Bible Study No 16 of Revelation

Right. Good evening, brethren! Here we are on our 16th study on the book of Revelation.

Today, we're going to cover a few more very revealing things from the Bible, and understand a little bit more about God's truth. As a brief revision of what we've covered till now, we know that this is the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants things which must shortly come to pass. Then we also saw Christ's messages to the churches, which highlighted a number of attitudes which will prevail over time. Then we went on to chapter 6, wherein we saw of Revelation 6, or the first part of Revelation 6, and we saw the first four seals, which are four horsemen, which basically represent false religion, wars, hunger, death, and the grave. And then in Revelation 6, we also saw at the end of verse 8 that it says, and power is given to them, and I believe it's implying to these four horsemen, power is given to them over a fourth of the earth, which is 25% of the world's population, to kill with the sword, and with hunger, and with death, namely the second, third, and fourth seal, and also by the beasts of the earth. So power was given to these horsemen to kill a fourth of the earth's population. Then on the last Bible study, we looked at things to watch, particularly first and foremost, to watch ourselves, and then to watch various geopolitical, religious, and social events and things. We also looked at Matthew 24, and in Matthew 24, we saw that sins or iniquity will increase, and the love of many will grow cold. So let me just get there and read it exactly as it reads. So it says, and because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

And we can see that today with a number of things happening around the world, that tendency of people growing cold is increasing.

But we have to endure to the end, it says in verse 13, but it says, But this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come. So there are some serious events of the time of the end. Now, I want to draw your attention to a chart of showing the prophecies of the reign of Gentile kingdoms, which we went through in greater detail on our Bible study number 12.

But I'm just highlighting here that Revelation 13 is a chapter in the book of Revelation that highlights basically two beasts. One of them is from verse 1 to verse 10, which is also highlighted through or parallel to Daniel 7. And this beast of Revelation 13, verse 1 through verse 10, is the beast which had 10 horns, and the first three were plucked out, leaving the seven remaining, leaving seven remaining.

And the last of these seven remaining, the last one, the last one, which is that one, the seventh remaining, and also is the last horn of those ten, matches the seventh head of Revelation 17. Now, the reason I am highlighting to this is that when you look at Revelation 13, so if you turn to Revelation 13 very quickly, because we're not covering Revelation 13 now, but I just want to highlight to you some events, because Revelation 13 is an inset chapter. So let's draw out a few things out of Revelation 13 as we go along.

So Revelation 13 in verse 1 says, Then I stood on the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rising out of the sea, out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns. So this is the beast that we've talked about, and that will rise up again, because as we have here, it will be a revival of this Roman Empire, so that will rise up again, and it rises from the sea. And I think I've mentioned before, the sea means a turmoil of fighting and infighting amongst people, and it will rise up out of the sea, out of this turmoil strikes that will happen.

So that's this first beast from Revelation 13 verse 1 till 10. But then when you look at Revelation 13 verse 11, it says, Then I saw another beast coming out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. So YH is another, a second beast, which is this beast which early on had ascended out of the pit. But now we can see this coming out, which is basically out of the earth, which basically means it's an organization that already exists, but is going to come out and become more prominent.

Interesting enough, and this is the point I want to draw here, is Revelation 13 1 through 10. It says, And then he saw this. And then verse 11 says, And then I saw another beast, implying a subtle indication here that the civil beast will come first, and this raising out of this false prophet will come next. Now, talking about the false prophet, I want to turn to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. And we're going to read verse starting in verse 3.

2 Thessalonians chapter 2, and we start in verse 3. In verse 3, Let no one deceive you by any means that for that day will not come, unless there is a falling away first, and then, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition. So again, it implies here a sequence. This sequence is that there is going to be a falling away, an apostasy, and it is very probable. I'm inclined to say that it has happened, but it's very probable that it has happened already, and that was the falling away, a degrade apostasy that happened in 1995.

So it is possible that that stage has already happened. There could be, I'm now speculating, and the authority of the speculation is zero. So it could be there could be a different type of a falling away. In other words, a falling away in a worldly way from value systems, because it says about they're not receiving the love of the truth, invest in them, and a strong delusion that people believe the lie. It is possible that an additional fall away will come about the world in general, away from the value of morality, of the marriage, of the sanctity of marriage.

And that, in a sense, is a falling away from one of the basic truths of God, because God instituted the marriage and the value of marriage between a man and a woman.

So it is possible that there is like a parallel falling away. One is within the church, and another one is within the society, which would also imply that it is possible. And then the man of sin will be revealed. That is the one that talks about in verse nine.

It's the coming of the lawless one according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders. So it appears that that will happen when Satan comes with great wrath, and then he incites this man of sin, which will head this second beast, which is the beast that rises out of the earth, which is the one starting in verse 11 of Revelation 13.

All right, now we'll go on back to Revelation.

Revelation, and we're going to talk about the fifth seal.

The fifth seal. But before we talk about the first seal itself, let me give, draw a few things more from another inset chapter, which we have discussed or mentioned a few times before. And that is the 12th chapter of the book of Revelation. And the 12th chapter of the book of Revelation, when we get to verse 7, it's actually bringing the scene to a lighter scene. Because from verse 1 through verse 6, it's more of a scene many years ago. That has happened, and the church has been persecuted during the the Middle Ages, as it says in verse 6 for 1,260 days. And there it represents a day for a year for 1,260 years. And that, as we mentioned before, was from 325 to 1585, if I remember the numbers correctly. Anyway, so up to verse 6 was something of the past. But verse 7 brings us into something which is today, I believe, still in the future. And it says, and war broke out in heaven, and Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. So there was an angelic war between Michael and his angels, and Satan, or dragon, and his demons. And there was a conflict, and this was in heaven. Basically, it means, briefly, let's not get confused. That when there was the description here in Daniel 12 verse 4, and he says, and he's tailed, that is, the great dragon, drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth.

This is when Satan was thrown to the earth. He fell to the earth.

But it does not mean that it was cast out of heaven. It's a difference between falling, because you fall, and you stand up, and Satan and the demons do still have access to heaven.

But now, a time in the future, which is parallel to what is described in Daniel 12, because you read in Daniel 12 verse 1, it says, at that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands to watch over the sons of the people, and they shall be a time of trouble. It was a great tribulation. Such has never been before there was a nation. Now, we can see that, Tysim, with Revelation 12 verse 7, that says, when the sword breaks out between Michael and his angels and Satan, what happens? Satan and his demons do not prevail. That's what you read in verse 8 of Revelation 12. And so, it was nor in Revelation 8 says, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven anymore. Which means, before this, which is today, I don't believe this has happened yet, but it's to happen soon, but they still have a place in heaven.

But yeah, when this war happens, they are cast out. Look at verse 9. In verse 9 says, Satan, let's read, so the great dragon was cast out. He was cast out from that moment onwards. He has no more access to heaven. So, the great dragon was cast out. And when I say, he, the great dragon, that's Satan, but it says, that's the great, that's the serpent of old called devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast out, and it wasn't just him, but it was his demons. From that moment onwards, they will have no more access to heaven. And he was cast to the earth, and these angels, demons, were cast out with him. So, they were cast out.

And then, when we read a little bit further down in verse 12 of Revelation 12, 12, therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them, woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea.

Why? Because, or for, the devil has come down to you having great wrath.

Reverend, this great wrath is the beginning days or the events to happen just before the great tribulation and the actual great tribulation.

So, he says, for the devil has come down to you having great wrath, because he knows he has a short time. You see, if you tie that with Daniel 12 verse 1, it also we saw that that is a time of greater stress. So, that all links together. So, the abomination of desolation, we read in Matthew 24 verse 15. Right? So, what do we have? Let's go back to Matthew 24 verse 14 and 15. It's important we get this clear, and that's why, brethren, I am going through this slowly, step by step. In Matthew 24 verse 14, we as a church are doing a work of preaching the gospel to the world as a witness. Note well, we are not preaching the gospel to the world, obviously the gospel of the kingdom, to save more souls, as the Protestant world puts it. Oh, we got to save more souls. We are preaching the gospel as a witness. In other words, we are not preaching the gospel to get more people into the church. Oh, good! If we have more people coming into the church, what a blessing! But what it's saying is the main focus, the key driving motivation, is a witness to the world. It's not to just baptize more people. So, we can't go out and just measure more baptisms, because this is not the time. This is not the time.

This is the time to tell the world this is going to happen. Why?

Because when the Great Tribulation happens, these people will then wake up and then they say, we should have done something, but then they still have a chance to repent during the first two and a half years of the Great Tribulation. We're going to cover a bit more about that today. So, that's why it says we have to preach the gospel to the of the kingdom, to the whole world as a witness to all nations, and then it will come the end.

The end of what? The end of when we cannot preach the gospel to the world anymore, because we'll be castled.

Because...why? Because therefore there will be this abomination of desolation spoken by Daniel the prophet. Satan will now persecute the church, and part of the church is protected before the Great Tribulation. And if you remember that, we went through that in the previous study. And I tie that to Revelation 3 verse 10, which is those that are in Philadelphia. Revelation 3 verse 10. And, Revlon, I am not talking about a physical organization.

I am saying that there are Philadelphian Christians in various fellowships. So, it's not because it's this organization or that organization. They are people with the right heart in different fellowships.

Oh yeah, there is a problem with some of the leaders that caused the vision. But some of the people just kind of where they sit, just kind of where they see, or followed, followed a man. But their heart, some of them, their heart is right.

And it's God that judges, not me, not anybody. I have a problem with some of the leaders that caused the vision, because it says they left us because they were not of us. But yeah, in Revelation 3 verse 10, it says, because you kept my commandment to persevere, it's not talking about a physical organization. It's talking about people that have the heart and the spirit, that they are committed to God, and they're serving God, and they're persevering.

So, I'll keep you from the hour of trial that will come upon the whole world. In other words, I will protect you from the great tribulation, which will affect the whole world. And then I also read in Revelation 12, verse 13 through 16, Revelation 12, verse 13 through 16, and it says, and the dragon was cast out, and he persecuted the woman, which is the church.

And then he says, but the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to a place where she's nourished, fly into the wilderness, into a place where she nourished for a time comes another time, that three and a half years, that is parallel to the period of the great tribulation, three and a half years, right, from the presence of the serpent. So, somehow, she will fly into an area, that's what I read here, from the into the wilderness area, and from the presence of the serpent. And it says that, you know, the serpent spewed out water out of his mouth, which we believe to be a military force, like a flood, after the church, that part of the church.

And then the earth helped the woman and swallowed that military force. So, it implies that these people now, at this period, maybe during these 45 days, between 1335 and 1290, they have time to somehow under God's inspiration, probably with angelic intervention, whatever God does, to get together and to be protected. And then it says that they will be protected, they'll be helped. And so then it says, now the dragon, verse 17, was that Satan was enraged. That is his wrath, the great wrath that we read in verse 12. Now he wants to go for the church, and yes, a portion of the church that is committed, there are those that probably are doing the work, they're involved, that are rolling up the shoulders, they are persevering, they are doing the work, they are protected, and Satan gets even more angry. So now he turns around to go to the rest of the church, which is, it says, yeah, the rest of her of spring, verse 17.

So what do we have? Now is the time of the Great Tribulation, which is Revelation 6 verse 9 through 11. So let's turn to Revelation 6 verse 9 through 11. And it says, then he opened the fifth seal, and I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, how long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth or on the earth. And a white robe was given to each of them, and it was said to them that they should rest. Rest, remember brethren, simplifies in this case. They are sleeping, they are dead, and they're resting before. They should rest a little while longer until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who would be killed as they were was completed. And that is, there's going to be brethren that are going to be killed during the Great Tribulation.

That is the remnant of the church, those that were not protected. Some of them that will go into the Great Tribulation, and some of them will be killed. That's what it says. Yeah, there will be brethren that will be killed, and that will be during the time of the Great Tribulation. So what do we have here, brethren, from verse 9 through verse 11? We have a metaphor showing the saints which are already killed, maybe during the Middle Ages, during that first 1260 years, that are already dead, that are already resting. They are metaphorically asking for how much longer must they remain dead? Obviously, when you're dead, you can't be doing this. So it's a metaphor, and therefore they're metaphorically asking how much longer must they remain dead before they're resurrected? And therefore, when God judges and avenges the blood of those martyred, and he just says, just wait a while, because the number is not going to be completed during the Great Tribulation.

So when the abomination is set up, we know there will be 1290 days. There's going to be a period of 30 days when the church flees, a part of the church flees, the other part now, God did not protect, and now Satan is going to turn against them. But to turn against them, the very first thing he's going to do is going to destroy democracy, and he's going to destroy those English speaking countries. In that period of 30 days, which we covered previously, which is countries, the English speaking countries like England, iframe, possibly Canada, possibly the United States. Well, we believe there will be that, and possibly even countries like Australia, and even some of other areas, whatever they may be. But the point is there will be a time where democracy will be destroyed. That is during those 30 days, and therefore the Great Tribulation will then start after that. Because we read in Matthew 24 verse 15 and 21 that it'll be a Great Tribulation like never before, which is like we read in Daniel 12 verse 1. When we read in Daniel 12 verse 7, it says, and write the latter part there, and it says, and when the power of the Holy People has been completely shattered.

And I think I mentioned previously the word and is not there in Hebrew, so it possibly could mean when the power of the Holy People has been completely shattered or scattered, all these things shall be finished. And so that is when. If you read just before that, that'll be time, time is an half a time. That is three and a half years.

That ties in also with Revelation 12 verse 14. Because 12 verse 14 says, and the woman was given two wings. That is the woman that was protected and should fly into the wilderness, and she would be protected for three and a half years as well.

All right, so let's continue with the fifth seal. Singing that the church now, during the Great Tribulation, cannot preach the Gospel. Why? Because those that were doing the work, those that were persevering doing the work, went into the wilderness away from the face of the serpent.

So what we have is what is described in Amos chapter 8 verse 11. So let's go to Amos. Amos chapter 8 verse 11.

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, that I'll send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. It doesn't mean, it doesn't say a famine of reading the Bible, but it says a famine of hearing the Gospel being preached. And that's why in Matthew 24, 14 says, preach the Gospel as a witness, and then the end will come, which could well be implied the end of the work. And then there is the abomination of desolation, and the time of the church flees, and that because the work has stopped. And so there is a famine in the land on the earth of hearing the words of God. But what happens? What happens is that in parallel with that great revelation, we see God giving power to the two witnesses. If we turn to Revelation 11 verse 3, Revelation 11 verse 3, and it says, and I'll give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy 1260 days clothed in sackcloth. And those are literal days. So those two witnesses will preach to the world during the time of the great revelation, but it will not be preaching like it is today, an organization with beyond today magazines, with sermons on on the websites being put out every week, etc., because all that's been cancelled. And so what do we have? Look at verse 5. Look at verse 5 of Revelation 11. And if anyone wants to harm them, that's the two witnesses, fire proceeds from the two witnesses mouth, their mouth, and devours the enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.

Therefore, the two witnesses will not be able to be cancelled. Now, the church those that were doing the work, they were involved, committed, those that were found so doing, they are taken to an area in the wilderness from the face of the serpent. The work can't continue. There is a famine of the world, or the world in the world, but there's still the two witnesses out there. And they can't be cancelled. And they will be saying, we want you guys. And when anybody wants to cancel them, if anybody wants to harm them or cancel them, fire proceeds from the two witnesses mouth and devours them. Well, not many more people will want to be canceling them.

Kind of a strong motivation to just whoa, whoa, whoa, leave them there.

Now, there is a very interesting statement here, which is Matthew 24. Matthew 24 verse 21 and 22. Matthew 24 verse 21 and 22.

For then there will be great tribulations, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened.

Now, the word, the Greek word for shortened, is kolobu, which could be translated as abreached or curtailed. A breached means shortened in duration or extent. Curtailed could be reduced in extent or quantity. Now, you and I know the great tribulation is going to be for three and a half years. So, I would venture to say, again, I'm speculating, but I think those three and a half years are three and a half years. Daniel says it will be for 1,216 days. So, I don't think that the great tribulation will be shortened in time, but there will be a time during the great tribulation that it will be curtailed, that will be abreached, that will be reduced in the quantity of the pressure that will be on the people, in which people? The elect. The elect. So, how will it be curtailed reduced for the elect's sake? We'll get to that in a little while. But now, let's continue with this concept that I've mentioned before. Seeing that a seal is open, that once the seal is open, it remains open, right? So, the fifth seal is now open, and it runs for three and a half years. But what is going to happen after the fifth seal? It's going to happen the sixth seal and the seventh seal. So, it means that the sixth seal and the seventh seals will be opened before the three and a half years are completed. Well, at least the sixth seal will be before the three and a half years are completed. The seventh seal will be basically as the three and a half years are completed, because the seventh seal will be basically at the end of that period. But because that is the coming of Christ, and all these things stop. So, but the seal is open, Christ comes, and then all these things stop. So, these seals then effectively cease to occur, because Christ is now reigning on earth. But it means that the three and a half years of tribulation continue during the sixth seal and the seventh seal. Now, when I say the seventh seal, and then the seventh seal means Christ's coming, understand that the seventh seal has seven trumpets, and the seventh seal therefore is for a period of a year. So, when I say the sixth seal will be open and the seventh seal will be open, when the seventh seal will be open, it's not Christ coming immediately on the seventh seal. Christ coming is only on the seventh trumpet of the seventh seal. So, what are we saying is that those seals will be open, but the fifth seal, which is the great tribulation, will still keep going until the end of the seventh trumpet, until that time period, the end, the last trumpet of the seventh seal. Right. So, to put this back to a graphic representation, we have the fifth seal. The fifth seal runs for three and a half years, 1260 days.

In fact, when the fifth seal happens, before it happens, there's the abomination of desolation, and then 30 days later is the fifth seal. As abomination of desolation says, it's 1290.

The fifth seal is 1260. That, we saw, is the time of Satan's wrath, and Satan is wrath is all the way until Christ comes and deposes him, which is a period of 1260 days. But, there will be a time, as we said, as we showed, that this great tribulation will be abreached, will be curtailed, will be shortened, not in time length, but in effectiveness, particularly with the saints, for the left sake. The fifth seal remains open, the sixth seal remains open, and the seventh seal remains open, so like the first, second, third, and fourth, they remain open until Christ comes back at the seventh lost trumpet, which is the lost trumpet of the seventh seal, because the seventh seal has seven trumpets. So, when Christ comes back at the seventh trumpet, then all these things get stopped, because Satan is then bound, and then Christ rules on earth.

Okay, so a picture is worth a thousand words, so this picture gives you a little understanding, as far as this time flow. All right, so let's now read the sixth seal.

The fifth seal is the great tribulation. So, what do we have happening in the world? There's a lot of deception, because Satan has great wrath, and the beast and the false prophet are deceiving the world, quote-unquote, very happily deceiving the world, and that is the great tribulation. Also, wars and hunger and death and martyr of saints keeps going on, and is caused by Satan's deception, but also by human decisions and the deceitful and desperately wicked human heart. Jeremiah 17 verse 9, you know that. So, when it comes to a point, it comes to a point when God says, that is enough! That's it! It's enough!

So, starting with the sixth seal, God, through Jesus Christ, because it's Christ, he is the doer, he is the word, he is the one that is going to come, he is the one that is going to resurrect us, obviously all under the authority of the Father. So, Christ, according to the will of the Father and the destruction of the Father, Christ begins to directly intervene in human affairs.

How? With the heavenly sight. That's Revelation 6 verse 12 through 17. So, let's go to Revelation 6 verse 12 through 17, which is the sixth seal.

And I looked when he opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as a cloth of air, and the moon became like blood, and the stars of heaven fell on the earth as a fig tree drops its late figs when it's shaken by mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it was rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave, and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks over the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb of Christ. For the great day of his wrath, of the Lamb's wrath, of God's wrath, has come. Who is able to stand?

So the heavenly signs are signs before the great and catastrophic day of the Lord, which includes, as you have seen, the great earthquake, the sun becoming black as a cloth of air, the moon becoming like blood, the stars of heaven falling on the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it's shaken by a mighty wind, and then the skies receded a scroll when it's rolled up, and every mountain and every island is shaken and moved out of its place. Brethren, these heavenly signs are miraculous because it's a big earthquake, it's big events on the sun, big events in the stars, big events in the sky, stars falling down, could be obviously meteorites, given the impression of stars being falling down, meteorites heating the earth, the sky receding when it's rolled up, and mountains being flattered, mountains being flattered, islands disappearing or moving out of their place.

Brethren, this is serious.

This is miraculous.

This is God saying, that is enough.

This is the heavenly signs.

So that's the time when kings of the earth, great and small and slaves and free, they heat themselves in the rocks and say, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. So basically what we're talking about is not just Israel, it's not just any nation, it's all nations, all levels of society, rich and poor, whatever race, everybody are in the same situation. No one, no physical human being, being in China, being in Japan, being in South America, being in Europe, whatever they are, will escape from these heavenly signs.

And brethren, this is not global warming. This is a miracle. This is God miraculously intervening. And we read in verse 17, for the great day of his wrath has come and who is able to stand it?

Now brethren, let's just look at Joel chapter 2. In Joel chapter 2, in verse 1 and verse 2, says, Blow the trumpet in Zion and sound them along in my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. So before the day of the Lord is coming, what do we have? We have the heavenly signs.

You see, a day of darkness and gloomness, a day of clouds and thick darkness, like the morning clouds spread over the mountains, that people come great and strong, the like of whom has never been, nor there will ever be in any of them. So it is some events enormous because the day of the Lord has come.

Look at also in verse 10 and 11.

The earthquakes before them, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon grow dark.

We finished reading then in Revelation that this is the sick seal, right? The Lord gives voice before his army.

And then he says, for strong is the one who is accused his war, for the day of the Lord is great.

And look at verse 30 and 31.

He says, the sun shall be turned into darkness, the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

Very important. Very important.

So these heavenly signs happen before the day of the Lord, which is the seventh seal, which in turn consists of seven trumpets.

Look at Amos chapter 5 verse 18. Amos chapter 5 verse 18.

Woe to you desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness and not light.

So, brethren, we don't desire the day of the Lord because it will be a day of punishment to the world.

That seventh seal is the day of the Lord, and before the seventh seal comes, the sixth seal is God's warning telling, now the day of the Lord is coming. It's God beginning to intervene in world affairs.

And as we know, that's where the Apostle John was taken to in the Spirit to the Lord's day. In Revelation 1 verse 10, it says, he says, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day. So, in the Spirit, he was taken to that time frame of the Lord's day, which is the time frame of the seventh trumpet. The day, I beg pardon, of the seventh seal, which is the day of the Lamb's wrath.

But, but, before God's wrath is poured, what do we see? So, let's go back. We just finished reading verse 17 of chapter 6. So, let's go to chapter 7, and we start reading in verse 1 through verse 3. It says, after these things, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four wings, four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or any tree. Then I saw another angel standing from the east, having the seal of the living God, and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads. In other words, we've had heavenly signs. The day of the Lord is now coming.

So, there's this time gap before the seventh seal, and there's a time gap.

What's going to happen?

The sealing of the servants of our God has to happen.

This is important, brethren. This is very important. The four angels holding the four winds of the earth can be equated to the four angels that blow the first four trumpets, which harm the earth and the sea. If you look at Revelation chapter 8, verse 7 through 13, in verse 7, you see the first angel was thrown onto the earth, and a third of the trees were burnt out. And then there's the second angel sounded, and was thrown into the sea. That's in verse 8 of chapter 8. And a third of the sea became blood. You see, these angels are hurting the earth and the sea. And then you see verse 10, the third angel sounded and was thrown into the rivers. So the previous one was on salt water, and this one now, the third angel, is in drinkable type water, fresh water, and on the springs of water. And then on verse 12, the fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars. So it is in heaven. So these winds are blowing to harm the earth and the sea.

And so these four angels are held back.

Revelation 7 verse 1 to 3 says, don't harm the earth. In other words, these angels of Revelation 8 don't do your job, because these angels of Revelation 8, remember, you can see in chapter 8 verse 1, he opened the seventh seal, and there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

There's a time gap, and here is a time of sealing the servants of our God on their foreheads.

Brethren, God is not going to punish his servants who have repented, or which have repented, during the Great Tribulation. But he will seal them so that they are not hurt by the Lamb's wrath. Look at Revelation 7 verse 13 and 14.

Then one of the elders asked and said to me, who are these arrayed in white robes, and where do they come from? Who are these people that are now in white robes? These are the ones who came out of the Great Tribulation, washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. And so, he said, who are these people that are now in white robes? The blood of the Lamb.

You see, these are people, which could be some of the ones of the church that went to the Great Tribulation.

And during the Great Tribulation, it says many will die, but not all. And others will go underground.

And a lot of people that have received the gospel of the kingdom, that we have preached as a witness. A lot of those people, when they see these things and they never did anything, they will now realize we better do something.

In the meantime, there are two witnesses out there who say, yeah, you should have done something. They are not effectively preaching as a work, because there's a famine of the world. But underground, there are people, brethren, which were not protected, went into the Great Tribulation. And now they have a big role to fulfill, underground, to help convert people, to help them, as they repent, to baptize them. And as they baptize and receive God's Holy Spirit, they, them, are dressed in white. They're still human beings. They're still flesh and blood.

But they now have washed their robes and made their white in the blood of the Lamb.

Look with me to 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 17 through 19. 1 Peter chapter 1, 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 17 through 19.

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges, according to one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay, yeah, in fear, knowing that you are not redeemed. In other words, you are not bought back with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition of your fathers. But you and I, we, were bought back or redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, the precious blood of Christ.

As a lamb without blemish and without spot, we were bought back with the precious blood of Christ.

And then look also in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 19 through 22. Hebrews 10, 19 verse 22.

So really, we're talking about we have today, if we're repented and our sins have been forgiven, we have our robes washed in the blood of Christ and we are clean. We are reconciled, and we can enter in boldness the throne of God. Look at Hebrews 10 verse 19 through 22. He says, therefore, brethren, have in boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus. It's talking to us, brethren, we have been washed, our robes are white, we can now are reconciled with God, and we need to be bold to enter the holiest, the holy of holies by the blood of Jesus. Spiritually, of course, when we pray, when we approach God's throne, how? By a new and living way. Because in the Old Testament, only the high priest could get to the holy of holies, and that only once a year on the day of Atonement. But now, by a new and living way, you and I can get to the true holy of holies in heaven through the mediator, through the high priest, which is Jesus Christ. By a new and living way, which he consecrated through us, through the veil, that is, he is flesh. And having a high priest open house all of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having a heart sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Therefore, our robes are clean. So, brethren, today, as true Christians, following Christ, being disciples of Christ, having God's Holy Spirit, we are holy as far as our robes. We're not holy yet, please. Sorry, I haven't spoken yet, but what I mean is our robes are clean, and Christ accepts us.

God accepts us. That's why there is the symbolism that now, today, we are those two loaves of bread. We already are those two loaves of bread that are accepted before the Father, because those two loaves of bread that are symbolic of us today, remember, those two loaves of bread are present to the Father with leaven, with leaven. In other words, we're still human beings with sin, because leaven represents sin. So, those symbolized by Pentecost and those firstfruits, which we are the firstfruits, the kind of firstfruits, we're not yet resurrected and spirit beings, because when we're resurrected and spirit beings are transformed and spirit beings, we will not have leaven. You see, so Pentecost and the symbolism of the two loaves of bread with leaven represent us with leaven being accepted that says, yeah, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh.

Look also at Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25 through 27. That is the chapter about the church and the woman and the husband and the woman. But Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25 through 27, husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her.

That he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.

Through God's word and as God's word and God's spirit works with us and convinces us and convicts us God's word and God's only spirit. That he might present her, the woman, to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. Brethren, a part of the church was protected before the Great Tribulation. Now, the rest of the church which has been refined in the fire, remember, Revelation 3 verse 19, when it talks about Laudasia, Revelation 3 verse 19. Let's look at that again. It says, big part in 18, Revelation 3 verse 18, I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire. So you buy from me purity, but you need to go through the Great Tribulation.

So here we have part of the church. Those that are through Laudasians had to go through the Tribulation. But the other part of the church, those that are through Philadelphians, were protected. You see, so we have some were protected before the Great Tribulation. The rest had to go through the Great Tribulation, but now they repented.

And also some other people, other people, not just Israelites, but Gentiles, they will also repent.

And they will be sealed, protected. But those sealed, those protected, will remain amongst the rest of the people in the world. So what we have is, after the heavenly signs, which says, that's enough, I'm going to intervene. The several seals come on, but there is silence, there is a time gap. And during that time gap, we see, he says, hold on those, those wounds, hold them on and seal the servants of the Lord, those that have repented during the Great Tribulation. Reverend, there's a lot more to say about this, which I will continue, studying a bit further on on the next Bible study on the book of Revelation.