The Book of Revelation Unveiled at Last!
By Herbert W. Armstrong
The
Prophecies of the Book of REVELATION are revealed at last! The closed, sealed
prophecies are opened. Here is a startling, eye-opening booklet vividly
picturing the catastrophic events soon to bring the END OF THIS AGE!
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GOD'S TIME has come! At last, the most
mysterious, intriguing, never-before-understood Book of Revelation stands
UNVEILED! In this heretofore closed, sealed Book, the Eternal God now reveals,
not only the wonderful world of PEACE--of PLENTY--Of HAPPINESS and JOY soon to
shine forth on this very present generation, but also the terrifying
world-catastrophes this present world is first bringing on itself!
Science, technology and industry are
producing more and more frightful weapons of mass destruction. Already they
have produced the means to erase human life from the earth!
Meanwhile, immorality, crime, violence,
poverty, sickness and disease, famine and starvation stalk the earth, in
fast-increasing acceleration.
However, there exists a living God of
love, mercy, compassion, wisdom, justice, of transcendent PURPOSE and of
SUPREME POWER, very soon now to intervene, and BY FORCE to save humanity from
itself. If He did not exist--then indeed the imminent end of the world would
become also THE END OF HUMAN LIFE!
But the living God, happily, is VERY MUCH
ALIVE!--alive to world trends--alive to the self-inflicted plight fast closing
in on a humanity now caught hopelessly in the trap of its own rebellion--
utterly helpless to extricate itself from its fast-approaching fate!
What's Coming First?
But this happy WORLD TOMORROW, under the
government of Almighty God, will not come until man has actually reached the
end of his rope! Not until man has proved beyond his last shadow of doubt that
he is utterly incapable of ruling himself--not until he has been given his last
chance!
The time has come when this world must be
warned!
The present strife between major nuclear
powers--the constantly accelerating international tensions--the internal upward
spiral within nations of crime, race riots, violence of every sort--are
combining to plunge the world into a holocaust of destruction and death such as
never happened before--and never shall again!
The God of Creation knows human nature and
its inevitable END. Every gigantic step in world events from here is pictured
in God's prophecies!
God's time has come to OPEN WIDE to human
understanding the awesome prophecies of the Book OF REVELATION. Today this
solemn warning is being thundered around the world, as a witness! Take warning
yourself, while you may, and mark well this fact: No PLAGUE NEED COME NEAR YOU!
You may, if you heed and obey God, be accounted worthy to escape these things
that shall certainly come to pass!
These Not
It's time to wake up! These are not normal
times! After nearly 6,000 years of comparative quiet, the whole world suddenly
erupted in world-shaking VIOLENCE beginning in 1914. But we have seen NOTHING,
yet, compared to what is soon coming!
Suddenly knowledge has increased.
Scientific knowledge, technological development. Instantaneous communication,
rapid transportation, frightening inventions have resulted. Man has learned at
last the secret of the atom. Man has learned how to unleash powers and forces
and energies of nature that can destroy human life from off this planet!
At this same time, God Almighty is opening
up new knowledge. Mysteries of God, never before known or understood by man,
are now revealed to God's true servants!
What Does All This Mean?
It all means that a purpose is being
worked out here below! And the time has come for the Eternal--the Creator-RULER
of the universe-- to reveal to us HOW world events, from here, are going to
work out the tremendous CLIMAX of that divine PURPOSE! The whole earth is now
shaking with convulsions, preparatory to the mightiest happenings of earth's
history!
We are now in the very CRISIS AT THE CLOSE
of this present evil and unhappy world!
A Third of Bible Is PROPHECY
Approximately ONE THIRD of all the Bible
is devoted to PROPHECY. Many whole Books of Scripture, especially in the Old
Testament-- Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and all the so-called "minor"
prophets--are devoted primarily to PROPHECY.
And do you realize that the very Church of
Jesus Christ is actually built on the very FOUNDATION of these PROPHETS, and of
their prophetic writings? You'll read that in Ephesians 2:20. But
the actual FRAMEWORK, or superstructure, of all the prophecies is found in two
prophetic Books--one in the Old, the other in the New Testament--the Books of
Daniel and the Revelation. And in the Book of Revelation, alone, do we find
events of the various other prophecies correlated in order of TIME SEQUENCE.
While the Book of Revelation, itself, is a vital KEY to a large portion of the
other prophecies, there are certain KEYS which open up this Book to
understanding.
One important key is that in the Book of
Revelation is a STORY-FLOW, relating one future event to another in time
order--with occasional INSETS injected into the continuous story-thread.
Let US TURN to this Book that has appeared to many as the most mysterious and
unfathomable of ALL prophecies. Nothing could be more intriguing. Nothing, in
today's upset and jittery world, could be MORE IMPORTANT at this hour! For it
describes this very HOUR in which we live--it draws back the curtain on the
FUTURE!
A SEALED Prophecy
The Revelation was given as a mystic and
CLOSED book, sealed with seven seals. Some of the prophecies revealed to and
written by Daniel also were closed and sealed until this very time of
WORLD-CRISIS at the close of this present age.
Daniel wrote, at the conclusion of his
Book: "I heard, but I understood not"--that is, he heard what the
angel had revealed, which Daniel wrote in his Book--but he himself did not
understand the very prophecies he had been inspired to write. The angel said to
Daniel: "The words are CLOSED UP, and SEALED, till the time of the
end"--and the Moffatt translation renders it "till the crisis at the
CLOSE--that is, till this world-crisis at the close of this age! (Dan.12:8-9.)
Again, verse 4: "But thou, 0 Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book,
even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be
increased."
As the prophecies of Daniel were closed
and SEALED until this time of the END--this world-crisis at the close--this
time of rapid transportation, men running to and fro--this time of INCREASED
KNOWLEDGE--so also the prophecies of the Book of Revelation were SEALED!
Yes, they were sealed with seven seals, as
we shall see! But today we live in the dynamic, exciting, terrible "time
of the END--the world-crisis at the CLOSE of the age! The prophecies and
mysteries of God, sealed until now, are today REVEALED to those whom God has chosen
to carry His last Message to the world as a witness! Jesus Christ, Head of His
Church, is the Revealer! Christ has opened these mysteries to His servants!
The time has come for God's servants to
open up to YOU--to lay bare before your startled eyes--these tremendous
prophecies of the Book of Revelation!
I want you, now, to look at this Book!
We're ready, now, to come directly to the first chapter and first verse of this
mysterious, exciting Book. We're ready, now, to see what it does say--and you
have SURPRISES coming!
The REVEALING of CHRIST
The very opening verse says: "The
revelation of Jesus Christ... to show unto his servants things which must
shortly come to pass." The very word "Revelation"--the English
word translated from the original Greek word "Apocalypse," as it is
called in one version--means the REVEALING. Not the hiding, sealing, or closing
up, but the REVEALING! Yet the prophecy of future world events in this Book was
sealed with seven seals!
Of course! And absolutely NO ONE, except
Jesus Christ, was able to strip off the seals, to open up, to REVEAL the
meaning of the prophecies.
Now notice, God gave this prophecy to
Christ. The first three verses form the introduction. Let us read them:
"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his
servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it
by his angel unto his servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of
the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he
that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those
things which are written therein: for the time is at hand" (Rev. 1:1-3).
So notice, the prophecy first CAME from
God the FATHER! It is the REVELATION--not the concealing, but the
Revealing--the Explaining--the Opening up--of Jesus Christ, but God gave it to
Him sealed! Christ is the Word--the Spokesman. And He tells us plainly, in John
John NOT the Revelator
We hear the expression so commonly--and
erroneously--"John the Revelator." But John is not the Revelator.
This is not the Revelation of John, it is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is
Christ, not John, who does the explaining, the revealing. That is another vital
KEY to understanding. So it originated with Almighty God the Father. God gave
it to Christ. Christ sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant
John--so John is merely a SERVANT, who BARE RECORD--that is, who RECORDED the
Revelation in WRITING. He was merely the private secretary--the stenographer,
so to speak--not the Revelator. And now notice, John bare record--or
recorded in writing--THREE THINGS: 1st, the Word of God; 2nd, the Testimony of
Jesus Christ; and 3rd, all the things that he, John, SAW!
And so the Book of Revelation, like all
Scripture, is the plain Word of God. But part of it is the direct saying, or
quotation, of Jesus Christ--the very words of Christ Himself. If you have a
"red-letter" Bible or New Testament, printing all the words in red
which Christ spoke directly Himself, you'll find a good many passages in the
Book of Revelation are printed in red. And then, John recorded the things that
he saw, in VISION, or, as it is worded, in SPIRIT. Most of the actual
PROPHECY of the Book is contained in the things that John SAW, in VISION--and
most of these things are SYMBOLS. And then, the third verse states: "Blessed
is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep
those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand."
A BLESSING is pronounced on you for
The beautiful salutation begins with verse
4, continuing through the remainder of the first chapter. The dominant keynote
of the Book-- its subject, its theme--is struck in the 10th, or MIDDLE verse of
this chapter.
The THEME of the Book
And so here is the very KEYNOTE verse,
sounding the THEME of the whole Revelation! And it is here that most people
begin to stumble, and to misunderstand!
The theme is THE Day OF THE Lord. Let us
read it: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a
great voice, as of a trumpet" (verse 10).
As this is not understood, endless
controversy and strife and confusion have come from arguing as to whether the
day of the WEEK on which John WROTE this message was Saturday or Sunday. John
was NOT referring to any day of the week.
The day of the week on which this happened
to be written--IF it could have been all written within one day--is not
important, and that is not what this verse means at all. It does NOT refer to
any day of the week--but to that prophetic period referred to in more than 30
prophecies as "The great and terrible DAY OF THE LORD."
As Greek scholar Adolf Deissmann wrote,
the grammar and connection both favor the view "according to which 'the
day of the Lord' here stands for the day of Yahwe: the day of Judgment"
(Encyclopaedia Biblica, article "Lord's Day"). New Testament and
textual scholar F.J.A. Hort agrees that this meaning fits "best with the
context" and "gives the key to the book" (The Apocalypse, pp.
15-16).
In Spirit--in vision--John was carried
forward some 1900 years--projected into the DAY OF THE Lord--during the time
which is now just AHEAD OF US, to occur in this present generation!
The "Day of the Lord" is
described by the Prophet Joel as a time when God will send DESTRUCTION upon the
unrighteous and sinning nations of the world. It is described by Zephaniah as
the day of God's WRATH. It is described all through the Revelation as the time
when God Almighty will soon, now, step in and supernaturally INTERVENE in this
hellish strife and friction and destruction among men, and send PLAGUES upon
the sinners of the earth! It is the time which FOLLOWS the Great Tribulation,
and leads up to and CLIMAXES in the glorious SECOND COMING OF Christ!
The house of John is John's house. The Day
of the Lord is the Lord's Day. Listen to the translations of two Greek scholars
and translators:
In the
A Revelation for OUR Day
In Spirit, or in the vision, when John was
shown the things of the prophecy--the things which he SAW--he was projected
into the period of OUR present, and the immediate future. The same thing
happened to the Prophet Ezekiel, as chapter 8, verse 3 states: "And he put
forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit
lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of
God to
Ezekiel was not actually taken to
This vision is VITAL! The theme, or
subject, of the prophecy is Not the Middle Ages--it is the teeming, chaotic
PRESENT--this very time you and I are just now starting to LIVE THROUGH! God
HELP US, then, to UNDERSTAND!
So the very purpose of this Book is to
show us of this generation NOW LIVING, the coming world-shaking events of the
Day OF THE Lord-- the time of God's JUDGMENTS at this age-END leading up to,
and climaxing in, THE SECOND COMING OF Christ, and the happy, peaceful World
Tomorrow!
I have taken time to explain this
introduction and salutation-- because it is the KEYNOTE of the whole
prophecy--the THEME--the SUBJECT of the prophecy. It is IMPORTANT to get our
bearings--to get off to a right START--to get the FUNDAMENTALS straight.
Message to the Churches
The first real message of the Book is
contained in the second and third chapters--the messages to the Seven Churches.
These messages come DIRECTLY FROM Christ--they contain the direct TESTIMONY OF
Jesus Christ. If you have a red-letter Bible, you will find these letters in
red. Here Jesus takes the actual spiritual condition and FUNCTIONING of these
seven Churches, then existing in Asia Minor, as a PROPHECY of the spiritual
condition and the works and accomplishments, in carrying out Christ's Great
Commission, of the true Church OF God during the SEVEN successive periods of
time up until the END of this age and the second coming of Christ.
Men have never understood these seven
messages! They have never known what to look for! These are not messages to the
great, visible, PROFESSING churches in all their sectarian divisions and
political organizations. These are messages from Christ, the living Head of His
Church, to His OWN TRUE Church in its seven successive eras of time from about
100 A.D., until a period even YET future. Since these messages are not
addressed to the public--since they do not concern the PROFESSING organized
churches--since they do not contain actual prophecies of present or future WORLD
CONDITIONS, with one exception, we pass on over these two chapters, in this
booklet.
And now we pass quickly on to the 4th and
5th chapters, where we find the PRELUDE--or the STAGE-SETTING for the MAIN
PROPHECIES of the Book.
The Stage Is Set
John actually was on the Isle of Patmos,
in the
In the vision he saw God the Father
sitting on His throne. Before the throne were the four living creatures, and
the 24 elders. And in the midst of them, STANDING in front of the throne on
which the Father was SITTING, was Jesus Christ. The Book of the Prophecy was in
the right hand of the Father.
Notice the actual description of it:
"After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the
first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which
said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And
immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and
one sat on the throne" (Rev. 4:1-2).
The remainder of this fourth chapter
describes this heavenly setting which John saw in his vision. Around the throne
were the 24 elders, seated on 24 smaller thrones, clad in WHITE garments, with
golden crowns on their heads. On each side of the throne were the four living
creatures--all worshipping God Almighty seated on His throne. Here is a
revelation at the very Throne of the Ruler of the Universe. Here is a glimpse
of the seat of GOVERNMENT of all the Universe!
Now we come to the vital fifth chapter of
the Book of Revelation. Notice: "And I saw in the right hand of him that
sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven
seals" (Rev. 5:1).
A Mysterious Book
Here is the real BOOK of the PROPHECY. It
is significant that this book was in God's RIGHT hand. But this was not the
same kind of book we use today, made up of many pages bound together. This was
a scroll, or a ROLL--one very LONG sheet of parchment, written on BOTH sides, rolled
into a scroll, and SEALED with seven SEALS. That number is significant! Seven
is God's number denoting COMPLETENESS. This Book of Prophecy, then, was sealed
COMPLETELY--completely CLOSED UP, so it could not be seen or read, much less
UNDERSTOOD.
The Book came originally from God the
FATHER. As it came from God it was SEALED UP. And notice carefully, the seven
seals cover the ENTIRE BOOK of prophecy.
Its meaning was sealed--completely HIDDEN.
Now notice carefully! "And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud
voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no
man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the
book, neither to look thereon" (verses 2-4).
I want you to NOTICE that!
This PROPHECY IS SEALED! No MAN is worthy
or able to OPEN UP this prophecy--to read its real and true MEANING!
Why haven't men read that plain and simple
statement? No MAN can open up--no MAN can REVEAL the meaning of this great
prophecy. IT'S SEALED--utterly, completely SEALED--totally CLOSED! Why, then,
have MEN been trying to tell the public they could read and reveal this
amazing, this ASTOUNDING PROPHECY?
John is not the Revelator. THIS is not the
Revelation of JOHN, or of any modern man or church leader or religious sect or
denomination!
It HAS BEEN SEALED from them all!
But NOTICE--HERE comes the KEY to unlock
the doors of understanding! "And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep
not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed
to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof" (verse 5).
Who Will Open the Book?
There's the key to this riddle! The Lion
of the Tribe of Judah-- the ROOT of David--is Jesus Christ! No MAN can
interpret this momentous prophecy--but Jesus Christ--God the Son--here standing
BEFORE the throne of God the Father--here standing at the very RIGHT HAND of
God--is able to open these seals, and to REVEAL to us the meaning.
This is not the interpretation of Herbert
W. Armstrong. This is what Jesus Christ reveals!
Jesus Christ is the Revelator! Not John,
not some modern church leader, not any man, not any religious organization,
sect, or denomination. THIS is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God the
Father gave to HIM! And now notice: "And he came and took the book out of
the right hand of him that sat upon the throne" (verse 7).
Now we are coming to the KEY that shall
unveil this mystic prophecy that has confused and BAFFLED all the religionists
and the churches of this world for the past 1850 years. Jesus Christ is the
Revelator who alone can open up the MEANING of this greatest of all prophecies,
pertaining to WORLD EVENTS TODAY, and the tremendous world-happenings of these
immediate years JUST AHEAD!
Before we come to chapter 6, where we see
what's actually written in this mystic Book, as Christ begins one by one to
strip off these SEALS, notice: "And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy
art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals, for thou wast slain and by
thy blood didst ransom men for God from every tribe and tongue and people and
nation, and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall
reign on earth" (Rev. 5:9-10, RSV).
Yes, the vision appears in HEAVEN--but it
portrays EVENTS to occur here ON THE EARTH. They sang a glorious SONG--saying
that those whom Christ has REDEEMED are to RULE--they are to REIGN WITH Him as
kings, and to MINISTER to and SAVE people as PRIESTS--where?--up in heaven?--
No! Observe this carefully--"THEY SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH!"
Jesus Christ said, "If I
go"--and He went to the right hand of God the Father--to the Father's
throne, in heaven--but He said if He WENT, "I will COME AGAIN!" And
He is coming AGAIN to rule all the EARTH as the KING of kings, and the Lord of
lords! The very last words of this Book of Revelation are: "He which
testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen! Even so, COME, Lord
Jesus!"
We now come to the sixth chapter of
Revelation--the REVELATION PROPER.
The SEVEN SEALS
One by one, Jesus OPENS these seals. Six
of the entire seven seals are opened in this sixth chapter alone. Only ONE
chapter is devoted to the first six of the seven seals. Doesn't that strike you
as peculiar? Very little space is devoted to each of these first six seals--so
little that six of the seven are condensed into one single chapter. There
remain yet SIXTEEN WHOLE CHAPTERS in the Book. And since the SEVEN seals cover
the ENTIRE PROPHECY--all of its remaining 17 chapters--we are left with 16
chapters for the events of that SEVENTH SEAL ALONE!
As we come to this pivotal SIXTH chapter
of the Book of Revelation, REMEMBER the stage-setting--it is recording the
vision of John; and although John himself actually was on an island in the
Mediterranean Sea, here on the EARTH, he appeared, in the vision, to be taken
up to the very heaven of God's THRONE. The BOOK OF PROPHECY, in the form of a
ROLLED SCROLL, is in the RIGHT HAND of God the Father, sitting on the throne.
And Jesus Christ, here pictured as the Lamb of God, is STANDING before His
Father's throne.
Christ, the Revelator, now TAKES the Book
of prophecy out of the right hand of God the Father, and one by one He strips
off the SEALS which SEALED the prophecy.
The PROPHETIC portions of this writing of
John are contained in the things that John SAW, in vision. Notice, now, the
first verse of chapter 6: "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the
seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts
saying, Come and see."
John is recording for us what he SAW, in
the vision. He SAW the Lamb, Jesus Christ the Messiah, opening the first of the
seven seals. And the four living creatures invited him to come and SEE what was
under that first seal. "And I saw, and behold, a white horse: and he that
sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth
conquering, and to conquer" (verse 2).
The Revelation Is in Symbols!
And right HERE begins the real MYSTERY.
What is this WHITE HORSE? It is merely a SYMBOL. And mark well this
fact!--SYMBOLS are susceptible of MANY DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS! For
generations men have been putting their own HUMAN interpretations on these
SYMBOLS.
This white horse has been interpreted many
different ways.
But let's read on: "And when he had
opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there
went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat
thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another:
and there was given unto him a great sword.
"And when he had opened the third
seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and, lo, a black
horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a
voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and
three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the
wine.
"And when he had opened the fourth
seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked,
and, behold, a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell
followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the
earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts
of the earth" (verses 3-8).
And THERE are the well-known FOUR HORSEMEN
OF THE APOCALYPSE.
That word "apocalypse" is not an
English word. It is a Greek word. The Apostle John wrote this Book of
Revelation in the Greek language. Translated into the English language that
Greek word apocalypse simply means, REVELATION, or REVEALING, or OPENING UP, or
UNFOLDING. Some English translations of the Bible have left the word
"apocalypse" untranslated, and have used the original Greek word for
the caption of this entire book. It all means the same thing, whether we use
the Greek word apocalypse, or the English word, REVELATION. So the famous FOUR
HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE are merely these four prophetic SYMBOLS of the Book
of Revelation.
But what are these mystic four horsemen?
What do these symbols represent? Who has the right interpretation? The answer
is that no man, no organization of men, whether religious or otherwise, has any
power or ability to reveal this meaning. Only JESUS CHRIST was found worthy,
and able, to make this meaning known. Jesus Christ is the Revelator! This is
the Revelation of Jesus Christ--not of John--not of any human religious leader,
not of any sect, church, or religious society or organization!
When Jesus Christ stepped forward, in
John's vision, and stripped off the first four of the seven SEALS that sealed
this prophetic roll, John merely sees what is written there! And the writing is
in SYMBOLS. And God uses symbols to HIDE the meaning from men, until that
meaning is revealed BY NONE OTHER THAN Jesus Christ HIMSELF!
And so mark well this situation! Here in
these first eight verses of chapter 6, we find the description of Jesus Christ
revealing the writing, which is in mystic SYMBOLS; but Christ, who alone is the
Revelator, does not at this time and place open up the meaning! He has here
merely opened up the words, in symbolic form, but not here the MEANING.
The KEY to the SEVEN SEALS
To whom shall we look for the true
MEANING? Why, to the true REVELATOR, of course. And since Jesus Christ the
Revelator does not reveal the meaning in this particular passage of Scripture,
WE MUST LOOK ELSEWHERE, to find when and where Jesus Christ does explain the
meaning of these symbols!
That is the paramount key to the Book of
Revelation! That ought to make plain to you WHY the men of this
world--religious leaders or church denominations--have not been able to open to
you the true and significant meaning of these four horsemen!
Now keep in mind two things: first, Jesus
Christ is called in the very first verses of John's gospel, the WORD of
God--God's SPOKESMAN. Jesus, in Person, 1900 years ago, was the personal,
living Word OF God. But today we have the written Word of God--the Holy Bible.
The entire Bible is the Word OF God. Its real divine Author, then, is JESUS
CHRIST--the whole BIBLE is His written Word! Second, a symbol is a Good deal
like a PARABLE. A symbol is a FIGURE or a THING, used to represent something
else; and a parable is an experience employed to represent something else.
And now I want you to realize a most
important FACT, bearing on our problem, which most of you never realized
before. Haven't you supposed, along with nearly everyone else, that Jesus spoke
in PARABLES in order to make His meaning clearer--as a sort of illustration, so
that people would better understand His meaning? Well, you have supposed WRONG!
On the contrary, believe it or not, Jesus spoke in parables to cover up, to
hide the true meaning from the crowds that constantly followed Him! This
knowledge puts in our hands the KEY that will unlock these symbols of the Book
of Revelation.
Notice the parable of the sower and the
seed: "And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve
asked of him the parable. And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know
the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things
are done in parables: that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing
they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted,
and their sins should be forgiven them" (Mark 4:10-12)... and then Jesus
proceeded to explain in plain language the meaning of the parable to His
disciples!
Understand THIS!
Jesus used parables to conceal the true
meaning from those He did not intend to understand! He did not, at that time
and place, reveal the meaning of the parable. But, later, He did explain in
plain language the true meaning, to His disciples.
And in exactly the same manner, we find in
this sixth chapter of Revelation a prophecy cloaked mysteriously in SYMBOLS
which have HIDDEN the true meaning from men these 1850 years! And so, if we
want to really UNDERSTAND, we must do as those disciples did--we must go to
Jesus, who alone is the true Revelator--and since His message to us of this day
is now the WRITTEN Word OF God--the Bible--we must look to see Where in His
written Word, this same Jesus explains to us, in plain language, the same
identical events which are represented by these symbols.
Did Jesus, then, in plain language,
explain these same events of this world crisis at the close of this age--these
turbulent world-war days leading to the DAY OF THE Lord, and the Second Coming
of Christ? He did! When His disciples came to Him on
What DO the SEALS Mean?
Here, then, is the explanation of
the SYMBOLS of Revelation 6! Here is the KEY that opens up the meaning of the
seals!
This tremendous Olivet prophecy is
recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. And here Jesus outlined in plain
language exactly seven things to occur! Here in PLAIN LANGUAGE Jesus Christ the
Revelator reveals the true meaning of the seven seals that covered the entire
prophecy of the Revelation!
And now, from Matthew's account, let us
read the first four stages of events Jesus foretold:
"And Jesus answered and said unto
them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying
I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of
wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but
the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in
divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matt. 24:4-8).
Here IS THE HIGH-SPOT SUMMARY OF WORLD
NEWS FROM 31 A.D. UNTIL NOW!
Notice this consistent principle: Once a
condition which Jesus predicts sets in, it REMAINS CONTINUOUS up until His very
second coming!
I want you to notice a consistent
principle in this prophecy of Matthew 24, and of the 6th chapter of Revelation.
Seven successive things, or events, are to occur. As an example: The very first
condition Jesus foretells is that of FALSE PREACHERS, misleading and deceiving,
not the few, but the many!
That condition set in almost immediately.
The Apostle Paul wrote of it, and said this spirit of iniquity was already
working, even as HE wrote! And it has never relaxed or ceased, but rather has
developed in intensity, until the whole world, as distinctly prophesied, has become
deceived and misled as to these Bible truths of God!
And so the next thing Jesus said would
occur was WARS, and rumours of wars. There were wars in those days. But wars
have not stopped. They have grown progressively worse and worse, more and more
horrible and destructive, until today, we face the question of whether human
life can survive the next atomic and hydrogen bomb war! Yes, as Scripture says
truthfully, SIN and sinful men wax worse and worse--and not better and better,
as men like to believe!
And so Jesus named these four things:
1st, FALSE TEACHING about Christ, doing
away with His true Gospel.
2nd, wars, climaxing at this crisis at the
close of this age in WORLD WARS--nation against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom. We are now in the second recess between stages of WORLD WAR!
3rd, FAMINE, and 4th, PESTILENCE, or
epidemics of DISEASE which follow in the wake of great famines and wars.
And that's where we are, right now! And
this is just the beginning of the colossal WORLD EVENTS prophesied for this
20th century A.D. The first two world wars have occurred. Rumours of wars will
continue. Next to strike the earth are famine, disease epidemics and World War
III--all of such staggering magnitude as this world has never dreamed!
But now compare that with the first four
seals of Revelation 6. Here is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Here is Jesus'
own interpretation, in plain language, of these mystic symbols of the four
horsemen.
The Amazing Comparison
The first was a WHITE HORSE. Many men,
using human interpretation, have looked over into the 19th chapter of
Revelation, where we find the description of the glorious return of Christ
pictured as coming on a white horse, and have made the great error of deciding
that this first seal, then, since it is a white horse, pictures the second
coming of Christ. But Christ S OWN revealing of the meaning is that this white
horse of the first seal pictures exactly the opposite-- those preaching a FALSE
Christ, different from the Christ of the New Testament! It refers to this GREAT
DECEPTION that has descended like a dark cloud to cover the earth and hide from
it the glorious truth of God!
All war is the result of violating the
supreme spiritual Law of God, which Jesus lived and taught! The false teaching of
doing away with the LAW of God, and the GOVERNMENT of God, and endorsing the
ways of men, led inevitably to WARS, which have grown progressively more
frightening and colossal in scale, until it is now questionable whether the
world can survive another war, unless God Almighty steps in supernaturally to
intervene!
And so the second seal pictures a RED
horse--the colour of blood-- and this horseman, as Jesus Himself reveals, is
WAR. "And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given
to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill
one another: and there was given unto him a great sword" (Rev. 6:4).
And in like manner the third horse is the
FAMINE: "And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast
say, Come and see. And I beheld, and, lo, a black horse; and he that sat on him
had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the
four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley
for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine" (Rev. 6:5-6).
And, fourth, following in the wake of
famine, DISEASE EPIDEMICS: "And I looked, and, behold, a pale horse: and
his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell [the grave] followed with him. And
power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with the
sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth"
(Rev. 6:8).
There IS Christ's OWN EXPLANATION of the
four horsemen! But this brings us to the fearful PRESENT. This is only the very
beginning of the prophecy!
Now let us come immediately to the very
next prophesied event that will rock this world to its foundations!
The GREAT Tribulation
Literally dozens of prophecies in both Old
and New Testaments describe this colossal world event. To explain all that is
written about it, in the Bible prophecies, would require the full length of
many articles.
It is mighty important to know--and to be
prepared--for you need have no fear, if you heed and seek the protection of God!
Back quickly to Matthew 24. Remember, we are now in the time of the second
intermission of world war. Famines and disease epidemics have increased in
magnitude in recent years, but the final GREAT worldwide famine and disease
epidemic has not yet struck. These events brought us to verse 8. We are already
INTO these events, but we haven't reached the final FURY of them. So notice,
now, what is said of THESE things: "All these are the beginning of
sorrows" (Matt. 24:8).
Yes, THESE things, even, are only the
BEGINNING of sorrows--or, more properly translated--of TRAVAIL, or TRIBULATION!
Yes, when we come to the full FURY of the famine and disease epidemics, and
what undoubtedly will be the continuance of world war, THAT will be the very
BEGINNING of the MUCH-prophesied GREAT TRIBULATION! And THAT is now the NEXT
event that God Almighty WARNS this world is coming!
Let us notice exactly how Jesus explained
this FIFTH world-shaking event in PLAIN language. "Then shall they deliver
you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all
nations for my name's sake" (Matt. 24:9).
Notice, Jesus used two pronouns--THEY, and
YOU." Then THEY shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall KILL
you." Remember this: In New Testament Bible language the pronoun
"you," unless otherwise clearly defined, refers either to truly
converted Christians, or to NATIONAL
In this particular case, comparison with
the account in Mark 13 and Luke 21 makes it very evident that Jesus used this
pronoun in the DUAL sense, including BOTH Spirit-begotten Christians, and
flesh-born Israelites as nations!
Right here we have to explain another KEY
to nearly all prophecies. There is a DUALITY in nearly everything in God's PLAN
in working out His purpose here below! There was the first Adam, and Christ the
second Adam. There was the Old Covenant, and there is the NEW. This duality
runs through the entire plan of God. It runs also through the prophecies. There
is usually a former, typical, and then a final antitypical fulfilment of many
prophecies. Not understanding this vital KEY, many are in total error in their
attempts to understand or explain prophecies.
This tribulation did actually occur, in
the typical forerunner sense, to the nation
This is described more plainly in the
modern English of the Moffatt translation of Luke's account of this same
prophecy. Luke 21:23-24: "For sore anguish will come upon the land and
wrath on this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword, they will be carried
prisoners to all nations, and Jerusalem will be under the heel of the Gentiles
till the period [Times] of the Gentiles expire."
That is speaking of WAR--Of NATIONAL
invasion and captivity. That actually did happen to
ALSO a Religious Persecution
Turn again to Matthew 24: "And then
shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one
another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And
because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that
shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved... For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no,
nor ever shall be... For there shall arise false Christ's, and false prophets,
and shall shew great signs, and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:10-13, 21, 24).
This is also speaking individually of
truly Spirit-be-gotten Christians who have become so lukewarm, so out of
prayerful contact with God, that they will not be accounted worthy to escape
all these things. And that phase of this Great Tribulation is very clearly
brought out in the opening of the fifth seal of Revelation 6: "And when he
had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were
slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they
cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost thou not
judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes
were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should
rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their
brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled" (Rev.
6:9-11).
Notice that! Here is the Great
TRIBULATION! And this fifth seal pictures it as a time of martyrdom of
saints--of truly converted, begotten children of God!
Notice, verse 9. Those that were slain, in
a former and a typical Tribulation--as actually millions were slain many centuries
ago--are crying out, "How LONG, 0 God, before you shall avenge our blood
on the powers that martyred us?" They knew that GOD said, "Vengeance
is mine." They KNEW that in the terrible DAY OF THE LORD, God is going to
take vengeance by sending His plagues on the persecuting powers! And those
plagues of the Day OF THE Lord--the time of God's vengeance upon this great
persecuting power--will occur at the precise time of the second coming of
Christ.'
Note IT. Note IT CAREFULLY! These martyrs
that were killed, centuries ago, allegorically are asking how long before the
second coming of Christ and the end of this age? And HERE'S the tremendous
answer! It shall not occur until another Great Tribulation--another martyrdom
of saints--until their fellow-servants and their Spirit-begotten brethren in
the Lord shall be killed, as they were. And that is speaking of the final Great
Tribulation. It will be a time of WAR and national invasion and captivity of
God's nation
The surprising answer is found in our free
booklet The United States and
When Will the END Come?
The disciples had asked Jesus when His
Coming would occur, and the end of the world--the end of this AGE! The false
preaching was not the end. The wars and rumours of wars were not the end. But
in Matthew 24:14, Jesus interrupted to tell them WHEN the end shall come--after
the very event NOW taking place--yes, actually taking place this minute.
"And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."
There is Jesus' answer. He had warned them
of false prophets deceiving the MANY--saying that Jesus was the Christ-- but
doing away with His message--His Gospel--which was the
But, just before the END Jesus said:
"THIS gospel OF THE KINGDOM--the announcement of the government of
God--the RULE of God--the COMMANDMENTS of God--the same Gospel that Jesus
PREACHED--shall go to all the world for a witness unto all nations--and THEN
shall the end of this world come.
And THAT'S the world event of this very
hour!
This HOUR IS THIS SCRIPTURE FULFILLED
BEFORE YOUR EYES!
He that hath an ear to hear let him hear!
If we are to bring you the REVELATION OF
Jesus Christ, we certainly cannot bring you the popular interpretations you
have been hearing from men--from the great religious leaders of this world. The
great men of this world have confused the Great Tribulation that is coming,
with that period revealed in more than 30 prophecies in the Bible as the Day OF
THE Eternal--or, the Day of the Lord. Now turn to Matthew 24:29.
Notice carefully. Read with your own eyes
what the great religious leaders of THIS world seem never to have learned:
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from
heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken" (Matthew 24:29).
Astronomical Signs
There are to be signs in the sun, moon,
and stars. But these heavenly signs occur--WHEN? Did you catch it?--IMMEDIATELY
AFTER THE Great Tribulation.
The Great Tribulation, which Jesus
describes here in Matthew 24, is His PLAIN-LANGUAGE explanation of the fifth
SEAL of Revelation 6. I want to give you further details of this, both from
Matthew 24, and from Revelation 6, a little later; but right now I want you to
notice in Revelation 6 what immediately follows the Great Tribulation of the
fifth seal.
Turn quickly, now, to Revelation 6. Read
it in your own Bible. "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" (Rev. 6:12-13).
...and THEN WHAT?
"For the great day of his wrath is
come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Verse17.)
Notice it! Will you read it with your own
eyes, in your own Bible?
Here in this 6th chapter of Revelation, as
these six seals are opened, we have 1st, false preachers; 2ND, wars climaxing
in world wars; 3RD, famines; 4TH, disease epidemics; 5TH, Great
Tribulation--martyrdom of saints; 6TH, the heavenly signs, in the sun, moon,
and stars. And then WHAT NEXT--what is to follow this sixth seal?
The GREAT DAY OF God's Wrath--and that, as
I shall show you, is the great DAY OF THE LORD!
Now quickly turn to the prophecy of Joel
in the Old Testament.
"The sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the
Lord come" (Joel
There IT IS! In Matthew 24:29 you read in
your own Bible that the heavenly signs in the sun, moon, and stars would occur
immediately after the Great Tribulation. In Revelation 6 you saw with your own
eyes that the heavenly signs in the sun and moon of the sixth seal follow
immediately AFTER the Great Tribulation, or the martyrdom of saints, of the
fifth seal. Also you saw there, that following these heavenly signs of the
sixth seal was to come the terrible day of God’s WRATH.
Now here in Joel 2:31 we see that these
heavenly signs in the sun and moon must occur before the great and terrible Day
OF THE Lord!
Tribulation Is NOT the Day of the
Lord
So here we have three successive
world-shaking events to come-- first, and, now, next to occur in possibly this
decade or the next, THE Great Tribulation. Second, immediately after the
Tribulation, the heavenly signs in the sun and moon and stars. Third, following
the supernatural signs in the heavens, the terrible Day OF THE Lord! Now what is
that great and terrible Day OF THE Eternal? Before you turn away from Joel's
prophecy, notice how Joel was inspired to describe it: "Alas for the day!
for the day of the Lord is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty
shall it come" (Joel
Now notice how God inspired the Prophet
Zephaniah to describe it: "The great day of the Lord is near, it is near,
and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man
shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and
distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess,
a day of clouds and thick darkness... And I will bring distress upon men, that
they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and
their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung"
(Zeph.
This is the time of God's wrath. THIS is
the time of GOD'S PLAGUES sent upon the sinners of this world. God says He will
bring this distress upon defiant and sinful men who hate truth and peace, and
love evil. THIS is the time of the PLAGUES God shall send--but this is not the
Great Tribulation, as men have supposed!
No, this day of the Eternal's plagues
shall not come until after the heavenly signs in the sun and moon. And those
startling supernatural heavenly signs shall not come until immediately after
the Great Tribulation!
If you would know what is going to
happen NEXT in the world--if you would know what is as sure as the rising and
setting of tomorrow's sun--what is coming in your lifetime--what you are going
to live through--it is vital to understand the distinction between the Great
Tribulation and the Day of the Eternal.
You have probably heard a great deal about
the Great Tribulation-- if you have heard any preaching about prophecy at all.
But you probably have heard very little or nothing about the DAY OF THE
ETERNAL--and yet, this DAY OF THE LORD is described in more than 30 different
prophecies scattered through both Old and New Testaments. But the Great
Tribulation is spoken of by this term: the Great Tribulation, only in Matthew
24:21, 29!
Why? Religious leaders have SUPPOSED that
all these prophecies about the Day of the Eternal--the time of God's WRATH--of
the PLAGUES- -are identical with the Great Tribulation. They have SUPPOSED that
the Great Tribulation is God's wrath--God's plagues upon the sinners of the
world.
The Great Tribulation is not the wrath of
God--just the opposite. This is the wrath of SATAN THE DEVIL. He knows that he
has but a short time. When God intervenes--when God's PLAGUES fall--when CHRIST
returns to this earth as the King of kings and the Lord of lords, to rule the
earth, Satan knows full well he will be through. The Great Tribulation, as I
shall show you--if you will just keep both your mind and your Bible open--is
Satan's last persecution and martyrdom against the true begotten sons of God
whom he can't deceive, as he has deceived the world as a whole!
The "Day of the Lord"
Now turn again to Revelation 6. Those of
the former great martyrdom of saints are told that the JUDGMENTS OF God--the
plagues which lead up to, and occur at the time of Christ’s return to earth--
cannot come until their fellow-servants and their brethren--other
Spirit-be-gotten Christians--should be killed as they were! Here is the Great
Tribulation--another coming martyrdom of God's people.' And what follows? The
sixth seal, we have seen, will mark the beginning of the intervention of God in
world affairs--the terrifying signs in the heavens--and then men shall cry out,
"The terrible day of God's WRATH is come!"
"And the heaven departed as a scroll
when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of
their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men,
and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondsman, and every free
man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to
the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that
sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his
wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev. 6:14-17.)
This is the Day OF THE Eternal, bringing
us, at last, the RETURN OF Christ to earth in ALL power and glory, to RULE the
peoples of earth, and to bring US PEACE!
You NEED NOT FEAR OR WORRY over the things
coming on the earth in the meantime. In this same prophecy of Jesus as reported
by Luke, regarding the world disturbances now ahead--regarding the Great
Tribulation and the Day OF THE Lord--Jesus ended His Olivet prophecy with these
assuring words: "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be
accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to
stand before the Son of man" (Luke21:36).
May God help you to be one of those
studying the prophecies, watching world events as they fulfil them, and praying
always that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things, and to
stand before Christ at His coming!
WHY These Plagues?
Notice! For 6,000 years God has sent His
loving messages to mankind. In love God revealed His Law--His WAY of life that
would lead to everything Good and desirable--to our first parents, Adam and
Eve. God has sent all His prophets with His message of PEACE, revealing to
mankind the WAY to peace and happiness--but men have rejected the message, and
killed the prophets.
They put to death God's son who brought
the GOOD NEWS of the
All these men of God have pleaded with
this rebellious world in love. They have brought a message of PEACE, of LOVE,
Of MERCY and compassion. Through them God has pleaded with this stiff-necked
and self-willed world for 6,000 years. God has warned the world of where its
own ways and devices will finally lead--to the total annihilation of human life
from off this planet!
In love and in tender mercy, God has given
this stubborn, misguided human race every chance for 6,000 long years, to save
itself from a self-imposed destruction. But men would not heed. They WILL NOT
HEED TODAY. They continue, even now, to devise forces of destruction that will
result in the suicide of the human race, unless God does intervene.
But God is about to step in and speak to
this rebellious and hell-bent world in the only language the world will
heed--God will now punish this world for its evil! As any loving parent
punishes his child who will not listen to kind and loving admonition, so now
God is going to punish this world with just judgments--with PLAGUES so terrible
that the world will at last be forced to turn from its wicked ways and to seek God
and His WAYS that lead to peace and everything Good. God will prevent the
suicide of humanity. He will save this evil world from itself. And that is the
period coming, described in more than 30 different prophecies scattered through
both Old and New Testaments, as THE Day OF THE Lord, which shall lead directly
into the SECOND COMING OF Christ, to bring us, at last, WORLD PEACE!
God's Wrath Restrained
But, as we begin the 7th chapter of the
Book of Revelation, we find that the Day OF THE Eternal-- the time of these
terrible plagues God shall send--is to be held up temporarily, until a certain
other event of God's doing takes place.
Notice the introduction of chapter 7 of
this greatest prophecy ever written: "And after these things I saw four
angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the
earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any
tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the
living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was
give to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the
sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their
foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were
sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children
of
Now consider carefully a few important
points. First, the preceding words show that the judgments of the Day OF THE
Lord have come at this exact juncture. But God holds it back. Notice that just
as the Day OF THE Lord IS about to strike, John sees in his vision four angels,
holding back the four winds which are about to blow on the earth. You will see,
a little later, that these winds blow the seven TRUMPETS which are to follow.
These, of course, are symbols, but they represent things this world will find
are very real. But they are restrained until the SERVANTS OF God are sealed in
their foreheads. First to be sealed are the 144,000.
WHO Are the 144,000?
You have probably heard many
interpretations. They are all in error. Men are unable to interpret this
prophecy. The first thing to notice is that the TIME of the sealing of this
144,000 is yet in the future--it is after the Great Tribulation and the
heavenly SIGNS, and just before the plagues of God's Judgments! It has not
happened yet! Second, this prophecy is plain, and means just what it says--
144,000 of the 12 tribes of
But these 144,000 are not all! "After
this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude which no man could number, of all
nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and
before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands... And one
of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in
white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And
he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have
washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev.
7:9, 13-14).
And what is sealed in the foreheads? They
are sealed by the Holy Spirit, in their foreheads. If you will turn to chapter
14:1, you will see that it is the Father's name that is written there. Jesus'
very last prayer for His Church was that they would be kept in the FATHER'S
name. Today we find the churches of this world under every possible manmade
name; many named after men. But 12 times in the New Testament His own Church is
the
Who Constitute the Innumerable
Multitude?
Now how about this innumerable multitude?
They have come through THE Great Tribulation. God will not send His frightful
PLAGUES to punish the world, until He has first sent a great supernatural
warning. God has warned the world through all His prophets--through His Son,
Jesus Christ--He is warning the world right now through this very work. But God
is a God of mercy and compassion. He will yet warn this world once again--by
supernatural signs, in the sun, the moon, and the stars. God will leave men no
excuse.
And after the Great Tribulation, when men
are seized with stark terror at these supernatural heavenly signs, multiplied
thousands will at last recognize that it is really God warning them! Yes,
multiplied thousands who now hear this warning from God will not heed it now.
They are deceived. They still believe and
follow their various human leaders, or groups. Their minds are not fully opened
to recognize this as God's last warning to this world! They are not repenting
or turning to God, now! Oh, how well I know that! But when they see these
things actually occur which they heard from no others--when they have seen how
the world was deceived and misled about the Great Tribulation, and they have
gone through it--when they see these terrifying supernatural SIGNS in the
heavens, then, at last, hundreds of thousands of them -- perhaps even some of
you--will at last recognize the TRUTH, and at last turn to God in complete
submission, fully repenting, and coming through Jesus Christ the Saviour of the
world! We of this ministry well know that our real reward in the harvest of
precious lives will mostly come after our labours are finished!
The Seventh Seal Opened
But now we come to chapter 8. Here is the
opening of this seventh seal. And what is this seventh seal? Remember, as each
seal was opened, John recorded what he saw, in his vision. In every case, the
things he saw were symbols--but these symbols represent actual world events
occurring in a definite time-order. So notice what John saw, when this seventh
seal was opened: "And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was
silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels
which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets" (Rev.
8:1-2).
John sees the SEVEN TRUMPETS! Here is the
third vital key to this Book of Revelation. The seven TRUMPETS are, of course,
symbols. They represent real world events to come. These "trumpets"
are not, as so many have believed, contemporaneous with the seven SEALS.
Neither do they follow the closing of the
seventh SEAL. They are-- they constitute the seventh seal. This seventh seal
occurs, then, in seven successive stages. Each of these seven stages, or parts,
of the seventh seal is called a TRUMPET. These trumpets are PLAGUES which God
shall send in physical punishment of the forces of evil in this world. Notice,
at the end of the sixth of these trumpets, how they are plainly called PLAGUES:
"And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet
repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils,
and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither
can see, nor hear, nor walk" (Rev.9:20).
What Do the Trumpets Symbolize?
A trumpet is an instrument into which one
blows. A trumpet sounds by blowing wind through it. These seven trumpets, which
compose the seventh seal, follow immediately after the sixth seal. At the time
of the sixth seal, described in the last of the 6th chapter of Revelation, it
was announced that "the GREAT DAY OF God’s WRATH was come. These symbolic
TRUMPETS portray, then, THE Day OF THE Lord--the day of God’s WRATH! The day
God intervenes in world affairs to PUNISH this world for its EVIL.--the day God
pleads with all flesh in the physical language it can UNDERSTAND!--and, as
Zephaniah
The TRUMPET was always blown as a warning
of war, or approaching armies. It signifies war and destruction. When
God's Children Protected
These winds were held back from blowing
these seven trumpets until the sealing of the 144,000 and the great innumerable
multitude that came out of the Great TRIBULATION from all nationalities and
peoples.
They who repent and turn to God for
protection are first brought under the divine protection, so that just as God
protected the children of Israel when He poured out the plagues on ancient
Egypt, so shall He protect ALL His children who rely on Him from these plagues
now about to come on the modern Babylon! And, incidentally, the plagues God
sent on
Those saved from these plagues will be
taken by Christ into the
The first woe, which is also the fifth
trumpet, is described in chapter 9, verses 1-11. The power that causes the
destruction, this time to men, comes out of the symbolic "bottomless
pit." This is interpreted in Revelation 17:8-14. There we learn that a
rebirth of the ancient
The second woe, with its symbols of horses
and horsemen, is interpreted by Ezekiel 38:4, 15, and is also referred to as an
event in the Day OF THE Eternal in Joel 2:4. This refers to a tremendous
military power--also to the NORTH--due north! They come with an army of two
hundred million! Think of it--an army of two hundred million! World events are
now moving rapidly to make possible the creation of a Communist Eurasian army
of that unbelievable manpower! Yes, it's time to wake up to what's taking place
today--the true significance of the time in which we live, and where it is
leading!
The Two Witnesses
Before the THIRD WOE--the last trumpet--we
find the two witnesses described. Men have come forth with every possible
interpretation of these witnesses. Notice the time element. They end their
mission (described in chapter 11) at the time of the end of the second woe (verses
12-14.) Their mission lasts only, 3 1/2 years. So, contrary to erroneous human
interpretations, their mission has not as yet even, begun.
They are endued with supernatural
protection, and they give out God's last warning to the evil powers of earth
delivered through human instrumentalities, before this final Trumpet sounds.
They are to be killed by THE BEAST, symbol of a power described in Revelation
13 and 17, and identified by Daniel 2 and 7 as the resurrection of the ancient
Roman Empire.
Now comes the third WOE--the seventh and
last TRUMPET. What is this seventh trumpet?
The Last Trumpet
In many other prophecies it is recorded
that the second coming of Jesus Christ to this earth--the time of Christ's
literal bodily return to this earth--shall occur at the time of the last trump!
The same Jesus who came to earth over 1900 years ago, taught the way of happy
living which men rejected, was put to death, resurrected from the dead, and
ascended to heaven--this same Jesus is coming again in almighty POWER and
GLORY. He is coming as world RULER--as King of all kings--as LORD of all lords,
to rule all nations, and to enforce the way to PEACE!
And His coming shall occur at the last
trump. You will find that in I Corinthians 15:52; I Thessalonians 4:16 Matthew
24:31. We know from these prophecies that this last trumpet is the time for the
actual appearing of Christ as WORLD RULER! But what else is described? Notice
the sounding of the seventh trumpet.
"And the seventh angel sounded; and
there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are
become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever
and ever" (Rev. 11:15).
There IT IS! It is announced that the
WORLD-RULE of Jesus Christ over all nations has arrived. All human government
on earth shall fall, under the divine power of Almighty God. Men have never
wanted God s rule- even though it is the only way to peace, happiness and joy.
And so the rulers of human governments over mankind are found angry! They shall
have been deceived by the false teaching about a secret rapture theory into
believing that this is the ANTI-Christ!
They shall fight against Christ and His
rule over the earth.
Notice it: "And the nations were
angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be
judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and
to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest
destroy them which destroy the earth" (Rev. 11:18).
Yes, when the seventh trumpet is sounded
the nations are going to be angry. Once again it is proclaimed, "Thy WRATH
is come." The only thing described under the opening of this seventh
trumpet that could possibly he the third woe is THE WRATH OF God! But all the
trumpets have been plagues, pouring out the WRATH of God- His punishments to
bring this hell-bent world to its senses and to a happy peace! The seventh
trumpet consummates this wrath!
And what is it that consummates- fills up-
completes, the wrath of God?
The Seven Last Plagues
"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" (Rev. 15:1). The Moffatt translation
renders it, "For they complete the wrath of God."
In the 14th chapter, and 10th verse of
Revelation, it is stated that these seven last plagues are to be poured out
"in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the
Lamb." "The Lamb" is a symbol representing Jesus Christ. And
when He shall come to rule the world, all the holy angels are coming from
heaven with Him!
Notice that in Jesus own prophecy:
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with
him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be
gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a
shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his
right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his
right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:31-34).
Jesus Christ is coming to rule. The
Now notice carefully! At Christ s coming,
the DEAD in Christ are to be resurrected immortal. The living in Christ (I Cor.
The Great KEYS
So the seventh Trumpet, then, like the
seventh Seal, is divided into seven parts- the seven last plagues. The seven
last plagues are - they constitute -the seventh trumpet, just as the seven
trumpets are, and constitute, the seventh SEAL. The seven seals cover the whole
prophecy! This sequence and sevenfold arrangement of events is the one great
KEY to the long-closed Book of Revelation.
The seven last plagues complete the WRATH
of God- they are the last seventh part of the seventh seal, and a part of the
seventh SEAL... They show the coming of Christ to bring this world peace- by
forcing the nations to be governed by the government of God- and God governs by
His laws!
Yes, Christ is the way- and the only way
to peace, and to happiness, and to LIFE ETERNAL! There is no other way. The
world has spurned that way. Now it shall be compelled to find that way! God
loves this world. God Almighty shall yet intervene to save this world!
Now to conclude the KEYS to this marvellous
Book of Revelation. Chapter 12 is an inset chapter, injected into the main
story- thread. Just as any writer will stop his narrative at a certain point,
to go back and sketch a different scene involving different characters and
events, bringing them up to, and connecting them with, his story- thread at
that juncture, so here John pictures the TRUE Church, from the time prior to
Christ s birth (verse 4), through His birth, resurrection and ascension (verse
5), and the 1260 years of persecution when the TRUE Church was forced to flee
completely beyond the bounds of organized government persecution. The
The
Revelation 12 brings the story of the true
Church to the present, when the devil, knowing he has just a short time (verse
12), persecutes the true Church, pictured as a remnant or small in number, and
keeping the Commandments of God (verse 17). (Write for our free booklet
"Where Is the True Church?)
The 13th chapter is another inset,
picturing the symbolic "beast" and the second two-horned
"beast." Chapter 14 shows the three angel messages, proclaiming the
fall, or DOOM, of "
Chapters 15, 16 describe THE SEVEN LAST
PLAGUES, which are the third woe or seventh trumpet. These are God s judgments
against this world s false system, "
Chapters 17 and 18 picture the revived
The 19th chapter shows the second coming
of Christ, and the 20th, the thousand year reign on earth (Rev. 5:10) and Great
White Throne Judgment,- 21st and 22nd chapters, the new heaven and new earth
through eternity.
Where Are We Today in Prophecy?
But now, finally, do you realize where we
stand today? We are in the semi-chaotic lull between the second and third world
wars. But one thing is prophesied for NOW! One of these prophesied events is
taking place this instant. In His great Olivet prophecy, which was the very key
to the symbols of Revelation, the disciples asked Jesus privately what would be
the sign of His coming, and the end of this WORLD-- today s world!
When, Jesus told them of the many who
would go forth preaching in His Name, proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ, yet
deceiving the world as to Christ s Gospel- that was not the END. The famine and
the pestilence to come was not the sign of His coming and of the end of this
world. The series of WORLD WARS was not the sign of His coming, and of the end.
It is only in verse 14 of this prophecy that He gave it. I want you to notice
the tremendous significance of this: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall
be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come" (Matt. 24:14).
There it is! Jesus proclaimed the Gospel
of the
THE STORY FLOW of the Book of
Revelation
SEALS
1) False Prophets
2) War
3) Famine
4) Pestilence
5) Tribulation
6) Heavenly Signs
7
Trumpets
1-4) Injure the earth, sea, trees, and
rivers
5) First Woe
6) Second Woe
7) Third Woe or The Seven Last Plagues
(ARMAGEDDON) SECOND COMING OF CHRIST