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January 24, 2007The members of the Body of Christ always treat people good. During the Great Tribulation, the devil through the wicked people in the world, and the Antichrist, will treat the members of the Body of Christ evilly.
Proverbs 17:13 (NIV) If a man pays back evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
The spiritual law of Proverbs 17:13 referenced above will override the laws of physics, and God through nature will turn and fight the wicked people, and the Antichrist.
Isaiah 63:10 (NIV) Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.
There is a distinct difference in the persecution of the Body of Christ, and the wrath of God. The Antichrist, False Prophet, and their organization will persecute the Body of Christ. Because of the persecution of the Body of Christ, God will pour out His wrath on the world. God will not pour out His wrath on His own children. (Consider that the last seven plagues of Moses did not affect the land of Goshen. Consider that the death angel was directed to kill only the firstborn in every household. God has proven that He is able to very precisely control His power.) The confrontation between God (through Moses and Aaron) and Pharaoh with the associated plagues are a very clear fore glimpse of the confrontation between God (through the Two Witnesses) and the Antichrist during the Tribulation. Consider that the plagues of Moses very closely parallel the trumpets and the bowls of wrath.
Psalms 91:7 (NIV) A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
Moses' Plagues Seven Trumpets Seven Bowls
1. Moses threw staff 1. Hail and fire mixed 1. Ugly and painful
down, magicians threw with blood hurled upon sores broke out on
down, Moses' staff ate the earth, 1/3 of earth people who had the mark
theirs. burned up, 1/3 of of the beast, and
Exodus 7:10-12 trees, all green grass worshipped his image.
burned up. Revelation 16:2
Revelation 8:7 Note Moses #8
2. Water in the Nile 2. Huge mountain all 2. Sea turned into
turned to blood, fish ablaze fell into sea, blood like that of a
die, river stinks, 1/3 of sea turned to dead man, every living
Egyptians not able to blood, 1/3 of the thing in the sea died.
drink. living creatures in the Revelation 16:3
Exodus 7:14-18 sea died, 1/3 ships Note Moses #2, Trumpet
Note Trumpet #2, Bowl destroyed. #2
#2 Revelation 8:8,9
Note Moses #2, Bowl #2
3. Streams and canals, 3. Rivers and springs
ponds and reservoirs 3. Great star ablaze, became blood
turned into blood, fell on 1/3 rivers and Revelation 16:4
blood in buckets, and streams, turned them Note Moses #3, Trumpet
jars, magicians bitter, many people #3
duplicate. died.
Exodus 7:18-24 Revelation 8:10,11
Note Trumpet #3, Bowl Note Moses #3, Bowl #3 4. Sun given power to
#3 scorch people with
4. 1/3 sun struck, 1/3 fire, seared by intense
4. Nile and whole moon, 1/3 stars so that heat, cursed God,
country teem with a third of them turned refused to repent.
frogs, magicians dark, 1/3 of the day Revelation 16:8
duplicate. without light, 1/3 of Luminaries affected,
Exodus 8:1-15 the night. see Moses #11,Trumpet
Note Revelation Revelation 8:12 #4, Bowl #5
16:13 (below) Luminaries affected,
see Moses #11,Bowl #4,5
5. Dust into gnats,
magicians could not
match.
Exodus 8:16-19
6. Swarms of flies, 5. Star that had 5. Poured out on the
not in land of Goshen fallen given key to the throne of the beast,
Exodus 8:20-32 Abyss, smoke rose and his kingdom is plunged
darkened sun and sky, into darkness, men
7. Plague of livestock, out of smoke came gnawed their tongues in
not in land of Goshen. locusts who were given agony, cursed God,
Exodus 9:1-7 power to torture, not refused to repent.
kill those who had the Revelation 16:10
8. Plague of boils on mark of the beast for 5 Luminaries affected,
men and animals. months men will seek see trumpet #4, Bowl
Exodus 8:8-12 death, it will elude #4, Moses #11
them, they had as their
9. Plague of hail, king the devil.
worst in history of Revelation 9:1
Egypt, beat down 6. Euphrates is dried
everything, stripped 6. Release of four up to prepare for the
every tree, not in land angels, preparation kings of the east,
of Goshen for Armageddon. preparation for
Exodus 9:13-35 Revelation 9:13 Armageddon.
Note Revelation Revelation 16:12
16:19-21(below)
7. The kingdom of the 7. Voice from the
10. Plague of locusts world has become the throne: "It is done",
cover ground, devour kingdom of Christ , and lightning, thunder and
what is left. He will reign forever great earthquake,
Exodus 20:1-20 and ever. Time for Jerusalem split into
judgment, and rewarding three parts, God
11. Plague of the saints, and remembers Babylon the
darkness, Goshen had destroying those who Great.
light, destroy the earth. Revelation 16:17
luminaries affected. Revelation 11:15 See Trumpet #7
Exodus 10:21-29 See Bowl #7
12. Death to first
born, no death to those
covered by the blood.
Exodus 11,12
Revelation 16:13 (NIV) Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Revelation 16:19-21 (NIV) The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.
When the Antichrist sets himself up in the Temple as God, he will be allowed to persecute the Body of Christ. Because of the persecutions of the Body of Christ, God will pour out His wrath on the Antichrist, his kingdom, and the world. This wrath will take the form of seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls, and seven thunders. The seven seals will start with the Antichrist coming to power.
Revelation 6:1-2 (NIV) I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come!" 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
After the Antichrist comes to power, men will be uncontrolled in their wickedness. Man has been killing man since Cain killed Abel (Genesis chapter 4). This will be a time of wholesale murder that will make World War II and the Holocaust pale in comparison.
Matthew 24:21-22 (NIV) For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.
At the second seal, peace will be completely taken from the earth:
Revelation 6:3-4 (NIV) When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come!" 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword.
The third seal will bring complete famine on the earth. Prior to this time, the earth has experienced only localized famine. This famine will be complete and world wide:
Revelation 6:5-6 (NIV) When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
World War II reportedly resulted in the death of 6 million Jews, and 9 million Gentiles, or a total of 15 million people. The fourth seal will result in the death of 1.5 billion people by murder, famine, and plagues. The A. I. D. S. virus is a fore glimpse of the plagues that will be released on the earth because of man's sin. The A. I. D. S. virus came from a human becoming involved in bestiality with a monkey. Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival recently promoted a film depicting bestiality. Wild animals have always had a fear of man because man was given dominion over them. Because man has deserted his place in God's order, the wild animals will lose their fear of man. Wild animals will turn on man.
Revelation 6:7-8 (NIV) When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!" 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
The fifth seal reveals the souls of the Bride of Christ who have been martyred:
Revelation 6:9-11 (NIV) When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.
The sixth seal will affect the luminaries:
Revelation 6:12-17 (NIV) I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, 13 and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
The seventh seal will release the seven trumpets:
Revelation 8:1-2 (NIV) When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.
From this point the Wrath of God will come upon the earth like waves of the sea. The trumpets and the bowls of God's wrath will come simultaneously, but in numerical sequence like waves on the seashore.
Revelation 8:7 (NIV) The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
Revelation 16:2 (NIV) The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.
The second trumpet and the second bowl will result in the entire sea turning into blood, one third of the ships being destroyed, and everything in the sea dying.
Revelation 8:8-9 (NIV) The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
Revelation 16:3 (NIV) The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.
The third trumpet and the third bowl will impact the rivers and streams in the same way that the oceans have already been affected. God will give the Antichrist and his regime blood to drink.
Revelation 8:10-11 (NIV) The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water-- 11 the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
Revelation 16:4 (NIV) The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
The fourth trumpet and the fourth bowl will affect the luminaries. One third of them will be turned dark, but the heat of the sun will intensify so that people are scorched with fire.
Revelation 8:12 (NIV) The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
Revelation 16:8 (NIV) The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire.
The fifth trumpet and the fifth bowl will release the devil and his demons to torture those who have the Mark of the Beast. His kingdom will be plunged into darkness. Men will gnaw their tongues in agony.
Revelation 9:1-11 (NIV) The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. 7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.
Revelation 16:10-11 (NIV) The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
The seal of God will be placed on those within the Body of Christ; all those who do not have the Mark of the Beast. This is another confirmation that the Body of Christ will still be inhabiting the earth.
Ezekiel 9:2-6 (NIV) And I saw six men coming from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar. 3 Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side 4 and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." 5 As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. 6 Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.
The sixth trumpet and the sixth bowl will prepare the world for the battle of Armageddon. After the destruction of 1.5 billion people because of the fourth seal, the four angels released because of the sixth trumpet will result in one third of the 4 1/2 billion people left on the earth being killed. That amounts to another 1.5 billion people.
Revelation 9:13-20 (NIV) The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number. 17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury. 20 The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood--idols that cannot see or hear or walk.
Revelation 16:12-16 (NIV) The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. 15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." 16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
This fact enables us to understand Matthew 24:39b-41 and Luke 17:34-37.
Matthew 24:39b-41 (NIV) That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.
Luke 17:34-37 (NIV) I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." "Where, Lord?" they asked. He replied, "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather."
We know because of Matthew 7:13-14 and many other Scriptures, that certainly not one half, but "only a few" people will be saved.
Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV) "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Because of the fourth seal and the sixth trumpet, three billion people, or one half of the six billion people in all of mankind living at the beginning of the Tribulation will be killed during the Tribulation. Matthew 24:39b-41 and Luke 17:34-37 referenced above reflect that one half of the people, or 50% will be taken by Death during the Tribulation - hence Jesus commented: "Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather." Those people who are committing sin will be weakened by their sin, and they will be the first, and the ones most likely to die. As an example, a large percentage of people who are practicing homosexuality or are sexually permissive will die of AIDS. Those people addicted to drugs, tobacco, alcohol, or overeating will have weakened their bodies and be less able to combat the pandemic diseases that the sin of man, and the chaos of the world will produce.
The seventh trumpet and the seventh bowl both result in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (the Lord God, Adonai Elohiym).
Revelation 11:15 (NIV) The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."
Revelation 16:17 (NIV) The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!"