Prayer of the Holy Ones is Answered

The Prayer:
"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."

Chapter Seven of the Revelation of Jesus Christ was divided into three parts; 7:1-8; 7:9-12; and 7:13-17.

John was made aware of this division of the prophecy at Rev. 1:19, where the angel instructed him: "Write..."

1) (describing) the signs which John saw; and
2) (showing) what the "things" are doing; and
3) (narrating) about what events shall take place with the signs.

Second, every incident of the sign is shown as to what it illustrates from O. T. prophecy, (not from profane histories), and as to what all its happenings shall accomplish at "the end."

Third, concurrent with the actions illustrated, contingent details are shown in relation to the pictures by narrative explanation - showing how they shall be enacted and done "in those days."

Thus the Revelation's text reveal things which were are expanded upon in the O.T. prophecies concerning the "last days."

This structure is not difficult to comprehend in the first, and second, instance. When the third "things" are interwoven with the second, the expanded pictures become somewhat more complicated. Sometimes John receives more detail or amplification on certain parts of a picture; but sometimes he does not! A good understanding of the Old Testament prophets and their writings helps immeasurably in discovering the truth of the Revelation.

In "the last days" during Israel's tribulation, in which "days" are the prophesied time of "Jacob's trouble" - when "many of the first shall be last; and the last, first," - Matthew 19:30, there is another sealing of the children of Israel. A manifold crowd is marked to be saved out of the "great tribulation" that is about to take place. Four angels hold the winds of the earth/Land until the sealing is complete. John is shown a picture of the sealing.

The reader himself must study the order of the time element for this last sealing. By simplistic reasoning, the time certainly is after A.D. 95 when John received the prophecy, but quite soon before the final destruction of the earth's ungodly order.

The Holy Land was devoid of its chosen "people" until the time prior to the first World War. Since then Jews have been returning to the Land. In 1948 the people reclaimed "a portion" of the land when Great Britain finally released its mandate; (its "band" of iron and brass).

Fifty years later now, the "people" have a determined grip upon the city of Jerusalem, but hold far less than the whole of the promised land. It is politically expedient to restrain the Temple Mount Faithful from laying a "cornerstone" for the next temple, but Israel's present situation demands a more permanent condition of "peace and security" if the temporal desire and a better economy for the people are to meet with a "satisfactory settlement."

The nation is hardly aware of the LORD's work on its behalf. Does it, at present, warmly care about Godly things? The nation's leaders are divided in mind; the people, divided in opinion whether to yield "land for peace" wish to live in the Land and in peace with the surrounding nations, and the surrounding nations themselves divided, resist the Jewish presence altogether. Some time must pass in "peace and security" before the peoples power is totally scattered, per Daniel 12:7. At present the nation is in the grip of the "double mind," and is frustrated by its adversary and its enemies which are fully embodied in the hate filled "Dragon" which wishes to "consume" the woman's child at the birth!

Therefore things upon the earth/Land are due to change swiftly at the opening of the seventh seal. At that time the world knows that the day of the LORD is here, 6:17. A portentous earth-shaking event will proclaim the fact.

So, after the LORD's work of the sealing of Israel is done, the first woe commences to work upon the world.

All the collective prayer from all the holy ones is about to be answered. There is distress; and an air of dreadful expectancy, a fearful looking toward the heavens. "For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled," per Luke 21:22 (See Isaiah 61:2b; 63:4-6).

All these "things which are written" are not things which have been written by those who use a continuous historical theory for interpreting the prophecy of the Lord's apocalypse. All these "things which are written" are found only in the writings of the O.T. prophets and in the writings of the Lord's own prophets in the N.T.

1 And when he opened the seventh seal there was a silence in the heavens about half an hour.

"Silence;" sigee, No. 4602; root: sizo (to hiss). A attendant hush falls "in the heavens." Why does the hush fall? The angels eagerly desire to look into these things which the Father had reserved unto Himself only to know. He is about to reveal the things of "the day and hour" of the Son's second coming.

"About." Hos; as.

"Half-an-hour;" heemiorion, No. 2256. In the interval from the fourth seal's opening to this seventh seal's opening, all the lives "under the altar," 6:9, have been waiting for the judging and the avenging of their blood. Now their prayers are about to be answered with actions worked by the powers of the Holy Spirit (through which the "powers" of heaven are commanded by the LORD's heavenly hosts).

An expectant hush falls over those angels who are gathered around the heavenly throne, as things "into which angels desire to look" are about to be unfolded. See Romans 8:18-19; 1 Peter 1:12.

2 And I saw the seven angels who stand in the sight of the LORD, and seven trumpets were given to them.

John watches during this presentation of trumpets for the sounding of the seven stages of 'work' which frees the promised Land of its ungodly inhabitants in anticipation of the restoration of the kingdom to Israel.

"Seven angels who stand..." The seven spirits, 1:4; 3:1; 4:5, and here. The Lord is actively involved in the judgment of "the day" as earth's advocate judge. He is the "advocate" judge with the Father, -- the LORD of hosts -- having the full commission of the powers of the Holy Spirit, as he assured his apostles in John's Gospel.

"Seven trumpets." Each angel receives an instrument with which to "play his part" in the work of the proclamation of "day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto those who mourn in Zion; to give unto them beauty for ashes; the oil of joy for mourning; the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified," per Isaiah 66:2- 3, (1-11). Thus is the long awaited "day of God" revealed according to one O. T. prophecy.

3 And another angel having a golden censer came and stood over the altar, and much incense was given to him, so that he might give of all the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar which is in the sight of the throne.

In the Letter to the Hebrews, the writer speaks of the order of arrangement in the first dwelling of God (which was with Israel and which began with the tent in the wilderness). Then, it had a "worldly" Holy Place requiring a daily service by the priests.

At that time, the second chamber of the Most Holy Place was "having a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant covered around all over with gold in which was the golden pot having the manna, and the scepter of Aaron that sprouted, and the tablets of the covenant; and above them the cherubim of the glory overshadowing the mercy seat..," 9:4-5. The chambers, he stated in 8:5, "serve the example and shadow of the heavenly" service (which is shown here in the prophecy of the Lord's revelation).

The way into the second (heavenly place) was inaccessible "while the first (chamber) had a standing." The service of the first chamber now is mediated through Christ; the path into the greater Most Holy to the presence of the Father Himself has been revealed by Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit opens the way. The Lamb "having been slain" appears now in the very presence of the LORD with the wound of his death healed. He has just received one of "the books," the seven-sealed scroll that is prepared for the day of the LORD's judging and avenging of all righteous blood that has been slain upon the earth. He has possession of the seven spirits of God.

He walks, by the power of the Holy Spirit, among the assemblies as high priest after Melchizedek's order, and as a mediator with God; awaiting the day that he shall come again to earth to receive the crown for inheritance of his throne; bringing Israel's salvation and reconciliation; and bringing the redemption of the elect from the nations. But he yet has to come to earth to receive the kingdom from his Father.

First, the judgment of his own house. His co-rulers must be appointed to their places...

Here in Revelation 8:3, the narrative shows the service then conducted within the Most Holy Place in the heavens. The typical ceremony ordained for the day of atonement is found in Leviticus 16.

The imposition of the last and true reformation of the Israel of God is coming, only now in our present time very near "at hand," Hebrews 9:10.

"A golden censer;" libanoton, No. 3031. Also in 8:5. This is the golden container, in which the frankincense is burned, located within the Most Holy Place about which Paul wrote...

"Stood over." The incense altar being about two cubits high, per Exodus 37:25-27, he stands over the golden altar; the angel undoubtedly being taller than the two cubit height of the incense altar.
[I assume this angel's act of offering the prayers is like that of the high priest. ...But, if the first (the brass) altar is meant, the angel surely stands upon the altar's ledge in order to secure, not incense, but coals to cause the incense to produce the smoke, still, a duty of a priest].

"Altar;" thusiasteerion, No. 2379. The place where the sacrifice is placed. The first temple had two altars. The brass altar in the outer court served for life-blood sacrifice, and other non blood offerings.

The second altar overlaid with gold before the throne received the incense service. Coals taken from the hearth of the first altar kindle the sweet smelling smoke of the incense at the second altar.

"Incense;" thumiama, No. 2368. Also in 8:4; 18:13. Mention of the incense first appeared in 5:8, where the description reads, "golden bowls full of incenses which are the prayers of the holy ones." The angel has been given "much frankincense." The actual amount given is the total sum of vials received from the four living creatures and the 24 elders, which is quite a lot indeed!

"Prayers, all the;" prosukee, No. 4335. Again, the amount represents the total amount of the prayers "laid up" within the holy place, awaiting this future response.

"Saints;" hagios, No. 40. The word really ought to be consistently translated as "holy ones." The word saint is derived from the Latin church practice of canonization of its own sanctified dead, and has no discernible parallel in the Holy Scriptures where the holy ones is the common reference to the temple priests, or to the Jewish people in toto.

"Golden altar." This is a definite reference to the smaller, golden incense altar that is immediately before the throne of God, the Father.

4 And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the holy ones went up out of the hand of the angel in the sight of the LORD.

"Smoke;" kapnos, No. 2586. The smoke comes from 28 bowls of incensed prayers of the holy ones; 28 bowls. The LORD's throne, with the Lamb on the right hand, is totally enveloped in the cloud of the smoke. The first petition of the Lord's Prayer is about to be fulfilled. "Let Thy kingdom come on the earth as it is in the heaven!" For, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay.., saith the LORD."

This heavenly activity begins the whole final enactment of Isaiah 6:1-13.

5 And the angel took the censer and filled it from the fire of the altar and cast it toward the earth, and there were sounds, and thunders and lightnings and an earthquake.

Not only does the offering of all the prayers of all the holy ones produce the cloud of smoke that envelops the throne of God, but it produces a great responding noise in the heavens. The first heavenly "event" of wrath is revealed after the act of the offering as the first response to the prayers of all the holy ones.

"Fire;" pur, No. 4442. See verses five, seven and eight. Coals of the fire taken from the brass altar ignite the incense.

"Cast;" ballo, No. 906. See verse eight.

"Toward;" eis, No. 1519. In the direction; against; to.

"Earth;" gee, No. 1093. The planet earth; its land surface. See verse seven, "toward the earth..." Burning hot coals, of prayers for vengeance, speed toward the earth.

"Sounds;" phonee, No. 5456. Or, voices, depending on whether it comes from animate or inanimate source. The Voice of the LORD commands all the elements, be it noted, per Job in Old Testament doctrine. And, so it would seem that this is how Peter likewise read the Holy Scriptures, 2 Peter 3:1-15. (See Mark 4:34). A hubbub of angelic voices, as they ready themselves...

The sounds in the heavens, and the voices of "the heavenly" powers play a commanding part in the unfolding events of "the Lord's day." For it should be remembered that the angels of heaven are now about to become fully subject to the lordship of Jesus Christ. He is given the full authority to subdue the earth and to fill it with his own righteous "children," because he overcame the power of the serpent, Death. The sign, visible to men on earth, portending his glorious coming is produced.

"Thunders;" brontee, No. 1027. The audible sounds that occur during the exchange of polarity between the clouds. God thunders in the heavens.

"Lightnings;" astrapee, No. 796. The flashes of light that are discharged from the contacts between the positive and the negative forces that are built up in the clouds. The angels respond with actions.

"An earthquake;" seismos, No. 4578. This is the second earthquake to occur during the opening activity of the "day of the LORD." The quake is correlated to this angel's service at the golden altar in the heavenly places.

Consider the words of John the Baptist in Luke 3:4-6 with their context in Isaiah 40. The remainder of Isaiah's prophecy speaks often of both quite literal earth quaking and of figurative earthshaking. The reader is left to rightly divide the Word of Truth.

The angel's act of casting "the fire" toward the earth follows with the sign of the Lord's coming; for, as the Lord said, "the powers of the heavens shall be shaken."

The prophet Zephaniah says:
"Cry aloud, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with the whole heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
The LORD has turned aside your judgments.
He has faced your enemy.
The king of Israel, the LORD, (is) in your midst.
You shall see evil no more!
In that day it is said to Jerusalem, Fear not.
O Zion, let not your hands be feeble."

Each work of the Lord's fiery anger, "if it be already kindled," Luke 12:49, which is initiated (by the trumpeting angels) at the beginning of the Day is directly tied to its completion at the end of the Day with the corresponding out-poured vial of fury.

Compare each beginning with its ending result. Each trumpet sound initiates each vial's judgment:

1) Hail of fire... brings ...plague of sores

2) Sea on fire... brings ...plague of blood on sea

3) Falling star... brings ...plague on water sources

4) Sun smitten... brings ...the sun scorching by its plague

5) Star opens pit of space... brings ... a plague on beast's throne

6) Angels loosed over Euphrates... brings ... a dried up Euphrates; and there is a war.

7) Nations angry against God... brings the response ..."It is done!"

6 And the seven angels having the seven trumpets (were) prepared so that they might sound the trumpets.

"Prepared;" hetoimazo, No. 2090. Given trumpets, 8:2, the seven angels are now made ready to trumpet the jubilee blasts of "the day." See Leviticus 25 and 27 concerning things of the annual jubilee and of the fiftieth jubilee. Yahweh T'savaoth and his powers of the heavens move forward in battle to free the earth (the Land) from the powers of the adversity against GOD in heaven.

7 And the first angel sounded his trumpet; and there was a hail and a fire mingled with (a) blood; and it was cast toward the earth, and the third of the trees was burnt, and all green grass was burned.

"A hail;" kalaza, No. 5464. The word occurs only in the New Testament in the Revelation, but in many LXX texts of the Old Testament references. It is used as an adverbial noun: a hailing. Its root is No. 5665, kalao; (what is ) to be let down; lowered.

Hail, defined as a noun, is something that falls as a rain; i.e., a shower or a volley. The Old Testament equivalent of hail is "barad," a shower (of things) "very grievous." This is the first "hail" that falls. The first hail becomes a larger brimstone, with fire and smoke attendant, 9:17. Because two chapters of the Revelation dwell upon the nature of these strange "things" that come toward the earth and the sea from the heavens, the reader is urged to understand what the chapters are indicating by the "things." The 'things' have no recent historical precedent.

See Exodus 9 and 10; Psalm 18; 78; 105; 148: all Psalms which recall the Exodus event and its "hail." Read the last verses of Psalm 83! See Isaiah 28:2,17; 32:19; and Haggai 2:17. See the references under "hail stone" also. Note the differences between rain which is "geshem" of water, and a rain which is "matar," a precipitation from the skies composed of elements other than ice or water, of things "very grievous" to do damage.

The precipitate of this first "hail" is next described:

"Fire;" pur, No. 4442. The fire is the main element in the precipitate of the hail. The "blood" is another featured element. The volley contains a mixture of elements that act like "fire mixed with blood;" i.e., like a "thickish reddish mass that burns," resembling the appearance of blood. A gluey, paste mixture such as petroleum crude is an example of its viscosity.

"Mingled;" mignumi, No. 3396. Its use in 15:2 shows the inherent aspect. Although separate things, a "fire" is confined within the mass of the "blood."

"Blood;" haima, No. 129. Other than literal, the word is used in several definitions in this prophecy. This is revealed by careful proof of the text.

"Toward the earth." The "hail" of burning thick redness falls toward the earth. It follows, notice, the sounds, the thunders, and the lightnings in the sky which produce and accompany the hail. A major earthquake also anticipates it. This is a rare phenomenon indeed, delivered by the angel's trumpet blast.

"Trees ... all green grass." Vegetation, exposed to the "bloody" element and to the fire, is first affected, in certain parts.

"Burnt; burned;" katakaio, No. 2618. Like the chaff, the tares, and the 'works' of men that are burned, 2 Peter 3:10. A fire mingled "blood" is the agent and tinder of the dual-natured hail. These 'works' of the first trumpet (in "the third") are totally burned by the first caustic "hail" of "fire" which falls upon "the third."

The "burning" ignited from within the thick redness kills trees and green grass.

It should now be obvious that the teaching of the apostasy - that the earth itself will be totally consumed in burning flames of fire - is a deception made to bolster other false teachings of "Hell," "the Devil", and "eternal flame." Flames of fire do not totally envelop the earth; only the ungodly are gathered into "bunches" for their burning. Many small pools of "fire" may be ignited for the judgment of the wicked.

The earth's old order, which has now existed for the thousands of years since the Flood, must be reordered for the new creation. The earth's "garments" are going to be removed and "exchanged" for new ones. These "garments" are the atmospheric canopy, the skies, the ocean and the land mass, vegetation and the creatures which live therein. The LORD will not dilly-dally in His work of doing this. He does it speedily in the seventh seal. In the doing, He also takes His vengeance upon all evil-doers against His Word, with retribution for their evil works.

"In the last days there shall come in scoffers walking after their own lusts," says Peter in his Second Epistle. So for the scoffing reader who is certain that these things are just too unbelievable to ever happen upon or to affect this earth, I recommend some serious, but non Biblical reading.

The book is worth its price if only for the bibliographical references which document the text. The author's research has eliminated months of time that otherwise would be spent locating the reference material. The book is forty years old, and caused a furor when first published in 1950. The book, by Immanuel Velikovsky, is Worlds in Collision.

The book provides, from Hebrew commentary on the Old Testament Scriptures and other reliable sources, documented information about ancient events of astronomical activity. The information ordinarily would not be acknowledged in any part of established orthodox disciplines of so-called "Christians" or "scholars" who say others - not they! - are confused writers of ancient things.

8 And the second angel sounded his trumpet; and as a great mountain, burning with fire, was cast toward the sea; and the third of the sea became blood.

"As a great mountain." The text does not directly identify the great object that looks like and resembles "a great mountain." This great object is aflame as it is "cast" toward the sea. Its passage produces a bloody effect in the water below.

"Burning;" kaio, No. 2545. To set fire to; be lit with flames; burning.

"With fire;" pur, No. 4442. Ignition of burning.

"Cast;" ballo, No. 906. The great (object) falls, being cast down from the heavens as the prior verses indicate.

"Sea, toward the." Eis; to, toward. Either the oceans, or the Mediterranean Sea is the apparent "collision" site; but most likely, the thing like a great mountain is cast near the Middle East lands which are surrounded by many smaller seas - the chief of which is the Mediterranean Sea.

"Blood." This "blood" is the same type of "blood" as the fire mingled blood and hail of the preceding verse. The object's burning with fire is the cause of the Sea beoming "like blood."

The object that fits the description given in this verse we might identify as a volcano. But with that identity, an active volcano would not be "cast toward the sea" by falling out of the sky. Could we suggest that the object that is "cast toward the sea" is actually a great errant flaming star (a comet) falling toward the sea?

The earth's reaction to the star's falling is in the "resounding" (echo, No. 2278), [echo: the reverberation of sound movement]; "and shaking" (salos, No. 4535), "of the sea," Luke 21:25. The "shaking" of the sea is movement of the sea greater than the normal wave movement of the tides.

The star's impact upon the earth causes both an "echoing" of the waters of the sea and a "shaking movement" by the sea. This impact, initiated by the passage of the great object like a "fire burning mountain," likely will produce a tsunami when it contacts with the sea.

9 And the third of the creatures which in the sea those have life, died; and the third of the ships were destroyed.

"Third." This represents thirty percent of the Sea's life.

"Sea." Site or location is unspecified, but near the site of the Dragon's hateful activities!

"Died;" apothneesko, No. 599. They become necrotic; smelly dead flesh.

"Ships;" ploion, No. 4143. Ocean-going vessels; not smaller crafts or boats. Vessels at dock are the most vulnerable to destruction by a tsunami.

"Destroyed;" diapthiro, No. 1311. Damaged beyond repair and unsalvageable.

How this destruction actually happens is not stated in any minute detail in the prophecy of the Revelation. The creatures, whose habitat is in the depths of the sea, are killed in this third of the sea, probably by concussion and pollution of the water. Also the marine crafts [a navy, for example] which are so unfortunate as to be located in the same "third" area of the sea are destroyed. The power expended in this destructive work is enormous.

10 And the third angel sounded his trumpet; and a great star fell out of the heaven, burning as a torch; and it fell over the third of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters.

When the third trumpet sounds, a similar destruction from "the heavenly places" occurs, except this time the fall has a different location. This (second) object is identified.

"Star, great;" asteer, No. 792. The only great star that the earth's inhabitants are presently familiar with is the sun. But this falling heavenly body is a minor star, an errant star, that burns like a torch in its coming passage.

"Burning as a torch;" lampas, No. 2985. This is the classic manner in which comets are described.

"Fell;" pipto, epeson; No. 4098. The detritus, from the passage of the comet, is the fall of the precipitate - the elements before alluded to by Peter which, he says, are treasured up in the LORD's storehouse of "the fire." I.e., "reserved in heaven..." for that day.

"Over;" epi, No. 909. The area of the fall covers a third of the earth's water supply. Or, is it a third of the Land's water supply? Or a third of the targeted area of the star's destination?

"Rivers, the third of." An unspecified portion of the earth's rivers is affected. See Isaiah 30:25, reference the "great slaughter."

"Fountains;" peegee, No. 4077. The wells or springs that supply water from within the earth.

11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood, and the third was made into wormwood; and many of mankind died from the waters because they were made bitter.

In order to connect this prophecy to reality, allusion is made to an Old Testament basis: the bitterness of the injustice that was always the lot of the righteous individual since the world was first established under the hands of disobedient Adam. It is good, and just and right that, at the end, all evil-doers and disobedient should be judged in return, returning the taste of bitterness to them.

See Deuteronomy 29:18; Jeremiah 9:15; 23:15; Amos 5:7.

"Name;" onoma, No. 3686. The appellation, or given name.

"Wormwood;" Apsinthos in Greek; Laanah in Hebrew. Absinthe. The wormwood plant is the artemisia. Whether a star of this name (N. T. example: Diana; named for Artemis, "which fell down from Jupiter," Acts 19:35) is known to astronomers has not been verified by the author. The waters supplying this "third" of the earth/Land are contaminated by the detritus falling from the star, Wormwood.

"Bitter;" pikraino, No. 4087. The taste of wormwood, which is artemisia, is an exceptionally bitter taste, and poisonous. See Footnote 1.

"Men, many of." Many people in the area of the star fall who drink out of the "bitter" waters are poisoned.

"Died;" apothneesko, No. 599. They, like the sea life of verse nine, become dead. About four days without potable water is the limit for human life.

12 And the fourth angel sounded his trumpet; and the third of the sun was smitten and the third of the moon and the third of the stars, so that the third part of them should be darkened and the day should not shine the third of it, and the night likewise.

A fourth power of the army of the LORD "in the heavenlies in Christ" advances the war against evil doers. Thirty percent of the heavens is obscured at the sounding of the fourth angel's jubilee blast. The third part of the heavens - in the direction of the sun when the moon is (or ought to be) visible, with the surrounding stars of the zodiac - is darkened by a disturbance in the heavens; which, seen upon the earth, will cause "great distress upon the earth," with "distress, nations in perplexity, resounding and shaking movement of the seas, men's hearts failing them from fear and expectation of that which is coming upon the habitable, for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken," Luke 21:23,25-26.

"Smitten;" pleesso, No. 4140. Related to pleegee, No. 4127. This third of the sun, moon and stars is "struck," i.e., stricken by the "darkness". The third of a day or night is 4 hours each.

"Darkened;" skotizomai, No. 4654. To be in the dark; not visible to earth during the great and dreadful hours of gloom, at dawn and at sunset. Darkness prevails, like the darkness during an eclipse of the sun.

"Day should not shine." No sunlight, no moonlight, no starlight shines through the darkness of "the plague." The gloom of a darkness prevails at the early day.

"Night." Nor is the night discernible in its regularly expected time because the evening hour is likewise obscured. The other regular daylight hours apparently are not visibly gloomy. The gloom of a darkness prevails between the evenings.

13 And I saw and heard one angel flying in the middle-heaven, saying with a great sound, Woe, woe, woe to the dwellers upon the earth from the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are coming to sound trumpets.

John now sees and hears the angel proclaiming more destruction in three woes yet to come upon the earth.

"Saw and heard." John is visually and audibly made aware of the consequence of the heavenly disturbance announced by the first trumpet's sounding.

"Flying in the midheaven." This is the one verse by which some infer that the universe is divided into natural sections; and use it to support belief of a "third heaven." These partitions are:

1. the earth's skies, which is its gaseous atmosphere supporting human life;
2. the outer space of planetary travel; cold and unsupportive of human life;
3. the highest portion of heaven; in which a particular place holds the throne of the LORD, where undying and incorruptible creatures inhabit by the grace of GOD.

Obviously now the orbital course of the earth has been invaded by the shaking "mighty wind," 6:13, which is not permitted to repel the star's attraction; and which allows the fall of the "stars," and the fall of a "great star" toward the earth.

The end for the promise of this vengeance will be sweet for Israel, but during the interim time it is a very bitter experience to the inhabitants of the earth, in the period while the little (time) remains for repentance.

"Saying... woe, woe, woe." Loudly proclaiming, the angel announces the next calamities that are about to befall the earth's inhabitants. The coming woes will directly affect the lives of the people with woes in addition to the distresses under which they find themselves pressed.

"Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! To what end is it for you?

The day of the LORD is darkness, and not light -- as if a man did flee from a lion and a bear met him; or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him.

Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness and not light? Even very dark and no brightness in it?

- Amos 5:18-20

But the Lord knows how to save his people out of trouble, and so he continues to work on their behalf during the coming day...

Chapter Nine will detail the catastrophic effect of the first woe which is soon to be initiated by the fifth trumpeting angel, and which concludes with the command to release the four angels who have been bound above the great river Euphrates.

With the sealing of the tribes of Israel completed, 7:1, the punishment scheduled for the demon/devil worshippers and for the idol worshippers in the Babylonish lands is executed.

Although the last "little horn" ruler of the Land is contemptuous of the heavenly activity, he nevertheless shall come to his end "without a sign" in his last battle against the forces of Michael, the angel who stands for Israel, and against the powers of Abaddon, the Destroying Angel.

Two hundred thousand thousands... (Who will number the dead?) will die by the three onslaughts of the 'horses' of the LORD's armies of cavalry from the heavens... The Lord, with the help of the heavenly powers of Yahweh T'savaoth, rides on in his command to another great victory!

Footnote 1.

• PIKRAINO, having an exceedingly bitter taste.
• PICRIC ACID: A yellow, crystalline bitter compound, used in certain explosives.
• PICRATE: a salt of picric acid, exploding when heated or struck.
• PICRITE: a variety of peridotite containing some magnetite or ilmenite, biotite and brown hornblende. Picrite is an igneous rock; formed from great heat; fire molten.
1. PERIDOTITE: a yellow green chrysolite.
• PICROTOXIN: a bitter, very poisonous crystalline compound, used in medicine as a respiratory stimulant.
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NOTE on ... The Rapture - 1

The problem of the troubled thinking lies in their confusion about the order of things as events happen in the "last days." The confusion is fed by certain doctrines which are not upheld by the Holy Scriptures; the primary one being "replacement theology," (which is also called the doctrine of "supersession") - an anti-Semitic doctrine inherited from "the Church."

Is "the body" of Jesus Christ a house which excludes any race, any sex, or any ethnic person who believes the truth of the gospel of the kingdom of God? Of course not! The doctrine, therefore, which teaches that "the Church" has replaced "the kingdom of Israel" is a bald-faced lie proclaimed by the false teachers within the Christian religion.

True Christianity is not a "house of the Lord" separated from the called and faithful men of all the Old Testament writings. True Christians are a group of people called out of the nations in order to inherit the promises of God along with the faithful men of ancient Bible times. True Christians attain their place in the coming kingdom by adoption into the "house of the Lord," who is the cornerstone and building block which the apostate Jews rejected. But because these Jews rejected the cornerstone of the building, it does not therefore follow that "the adoption of sons" by God, the Father, was thereby made void! The elect who are called out of Jewry will be joined together with the elect who are called out of the nations. They both will be made into one new "house," according to Old Testament prophecy.

Apostate Christianity has much to answer for. Unfortunately, the Protestant Christian is not very well aware of the few evil doctrines which he has inherited from unscriptural, and pagan sources.

The wrath of God, as described in the prophecy of the Lord's coming, is composed of seven outbursts of His anger. His anger itself is the repayment of vengeance against specific acts of rebellion in defiance of His commandments. This repayment of vengeance has been delegated to the Son in order for him to complete the work which the Father sent him to do on this earth, per Isaiah 61:2b-6.

The question 'Upon whom will the wrath of God fall?' may easily be answered by an examination of the texts listed under wrath; No. 3707. The wrath falls upon "this people" Israel and upon all men who remain in rebellion against God at the Lord's second coming, Luke 21:23 and Romans 1:18; 2:5-11. "God has not appointed us" - the elect - "to wrath," 1 Thessalonians 5:9. These things may be easily ascertained by anyone who opens his Bible, reads and understands what he reads concerning the texts listed under wrath.

As to the time period in which "the rapture" may occur, the same person is urged to seek out the answers for himself, for it does no good to merely accept what another says about things - if those things are not accurately stated and true to the Word of God.

NOTE on ... The Victory

Jesus is "the captain (arkeegos, No. 747) of their salvation," Hebrews 2:10; he "became the author (aitios, No. 159; lit., the asker) of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him," Hebrews 5:9.

A captain is a field commander of his master's army. In Jesus' case he is the chief who is in charge of training recruits and volunteers, supplying their daily needs, etc. Not many men successfully train under his command; the Lord was popularly known as "a hard man" to follow, Matthew 25:24; Luke 19:21-22.

Further on in the Letter to the Hebrews, it says, "Jesus, the author (arkeegos, No. 747) and finisher of our salvation," 12:2. In Acts 3:15 and 5:31, the word prince is also arkeegos, No. 747, thus: "the author of life" and "an author and a savior in order to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins." As the captain of the redeemed, Jesus is pictured in Revelation 19:11-16.

Peter had a problem after his baptism; his mind was not fully converted to the thinking of the "mind of Christ" until the very day of the Lord's trial and execution. And Judas, of course, never was converted to "safety" following his baptism into the Name of God. Both had theoretically accepted Jesus as Israel's Savior, but neither had fully recognized the practical things which "salvation" entailed for himself to do.

The complete victory does not come until all the work is done with and the celebration of the victory is at hand. Until that happy event is fully done, the victory is precarious, subject to continued going awry. In Christ one's life in the flesh is subject to the Master; thus the proclaimed salvation remains subject to the will of God during the individual's remaining mortal lifetime. Redemption of the body is only complete when the body is made immortal and incorruptible in the being caught away to God and into the light of his glory.

Death is the great enemy of the flesh. The serpent, in Eden, brought about the deaths of the man and his wife by seducing their thinking to the serpent's mind. It persuaded them to disobey the expressed word of the LORD. The apostle Paul associated the nation's final victory with the triumph over death. See Matthew 24:22, "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened." Israel's help will come from God. The same doctrine is found in Isaiah and Hosea, the prophets of the LORD from whom Paul quotes in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 in his profound joy in the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the theme of Revelation 12, Hosea reports the words of the Holy Spirit, concerning Israel: "The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him. He is an unwise son; but he should not stay long in the breaking forth of children. I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death." "O death! I will be your plagues. O grave! I will be your destruction." The Death and the Grave, which go forth in the fourth seal of Revelation 6, will lose their power to kill with the sword, with hunger, with death and with the beasts of the earth during Christ's millennial reign in the kingdom of God on earth.