Doves,
For those of you who read my post from last week http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/sep2014/johnb921.htm and believe as I do that the seals are indeed interventions rather that judgments……… then here is what I believe is on the horizon from a biblical perspective.
As I stated last week many events appear to happen when Jesus and God the Father intervene during the timeframe of the sixth seal. It would only be speculation on my part as to the duration of this timeframe. It may be days or months before all the many events that appear to encompass this sixth seal period are completed.
What are the events happening during this period of the sixth seal that are directly listed in scripture…..those that are indirectly listed and those not listed but assumed because of other revealed scripture?
The events that are “directly listed” to happen in Revelation 6 and 7 during the duration of the sixth seal opening are……
1) a great earthquake that appears to be worldwide for it moves every mountain and island out of their places
2) the sun turning black as sackcloth of hair
3) the moon became the color of blood
4) the stars (angels) of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.
(Notice that in this verse heaven is singular. If the word stars literally meant stars or meteors then I believe the phrase “the heavens” would have been used. But instead God is talking about ousting Satan’s angels out of heaven before we (the Church) get there and this appears to be the appropriate time to do that.)
5) the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up
6) the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man hid themselves in caves and in the rocks of the mountains (fortified locations) to avoid looking at the “face” of God
7) the “face” of Him who sets on the throne (God the Father) the face no man can look at without being destroyed is exposed to peoples and portions of the planet
8) an announcement was made that the wrath of the Lamb (Jesus) has begun
9) the “sealing” of the 144,000 happens as per scripture within the timeframe of this seal before the opening of the seventh seal (Revelation 7)
10) untold millions of people show up in heaven during this sixth seal duration….….“a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues‘…… “that came out of the great tribulation”…. (didn’t have to go through it)
Due to the seals being interventions rather that judgments one can only conclude that those showing up in heaven are the raptured church which a loving Jesus has intervened for and pulled out of harms way ( Revelation 7:9 )
11) four angels at the four corners of the earth are holding back the four winds of the earth from blowing life back into the whole resurrected house of Israel (Revelation 7:1, Ezekiel 37:9-10) which compose God’s exceedingly great end times army (Ezekiel 37:10) until the 144,000 have been sealed ( Revelation 7:1)
(These four angels at some point are released to allow these four winds to blow life into this exceedingly great army in Revelation 9:14. The exploits and extreme horror of this army can be found in Joel 2, Isaiah 13,and Revelation 9:13-21………. as they kill one third of the planet.)
Events that are “indirectly listed” that appear to happen during the timeframe of the sixth seal..…..
1) Ezekiel 38 and 39 conflict which is previewed in Psalms 83 and Isaiah 17
2) great earthquake spoken of in Ezekiel 38:19 that appears to be worldwide (all men that are on the earth shall shake) the mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall. This appears to be the same worldwide earthquake as Revelation 6 linking the two events together.
3) the “face” of God the Father (Ezekiel 38:18) will be exposed to Israel’s enemies which are Gog and his followers.
(Gog in my belief is a demonic prince who has ruled over eastern Europe and western Asia for centuries. I believe that he (Gog) was responsible for the creation of the Islamic religion which emanated from that region. A demonic religion of death)
Note that the passages that refer to the “face of God” directly tie the time frame of the Ezekiel 38 war with the sixth seal in Revelation 6. So if you interpolate that…….. it means that the rapture happens in the same time frame that God intervenes for Israel in the Ezekiel 38,39 conflict.
We now presently see Gog’s forces amassing in the Middle East. When these demonically filled forces (ISIS) believe they are strong enough they will come against Israel but will be met in the mountains of Israel (Golan Heights) by God the Father and then throughout the world by His end times army.
To give you a clearer picture of what ISIS is up to and how fast they are expanding…… you may want to watch this video.
http://www.rapturewatch.net/apps/videos/videos/show/18723470-alan-s-real-news-september-23-2014
4) worldwide press coverage of how God the Father eradicates Israel’s enemies on the mountains of Israel ……”Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. (through the world media) Then they shall know that I am the Lord”…… Ezekiel 38:23
5) Many other areas of scripture speak to this time period and I will not list them….. except for Isaiah 18. It sheds a great deal of hidden information about events during the sixth seal such as ….
a) when the rapture is getting near
b) how it will be preceded by a banner (a sign in the sky that all can see) and a trumpet blast
c) description of the dead and alive in Christ rising
d) timing of the rapture
e) the rapture itself
f) who is taken who is left
g) cross references to Ezekiel 38 concerning who is fighting who and what part the birds of prey and beasts of the earth play in this scenario
Events that are “assumed to be happening” during the period of the sixth seal because of related scripture…….
1) the great resurrection of the “dead in Christ” spoken of in Thessalonians and Corinthians (those who have accepted Jesus as their savior throughout the centuries and have died believing in Him and His sacrifice) These resurrected but not yet raptured may wander the earth for days ministering to their loved ones as was the case of the resurrected people when Jesus was resurrected.
2) from this “one” great resurrection of the dead………. I believe the whole house of Israel is also resurrected at this very same time (as per Ezekiel 37)
When I say “the whole house of Israel” I mean all of the descendents and lineage of Jacob who have died over all the centuries. They comprise hundreds of millions of people……..these people are those that form the exceedingly great army (Ezekiel 37:10) of 200 million resurrected spirit beings (Revelation 9:16) that are tasked to kill one third of the planet (Revelation 9:15) They are also the great multitude of people from whom God takes His first fruits of the human harvest……the 144,000. Twelve thousand from the twelve tribes of Israel.
3) And at some point we who are alive and have chosen Jesus as our Lord and Savior will be combined together with the dead in Christ and collectively we will be instantly transformed into our new spirit bodies and then taken up (raptured) to meet Jesus in the clouds. We will be taken to a safe place for the duration of the wrath that will befall the earth…..a time referred to as Jacobs trouble.
So what can we anticipate will happen knowing what God has shared with us in these passages of His Holy Word?
It appears to me due to the cross references of scripture that when we see Gog and his followers ( to me that means the followers of the demonic religion of Islam) amass in the Middle East and grow strong enough to come against Israel in an attempt to wipe Israel from the map……then the season of the rapture is very near. I believe this season is no more than a year off when one considers all the other signs that we are witnessing whether it be blood moons, earthquakes, pestilences, famines, etc. etc. etc. and the rate at which ISIS is growing. Also as per Isaiah 18 and The Song of Solomon the taking away (rapture) should happen in the late spring or summer so this is when I anticipate the Ezekiel 38,39 conflict to begin. 2015??
It is very apparent to me and our retired military generals that our Muslim president (who admitted to being a Muslim on live TV) is not serious in defeating ISIS. When his plan was reviewed by seasoned military veterans (active military is too intimidated to speak) they viewed the plan as worthless.
Obama is a Trojan Muslim Horse and you will never see him ok a serious plan to defeat Muslims / ISIS. He won’t even acknowledge that ISIS are Muslims…..unbelievable. They are flooding across our borders as we speak because we have a lawless Muslim president.
He, Hillary Clinton and the Muslim brotherhood members on his staff and others have covertly done everything in their power to aid and abet the Muslim Brotherhood and other demonic Muslim groups in the Middle East and North Africa over the last several years in an effort to aid in the formation of a Muslim caliphate and a then a holy war (jihad) against Israel.
There will be no coalition of countries that will put any boots on the ground or put out a serious effort to defeat ISIS / Gog because these countries are ruled directly or indirectly by Satan. (Ephesians 6:12) ISIS will grow stronger and stronger until they believe they can overwhelm Israel. Many other Muslim countries especially Iran will support their efforts either openly or covertly in an all out effort to eradicate Israel once and for all.
But we know from scripture in Ezekiel 38, 39 that they will run headlong into a very very angry God of the Jews on the mountains of Israel who will flood them, stone them with giant hailstones and toast them like marshmallows when they come face to face with Him. Then His exceedingly great end times army of 200 million spirit beings (with His spirit inside them Ezekiel 37:14) will scour the planet eradicating one third of its inhabitants who are followers of Gog, their demonic Islamic religion and all of its supporters.
This event will be witnessed by the world wide media resulting in all classifications of human beings being terrified at what they are witnessing. They will hide themselves in reinforced enclosures in an effort to avoid……..“the face of the one who sets on the throne” and His avenging army.
I would like to believe that this happens just prior rather than just after the rapture so that this event can be used as a giant witnessing tool to those who are “Christian fence sitters”. This should indeed give them the impetus they need to be “all in” for Jesus before time expires.
When this whole Ezekiel 38 / great resurrection / sixth seal scenario is complete, where does this leave the world?
The great resurrection (rapture) has happened…….Jesus’ church is in heaven
The nearly seven year time of Jacob’s trouble has arrived for the Jews
As per Revelation 14 the 144,000 are in heaven following Jesus where ever He goes.
There are approximately three billion less people on the planet. Two billion killed and one billion raptured
The two witnesses should be arriving on the world stage. This arrival of the two witnesses to me signals the kickoff of the tribulation period / the time of Jacob’s trouble. The last half of this period being what Jesus in Matthew 24 calls……. a great tribulation (or the great tribulation) such as has never been
Satan and his fallen angels have been banished from heaven and now reside on earth
Earth will be in a state of chaos and anarchy
A well known world figure, a pope, as per Revelation 17 steps forward to calm the planet. He seems to have all the answers to what just happened and does indeed calm the planet. The bible says in Revelation17:8 that he, this entity, who is masquerading as a pope, ascends from the bottomless pit and is demonically filled. Later Satan himself will also occupy the image of this person.
He (the antichrist) formulates a seven year game plan with the countries of the world to bring peace, safety and prosperity back to the planet.
He breaks the planet up into ten regions to be overseen by the new world government (actually ten of his cronies / Jesuits from the order of the black pope) Rev.17
He proposes and brings forth a one world monetary system, a one world government and later after 3.5 years he forces a one world religion on the planet
A world leader from a strong military / democratic country who was forced to declare martial law in his country as a result of the world chaos at the rapture then assumes a dictatorial role in that country and also becomes the “enforcer” for the antichrist. He is the second beast spoken of in Revelation 13. He is I believe Barack Obama. In a separate post I will explain why he is the second beast and not the antichrist.
As per Revelation 9 the rest of mankind that were not killed or raptured did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone and wood, which can neither see, hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. Revelation 9:20-21
As a result of the eradication of the Muslims, Israel will have no neighbors and will be able to occupy the original lands that they were promised by God. A piece of real estate that is many times greater than their land now.
Israel (without the Muslims) will be able to re-build their temple on its original location on the dome of the rock where the Muslim mosque resides without any negative feedback or turmoil
The ministry of God’s two end times witnesses will be occurring around the world. Many will try to kill these two witnesses but will fail for they are supernaturally protected. As per scripture their ministry lasts 3.5 years. During this same 3.5 years (Rev.13:5) the antichrist will play the “Mr. Nice Guy” role smoozing and charming the planet while behind the scenes he orchestrates a stranglehold on the power structure of the planet. At this 3.5 year mark from the beginning of Jacob’s trouble (as per Revelation 13:6) everything changes.
The antichrist….
a) blasphemes God, blasphemes God’s name, blasphemes God’s tabernacle and blasphemes those who dwell in heaven.
How does he do this? He does it by declaring that he is the one true God of the universe and he now resides on earth rather than a heavenly tabernacle and he expects to be honored and worshiped as such.
As per Daniel 9:27 and Revelation 13:5.…..…. He, the antichrist, half way through a seven year period (42 months)……. brings an end to sacrifice and offering. What does that mean? It means that all the prayers of all the religions on earth and sacrifices (sacrifice of the Catholic Mass) that were offered on a daily basis to God in heaven are to be cancelled or stopped.
Instead……. all worship and prayers are now to be directed to him here on earth. He will require all to worship him and take his mark under the penalty of death. Hence the one world religion starts at the 3.5 year mark of the nearly seven year period. I say “nearly” because God said in Matthew 24:22 that He had to cut this period short or no flesh would have survived.
How does the antichrist convince the planet that he is who he says he is? The bible says that he will display all forms of lying signs and wonders. But the clincher that will suck in the whole planet and convince them he is the real deal is when in Revelation 13:7.….God allows him to kill the two witnesses who no one on earth could previously harm.
Then (very near this 3.5 year mark) he (the antichrist) trots himself down to Jerusalem into the newly constructed Jewish temple and announces that seeing he is the one true god he will be “setting up shop” there in the Holy of Holies. This obviously is the abomination of desolation spoken of in Matt.24 where Jesus is speaking and addressing the Jews.
What greater abomination could there be then to usurp the title and authority of the real God and then to also take up residence in God the Father’s earthly chambers……the Holy of Holies.
Jesus says speaking to the Jews….……“when you see the “abomination of desolation” (this demonic being who claims to be the true God) spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his cloths. But woe to those who are pregnant and nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be“………
It appears that this act by the antichrist…..showing up in the new Jewish temple and declaring that he is the real god and will now occupy the Holy of Holies as one of his thrones……. will be the straw that broke the camel’s back. It will kick off or start the second half of the tribulation or what we and the bible call the great tribulation. God’s most severe of the tribulation judgments begin at this point. The people of Jerusalem won’t even have time to change their cloths before God’s great wrath starts. I’ll stop here and won’t go into what happens after this point it will make this post way too long.
As you can glean from this post if one believes that the rapture / great resurrection / Ezekiel 38-39 war all begin during the period of the sixth seal then that would be a pre-trib and also a pre-wrath situation for Christ‘s church……so…. we do not need to argue anymore……we are both right!!!!!!
Blessings……John B