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#1492 0220 11P The prophet was told to Daniel 12:4 ”Close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end”—to the Gospel Age. Both the Old and New Testament give a clear understanding of End Time prophecy. Isaiah 13:6-8 ”Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man’s heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them.” Old Testament prophecies testified to the first coming of Christ, omitted the Gospel Age, and went right to the Tribulation. Separating the prophecies that were fulfilled at the First Advent of Christ, from those concerning His Second Coming, help us understand Scripture. Isaiah 13:9-11 ”See, the day of the LORD is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.”
Jesus stopped at “the acceptable year of the Lord,” because the next clause describes the Tribulation. Jesus read from the scroll Isaiah 61:2 ”To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.” Between those two phrases, over 2,000 years have passed. ”All that mourn” have not been comforted, but they will be during the Millennial reign of Christ on earth. Revelation can be divided into four parts; Part One is Jesus looking into the spiritual condition of the churches. The seven golden lampstands represent seven churches in Asia, and the seven stars are seven ministers of those seven churches. Part Two consists of heart-searching letters Jesus sent to the seven churches. Those letters contain marvelous principles of truth that are the foundation of true faith in God. No matter how outwardly religious a person may be, or how seemingly moral they may live, no one will enter Heaven unless they overcome in the faith, and hold true to their trust on God. Satan is constantly tempting God’s people to draw them away from real faith; but we are clearly warned of the choice everyone has Revelation 2:10 “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” That principle of trust on God is what Jesus meant when He said Luke 14:26, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate” [or is not willing to give up anything, anyone, or even their own life, when the choice is between Him and the world], “he cannot be my disciple.” That same high standard of Christianity is part of these letters to the seven churches. Part Three gives us a glimpse into Heaven, which brings us to the Gospel Age—and going from the last letter to the Laodiceans, to the start of the Tribulation. Things take place in Heaven as preparations are made for the Tribulation—which begins at the end of the Gospel Age—just before divine judgments start. Mark 13:8 "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.” Part Four would be supernatural judgments—Revelation 8:7 ”The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.” We cannot imagine how serious the wrath of God really is! There will be run-away inflation concerning food, clothing, and other necessities we now take for granted. There is a second trumpet Revelation 8:8 when “a great mountain of fire was thrown into the sea. And one-third of the water in the sea became blood.” Following this Revelation 8:10 ”The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great flaming star fell out of the sky, burning like a torch. It fell upon one-third of the rivers and on the springs of water.” This plague destroys much fresh drinking water needed for life. It is like the wilderness journey of Israel Exodus 15:23 ”When they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter.” Horrible other plagues bring worldwide darkness and terrible sores on people, as an angel proclaims in a loud voice Revelation 8:13 "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" Another trumpet brings locusts like scorpions Revelation 9:5-6 ”Their mission was not to kill, but to cause awful agony for five months; and this agony was like that which a scorpion inflicts when it stings a man. And at that time people will seek death, but will by no possibility find it, and will long to die, but death evades them.” The reason for these horrible plagues is divine judgment for all the murders, killing people in wars, and all the shedding of blood upon the earth. It is punishment for all those wicked acts of human beings over the centuries. The sun will scorch people—causing blisters and horrible suffering. Jesus said to the church of Philadelphia Revelation 3:10 ”Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.” We are given similar tests thru life, and only true believers who remain in the will of God escape the Tribulation. God wants tried and true people, so He permits a test to prove if we are sincere in our faith. Every temptation is a test, and everything that happens is to see how we are going to meet it—whether in the Lord’s way, or the world’s way. Things people say to us, and everything that happens to us, are to prove whether we will be faithful to God, and whether we love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. If we love God, we will not disobey His Word—no matter what the trial. Jesus said Luke 21:36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." We must be careful that we do not get too absorbed, or more interested in things of this life, than we are about our eternal life. We should ask how we would meet some of the persecutions Bible believers met, and if we would be able to respond as they did. Adam and Eve lived humbly before God—it was a life of simplicity and faith. We cannot allow home furnishings, material things, and other interests distract us from obedience to God and His Word—not one thing can be allowed to come between us and God. Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob lived in tents, but they were sincere in trusting God. It is incredible how far the Christian church has drifted from true faith in God. Bible believers were willing to go through anything—trusting God no matter what took place. Anything that came between them and God was given up, thrown away, and forsaken—whether it was houses, lands, money, or anything else. The Mark of the Beast will be a supreme test that must be met scripturally—refusing to accept this mark no matter what the penalty. To give in and join this unscriptural union results in eternal suffering. Revelation 14:11 "The smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name." The three Hebrews were tested on a smaller scale—either bow and worship a graven image, or be cast into the flames of a raging furnace. Only their physical life would be destroyed, but it was the same principle involved. They held to their faith and were thrown into the fire, but God protected them by a divine miracle. The world has a million alternate plans today that would have us disobey God. True believers are tested like this continually. If we agree to and accept unscriptural plans of protection—whether it be financial, physical, or any other way, it is accepting one of Satan’s substitutes which will draw us away from a position of faith in God. Joining a labor union is a worldly way of trying to get what the human heart wants—better conditions, higher pay, job security, and retirement benefits—all at the cost of rejecting our faith in God to provide all those things for us. Agreeing to, or being responsible for, any type of insurance is the same principle involved. Every type of insurance is against the will of God and a triple sin. The world wants us to be worried about the future, but God says Matthew 6:34 ”Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” All insurance is taking thought for tomorrow and beyond. 1 Timothy 6:17 ”Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.” The third part would be that insurance is a gamble—as any other type of betting. You put up a certain amount to the insurance company, and they pay you nothing if you live; but they pay your family if you die. It is a horrible gamble—taking a chance on our life. If we truly believe that God will protect, provide, and keep us in good health to the end of our lives, there would be no need for any type of insurance. All these worldly plans today, are just tests to see if we will be loyal to God or not. They will prove whether we are what we profess to be—really believing, trusting, and serving the living God, or not! All these various tests must be met in a scriptural way—by the Holy Spirit’s help. Luke 21:36 "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."
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