Rapture Ready Series – Part 7

RECAP

Let’s recap what we know so far.

  1. There will be 7 empires that will rule over Israel  (Dan.2:27-44).
  2. Those that are Past – The Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian,
    Roman Empires. The 6 Empires.
  3. Those that are still to come – the 7th Empire – Revised Roman Empire – 10 Heads of State and Mystery Babylon without the Anti-Christ.
    The 8th Empire – the Anti-Christ and the 10 Heads of State who have now been made kings.
  4. Dan.10:5-21 – Each one of these empires has been under the influence of a satanic angel – the prince of Egypt, the prince of Assyria, the prince of Babylon, the prince of Persia, the prince of Greece, the prince of Rome.
  5. Each one of these princes, these satanic angels was under the dominion of Satan.
  6. In the same way the 7th and 8th Empires will be under the influence of a satanic angel. This satanic angel is known as ‘the beast from the bottomless pit’.
  7. Each one of these empires was held captive by a religious, intoxicating ideology – a worship of one or more false gods. Gods whom the people would pray to for all sorts of things.
  8. The point of ALL religions or intoxicating ideologies is that every human being who believes in these false gods is not going to trust and believe in the ONLY God who can actually help them. A God who has created them and actually knows them, their thoughts, their capabilities, their needs…the ONLY God who actually loves them and wants them to know Him personally. Satan does not want God to get their worship. He does not want them to be rescued from the lake of fire. He hates them and wants to see them destroyed. So he creates these intoxicating ideologies because he knows that he can deceive them with these false beliefs. It all looks good and sounds good…seemingly wise and even…holy…but each one of these false beliefs is keeping them from the ONLY one who can save them and the end thereof is destruction…which is exactly what Satan wants.

Understanding the Beast

  1. Rev. 13:1-8 – The Anti-Christ is referred to as the ‘beast out of the sea’.
  2. The satanic angel is called ‘the beast from the bottomless pit’ (Rev. 17:1-8)
  3. Rev. 13: 11-18 – The False Prophet is called, ‘the beast from the earth’.

These three are different REPRESENTATIONS of the Beast

  1. ‘The Beast’ really represents Satan, who has been behind ALL the satanic angels who ruled over the 6 empires that have already been.
  2. Satan is behind the ‘Beast’ out of the abyss / bottomless pit – the satanic angel who will have the power of influence over the 10 Heads of State (kings) and who will have the power of influence over the Anti-Christ. (The 7th and 8th empires still to come).This same angel from the bottomless pit will have the power of influence over Mystery Babylon.
  3. Satan is the one behind Mystery Babylon – basically, every false religion. He will do anything to stop people from finding out that they have been redeemed from certain destruction and that God the Father is calling them to come into His family (so that He can save them from destruction).
  4. The Beast from the Earth – the False Prophet – last 3 1⁄2 years
    Rev. 13:11-18Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb (a lamb like appearance in order to deceive) and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast (the Anti-Christ) in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed.
    He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast that was wounded by the sword and lived.
    He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
    He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
    Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it the number of a man; his number is 666.
  5. Satan is behind the False Prophet and empowers him to make the Anti-Christ look amazing.
  6. Satan is behind all deception.

Summary - At the end of the first 3 1⁄2 years:

Those who are in heaven:

Before the start of the Tribulation:

  • Those that were resurrected when Jesus was resurrected (Matt.27:51-53).
  • Those who were the Faithful Church were raptured (The true believers).

During the Tribulation:

  • All who have repented and truly surrendered their lives and who have been killed during the calamities caused by the opening of the 7 seals or the 7 trumpet judgments will be in heaven (Absent from the body, present with the Lord).
  • Those that had been martyred by Mystery Babylon and the 10 kings for preaching the word in the first 3 1⁄2 years of the tribulation.
  • The two witnesses. Between the end of the first 3 1⁄2 years and at the beginning of the second 3 1⁄2 years, as the Antichrist becomes the leader of the 8th Empire, he has them killed and breaks his covenant with Israel.
  • The 144000 ‘first fruits’ Jewish believers who had been saved in the Tribulation. They had never been married, were virgins and who were found without fault before the throne (Rev. 7:3-8 / Rev. 14:1 / Rev. 14:3-5).
  • All of the above will appear at the Judgment seat of Christ and are waiting for the last of the tribulations saints to arrive in heaven so that they can all attend the marriage feast of the Lamb together.
  • The first resurrection are ALL those that have died in Christ.

All unbelievers who have died:

  • All unbelievers who have died before the rapture and during the tribulation will be kept in Hades until the Second resurrection which is just before the white throne judgment.

The events surrounding the arising of the Anti-Christ:

  • The Anti-Christ, the ruler of another state, has defeated 3 of the 10 Heads of State who make up the 7th Empire which means he now rules over 3 of the nations in the coalition that is the 7th Empire.
  • He rises to the top of the 7th Empire, the other 7 Heads of State give their power to him which makes him the ruler over all of them. He makes all 10 of them kings over their nations. Kings who are subject to him.
  • Between them they destroy Mystery Babylon, the false religion of the day…after all the Anti-Christ is God, living in their midst so all other faiths, religions are null and void.
  • The False Prophet is adding credibility to the Anti-Christ’s claim that he is God by performing signs and wonders in his presence.

The Anti-Christ and the Jews.

Daniel 12: 11 – And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination
of desolation is set up, there shall be 1290 days (3 1⁄2 years and one month).

The persecution of the Jews is about to begin.

Rev. 12:16 -17 – The persecution of the Jews by the Anti-Christ but inspired by Satan is about to begin. However, God has prepared a place for Israel where she will be protected for 1260 days (3 1⁄2 years).

The Great Tribulation is about to begin.

Mark 13:14-20 – So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let the reader understand), ‘then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter. For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

The woman and the male Child and the Dragon.

Rev. 12:1-16 – Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. (Gen. 37:9-10 Remember Joseph’s dream about his parents who birthed the 12 tribes of Israel).
Then being with child, she cried out in labour and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great fiery dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads (this persecution is coming during the reign of the Anti-Christ) His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth (the actions of Lucifer caused the angels to fall). And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born. She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne. Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God that they should feed her there 1260 days (3 1⁄2 years).

(This cannot be Mary and Jesus. Jesus has been on the throne in heaven for 1991 years and clearly Mary is not alive on the earth during the tribulation.)

The woman represents Israel and the male Child are the first fruits of Israel that are born again during the Tribulation. The 144000 Jews. The devil or dragon is seeking to destroy them but God has sealed them and they have been protected during the 7 trumpet judgments. They are caught up (raptured) by God to His throne and are seen in heaven in Rev.14 with the Lamb on Mount Zion. Together with the saints (all who were part of the first resurrection) they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him for a thousand years.

Rev. 14:1-5 – These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being first-fruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne.

The final War in the heavenlies

Rev. 12:7-9 – And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon: and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him.

Michael, the Prince of Israel and his angels fought with the dragon and his angels and defeated them and they were cast out of heaven (not the presence of God but the 2nd heaven, the space between earth’s atmosphere and the third heaven where God dwells), down to earth.

So now, in the Great Tribulation, the dragon and his evil angels are on the earth. He persecutes Israel (the Jews who have not recognized their Messiah as yet) but God protects them and Israel is safe in the wilderness.

The dragon is enraged and goes off to make war with the rest of her offspring, the Jews who have been born again and are still on the earth.

Rev. 12:13-17 – Now when the dragon (Satan) saw that he had been cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman (Israel) who gave birth to the male Child (the144000). But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where is she is nourished for a time and times and half a time (the last 3 1⁄2 years), from the presence of the serpent (who is now on the earth) And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

  • The Anti-Christ breaks the 7 year covenant with Israel.
  • Daily sacrifices are stopped and the Jews are kicked out of the temple.
  • The two witnesses are killed. They are resurrected after 3 days and are in heaven.
  • The 7th angel blows the 7th trumpet
  • The final war in heaven. Michael and his angels defeat the devil and his angels and
    they are cast down from the second heaven to the earth. Surely part of the third woe.
  • The Abomination of desolation happens as the Anti-Christ enters the Temple
    revealing himself as God.
  • The persecution of Israel by the Anti-Christ has begun.

Let’s think for a moment…who is left on the earth at the end of the first 3 1⁄2 years?

  • The devil and his angels.
  • All unbelievers.
  • Believers (including Jews) who are still alive.
  • The Anti-Christ, the 10 kings and the False Prophet.
  • Mystery Babylon.
  • Israel (those that haven’t recognized the Messiah yet) who are in a safe place.

The Great Tribulation

The Warning Proclamations of the Three Angel Messengers.

Rev. 14:6-11 – Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue and people, saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’
And another angel followed, saying, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’
Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, ‘If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And 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 warnings have gone out to all the world.

Encouragement follows for all believers still on the earth, who are about to experience extreme persecution, who will refuse to take the mark.

Rev. 14:12-13 – Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ’Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes, says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labours, and their works follow them.’

This refers to a special blessing to the martyrs of the Great Tribulation, the ones who refuse to take the mark of the beast. These believers will be the last harvest of the earth to be raptured by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The False Prophet coerces the world to create an image of the beast, which they do, and the False Prophet is given power to give breath to the image of the beast and that the image can speak. He causes those who will not worship the beast to be killed. He causes all to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads. No one will be able to buy or sell without it.

Reaping the Earth’s Last harvest

Rev. 14:14-16 – Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple crying, with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’ So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Rev. 7:9-17 – After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb!’ All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honour and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen.’
Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where are they from?’ And I said to him, Sir, you know.’
So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore, the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’

Reaping the grapes of wrath.

Rev. 14:17-20 – Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.’ So the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for 1600 furlongs.

These two ‘reapings’ are God once more separating the wheat from the tares. The ripe harvest of wheat are reaped to go into the presence of God to receive the blessings of God. The ripe harvest of tares are being reaped to fully experience the wrath of God.

Prelude to the Bowl of judgments.

Rev. 15:1-8 – Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them, the wrath of God is complete. And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.

They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: ‘Great and marvellous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested.’

After these things I looked, and behold, ‘the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands. Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels, seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever. The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Understanding the mark of the beast.

The False Prophet causes men on earth to worship the Anti-Christ.

He has a giant image made of the Anti-Christ and through Satan gives ‘life’ to this statue / Image. It can both speak and demand the death penalty for all who will not worship the Anti- Christ.

He will cause men under the rulership of the Anti-Christ to take a mark, or the name of the Anti-Christ, or the number of his name in the right hand or in the forehead.

No one will be able to buy or sell without this mark.

It is important to know, the False Prophet only arises just before the second 3 1⁄2 years of the Great Tribulation. This is long after the rapture, therefore if the rapture has not happened, then the mark of the beast is not and cannot be a present threat. It is only a threat in the Great Tribulation to those who are under the rulership of the Anti-Christ.

Not every country will be under his dominion, nor be a part of the 8th Empire.

Dan. 11:36-45 – Towards the end of the first 3 1⁄2 years, the Anti-Christ will make his bid to conquer countries around him. In V40 it says that king of the south will attack him and the Anti-Christ will come against him like a whirlwind.
V41 He will enter the countries and overwhelm them. He will enter the Glorious Land (Israel) and many countries shall be overthrown. But these SHALL ESCAPE: Edom, Moab, the prominent people of Ammon.
V42 Egypt won’t escape. V43 Libya and Ethiopia will follow him.

All of this is him establishing himself as a ruler to be feared and revered before he is part of the 7th Empire. When he overcomes three of the ‘kings’ of the 7th Empire, he officially rules, by default, over part of the 7th Empire, making him part of the ‘coalition’.

When the kingdoms of Israel and Judah controlled the land of Canaan, the kingdoms of Ammon, Moab and Edom ruled east of the Jordan River.

The Ammonites – In Gen. 19:31-38 we see that Lot’s 2 daughters plotted to lay with their father because there were no men on the earth to come into them according to the custom of the earth, so they made him drunk for 2 nights in a row and lay with him. Lot of course is Abraham’s nephew.

Today it is partly Jordan and partly Syria. The capital city of Jordan is Amman.

The Moabites are the descendants of Moab, the son of Lot and his eldest daughter (Gen. 19:37). Today Moab is west-central Jordan.

The Edomites are the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin and Isaac’s oldest son (Gen. 36).

Their capital was Petra. Today Edom is southwestern Jordan.

Is. 16:1-5 – Send the lamb (Jesus) to the ruler of the land from Sela (Petra – the ancient capital of Edom) to the wilderness, to the mount of the daughter of Zion (the place prepared by God).
V2 For it (Israel) shall be as a wandering bird thrown out of the nest; so shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of Arnon (they will be like a nest – a place of safety)
V3 Take counsel, execute judgment; Make your shadow like the night in the middle of the day; hide the outcasts, do not betray him who escapes.
V4 Let My outcasts dwell with you, O Moab; be a shelter to them from the land of the spoiler. For the extortioner is at an end, devastation ceases, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.
V5 In mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.

Is. 26:20-21 – Come My people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past.
V21 For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood (Gen.4:10 – And He said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to Me from the ground), and will no more cover her slain.

Is.63:1-5 – Who is this who comes from Edom (where the Israel is protected), with dyed garments from Bozrah, this One who is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength?

And the answer comes…
‘I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.’
V2 Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?
And the answer comes…
V3 I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; (Rev. 14:19-20 So the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for 1600 furlongs). Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes. (Rev. 19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God)
V4 For the day of vengeance is in MY heart, and the year of My redeemed has come.
V5 I looked, but there was no one to help, and I wondered that there was no one to uphold; therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; and in My fury, it sustained Me.
V6 I have trodden the peoples in My anger, made them drunk in My fury, and brought down their strength to the earth.

At the end of the 7 years, Jesus will be coming to fetch Israel from the place that God prepared to protect her.

But for now…every believer has been reaped.

Judgment has come…and those who are left on the earth will have to endure the wrath of God in its completeness. There is no escape. There is no reprieve. There is no longer an opportunity for repentance.

The seven bowl judgments are on their way…the seven bowls that are FULL of the wrath of God.

Surely… ’woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants on earth’.

The Bowl judgments – The Wrath of God.

Punishing those who worship the beast and his image.

The First Bowl

Rev.16:2 – So the first angel went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

The Second Bowl

V3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.

The Third Bowl

V4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood.

The Fourth Bowl

V8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire.
V9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; ad they did not repent and give Him glory.

The Fifth Bowl

V10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

The Sixth Bowl

V12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the River Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the East might be prepared.
V13 And I saw three unclean frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
V14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
V15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.
V16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

The Seventh Bowl

V17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’
V18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not yet occurred since men were on the earth
V19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.
V20 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed because of the plague of the hail. Since the plague was exceedingly great.

The Bowl judgments – The Wrath of God.

Punishing those who worship the beast and his image.