Bible Study No 15 of Revelation

Good evening, brethren, and here we are on our continuations of our study on the book of Revelation. Very briefly, the prophetic events discussed from Revelation 1 to Revelation 5. We saw the revelation of Jesus Christ, which came from the Father to show his servants, which is us.

We then saw Christ's letters of encouragement and correction to the church.

And we then saw how Christ receives the scroll with the seven seals.

Then we went into Revelation 6. And on Revelation 6, the sixth chapter of Revelation, we see Christ starting to open the seals. And in fact, six of the seven seals are in this one chapter alone. So it actually shows that the main purpose of the book of Revelation is actually the seventh seal, because the remaining of the book of Revelation is really about the seventh seal and inset chapters to bring us up to date on specific events which are pertinent to the seventh seal. Now, the seventh seal, the last seal of the book of Revelation, is none other than the day of the Lord. Revelation 1 verse 10, we see there that in Revelation 1 verse 10, it says, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. And so John was somehow carried, let's call it, into a spiritual vision, like into putting that into a metaphor into today's terms, into a PowerPoint presentation, a spiritual PowerPoint presentation, around events around the Lord's day. So he was taken into that time frame. Obviously, it was not a PowerPoint, I'm just using that as an analogy to kind of make it a little clearer for us.

So we also mentioned that once the seals are open, as the seals are open, then we're opening the scroll, and obviously those seals stay open. So the first four seals, which are false religion, the second one hunger, the third one hunger, and the fourth death, and the outcome of that being burial, the people being buried, those four situations, or in other words, the false religion, will continue till Christ's coming. Wars and more wars will continue till Christ's coming. Hunger will continue till Christ's coming, and death will continue till Christ's coming, because all these things will continue developing as the different seals are open, and particularly the seventh seal, which is the Lord's day, or that last one year before Christ's coming.

So today, brethren, having covered that as a background, today I want to cover more details about things to watch before the Great Tribulation. So we have already covered, so in a sense, some of the things are in a form of revision, but I'm adding, I'm digging a little deeper in some areas to bring in additional detail before the Great Tribulation. Now the reason why it is important for us to go through these specific situations or details before the Great Tribulation is because once the Great Tribulation is done, basically the work is finished, and the work as we understand it, as we see it today, as an organized church and all that, will not be able to continue that. That will be stopped. So now we need to be watching before that time the things to come, because once that starts, it's like a clock of specific number of days, as we see in Daniel 12, and therefore it's like a countdown till Christ's coming. But before this, before this clock countdown starts, there are a lot of things that the Bible gives certain clues of main events, but it does not fill in the detail. And so as we live through these situations, as time goes along, then we start seeing how the detail is being filled in towards those major events. So today we are covering a little bit more detail about those major milestones of things to watch before the Great Tribulation. So I'm going to go back to this chart that we have shown before. I'm just going to go through it very briefly to give you, again, a bit of an overview. And you can see these seven red seals, symbols of seals here, represent the seven seals of the Book of Revelation. As I mentioned to you, the first six seals from one all the way to six, these first six seals are covered in the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelation.

The seventh seal is the rest of the Book of Revelation with another inset chapters about addressing some of the other things that it brings to fill up and make the story a bit more complete and make more sense. But again, the events are very sketchy from the point of view that only gives you major milestones or major events. Like the first seal is false religion, the second is war, the third is hunger, and the fourth is death through plagues or whatever it may be. So we see these seals developing, but then I've highlighted in this graph at the top, like three major flags, which are, let's call it, which I call them, the three major milestones that we need to be watching. The first major milestone is the man of sin, the false prophet, and obviously with that is the beast. So the beast is civil and the man of sin, the false prophet, and that religious beast or woman that rides the beast. So that's the first major milestone or thing to watch, which has not happened yet, brethren, has not happened yet. Then we have the abomination of desolation. The abomination of desolation, we'll talk quite a bit more today about it. And then the third major milestone is the heavenly signs, which as you can see in this graph is the sixth seal. So going back, the heavenly signs is the sixth seal. The fifth seal is the abomination of desolation, or rather is what follows the abomination of desolation, which is the great tribulation. And the first four seals are these four horsemen.

The dividing line moving us onto the next stage, which is the fifth seal, is the abomination of desolation, which we will cover in more detail today. Whilst we're talking about this, I want to show you in the picture that the heavenly signs is like in a metaphor, in an analogy, is God saying, that is it. Now I'm going to intervene. And therefore, the seventh seal, or the day of the Lord, is the day that God is actually intervening in world affairs. But Satan is still the God of this world, so Satan's wrath is still continuing until he's deposed at the day of Atonement, when he's bound.

So Satan's wrath, which is the great tribulation, will continue, even though I only have here depicted as the spirit of two and a half years, because it says in the great tribulation that time will be cut short, but not, but it will be cut short. But really, what is cut short is the impact or the effect of that great tribulation, because now God is intervening and causing difficulties and pain on the rebels that are setting up the problems of the great tribulation.

So that impact of the great tribulation is diminished, and therefore it's cut short. Why is it also cut short? Because the servants of God that repent during the great tribulation will then be sealed, and those people will not, and I have depicted the sealing of the servants of God, which is then Revelation chapter 7. So at the end of Revelation 6, which is the heavenly signs, which also includes the sixth seal, again Revelation 6 cards all these seals, and the last portion of Revelation 6 is the sixth seal.

Then Revelation 7 is the sealing of God's servants, and as we'll see those servants are the people that have repented during the great tribulation because of the work of the two witnesses and of our work today, because they have the booklets and they have this material, but we're not publishing it anymore, but they say, oh we should have repented, and the fruit of our work today will then be seen through those people repenting, and they're being sealed.

Why? Because the day of the Lord is the day of God's wrath, and that's the day when God, through Christ, when Christ is going to punish the sinners, but is not going to punish those that have repented during the great tribulation. So they sealed first, so they are not punished. So are we talking about two stages of protection?

Yes, there's a stage of protection here where the church is protected for three and a half years. We'll cover more of that today, but then those that go into the tribulation will then be used as people underground to help those that are going through the tribulation that then do repent, to actually then be baptized and be converted during the great tribulation. And as you will see, there'll be a great multitude of people of the Gentile nations that will repent, and those people that repented are protected, are sealed, why are they sealed? So that they're not impacted by the punishments of the seven trumpets.

And so that is actually beautiful from the point of view of showing us God's mercy. So having this picture, big picture, this chart that kind of draws this series of events into a simple graphic, it is very useful. And now I want to focus on what I said I want to cover today, which is a little bit more detailed about things to watch before we get the abomination of desolation. Because when we get the abomination of desolation, we know there will be 1,290 days to go.

So before that, what things to watch in the world, seen in world events? So that's what we are looking at today. So what must we watch for? Now if you and I look at Luke chapter 21 verse 34 to 36, the way it is described in Luke is very significant. That's why I like to turn to it.

But in verse 34 through verse 36 says, take heed to yourselves. Now there is the clue. We got to take heed to ourselves. We got to watch ourselves. So in first place, we must watch ourselves and say take heed to yourselves.

Lest your hearts be weighed down with different things of the world, like carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, which actually ties with the things written to the church in Laodicea. Because we live in the era of Laodicea, which is, I've got a lot of things, I've got things, I'm rich, I'm increased with goods, and you don't know that you're naked, you've got nothing. So it's the things of the world that are distracting us, the cares of this life with physical things. And if you're not watching yourself and being careful against those things, that day will come upon you unexpectedly. It will come onto you as a thief in the night. It will come on you when you're not expecting. What day is that? The day when the Great Tribulation begins. For it will come as a sneer on those who dwell on the earth, to dwell on the face of the whole earth. Verse 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. One is to escape what is going to come to happen, and two is to stand. But yeah, look at it. Watch therefore and pray that you may be counted worthy. So this watching impacts two things. Escaping and standing with Christ when he comes back. In other words, either being resurrected and being amongst the first fruits, or standing with him because he will be changed, being transformed at his coming into spirit beings. So standing, he says, to stand before the Son of Man, it means that when he comes we stand before him, and at that moment of the resurrection or of the transformation of Christ coming, we're right there with him. Stand with him. Stand before him. But it's important here is that the outcome of the act of watching is those two things, to escape and to stand. So this watching, you could say, oh well, if I'm just watching to avoid escaping, I'm being selfish, you know, well, it's also watching yourself, myself, ourselves, that we may stand before the Son of Man.

Right? So let's look at some of the parables around that time, and let's first start in Matthew 24 verse 42. Matthew 24 verse 42.

And Matthew 24 verse 42 says, watch therefore, for you do not know what hour the Lord is coming.

And then in 25 verse 13 says, watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. So this watching has an implication, an outcome of standing before Christ at His return and also to escape the tribulation. So this watching, all right, has something to do with, that we have to do before the Great Tribulation.

Now let's look at the context of these parables and these past events. First, let's look between Matthew 24 verse 32 through 42, because first in verse 32, it brings in the parable of the fig tree. And then it says, you know, when the bards, you know, you know that summer is near. You know that the time is near. So and therefore be watching it. And when we see these events, we just being watched because we know time is near. And then it says in verse 36, but of that day and hour no man knows, not even the angels of heaven but the Father only. Then it says, like in the days of Noah, where so will the Son of, so will also be the coming of the Son of man. What happened in the days of Noah? In the days of Noah, they went into the ark. And the others stayed outside and the door was closed. It only started raining about a week later, if I remember correctly. So the door was closed some a period of time, seven days, a period of time that God decided before the actual problem came. So you can see a certain patellalia because it says verse 38, they went before the flood came. They were eating and drinking and marrying, giving marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark. You see, the focus is when he entered into protection. The ark was like the place of protection.

And they did not know anything until the flood came and took them all away. Oh yeah, the ones that were not in the ark, they were too late. Then when the flood came, which was then they realized, oh it's too late. And then he gives the example. Then two men will be in the field, one will be taken the other, and then two women will be grinding into the mold, one will be taken the other left.

So watch therefore because you do not know. So yeah, people working in the field or in the mold. Now think about it, when that great tribulation comes and when that day of the Lord, with the trumpets and all these wars and everything is going mad, do you think they're out there in the field working quietly in peace and things like that? No, it'll be out of chaos, out of chaos. Thousands and millions of people are dying all over the place.

So this symbolism here has to do with watching before the great tribulation. Verse 42, watch therefore for you do not know the hour of your Lord is coming. Yeah, you don't know when He's coming, but before He comes you don't know the hour because a certain number of days, as we read in Daniel 12, there's going to be a countdown. So once that countdown happens, we know how many days to go. So, so that's looking at those parables and past events. Then, I go into other examples here of the fig tree of the day of Noah and the two men and two women. That's what we went through. And then here in verse 43 and 44 says, but Noah was that if the master of the house had known whatever hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken. So he watches it before the thief comes. You see? So it's before. Therefore, you also be ready for the summer man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Now, then there are additionally the parabola of the two servants. That's verse 45 to 41, which also adds a few important points because what it says, it says in verse 46, blessed is that servant that is found so doing.

Now, brethren, once the Great Tribulation starts and the world is getting mad and all these things, you can't be found so doing. It's just it's too light. We gotta do the work now before this all blows up.

And so, but then he says, if before this and then and things are looking good and everything out, the Lord is delaying is coming and well things are good. And then he says, verse 49, he starts to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunkard. So he says, well, I'm rich and increased with goods and and yeah, and and you start saying things and you get involved in these politics of the world and mosques are now mosques and because of that you get angry with somebody else and you say things and you upset things when we say things that are unkind to others for whatever reason, for whatever reason, it's beating your fellow servants. We gotta be careful. We gotta be careful. So and he says, you gotta be careful because the master of that servant will come in a day when he's not looking. So it's before because once the Great Tribulation happens, all these things, he says, well, you know, you're kind of waiting for it. You know that the timing is counting down. Then we have the parable of the virgins in Matthew 25 verse 1 to 13, which is the 10 virgins. What have we got there? It gives additional information about those that should be watching because understand they virgins. So they all, let's call it, people in the church. But some are watching carefully and some are not. Some have got God's Holy Spirit, which is the symbol of the oil, and some are kind of short of it. They have a bird, but they don't have a reservoir with it. You know, they have a little bit in the lamp, but they don't have in the container. So when it gets a bit late, it's kind of starting to run down. So watch, it ends there in verse 13. Watch. Therefore, for you not know neither the day nor the hour in which the sun is coming. So note again Luke 21 verse 36. It says, watch to be accounted worthy to escape and to stand before the Son of Man. One point that I have not mentioned is that you may be accounted worthy. It's not you or me that decide I am going to escape and I'm going to go to whatever it is. Because it's not. It says that you be accounted worthy by God to escape. And if you're not an I or any one of us is not accounted worthy by God, it's his choice. It's not my choice. It says, well I'm gonna go yeah and whatever it is. You basically don't have choice. You think about the situation when Lot an angel came and he said come out get out now. And then the wife looked back. We mustn't look back. But when God somehow will bring us a thing, something to happen, that we are counted worthy and who knows maybe it'll be some angelic beings that will come and says let's go you gotta go. And some will be taken and some will be left. But it's not taken to heaven. It's taken to some protection on earth. Somehow I don't know. I'm not saying it's just one place. I don't know. But the point is God is able to protect you wherever you are. But it says it will be to a place protected from in the wilderness, protected from Satan. So the point is yeah that escape therefore is before the standing because you'll be worthy to escape all these things and to stand at Christ's coming. So escape is before Christ's coming and escape what? Well, Matthew 24 verse 20 through 21 says and pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath for then it'll be great tribulation. Escape what? Flea what? The great tribulation. That's what it is. And such as has not been since the beginning of the world until the start no nor ever shall be.

Now it says in verse 21 for there will be great tribulation. I have heard some people that told me well nowhere in the Bible does it say the great tribulation. Well, it's correct. It doesn't say the great tribulation. It says there will be great tribulation. But when it says there will there there was none like this before and there'll be none other ever shall be it means it is the great tribulation. So it is not incorrect for us to refer to it as the great tribulation. So brethren, we need to be watching ourselves. The biggest point, the most critical point for us to watch is, as I say in French for you, Canadians out there, is, wah! Me, myself, and I. We gotta watch ourselves. Our conduct, our attitude, our love towards one another. That we're like God. We've got a mind like Christ. That we have Christ's mind. That we have love. Loving care for one another. Yes, but there are other things to watch too. There are the world events as well that we need to watch to say, hey, things are developing. So in this chart, and I moved a little bit to the right, I have listed seven things to watch. First, Israel and sacrifices. Israel, Jerusalem, Delhi sacrifices. We're going to talk a little bit more about that in a moment, about offerings in Israel. How will that happen? Will there be a temple? Will there be a temple? Want to be a temple? Because that is going to have to be stopped, because there's an abomination of desolation. So we'll talk a little bit more about that.

Then we, we, in the seven things to watch, another one is to watch Europe uniting in 10 kings. In previous sections of the study, we went through the the different scriptures of Daniel, merging it two with Revelation, and we've covered most of that. I'm not going to cover more of that today. So those are things that we need to watch. We also covered about the Middle East and the King of the South. We did cover some of that material already, so I'm not going to cover it today. But I will be covering a little bit more about the loss of pride or power of the United States and Britain in the words of the Israelites, English-speaking nations around the world. Who is Israel? You see, because that's a big problem when people don't understand who is Israel. Now, I'm not going to cover today who is Israel, but we're going to cover a little bit about the blessings and curses very briefly, and some of the things that that will happen, and some time frame in that as well from the Bible. Then there's false religions in the Catholic Church. I have covered a little bit of that. We'll cover a lot more of that as well when we go into Revelation 13 and Revelation 17. We'll cover more of that, but we're going to see things like ecumenism, that is the unity of different churches, like the daughters coming back to the mother, the adulterous mother, and also today we're going to talk very briefly about the false prophet. God's Church, we've talked quite a bit about it in the form of the seven letters to the church, and points of encouragement, and points of warning. So those are things that we already covered. But it's part of the things to watch. And the last but not least, which I'm also not going to cover in detail today, but we see it happening right in front of our eyes, particularly the whole approach to destroy the family with LGBT and all these concepts of distorted morality. This act that has been decreed in Canada recently, and it will spread into other nations as well, about the myth and conversion of these people and things like that. So the family is the pillar of society and really is an image of God's plan for mankind. And that's why Satan wants to destroy it. So we're going to see the declining values of morality and all that, and we're going to be watching. Those are things that are going to happen and the increasing sense of the nations. So those are the seven things to watch that I've talked about before. Right, so now, as I mentioned, the first one that I want to talk to briefly is about sacrifices and will the temple be built before Christ? Now, I want to ask you to turn to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 3 and 4. 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 3 and 4.

The reason why people think there will be a temple is based on this scripture in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 3 and 4. And it says, let now 1 deceive you by any means for that day will not come unless the falling away, that is apostasy, comes first, and the man of sun is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself about all that is called God, or that is worship, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

Now, he sits as God in the temple of God. Now, some people say, well, therefore he sits in the temple of God, so therefore there must be a temple. But this verse does not necessarily say that he sits as God, comma, in the temple of God, because it could also mean that he sits, comma, as God in brackets, sits in the temple of God. So he sits in a temple, could be a pagan temple, could be the dam on the rock, or whatever it is, could be in a temple in some sort of, and he sits in this pagan temple, as God sits in the temple of God, acting as if he is God. That could also be an interpretation. So this verse by itself is now, let's call it proof point, that it will be a temple. In verse 9 and 10 of the same chapter, it says, The coming of the lawless one, that is a man of sin, the false prophet, is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception amongst those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. So the coming of this false prophet is going to be with a lot of power from Satan. It will be satanically, impersonally, individually motivated, activated by Satan, with all power that Satan has, with signs and lying wonders, in other words, miracles and signs that deceive people, and all unrighteous deception, in other words, all unrighteous lies, in other words, all sort of fake media. That's what it is. All unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved.

So, yeah, we see that this lawless one is going to have a lot of power. He's going to have a lot of power, and he's going to be able to deceive people very effectively. Let's look at a few other scriptures regarding a temple. One of them is Matthew 24.15. It's talking about the abomination of desolation. Matthew 24.15. Matthew 24.15 says, therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the Holy Place. What is the Holy Place? Does it have to be a temple? Now, at the time of the apostles, in Acts 21, 26, 28, when there were things and people stood at the Holy Place, yes, there was a temple, but now there is no temple. What is the Holy Place? Could it be the area? Could it be a let's call it an offering place that they do an offering?

Now, in Matthew 24 says you are to look at what it said in Daniel as spoken of by the prophet Daniel. So in Daniel 11 verse 31, which is one example, it talks about that abomination of desolation, which our booklet, the Middle Eastern Prophecy, this booklet that I'm showing now, the Middle Eastern Prophecy, on page 26 describes Antiochus Epiphani, Daniel 11 verse 31. Daniel 11 verse 31 and it says, and the forces shall be mustered by him, that is Antiochus Epiphani, and they shall defile the sanctuary fortress. Then they shall take away the daily sacrifices and place the abomination of desolation. So, yeah, it's talking about a daily sacrifice in that case. That's what happened and they offered sacrifices of a pig. So there was a profanation of some daily sacrifice and in that at the time there there was a temple, there were sacrifices and that was being done. So, however, please note that sacrifices were offered during Moses' time. Moses, when they were 40 years in the wilderness, they offered sacrifices during the time of the Judges, all the way through the time of King David, King Saul, and then King David. But they never had a temple. They had sacrifices, but they didn't have a temple. Only from the time of Solomon was the temple built. So you can do sacrifices without a temple. So, is an altar sufficient to fulfill this prophecy or is a temple required? So, they could have an altar or they could do like a tabernacle or a temporary prefab, quickly made temple-like thing, but it's not a real temple. It's just like a thing put together or an altar and a little micro temple. Let's call it that. But it's not really a temple built up of stone and all the things. So, what is it? I cannot say for sure it's this or that. I cannot say for sure there will be a temple. I cannot say for sure it'll just be sacrifices. All I am showing you is that there's going to be something that is going to happen. There is going to be quite, quite significant because imagine, imagine the Jewish people around the promised land starting to offer sacrifices. That will have a major impact. And the other question is, where is the actual place of the sacrifices? Okay, so sacrifices where? Now, there is a book which I have a very interesting book, very quite thick, quite a lot of material, a lot of pictures, a lot of content, a lot of proof points, etc., showing that the current site of the Dome of the Rock is basically the site where the temple should be. Now, if that is the case, imagine them breaking down the Dome of the Rock to build the temple there. Nothing, I cannot say that anything is impossible, but think about the geopolitical implications.

Or just putting an altar in front of the Dome of the Rock and offering sacrifices there, it will also be quite significant. So, imagine opposition, as I said, even if only an altar, and the altar is in front of the Dome of the Rock, so there's a lot to watch in Israel. There's a lot to watch. We don't know exactly the details of how this will materialize, but the point is something will happen. Now, while I'm talking about that, I want to draw your attention to a few other points.

And that is, look at the context of a few scriptures here. The first one is Daniel 11, verse 31. If you have a New King James Version Bible, look at the word daily sacrifices.

Have you noticed that the word sacrifices is in italic? Italic. And do you know what that means? And also, where it's referred also, is Daniel 12, verse 11. Daniel 12, verse 11. And it says, from the time that the daily sacrifice, italic sacrifice, is taken away. Why is the word sacrifice not in Hebrew? Because italic means the translators entered it. Isn't that interesting? So if you're going to read just what it says in Hebrew, it says the daily. What is the daily?

You see, so there are a number of things that we just don't know. Now, the church has always believed that there will be sacrifices. I'm not saying there won't be sacrifices, but what if it's something else? Does it make us completely wrong? No, I mean, oh, okay, we have the scenario wrong, it's something else. What is something that they're doing today daily around that area of the temple or the temple wall?

Could it be something else? I don't know, but you and I need to open our minds sometimes and to allow variety of scenarios and not build your faith in just one specific thing. Now, look also at Malachi chapter 3 verse 1 and 2. Malachi chapter 3 verse 1 and 2.

Now, understand, brethren, I'm not saying there will not be sacrifices. I'm just drawing your attention that the word sacrifice is even italic, but we need to keep that in mind as well. So, let's look at Malachi chapter 3 verse 1 and 2. And he says, Behold, I'll send my messenger and he'll prepare the way before me. And we know, we read in the New Testament that's actually talking about John the Baptist and his first Christ was coming and said, but there is a dualism because it applies to the second coming. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Yeah, in the first coming, he did come to his temple.

But what is God's temple today?

Isn't our bodies, isn't us, us true Christians, and we are the temple of God's holy spirit?

Even so, the message of the covenant in whom he delight be all his coming, says the Lord of hosts. So, there are things that we don't understand fully, but I'm just putting it to you to allow you to think a little bit more. The other one is Revelation 11 verse 1 and 2. And this is about just before we got the description of the two witnesses. And then Revelation 11 verse 1 and 2. This is very, very interesting. And there it reads, Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod, and the angel stood saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar and those who worship thee. But leave out the court, which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will tread the holy city under foot for 42 months. What are they measuring?

Because when you read the end of Revelation 11, it's just before the two witnesses.

And it says, and they'll give it for 42 months, which is nothing else in three and a half years, which is nothing else, 1260 days. So, what is it?

Now, I'm speculating here. I believe that's my personal speculation, and the degree of authority of my speculation is zero. So, don't count it as, but I believe that it's actually referring to God's Church. And there is a measuring, a cleaning of God's Church. It sounds like, remember when M. Strong, before he died, he said, well, now it's the time of preparing the bride.

Preparing the bride. You see, this time, since M. Strong's battle today, there has not been a gigantic growth in members in the Church. But I'll tell you one thing has been done. It's been a cleansing and a cleaning and a preparing of the bride. Maybe, this is my speculation, okay? Zero authority on that. It's just my speculation. I think the measuring the temple of God and those who worship there is measuring those that are in God's Church, those that are part of the body of Christ and making sure the bride is ready. But leave out those that are not in the Church, outside of the temple of God. Don't measure them.

Because those, it's still given to the Gentiles. So, I am just bringing these points about the temple just to help us to think a little deeper beyond just four walls. Because I'm always very careful about putting God in the boxes. It's going to be this. So, I'm just opening an up a bit. I'm not saying that there will not be daily sacrifices. Please, I'm not saying that. But I'm saying, hey, what if it is something else? What if it is different understanding? What if we're not fully understanding that point? We don't know. But something is going to happen in the Middle East, for sure. Something is going to happen. And one of the things that we believe is that there will be daily sacrifices and that will be stopped. But what if we're wrong? I don't know. But I'm just putting this up as a point to think about. Then another thing to watch is the fall of Israel. Now, yeah, we have that people don't know who Israel is. That's why we've got the booklet The United States and Britain in Commonwealth to study the Bible and prove who is Israel, true Israel. But it is important because Leviticus 26 is one of the chapters that talks about the blessings and the curses. Leviticus 26 says, you shall not have idols and you'll keep my Sabbaths. Well, I can tell you the English-speaking nations have idols and are not keeping God's Sabbaths. They have many idols. This world is sick from idols in sport to idols in music to idols in Hollywood or whatever it is. I'm not saying that we can't enjoy sport and things like that, but when you kind of take it to an extreme that it becomes like an idol, there is a problem. But they're not obeying God. That's the whole problem. They're breaking God's laws and they're not keeping God's Sabbaths. That's for sure. So in Leviticus 26, starting from verse 3, he says, if you walk in my statues, you'll have blessings.

And then Leviticus 26, starting from verse 14, he says, if you do not obey me, there'll be punishments. So Yah is a section 26 verse 3 is blessings and 26 verse 14 is punishments and these punishments come in five waves. The first wave is verse 16 and 17 that says, I'll leave an appointed terror over you. So we have like a first wave of terrorism.

And have we had that since then, since 9-11, TSA and all that came up to exist and it's still today. Whenever you fly, etc., it's just things have become different. And this will come back again because of what happened last year, late last year. The second wave, if you still don't obey me, I'll punish you seven times more. I'll break the pride of your power. And yeah, and since then, we've had, for instance, the big market crash in 2008 and the pride of the power is the American dollar. Yes, it's so strong, but it's not what it used to be. And it's very fragile. We at the edge of another bubble to explode again. So we've got to be careful.

Then verse 21 through 22, there's a third wave. If you still will control me, I'll punish you seven times more with plagues. Aren't we having plagues now since 2020? Which, by the way, was exactly 12 years after 2008. Very interesting. And then the fourth wave, if you will contrary to me, if you still don't obey me, I'll punish you yet seven times more for your sins. I'll bring a sword against you. That could well be a civil war and the great disaster of a civil war.

And then the third wave is if you still don't obey me, I'll chastise you seven more times for your sins. I'll scatter you among the nations. Your land will be desolate and your city's waste. That is the Great Tribulation. So it's like a timeline of events which appears the first three have happened. We're waiting for number four and number five will be the Great Tribulation, if this is correct. So it's just another possible scenario to make us think. So looking at the fall of Israel, when we get down to the point of the beginning of the Great Tribulation, just before it, then we have to consider Daniel's countdown till Christ's coming. In Daniel 12 verse 12, he says, blessed is he who waits and comes to the 1335 days. So we have a countdown. And now we have 1335 days.

Wait for what?

Wait for what? Note there is a counting that seems to begin with something.

Do we then know how many days till Christ's coming? It appears to be so. 1335 days.

If so, then at this moment, or at least 45 days later, which is the 1290, people, at least those in God's church, will know the day of Christ's coming.

When you read Matthew 24, he says, no man knows the day or the hour, but when it comes the time to flee and the time of the Great Tribulation and abomination of desolation and all that, and he says there is three and a half years plus one month to go, then you know, wow, you know the day. Basically, you've got a countdown. So now these parables from Matthew 24 to Matthew 25 13, the ones I mentioned to you before, we can see that these parables need to apply to the period before the countdown begins. And then we look at Daniel 12 11 because he says, and from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away and the abomination of desolation is set up, there would shall be 1290. That is three and a half years plus one month. So there is a countdown here from 1335 to 1290. What will happen in the 1335 days? I don't know, but it is possible. Now I'm speculating again, authority zero, okay, but it's possible that's kind of when the works finishes. We, something happens that we can't do the work anymore. Churches are stopped. The Church of God, United Church of God, is stopped. We can't do the work anymore. Something could happen. I'm speculating, and then suddenly we know things are happening. In the world, they don't care, but in the church we start seeing what happens. And then there's abomination of desolation 45 days later. Why do we have 45 days? I don't know. But I tell you, when things get to happen in those days, it'll become clear to us, these scenarios.

So at that time, 1290, it's very probably the time somewhere around there, there's war in heaven. And when Satan is expelled to earth, so if you look at Revelation 12 verse 7, it says, And war broke out in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with dragon and a dragon, and his angels fought.

And look at verse 12, Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and woe to you to dwell in them, but woe, I mean, O heavens, and to you to dwell in them, but woe to the inevits of the earth and the sea, for the devil has come down to you having great wrath. It's the time of Satan's great wrath. And so what he's going to do? Verse 13, he persecuted the woman. He persecutes the church.

He's going to persecute the church. It's a time of great wrath. He's going to persecute the church.

The time to flee. And he says, And the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, verse 14, to the place where she's nourished for a time, in times and oft a time, for three and a half years. So he sees. So it looks like that's possibly the time he gets thrown to earth, and then he's angry, because he knows he's just got three and a half years, or three and a half years, and maybe just a few more days, maybe a month.

So look at Daniel 12 verse 1. Daniel 12 verse 1. Daniel 12 verse 1. At that time, Michael, you see, so again, Michael, so he can correlate his two scriptures. Revelation 12 verse 7 with Daniel 12 verse 1. At that time, Michael shall stand up.

The great princess stands watch over the sons of the people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was, since there was a nation, even to that time, and that at that time, your people shall be delivered. So there will be this great tribulation, and then at that time of the great tribulation at the end of it, those people will be delivered. So there will be a time of delivery, of protection and delivery, and when Christ comes, it will be delivery, and the saints are resurrected, and all that. So it's there will be that great tribulation of great trouble, and then the people will be delivered. So what do we have? We have some brethren, some members of the church will be protected. If we look at Revelation chapter 3 verse 10, Revelation chapter 3 verse 10, we read, because you've kept my commandment to persevere, I'll also keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on earth. So there is a time where the whole world is going to be tested. That's the great tribulation, because it affects the whole world. It's not just Israel. It's not just Israel. It is nations, every nation, every nation. You know, today the wall is so integrated, it affects everyone. But it says, I will keep you from the hour of trial. That is there talking to those that God counts as worthy to be the way he sees people, members of the Philadelphia era. It's God that decides where you are.

Look at Revelation 12 verse 13 through 17. Revelation 12 verse 13 through 17. It says, And then the dragon saw, he was cast on the earth, he persecured to the church the woman, and he says, But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the walnuts. So she's protected. And then verse 15, the serpent at Satan went to try and attack her with a military force, like spewed water out of his mouth like a flood. After the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood, by this military power. But verse 16, But the earth helped the woman, and the earth swallowed the flood, swallowed the army. So the earth opened up, and then the army went in and closed up, like when these relights fled Egypt, the sea opened up and swallowed Egyptians. Now we have here with the earth, not just water.

So it says, and swallowed up this military, which the dragon had spewed out of its mouth. So this military that was chasing the church is destroyed. Now, Satan is now very furious, because this part of the church is protected. And so verse 17 says, And the dragon was enraged, was mad with the woman, with the church. And he went to make war with the rest of her offspring. And it was the rest of the woman, those that were not protected. But those were not protected are those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. In other words, they are still virgins.

You know, they're still virgins. It appears like five were protected and five were not.

So that's just a possible scenario of these things. But the point is, keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus. So the question is, what is the difference between one part of the woman and the other part? Well, let's look at, for instance, at Revelation chapter 2, which is to the church in Ephesus, verses 4 and 5. It says, You have left your first love. Remember from where you've fallen. Repent and do the first works. So Yah is right at the beginning a church that had left the first love. And it says, Repent and do the first works of brotherly love. He's there for the difference between one part of the church and the other part of the church. Again, I'm speculating. I'm just asking a question and making you think and making us think and just consider. And when the time gets nearer, these things will become clear. I'm just identifying some possible scenarios. But is it sincere love for the brethren and therefore doing the work of God? And what is doing the work of God? It's basically two things. Preaching the gospel, which is the good news of the kingdom of God as a witness to the whole world. And that is an act of love. And two, preparing the people that we get prepared, which is doing the work. Which means, think about the parable. The parable that says they were in the field and then it says the wise servant, the servant, that was okay. He was doing the work. He found so doing. So you think about Philadelphia, that is the one that as we read there in chapter three verse ten, you kept my commandment to persevere. What? To persevere? What? In love. Because the others did not keep the love of the truth. So you have to have the truth and you have to do it in love. To apply it in love. So whilst now the seer, now the seer is the ones that is in verse 14 through 22, that it says, you're not a cold, no hot. I'm rich. I have need or nothing. So it kind of gets a little bit lackadaisal, a little bit weak in that brotherly love. Could that be the difference? I don't know.

But I'd rather make sure, and I would encourage you all to make sure, that we are whatever we're doing, doing it in outgoing concern and love for one another. That is an important thing. We've got to stick to the truth, but we've got to do it. We've got to speak. We've got to act in love. That is key. And then it shows that this thing happens in a month because we read in Daniel 12 verse 1, there shall be a time of trouble, such as never there was since there was a nation. Then in 12 verse 7 it says, and it, that's the time of trouble, shall be for the time, times, and half a time. That's 1260 days. That's three and a half years. And when the power of the holy people is completely shattered, all these things will be finished. So either shattered or scattered. That word could be translated also as scattered. And then we read Daniel 1211. And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the Bob and Eshin's lesson set up, there shall be 1290 days, three and a half years plus one month. So we have. When the daily sacrifice is taken away, we have three and a half years plus one month. And when the tribulation starts, then we have 1260 days, three and a half years. So there is a 30-day period in the middle. And when we read Isaiah 5 verse 5 to 7, it says that if Israel, if Rome, and Judah will be punished in the same moon, in other words, in the same month, in one month. So there is a time of one month that the punishment of Israel. So we see Israel going on all the way till the end, but right at the end, Israel will be punished. And that collapse will be in that period of 30 days, between 1290 and 1260. And then when we read Psalm 83, and I'm going briefly through Isaiah 5 and Psalm 83, because we covered that in the previous study. And it shows that nations, identifies various nations, could very well be part of the king of the south, and will probably join forces with Assyria to make a confederacy, which will then, from where we can see, they will be the ones who will go out and destroy those English-speaking nations. Israel, if Rome, and also Judah, which is the Jewish nation today. So what do we have? We have now the beginning of the Great Tribulation.

You see, we now have the beginning of the Great Tribulation for three and a half years.

Again, Daniel 12 verse 1. I think I've got this slide twice in a row. Yeah, I apologize. We went through that. So what do we have now? It's the beginning of the Great Tribulation. What it is? It's those three and a half years. In Revelation 12 verse 12, it says, Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, and the sea for the devil will come to you with great wrath. So this Great Tribulation in this chart is the time of Satan's wrath. And as I mentioned, he will continue with his wrath until Christ comes in, until he's bound. He'll be angry until he's bound. He's not saying, well, you'll stop being angry now. No, you'll continue angry until he's bound. Again, once the seal is open, it stays open until the end until Christ's coming. Okay? And then Matthew 24 verse 21 and 22. Matthew 24 verse 21 and 22. Matthew 24 verse 21, it introduces, For them shall be great tribulations, such as not been since the beginning of the world, until this time, and nor shall ever be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh will be saved, but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. Those days will be shortened by the heavenly signs, and then those elect will be protected, and therefore it will be shortened for the elect's sake, not for the whole world. And so that kind of gives us a little bit more detail about what to expect before this great tribulation. It gives you more detail about what to watch for. We've got to watch ourselves and various things to watch for. And it also explains to you, I think, pretty clearly there will be a protection of the church as it's shown here in the section of the chart for a time, times, and oftentimes for three and a half years. In parallel, when this starts, it will start a period of the two witnesses, and that and what happens beyond, like the heavenly signs and that, will be for the next Bible study.