Bible Studies
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Chapter 1
The book of Revelation has always been the one book of the Holy Bible, of which many Pastors and Churches seem to avoid due to its overwhelming use of various symbols, and the mysterious nature of the subject matter. Some believe it should not be in the Bible, or even considered as a book of Biblical studies. So, if it is not to be studied and should not be a part of the Holy Bible, what is its purpose, what is the message it proclaims, and what is its place in Christianity?
As you read through this study and follow the biblical references attributed to the subject, it is my prayer that you will receive a better understanding of the 7 last plagues and the 1000 year period which immediately follows these disasters, of which there are many differing opinions, but I urge you, allow the Bible to give you the correct answer.
The word “Revelation” comes from the Greek word “apokálypsis” which evolved into the English word “apocalypse”, of which most associate with chaos, destruction, tragedy, etc., but, its actual meaning is far from chaotic. The word, revelation, is actually defined as an unveiling or revealing of something.
With that definition then, we must assume the book of Revelation to be revealing, or unveiling a message of such a divinely inspired, and timely importance to the Christian community and the world, that John, a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos is shown this in a vision. In fact, the first verse is indicative of this, and the following two verses emphasize the writings and warnings that it is to be documented, read, and shared with all, and not to be withheld, changed, or hidden.
The very first verse gives us an immense amount of information as to what this book is about;
Rev.1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
A It concerns Jesus Christ whom it is revealing or unveiling B: It’s revealing an important message to His followers C: Foretelling events which must shortly take place D: He “signifies” by His angel these things; (signify; be known by signs, speech or action) E: Finally, given to an earthly human, John, to be shared with the followers of Jesus
The very next verse tells us that John is to make a record of all that is unveiled or revealed to him. Rev.1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
The third verse then offers a blessing to those reading and heeding the warnings Jesus showed to John, concerning these things which would impact all of mankind. Rev.1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
These first three verses convey to us, that, the book of Revelation contains such an important message it is to be recorded and shared with the followers of Jesus Christ, adhered to and proclaimed to all of mankind. With all this from the first three verses, then it stands to reason that we should not be afraid of, or shy away from the study of this book and the message it is proclaiming. We should diligently study this book to better understand the message and visions being shown to John, and, verses throughout this book reinforce the fact that we are to study it for understanding and wisdom as we prepare for the final days of earth’s history, and the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Rev.1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter
Again in the first chapter, John is instructed to write the things which he is being shown, an indication that it is to be read by others.
Rev.22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
The angel is assuring John, and those who will read these words, that this is a very important message from a divine source, God Himself, and is to be taken as factual truth, and shared with the world.
Rev.22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
We see in this verse another admonition to share, and not hide the sayings of this book; John is being warned to proclaim all that is shown, and not delete or alter anything.
Revelation 1:19, 22:6, and 22:10 all areindicating the commissioning of John to write the things he is shown, which have been, which are taking place at the present, and those things which will occur at a future time. John is told not to seal up (keep secret, hold back, or hide any part), but to share with all the world these prophecies, which will occur up to, and including, the second coming of Jesus, the 1000 year period, the descending of the New Jerusalem and the final disposition of Satan, his angels, and those lost souls who rejected Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
So according to Revelation 1:1, the book is a message of the revealing of Jesus Christ and of things which are to take place on this earth leading up to His 2nd coming and the annihilation of sin forever.
It is passed from God to Jesus, who passes it to an angel, who then passes it on to the Apostle John with instructions to share with the entire world, the warnings of those things which are shown, and God always warns His people before He brings judgement as shown in Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Keep in mind as you study the book of Revelation that it is not in chronological order as some assume; and is also filled with symbolism; this is where a lot of confusion and misunderstanding occurs, which tends to scare most away from studying it. Imagine a movie trailer which shows various portions of the movie, or a movie which begins at the end and has recurring flashbacks; this is the characteristic context of the book of Revelation.
I don’t claim to be an expert on this book or any other book in the Bible for that matter, but by studying the various books of the Bible, especially the book of Daniel, which goes hand in hand with the book of Revelation, and with comparable historical studies, you will gain a better understanding of end times events, the warnings issued, and the message the book of Revelation reveals to those searching for the truth and a better relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
I will only be covering the events surrounding the 1000 year period described in Rev:20, but in order to understand the 1000 year period we must first study the seven last plagues leading up to the beginning of the 1000 year period, which follows the conclusion of these plagues.
Be opened minded as you read this, putting aside previous teachings you have been taught on this subject, and keep in mind, you are about to discover, and have revealed to you, things you have never been taught, which in some instances contradicts the popular and unbiblical teachings, which a number of Christian denominations are teaching as fact. Remember the Bible does not contradict itself.
I and many others concur, that we are in the final days of Earth’s history, and the very soon standing up of Michael, (see Daniel 12:1) which will bring about the seven last plagues, and therefore, it is critical that the masses know the truth and prepare for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, at which time those not prepared, will, sadly, be left behind; Luke 13:28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.
In this book, John the Apostle, who, being exiled on the Isle of Patmos, is shown a number of visions by Jesus Christ of events which would take place from John’s time thru the rapture, the 1000 year period, the descending from heaven of the New Jerusalem, and the final battle in which God destroys Satan, the false prophet, and the unrepentant sinners, whom will never rise again to corrupt this Earth.
Among the visions shown to John, is one concerning a 1000 year period of time, which will occur following the second coming of Jesus (resurrection/rapture of the saved).
There are a number of theories and various interpretations of just what this 1000 year period is, and what it entails, but with a careful study of the Bible and especially the book of Revelation, you begin to see a lot of teachings over the years have not been true or kind to the actual events which are prophesied to occur, beginning with the seven last plagues, and progressing to the rapture of the saved, the destruction of the earth, Satan’s 1000 year imprisonment, and culminating with the release of Satan, the resurrection of the lost and the final battle between God and Satan, where Satan, the false prophet, and the beast are cast into the lake of fire alive, to be consumed, never to raise their heads again, and finally the judgment of, and Gods final dealings with the wicked/unsaved humans of planet earth. The number of various scenarios of these events, emanating from the so called learned experts and theologians of eschatology are astounding, as many fail to align with the truth of the message in the book of Revelation.
Not only is this period of a thousand years referenced in the book of Revelation, but is also referenced in the book of Jeremiah and Isaiah, so it must play an important role in God’s plan for the complete redemption of man in reconciling with His creation in the new and improved Garden of Eden.
Some interpretations place the resurrected Christians in Jerusalem for a 1000 year period of time; some allude to a 1000 year period of peace for Israel prior to the second coming of Christ. But, are any of these theories correct? Does the Bible support either of these theories? We’ll see, as we proceed through this study. Still others say the plagues which occur prior to the rapture and beginning of this one thousand year period have already taken place in the past, but let’s allow the Bible to be our guide as we study through this section of the final end-times events.
Had these events already occurred in the past, such as a noisome and grievous sore falling upon mankind, or the oceans becoming as blood, with every living thing, including man, dying from the effects, or all the fountains, rivers and streams turning to blood and man dying from the effects of drinking the blood, or the sun was of such severity it burned and scorched man and the environment so relentlessly that men cursed the God of Heaven, or hailstones weighing as much as 50 to 75 lbs. falling from the sky, then where is the documentation, or physical evidence of such catastrophes?
Surely there would be some type of evidence in writing or other means of substantiation concerning these events, had they occurred, but no such evidence has been uncovered to show these events have taken place. Therefore, it is my contention that these seven events are for a future time when the righteous are protected, the Holy Spirit has been withdrawn and the seven plagues are poured out on man in rapid succession, and not a seven year period as most Christian denominations teach and adhere to.
The Bible will interpret itself if we look closely and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in our studies of the scriptures. We are presently at a junction in history where the coming of Jesus is so close we can almost feel the breath on our collars, and therefore must daily search the scriptures for the truth, prepare ourselves, and warn others of the impending judgments and the return of Jesus for His Church.
Jesus said in John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
We have an obligation as Christians to work for the salvation of the lost, just as Jesus did. Jesus set for us an example which we are to follow, to be Christ-like in our lives as we interact with others, showing compassion and radiating the love of Jesus, so others might see, through us, the love He has for His creation.
During this time of Jacobs troubles, when the Holy Spirit has been withdrawn, and the remnant Christians are being protected, there will be no one working to appeal to the lost; the night cometh, when no man can work.
The beginning of sorrows
The prophesy for this time of troubles begins with the standing up of Michael, which signals the close of probation as the seven angels are given the signal to pour out the plagues on mankind. Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Matt 24:21 Mark 13:19)
Here we see the closing of probation as Michael stands up, and the seven Angels are loosed to begin pouring out their vials of wrath on the inhabitants of the Earth. During this time of troubles, when the Holy Spirit has been withdrawn, and the remnant Christians are being protected, there will be no one working to appeal to the lost; the night cometh, when no man can work.
The close of probation has occurred and the lost are forever lost, as stated in Rev.22:11; He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Probation has closed at this point, and the seven plaques of Revelation 16 begin falling, and if we look at Amos 8:11-12 we see evidence that the Holy Spirit has been withdrawn. 11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)
Genesis 7:4 tells us that Noah and his family were in the ark for 7 days before the rains began to fall; For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
This, I believe is another indication of the true saved Christians being upon this earth during the falling of the seven last plagues. Amos 8:11,12 tells us men are searching for the word but cannot find it; ; the night cometh, when no man can work. an indication of the withdrawing of the Holy Spirit. As the Bible shows, God protected the Hebrews in Egypt through the ten plagues, He protected Daniel from the lions, and Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego from the fiery furnace, He will also protect the saved through these last seven plagues.
Noah preached and warned the people for 120 years of the coming judgment and destruction, but when Noah entered the protection of the Ark with his family, God himself shut the door, thereby shutting out all remaining humanity forever. The close of probation was upon the inhabitants of that era; Noah and his family were among the inhabitants, but were in the protective shelter of the ark for seven days, which God Himself sealed out the world, by closing the door to the ark. Those outside the ark were lost forever, probation had ended for them
Just as today, the people of that era did not heed the warnings, instead seeking after their earthly and fleshly lusts, mocking an old man building a boat on dry land as he attempted to warn them of an impending destructive flood, which when it arrives, will destroy every living thing on earth except those whom sought protection in the ark, and sadly only Noah and his family, along with the animals God had placed on the ark, would survive this destruction. Those not heeding the warnings to repent and enter the safety of the ark were forever lost.
Today’s world is the same way, and the true obedient Christian’s are also receiving this same treatment as they attempt to warn of the impending wrath and judgment of God, but as in the days of Noah, they too are being mocked, ridiculed, some being arrested and taken to jail for proclaiming the gospel, Christian Pastors sermons subpoenaed for possible hate speech because they dared speak out against the immorality that was being legislated and glorified by the city of Houston Texas and its mayor, in their attempt to force the sinful gay lifestyle on the residents of that city. (they, the Pastors, had the fortitude and courage which Peter and the Apostles had as they proclaimed in Acts 5:29 ,……. We ought to obey God rather than men.).
This is only a foretaste of what is to come and what the true and faithful Christians will face as the forces of evil ramp up the attack on the Christian morals of society, forcing all references to God or Christianity out of public view, and viewing Christians and the Holy Bible as hatemongers quoting from a hate inspired book of a mythical God in the sky, and being relegated to the status of domestic terrorists, cults, and whatever other negative labels that are convenient at the time.
As Christianity is being relegated to the status of cult worship, hate mongering, and homophobic inspiring rhetoric, the morals and the degradation of society continue gaining momentum in its plunging descent into the gutter level realm of moral bankruptcy, not seen since the anti-diluvium period before the flood and the destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah with their utter disregard for human morality. Jesus said in Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Just in the past 20 years we have seen the increasingly downhill slide into disgustingly vile immorality in the way of violence, sexual perversion, the decimated family core, and with mass media, including movies, television, games, and the educational system glorifying these actions as they continually lambast, mock, and push to eradicate the morals of the Christian culture and anything associated with it.
A recent Pew study revealed an astounding nearly 8% drop in the population identifying as or participating in the Christian religion, from 2007 to 2012 and a nearly 10% increase in those identifying as atheists or non-aligned with any religion in the United States.
In the days of Noah, people were much as today, doing what-ever felt good, putting self and fleshly satisfaction first and ignoring the God of the universe. Sodom and Gomorrah were filled with so much sexual deviation and activity that not even ten righteous people could be found. Lot and his wife were so in-tuned to the materialistic and worldly aspects of that era, that the Angels had to forcibly escort him, his wife, and daughters out, to save them from the destruction, but Lot’s wife, (much like todays Christians) still infatuated, and longing for that lifestyle, with its fleshly satisfaction, could not let go, and looking back for the things she longed for, forfeited her life. The parallels with today’s society and those of Sodom and Gomorrah are frighteningly similar.
Probation had closed when Noah and his family entered the ark and God had shut the door. Noah’s work was over and the night was upon them as he and his family sat in the ark for seven days before the rains began and the fountains of the deep erupted, bringing about the destruction and judgment he had preached and warned about for 120 years. The door had been shut to probation, the night was upon them and the unrepentant were lost forever.
We should be about studying God’s word, paying attention to the warnings of the prophecies, being obedient to His will, and preparing ourselves for the trials which are gaining momentum as we come closer to Jesus’s appearing for the redeemed Christians. Unless we are truly repentant and prepared for these trials and tribulations, which we cannot fathom the magnitude of, we will not have the strength, faith or fortitude to stand in the face of these troubles, instead succumbing to the pressure and worldly ways, missing out on the promise of eternal peace and happiness in a place our finite minds cannot comprehend. Jesus said in Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Dan 12:1 Mark 13:19
This period of troubles will separate the true Christian from the counterfeit Christians which have been following the worldly traditions of man and the Politically correct do what-ever feels good style of Christianity they have been adhering to, as the parable of the wheat and tares emphasizes in the 13th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.
God is preparing His people today for tomorrows trials and tribulations; those not standing today will fall tomorrow, and will hear the most dreaded words one would ever wish to hear;” And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”, Matthew 7:23, and will therefore miss out on the eternal blessed home God has prepared for those who love Him and are obedient to His will, keeping His commandments.
I like what the writer of Psalm 119:115 has to say; “Depart from me, ye evildoers: for I will keep the commandments of my God.”
Jesus tells his followers what will happen to those not being diligent and obedient. Matthew 10:38,39 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
We are to prepare for these time’s by taking up our cross and being obedient in following the will of God, because once these times of troubles start, it will be too late. There will not be a second chance as some teach. Once the door of probation is closed, (when Michael stands up; Daniel 12:1, which will be the beginning of the seven last plagues of Rev.16) the unrepentant are lost forever.
We don’t wait until we have an accident to purchase insurance, do we?
There is not a better insurance policy than the blessed assurance of eternal life offered to those who will accept it; the premium has been paid in full with the blood of Jesus. Jesus is saying unless we follow Him in full obedience to His word and endure the persecutions and trials which we will face, then we are not worthy of His redemption. Rev.14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus
Some misinterpret this verse to mean saints are such as the apostles, but all saved Christians are saints, and this verse is alluding to all Christians which have the testimony of Jesus in their hearts and His seal in their foreheads. Look at the following verses from Corinthians and Ephesians, and here Paul is emphasizing, we as saved Christians are as the saints and are considered the same.
1 Cor.6:2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God ( emphasis added)
We are not to fear what man can do to us, for man can only kill the body, as Jesus said in Luke 12:4-5 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
God will protect His people through the tribulations and trials of these times. He protected the Hebrews in Egypt; He protected Daniel from the Lions; He protected Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the flames in the fiery furnace; In each case, God protected His people through the trials, rather than removing them from the trials.
Psalm 9:6-7 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. These verses tell us that God will erect a wall of protection around His people during these times of troubles.
The Seven Last Plagues
Chapter 2
In the vision John is watching, he observes seven angels holding the cups of the seven last plagues and as the close of probation commences with the standing up of Michael (Daniel 12:1), John hears a loud voice instructing the seven angels to go, and pour out their vials, which are filled with the wrath of God upon the earth and its inhabitants as the time of Jacobs trouble commences, (or some refer to as a seven year tribulation period). Some denominations teach this to be the beginning of a seven-year tribulation period in which those not raptured will have a second chance at redemption. This I totally disagree with, and as you progress through this study, you too will see how this has been erroneously taught over the years.
We see a scenario of great tribulations begin to fall upon this earth as its history comes to a conclusion. A scenario prophesied through-out the Bible, and described in more detail in the book of Revelation.
As we look in Revelation 16, we read of the succession of these plagues, and how they increase with severity as each vial is poured out. We will start with Revelation 16:1 as the first plague is poured out, and as we progress through the chapter we begin to see the severity and intensity of these plagues as they fall on this wicked world.
Keep in mind these plagues have not fell on mankind yet, but we are presently getting a taste and a preview of what is coming, and anyone studying the Bible and observing the condition and actions around the world cannot help but see the correlation, accuracy of the Bible, and the nearness of these plagues with todays present political climate.
The plagues which fell on Egypt will be a cakewalk in comparison to what these 7 last bowls of judgement will inflict on the inhabitants of this planet following the standing up of Michael, (Daniel 12:1) Jesus warned of this in Matthew 24:4..21-22 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you…… 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Dan 12:1 Mark 13:19)
The Beginning of Jacobs Troubles or the 7 last plagues
1st Plague A noisome and grievous sore (Revelation 16:1-2)
Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.(Matt 24:21 Mark 13:19) emphasis added
1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. 2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image Revelation 16:1-2
The first plague to fall is a type of sore on those who follow the mark of the beast, and who worship his image. The Bible does not describe what this sore is but if we check out a few relevant scriptures, we can get a good idea.
Let’s look at Exodus 9:10,11 as our first reference point. And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast. 11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians. This is one of the plagues God poured upon the Egyptians in the quest to free the Hebrews from Pharaohs clutches.
Again we see in Job 2:7-8 the mention of boils which Satan had caused Job to be afflicted with.; 7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes
This could be the same type of miserable sores or boils which will affect mankind, as well as the animals, as is recorded in Exodus 9:10.Having a single boil or sore anywhere on your body is miserable enough, but, imagine these boils and sores covering your entire body. It’s not called a grievous sore for nothing.
I am not going to cover or discuss the mark of the beast in this section as it entails a more thorough explanation, but suffice it to say that it is not an implanted chip as some denominations of the Christian faith teach, but rather an action of the Church, and the uninformed, or (refuse to be informed) Christians as they continue following the deceptions laid down by Satan nearly 2000 years ago. See Matthew24:24 and Mark 13:22
As the inhabitants are suffering from the effects of these boils, the 2nd vial is poured out upon the oceans of the world, which will bring more misery.
The 2nd and 3rd plagues are both indicating the waters to be turned to blood
2nd Plague The sea becoming as blood (Revelation 16:3)
And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
The blood of a dead man is being used here as an illustration and is symbolic in nature. When the body dies, the heart no longer pumps blood through the veins; therefore the blood becomes stationary and no longer can supply the body with the life giving nutrients and oxygen required for maintaining life. The body then begins the process of deposition, there is no life in it; it’s dead.
Should a major catastrophic event take place, such as an horrific chemical, biological, nuclear spill, or a large meteorite falling into the oceans, it could impact the oxygen levels as well as other life sustaining actions in the oceans, causing all marine life as well as human life to be extinguished. Since the verse indicates all living souls in the oceans, then we can assume this will be a catastrophe of unimaginable magnitude, extinguishing all marine, as well as human life in the oceans.
We can only speculate as to what this angel pours out or causes man to pour out on himself in this 2nd plague, and if we look at the potential hazards on and around our oceans today we can see such a scenario is not out of the question of actually taking place.
One only has to look at the continuing saga of the nuclear reactor meltdowns in Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami which struck the Fukushima reactors in March 2011, and the resulting radioactive materials which entered the ocean and the atmosphere, causing widespread catastrophe in Japan, high levels of radiation being detected in the Pacific ocean as well as the western states of the United States, and as far as the east coast. This is a minor catastrophe compared to what is in store for this world.
3rd Plague The waters are turned to blood (Revelation 16:4-7)
And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus 6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy
Verse 6 of this passage is very interesting, in that it speaks of the martyrdom and persecutions of the saints, and as we know from scripture (1st Cor.6:2 and Eph.2:19), that all born again Christians are considered saints. Uriah Smith in his Daniel and Revelation study made a very good analogy of this verse as it relates to the times we are presently in. The following is from Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith;
It may be asked how the last generation of the wicked can be said to have shed the blood of saints and prophets, since the last generation of saints are not to be slain…. No generation ever formed a more determined purpose to devote the saints to indiscriminate slaughter than the present generation will, not far in the future. ……In motive and purpose, they do shed the blood of saints and prophets, and are every whit as guilty as if they were able to carry out their wicked intentions (Uriah Smith, Daniel and the Revelation chapter 16 pg. 773, 1897 edition)
As I mentioned earlier of the downslide into gutter level immorality and the constant and increasingly hostile attacks on the Christian culture, these preceding verses lends credence as being appropriate in today’s society, and the preceding quote from Uriah Smith in the late 1800’s is right on target with today’s attacks on the Christian culture and morals.
In today’s world, the rivers and streams are so polluted, that the EPA has warned of the dangers of eating the fish from the many lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans. Fish are dying and disappearing from the Pacific ocean in and around our west coast, due to the continuing radioactive elements in the water from the Fukushima reactor meltdown from 2011.The ground water has also become so polluted by chemicals from industrial dumping and spills, and along with the many herbicides and pesticides being used by farmers as well as the general population, in an attempt to control weeds and pests, and without giving any fore-thought as to the damage these chemicals are inflicting on the worlds water sheds.
Our life sustaining water, which God created for the sustaining of life, is now almost unfit to drink, even with an immense amount of filtering and chemical altering to clean it up, which has resulted in billion dollar industries arising to remedy and clean up this life giving liquid. Let’s look at a couple of relevant scriptures on this subject.
Jeremiah 9:15 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink Rev.8:11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
As the sores bring misery, and the waters become unfit to use, man is hit with yet another more troublesome plague in the 4th vial as the sun begins to exact revenge on mankind.
4th Plague The sun begins to scorch man (Revelation 16:8-9)
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.
We see in this portion of scripture the continuing and unabated succession of plagues being poured out on mankind, and as these plagues continue to fall, the intensity of the anguish grows, as the inhabitants, suffering with the devastating misery of the sores, and contending with the dead waters, which have become unfit for consumption, must now endure the heat of the sun, becoming almost unbearable, as it scorches and burns beyond comprehension.
The inhabitants of the earth continuously curse the Christian God and his followers because of these plagues, but Gods people are being protected through all of these calamities. There is no relief for the unrepentant as Rev.22:11 so plainly puts it. Probation has ended, the night is upon us, and God’s wrath is now upon those who rejected His son, Jesus Christ.
5th Plague Darkness on the seat of the beast (Revelation 16:10-11).
10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
Verses 10 & 11 reinforces the fact that these plagues are coming in rapid succession , and we see in these verses, the continuing calamities as they increase in severity, as men curse God for the torments which they are experiencing; we also see this in Rev.6:15-17 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
The wealthy, the elite as well as the governments are now building and stocking some of the most amazing underground and mountain bunkers in the belief that they will survive God’s judgement. The wealthy and the elite know there is something in the wind, unlike anything that has ever occurred, and when the four angels release those winds of strife, this world will fall into utter chaos and madness.
If we look back at Exodus 10:21-23 we see an illustration of this vial as it was poured out on the land of Egypt. 21 And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: 23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
This darkness was so black it was physically felt as it covered the lands, Revelation 16:10-11 reveals a similar darkness, but, verse 23 of Exodus 10 has an interesting twist to it; it reveals the children of Israel had light in their dwellings, proving that God is not slack on His promise to protect His people, as shown in verse 23. This is further evidence that God will provide protection and sustenance for His people during the pouring out of these seven last plagues on the earth.
Darkness mentioned in these verses does not necessarily connotate an absence of light, but rather a period, and a time of severe evil, turmoil, anguish, war, cruelty and the sheer madness of mankind. The breakdown of society and the civil unrest which will ensue, will guarantee a period of heinous acts against society by the roving gangs searching for food, weapons, shelter, and other essentials of life which will boggle the mind, as they perpetrate unheard of heinous acts against individuals, some of which we cannot even imagine.
So in essence this will be a time of unimaginable cruelty and brutality, (darkness of evil) heartlessness, lack of compassion and love for each other, with attacks aimed at, and especially against those having the patience and faith of the saints (the true Christians) as Revelation 14:12 points out; Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. But God will protect His people as shown throughout the Bible and as the Psalmist pointed out in Psalms 91:5-7
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
6th Plague The river Euphrates dries up (Revelation 16:12).
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared
This 6th plague is a very interesting one, as it is heavily symbolic and possibly one of the most mysterious, and misunderstood of all the plagues. The narratives continue through verse 16, so we will take it a little at a time, but, an interesting point to this plague is the fact that it possibly began taking shape years ago, and parts are now beginning to come together, as we’ll see.
John is shown a vision of the river Euphrates drying up to make way for the kings of the east, but let’s think about this for a spell and attempt to decipher the meaning of the river dying up. Is this literal or is this symbolic?
Some denominations and others, teach that the Euphrates river will literally dry up to make it easier for the kings of the east ( they mostly teach China) toeasily and quickly move men and military equipment through to attack Israel, but if we think about that for a minute and take note of today’s vast military technology of spy satellites, cruise missiles, unmanned drones, and the ability to destroy a nation and or its military capabilities by simply firing a salvo of highly destructive missiles, one can see no need to dry up the river for a manned army to approach; so this has to be symbolic rather than literal.
The river Euphrates can be seen as a symbolic reference of the Turkish, or Ottoman Empire, which possessed and controlled the territory watered by the Euphrates River, and the better part of that world until its break-up after WW1.
The verse indicates a preparation period in stating; that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. Note that KINGS is plural, not singular which indicates more than one. Things had to take place and preparations made in order to make way for the kings of the east to move.
Let’s look at a little bit of history concerning the Ottoman Empire.
The Ottoman, or Turkish Empire was founded by Ogluz Turks under Osman Bey in 1299 and with the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmed II in 1453, the Ottoman state was transformed into an Empire which controlled the lands watered by the Euphrates River system.
The Ottoman Empire, was, at the height of its power, a multinational, multilingual empire controlling much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, the Caucasus, North Africa and the Horn of Africa, and at the beginning of the 17th century contained 32 provinces and numerous vassal states, some later being absorbed into the empire and others granted various type of autonomy during the course of the centuries.
With Constantinople as its capital and control of lands around the Mediterranean basin, the Ottoman Empire was at the center of interactions between the Eastern and Western worlds for six centuries.Following a long period of military setbacks against European powers and a gradual decline, the empire collapsed and was dissolved in the aftermath of World War I, leading to the emergence of the new state of Turkey in the Ottoman Anatolian heartland, as well as the creation of modern Balkan and Middle Eastern states
The Ottoman Empire controlled a vast amount of territory and held all the kings (nations) in check, and with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the way was opened for the Kings of the East to make their run on the middle-eastern world.
With the rising powers of Saudi Arabia, Iran (Persia), Iraq, Syria, Libya, etc., and all vying for the political, as well as the mineral rights, (oil) of that area, and with the Balfour Declaration setting up a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine; the river Euphrates then becomes symbolic in the sense that the Ottoman Empire was representative of the Euphrates river by losing its political power, (drying up), allowing the Kings of East to make their way in.
But, there is more to this 6th plague than the drying up of the river Euphrates as we see in the continuing 4 verses (13-16) 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Let’s take these verses one at a time and try to decipher the symbolic meanings.
Verse 13 tells us there are three (3) unclean froglike spirits which came out of the beast, the false prophet and the dragon.
The Beast is that nation which gives power to the false prophet, which, I believe is the USA, ( I won’t get into that subject as it is a completely different study), and receives his power from the dragon which is Satan himself, and the false prophet being the Roman Catholic Church, as well as, the Protestant Churches following the false teachings which have been laid down over the past 1800 +years by the Roman Catholic religion.
The frog like spirits, which are demonic spirits, as verse 14 points out, will work amongst the three divisions of mankind, mainly, politics/ Paganism, Catholicism, and Protestantism, bringing them in concert with one another in an attempt to eradicate true Christianity from the world, by making, passing and enforcing laws which would force the true Christians to obey, or die as recorded in Rev.14:15-18, this will separate the true followers of Christ from the counterfeit Christian (lukewarm).
Verse 15 tells us to watch and keep our garments, lest we be found naked. This is a reference to the true Christian, studying the word of God, keeping the commandments of God and following Christ in a Christ-like manner, adhering to Biblical teachings , morals and principles rather than the teachings and traditions of man; Being vigilant, aware of, and avoiding the deceptions and pitfalls of the various religions and denominations; refusing to become a part of the politically correct crowds of public opinion and compromising churches, which accept that which is contrary to the word of God. This compromising is an attempt to remain neutral and thereby not offend or violate the immoral laws which are and will be passed to curtail and stifle the true Christian. Rev:14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And 1 Peter 5:8 warns us of this;
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: And then we see in Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. By studying Gods word daily and adhering to the teachings found within, we are hiding Gods word in our hearts, and will therefore be more able to discern the deceptions which most are following.
Jesus warns us of this in Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. Deut 13:1
With over 1200 Christian denominations in the USA alone, one has to wonder, how can there be so many denominations sprouting from the same Holy Bible, and all claiming to have the absolute truth. Should we think, maybe, deceptions? Read the Gospel of Mark and see what Jesus had to say. The true believing Christians are commanded to come out of the false teachings, traditions, and rituals of these Churches; Rev.18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
In Rev.14-19, we read of the church of Laodicea, of which most believe, that we are in the Laodicean age of the church today. With the vast numbers of different Christian denominations, and all espousing a different theology, which in most cases are misaligned from the gospel of Jesus Christ, one could be considered walking naked, or lukewarm, in which case as Rev.3:16 tells us, So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
As I have previously written, the world has begun an all-out attack on God’s Christian people and the momentum is increasing on a daily basis, fueled mainly by the homosexual/gay agenda, demanding the acceptance of their unnatural and immoral lifestyle; then add to that the increasing, and violent movement out of the middle east in the form of Islam, as they slaughter Christians, Jews and anyone not accepting their form of religion. This is a growing, and violent movement, with a command from the Koran to kill all Christians and Jews
On a daily basis, churches are being burned and destroyed in a vast attempt to eradicate Christianity from the Middle East and Africa, and now a vast arising has begun in Europe with the same agenda as the Middle East and Africa, their sights are now set on the USA with a stated goal of turning the entire planet into an Islamic world with Sharia law as the norm. In Sudan in 1983, as many as 2 million Christians and non-Muslims were slaughtered in the name of Islam. These atrocities are continuing through- out Africa and the Middle East and now threatening Europe with untold millions slaughtered and left homeless, while politicians and news media turn a blind eye in the name of political correctness.
The unclean spirits (frogs) are working overtime as they bring the world, including the churches which have begun compromising and falling in lockstep with this agenda, following worldly ways as they pursue the prosperity ,feel good teachings and sermons, accepting the same sex marriage as holy, and the gay lifestyle as natural, ordaining gays and lesbians as priests and pastors, as they bring them together against those in opposition to these immoral activities, lambasting anyone daring to call same sex marriage, abortion, and homosexuality a sin, or speaking of Islam as a dangerous threat to Christianity, when in their own words, Islam calls for the eradication of Christianity and Judaism.
As an example, Democratic Presidential Candidate, Hillary Clinton, spoke at the 2015 “Women In The World Summit” held April 22-24,2015, and had the following to say about those who adhere to the moral code of God’s word found in the Holy Bible; and I quote her words; “Deep seated cultural codes, Religious beliefs, and structural biases have to change.”
She is making reference to the Christian opposition against murdering unborn babies, (abortion), gay lifestyles and same sex marriages, which are all condemned as being not only unnatural, but an abomination to God and His moral guidelines; so according to Hillary Clinton, we are therefore to change our religious beliefs ( God’s laws as stated in the Holy Bible) to suit the current political and immoral climate sweeping this nation, and we only have to look at Daniel 7:25 which was prophesied nearly 2500 years ago for this to happen ….and think to change times and laws:….. and one will realize how close we are to the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ.
She (Hillary Clinton) is part of the unclean spirits, working in unison as they attack God and his people, just as they attacked and crucified Jesus for condemning the immoral and unrighteous living of His generation. All I can say is prepare, because momentum against the Christian faith is beginning to increase at an astounding speed.
If we do not daily, take in our spiritual food by absorbing Gods word through daily study and vigilant prayer, we will be devoured by Satan. The Chinese philosopher, Sun Tzu wrote; “If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
God’s word in our hearts, are our shield against the evil forces which we daily fight against, and as we draw closer to the standing up of Michael the persecutions will intensify. You only have to follow the daily news to realize the intensifying assault on the Christian faith.
With the recent ruling by the SCOTUS, legalizing, and thereby rewriting the definition of marriage, which has stood for 6000 years, since God joined Adam and Eve as husband and wife, you will see a rash of attacks, which has already begun, coming from all sides; political, religious, and public aimed at the true followers of God’s word.
Politicians such as Hillary Clinton, and President Obama calling for the changing of Biblical beliefs, and reeducating the Christians to accept homosexuality as normal, to the Vice President ranting that the Christian bigots who follow Biblical principles should be eradicated from this planet, one has to be totally blind to not see the fulfillment of prophecy and the ramifications which will emanate from these type remarks.
I am in no way homophobic, Islamophobic, racist, prejudiced or hateful towards the gay people or any other group or religion. As a Christian it is my responsibility, and duty to be Christ-like and to show only love and compassion, these are Gods people, just as all of creation are. God loves the gay people and all others of this world just as He loves the straight, but He hates their sinful lifestyles, just as He hates the sins of the straight. Sin is an abomination to God in any form, as shown in various scriptures throughout the Bible, yet, He still pleads for all to come to Him in repentance and abandon the sins in their lives. Let’s look at a few scriptures which reference these sins.
First, Paul tells us in Romans what the penalty of sinning is..
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
In Leviticus, Moses writes the laws as inspired by God for the people to follow, and one of those sins which is an abomination to God, is the sin of homosexuality.
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination
Paul in writing to the Corinthians espouses the fact that anyone living a life of sin, which includes the sin of homosexuality, will not enter the kingdom of God. You can hash it , dash it, twist it or stretch it, but it is still a sin in God’s sight.
1 Cor.6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God (emphasis added)
In Romans 1, Paul emphasizes that in the end times. the people will follow a lie as being truth, and one only has to count the vast number of Christian churches which already have, and others following suit in accepting the homosexual lifestyle and same sex marriage as holy in God’s eyes, along with the increasing number of homosexual and lesbians, calling themselves Reverends and Pastors of the Gospel.
Rom.1:26-28 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
Folks, no matter how you view it, it is still a sin, and an abomination to our Creator, the living God of the universe. Those whom will compromise for political correctness, allowing the demon spirits to lead them in these deceptions are those spoken of in Rev:16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame We also see in 2nd Peter how the Christians are warned to not fall from the truth, watching and keeping their garments.
2 Peter 3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
When Jesus was on this earth, the rulers came against Him, to eradicate Him and His teachings of love, compassion, and humility, as the character of God. The leaders (religious and political) feared Him as a threat to their authority and lifestyles just as the true Christian community is perceived today, a threat, and if we look at a couple of scriptures we can get a better understanding of Revelation 16 in its meaning of the Kings and rulers joining together for the battle against God.
Acts 4:25-28 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? (Ps 2:1) 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. (Ps 2:2) 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done
We see where the political and religious rulers, the Jews and the Gentiles joined forces against Jesus to have him eradicated. Can you see three unclean spirits here: Herod & Pilate—the Gentiles—the Jews.
Now let’s look at Luke 23:11-12 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. (emphasis added)
Do you see the similarities in these verses as compared to the prophecies of Revelation 16 where the unclean spirits have brought the rulers, including Jesus’s own people together against Him. This same thing is happening today as these evil forces are bringing the Churches and the world together as one, against Gods people.
Mark 13: 5-6, +22 And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many…. 22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. (Deut. 13:1)
Verse 16 of Rev.16 tells us they were gathered together into a place called Armageddon. A number of denominations as well as secular entities refer to this verse as indicating a great battle before Jesus returns, in a place called Armageddon and thus refer to this as the “Battle of Armageddon”, but the verse says nothing about a battle being fought, only to gather them together.
The only reference to a battle is in verse 14, where the unclean spirits go out among the Kings of the world to deceive them into coming together against the Christians of the world. Look at the attacks on the Christian religion from all fronts of the world including the USA which was founded to give people freedom of religion.
I cited previously the comments from the political side of Hillary Clinton as she referenced the changing of religious view’s, now let’s look at some other indicators of these three unclean spirits as they wreak havoc on the Christians in these last days.
The Muslim world are killing Christians by the thousands, destroying villages and churches on a daily basis, the Jewish controlled media and Hollywood are constantly ridiculing, mocking the Christian faith with their anti-Christian movies, television shows, and comedians using Christianity as a sounding board; A new television series on the Fox network is being released in the fall of 2015, portraying Satan as a good guy fighting against the bad . DECEPTION?
The American government and educational systems are constantly discriminating against Christians, and recently the City of Houston, Texas, subpoenaed the sermons of the local Christian pastors in a blatant act of hatred for their stand against the immorality of this cities immoral ordinances. I could go on and cite many instances of political moves against the Christian’s, in blatant violation of the constitution, but space doesn’t allow it.
Then we have the Christian community attacking the same Christian religion they claim to be a part of. Joel Osteen’s wife recently preaching a sermon and telling the thousands of people in attendance, that, “We don’t attend Church to please God, God is not pleased by us coming to church, but that we are to attend church to please ourselves and not God.”
Rick Warren, another nationally known preacher with a vast following, recently stated, in a round-about way, that gays would be in Heaven. Over a hundred evangelical pastors came out with a signed petition in favor of the court’s recent ruling on same sex marriage, making homosexual marriages legal, saying it was time for the churches to conform.
Former President Jimmy Carter basically attacked the true Christians with the following statement; “... I believe Jesus would approve gay marriage, but that's just my own personal belief. I think Jesus would encourage any love affair if it was honest and sincere and was not damaging to anyone else, and I don't see that gay marriage damages anyone else,”
Now this man is a Southern Baptist Sunday School teacher. How much more evidence do we need to show the fulfilling of prophecy for the last days. I can only warn you to prepare and be ready for what lies ahead.
Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
Do you see the similarities of the attacks on Gods people from His own people as the verses I cited in Acts and Luke, and which show the religious, political and your own kind coming against the Christians? We have the leader of this nation, claiming to be a Christian, bathing the White House in rainbow colors in celebration of this slap in the face to our creator God, telling the Christians “Those who disagree with the idea of gay marriage based, for example, on their religious views, must change to be more like progressives who accept gay marriage.” The Examiner 6/27/15 then further stating, “And those, (homosexuals) who have come so far on their journey to equality have a responsibility to reach back and help others join them”, in other words, we are to discard our moral codes as outlined by our creator, and accept an unnatural and immoral way of life. May God have mercy on their souls as they mock and blaspheme His Holy name and word. This from the President of the USA and the presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, making her statement that, “Deep seated cultural codes, Religious beliefs, and structural biases have to change.” Tells us the three frog spirits are alive and well as they kick into high gear with their intensifying attack on Gods people.
This intensifying attack is evidenced by the rantings of Vice President Joe Biden with his comments of “eradicating the Christian bigots from this planet” which he ranted at a LGBT gathering in Washington DC in the spring of 2015.
One only has to go back in the Bible and read the accounts of the anti-diluvian period prior to the flood, and the account of Sodom and Gomorrah to see the results of what happens when a nation turns away from Gods word and delves into the sexual immorality which is now sweeping this nation. The Prophet Jude tells us; Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 1:7
Not only has God been blasphemed and insulted with this new definition of marriage by the LGBT activists, they have also high-jacked Gods rainbow, a symbol of His promise and covenant with man, and turned it into a symbol of vile sodomy, a direct blasphemous insult to God the creator of all, and a violation of His law as shown in Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination…
The Episcopal church, the Presbyterian church and other so called Christian denominations are now opening their doors and pulpits to gay pastors and other politically correct groups as they follow and adhere to the “traditions of man” Mark 7:6 …Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Isa 29:13 Matt 15:8
Now that the Supreme Court of the United States has given the green light that legally recognizes same sex marriages, you will see a rash of civil and criminal moves against the Christian churches and culture, which will make the recent attacks against the baker and the florist pale in comparison. The true Christians will not waver in the face of these attacks, but, the lukewarm Christian (the tares) will fall, joining Satan in eternal damnation. Look at 2 Thessalonians 2:11,12 and we see this same thing which Paul spoke of; 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The true Christians, (or those who call themselves Christians), need to wake up from the false sense of security and sleep from which they have been lulled into by all these feel good prosperity messages without substance, that are being preached throughout the land by high paid motivational speakers, referring to themselves as men of God, but who are obligated only to the god of the almighty dollar, following the politically correct crowds, doing the bidding of the dragon, and not the God of the universe, who is about to take vengeance on them and the other inhabitants of this planet.
We see in today’s modern world the three frog spirits in the form of politics, as laws and ordinances against Christian morals are being passed, verbal attacks in the form of name calling from politicians, activists and even from so called Christian Pastors in the name of tolerance for their immoral lifestyles, but no tolerance for the steadfast Christians who believe in God and adhere to His moral laws; the Christian Churches accepting the immoral lifestyles, accusing the obedient Christians of being insensitive, and unchristian for not accepting what is an abomination to our creator God and His moral laws; the Jewish controlled news media and television as they constantly roll out shows offensive to Christians, comedians blaspheming the name of God and Jesus for the sake of a few laughs, yet the slightest or miniscule hint of insult or disagreement with the Muslim, Jewish religion or the homosexual lifestyle is immediately slammed, hailed and attacked as hate speech and hate mongering, accusing you of Islamaphobia, Anti- Semitism or as Homophobic bigots. The parallels with the three frog like spirits are frightening.
Again we only have to look at scripture to see this; Acts 4:25-28 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? (Ps 2:1) 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. (Ps 2:2) 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done
The stakes are being ramped up as the attack on the Christian culture of this nation increases daily, and its gaining momentum on an exponential basis.
A test of unimaginable proportion’s is about to be unleashed on the American Christian culture, which will reveal who the true and faithful Christians are, as the true remnant Church evolves out of this attack against God and His true believers.
Now to the study of the final plague, and as we have seen, there is no physical battle taking place, but rather a political battle, with the physical battle not occurring until after the 1000 year period of Satan’s imprisonment, which I will cover in the next section.
7th Plague Hail from the sky (Revelation 16:17-21)
17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. 20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
In this last plague we see the culmination of God’s wrath on this earth, the false church of Babylon, and the wicked unrepentant, as the earth begins to tremble, the mountains begin to move and great stones begin to fall from the sky on mankind. These stones will weigh in at about 50 to 75 lbs. each, and we can only imagine the death, destruction, and chaos, which stones of this magnitude, falling from the sky will bring upon the earth and its inhabitants, as God brings life on this planet to an end for the next 1000 years.
Copyright © 2014-16 by Paul L, Taylor all rights reserved worldwide All Bible verses are from the KJV unless otherwise noted [email protected]
Chapter 3
The 1000 Years & The Final Conflict
As we continue with our study, we have seen that Michael has stood up, indicating probation has closed (Daniel 12:1), and all not saved through their repentance and obedience to Jesus Christ at this point in time are doomed forever as Rev.22:11 states; He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
The sealed and faithful servants of God are still on the earth, but are being protected by God through all of these perils; just as He protected the Hebrews during the plagues on Egypt, Daniel in the lion’s den, and Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, so He will protect His people until the plagues are complete and the Rapture takes place. Please read my other writings (Deceived part 3 The Rapture, is it secret?) and ( Deceived The Seven Year Tribulation part 4) to better understand this study of the seven plagues and the 1000 years.
The seven plagues have fallen, the saved Christians have been raptured and carried to Heaven, the remaining living are destroyed in the 7th plague and remain dead for the next 1000 years along with the already wicked dead. This will be shown later.
But, we are told in Jeremiah 4:27 that this is not the end, so it must be intermission time for the next 1000 years as the next sequence begins with Satan being chained on the earth. This is not a literal chaining, but is symbolic of being in the prison of the destroyed earth with no one or nation to deceive or tempt, as all are dead, and we see this in Jeremiah.
Satan and his minions are the only inhabitants of this now decimated world as described in Jeremiah 4:23-27 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.27 For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
The last part of verse 27 tells us this is not the end, there is more to come.
In Revelation chapter 20, John is shown a vision where an angel descends from Heaven with a chain and binds Satan in the bottomless pit for a1000 years; 1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.(Rev.20:1-3) emphasis added
John is told that Satan will be bound in this bottomless pit for a thousand years and after the thousand years he must be released for a little season, at which time the wicked dead will be resurrected for the final judgement and battle with the Almighty God of the Universe. We will look at this later.
Verse one and three speaks of a bottomless pit which Satan will be cast into. Is there such a thing as a bottomless pit? Good question, but we have to understand that prophecies in the Bible are usually told in symbolic language rather than the everyday language. The bottomless pit was translated from the Greek word abyssos, which our word abyss comes from and means “pit, immeasurable depth, or darkness and chaos, and these verses allude more to a place of desolation and chaos.
First let’s look at Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters
Before God created life on Earth, the Bible says it was void and without form, a state of chaos and darkness; (a bottomless pit?) There were no life forms of any kind, not even light; a place of desolation.
Now look at Jeremiah 4:23-26 23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. 26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger
These verses in Jeremiah, indicate a similar condition of the earth which existed prior to God creating the living forms which would inhabit this planet, but it differs from Genesis in one respect. In Genesis there is no mention of birds, trees, wilderness, man or cities, prior to God creating anything, rather it is void and without form. A place of desolation, or bottomless pit. There had not been any life on Earth prior to the creation as told in Genesis 1
In Jeremiah’s description, he mentions the devastating state of the Earth, so he must be describing the after effects of God’s wrath on this world as described in 2 Peter 3:10-12 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up….12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
If we look at Isaiah 24:1 we are also told of the destruction and desolation of theearth; Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof
Jeremiah’s vision and commentary on the state of the Earth is very similar to the description of 2 Peter 3:10,12, where Peter is describing a major catastrophic event with everything being destroyed by the fervent heat of God’s wrath on this sinful world; creating a type of bottomless pit, or a state of devastation. So we see 3 references to a devastated, lifeless, and formless earth, referenced in 2 Peter 3:10, Isaiah 24:1, and in Jeremiah 4:23-26
Satan and his demons were cast out of Heaven and down to the earth as Rev.12:9 indicates; And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Satan and his demons, have been deceiving the Earth since their expulsion from Heaven, being unable to break free from the bonds that hold them on this Earth, and marooned here since their expulsion.
Since verse 3 of Rev. 20 is indicating a release of Satan, (after the one thousand years) and Jeremiah 4:26 tells us there is more to come, then we can assume some future act is to take place after the thousand years has elapsed, and if we look at Revelation 19 beginning at verse 11, we will see a scenario playing out after the thousand years has elapsed.
Looking at Revelation 20:4 we see the redeemed of Christ from the first resurrection are with Jesus in Heaven; And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years (Emphasis added)
Now look at verse 5; But the rest of the dead lived not againuntil the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. This tells us that no one is alive on the planet Earth after the first resurrection or during these 1000 years of Satan’s binding. This is confirmed by Jeremiah 4:23-25 23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. 25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled, and also in Isaiah 24:1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof
This being the case, then Satan has no one to deceive or tempt as Rev.20:3 states; 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled:…..
Jeremiah is shown the Earth after the first resurrection; Satan and his minions have been isolated on the uninhabited Earth alone and with no one, or nation to deceive or tempt, since all are dead. The earth is void and therefore there is no nation or people here for Satan to deceive.
During this one thousand years, all resurrected and raptured Christians are in Heaven with Jesus, as shown in Rev.20:4 …and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Some erroneously teach that the Christians are in Jerusalem for a thousand years with Jesus, but let’s look at another scripture which will refute that line of teaching.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (Deut. 30:4 Matt 24:31)
Here we see the rapture taking place with all redeemed meeting Jesus in the air, not in Jerusalem, but in Heaven with Jesus for the one thousand year period, as Rev.20:4 states.
2nd Peter 3:10-11 tells us what will happen as the unsaved/wicked are destroyed along with everything else on earth, as God brings His wrath and judgment upon the wickedness and unrepentant of planet Earth, destroying everything with fervent heat.
With everything destroyed, as Peter indicates, and with the Earth void without form, all life extinguished, and the heavens without light, as Jeremiah describes in Jeremiah 4:23, where would the redeemed be, if not in Heaven with Jesus?
The feet of Jesus does not touch the earth, instead we are caught up in the air to be transported to the Heavenly kingdom until the 1000 years are completed, at which time the New Jerusalem will descend from Heaven as described in Revelation 21:2. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
We have seen in these verses that the earth is uninhabited, except for Satan, whom God has bound on the earth for a thousand years. But what happens after the 1000 years are completed and Satan is once again released to deceive the nations?
The Bible tells us that the remaining dead (the wicked, unsaved) as shown in Revelation 20:5, (But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection,) will be resurrected for the final judgment, joining Satan in a last ditch effort to overthrow God, but will result in the complete annihilation of Satan, his demons, and the false prophet, and at this point will be cast into the lake of fire to be completely consumed, never to rise again.
So if the unsaved or wicked dead remain dead for a thousand years after the first resurrection, then this must be the resurrection for the unsaved, or wicked dead, which remained dead for the thousand years, and is considered the second resurrection as shown in Rev.20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Let’s look at Rev.20:7-9 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them
Here we see, the 1000 years has elapsed, the New Jerusalem has descended, and Satan along with his resurrected followers, are now preparing to attack the New Jerusalem as they move to surround it. Who can count the number of sand in the sea? This indicates billions of resurrected unrepentant souls from the beginning of time as they cover the entire earth.
There are those that teach Gog and Magog are Russia and Muslim countries joining forces against the present nation of Israel, but read these verses again and you will see the error they are teaching, as verse 7 specifically states “WHEN (after) THE THOUSAND YEARS HAVE EXPIRED”. These verses are speaking of a time after the rapture and destruction of the present earth, not before the rapture.
This is the final battle between good and evil as Satan rounds up those not written in the book of life and attempts once again to overthrow God and His Kingdom, which takes place after the one thousand years, not before the 2nd coming of Jesus as some erroneously, teach. Rev.20:7-8 makes this plain.
Now let’s look at Rev.19 beginning at verse 11 and follow the story line of the vision shown to John of this final saga to take place after the one thousand year period has expired.
Rev.19:11-21 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
We see in these verses the gathering of all the lost (those who were not in the first resurrection) as they continue to follow Satan, being deceived once again, into a futile last ditch attempt to overthrow and make a mockery of God before the entire universe, but God is shown to be just and righteous as He casts Satan, the false prophet and the beast into the lake of fire, and passes judgment on those who decided to follow Satan.
Verse 21 tells us that the unsaved/wicked which are resurrected after the 1000 years are judged and slain by the sword that proceeds out of His mouth. In Biblical terms the sword which proceeds out of His mouth is His word, and they are judged, convicted and slain by His word. This is the second death of Rev.20.6
The fowls are then invited to feast on the flesh of these dead. We see this in verses 17 and 18 of Rev.19 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Further evidence of this judgement is also shown in John 12:48 as the lost are judged, convicted, and slain by His word (the sword out of His mouth). He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
The final battle between good and evil has been fought, Satan, the false prophet and the beast have been consumed in the lake of fire and the unrepentant have been destroyed by the judgment of God, never to rise again. Sin has been defeated, God and the faithful have been victorious and the reward promised of an eternal home and life has been fulfilled with the descending of the New Jerusalem, which will be the sanctuary of God on earth with his people for eternity. No more death, sickness, tears, or crime, but only an eternal happiness of which we cannot fathom, prepared for those faithful and true to God and His commandments.
May God shed His blessings on those reading this study of the 7 plagues and the 1000 year period, enriching your understanding and bringing you into a closer walk and relationship with Jesus, rejecting the worldly pleasures and materialistic treasures of which will all be destroyed at His coming.
If you have not accepted Jesus as the Lord of your life then I urge you to do so right now, where you are, a simple humble prayer “Jesus, I am a sinner, lost in a sinful world and I ask you to forgive me, come into my life and accept me as one of your own.”
Time is running out, and when probation closes it will be too late. There will not be a second chance as some denominations teach; there will not be a Seven Year Tribulation period, and there will not be a secret Rapture as some teach.
Please, read and study the Holy Bible, and be careful as to which Bible you study, as some Bibles have some of the most important verses removed, giving a completely different picture of the Gospel. To each his own, but I personally prefer the King James Version or the 1599 Geneva Bible, which was the first to be meticulously translated from the original Hebrew and Greek into the English language as a study Bible. The King James was copied from the Geneva with no scriptural changes.
The clock is ticking, we are at one minute till midnight, and God has His hand on the door to close probation. Jeremiah 8:20 The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.
Copyright 2014/15/16/17/18/19 by Paul L. Taylor All rights reserved worldwide All scripture is from the KJV unless noted Contact: Paul Taylor [email protected]
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