Hi Spencer. This is in reference to part 2 of your postings.
I have to laugh because you are describing the LDS church. Their leaders seek money. In fact, to move up in the hierarchy of that church, you must have a good job that pays a lot of money. The more you pay, the higher you move up. And, the leaders are all millionaires.
Not only that, but that church boasts "no paid clergy". Since their leaders are not considered clergy then they pull down seven figures. I do not know how much, but it is in the hundreds of thousands.
That condition of making money off the Savior is called priestcraft. There are multitudes of people performing priestcraft. I know Keneth Copland has incredible wealth that he has convinced Christians to send him.
Thus, the gain of those who conduct priestcraft is their only reward since they will receive no reward of salvation from Christ. These wicked leaders plague the Savior's doctrine with wicked doctrines of their own, causing many saints to fall. Therefore, I can say with certainty that these wicked leaders will be cast out with their father Lucifer.
As many are aware there are plans to eliminate private property and expectations that people will be happy to own nothing in the near future. However as the seal judgments indicate things won't go too well for those elitists either who think they can fare better than the rest of the world once their plans for economic collapse transpire. That is because God Himself will add to the famine; plague and wars and every sector of society will realize what's going on after the martyrs of the fifth seal have begun to die. Somehow heaven will open up with the sixth seal earthquake and men's hearts will be full of terror; only to be replaced with an attitude of fighting against God after adulation and servitude with the ownership of the Revelation 13 Beast.
We can be assured that God will not allow full fruition of Satan's master plan until after the Rapture; and that He will stop total annihilation of all life on earth by shortening this time of unprecedented trouble; albeit with very few to survive into the Millennium and to live with the glorified saints at that time until more children are born to them. There can be no doubt that the world is hurtling at breakneck speed to achieve the globalist utopia. No matter how you slice it this place is going DOWN.
We should be grateful that the truth is coming out; that there is nothing hidden anymore as to the plans to screw up this world.
There are those who still hold onto the moral values of past generations; but we need to realize that apart from Christ's sanctifying work it is all a veneer and that we all are as Pharisees were described by Jesus as "dead men's bones". Yes we can see how the whole fabric of society breaks down when the law isn't followed but again that is only meant for unbelievers; those in Christ have the Spirit in them and only they can actually love the law as Psalm 119 expresses in the longest chapter in scripture. Maranatha; Lord come soon.
As previously stated, the majority of The Book of Revelation focuses upon the 3.5-year tribulation era, and not so much on the 3.5-year judgment era that follows. I think the reason is that the beast and his false prophet rage upon the earth and are put down in the tribulation era. Afterwards, the judgment era is simply a gathering of saints where those who followed the beast and his false prophet are excluded.
But it is the tribulation era that the saints hunker down and turn to the Savior for protection. The judgment era saints are in the open to be gathered.
So think of this as three gatherings of saints.
1) After Babylon falls but before the plagues.
2) Before the Beast and his false prophet are destroyed, in the tribulation era, near the midpoint.
3) And during a general gathering of saints in the judgment era.
So basically, the harvest of saints is ongoing throughout the entire seven years of tribulation and judgment.
England and Scotland fought for centuries over whom would rule overall even thought the kings intermarried with one another beginning with William I's son Henry I marrying Matilda of Scotland, (who was actually descended from the royal house of Wessex (Anglo-Saxon) as well as the King of Scotland. In 1603 under James I/VI the Union of the Crowns occurred uniting Scotland to the English crown. Under this Stuart dynasty, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and England were all united under the English crown for the first time. But also under the Stuarts this newly formed unified England was plunged into a civil war, the result of which being that the English crown cannot rule without the consent of the Parliament. (King Charles I had disbanded Parliament, Oliver Cromwell led the Parliamentarians to victory).
So, in 1688, England (to become the United Kingdom) now operated under a constitutional monarchy. It was in 1707 when England and Scotland gave up their monarchy to become Great Britain under the Acts of Union. During the time of the 1500's-1600's many migrated to the New World seeking not only religious freedom as non-conformists (Pilgrims/Puritans) but also to escape the upheaval in the homeland that was torn apart by strife, overcrowding, plague, dismantling of feudalism, lack of employment, the rise of a non-gentry class, and gentry who were not first born sons to inherit land and estates in England.
There were many factors that led to the migration to the New World. And we can know that God had His hand in bringing into the New World at the opportune time those who worked to form the continental Congress, the Constitution and the Republic that was formed from the American Revolution.
Through the ups and downs of the relations between Great Britain and the U.S., these two nations have become strong allies through 2 World Wars and other political events that brought about this strong bond.
Gerald, is there anything else you wish to discuss about this?
"And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife."
What necessitated Abraham to go south in the first plac? Obviously there was a famine going on in the land. " And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land."(v.10) Abraham had to enter into the mind of Christ of whom the prophet had foretold,"When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt."( Hosea 11.1). In the gospel we read,"that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son."(Mt.2.15)
Outwardly we have circumstance of nations running helter-skelter in their foolish pursuit going farther from the east but God is preparing to be part of a great nation while Egypt in the will of God was on the way out. "It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations."(Ezek.29.15). Those who took Prophet Jeremiah hostage were cursed. "Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord God liveth."(Jer.44.24) God set the boundary of the sea of Egypt for the seed of Abraham so they were cursed to dwell in perpetual desolations called the outer darkness.
God led him to the land of Egypt. Here God plagued the court of Pharaon as promised by God, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee."(v.3) Abraham's world moving with him carried an envelope and framed by the word made the chastity of Sarah inviolate."And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had."(v.20) Angel of the Lord was his defence.
It should be noted that the Lord had the most grief from those who's ideas of what the sabbath was and wgaypt it was for plague Him nigh on for over 3 years . That alone shouild be taken as a warning or to take care in approaching tnis subject.
It is still little understood ,I would argue chiefly due to either a legalistic aproach or lack of biblical understanding .
But surfice to say that it is written that if one "esteems one day and another esteems all days" alike there shouid not be any strife over the matter if there is you can put it down to carnality .
It is also written "let no man judge you in meat or drink or of sabbaths .." wether you esteem one day or all alike.
And if as it is generally accepted that the sabbath is a day of rest as God rested on the seventh day .
Then is it not written that we are to " rest from our works even as God did from His"? That's not talking about doing no work in the usual sense but rather the works of the flesh as in no longer walking after the flesh but the spirit .
But in the matter of one or aLl Paul says let a man be "fully persuaded in his own mind on the matter "
Prayerful study of the scriptures without jumping to conclusions for any man that jumps to conclusions never " arrives at thectruth" .
" When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:" (v.27)
In the vision of Zechariah we have the significance of the north country. "Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country." So the Spirit annotates the ordinaces of Heaven in terms of man so the Covenant of seven days enumerated in Gen. ch.1 this spiritual truth: There is nothing new under the heaven. Wisdom was present," When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:/When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth."
It is thus the Spirit of God presents the heaven in terms of the earth in Gen.1.1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
In the book of Job we have the treasures of the hails "Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail." which also are prepared in heaven. . The time for them has been already set. "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." 'It is done' meaning that God is in control."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" that cities of the nations fell. "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." (Rev.16.17-21)
Having prepared us for the power and majesty of the Lord Amighty the Spirit presents us the verse, "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. "And from the wicked their light is withholden." Separating light from darkness was under the Law of the Spirit.
"And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:"
This ark is the tabernacle of God among men whivh is the Father Son relationship leading everything else in heaven and on earth to. If it can be set in terms of the year and day basis we have 'now' as the day of salvaton and all days here on earth are like iron filings to the eternal magnet,-holiness of God.
This tabernacle to which we have several arks in the Scripture allued. Baby Moses in an arrk is as the bread cast in the river origin of which is Eden.(Gen.2.10;Eccle.11.1-2) Second instance is the Ark of Noah. This tabernacle of testimony was opened
when God set the body before his throne as a pledge for the body, for which we have an emblem of the Lamb slain. The 24 elders thus testify,"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."(Rev.5.10) What earth are they referring? The preceding verse 5.9 "And they sung a new song, saying, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;" It is new earth.
Now we have another verse to indicate where thy are kept.
The seven angels come out of the temple,"And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled."(15.6.8) The order comes from the temple/ throne and the altar is in mid-air,"nd 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." The great voice from the throne belongs the Word which was with God. The body, the horses, and every thing referring to the natural world is of Jesus Christ consist."all things were created by him, and for him.(Col.1.16-17)
Thanks and that's a great question about the Tribulation.
From a dispensational view, the Great Tribulation ( Mt 24:21) and the Day of God's Wrath ( 1 Th 5:9) are distinct in emphasis yet coordinated within Daniel's 70th week ( Dan 9:27). The Day of the Lord is the overarching heavenly program of judgment; the Great Tribulation is the intense, earth-side experience-especially the last 3 years-when the beast persecutes Israel and the nations ( Mt 24:15,21; Rev 12-13; Jer 30:7).
2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 marks the transition: the Restrainer is "taken out of the way," the man of sin is revealed, and the Day of the Lord proceeds. Most see the Restrainer as the Spirit's restraining work through the Church; at the catching away that restraint is lifted ( 1 Th 4:16-18; 2 Th 2:6-7). This does not make evil sovereign; it means God judicially permits lawlessness to ripen so He may judge it openly.
Revelation shows judgment initiating from heaven as the Lamb breaks the seals ( Rev 4-6). Seals, trumpets, and bowls are decrees from the throne, answering the martyrs' cry and culminating in the King's appearing ( Rev 6:9-11; 19). Thus the Day of Wrath is truly a continuum: it begins with restraint lifted, escalates to direct plagues, and finally crests in the cosmic dissolution Peter describes ( 2 Pet 3:7-12).
Romans 1 helps explain the "early phase" you sense: God's wrath is already "revealed from heaven" when He gives society over to its chosen rebellion ( Rom 1:18,24,26,28). Applied eschatologically, the removal of restraint is itself an act of wrath-God handing the world to the consequences of rejecting truth ( 2 Th 2:10-12).
Therefore, while Great Tribulation and Day of Wrath can be distinguished (earthly persecution vs. heavenly initiative), they belong to one coherent action of God from heaven that begins with removing the Restrainer and runs through world-ending judgment, after which the promised kingdom is installed ( Rev 20; Acts 3:19-21).
The second major factor of those who have dreams or visions is how rarely I hear people in these testimonies concerning CURRENT suffering in the world related to war; famine and plague or that of other believers suffering persecution today.
An individual testimony seems a lot like clickbait here; and no doubt the structure of sites online know what draws people.
I pray on this site we can continue to keep some of these things in mind as well. Again it is a balance between those who basically give believers no respect or are downright ambivalent but are for all sorts of social causes; and those who are believers with correct doctrine who are only focused on spiritual matters and aren't active enough in trying to be the hands and feet of Christ and helping the poor and persecuted. Let us all remember the suffering persecuted church today.
In light of my other posts let us be thinking people related to scripture in great detail. Most are contributing to this site with that focus in mind; and aren't drawn into lengthy things related to what I'm discussing with subjective experiences.
The problem as I see it is not having a deep personal spiritual communication and life with our Saviour. I haven't met anyone here as far as I know personally but feel I know a few at least better than those I do know. I would venture to say many are as it were with wounded and shattered souls and the reward comes from continued faithfulness despite that. I may be the only one here who could; if the thought festered drawn to anger over that idea. God takes the broken pieces and as it were makes a jewel from it. (see Malachi 3:17). In contrast those in the world who are brazen; bold and outwardly strong in reality have no life in them.
Waiting for the world to respect the saints of God is a fool's venture. They indeed may praise good works but only if they see God in it through divine revelation ( Matt. 5:16). Let your light shine.
Deuteronomy 4:2: "You shall not add to the word that I am commanding you, nor take away from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am giving you."
Proverbs 30:5-6: "Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar."
Revelation 22:18-19: "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll."
These verses serve as a safeguard against human interference that could distort divine truth. They underscore the importance of preserving the integrity of God's Word and the consequences of tampering with its messages.
Same angel links them, showing continuity: the wrath that ended Babylon prepares the way for the marriage of the Lamb.
Resolution - "God will give her the cup of the wine of His wrath" - fits both the grammar (future sense implied after remembrance) and the narrative flow (the same angel shows St. John the execution and judgment.
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Daniel:29-45. Daniel 12:1-3. Matthew 24:9-44. Revelation 7:9-17. Revelation 15:1-8.
Revelation 11:19
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Zephaniah 2:2-3.
Revelation 16
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.
That is a very good question. And of great importance in our Day when many people want some message from God in a sign or a wonder.
The only place we will "hear" the voice of God in the Bible itself. When we read or listen to the Bible we are sitting at the feet of God Himself as He speaks to us. We should never be looking for an audible voice or a dream or a vision or a tongue as being the articulated Word of God.
Once God completed writing the Bible in its original languages, God ceased speaking directly to mankind outside of the Bible itself. He made this crystal clear in Revelation 22:18-19
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.
My advice to you and anyone is: Read the Bible, Read the Bible, Read, the Bible. That is God speaking directly to you.
Based on my last post; many seem to think that Satan gets great glee in deceiving souls and sending them to hell. Considering that he is going there himself he may be mad enough to somehow think he can avoid his fate but anyone else being there with him I doubt gives him any consolation. We are to him most likely a means to an end to achieve a dream that is destined to fail; that is worldwide worship as the Godhead has only reserved for itself and of course the only Creator to be praised. Unlike our Lord who chastises everyone He loves; and in fact allows those angels who haven't left their first estate to observe and learn from us; nothing more constructive is or can be gained by Satan or his minions in their fallen state. Not being able to control his own fate has no doubt contributed to maniacal schemes to seize control once 2 Thessalonians 2:10 states For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
What we see from Revelation 17:16 is men (10 kings of the earth) destroying the woman on the Beast which is the false world religious system the first half of the Tribulation. This is no doubt to allow their beloved Antichrist to fulfill Satan's desire that he alone is worshipped and this facilitates their ability to have worldwide rulership for that short 3 and a half year time frame. There is much detail as to how the false religious system is a smokescreen; or a means to an end along with the parallel influence of a false prosperity for some in the worldwide economic boom as it were; which apparently extends even further the already bloated super rich class from others who are dying like flies from the plagues and poverty on the earth from the earlier seal and ensuing beginning of the Trumpet judgments. More study on this timing can be pursued later.
All who worship the Beast are NOT in the Lamb's book of life; the mark seals the deal
"And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace./For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Firstly we shall fix the role of Jesus Christ. "I am before Abraham was." On what basis does he say this? "In the beginning the Word was with God.The Law of the Spirit sets Covenant between God and Man on the basis of the fulness of God in bodily form was established. Thus the substance of every believer shall be in the book of the Lamb and in the body 'Thou hast me prepared.' (Psa.139.15-16; Heb.10.5)
Grace and truth are true witnesses which Jesus made manifest in human likeness that is the gospel quote refers. Fulness of God made grace freely available, unstinted even before his Advent. God assures Moses," My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." (Exod.33.14-16) Here we have the role of angels sent to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. Generally this comes under the Spirit of Christ. The Lamb as though slain stood before the throne and seven horns and seven eyes indicate the fulness as was in the will of the Father.(Rev.5.6) These angels go four in number. For that matter the two witnesses are four in number so four angels associated with wind, fire and waters we find in the vision of St. John. Fourth pair of two witnesses have their human counterparts from the word sent forth from God.(Isa.55.11) They have their testimony. Moses Elijah,Elisha are all paired with angels."These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will./ And when they shall have finished their testimony,' they shall be killed only that their earthly tabernacles are dissolved. (Rev.11.4-7)
"These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." (11.4) Read also Zec.4.10-14)
"For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
As the Lamb breks open the seals we come across this verse."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."(6.12-13) Compare this with 9.1-3: :And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit./ And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit./ 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."In this chapter we shall come across the great army God has marshalled and He has set Apollyon an angel over the pit. We have some interesting news Plague is rare to human until recently. After the Black death in 14th century we a new form penumonia plague, and since 2007 Coconino County, AZ The death in Coconino County, which includes Flagstaff, was the first recorded death from pneumonic plague since 2007, this has resurfaced. Bites from mosquitos and ticks are proving to be more often and more lethal. If the nation thought measles were eradicated, and vaccine sceptics and alternate truth mongers have now made it more lethal for infants and at what cost? Fools say,;There is no God and it is what the ungodly nations has chosen for themselves. "There was war in heaven. God fights battles for His saints and who shall fight for the ungodly? " 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 crypto currency.
Fourth disaster is on the celestial objects that God hung up in heaven. The sun, the moon and the stars serve as signs."Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years."(Gen.1.14) So what we shall make of "And the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon,.and the third part of the stars;" We see in the manner seasons proving topsy-turvy, and rains dump months of waters by single spell so flash flood basin around Camp Mystic leaves no survivors, and many more and mutant weather, one may call it broadly. One third is how the Spirit classify the children of disobedience and without reverence to the Son they shall grow from bad to worse.
"and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit." Here we have the power given to the king Abaddon, 'but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.'.(v.11) It is thus we need look at the Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters as distinct as Heaven setting the angel having charge of the bottomless pit to execute the wrath of the Lamb upon the children of wrath. The golden altar with four horns symbolise the Spirit of God. On the other hand the bottomless pit refers to generation of man for whom the word of God means very little.
The altar presupposes a body prepared before the worlds began and as memorial we see the four and twenty elders and four beasts seated before the throne. As High Priest Christ has a body so has the four beasts. "And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles./And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever."(Rev.15.6-7) We shall consider the single measurement holding Temple/Heaven as one.
15.8 "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled."
(Rev.16.17-18 "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." It is thus the Law of the Spirit writes judgment upon the world that rejected the Covenant. The Law speaks of this world in terms of light and darkness. "And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."(Gen.1.4)
The world framed by the word of God has only single speech which is faith. (Heb.11.3) The world unseen was made to appear and it is what the announcement of the Word in 16.18 leads to. What is the first heaven and the first earth but what rejected the Covenant? " And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband./And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." (Rev.21.2-3)
The temple is characterised by angel who receives command from the throne, indicating the divine Will of the Father shall be fulfilled by the Son. It explains "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."(Gen.1.1)
The angel who guides St John necessitates the tag, 'another', as in Rev.8.3-5 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer" " and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake."Altar, "I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,"(9.13)
Seven trumpets
Before the seventh angel sounding we have the four angels in charge of the river Euphrates."which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men./And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them."(9.15-16). What are the four horns? They angels having power over the waters, the four winds (7.1) and over the fire,"And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire."(Rev.14.18) Lastly we have four angels over the harvest (14.15-20) The Command number Four refers to Jesus Christ the Word became flesh.
The Ark of his Testament
144,000 on mount Sion make up the ark of his testament (Rev.14.1). Re.11.19 "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Rev.15.5-6 "And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:/And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen,
15.8 "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels
Revelation 22:15 - For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
For without, that is, outside are dogs, and sorcerers, PHARMAKEA, meaning drug users, and whoremongers, which is PORNEA, the word pornography, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes, or does a lie.
A lot of things that we're involved with in life is dependent upon the lie. A good salesman knows how to work the lie to make it seem true. We've got to be careful!
Revelation 22:16 - I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
First of all, He is the fulfillment of the Messiah who is to come through David, as we see in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. He is the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.
And He says He is the bright and morning star.
It was prophesied in the Old Testament that Messiah would be as a star in Numbers 24:17. And also, when we were in 2 Peter Chapter 1 Verse 19, we also saw this where Peter alluded to Jesus as that morning star.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
And whosoever is willing, desiring, let him take the water of life freely. It's an invitation from Christ!
Revelation 22:18 - For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
There are no more "new prophecies" after the book of Revelation. Anyone adding more is adding to the book.
I am going to push through and plan on finishing this out tonight.
Revelation 21:8 - But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
But the fearful (DEILOS), which is the word for coward. But the coward, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers (PORNOIS) which is sexually immoral people, sorcerers, which is the word PHARMAKEA for drugs, idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Now these descriptions are not acts that people commit. These are people, a person who is a coward, a person who is an unbeliever, and whenever you find these adjectives or nouns that describe a person's lifestyle or spiritual condition, it's not what a person does, it's who a person is. They will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
Verses 9 through 27 gives us the description of New Jerusalem. We just studied about the vision of New Jerusalem coming down from out of heaven. But now we are given some specifics.
Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Here, it mentions the bride, the Lamb's wife. That would be the church, all believers!
Revelation 21:10 - And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
And he carried me away in spirit to a great and high mountain. Obviously, this is in the spirit realm because geographically he's still on the island of Patmos. And he showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
How to pray in 2025: Part 6: Touching on "imprecatory" prayers.
I am on a roll here; but like a brick wall there is the very difficult discussion I am about to address on prayer in regard to the destruction of the wicked. Whether it is necessary to actually do this or not; we should know that David prayed many of these prayers and having the broken and contrite spirit that Psalm 51 mentions is imperative to avoid our own hypocrisy in some "holier than thou" prideful attitude.
I am convinced that this is a priority issue that also encompasses prayer that must be discussed. As my earlier posts suggest there is a sort of merging of the concept of people dying in the seal judgments with the plagues and hell in the 5th seal. Isaiah himself states that hell enlarges herself ( Isaiah 5:14).
When we are saved; TRULY Born Again we understand we truly were enemies of God; helpless in our sin and we indeed were on the broad road to destruction before He called and chose us. At least it USED to be taught that way. Today's "seeker friendly" attitude is something that I have no doubt stating that will be part of the concept of "spewing out of His mouth" in regard to a lukewarm church mentioned in Revelation 3:16 which I would suspect means someone is left behind in the Tribulation. Whether their faith is true or not no doubt a remnant there was saved or Jesus sould not have addressed it. Now of course that actual church along with all the other ones in Asia Minor in the region of Turkey are long gone but the concept stands today.
Whether we feel like it or not God wants us to love the things He loves and hate what He hates. There are many corresponding verses which I will leave the reader to study. Let's veer to the other side on that concept; the idea of loving our enemies. God is backwards to our flesh; but we only begin to realize that after we are saved. We are a peculiar people ( 1 Peter 2:9). We are aliens to this world ( 1 Chron. 29:15).
Revelation 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.
And I heard another sound from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people. This will be the call of God during the Tribulation Period. Come out of her, that is, this harlot, this system, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues. So, he says come out of her so that you will not be caught in this judgment.
Revelation 18:6 - Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
She's going to receive double judgment because of what she did to the saints. And this is the prostitute, the whore. The religious system.
Revelation 18:14 - And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
And the fruits that your soul lusted after are departed from you. Interesting. These are all the things that people lusted after that the antichrist's system gave to them if they would just bow down and worship the image.
Revelation 18:23 - And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
Interesting, it's called sorcery. Intoxication of the mind is a sorcery. And all the nations are deceived by satanic philosophy and the way of the world.
Revelation 16:16 - And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
In Hebrew, it's HAR-MEGIDDON. HAR is valley. The valley of Megiddo is what Armageddon means. We see that in Zechariah 14:2-3 and Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39. It talks about this battle known as Armageddon, or the valley of Megiddo (HAR-MEGIDDON). It has been said in this forum that Armageddon is not a literal place. Please know that the Valley of Megiddo is a very real place!
Revelation 16:17 - 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.
And the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air; Now that seems kind of foolish! Except in Ephesians 2:2, it tells us that Satan is the prince and power of the air, the literal air which we breathe. It's also his domain.
Revelation 16:19 - 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.
We find in the NT that Babylon is the cryptic name for Rome. And great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Revelation 16:21 - 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.
And there fell upon men a great hail from out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent, about 100 pounds: That's pretty big hail!
But why that? Well, the law says that if you blaspheme God, you will be stoned. Every stone of hail, a hundred pounds each, coming down on people! And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceedingly great.
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made ."
Couple of months ago I posted a series of comments on this place of rest. God looks down from heaven and what does he see?
"It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, "It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth o and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; He sees them as grasshoppers or as locusts and where do they come from? God commanded Moses and an east wind brought them cover not only theland of Egypt but "For they covered the face of the whole earth."(Exod.19.12-15) These are like scorpions, "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."(Rev.9.1-4) Unlike the plague over the land of Egypt these are allowed only hurt those who have not entered into the rest of God. So man seated from the earth as a stool sees Israel and it is a lie whose eyes have been closed by the prince of this world. " But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:/In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them"(2 Cor.4.3-4) Either you see in the true Light and see the truth or be swept away to perdition.
I hope to take vacation shortly and if it is God's will I shall take it up from the book of Genesis where I broke off..
The right hand of God explains,"And they had the hands of a man" (Ezek.1.8-9)."And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him."(Isa.59.16; "A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory"-Ps.98.1)
We have the Word was God directing the living creatures,"And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above." And the glory of the Lord explains the temple of God which declares the glory of God. This temple also a sea of glass, 'terrible crystal' refers to the v.2 of Ch.15. This is different from from 144,000 on the mount Sion where it is the Lamb standing. Here it is the Word was God, "as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about./As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord" (Ezek.1.27-28) He is meting out the wrath of the Lamb here."And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:/And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles." The angels are in sevens while in the vision of Ezekiel were in fours.
Revelation 16:2 - 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.
And the first went, and poured out his bowl upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore. This would be the word HELKOS which refers to physical sores or boils. The only other place this is found is in Exodus where we read about the plagues of Egypt.
There fell a noisome and grievous boil upon men who had the mark of the beast, and upon them that worshipped his image.
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.
Again, we are reminded of the plagues in Egypt in Exodus 7:15-21.
Revelation 16:4 - And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
We saw this back in the breaking of the seals. Only a third at that time was done. Now it is complete.
Revelation 16:5 - 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.
And I heard the angel of the waters say, and remember I told you that angels seem to be put in charge of nature of some kind, wind, or water. So, I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, who art, and wast, and shall be, that is, who is, and who was, and who always shall be.
Who art, and was, and shall be is a paraphrase of God's name taken from Exodus 3:14.
Revelation 16:9 - 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.
That's quite a difference between what's going on in heaven and what's going on here on the earth.
Revelation 15:1 - And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up (or completes), the wrath of God.
This is what is known by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 30:7 as the Time of Jacob's Trouble. Also in that verse, Jeremiah says that day is great, so that nothing is like it.
In Daniel 12:1, he says this time will be a time of trouble such as never was here on the earth. This is the seven last plagues. Under the breaking of the seventh seal, we have seven trumpets. And now we have seven bowl judgments. They all are under the seventh seal. The seventh bowl judgment begins at the seventh trumpet.
Revelation 15:2 - And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
They are standing on the sea of glass. That's this large area that's right before the throne that we saw back in Chapter 4. And they have the harps of God. These again would be the lyres, the guitar like instruments.
Revelation 15:6 - And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles, or sashes. That would be the dress of the high priest. So, these angels have the seven last plagues.
And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever./ And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
The 24 elders and four beasts are as one because they represent the body of saints of the world made to appear so this world is framed by the world of God and here faith is the one language. (Heb.11.3) The saints redeemed from among men indicates the natural world and nominal Christians are' the heathen' mentioned in Psa. 2.1. They have their 'kings and their MAGA agendas but just the same they are enemies to Christ as their BBB is to persecute His children. So where do their prayers go tto. It explains why God has kept them as memorial before the throne and on mount Sion.
"The four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints." These elders and the beasts are the joint custodians of our prayers. The Golden vials full of our prayers explain they represent the twin aspects of our profession. They substitute for Melchizedek, the High Priest of our profession. Chapters 15-16 therefore is narrated from their POV thus we are looking heaven as the temple whereas Ch.5 set the proceedings from the throne.
"And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever." These seven angels explains the wrath of God covering the list of martyrs from Abel to the point of time the two witnesses ascends to heaven ."And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them/ And the same hour was there a great earthquake,"(Rev.11.12-13) This earthquake marks the wrath of God taking effect and what seven angel signify what was in the will of God.
I have to laugh because you are describing the LDS church. Their leaders seek money. In fact, to move up in the hierarchy of that church, you must have a good job that pays a lot of money. The more you pay, the higher you move up. And, the leaders are all millionaires.
Not only that, but that church boasts "no paid clergy". Since their leaders are not considered clergy then they pull down seven figures. I do not know how much, but it is in the hundreds of thousands.
That condition of making money off the Savior is called priestcraft. There are multitudes of people performing priestcraft. I know Keneth Copland has incredible wealth that he has convinced Christians to send him.
Thus, the gain of those who conduct priestcraft is their only reward since they will receive no reward of salvation from Christ. These wicked leaders plague the Savior's doctrine with wicked doctrines of their own, causing many saints to fall. Therefore, I can say with certainty that these wicked leaders will be cast out with their father Lucifer.
As many are aware there are plans to eliminate private property and expectations that people will be happy to own nothing in the near future. However as the seal judgments indicate things won't go too well for those elitists either who think they can fare better than the rest of the world once their plans for economic collapse transpire. That is because God Himself will add to the famine; plague and wars and every sector of society will realize what's going on after the martyrs of the fifth seal have begun to die. Somehow heaven will open up with the sixth seal earthquake and men's hearts will be full of terror; only to be replaced with an attitude of fighting against God after adulation and servitude with the ownership of the Revelation 13 Beast.
We can be assured that God will not allow full fruition of Satan's master plan until after the Rapture; and that He will stop total annihilation of all life on earth by shortening this time of unprecedented trouble; albeit with very few to survive into the Millennium and to live with the glorified saints at that time until more children are born to them. There can be no doubt that the world is hurtling at breakneck speed to achieve the globalist utopia. No matter how you slice it this place is going DOWN.
We should be grateful that the truth is coming out; that there is nothing hidden anymore as to the plans to screw up this world.
There are those who still hold onto the moral values of past generations; but we need to realize that apart from Christ's sanctifying work it is all a veneer and that we all are as Pharisees were described by Jesus as "dead men's bones". Yes we can see how the whole fabric of society breaks down when the law isn't followed but again that is only meant for unbelievers; those in Christ have the Spirit in them and only they can actually love the law as Psalm 119 expresses in the longest chapter in scripture. Maranatha; Lord come soon.
Agape; Rich P
But it is the tribulation era that the saints hunker down and turn to the Savior for protection. The judgment era saints are in the open to be gathered.
So think of this as three gatherings of saints.
1) After Babylon falls but before the plagues.
2) Before the Beast and his false prophet are destroyed, in the tribulation era, near the midpoint.
3) And during a general gathering of saints in the judgment era.
So basically, the harvest of saints is ongoing throughout the entire seven years of tribulation and judgment.
England and Scotland fought for centuries over whom would rule overall even thought the kings intermarried with one another beginning with William I's son Henry I marrying Matilda of Scotland, (who was actually descended from the royal house of Wessex (Anglo-Saxon) as well as the King of Scotland. In 1603 under James I/VI the Union of the Crowns occurred uniting Scotland to the English crown. Under this Stuart dynasty, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and England were all united under the English crown for the first time. But also under the Stuarts this newly formed unified England was plunged into a civil war, the result of which being that the English crown cannot rule without the consent of the Parliament. (King Charles I had disbanded Parliament, Oliver Cromwell led the Parliamentarians to victory).
So, in 1688, England (to become the United Kingdom) now operated under a constitutional monarchy. It was in 1707 when England and Scotland gave up their monarchy to become Great Britain under the Acts of Union. During the time of the 1500's-1600's many migrated to the New World seeking not only religious freedom as non-conformists (Pilgrims/Puritans) but also to escape the upheaval in the homeland that was torn apart by strife, overcrowding, plague, dismantling of feudalism, lack of employment, the rise of a non-gentry class, and gentry who were not first born sons to inherit land and estates in England.
There were many factors that led to the migration to the New World. And we can know that God had His hand in bringing into the New World at the opportune time those who worked to form the continental Congress, the Constitution and the Republic that was formed from the American Revolution.
Through the ups and downs of the relations between Great Britain and the U.S., these two nations have become strong allies through 2 World Wars and other political events that brought about this strong bond.
Gerald, is there anything else you wish to discuss about this?
"And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife."
What necessitated Abraham to go south in the first plac? Obviously there was a famine going on in the land. " And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land."(v.10) Abraham had to enter into the mind of Christ of whom the prophet had foretold,"When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt."( Hosea 11.1). In the gospel we read,"that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son."(Mt.2.15)
Outwardly we have circumstance of nations running helter-skelter in their foolish pursuit going farther from the east but God is preparing to be part of a great nation while Egypt in the will of God was on the way out. "It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations."(Ezek.29.15). Those who took Prophet Jeremiah hostage were cursed. "Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the Lord, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord God liveth."(Jer.44.24) God set the boundary of the sea of Egypt for the seed of Abraham so they were cursed to dwell in perpetual desolations called the outer darkness.
God led him to the land of Egypt. Here God plagued the court of Pharaon as promised by God, "And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee."(v.3) Abraham's world moving with him carried an envelope and framed by the word made the chastity of Sarah inviolate."And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had."(v.20) Angel of the Lord was his defence.
It is still little understood ,I would argue chiefly due to either a legalistic aproach or lack of biblical understanding .
But surfice to say that it is written that if one "esteems one day and another esteems all days" alike there shouid not be any strife over the matter if there is you can put it down to carnality .
It is also written "let no man judge you in meat or drink or of sabbaths .." wether you esteem one day or all alike.
And if as it is generally accepted that the sabbath is a day of rest as God rested on the seventh day .
Then is it not written that we are to " rest from our works even as God did from His"? That's not talking about doing no work in the usual sense but rather the works of the flesh as in no longer walking after the flesh but the spirit .
But in the matter of one or aLl Paul says let a man be "fully persuaded in his own mind on the matter "
Prayerful study of the scriptures without jumping to conclusions for any man that jumps to conclusions never " arrives at thectruth" .
" When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:" (v.27)
In the vision of Zechariah we have the significance of the north country. "Behold, these that go toward the north country have quieted my spirit in the north country." So the Spirit annotates the ordinaces of Heaven in terms of man so the Covenant of seven days enumerated in Gen. ch.1 this spiritual truth: There is nothing new under the heaven. Wisdom was present," When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep:/When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth."
It is thus the Spirit of God presents the heaven in terms of the earth in Gen.1.1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
In the book of Job we have the treasures of the hails "Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail." which also are prepared in heaven. . The time for them has been already set. "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." 'It is done' meaning that God is in control."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" that cities of the nations fell. "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." (Rev.16.17-21)
Having prepared us for the power and majesty of the Lord Amighty the Spirit presents us the verse, "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. "And from the wicked their light is withholden." Separating light from darkness was under the Law of the Spirit.
"And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:"
This ark is the tabernacle of God among men whivh is the Father Son relationship leading everything else in heaven and on earth to. If it can be set in terms of the year and day basis we have 'now' as the day of salvaton and all days here on earth are like iron filings to the eternal magnet,-holiness of God.
This tabernacle to which we have several arks in the Scripture allued. Baby Moses in an arrk is as the bread cast in the river origin of which is Eden.(Gen.2.10;Eccle.11.1-2) Second instance is the Ark of Noah. This tabernacle of testimony was opened
when God set the body before his throne as a pledge for the body, for which we have an emblem of the Lamb slain. The 24 elders thus testify,"And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."(Rev.5.10) What earth are they referring? The preceding verse 5.9 "And they sung a new song, saying, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;" It is new earth.
Now we have another verse to indicate where thy are kept.
The seven angels come out of the temple,"And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled."(15.6.8) The order comes from the temple/ throne and the altar is in mid-air,"nd 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." The great voice from the throne belongs the Word which was with God. The body, the horses, and every thing referring to the natural world is of Jesus Christ consist."all things were created by him, and for him.(Col.1.16-17)
Thanks and that's a great question about the Tribulation.
From a dispensational view, the Great Tribulation ( Mt 24:21) and the Day of God's Wrath ( 1 Th 5:9) are distinct in emphasis yet coordinated within Daniel's 70th week ( Dan 9:27). The Day of the Lord is the overarching heavenly program of judgment; the Great Tribulation is the intense, earth-side experience-especially the last 3 years-when the beast persecutes Israel and the nations ( Mt 24:15,21; Rev 12-13; Jer 30:7).
2 Thessalonians 2:1-8 marks the transition: the Restrainer is "taken out of the way," the man of sin is revealed, and the Day of the Lord proceeds. Most see the Restrainer as the Spirit's restraining work through the Church; at the catching away that restraint is lifted ( 1 Th 4:16-18; 2 Th 2:6-7). This does not make evil sovereign; it means God judicially permits lawlessness to ripen so He may judge it openly.
Revelation shows judgment initiating from heaven as the Lamb breaks the seals ( Rev 4-6). Seals, trumpets, and bowls are decrees from the throne, answering the martyrs' cry and culminating in the King's appearing ( Rev 6:9-11; 19). Thus the Day of Wrath is truly a continuum: it begins with restraint lifted, escalates to direct plagues, and finally crests in the cosmic dissolution Peter describes ( 2 Pet 3:7-12).
Romans 1 helps explain the "early phase" you sense: God's wrath is already "revealed from heaven" when He gives society over to its chosen rebellion ( Rom 1:18,24,26,28). Applied eschatologically, the removal of restraint is itself an act of wrath-God handing the world to the consequences of rejecting truth ( 2 Th 2:10-12).
Therefore, while Great Tribulation and Day of Wrath can be distinguished (earthly persecution vs. heavenly initiative), they belong to one coherent action of God from heaven that begins with removing the Restrainer and runs through world-ending judgment, after which the promised kingdom is installed ( Rev 20; Acts 3:19-21).
Grace and Peace
The second major factor of those who have dreams or visions is how rarely I hear people in these testimonies concerning CURRENT suffering in the world related to war; famine and plague or that of other believers suffering persecution today.
An individual testimony seems a lot like clickbait here; and no doubt the structure of sites online know what draws people.
I pray on this site we can continue to keep some of these things in mind as well. Again it is a balance between those who basically give believers no respect or are downright ambivalent but are for all sorts of social causes; and those who are believers with correct doctrine who are only focused on spiritual matters and aren't active enough in trying to be the hands and feet of Christ and helping the poor and persecuted. Let us all remember the suffering persecuted church today.
In light of my other posts let us be thinking people related to scripture in great detail. Most are contributing to this site with that focus in mind; and aren't drawn into lengthy things related to what I'm discussing with subjective experiences.
The problem as I see it is not having a deep personal spiritual communication and life with our Saviour. I haven't met anyone here as far as I know personally but feel I know a few at least better than those I do know. I would venture to say many are as it were with wounded and shattered souls and the reward comes from continued faithfulness despite that. I may be the only one here who could; if the thought festered drawn to anger over that idea. God takes the broken pieces and as it were makes a jewel from it. (see Malachi 3:17). In contrast those in the world who are brazen; bold and outwardly strong in reality have no life in them.
Waiting for the world to respect the saints of God is a fool's venture. They indeed may praise good works but only if they see God in it through divine revelation ( Matt. 5:16). Let your light shine.
Agape. RP
Proverbs 30:5-6: "Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar."
Revelation 22:18-19: "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll."
These verses serve as a safeguard against human interference that could distort divine truth. They underscore the importance of preserving the integrity of God's Word and the consequences of tampering with its messages.
The Seventh Angel pours the final bowl.
Cosmic judgment follows (earthquake, hail).
Babylon is "remembered." At this point she is already doomed, but the details are not yet given.
2. The Same Seventh Angel The Vision of the Harlot ( Rev 17:1)
, .
"And there came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls saying, Come, I will show you the judgment of the Great Harlot."
So the same angel who just poured out the final plague now turns to John and explains the fate of Babylon.
3. Literary Technique: Announcement Expansion
This is very St. John
In 16:19, the fate of Babylon is announced in one line.
In 17-18, the vision of the Harlot expands and dramatizes that fate.
That means we proposed tense shift -
"Babylon the Great was remembered; God will give her the cup"
- is fully justified:
At the Seventh Bowl she is already "remembered for judgment."
The execution of that judgment is unfolded narratively in the following chapters.
4. Theological Structure
Harlot destroyed (ch. 17-18) Bride revealed (ch. 19-21).
One city dies; the other descends.
Same angel links them, showing continuity: the wrath that ended Babylon prepares the way for the marriage of the Lamb.
Resolution - "God will give her the cup of the wine of His wrath" - fits both the grammar (future sense implied after remembrance) and the narrative flow (the same angel shows St. John the execution and judgment.
My propose is change text .
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Daniel:29-45. Daniel 12:1-3. Matthew 24:9-44. Revelation 7:9-17. Revelation 15:1-8.
Revelation 11:19
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Zephaniah 2:2-3.
Revelation 16
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.
That is a very good question. And of great importance in our Day when many people want some message from God in a sign or a wonder.
The only place we will "hear" the voice of God in the Bible itself. When we read or listen to the Bible we are sitting at the feet of God Himself as He speaks to us. We should never be looking for an audible voice or a dream or a vision or a tongue as being the articulated Word of God.
Once God completed writing the Bible in its original languages, God ceased speaking directly to mankind outside of the Bible itself. He made this crystal clear in Revelation 22:18-19
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book.
My advice to you and anyone is: Read the Bible, Read the Bible, Read, the Bible. That is God speaking directly to you.
May God richly bless you.
Based on my last post; many seem to think that Satan gets great glee in deceiving souls and sending them to hell. Considering that he is going there himself he may be mad enough to somehow think he can avoid his fate but anyone else being there with him I doubt gives him any consolation. We are to him most likely a means to an end to achieve a dream that is destined to fail; that is worldwide worship as the Godhead has only reserved for itself and of course the only Creator to be praised. Unlike our Lord who chastises everyone He loves; and in fact allows those angels who haven't left their first estate to observe and learn from us; nothing more constructive is or can be gained by Satan or his minions in their fallen state. Not being able to control his own fate has no doubt contributed to maniacal schemes to seize control once 2 Thessalonians 2:10 states For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
What we see from Revelation 17:16 is men (10 kings of the earth) destroying the woman on the Beast which is the false world religious system the first half of the Tribulation. This is no doubt to allow their beloved Antichrist to fulfill Satan's desire that he alone is worshipped and this facilitates their ability to have worldwide rulership for that short 3 and a half year time frame. There is much detail as to how the false religious system is a smokescreen; or a means to an end along with the parallel influence of a false prosperity for some in the worldwide economic boom as it were; which apparently extends even further the already bloated super rich class from others who are dying like flies from the plagues and poverty on the earth from the earlier seal and ensuing beginning of the Trumpet judgments. More study on this timing can be pursued later.
All who worship the Beast are NOT in the Lamb's book of life; the mark seals the deal
"And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace./For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." Firstly we shall fix the role of Jesus Christ. "I am before Abraham was." On what basis does he say this? "In the beginning the Word was with God.The Law of the Spirit sets Covenant between God and Man on the basis of the fulness of God in bodily form was established. Thus the substance of every believer shall be in the book of the Lamb and in the body 'Thou hast me prepared.' (Psa.139.15-16; Heb.10.5)
Grace and truth are true witnesses which Jesus made manifest in human likeness that is the gospel quote refers. Fulness of God made grace freely available, unstinted even before his Advent. God assures Moses," My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." (Exod.33.14-16) Here we have the role of angels sent to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. Generally this comes under the Spirit of Christ. The Lamb as though slain stood before the throne and seven horns and seven eyes indicate the fulness as was in the will of the Father.(Rev.5.6) These angels go four in number. For that matter the two witnesses are four in number so four angels associated with wind, fire and waters we find in the vision of St. John. Fourth pair of two witnesses have their human counterparts from the word sent forth from God.(Isa.55.11) They have their testimony. Moses Elijah,Elisha are all paired with angels."These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will./ And when they shall have finished their testimony,' they shall be killed only that their earthly tabernacles are dissolved. (Rev.11.4-7)
"These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth." (11.4) Read also Zec.4.10-14)
"For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
As the Lamb breks open the seals we come across this verse."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."(6.12-13) Compare this with 9.1-3: :And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit./ And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit./ 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."In this chapter we shall come across the great army God has marshalled and He has set Apollyon an angel over the pit. We have some interesting news Plague is rare to human until recently. After the Black death in 14th century we a new form penumonia plague, and since 2007 Coconino County, AZ The death in Coconino County, which includes Flagstaff, was the first recorded death from pneumonic plague since 2007, this has resurfaced. Bites from mosquitos and ticks are proving to be more often and more lethal. If the nation thought measles were eradicated, and vaccine sceptics and alternate truth mongers have now made it more lethal for infants and at what cost? Fools say,;There is no God and it is what the ungodly nations has chosen for themselves. "There was war in heaven. God fights battles for His saints and who shall fight for the ungodly? " 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 crypto currency.
Fourth disaster is on the celestial objects that God hung up in heaven. The sun, the moon and the stars serve as signs."Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years."(Gen.1.14) So what we shall make of "And the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon,.and the third part of the stars;" We see in the manner seasons proving topsy-turvy, and rains dump months of waters by single spell so flash flood basin around Camp Mystic leaves no survivors, and many more and mutant weather, one may call it broadly. One third is how the Spirit classify the children of disobedience and without reverence to the Son they shall grow from bad to worse.
"and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit." Here we have the power given to the king Abaddon, 'but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.'.(v.11) It is thus we need look at the Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters as distinct as Heaven setting the angel having charge of the bottomless pit to execute the wrath of the Lamb upon the children of wrath. The golden altar with four horns symbolise the Spirit of God. On the other hand the bottomless pit refers to generation of man for whom the word of God means very little.
The altar presupposes a body prepared before the worlds began and as memorial we see the four and twenty elders and four beasts seated before the throne. As High Priest Christ has a body so has the four beasts. "And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles./And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever."(Rev.15.6-7) We shall consider the single measurement holding Temple/Heaven as one.
15.8 "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled."
(Rev.16.17-18 "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." It is thus the Law of the Spirit writes judgment upon the world that rejected the Covenant. The Law speaks of this world in terms of light and darkness. "And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness."(Gen.1.4)
The world framed by the word of God has only single speech which is faith. (Heb.11.3) The world unseen was made to appear and it is what the announcement of the Word in 16.18 leads to. What is the first heaven and the first earth but what rejected the Covenant? " And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband./And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." (Rev.21.2-3)
The temple is characterised by angel who receives command from the throne, indicating the divine Will of the Father shall be fulfilled by the Son. It explains "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."(Gen.1.1)
The angel who guides St John necessitates the tag, 'another', as in Rev.8.3-5 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer" " and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake."Altar, "I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,"(9.13)
Seven trumpets
Before the seventh angel sounding we have the four angels in charge of the river Euphrates."which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men./And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them."(9.15-16). What are the four horns? They angels having power over the waters, the four winds (7.1) and over the fire,"And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire."(Rev.14.18) Lastly we have four angels over the harvest (14.15-20) The Command number Four refers to Jesus Christ the Word became flesh.
The Ark of his Testament
144,000 on mount Sion make up the ark of his testament (Rev.14.1). Re.11.19 "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Rev.15.5-6 "And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:/And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen,
15.8 "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels
Revelation 22:15 - For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
For without, that is, outside are dogs, and sorcerers, PHARMAKEA, meaning drug users, and whoremongers, which is PORNEA, the word pornography, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes, or does a lie.
A lot of things that we're involved with in life is dependent upon the lie. A good salesman knows how to work the lie to make it seem true. We've got to be careful!
Revelation 22:16 - I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
First of all, He is the fulfillment of the Messiah who is to come through David, as we see in 2 Samuel 7:12-16. He is the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant.
And He says He is the bright and morning star.
It was prophesied in the Old Testament that Messiah would be as a star in Numbers 24:17. And also, when we were in 2 Peter Chapter 1 Verse 19, we also saw this where Peter alluded to Jesus as that morning star.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
And whosoever is willing, desiring, let him take the water of life freely. It's an invitation from Christ!
Revelation 22:18 - For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
There are no more "new prophecies" after the book of Revelation. Anyone adding more is adding to the book.
I am going to push through and plan on finishing this out tonight.
Blessings!!!
Revelation 21:8 - But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
But the fearful (DEILOS), which is the word for coward. But the coward, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers (PORNOIS) which is sexually immoral people, sorcerers, which is the word PHARMAKEA for drugs, idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Now these descriptions are not acts that people commit. These are people, a person who is a coward, a person who is an unbeliever, and whenever you find these adjectives or nouns that describe a person's lifestyle or spiritual condition, it's not what a person does, it's who a person is. They will be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death.
Verses 9 through 27 gives us the description of New Jerusalem. We just studied about the vision of New Jerusalem coming down from out of heaven. But now we are given some specifics.
Revelation 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.
Here, it mentions the bride, the Lamb's wife. That would be the church, all believers!
Revelation 21:10 - And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
And he carried me away in spirit to a great and high mountain. Obviously, this is in the spirit realm because geographically he's still on the island of Patmos. And he showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
I am on a roll here; but like a brick wall there is the very difficult discussion I am about to address on prayer in regard to the destruction of the wicked. Whether it is necessary to actually do this or not; we should know that David prayed many of these prayers and having the broken and contrite spirit that Psalm 51 mentions is imperative to avoid our own hypocrisy in some "holier than thou" prideful attitude.
I am convinced that this is a priority issue that also encompasses prayer that must be discussed. As my earlier posts suggest there is a sort of merging of the concept of people dying in the seal judgments with the plagues and hell in the 5th seal. Isaiah himself states that hell enlarges herself ( Isaiah 5:14).
When we are saved; TRULY Born Again we understand we truly were enemies of God; helpless in our sin and we indeed were on the broad road to destruction before He called and chose us. At least it USED to be taught that way. Today's "seeker friendly" attitude is something that I have no doubt stating that will be part of the concept of "spewing out of His mouth" in regard to a lukewarm church mentioned in Revelation 3:16 which I would suspect means someone is left behind in the Tribulation. Whether their faith is true or not no doubt a remnant there was saved or Jesus sould not have addressed it. Now of course that actual church along with all the other ones in Asia Minor in the region of Turkey are long gone but the concept stands today.
Whether we feel like it or not God wants us to love the things He loves and hate what He hates. There are many corresponding verses which I will leave the reader to study. Let's veer to the other side on that concept; the idea of loving our enemies. God is backwards to our flesh; but we only begin to realize that after we are saved. We are a peculiar people ( 1 Peter 2:9). We are aliens to this world ( 1 Chron. 29:15).
Revelation 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.
And I heard another sound from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people. This will be the call of God during the Tribulation Period. Come out of her, that is, this harlot, this system, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues. So, he says come out of her so that you will not be caught in this judgment.
Revelation 18:6 - Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
She's going to receive double judgment because of what she did to the saints. And this is the prostitute, the whore. The religious system.
Revelation 18:14 - And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
And the fruits that your soul lusted after are departed from you. Interesting. These are all the things that people lusted after that the antichrist's system gave to them if they would just bow down and worship the image.
Revelation 18:23 - And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
Interesting, it's called sorcery. Intoxication of the mind is a sorcery. And all the nations are deceived by satanic philosophy and the way of the world.
Revelation 16:16 - And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
In Hebrew, it's HAR-MEGIDDON. HAR is valley. The valley of Megiddo is what Armageddon means. We see that in Zechariah 14:2-3 and Ezekiel Chapters 38 and 39. It talks about this battle known as Armageddon, or the valley of Megiddo (HAR-MEGIDDON). It has been said in this forum that Armageddon is not a literal place. Please know that the Valley of Megiddo is a very real place!
Revelation 16:17 - 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.
And the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air; Now that seems kind of foolish! Except in Ephesians 2:2, it tells us that Satan is the prince and power of the air, the literal air which we breathe. It's also his domain.
Revelation 16:19 - 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.
We find in the NT that Babylon is the cryptic name for Rome. And great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Revelation 16:21 - 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.
And there fell upon men a great hail from out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent, about 100 pounds: That's pretty big hail!
But why that? Well, the law says that if you blaspheme God, you will be stoned. Every stone of hail, a hundred pounds each, coming down on people! And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceedingly great.
Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made ."
Couple of months ago I posted a series of comments on this place of rest. God looks down from heaven and what does he see?
"It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, "It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth o and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; He sees them as grasshoppers or as locusts and where do they come from? God commanded Moses and an east wind brought them cover not only theland of Egypt but "For they covered the face of the whole earth."(Exod.19.12-15) These are like scorpions, "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."(Rev.9.1-4) Unlike the plague over the land of Egypt these are allowed only hurt those who have not entered into the rest of God. So man seated from the earth as a stool sees Israel and it is a lie whose eyes have been closed by the prince of this world. " But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:/In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them"(2 Cor.4.3-4) Either you see in the true Light and see the truth or be swept away to perdition.
I hope to take vacation shortly and if it is God's will I shall take it up from the book of Genesis where I broke off..
The right hand of God explains,"And they had the hands of a man" (Ezek.1.8-9)."And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him."(Isa.59.16; "A Psalm. O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory"-Ps.98.1)
We have the Word was God directing the living creatures,"And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above." And the glory of the Lord explains the temple of God which declares the glory of God. This temple also a sea of glass, 'terrible crystal' refers to the v.2 of Ch.15. This is different from from 144,000 on the mount Sion where it is the Lamb standing. Here it is the Word was God, "as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about./As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord" (Ezek.1.27-28) He is meting out the wrath of the Lamb here."And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:/And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles." The angels are in sevens while in the vision of Ezekiel were in fours.
Revelation 16:2 - 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.
And the first went, and poured out his bowl upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore. This would be the word HELKOS which refers to physical sores or boils. The only other place this is found is in Exodus where we read about the plagues of Egypt.
There fell a noisome and grievous boil upon men who had the mark of the beast, and upon them that worshipped his image.
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.
Again, we are reminded of the plagues in Egypt in Exodus 7:15-21.
Revelation 16:4 - And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
We saw this back in the breaking of the seals. Only a third at that time was done. Now it is complete.
Revelation 16:5 - 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.
And I heard the angel of the waters say, and remember I told you that angels seem to be put in charge of nature of some kind, wind, or water. So, I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, who art, and wast, and shall be, that is, who is, and who was, and who always shall be.
Who art, and was, and shall be is a paraphrase of God's name taken from Exodus 3:14.
Revelation 16:9 - 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.
That's quite a difference between what's going on in heaven and what's going on here on the earth.
Revelation 15:1 - And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up (or completes), the wrath of God.
This is what is known by Jeremiah in Jeremiah 30:7 as the Time of Jacob's Trouble. Also in that verse, Jeremiah says that day is great, so that nothing is like it.
In Daniel 12:1, he says this time will be a time of trouble such as never was here on the earth. This is the seven last plagues. Under the breaking of the seventh seal, we have seven trumpets. And now we have seven bowl judgments. They all are under the seventh seal. The seventh bowl judgment begins at the seventh trumpet.
Revelation 15:2 - And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
They are standing on the sea of glass. That's this large area that's right before the throne that we saw back in Chapter 4. And they have the harps of God. These again would be the lyres, the guitar like instruments.
Revelation 15:6 - And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles, or sashes. That would be the dress of the high priest. So, these angels have the seven last plagues.
And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever./ And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
The 24 elders and four beasts are as one because they represent the body of saints of the world made to appear so this world is framed by the world of God and here faith is the one language. (Heb.11.3) The saints redeemed from among men indicates the natural world and nominal Christians are' the heathen' mentioned in Psa. 2.1. They have their 'kings and their MAGA agendas but just the same they are enemies to Christ as their BBB is to persecute His children. So where do their prayers go tto. It explains why God has kept them as memorial before the throne and on mount Sion.
"The four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints." These elders and the beasts are the joint custodians of our prayers. The Golden vials full of our prayers explain they represent the twin aspects of our profession. They substitute for Melchizedek, the High Priest of our profession. Chapters 15-16 therefore is narrated from their POV thus we are looking heaven as the temple whereas Ch.5 set the proceedings from the throne.
"And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever." These seven angels explains the wrath of God covering the list of martyrs from Abel to the point of time the two witnesses ascends to heaven ."And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them/ And the same hour was there a great earthquake,"(Rev.11.12-13) This earthquake marks the wrath of God taking effect and what seven angel signify what was in the will of God.
View All Discussions...
Do you have a Bible comment or question?
Posting comments is currently unavailable due to high demand on the server.
Please check back in an hour or more. Thank you for your patience!
Report Comment
Which best represents the problem with the comment?