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Topic: Tribulation Judgments
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bluefrog
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posted
This doesn't have to do with Tribulation Judgements but in the conversations it lead to the subject of Israel.
I just finished a book by William Koenig, called EYE TO EYE, paying the consequences of dividing Israel. The book tells of each and every time that America has held meetings or had Peace treaties signed to grant land for peace to the palistinians, all hell broke out in the U.S. on the same day or within 24 hours. It is all documented. God is Ticked Off ! Last report was Katrina, because of the printing of the book.
Many reports of disasters. I highly recommend the book if you are a Christian. By the way it is also very interesting to look up an updated map of Israel to see how much land has been given up. Sickening. Now, I shall step down off of my soap box. I feel gooder now.
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WildB
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posted
TV is going digital.
Much easier to control the out flow of info.
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That is all.....
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Kindgo
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posted
The burdensome stone that the world is determined to trouble itself with is becoming larger and larger. It is happening exactly as the Lord told us centuries ago through his prophets.
Jesus is coming soon! ![[hyper]](graemlins/hyper.gif)
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
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Glory belongs to Him
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posted
Thanks! ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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If you ever get so hungry for God that you are in pursuit of Him, He will do things for you that He won't do for anybody else.
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Eden
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posted
Kindgo wrote, apparently to Eden quote:
Since you don't seem to know..... You need to watch Jerusalem, it is a burdensome stone right now.
Thanks for reminding me. Jerusalem IS a burdensome stone to the nations in these days. At the moment the burdensome stone of Jesusalem is "not much in the news", but that probably "won't last long".
The nations are now in place, every place is "taken", so thanks for reminding again of that scripture, Kindgo.
with love, Eden
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The Beauty of Holiness777
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posted
Excellent answer Kindgo.
Tribulation is nigh we in Christ already know this for we have been forewarn in advance; that is why we must be prepared to face the future without fear.
The days will come when christians will be persecuted for their belief; haven't it already started? Preachers even now in America are being charged and threaten with jail for their belief against gay marriages. (Churches can be brought to court)
The Lord wrote about this in revelation. Nevertheless, the deepest stage of the Tribulation period has not yet taken place though it is nigh.
There is always dark threaten clouds and sounds of thunder before a terrible storm hits. It never comes without warnings.
Even now day by day the dark clouds are forming and the sounds of of thunder is about to begin " A Storm is brewing"
Only question is "Who will be your Shelter"
The answer is "Jesus Christ He is the Shelter in a Storm".
Agape Love,
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In God I'am Complete.
I am a "Spiritual Being" living in a physical body.
{Prayer - a force that reaches people and places when we can't}
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Kindgo
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It is an appointed time
When Jesus will split those eastern skys,
There has been no delay,
Soon we'll be caught away
In the twinkling of an eye,
To this world we will say goodbye,
Oh that time is drawing near.
If we've been born again,
Soon we will disappear,
For the innocent in Christ shall rise.
and then we which are alive
We'll be changed in a moment
in the twinkling of an eye.
If you believe we can know the time,
For the rapture is drawing nigh.
It's time to watch and pray Hear what God has to say.
He wants us to know the rapture time,
When Jesus takes His children through the sky.
Oh that time is drawing near
If we've been born again
Soon we will disappear,
For the dead in Christ shall rise
Then we which are alive,
We'll be changed in a moment
In the twinkling of an eye,
We'll be changed in a moment
In the twinkling of an eye.
Ima Dean Jones
Eden (BA)
Since you don't seem to know..... You need to watch Jerusalem, it is a burdensome stone right now.
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
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Eden
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posted
Hi, Glory belongs to Him, you wrote quote:
No it {Tribulation} hasn't occurred but the time is drawing nigh.
And what do you base that opinion that "the Tribulation is drawing nigh", sister?
love, Eden
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Glory belongs to Him
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No it hasn't occurred but the time is drawing nigh.
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If you ever get so hungry for God that you are in pursuit of Him, He will do things for you that He won't do for anybody else.
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Carol Swenson
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Hi Betty ![[hug]](graemlins/hug.gif)
I think people who believe the Tribulation has already occured, or is happening now, don't realize how terrible conditions are going to be during the Tribulation.
I didn't even post everything that will occur during that time. It would be too long (It's already very long).
Christians have always suffered trials and tribulations, but not THE TRIBULATION. Our Lord said that time will be shortened or else no life would survive!
Matthew 24:21 - 22 (NLT)
21For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. 22In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.
Mark 13:19 - 20 (NLT)
19For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again. 20In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.
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Betty Louise
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posted
Thank you Carol, for taking the time to share this.
betty
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Luk 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
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Carol Swenson
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The Vial Judgments (Rev. 16).
The first vial judgment:
“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” (16:2).
J. Vernon McGee writes:
“God is engaged in germ warfare upon the followers of antichrist…These putrefying sores are worse than leprosy or cancer. This compares to the sixth plague in Egypt, and is the same type of sore or boil” (Ex. 9:8-12). (Reveling Through Revelation, p. 36)
The second vial judgment:
“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” (16:3).
Dr. Charles Ryrie writes the following concerning this plague:
“The second bowl is poured on the sea, with the result that the waters became blood and every living thing in the sea dies. The ‘as’ is misplaced in the Authorized Version, the correct reading being ‘became blood as of a dead man.’ The vivid image is of a dead person wallowing in his own blood. The seas will wallow in blood. Under the second trumpet, one-third of the sea creatures died (8:9); now the destruction is complete. The stench and disease that this will cause along the shores of the seas of the earth are unimaginable” (Revelation, p. 97).
The third vial judgment:
“And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art and wast and shall be, because thou has judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments” (Rev. 16:4-7).
Two significant things may be noted in these verses:
a. This third vial judgment is, among other things, an answer to the cry of the martyrs under the altar at the beginning of the tribulation. Their prayer at that time was, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Rev. 6:10).
b. These verses indicate that God has assigned a special angel as superintendent on earth’s waterworks. When we compare this with Revelation 7:1, where we are told that four other angels control the world’s winds, we realize that even during the hellishness of the tribulation, this world is still controlled by God.
The fourth vial judgment:
“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 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” (Rev. 8, 9; see also Deut. 32:24; Isa. 24:6; 42:25; Mal. 4:1; Lk. 21:25).
Perhaps the two most illuminating passages in Scripture about man’s total depravity can be found in Revelation 9:20, 21, and 16:9. Both sections deal with the world’s attitude toward God during the tribulation.
a. “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk; neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts” (Rev. 9:20, 21).
b. “…and they repented not to give him glory” (Rev. 16:9).
What do these verses prove? They prove that in spite of horrible wars, of terrible famines, of darkened skies, of raging fires, of bloody seas, of stinging locusts, of demonic persecutions of mighty earthquakes, of falling stars, and of cancerous sores, sinful mankind still will not repent.
The fifth vial judgment:
“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, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds” (Rev. 16:10, 11; see also Isa. 60:2; Joel 2:1, 2, 31; Nahum 1:6, 8; Amos 5:18; Zeph. 1:15).
This plague, poured out upon “the seat of the beast” (literally, his “throne”), will apparently concentrate itself upon the ten nations of the revived Roman Empire. Again we read those tragic words “and repented not of their deeds.”
The sixth vial judgment:
“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. 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. 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” (Rev. 16:12-14).
Here the God of heaven employs psychological warfare upon his enemies, conditioning them to gather themselves together in the near future at Armageddon.
The Euphrates River is 1800 miles long and in some places 3600 feet wide. It is thirty feet deep. This river has been the dividing line between western and eastern civilization since the dawn of history. It served as the eastern border of the Old Roman Empire. Thus, the Euphrates becomes both the cradle and grave of man’s civilization. Here the first godless city (Enoch, built by Cain; see Gen. 4:16,17) went up, and here the last rebellious city will be constructed (Babylon, built by the antichrist; see Rev. 18).
The seventh vial judgment:
“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. 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. 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 wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 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” (16:17-21).
Thus end the seal, trumpet, and vial judgments. Three items in this last vial are worthy of observation:
a. The statement, “It is done,” is the second of three biblical occurrences in which this phrase is connected with some great event. The first event was Calvary and the last will be the threshold of eternity.
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished; and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (Jn. 19:30).
“And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” (Rev. 21:6).
b. The world’s greatest earthquake takes place. The intensity of an earthquake is measured on an instrument called a Richter scale. The greatest magnitude ever recorded so far has been 8.9. The greatest loss of life due to an earthquake occurred on January 23, 1556, in Shensi Province, China, and killed some 830,000 people. However, that earthquake will be but a mild tremor compared to the tribulation earthquake, which, we are told, will level all the great cities of the world.
c. The world’s greatest shower of hailstones comes crashing down on mankind. These gigantic icy chunks will weigh up to 125 pounds apiece.
(Willmington's)
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Carol Swenson
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The Trumpet Judgments
The first trumpet (8:7).
“The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth; and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up” (Rev. 8:7).
It has been observed that plant life was the first to be created, and it is the first to be destroyed (Gen. 1:11, 12). John Phillips writes:
“Looked upon as a literal occurrence, an ecological disaster without parallel in historic times is described. The planet is denuded of a third of its trees and all of its grass. The consequences of this are bound to be terrible. The United States, for example, has already proceeded with deforestation to such an extent that the country contains only enough vegetation to produce sixty percent of the oxygen it consumes.” (Exploring Revelation, p. 129)
The second trumpet (8:8, 9).
“And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood; and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.”
Dr. Herman A. Hoyt writes:
“Here we read of a great mountain burning with fire. This may refer to a meteoric mass from the sky falling headlong into the sea, perhaps the Mediterranean Sea. The result is to turn a third part of the sea a blood-red color and bring about the death of a third part of the life in the sea. Death may be caused by the chemical reaction in the water, such as radioactivity following atomic explosion. The third part of ships may be destroyed by the violence of the waters produced by the falling of the mass.” (Revelation, p. 49)
The third trumpet (8:10, 11).
“And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 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.”
This star could refer to a meteor containing stifling and bitter gases, which fall on the Alps or some other freshwater source. During the second trumpet a third of the salt water was contaminated. Now a third of earth’s fresh water suffers a similar fate. Many species of wormwood grow in Palestine. All species have a strong, bitter taste.
The fourth trumpet (8:12).
“And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise” (Rev. 8:12).
Our Lord may have had this trumpet judgment in mind when he spoke the following words:
“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Mt. 24:22).
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars” (Lk. 21:25).
The Old Testament prophecy of Amos is also significant here:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day” (Amos 8:9).
It was on the fourth day that God created the sun, moon, and stars (Gen. 1:14-16). They were to be for “signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years.” After the flood, God promised not to alter this divine arrangement (Gen. 8:22). But in the tribulation, during the fourth trumpet, earth’s very light will be limited by judgment. Between the fourth and fifth trumpets, John reports:
“And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound” (8:13).
The word “angel” here should be translated “eagle.” An eagle is sometimes pictured as God’s method of judgment (Deut. 28:49; Hosea 8:1). Thus, even the brute creation will be used by God during the tribulation. This marks the last of three occasions on which a creature speaks in the Bible. (For the other two, see Gen. 3:1-5—a serpent; and Num. 22:28-30—an *** .)
The fifth trumpet (9:1-12).
Vernon McGee writes:
“The last three trumpets are marked off from the other four by identification with the three woes (8:13; 9:12; 11:14). These woes mark the deepest darkness and most painful intensity of the Great Tribulation. This is generally associated with the last part (3 1/2 years), the blackest days in human history.” (Reveling Through Revelation, p. 73)
The ninth chapter of Revelation, which contains both fifth and sixth trumpet judgments, may be the most revealing section in all the Bible concerning the subject of demonology. Prior to this, God has already made it known that there are two kinds of unfallen angels. These are the Cherubim (Gen. 3:24; Ex. 25:8; Ezek. 10:1-20), and the Seraphim (Isa. 6:1-8). Here he may be describing for us the two kinds of fallen angels. We now note the first type as revealed by the fifth trumpet judgment.
(1) The location of these demons—the bottomless pit (9:1). Literally this phrase is “shaft of the abyss.” The word “shall” here indicates that there is an entrance from the surface of the earth to the heart of our planet. In this chapter we learn for the first time of a place called the bottomless pit. God mentions it no less than seven times in the book of Revelation (9:1, 2, 11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1-3).
(2) The identity of these demons. Some have identified these with the sons of God in Genesis 6:1, 2. Here the theory is that these demons attempted sexual relations with women, resulting in immediate confinement in the bottomless pit. We do know that some demons are already chained and others at present have access to the bodies of men.
(a) Unchained demons (Lk. 4:34; Mt. 8:29; Lk. 8:27-31).
(b) Chained demons (Jude 1:6, 7; 2 Pet. 2:4; 1 Pet. 3:18-20). Thus another name for this bottomless pit may be the tartarus mentioned in the Greek text of 2 Peter 2:4. Here Satan will be later confined during the millennium (Rev. 20:3).
(3) The one who releases these demons. This “fallen star” mentioned in 9:1 seems to be Satan himself. (See also Isa. 14:12; Lk. 10:18; 2 Cor. 11:14.) Prior to this time, Christ has held the key to the pit (Rev. 1:18), but now allows the devil to use it for a specific purpose.
(4) The torment of these demons (9:3, 4).
“And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.”
J. A. Seiss writes:
“The pain from the sting of a scorpion, though not generally fatal, is, perhaps, the most intense that any animal can inflict upon the human body. The insect itself is the most…malignant that lives, and its poison is like itself. Of a boy stung in the foot by a scorpion (it was related that)…he rolled on the ground, grinding his teeth, and foaming at the mouth. It was a long time before his complainings moderated, and even then he could make no use of his foot, which was greatly inflamed. And such is the nature of the torment which these locusts from the pit inflict. They are also difficult to be guarded against, if they can be warded off at all, because they fly where they please, dart through the air, and dwell in darkness.” (The Apocalypse, p. 83)
(5) The duration of these demons.
Charles Ryrie writes:
“Horrible as the torment will be, God will place certain limitations on the activity of these demons. They will be limited as to what they may strike and as to how far they may go and as to how long they may do what they will do. They will not attack the vegetation of the earth (as common locusts do); they may only attack certain men, that is, those who have not the seal of God in their foreheads (the 144,000; cf. 7:3). The wicked will persecute God’s servants, the 144,000; but in turn they will be tormented by this plague which God allows. The demon-locusts will also be limited in that they may not kill men, just torment them.
Further, the duration of this plague will be five months. The effect of this torment is to drive men to suicide, but they will not be able to die. Although men will prefer death to the agony of living, death will not be possible. Bodies will not sink and drown; poisons and pills will have no effect; and somehow even bullets and knives will not do their intended job.” (Revelation, p. 62)
The reason men cannot die is probably because Satan has the key to the shaft and will not allow his followers to leave the earth scene where the battle of light and darkness is being fought.
(6) The description of these demons (9:7-10). The shapes of these creatures are absolutely hideous. They are like horses prepared for battle. Crowns of gold seem to be upon their heads. Their faces are like men, their hair like women, their teeth like lions. They have on breastplates as of iron. Their tails are like those of a scorpion. The sound of their wings is like that of many chariots rushing toward battle.
The king of these demons (9:11). His name is Apollyon, which means “destroyer.” Here is Satan’s hellish “Michael the Archangel.”
(7) The horrible reality of these demons.
John Phillips writes:
“Modern man professes not to believe in demons, but they exist just the same. Moreover, they are clever with a diabolical cunning. Man’s attitude toward the demon world may well be likened to man’s attitude in the dark ages toward bacteria. If we could be transported back to London in the year 1666, we would find ourselves in a nightmare world. The great bubonic plague is at its height. The sights and sounds of the city are like the terrible climax of a horror movie. It is generally believed that fresh air is the culprit. The College of Physicians recommends the frequent firing of guns to blow away the deadly air. People seal themselves into their rooms and burn foul-smelling messes to ward off the fresh air. Chimneys are sealed, rooms are gray with smoke, and people choke in the suffocating stench. Outside, palls of black smoke hang over the city. People sit in the tightly sealed chambers, grimly determined to endure the smarting smoke, convinced they are thus immune to the plague. We tell them they are wrong, that the plague is not caused by the fresh air but by germs, microscopic organisms spread by fleas—and they laugh us to scorn.
Modern man has adopted a similar attitude toward the demon world. We tell them that the world is in the grip of Satan and that he has countless hosts of invisible demons to aid him in his dark designs against mankind. We say that these unseen beings are intelligent, and that before long, they are to be joined by countless more of their kind, worse even than themselves. People look at us with pitying scorn and suggest we peddle our theories to the publishers of science fiction. But it is true all the same. Once the pit is opened, the world of men will be invaded by a virus far more dreadful than the bubonic plague, a virus all the more deadly because it is able to think and because it directs its attack against the soul rather than the body.” (Exploring Revelation, p. 137)
The sixth trumpet (9:13-21).
As we have already noted, it would seem John describes two kinds of demons which will invade earth during the tribulation. The sixth trumpet now ushers in the second invasion.
(1) The leaders of this invasion. Four special satanic angels. These may function to Satan as the four living creatures do to God (Rev. 4:6-8).
(2) The armies of this invasion.
(a) They number two hundred million. By normal standards, this mighty army would occupy a territory one mile wide and eighty-seven miles long.
(b) The description. These demons, unlike the first invasion, seem to be mounted upon some type of hellish horse. The horses’ heads looked much like lions’, with smoke, fire, and flaming sulphur billowing from their mouths. The riders wear fiery-red breastplates.
(3) The source of this invasion. The Euphrates River. This is where evil began on earth (Zech. 5:8-11; Gen. 3), where false religion began (Gen. 4:3; 10:9, 10; 11:4), and where it will come to its end (Rev. 17-18).
(4) The duration of this invasion. Thirteen months.
(5) The damage wrought by this invasion. One third of humanity is killed through fire, smoke, and brimstone. One fourth had already been slain by the fourth seal (6:8). This would be approximately one billion. Now one third is killed, meaning another billion die. This invasion is therefore the opposite of the fifth trumpet judgment during which no man was able to die.
The seventh trumpet (11:15-19).
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (11:15).
This seventh angel proclaims the glorious news that very soon now the Lord Jesus Christ will take over the nations of this world as their rightful ruler. The announcement produces a twofold reaction:
(1) The citizens of heaven rejoice.
(2) The nations of the earth become angry.
The seventh angel prepares us not only for the consummation of the ages, but also for the explanation for all things.
“But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished” (10:7).
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Carol Swenson
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The Seal Judgments (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1–9:21; see also Mt. 24:4-8).
The first seal (Rev. 6:2).
“And I saw, and behold, a white horse; and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him; and he went forth conquering and to conquer.” This is doubtless a symbolic picture of the antichrist as he subdues to himself the ten nations of the revived Roman Empire. This may be thought of as the “cold war” period. We note he carries no arrow, which may indicate conquest by diplomacy rather than a shooting war.
The second seal (Rev. 6:3, 4).
“And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red; and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another; and there was given unto him a great sword.”
The uneasy peace which the rider on the white horse brings to earth is temporary and counterfeit. The antichrist promises peace, but only God can actually produce it.
As Isaiah would write, “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked” (Isa. 57:20, 21). Now open and bloody hostility breaks out among some of the nations.
The third seal (Rev. 6:5, 6).
“And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.”
Dr. Charles Ryrie writes the following concerning this seal:
“The third judgment brings famine to the world. The black horse forebodes death, and the pair of balances bespeaks a careful rationing of food. Normally, a ‘penny’ (a Roman denarius, a day’s wages in Palestine in Jesus’ day, Mt. 20:2) would buy eight measures of wheat or twenty-four of barley.
Under these famine conditions the same wage will buy only one measure of wheat or three of barley. In other words, there will be one-eighth of the normal supply of food. The phrase ‘see thou hurt not the oil and the wine’ is an ironic twist in this terrible situation. Apparently luxury food items will not be in short supply, but of course most people will not be able to afford them. This situation will only serve to taunt the populace in their impoverished state.” (Revelation, p. 45, 46)
Will the food problem really be as bad as all this during the tribulation?
Dean Stanley has written a graphic description of the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 b.c., and the terrible famine which followed. His words serve as a faint hint of the horrible conditions which prevail during the third seal. Stanley writes:
“Famine and its accompanying visitation of pestilence ravaged the crowded population within the walls. It was only by a special favour of the king that a daily supply of bread was sent to Jeremiah, in his prison, from the bakers’ quarters, and at last even this failed. The nobles, who had prided themselves on their beautiful complexions, purer than snow, whiter than milk, ruddy as rubies, polished as sapphires (Lam. 4:7), had become ghastly and black with starvation. Their wasted skeleton forms could hardly be recognized in the streets. The ladies of Jerusalem, in their magnificent crimson robes, might be seen sitting in despair on the dunghills. From these foul heaps were gathered morsels to eke out the failing supply of food (Lam. 4:5). There was something specially piteous in the sight of the little children, with their parched tongues, fainting in the streets, asking for bread, crying to their mothers for corn and wine (Lam. 2:11, 12, 19). There was something still more terrible in the hardening feeling with which the parents turned away from them. The Hebrew mothers seemed to have lost even the instincts of the brute creation, to have sunk to the level of the unnatural ostriches that leave their nests in the wilderness (Lam. 4:3). Fathers devoured the flesh of their own sons and their own daughters (Ezek. 5:10; Baruch 2:3). The hands even of compassionate mothers have sodden their own children, the mere infants just born (Lam. 2:20; 4:10).” (The Unfolding Drama of Redemption, p. 363, quoted by W. G. Scroggie)
The fourth seal (Rev. 6:7, 8).
“And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”
1. The identity of these riders. John calls them “Death” and “Hell,” apparently referring to physical and spiritual death. Thus the devil will destroy the bodies and damn the souls of multitudes of unbelievers during this third-seal plague.
2. The damage done by these riders. One-fourth of all humanity perishes during this plague. It is estimated that during the Second World War one out of forty persons lost their lives, but this seal judgment alone will claim one out of four persons—nearly one billion human beings! We note the phrase, “with the beasts of the earth.” Here John Phillips has written:
“The beasts are closely linked with the pestilence, and this might be a clue. The most destructive creature on earth as far as mankind is concerned, is not the lion or the bear, but the rat. The rat is clever, adaptable, and destructive. If ninety-five percent of the rat population is exterminated in a given area, the rat population will replace itself within a year. It has killed more people than all the wars in history, and makes its home wherever man is found. Rats carry as many as thirty-five diseases. Their fleas carry bubonic plague, which killed a third of the population of Europe in the fourteenth century. Their fleas also carry typhus, which in four centuries has killed an estimated two hundred million people. Beasts, in this passage, are linked not only with pestilence, but with famine. Rats menace human food supplies, which they both devour and contaminate, especially in the more underdeveloped countries which can least afford to suffer loss.” (Exploring Revelation, p. 116)
Also to be noted are the words of Dr. Frank Holtman, head of the University of Tennessee bacteriological department.
“While the greater part of a city’s population could be destroyed by an atomic bomb, the bacteria method might easily wipe out the entire population within a week. The virus causing parrot fever, one of the most deadly of human diseases, is appraised by scientists as being the most preferable for this purpose. While the cost of producing psittacosis bombs is comparatively cheap, its lethal potency is extremely high. According to Thomas R. Henry, science editor, less than one cubic centimeter of this virus is required to infect 20 million human beings when released in the air as an infinitesimal spray.”
The fifth seal (Rev. 6:9-11).
“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held; and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
Here is religious persecution as never before! These three verses are loaded with theological implications.
1. They refute the damnable doctrine of soul-sleep.
2. They correct the error of one general resurrection. It is evident that these martyred souls did not receive their glorified bodies at the rapture, as did the church-age saints. Therefore it can be concluded that these are Old Testament saints who will experience the glorious bodily resurrection after the tribulation (see Rev. 20:4-6).
3. They suggest the possibilities of an intermediate body. (See also 2 Cor. 5:1-3.) Dr. John Walvoord writes:
“These martyred dead here pictured have not been raised from the dead and have not received their resurrection bodies. Yet it is declared that they are given robes. The fact that they are given robes would almost demand that they have a body of some sort. A robe could not hang upon an immaterial soul or spirit. It is not the kind of body that Christians now have, that is, the body of earth; nor is it the resurrection body of flesh and bones of which Christ spoke after His own resurrection. It is a temporary body suited for their presence in heaven but replaced in turn by their everlasting resurrection body given at the time of Christ’s return.” (The Revelation of Jesus Christ, p. 134)
The sixth seal (6:12-17).
“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich 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; 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: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
As it can be seen, this fearful judgment ushers in:
1. The greatest earthquake in history. There have, of course, been hundreds of severe earthquakes in man’s history.
a. The earliest recorded was in July of 365 in the Middle East.
b. The most destructive was in January of 1556 in China. Nearly one million lost their lives.
c. The worst in the United States:
(1) The San Francisco earthquake, April 18, 1906. Killed 700 people. Cost $500 million.
(2) The Anchorage, Alaska, earthquake, March 27, 1964. Killed 114. Cost $750 million. But at the end of the tribulation there will be one even worse than the one occurring in the sixth seal. (See Rev. 16:18.)
2. The greatest cosmic disturbances in history. These may be a result of nuclear war. Hal Lindsey writes:
“Do you know what happens in a nuclear explosion? The atmosphere rolls back on itself! It’s this tremendous rush of air back into the vacuum that causes much of the destruction of a nuclear explosion. John’s words in this verse are a perfect picture of an all-out nuclear exchange. When this happens, John continues, every mountain and island will be jarred from its present position. The whole world will be literally shaken apart!” (There’s a New World Coming, p. 110)
3. The greatest prayer meeting in history. But they prayed for the wrong thing. The only object to protect the sinner from the wrath of the Lamb is the righteousness of the Lamb.
The seventh seal (8:1–11:19).
“And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour” (8:1). This marks the only occasion in recorded history that heaven is silent. There is not the slightest sound or movement.
1. The purpose of the silence. During the sixth seal, mankind seemed to weaken for the first time during the tribulation. A merciful and patient God now awaits further repentance, but all to no avail. God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 33:11).
2. The duration of the silence. It lasted for thirty minutes. The number thirty in the Bible is often associated with mourning. Israel mourned for thirty days over the death of both Aaron (Num. 20:29) and Moses (Deut. 34:8).
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