All the events that occur during this final "Day of the Lord," which consists
of a time frame of 1335 days, are too much to cover in a small booklet. I would like
to point out a few of the most common events which are frequently ascribed to various
events in past ages, and these lose any meaning for these events are soon to impact this
old world.
2 Thess. 2:1-10 Revised English Bible -- Now about the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, when he is to gather us to himself: I beg you, my
friends, do not suddenly lose your heads, do not be alarmed by any prophetic utterance,
any pronouncement, or any letter purporting to come from us, alleging that the day of the
Lord is already here.
Let no one deceive you in any way.
That day cannot come before the final rebellion against God, when wickedness will be
revealed in human form, the man doomed to destruction. He is the adversary who
raises himself up against every so called god or object of worship, and even enthrones
himself in God's temple claiming to be God...
You know, too, about the restraining
power which ensures that he will be revealed only at his appointed time; for already
the secret forces of wickedness are at work, secret only for the present until the
restraining hand is removed from the scene. Then he will be revealed, the wicked one
whom the Lord Jesus will destroy by the breath of his mouth and annihilate by the radiance
of his presence.
The coming of the wicked one is the work
of Satan, it will be attended by all the powerful signs and miracles that falsehood can
devise.
From this passage we can see that the "Day of the Lord" cannot begin until
this wickedness revealed in human form -- Satan personified as a man, is
revealed. "You know, too, about the restraining power which ensures that he
will be revealed only at the appointed time." This restraining power of Christ,
who continually restricts the activities of Satan on this earth, is represented in the
symbols that God gave to the Israelites at Sinai by the daily evening-morning sacrifices.
Num. 28:1-4 -- Give this command to the Israelites and say
to them... This is the offering made by fire that you are to present to the Lord:
Two lambs a year old without defect, as a regular burnt offering each day. Prepare
one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight.
These evening and morning sacrifices were called the daily. They were also called
the continual or the evening-morning. These earthly sacrifices symbolized the
restraining hand of God on the earthly activities of Satan. Therefore this
restraining hand will be removed when this service in heaven is ended.
Dan. 8:12 -- Because of rebellion, the host of the saints,
and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it
did, and truth was thrown to the ground.
This is the time that this evil one will be revealed in person --
Satan personified as a man. His restrictions are removed within the bounds that God
will allow. "It prospered in everything it did." That's because
turning the daily over to him gives him his authority to rule the earth for his limit of
three and a half years.
Dan. 8:12 Berkeley -- It was granted power in opposition
to the daily sacrifice; it cast truth to earth and whatever it did succeeded.
From this we can see that the daily sacrifice was representing the restraining hand of
God. When the daily sacrifice was turned over to him, that restraining hand was
withdrawn.
How are we to know when this heavenly transaction takes place so we can look for him to
be revealed? This transfer is represented symbolically, but is associated with
physical signs so we can know that this has happened.
Rev. 8:3-5 -- Another angel who had a golden censer, came
and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of the
saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together
with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.
Then the angel took the censer, filled it
with fire from the altar, and hurled it onto the earth. And there came peals of
thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
This is showing, symbolically, that the daily is being turned over to this lawless one.
These thunders, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake must be on a
world-wide basis because it is a signal for the entire earth to reorganize.
The great "Day of the Lord" can't begin until this ‘wickedness revealed
in human form,’ is revealed. Now that God's restraining hand has been removed,
he will be allowed to reveal himself and begin his reign on this earth. This signal
thus sets the clock ticking on this 1335 day time frame that constitutes the "Day of
the Lord."
We know the reign of the Antichrist ends at the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet.
Since his reign is to last for 1260 days -- all the other events announced by
this Seventh Trumpet must begin at the 1260 day time period as well.
Rev. 11:15 -- The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and
there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become
the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever."
It is obvious that, if Christ's reign begins with the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet,
then the Antichrist reign ends. This world has now been placed under new management.
With the sounding of this trumpet the 24 elders before the throne make their
statement.
Vss. 17,18 -- We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
the one who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to
reign. The nations were angry and your wrath has come.
This signals the coming of the wrath of God -- the Seven Last Plagues.
The wrath of God is not completed until these plagues have been poured out.
Rev. 15:1 -- I saw in heaven another great and marvelous
sign: Seven angels with the seven last plagues -- last, because with them God's
wrath is completed.
Christ's Coming is associated with the catastrophic events of the seventh and last
plague. This has to be day 1335; which allots 75 days to the time frame for the
Seven Last Plagues. We get this 1335 number as the total number in this time
envelope from the prophecy by Daniel:
Dan. 12:11 -- From the time that the daily sacrifice is
abolished (censer hurled onto the earth) and the abomination that causes
desolation is set up, (the order to kill all who refuse to worship the image to the
beast -- see Rev.13:14,15) there will be 1290 days. Blessed is the one
who waits for and reaches the end of the 1335 days.
The one that waits for and reaches the end of the 1335 days is blessed because
he has lived through the three and a half years of the Great Tribulation and the following
seventy-five days of the Seven Last Plagues. All the wicked and those who do evil
have been eliminated during this time period which also includes those who are killed by
the brightness of His Coming.
Note that in the passage by Daniel 12:11 above, that the beginning and the ending of
this time frame is given. When the "daily sacrifice is abolished" is day
–0– and "the end of the 1335 days" brings this time envelope to a
close.
I have had several of my good Christian friends tell me that they see no real benefit
in studying this timing of end time events because we know we cannot determine the time of
Christ's Coming and that the study only sets us up for another disappointment. Just
how important is it for us to be aware of when these various events take place, or is it
of any benefit? Why were these various events and their timing so carefully and
precisely explained if it wasn't important to know the when and the why of their
happening?
Remember in our study where the angel at the golden altar hurls his censer onto the
earth as a signal for this beginning of the Antichrist's reign -- the Great
Tribulation? It also signals the onset of the 1335 days of the Lord -- also
known as the "Time of The End." Immediately thereafter we have the first
of Satan's plagues introduced.
Rev. 8:6,7 -- Then the seven angels who had the seven
trumpets prepared to sound them. The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came
hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of
the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was
burned up.
This is the first of six great global catastrophes by Satan personified. Each
event is announced by an angel from heaven sounding his trumpet. When those events
occur on earth we will realize which trumpet announced it and where we stand in this time
frame. A great portion of earth's inhabitants will perish during this period.
Remember the great miraculous act the lamb-like beast (Satan personified) performs to
delude the world and convinces them that he is God.
Rev. 13:13,14 -- And he (lamb-like beast) performed
great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in
full view of men.
Because of the signs he was given power
to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth.
This happened at the onset of the Great Tribulation and I believe this represents the
great carnage and devastation as noted to follow the first trumpet. Wouldn't this
produce an instant belief in the earth's inhabitants that they were dealing with an angry
God? If we did not know this was scheduled to happen and how it is to take place,
wouldn't we likely be overcome by the delusion?
Notice the message left by the apparition of "Mary" to the Marian Movement of
priests on 9/15/87 at Akita, Japan, the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows:
"A chastisement worse than the flood is about to come upon this poor and perverted
humanity. Fire will descend from heaven and this will be the sign that the
justice of God has as of now fixed the hour of his great manifestation...
Even now that which I predicted at Fatima and that which I have revealed here in the third
message confided to a little daughter of mine is in the process of being
accomplished." (See my booklet "Image to the Beast.")
By understanding the events scheduled to take place during this 1335 day time frame we
can know for certain that any being on earth who claims to be God, at that time, can only
be an impostor -- no matter how convincing his credentials.
Those who may be bound to an unscriptural scenario will realize that their scenario is
wrong but they also will be the most vulnerable to be deceived by this master of
deception.
The Shepherd Struck,
the Sheep Scattered
Zech. 13:7-9 -- "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man that is close to me!" declares the Lord Almighty.
"Strike the shepherd, and the sheep
will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
In the whole land," declares the
Lord, "two-thirds will be struck down and perish; Yet one-third will be left in it.
This third I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them
like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, "They
are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’"
We know for certain that this shepherd that was struck was Christ, and the time it
occurred. Jesus quotes from this prophecy:
Matt. 26:31 NRSV -- Then Jesus said to them, "You
will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, ‘I will strike
the shepherd, and the flock will be scattered’...
Vs. 33 -- Peter said to him, "Though all become
deserters because of you, I will never desert you."
In the trial and abuse that Jesus was subjected to immediately thereafter it is
recorded that the shepherd was struck many times:
Matt. 27:28-30 -- They stripped him and put a scarlet robe
on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put
a staff in his hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of
the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on
the head again and again.
"And I will turn my hand against the little ones." What does a good
parent do when his little children rebel against him? He will turn his hand against
them -- he will punish them. "The little ones" is speaking of the
common people. The shepherds he will eliminate from the flock, and common people He
will bring into the fire and refine them like silver and test them like gold.
Rev. 11:1,2 -- I was given a reed like a measuring rod
and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the
worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has
been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.
The outer court is the only place the common Israelites could enter. The inner
court was where the priests functioned daily, but the inner most court the high priest
only and only once each year. When God turned His hand against the little ones, He
was speaking of those who would have access to this outer court. This is the
punishment that God was bringing on them -- the outer court has been given to the
Gentiles for 42 months during which time these little ones will be trampled and
brutalized:
Zech. 14:2 -- I will gather all the nations to Jeru-
salem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women
raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be
taken from the city.
When Jerusalem is surrounded by this One World Order Conglomerate in the near future --
two-thirds of the inhabitants in the land of Israel will be struck down and
perish. There are approximately six million Jews in the land of Israel at this time.
That would mean that four million will be struck down and perish. Two million
will be left in it. Fifty percent of the survivors, one million, will be sent as
exiles to all the ten nations of this evil conglomerate. The residual fifty percent
will remain in Jerusalem and undergo trampling, raping and brutalizing for three and a
half years. This is brought to an end at the Battle of Armageddon when Christ and
His army completely destroy these surrounding armies with their great general, the
lamb-like beast -- Satan personified as a man. The surviving remnant of
Israelites are set free following which those exiled in all those countries are collected
by God and brought back to the land of Israel.
Isaiah reveals how these little ones are brought into the fire and refined like
silver. They are humbled and see their need of a Savior and turn to God -- after
the last Gentile is called in. (Rom.11:25)
Isaiah 27:8,9 -- By warfare and exile you
contend with her -- with his fierce blast he drives her out, as on a day the east
wind blows.
By this, then, will Jacob's guilt be
atoned for, and this will be the full fruitage of the removal of his sin:
Now we need to see the setting for those exiled, at that time, to be gathered up.
Ezek. 34:11-13 NRSV -- For thus says the Lord God: "I
myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their
flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I
will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of
clouds and thick darkness.
I will bring them out from the peoples
and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land...
Vs. 23 -- I will set over them one shepherd, my
servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And
I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the
Lord, have spoken."
This prophecy by Ezekiel 600 years before Christ leaves no doubt that the gathering of
these exiles is an end-time event and intimately associated with the Second Coming of
Christ. It is on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
Zeph. 1:14,15 NRSV -- The great day of the Lord is
near and hastening fast, the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter, the warrior cries
aloud there.
That day will be a day of wrath, a day of
distress and anguish, a day of ruin and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day
of clouds and thick darkness...
Vss. 17,18 -- I will bring such distress upon people that
they shall walk like the blind: because they have sinned against the Lord, their blood
shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor
their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath. (The Lord's
wrath the Seven Last Plagues)
This should leave no doubt that these exiles are being gathered up by Christ himself at
the time of His Second Coming. In case any doubt remains, consider this prophecy by
Jeremiah:
Jer. 23:3,4 -- "I myself will gather the
remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will
bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number.
I will place shepherds over them who will
tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,"
declares the Lord.
After the most explicit detailed account of the Battle of Arma- geddon, at Christ's
Second Coming -- including the burial of all the astronomical number of bodies and
the great supper of God for all the birds and wild beasts to feast on their carcasses, we
have this passage to wind up the scene:
Ezek. 39:28,29 -- "Then they will know that I am the
Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather
them to their own land, not leaving any behind.
I will no longer hide my face from them, (they
will no longer be abandoned) for I will pour out my Spirit on the house of
Israel," declares the Lord.
No other return of the Israelites from previous exiles has ever come close to
fulfilling these requirements.
1) David being raised up for them to be their prince
2) Not one of them missing.
This in itself would require a very recent going into exile. In this exiling we
are informed it will be for three and a half years.
"Then they will know that I am the Lord their God." What a tragedy that
for the preceding 2000 years they have refused to believe that. But now is the time
for their abandonment to come to an end. Remember, this punishment is administered
by God.
Zeph. 3:11 -- On that day ("Day of The
Lord") you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me,
because I will remove from this city those who rejoice in their pride. Never
again will you be haughty on my holy hill. (Those 2/3 of the land who will be
struck down and perish)
But I will leave within you the
meek and humble, who trust in the Name of the Lord. The remnant of Israel will do no
wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. (These
are the l/3 that He will bring into the fire and refine them like silver. These are
the ones who undergo the punishment of the Lord for three and a half years. These
are the little ones that "I will turn my hand against.")
The Lord, often in the Scriptures, uses repetition and enlargement to fully explain
what one portrayal fails to fully cover. This keeps us on our toes to be certain to
study carefully the several portrayals in order to more clearly see the big picture that
He is presenting. By failing to study all the portrayals of the pregnancy of Zion in
the end-time, some come to the false conclusion that God permanently abandoned the
Israelites as a people because of their rejection of Him, and His crucifixion which they
masterminded. Note this portrayal by Micah:
Micah 5:1-3 -- Marshal your troops, O city of troops, for
a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel's ruler on the cheek with
a rod. (Christ at His trial and crucifixion)
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though
you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler
over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. (This to
identify the ruler spoken of in verse one.)
Therefore (For this
reason—the unspeakable crime of the crucifixion) Israel will be abandoned until
the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join
the Israelites.
Because of the crucifixion Israel was to be abandoned by God. What does the
"until" mean that uninterruptedly follows? It can only mean that following
what this "until" is speaking of -- Israel will no longer be abandoned.
She is to be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest
of his brothers return to join the Israelites. This labor which results in giving
birth to his (Israelites) brothers must not be speaking of literal Israelites because
"when they return to join the Israelites" wouldn't make sense if they were
already Israelites. The only other possibility would be if these are
brothers-in-Christ -- Gentile brothers-in-Christ. They have been away some
place and now return to join the Israelites.
These brothers are speaking of the 144,000 who have been raptured to heaven on day 1260
of this time frame of 1335 days of the Lord. They remain in heaven the next 75 days
while the Seven Last Plagues are being dispensed and then return with Christ on day 1335
at His glorious Second Coming. It is at this time that these ‘brothers’
return to join the Israelites -- the survivors in Jerusalem.
Rev. 17:12-14 -- The ten horns you saw are ten kings who
have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings with
the beast. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the
beast. They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because
he is Lord of lords, and King of kings -- and with him will be his called, chosen and
faithful followers.
Can you improve on this description of the 144,000 in four words? They have been
personally selected by Christ as the first fruits of His harvest, and they will follow Him
faithfully throughout eternity.
Now, let us study this same pregnancy as portrayed by Isaiah, a contemporary of Micah --
700 years prior to Christ.
Isaiah 66:7,8 -- Before she goes into labor she gives
birth; before the pains come upon her, she delivers a son. Who has ever heard
of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? (Obviously a one time
event)
Can a country be born in a day
or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than
she gives birth to her children (144,000).
Vss. 14-16 -- When you see this, your heart will rejoice
and you will flourish like grass; the hand of the Lord will be made known to his
servants, but his fury will be shown to his foes.
See, the Lord is coming with fire, and
his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke
with flames of fire.
For with fire and with his sword the Lord
will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the Lord.
From this portrayal we know this woman in labor is Zion -- representing God's
church in the end-time. She gives birth to a son -- her children
-- (the 144,000).
The hand of the Lord will be made known to His servants. This is very important
for them to know because they are a very important group who factor into the events during
the first 1260 days of this Day of The Lord. Before accepting their assignment they
will also know that their witnessing will be terminated by their martyrdom. A vivid
description of Christ's Second Coming is given as they will also be actively involved in
this event.
Now we consider the portrayal of this same pregnancy prophesied by John:
Rev. 12:1-6 -- A great and wondrous sign appeared in
heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve
stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give
birth.
Then another sign appeared in heaven: an
enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.
His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The
dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour
her child the moment it was born.
She gave birth to a son, a male child,
who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to
God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by
God, where she might be taken care of for 1260 days.
The Catholic Church claims that this pregnancy is that of Mary giving birth to
Jesus. Some Protestants hold that this is God's church giving birth to Jesus.
It should be clear from these portrayals that this pregnancy can't be speaking of the
birth of Christ. From the portrayal by Micah we know that the Israelites as a nation
were abandoned at the cross because of their participation in that unspeakable
crime. This abandonment was to continue until this pregnancy was completed and the
‘brothers’ produced by this pregnancy returned to join the Israelites.
The birth of these 144,000 faithful followers of Christ is when Christ personally
selects each one of them immediately before the four angels who hold back the winds of
strife are allowed to proceed with their devastation of the earth -- the Great
Tribulation.
Rev. 7:1-4 -- After this I saw four angels standing at the
four corners of the earth holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind
from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.
Then I saw another angel coming up from
the east, having the seal of the Living God. He called out in a loud voice to the
four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:
"Do not harm the land or the sea or
the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
These 144,000 witnesses begin their testimony immediately prior to the beginning of the
reign of the Antichrist -- the Great Tribulation. They witness for 1260 days
and finish their testimony at the beginning of the last week of his reign. Since the
Antichirst's reign also is of 1260 days duration, it means that these witnesses must begin
their witnessing one week prior to the onset of the Great Tribulation.
Now we need to see the follow-up of the activities of the dragon (Satan personified as
a man) after the selecting and sealing of Christ's first fruits -- the delivery of
Zion, at the end-time of the 144,000.
Rev. 12:13-17 -- When the dragon saw that he had been
hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. The
woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place
prepared for her in the desert, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and
half a time, out of the serpent's reach...
These Christian churches at the end-time, symbolically represented by the seven
churches of Rev. 2 & 3 are the source of candidates that the 144,000 are selected
from. All the born again Christian members who are not selected for this special
group are represented here as the woman that had given birth to the male child. She
is sent to a place of refuge in the desert out of the reach of the serpent. Her
children -- the 144,000 -- are, on the other hand, preaching the everlasting
gospel (Word of God) and prophesying of things to come (the testimony of Jesus) to every
nation, kindred, tongue and people.
Vss. 15-17 -- Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water
like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. But the
earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had
spewed out of his mouth.
Then the dragon was enraged at the woman
and went off to make war against the rest of her off-spring -- those who obey God's
commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.
When the Antichrist finds the woman protected out of his reach, he becomes enraged and
makes war on the rest of her offspring. Her offspring, as we have just noted,
are the 144,000. These are identified as those who obey God's commandments.
These are Christ's willing slaves. They obey His every command. They also hold
to the testimony of Jesus.
Remember the words of the angel when John fell at his feet to worship him?
Rev. 19:10 -- But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am
a fellow-servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus.
Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
They are prophets -- 144,000 servants the prophets. When the dragon goes
to make war on them, they have just completed their testimony.
Rev. 11:7 -- Now when they have finished their testimony,
the beast that comes up from the abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.
After three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them and they got to
their feet. A loud voice from heaven told them, "Come up here!" They
then ascended to heaven in a cloud.
Notice John's prophetic vision of the group that had been redeemed to heaven, which
constituted the first resurrection.
Rev. 20:4,5 -- I saw thrones on which were seated those
who had been given authority to judge. (The 24 elders with each his throne --
this to give proof that this was a scene from heaven.) And I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word
of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his
mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a
thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years
were ended. This is the first resurrection.
These same identifying marks of the 144,000:
(1) Beheaded (martyred) because of their testimony for Jesus (they are prophets)
(2) and for the word of God. Preaching the word of God during the Great
Tribulation is a capitol offense.
Rev. 1:1,2 -- The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God
gave him to show his servants (144,000) what must soon take place. He made it
known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw -- that
is, the Word of God and the Testimony of Jesus Christ.
All through the book of Revelation the 144,000 are revealing Christ by these two
agents. The Word of God (The Everlasting Gospel) and the testimony of Jesus Christ
which is mediated through the Holy Spirit. These are Christ's special prophets.
Zeph. 1:7,8 -- Be silent before the Sovereign Lord, for the
day of the Lord is near. The Lord has prepared a sacrifice; he has consecrated
those he has invited.
On the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will
punish the princes and the king's sons and all those clad in foreign clothes.
This sacrifice which the Lord has prepared to occur during "the day of the
Lord" is scheduled to happen on day 1335 -- at the Battle of Armageddon.
In the most vivid description of the Battle of Armageddon in all the Bible, note
God's call to this sacrifice:
Ezek. 39:17-20 -- "Son of man, this is what the
Sovereign Lord says: Call out to every kind of bird and all the wild animals: Assemble and
come together from all around to the sacrifice I am preparing for you, the great
sacrifice on the mountains of Israel.
There you will eat flesh and drink blood.
You will eat the flesh of mighty men and drink the blood of the princes of the
earth as if they were rams and lambs, goats and bulls -- all of them fattened animals
from Bashan.
At the sacrifice I am preparing for you,
you will eat until you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk.
At my table you will eat your fill of
horses and riders, mighty men and soldiers of every kind," declares the
Sovereign Lord.
"On the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will punish the princes and the king's sons
and all those clad in foreign clothes." Those in foreign clothes refers to the
ten kings of the nations of the earth with each his army. All will be wearing
foreign uniforms (or clothes) from the standpoint of the Israelites.
Now note John's prophetic vision of this identical event as he relates it:
Rev. 19:17,18 -- And I saw an angel standing in the sun,
who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together
for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and
mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small
and great."
All these armies including their evil general -- Satan personified as a man,
will be destroyed when Christ rains down hail, wind-storms and burning sulfur on them:
Ezek. 38:21,22 -- "I will summon a sword against Gog (Satan
personified) on all my mountains" (of Israel) declares the Lord.
"Every man's sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment upon
him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning
sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him."
Now that we can see how all these pieces of the picture fits one picture, consider the
prophecy of Christ describing some of these events.
Luke 21:20,24 -- "When you see Jerusalem being
surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near."
It is not possible that this is speaking of Titus and his Roman army surrounding
Jerusalem in 70 AD. It is when they will be surrounded by this One World Order with
its ten kings with each his army.
See Zech. 14:2 -- I will gather all the nations to
Jerusalem to fight against it; The city will be captured, the houses ransacked and the
women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will
not be taken from the city.
Isn't this clear that Christ is pointing to the time that is rapidly approaching when
Jerusalem will be destroyed by the One World Order and not to its destruction by Titus two
thousand years ago?
Continuing Luke 21:22 -- For this is the time of
punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.
This is speaking of this three and a half years in exile of fifty percent of the
survivors in the land of Israel to all these hostile nations that make up this evil
combine. The other fifty percent to remain in Jerusalem and undergo trampling for
the identical same three and a half years. Both groups to be freed at Christ's
Second Coming when their oppressors are destroyed and they are set free.
Vs. 23 -- "There will be great distress in the land
and wrath against this people."
This will be in the thick of the Great Tribulation when Jerusalem is destroyed.
We know that the three and a half years of punishment comes to its end at Christ's Coming
on day 1335. Counting backward we find that its destruction occurs on day 75 from
the initiation of the Great Tribulation. "And wrath against this people."
There has never been a shortage of wrath against the Israelites by their surrounding
neighbors. I believe some world event will occur which will greatly intensify this
wrath and bring all these ten kingdoms into one mind to totally eradicate the Israelites.
Vs. 24 -- They will fall by the sword (2/3 will be
struck down and perish) and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations.
(50% of the surviving l/3 will be taken into exile to all these nations of the One
World Order.) Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the
Gentiles are fulfilled. (The residual 50% of the surviving l/3 will be trampled
in Jerusalem, for the same 3 l/2 year period.)
Note the prophecy by Daniel of this same event 600 years before Christ:
Dan. 7:25 -- He will speak against the Most High and
oppress his saints (Israelites) and try to change the set times and the laws. The
saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time (Until the times
of the Gentiles are fulfilled.)
These saints can't be speaking of the Gentile saints as they are being protected out of
the serpent's reach in a desert of safety. The Israelite saints have been turned
over to this evil force to receive the punishment that God has scheduled for them.
I believe another common misunderstanding of this event in the Scriptures is in the
following passage:
Luke 17:26,27 -- Just as it was in the days of Noah, so
also it will be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking,
marrying and given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood
came and destroyed them all.
The days of the Son of Man is not speaking of that specific day that He comes in all
his glory, but to those days that He refers to as "The Day of The Lord" -- the
1335 days preceding His coming.
It is the onset of this date which will find the inhabitants of the earth eating and
drinking, marrying and given in marriage, building and planting, etc. Business as
usual when sudden destruction comes upon them as a woman in labor. This is speaking
of the Great Tribulation which will come as a complete surprise with the people of the
earth saying "peace and safety" -- a time which could be describing our
time now.
1 Thess. 5:2,3 NIV -- For you know very well that the
day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. While people are saying,
"Peace and safety" destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a
pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
Vss. 2,3 Revised English Bible -- For you yourselves know
perfectly well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night.
While they are saying, "All is peaceful, all secure," destruction is upon them,
sudden as pangs that come on a pregnant woman in childbirth; and there will be no escape.
We know that repeated global catastrophes will occur during this three and a half years
of the Antichrist's reign when a third of the inhabitants of the earth will perish.
This to be followed by the Seven Last Plagues when countless millions will be destroyed by
the wrath of God.
Jesus gives us the tempo of the feelings of earth's inhabitants during these days that
precedes His Coming:
Matt. 24:21,22 -- For then there will be great distress
unequaled from the beginning of the world until now and never to be equaled again.
If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sale of the elect
those days will be shortened.
Luke 21:25,26 -- On the earth, nations will be in anguish
and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror,
apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
This is speaking of the environment immediately before Christ's Coming in all His
glory. Can you not see the impossibility of this being the time for people to be
crying peace and safety and going about business as usual? Sudden destruction would
not come upon the inhabitants of the earth at this time as a surprise because they have
been living through it for the past three and a half years and it's the order of the day.
It's The Day of the Lord that no one will know the day or the hour. When this
catastrophic time comes as an unexpected surprise, we have been given multiple subsequent
events with mathematical precision to know exactly the day of Christ's Coming. We
have no such information from Scripture to let us know at what time the Day of the Lord
will begin.
I believe the picture of the events that are scheduled to take place in this period
described as the "Day of the Lord" should be coming into focus. The
material that we have covered should be helpful to realize that these important earth
shaking events are yet to take place. I believe it is fundamental to take the Bible
only, as our guide and the Holy Spirit as our only infallible interpreter. When we
accept anything as fact that cannot be substantiated from the Bible, we end up with a
scenario that is dangerous to our spiritual health.