; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.” That is all the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. “And I will utter my judgments…” Now, we’re going to see that ties in with also with the Feast of Trumpets. “Against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands,” And those two things apply to us today as never before. “Thou therefore gird thy loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command thee: Be not dismayed”, or that is discouraged, “at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.” In other words, don’t look to the circumstances and how other people react because that really doesn’t make any difference. You have to be looking to God. “ ‘For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land. And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee,’ saith the LORD, ‘to deliver thee’ ” (Jer. 1:15-19).
Now let’s understand, at the endtime, it’s going to be very similar to the same thing. Did we not see on Pentecost how there’s coming the martyrdom of the saints, and how are we going to endure that? We are going to be offered many different ways out aren’t we, [we will be] given a chance to recant, given a chance to accept the beast, and the mark, and all the things that are there. Because remember, Revelation 13 says, what? That into the hands of the beast are given all nations and languages and kingdoms, and he goes to make war against those who have the spirit of Christ. And there’s going to be that martyrdom.
Now let’s come to, Isaiah 50, let’s see how Jesus was strengthened, in a very similar way. How did Jesus endure everything that he had to do, through the crucifixion, the scourging, and the beating? Or, remember when he finished that prayer, and angels strengthened Him. And so, likewise, we need the power of God to strengthen us, and let’s see what kind of mind that God gave him. Now tender toward God the Father inside, but there had to be the strength and the power on the outside, to not be overwhelmed with all the things that He was going to experience. Isaiah 50:5, “The LORD God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.” When we get into those situations, understand this, if you have opened the door for Christ in your mind, and Christ rules in your heart and mind, you have closed the door to turn back. It’s exactly what happened with Christ. Now notice, so He could do this, “I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair:” Where they beat him and pulled his beard and smashed him in the face. “I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the LORD God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” (Is. 50:5-7). So this is the only way we’re going to be able to face these things in the future.
Let’s come to Ezekiel the 3rd chapter, and let’s see what God told Ezekiel. Now of all the prophets, the two that had the most difficult ministry to do, were Jeremiah, but Ezekiel had the worst one of all. And if you read the book of the Ezekiel, just take it and read a couple chapters every day, and think about what he had to go through, think about what he had to endure.
Now let’s pick up here in verse 4, Ezekiel 3, “And he said unto me, Son of Man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel; not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee. But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me:” Now, the reason is this: When, as Jesus said, that lawlessness shall be multiplied, and the love of many shall grow cold, there’s going to come a time of great evil, and people are not going to want to listen to the truth of God. That’s why God has to intervene with the events that we see here. That’s why God sends the two witnesses and their ministry. So we’re talking about big earthshaking events that are going to take place. “For all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads. As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehand: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Moreover, he said unto me, Son of Man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears” (Ezek. 3:4-11). Then he was to preach that.
So this tells us, that when we come down to these times, we are not to back off from the message of God. We’re not to make it softer and easier so that we don’t offend people. Because Jesus said, “many are going to be offended”, and it’s going to be a time of great trouble and great difficulty.
Now let’s come to Matthew the 24th chapter, and let’s see something here. Let’s see what it is going to be like. Great historical events of a magnitude that is unimaginable to the human mind—if you think the destruction of the tsunami was great, or if you think that some of the volcanic actions that we have had are great, or the earthquakes, or the floods, or the storms, hang on because they now know the global warming is a general warming of the whole solar system. Even Mars is having a global warming experience, and of course there’s not one single gas driven car up there, is there, nor factories with huge smokestacks belching out carbon dioxide, right? Yes. Now there are two electrical satellite vehicles up there, and surely they are not causing Mars to have a global warming experience. And all of this is part of the things leading up to the time of the end, and all of this is going to upset the weather even more.
Now let’s come here to Matthew 24. Now let’s see something that’s important concerning the day of the Lord. Matthew 24, and he says here, verse 15, “Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (the one who reads, let him understand), Then let those who are in Judea flee into the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house; And let the one who is in the field not go back to take his garments. But woe to those women who are expecting a child, and to those who are nursing infants in those days! And pray that your flight be not in the winter, nor on the Sabbath;” So here again, even in the midst of great trouble and difficulty what does God say, “remember the Sabbath day and to keep it holy.” “For then shall there be great tribulation…” Now, how great? “…Such as has not been from the beginning of the world until this time, nor shall ever be again” (Matt. 24:15-21). Now we need to let those words sink in.
Now let’s come back here to the book of Amos, and let’s ask the question—so many ministers have used, “Oh, the events are speeding up! Oh, we really need you to send in more money so we can preach the gospel! Oh, we’ve got to hurry and get this done, and hurry and get that done!” Because what they do is that they want to speed up the day of the Lord, so they can kind of glory in their own self predictions of it. And those are the prophecies that Paul said would fail, and they’ve all failed, haven’t they? Why? Because they’re not relying on God, and they’re not looking to the outline of God, as God has said. Now it hasn’t happened yet because we have not comprehended how great God is going to let the kingdom of Satan become before He intervenes directly. And we don’t know how many people God is going to call, and lead to repentance between now and that point. See, because God is interested in mercy, and not sacrifice. But when the time comes that God says it’s going to happen, because it’s under the authority of God the Father and Jesus Christ, it is going to happen. So preachers and men are not to get out there and say, “Oh hurry, the day of the Lord is coming!” And you look back at all the events. “Jesus is going to set his foot on the earth” in all these different years, it never happened, did it? Why, because they’re not willing to put it in God’s hands to let it happen. So here’s God’s answer to them, Amos 5:18, “Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand upon the wall, and a serpent bit him.” So He’s telling us very clearly, there is not going to be any relief once this starts. Yes, we’ll see, Psalm 91, that God will protect you, but also up to a certain point, because there’s going to be a martyrdom of the saints. And this is why we have to have the mind and attitude that Jesus Christ has. So we ask for a tender heart before God the Father and Jesus Christ, and loving the brethren in each other, but we ask for a forehead of flint against all the evil, and against all the things that are coming. Because if you get emotionally involved in all these events, as we’re going to read about from here on, that’s going to literally turn this world upside down, you will not be able to handle it. So we need to ask God for the strength so we can handle it. Now verse 20, “Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?” (Amos. 5:18-20)
Yes, now let’s come to Zephaniah the 1st chapter, Zephaniah, since we’re right close here, just over a couple of pages, and we’ll get to the book of Zephaniah, and that’s right before Haggai, so just a few pages over. Sometimes I try and have the scriptures so they’re convenient to go to, other times I can’t do that. Now let’s pick it up here, in Chapter 1, verse 13, “Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof. The great day of the LORD is near, it is near…” That’s the message for our time. Notice: He doesn’t say exactly how far, or how close, but it’s near. And even though we’ve had all these false alarms down through time, guess what, it is nearer than when we first believed. “…and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty men shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet…” Because it is a memorial of the blowing of trumpets, and actually the fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets is reserved for the endtime, and the very day of the Lord. There’s only one fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets that we find in the Old Testament, and that is in I Chronicles, the 5th chapter, when the temple was dedicated, and on the Feast of Trumpets. God put his presence in the temple. The only other fulfillment is the return of Christ. “…against the fenced cities…” No defense is going to help. “…against the high towers.” Doesn’t matter what weapons you have. “And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung” (Zeph. 1:13-17). And as Jeremiah said, in Jeremiah 25, “…the LORD has a controversy with the nations…” (Jer. 25:31). He’s going to bring them all to Jerusalem, and in that day, the dead will be from one end of the horizon to the other end of the horizon.
Now let’s see if we can at least begin to grasp this, perhaps no more than 1/10th of all the population of the earth is going to survive through the tribulation, and enter as physical human beings into the kingdom of God. So it’s going to be a horrendous time. There will never ever, ever, ever, ever again be a day like this. Verse 18, “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land” (Zeph. 1:18). Now God is going to spare some. There will be some who will escape, that is true.
Now since we’re here, let’s come back just a few pages, to the book of Joel. Let’s come to Joel the 1st chapter, and let’s see again the warning concerning the day of the Lord, and all the way through here, it is a day that has never ever had a historical parallel, not even in the destruction of Jerusalem. This is going to be a worldwide event, not like it was in Egypt, where He dealt with just one nation, but this is all nations, all peoples. And so, when we understand the plan of God, we need to realize, it covers the great and the major events in the Bible, and God has given us the knowledge and the understanding of it. Now here, Joel 1:15. “Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.” And it’s going to come. Chapter 2, verse 1, “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion…” Now I don’t know what’s going to happen when that Feast of Trumpets is fulfilled, and we’ll get to the book of Revelation here in a minute, and see how it unfolds step-by-step-by-step. “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm…” So that means continuously blowing. “…in my holy mountain:” Where’s it going to start. It’s going to start from Mt. Zion in heaven above, and the sound, and the trumpets, and the blasting is going to come from God. And we’ll see how that’s going to be here in just a bit. “For the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 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…” We’re going to see in Revelation 9, [there will be] huge armies, and one of them 200 million. And God is going to judge the world, and God is going to judge the nations, and they’re all going to fight against Christ. “There hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them…” Great modern weapons that we have today, “And behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses;” and we’ll read the fulfillment of that in Revelation, in just a bit. “So shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.” Because of all the events that are going to take place, “They shall run like mighty men…”
Now, I’ve read articles recently, where they’re trying to improve the battle worthiness of troops on the ground. Where they have armor that cannot be penetrated with weapons, where they have medication put right into the garments themselves, so if any wound happens it immediately starts working to heal it, and keep them from getting any infection. They are working on putting chips in the minds of the soldiers to be able to give them instant recall to make them better in battle. So what it’s talking about here, we could not picture this in the past until now, [but] we know what it’s going to be like. “They shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.” Isn’t it amazing that today that’s exactly what they’re working on? “They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before them…” Now I want you to kind of, if you can, turn on the vision of your mind, to see, what an awesome event this is going to be. “The heavens shall tremble: the sun and moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible…” That is awesome for all the power and destructions that’s going to take place. “Who can abide in it?” That is, live in it?
Now notice, whenever it comes to that point, there’s a space of repentance. “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil” (Joel 1:15, 2:1-13).
Now this is a message directly to the children of Israel, of the hundred and fortyfour thousand who repent, and are saved on that next to the last Pentecost.
Now let’s continue on brethren. Let’s come to Isaiah 13, and again, it’s talking about the day of the Lord. Now let's understand something. It is a day of judgment, of death, of destruction; such as never has been since the creation of the world. And this day is going to be talked about all the way through the Millennium. And everybody is going to remember this day as we now remember what happened to Egypt, because what happened to Egypt, on the Passover, and the events leading up to the Passover, is going to happen to the whole world—the events leading up to Trumpets and the return of Christ. Now Isaiah 13:6, “Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed at one another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate:” And we will see, that goes out to the whole world. “And he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil…” So that's why God is letting all the evil increase, giving everyone a chance to have their fill of evil, whatever it may be, but also giving an opportunity of repentance, if they would. “…And the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and I will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” Now that's the beast, and false prophet, and Satan the devil. “I will make a man more precious than fine gold;” Because 9/10th of the population is going to die in these events that are going to take place. “Even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, in the day of his fierce anger” (Is. 13:6-13).
Now let’s come to Isaiah 24. Here’s what God is going to do, He's going to literally shake this earth in a way that has never been. Let's pick it up here, in verse 18, Isaiah 24:18, “And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.”
Now going to Revelation here in just a minute and see that taking place. “The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved…” or that is, torn asunder; great earthquakes are born “the earth is moved exceedingly.” It's going to affect the orbit of the earth. It says, “And the earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high…” (All the leaders of the world all of the powers and principalities of Satan the devil) “And the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison…” And we're going to see, God is going to entrap them in that war. “And after many days shall they shall be visited. Then the moon shall be compounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously” (Is. 24:18-23). And of course the ancient ones are going to be all of those who've been raised from the dead.
Now let’s come back to the book Revelation. Now let's come to Revelation the 6th chapter, and let's pick it up where we left off in Pentecost. Because remember all the holy days are connected one with another, and here in Revelation 6, we see, between Revelation 6 and Revelation 7, that after the heavens roll back as a scroll, and this is what we just read about here in the Old Testament that is going to take place. And after the martyrdom has taken place, then there comes a space of time of repentance in Chapter 7 with 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude, are then sealed, waiting for the next Pentecost. So from Pentecost, when they are converted, to the last Pentecost, a space of one year, these are the laborers who were hired at the eleventh hour. Now they're going to be saved, they're going to enter into the Kingdom of God. Then, we come to Chapter 8. Now, let's picture this: It is running from Trumpets to Trumpets, from the next to the last Trumpets to [the last] Trumpets. And as we come down in time, when the resurrection takes place, there is still four months left until the Feast of Trumpets and its fulfillment. So we have here a whole year, and if our estimation of time is correct, it is a 13 month year. So that gives a little more space of time. But here's what happens, here is how it's fulfilled, we read a lot of it, but here is how it's going to be fulfilled beginning with next to the last of the Feast of Trumpets down to the last of the Feast of Trumpets, before Christ and the saints put their feet on the earth. Now let’s begin, Revelation 8, “Now when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about a half hour.” So there again, a time, a respite, and we read of that back in Joel the 2nd chapter, a time of repentance, that God always gives, before He starts pouring out his wrath. Now we'll talk about the wrath of God here, a little bit later. “Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. And another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar; and much incense 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.” Now this is a time, all the brethren, all the saints, are going to be calling out to God day and night. There isn't going to be any laxness in prayer in these days. It’s going to be almost constant prayer. “O, Lord help me, O, Lord watch over me, O, Lord spare me, O, give me strength. Let my mind be fixed. Let me have the same attitude as Jesus Christ and Jeremiah and Ezekiel, to withstand all the events that we're going through.” So they're coming up before God, “And the smoke of the incense went up before God from the hand of the angel, ascending with the prayers of the saints.” So we’re all directly involved in this. Now here's what's going to happen. God begins fighting against men, who are led by Satan and his demons. He's going to fight against them with His angels. Now here is direct intervention from heaven above. Everything else that took place in Revelation the 6th chapter, where all of those things that took place because of the efforts of men, and their armies, and so forth. And those seals that were opened, ended then, with the sixth seal, in their Revelation of the sign of the Son of Man in heaven above.
Now God begins to deal in a different way because this is the day of the Lord, from Trumpets to Trumpets, the year of the Lord. “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 thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake” (Rev. 8:1-5). We’re going to see they're going to be a lot of earthquakes. It says, back there in Isaiah 40, “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low:” (Is. 40:4). So when it says they're turning the earth upside down, what it is, it’s turning of the surface of the earth upside down. That's going to result in earthquakes, and volcanoes, and it's going to be a horrendous thing. That's why I want us to grasp, and to understand how important the holy days really are: that they picture the major mammoth events, orchestrated and carried out, and fulfilled by God the Father, and Jesus Christ, and the angels. And here's the angelic intervention, verse 6, “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; and a third of the trees were burnet up, and all green grass was burnt up.” Now what's going to happen with all the hail, and darkness, and everything? Well, there’s going to be a lot of rain storms that will come right after that, just like we see every year, right? We see fires out here in California, and fires burn up grass. See fires in forest and the mountain areas; we see fires in Florida, and all of that. And then what happens after that? The rain comes, and the floods and destruction.
Now verse 8, “Then the second angel sounded his trumpet; and there was cast into the sea as it were a great mountain burning with fire, and a third of the sea became blood.” Now with all of these things taking place and all of those who are dying on the earth because of it, those who survive are going to be firmly convinced that this must be war from heaven—which it is. There’s no convincing about it, you see. And that the aliens are preparing to invade the world, which they are, Jesus Christ and the saints. And, as I mentioned on Pentecost, when they see the resurrection take place, and I think they're going to see the resurrection take place, all these people being taken up to the sea of glass—well I’m getting a little ahead of myself here in the flow of the events, but nevertheless, they are going to be absolutely convinced of this alien invasion, and an asteroid hitting the earth, because that's what is being described here, “a great mountain burning with fire.” An asteroid hits the earth, think of the tsunamis, think of the earthquakes, think of what's going to happen then. And when that happens then, “a third part of the sea became blood,” So it doesn't affect the whole earth yet. It's in different areas of the earth. So if we can look at the orb of the earth, and kind of picture—well it happens here, say, in the Atlantic Ocean, or in the Indian Ocean, and it happens later over in the Pacific Ocean, and so forth. Here's what's going to happen, “And a third of the living creatures that were in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.” You think about the giant mammoth ships they’re building now, being destroyed. Think about all of these tankers carrying the oil, being destroyed and split open. Verse 10, “And the third angel sounded his trumpet; and there fell out of heaven a great star, burning like a lamp; and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and on the fountains of waters. Now the name of the star is called Wormwood.” So because they wouldn't obey God, and they martyred the saints, God is going to give them the bitterness of their way back to them. “And a third of the waters became wormwood; and many men died from drinking the waters because they were made bitter.” They are going to be so thirsty, they're going to say, “Oh let us drink of it, if we live, we live. If we die, we die.” “Then the fourth angel sounded his trumpet; and a third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third of the stars; so that a third of them was darkened; and a third part of the day did not shine, and likewise a third part of the night.” This is why God has to intervene. He is showing exactly what He is going to do. Now all of this that I read up to this point, through verse 12, are just softening up the world for what is coming. Because as God says, He is going to judge the world, He’s going to judge the inhabitants thereof; He’s going to judge the nations thereof. And in a final analysis, we're going to see He gathers all nations together. And they are going to fight against Jesus Christ, and fight against the saints. So these are huge worldwide events that are taking place. Now 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” (Rev. 8:6-13). So you see, it intensifies, and gets greater, and men are going to be mad in their thoughts, desperate in what they are going to do, motivated. Now you see because the angels of God have done this, now Satan gets permission for the legions of his demons who are bound in the abyss to be released, to strengthen men so that they will fight even more, to give them strength, and power, and energy, and to release—as we will see—a secret weapon.
And this is what's going to happen as we read back there in Daniel the 12th chapter, the King of the North is going to come against the King of the South, and then when he’s there for awhile, he is going to hear of trouble from the north, and from the east, and he is going to go and make waste against them. So Revelation 9 is a fulfillment of this. And he’s going to have an awesome secret weapon.
Now let's begin, Chapter 9 and verse 1, “And the fifth angel sounded his trumpet;” This is the first woe. “And I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to the earth, and there was given to him the key to the bottomless abyss.” That's where the demons are in prison, “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.” So here come out all these millions, and millions of demons, bound in there, now ready to fight against God, ready to fight against whomever that they’re directed against. This is going to be a mad frenzy. “Then locusts came onto the earth from the smoke; and power was given to them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” So they are going to go out, and it's go-ing to be a secret occult major weapon against all the forces of the north and the east, and temporarily they're going to have a victory. “And it was said to them that they should not damage the grass of the earth…” Because all the grass burned up, but now because of the rain and things that comes along in spite of all the destruction, the grass still grows. So here months later, the grass has come back, and now it said, “…do not damage the grass of the earth, or any green thing…” Because the trees come back. “Or any tree, but only the men who did not have the seal of God in their foreheads.” So over here, wherever they are, are the hundred and forty-four thousand. Then scattered through the earth, are the great innumerable multitude, wherever they are gathered. And God gives them special protection. Just like at the same time, in the plagues that came against Egypt, God brought the first number of plagues against the Egyptians, and they also came against the Israelites. Then with the one plague concerning the Moraine, God severed the children of Israel from the rest of Egypt. So likewise here, He severs those who have the Holy Spirit of God, who were sealed by the angel, as we see there in Revelation 7.
Now the reason they received the Holy Spirit that way is very simple. There's nobody out there, no ministers out there to baptize them. So they repent and God gives the Holy Spirit to them directly that way, sealed by a hand of an angel. Verse 5, “And it was given to them…” that is these satanic powers “that they should not kill them, but that they…” that is the enemy “…that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.” So they are going to be virtually paralyzed, hardly able to move, and it will take them five months to recover.
When they recover, we’re going to see what happens. Just picture this, this is sent to Russia, and China, and India, and Southeast Asia, and Japan, and Mongolia, and Kazakhstan, and in Uzbekistan, and all the stans that go to the east, and against all the Moslem countries there involved. So they're going to have this come upon them. They are going to think, “Boy, this is fantastic. We have stopped them in their tracks.” But it's only going to last for five months. And during that time, verse 6, “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; 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 stinger; and they were given power to injure men with their tails for five months.”
Demonic weapons used by men, possessed by demons, going out to battle. Now notice, 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 tongue is Apollyon.” So this is Satan the devil. “The first woe is past.” So there comes a respite, “Behold, after these things two woes are still to come. And the sixth angel sounded his trumpet;” which is the second woe. Now then, they recover from their five months of this super secret weapon inspired by demons that have them paralyzed for five months. They’re able to recover. They’re able to gather their armies. Now they begin to launch their super secret demonic weapons. So now we have demons against demons, angels of God against men and demons, men against men, demons against demon, all carrying out the will of God. “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.” So God has demons buried in the earth, imprisoned there for a certain time, for a certain thing to be done. Now it’s going to be a mammoth thing to dry up the river Euphrates.
Now someone sent me an article that different countries are seeking to build dams on the river Euphrates, and so that's how it’s going to dry up. It isn’t going to happen that way. It’s going to happen the way it says here. So they were loosed. “Then the four angels. Who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were loosed…” a specific time determined by God, “So they might kill a third of men;” And remember, back in Revelation 6, a fourth of mankind was already killed, so a third of them is another fourth. So here we have fifty percent of mankind killed already, to say nothing of the other events that are going to take place. Verse 16, “And the number of the armies of the horsemen…” Now you think back there in Joel the 2nd chapter, was 200,000,000, army of 200 million. So it's going to come, as we will see, from what we might say, the middle of Iraq. All the way, the army is strung all the way back to the Far East. And I think it's very profound, very interesting, that in order to get the oil from Kazakhstan to China, which they have been doing by rail tanker cars. Now they are building huge pipelines to go to the east to China. But also along with that, they are building a huge highway, so they can service all of that. And that's going to come into China, and that's going to go right by the world's biggest dam, which is going to be opened about 2010, and is going to become a world tourist event. And the Chinese are going to have Olympic Games in 2012, and they’re the rising power of the world. So just think, these armies stringing from the middle of Iraq all the way back—two hundred million. You can’t have them all in one place, so they're all strung out back there, and they come in waves, and they come in waves, you see, two hundred million. “And I heard the number of them.” So here's how they’re going to come. All their demonic secret weapons, “And so I saw the horses in the vision, and those sitting on them, who had fiery breastplates, even 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. 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.”
Now this must be some kind of weapon protruding out of it. However that is, that you know, they are developing weapons now that are going to be awesome. And I think we're going to see how it's going to be fulfilled to the very nth degree of what it's talking about, here in Revelation 9. “…And with them they inflict wounds. But the rest of the men who were not killed by these plagues…” Now this is to show you the hardness of heart that men have, and how absolutely selfcentered on their power, and worshiping Satan the devil, who gives them that power, that they want to hold on to it. And yes, this is Satan in his desperate battle, in fighting against God, as we will see that he wants to hold onto the power of this earth, for all the earth has been given over to him. Remember the temptation with Jesus, when Satan said, “If you worship me I'll give you all the kingdoms of the world, for they are given to me. And I give them to whomsoever I will.” Now Satan and men are going to be losing this power, losing these things. Satan is going to be desperate, he is going to be absolutely furious, he's going to be doing everything that he can. He is going to be given the power to cut loose everything, in the demonic world to fight against God, and use men in that way. So we need to understand how fantastic these events are going to be. Now notice, even at that, the whole point of the thing, is so that God will give them a space to repent. Now you talk about being hardhearted, and you talk about having your minds set to serve evil. Listen to it here, “But the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands, 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:” So this is a repeat of God's judgment of the gods of Egypt, correct? Now only the gods of all the world. But will they repent and turn to God? No. Now, verse 21, “And they did not repent of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornications, nor of their thievery” (Rev. 9:1-21). Quite an army, quite a thing that takes place.
Now then, Chapter 10 talks about the seven thunders, and what's going to take place there. No one knows what they're going to be because God instructed John, “Don’t write it.” So whatever the seven thunders do—and please understand—the seven thunders were never the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3. We’re way down in to the last year before Christ sets his feet on the earth, and it has nothing to do with the churches. These have to do with the angelic powers of God.
Then we come to Chapter 11, which we've already covered. The sea of glass is there, the armies have been all fighting, the resurrection takes place, they see all the saints up there, and they get together and they say, “Oh, we're being invaded by invaders from outer space. Let's gather together, let's quit fighting each other.” We’re going to see that in just a minute. “We have got to gather to fight this! Look at this [the Sea of Glass] sitting there [in the clouds].” And it's got to be over Jerusalem doesn't it? Because He gathers all the armies to where? To the valley of Meggedo, doesn't He? “And he treads out the wine press and the fierceness of his wrath and the blood is going to rise to the horses bridles.” Just think, 5-6 feet of blood of the carnage of human rebellion against God. So that Sea of Glass has got to be up there.
Now let's come to Revelation 15, and let’s bring us up to date here. After we’re all resurrected on the Sea of Glass, all the saints are then going to see the final judgment against God, and against the wickedness of man, against the nations of the world, and against Satan and his demons. After all that we have been through, after all that the saints have gone through, beginning from Abel clear down to the two witnesses who were the last two resurrected; everything that the saints have suffered through, all of those who've been martyred, lost their heads for the word of Christ, burned at the stake because of the evil of the beast and the false prophet, and the evil of Satan's religions, and armies—down through the history of the world. They are going to be resurrected as spirit beings. And we are all, from the Sea of Glass, going to view the seven last plagues of God, which is His final judgment for the nations of the earth, before the Kingdom of God begins.
Now let's pick it up here, in verse 5, of Revelation 15, “And after these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.” The direct intervention of God with His angels. This is the final sequence of battle that's going to take place. “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.” Now remember, this is going to come upon the armies that are right there. The other armies are spread all the way to the east. So they are going to come, as we will see, in Revelation 19 [Back to Revelation 15]: “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. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and no one was able to enter inside the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled” (Rev. 15:5-8). “Then I heard a great voice…” Chapter 17 and verse 1 [16:1], “from the temple say to the seven angels, ‘Go and pour out the vials of the wrath of God onto the earth. And the first angel went and poured out his vial upon the earth; and an evil and grievous sore fell upon the men who had the mark of the beast, and upon those who were worshipping his image.”
Now we’ve had many, many sermons on the Mark of the Beast. We’ll have more before it’s finally instituted. But the first judgment is given against them, why? Because they gave up their freewill to the beast with the mark, and to Satan the devil. So they’re the first one's going to be hit. “And the second angel went and poured out his vial into the sea; and it became blood…” All the oceans of the world, “like that of a dead man; and every living soul in the sea died.” So you see, when God begins to repair the earth, there’s going to have to begin the healing water that flows from Jerusalem to the east and to the west, and is going to heal the whole ocean. An amazing thing. Verse 4, “And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers, and into the fountains of waters; and they became blood.” Now, as we’re all watching this, and seeing this going on—and they're going to be some people say, “Oh how can a God who is a God of love, do this?” Let's reverse it, how could men and demons do this to a God of love, and not expect judgment back upon themselves?
Let's go on. Here's how the angels view this, here's how we're going to view this, “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 executed this judgment. For they have poured out the blood of the saints and of prophets…” Now God honors that, and His judgment is given all at once. He has stored up this last generation for this judgment. Just like Jesus said, “This generation, shall not pass away until all these things be fulfilled.” This is the generation, this is the one that we are looking at today, and it's going to come. “…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.’ And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given to it to scorch men with fire.” So there’s going to be a big burst from the sun, and this heat is going to come like a great flash upon the earth, where it talks about, back in one of the prophecies, seven times hotter than normal. So this great flash is going to come, and scorch men. Now there are going to be some who will survive, who will not be out in the open, but whoever is in the open, it's going to burn them. “These men were scorched with great heat; and they blasphemed the name of God, Who has authority over these plagues, and did not repent to give Him glory.” You talk about hardhearted, you see.
Now think about this, if these evil men, inspired of Satan the devil and demons, can set their will to not repent, don't you think that we ought to go to God, and ask Him to give us the tenderheartedness toward Him, and Jesus Christ, and the saints, but have minds of pillars of brass, and iron, and flint, to withstand all these things that are coming, and to be able to stand firm for God. You know, too many people give up easily on God because it's not comfortable, and it's not the kind of niceynicey thing that I've always wanted. Well listen, it isn't going to be niceynicey. You need to understand that. Now notice, “…And they blasphemed the name of God, Who has authority over these plagues, and did not repent to give Him glory. 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.” See, in every case, God gave them a chance to repent, but didn't do it. “And the sixth angel poured out his vial into the great river Euphrates;” Because after it was dried up once, then it came back flowing again. So now it’s got to be dried up again. “…So that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. 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;” After all the things that happened, they’ve got to be convinced by supernatural spiritual demonic power, that they ought to go fight this alien invasion. This is their last hope. Verse 14, “For they are the 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 God Almighty.” And they are going to come. And now He gives a warning again. Now notice how this is a pattern in the Bible, “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is the one who is watching and is keeping his garments, so that he may not walk naked and they may not see his shame.” Direct reference to the Laodiceans, and the five foolish virgins of Matthew 25. “And He gathered them together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.” See, Armageddon is the battle of God against the armies of this world. “Then the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ‘IT IS FINISHED.’ ” Now we’re going to hear that because we are on the Sea of Glass. We’ll hear that. “And there were voices and thunders and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were on the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts; and the cities of the nations fell;” And all of their super high building “And Babylon the great was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. And every island disappeared, and no mountains were found;” Because they were lowered, and the valleys were raised. “And great hail, each stone the weight of a talent, fell down from heaven; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of hail, for the plague was exceedingly great” (Rev.16:1-21).
Now see, maybe some had protection, maybe they were in their tanks and the hail didn’t smash out their tanks, or whatever it may be. Because you see, now they're going to come and gather to the final battle. It is here, in Revelation 19. And all the saints are going to come, and all of us are going to descend with Christ to the earth. And verse 14, “And the armies in heaven were following Him on white horses; and clothed in fine linen, white and pure. And out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He might smite the nations;” All God has to do is command, and it's done. “That with it He might smite the nations; and He shall shepard them with a iron rod;” That's what it’s going to take to bring these unrepentant people of the ten percent that are left, after all of this, that are going to enter into the millennium, and be the first living, human beings in the kingdom of God, administered by Christ and the saints. “And on His garment and on His thigh He has a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven,” See God's going to clean up the mess. “Come and gather yourselves together to the supper of the great God so that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of chief captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of these who sit on them, and the flesh of all, free and bond, and small and great. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together…” So all the remnant that are left, they gathered together. “…To make war against Him Who sits on the horse, and with His army.
And so, God is going to send an angel. The first thing is going to be done: The beast is going to be taken. Verse 20, “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who worked miracles in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire, which burns with brimstone; And the rest were killed by the sword of Him Who sits on the horse, even the sword that goes out of His mouth; and all the birds were filled with their flesh” (Rev. 19:14-21).
And then we come down to Zechariah 14:4, “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives…” (Zech. 14:4). And all the saints with him. And then, the next major most important event, from the time of the Garden of Eden, is going to take place as pictured by the Day of Atonement.
(End of Sermon)
Transcriber: Carolyn Singer
The Feast of Trumpets—Sermon II—Holy Day
September 23, 2006
Scriptural References
- Leviticus 23:23
- Matthew 6:9-10
- Ezekiel 33:11 (paraphrased)
- Colossians 1:10-13
- Colossians 3:14-16
- Jeremiah 1:15-19
- Isaiah 50:5-7
- Ezekiel 3:4-11
- Matthew 24:15-21
- Amos 5:18-20
- Zephaniah 1:13-17
- Jeremiah 25:31
- Zephaniah 1:18
- Joel 1:15, 2:1-13
- Isaiah 13:6-13
- Isaiah 24:18-23
- Revelation 8:1-5
- Isaiah 40:4
- Revelation 8:6-13
- Revelation 9:1-21
- Revelation 15:5-8
- Revelation 16:1-21
- Revelation 19:14-21
- Zechariah 14:4
