Bible Study No 17 of Revelation

All right, good evening, brethren. We are today continuing with our study on the book of Revelation.

And during the study, we've covered the seals. Up to this moment, we busy with the beginning of the sixth seal. The first four seals, as we saw, are the first four horsemen that we see in Revelation 6, verse 1 through 8. We spend quite a bit of detail explaining how the first horseman ties him to false religion. Then that, in a sense, triggers wars. It's important for us to understand that wars, for leaders of wars, to get people to back them up. They quite often have some sort of ideology or religion or belief behind them to kind of get the people behind them. So, it does make sense that these horses follow one after another in succession. All right, then after wars, the outcome of that is hunger.

And then we have death and the grave, Hades. And there we read that power was given to them over a quarter of the earth to kill by wars, hunger, death, and by the beasts of the earth.

And as we go through this, we see the Bible talking about various beasts, first beast, second beast, and things like that. So, that is a very interesting understanding. Then we're also spent about watching ourselves, first and foremost, and also watching various situations or conditions, whether they are political conditions, they are geographical conditions, they are religious conditions, or social conditions. We also went through that.

We showed that at time will come that Israelites nations will lose the pride of their power.

We refer to Leviticus 26, where it talks as you obey me, you'll be blessed, and as you disobey me, you will receive different curses. And we also saw in Leviticus 26 a number of wives, they're coming in those curses in the number of wives. And so, one of them we saw is that Israelites nations will lose the pride of their power. And as we can see, this is progressive, but it's getting more and more recognized by the world how the pride of their power is being lost. It's not saying that the power is lost, but it's the pride of their power. So, we can see that happening. We also say that this is progressive because we come to a point in Daniel 12 verse 7. And I want to go there now to Daniel 12 verse 7. Daniel 12 verse 7. And at the end of Daniel 12 verse 7, we read, when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, and that word could be scattered as well, so when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished. So, we can see there is a progression of losing the pride and then losing some of the power, some of the effectiveness, or some of the capability of using it until it gets to a point the power of the holy people has been completely shattered.

Interesting that the power of the holy people could be seen in two different ways. It could be seen as power, which is the physical power of the holy people. That means referring to God's people as highlighted in the Old Testament and could be the power of God's people, the holy people, as highlighted in the New Testament, so meaning the power of God's Church. So, that is quite significant and quite important to remember the possible implications there. We'll also see through chapters in Isaiah that there will be a loss of liberty. Let's look at that in Isaiah chapter 1. Let's first look at Isaiah chapter 1. What I'm doing today, I am filling in a couple of gaps, a few things we have covered in the past, filling it up with a few other scriptures, and then making a little bit of progress further in some of the things we mentioned before and making a little progress ahead. So, in Isaiah chapter 1, starting in verse 4 and 5, we read, Allah's sin formation, the people laden with iniquity, the brood of evildoers, children who are corruptors, they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned their way backward. And this is so true in today's Israelites nations.

There's so much iniquity, and they are provoking God's anger by the things that are being done, because they have forsaken the Lord. Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints. This is the world today. These are the nations today. Look a little bit further in Isaiah chapter 5 verse 20. In chapter 5 verse 20, we read, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. We see that today. People are calling good things evil. Like, for instance, marriage between a man or woman as a mother and being evil, and evil things are being called good. They say, oh, and that's just love. You've got to love these actions. No, we mustn't love when people break God's laws. We love the sinner, and we hope they repent, and we pray for them to repent. But we don't love the sinner. So people today are calling evil good and good evil, who put doctors for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. This is the world today. And going to Leviticus 26, Leviticus 26, I mentioned a little earlier when I told about these light nations would lose the pride of their power. But let's look now at Leviticus 26, and we're seeing here in verse 31 through 33. This is the first wave of this series of punishments. You can see the first wave being starting in verse 16, talking about terror. The second wave of punishment, which is seven times war, starts in verse 18, which is breaking the pride of their power. The third wave is in verse 21, which says, I'll bring on to you seven times more plagues or pandemic or diseases and things like that.

And then it says, you will see that the high wave shall be desolate and things like that.

We saw that because of the pandemic. Streets were empty in some cases. Then the fourth wave, it starts in verse 23, Leviticus 26, that says, I'll punish you seven times more for your sins, and I'll send a sword against you. So that is war. And the first wave starts in verse 27, and when you look at it carefully, look at it in verse 30, I'll destroy your high places. Look at verse 31, I'll lay your city's waste. By looking at what's happening today in Ukraine, we can understand what it is when it says, I'll lay your city's waste. It is terrible. And then we look, people are being scattered. Look at verse 33, I'll scatter you amongst the nations.

So that is terrible, and that is happening today. This, for Shania, it's starting from verse 27, is actually the Great Tribulation. Now we know that the Great Tribulation has not yet happened because the abomination has not yet happened. So we're just filling in a few gaps here and closing in a few details of things that we've covered before. But when we get to the Great Tribulation, Israel will lose liberty through certain excuses like social justice, cancel culture. Those will be kind of initial stages. But the final stage will be through war and after destruction event. So that is progressive, as we saw. As these horses ride, it gets worse and worse. These four seals, these four horses. It comes to a point where the beast and the false prophet are to appear. And we went through 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 3 through 12, where it talks about there will be an apostasy and then there will be the man of sin being revealed.

We briefly went through that in previous studies. Then we see, or we also, by the way, saw in previous studies that that will follow, then it will be the abomination of desolation, and there will be the protection of a portion of the Church. Let's look at some of those scriptures briefly again, just as a point of review. That's Matthew 24. The reason I am highlighting this again today is because I want you to see very clearly that there are two waves of protection. I'll pause here for it to sink in. There are two waves of protection.

This, in a sense, is the first wave at this end time. So let's look at that in Matthew 24.

Matthew 24 verses 15. It says, therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, whoever reads, let him understand.

So we see that when you see the abomination of desolation, then it's talking about flea.

That ties in with Revelation 3 verse 10. Revelation 3 verse 10. Sorry, I've got apocalypse. That's the Portuguese way of describing the book of Revelation. So I need to change that. But Revelation 3 verse 10 says, because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. So there will be an hour of trial that will test the whole earth. Now, note that it tests the whole earth. It means it's not just in one nation or in another nation. It's on the all earth. So it'll be this late tribulation. It will be in the whole world.

This is serious times, brethren, as we look at what's happening in today's age, and we look at this being propagated around the whole world. It is very serious. It is very serious. But it says, because you kept my command to persevere, I'll keep you from that hour of trial.

So there is a promise of protection to a portion of the church, because there in Revelation 3 is part of the section that Christ is speaking to the church. These are the letters to the church. Now, in Revelation 12, in Revelation 12, verses 13 through 16, it says, when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, and we will go through this in some detail, more detail, when we get to chapter 12 of Revelation. But we have also already briefly touched on it. So in the dragon, which we know it's Satan, as we see in verse 9, so the great dragon was cast out, which is that serpent of old called the devil and Satan. So when that dragon sees that he has been thrown onto the earth, so he's been cast out of heaven, this is important for us to understand. You know, some people say, how is it possible that Satan is still accessing God's throne? Like when he's using the example of Job, that Satan exists, God's throne, he says, well, when God says, have you seen my servant Job? Well, it's because he fell, but he was not cast out. You see, there's again, there's two stages. First, there's a fall, and then starting from verse 7 of Revelation 12, there's a wall, which is probably still future, but very near. And then Michael and his angels fought Satan and his demons, and then Satan and his demons were thrown out or cast out of heaven, and they had been cast to the earth.

So at that time he sees, he has about a short time, we see that at the end of verse 12. And therefore, in verse 14, it says, he now persecutes the woman, which is the church.

But we know there is a portion of the church, because in verse 17 he says, he was angry with the woman, so he went to make word of the rest of the woman, of the children, of the offspring of the church. So a portion of the church is protected. It says, yeah, in verse 14, for at time, times and oftentimes, that's three and a half years, from the presence of the serpent, from the presence of the serpent, which means somehow they will not be able to be influenced with the deception and the deceiving of Satan. So they will be protected, because Satan is the deceiver of the whole world, as we read in verse 9. So they will be protected from that and from the evils that come from that. Right. But the Israelites nations will be overthrown. You see, so part of the church is protected and the other part of the church stays behind. For Satan to attack the other part of the church that stays behind, he has to destroy democracy in the Israelites nations. And so when we read in Psalm 83, Psalm 83 verse 2 through 8, Psalm 83 verse 2 verse 2-8, we talk here about an alliance or a confederacy that will be made, a confederacy that will be made between different nations. And it appears from what we read here, let's start reading in verse 2, because it is actually a hatred towards God. You see, this Satan hates God. So he inspires leadership in this world to hate God. But to hate God, they're gonna hate God's people and they're gonna hate the nations which God has chosen, which they have failed, granted, but they will hate those nations who were chosen by God. So he says, Behold, your enemies make a tumult, an uproar. Your enemies means the enemies of the Israelites nations. And those who hate you have lifted up their head. So it is a double meaning, because hate God, but hate God's people as well. They have taken crafty counsel against your people. So he says, they hate you, which is God, but they've taken, verse 3, crafty counsel against your people. So they hate God, and so they attack God's people and consult it together against your sheltered ones. Your sheltered ones. So they want to attack God's people. They have said, Come, and that is katibor, from being a nation. So they want to list these nations, Israelites nations, which have been, and had a hedge around them. They've been blessed. They've been prospered. We have been benefactors of these blessings and this protection from God. But now he says, Come, and let us katibor, from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more. They want to wipe out Israel. In other words, they want to wipe out the nation of physical Israel, as we have it today. But, you know, these nations call them little Satan, and then they call also the nations that help Israel the big Satan. In other words, America, United States, England, Canada, Australia, and other English-speaking nations, and other nations of that Israelite-ish group of nations. Verse 5, For they have consulted together with one consent. They have got together, and now they are of one mind, one consent. They form a Confederacy. They form like a union here, against you. Really, it's against God. And now it identifies who these nations are that have gotten together, and they are the tents of Eden and Ishmael, Eshmaelites, Boab, and Hagrites, Gabbal, Ammon, Amalek, Philistia, and the inhabitants of Tyre. Basically, these nations around Israel, around Israel, physical Israel, but, so, put it another way, we believe that probably could be nations of a Muslim group in the Middle East. It could be, and they will get together. But, it says, Assyria has also joined them. Assyria, we believe, that's probably nations like Germany, and maybe Austria, nations of that group around that area. They've joined.

One possibility, now I'm speculating, one possibility is, look, we see now that one of the things that is happening in Europe is, Western Europe is realizing they need to arm themselves. They need to strengthen themselves. It is possible that when this happens, Assyria will realize, yeah, we've armed ourselves, but if we join, yeah, we can take over the military arsenal of these nations. And now the arsenal of these nations becomes ours as well, because we take over them. And one of the big things that will be used in this war, it will be cyber war. It will be the control of satellites and things like that, and take over some of the capabilities, because when we read that this will happen over a period of a month, as we see in Ozziah chapter 5 verse 5 through 8, it happens over the period of a month.

And just kind of co-vational war, just going out to bombs and destroying, yeah, they will do that, but they will take over. And one of the ways to say, stop the water, stop electricity, stop things like that, how they do that? Because of cyber war, they will cause all this computerized stuff which is on the cloud to be managed by these cyber attacks from possibly the Syrian. As I said, I'm speculating here about how this could be, but it actually makes sense. And imagine how would the apostle John in the book of Revelation trying to describe a cyber war. How would somebody in the first century, like John when he was in the year 90, he was an old man and he's got this vision and when he sees tanks and this and that and he sees it looks like locusts. Because locusts are small, which probably is something like drones, right? We never would have thought that about 20-30 years ago, but today we say, well, it could be drones. But how would he describe things like a cyber war?

I think you would say this is power from evil, from Satan. And we can see that could have that meaning as well. So as I say, I'm speculating here. So a Syria joins them. And one of the reasons is that they will then grab the military resources of these nations and now they'll belong to a Syria. Or in other words, they belong to the beast power. Because then we can see later on there will be a conflict between the king of the south and the king of the north, right? So, but a Syria will then grab this. And that's possible. I'm speculating it. Possibly a connection here. So Israelite nations will be overthrown, as we can see here in Psalm 83, and Israelite and possibly by these nations of a Syrian background. It could be Germany, Austria, and nations of that kind, of that area. Right. Then what are we looking at now?

Is the beginning of the fifth seal? You see, we've been seeing this fifth seal because the fifth seal is the Great Revelation, which is Satan's wrath. And so if we go back to Revelation chapter 6, if you go back to Revelation chapter 6, the first seal is verse 9 through verse 11.

It's Satan's wrath for three and a half years. And so I go back to a chart that I've shown a number of times just to give you a refresher. You see, so we've had these first four seals. These are the four horsemen. Remember, they continue. False religion continues. Wars continue. Hunger continues. Plagues, death, death from wars, and all that continues. But we come to a point where we have the false prophet and that's the man of sin is revealed. The beast has risen up. Then we have the abomination of desolation. It's the time to flee. And we've seen the church is protected for a time, times, and often times. And then after that comes the Great Revelation, which is Satan's wrath. Because we read in Revelation 12, it comes down to you with great wrath. So this period of Great Tribulation, as we've seen from Daniel 12 and others, is a period of 1216 days, which is three and a half years, which runs from here all the way until Christ's coming. All right, so that is pointing this into context. So we're looking now at this period of the Great Tribulation.

All right, let's move on. All people, not only true Christians, will be forced to follow the first beast's directors. All people will be forced to follow the first beast's directors. Let's look at Revelation 13, Revelation 13, verse 7 and 8. Now, why do I say the first beast? Because in Revelation 15, starting in verse 1, talks about the beast from the sea. That's the first beast.

And the second beast is Revelation 13, verse 11. Okay, so let's go back, looking at this section between verse 1 and verse 10. It is the first beast. And so yeah, in verse 7, it says, it was granted to him, that is the first beast, that is the government, this government, this resurrected European empire superpower, to make war with the saints and to overcome them. Oh, but some of the saints would have been protected. So they make war with the remnant, the remaining, the ones that were not protected and overcome them. So there will be a lot of trial and suffering during this period.

And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue and nation. Rather, this is not just over one or two nations. It says, yeah, over every tribe, tongue and nation.

It says, all who dwell on earth will worship him. So they use some power of worship that when the beast by first comes, the whole world says, wow, this is it. And he says, it's those who they worship him, those whose name are not written in the Book of Life. In other words, those people that are not following Christ, they're not, you know, it's the world, the people in the world.

All right, now let's look at the second beast. The second beast, which starts from verse 11 on the words, which is, we understand, represents the Catholic Church, which will be led by the man of sin or the lawless one or the false prophet. The man of sin, the lawless one, the false prophet, the same. Look at Revelation 13, verse 11 through 13.

Then I saw another beast, this is the second beast, coming out of the earth. Why the earth? I mentioned it before. The earth is because it's out of an established organization. So the first beast came out of the sea, which meant out of the turmoil, out of strikes and demonstrations and chaos involved, out of this turbulence in the sea of mankind, it will come out a leader at the beast. But the verse 11, the second beast, comes out of the earth, which is out of an established organization. And he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

So it looked very religious, very lamb-like, very Christ-like. We're using maybe even Christ's name, the vicar of Christ, and whatever it may be, but spoke like a dragon, like Satan. Verse 12, he, that's this false prophet, because the beast is the church, but it's the leader of the church as well. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast, that is, of the beast from verse 1 to verse 10.

He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and does it well into worship the first beast. You see, this religious power is so influential, you see, because understand, false religion, that white horse of the first seal is still going on. You see, that seal is still on. So he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and does well in it to worship the first beast. So this religious group encourages people to worship this government whose deadly wound was healed.

So yeah, remember we went through Daniel and the statue and how those different areas in previous studies how they tie in. So it's actually a resurrection of that holy Roman Empire, of that first beast that was wounded, which was the Roman Empire, and that was resurrected and all that. So it that ties in very clearly who that is. In verse 13, he performs great signs. That's this false prophet. The man of sin, the lawless one, performs great signs. That's miracles. So that even, he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth, or lightning, or whatever you're going to call it.

So the eye is a power from Satan, a power from Satan that this false prophet has to do that in front of everybody in the sight of man. So let's look at 2nd Thessalonians. Now, 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2. 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 3 to 10. So there we see in verse 3 that the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed. We've talked about that. So we can see that the man of sin, that's this false prophet, that's the second beast, you know, and then he'll close and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that he worships, or that he sits.

He sits as God sits between brackets, as I explained that before, in the temple of God. So it does not necessarily mean that he's sitting in the temple of God, but he's sitting with appearing, that sort of appearance, as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. And then a little bit later in verse 8, then the lawless one, that's this false prophet, will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroyeth the brightness of his coming. So this false prophet will, when he comes up, you'll be alive at the time of Christ's coming.

So it's been right at the end time, you see. So the coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders. That ties in beautiful with what we read just now in Revelation 13, verse 11 through 13. And so that is what you will do, and you will bring the people to believe this lie, which is not to trust in God, as we had a sermon recently that explained that very well. So let's continue, back to Revelation 13. In Revelation 13, we read up to verse 13, but now I want to read Revelation 13, verse 16, because we're looking at this false prophet, and it says, verse 16, he causes all both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand and in their foreheads.

So now we have the mark of the beast on their right hand and their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except the one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name. So now we're talking about the mark of the beast. People will not be able to buy or sell, but it'll be a mark on their right hand on their foreheads. Look at Revelation 14, verse 9, it says, then a third angel followed them, sign for our voice, if anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hands.

So the eyes are marked on the forehead and the hand. Now I bring this to comparison with the sign of God. The sign of God is in Exodus 13. So let's go back to Exodus 13, Genesis Exodus 13. Exodus 13, verse 6 through 9, it shall be as a sign to you, talking about these festivals and particularly other days of olive and bread, it shall be a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes that the Lord's law may be in your mouth, for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt.

So yeah, God's law is a sign in your hand and a memorial between your eyes. How is God's law a sign in our hands and in our eyes? Because between our eyes, in our brains, in our minds, because we think of God's law, we are wanting to obey God, so it's a mental thing, it's a thing in the mind, between, in our foreheads, it's in our mind, we want to obey God. And when we want to obey God, because Yahweh is in the context of the days of olive and bread, and what do you do? You're going to have olive and bread during these days, so you're going to work in making sure that you're going to have olive and bread.

And as we are now approaching days of olive and bread, it's part of using your hands to do that. Let's look at another example in Exodus 31 verse 13. Now it's talking about the Sabbath. Exodus 31 verse starting in verse 13, and you can read this whole section, but I'm only reading two verses now.

It says, speaking to the children of Israel, saying, surely my Sabbath, plural, implying, I believe, weekly and annual Sabbath, you shall keep. For it is a sign between me and you throughout all the generations that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you. And then in verse 17, it is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever. For in six days, the Lord made the heavens and the earth and the seventh day, he rested and was refreshed. So the Sabbath is also part of the sign that identifies as God's people. How do we identify with God's people? Because we want to keep the Sabbath. It's in our minds.

It's our thoughts and is in our hands because it's what we do or we don't do. It's our actions. So God's sign is between in our foreheads, between our eyes, in our foreheads, in our minds, our thinking, and in our hands. Now, what is the difference between a sign and a mark?

A sign is basically, well, I put a sign. I put a sign. I want to buy this. I want to sell this. I want to put a sign. A sign is, generally speaking, voluntary. I voluntarily, or a free will, I will keep the Sabbath. It's a sign. The mark, you know, when you brand animals like cattle, and you brand cattle with a mark, that is forced on the cattle. No cattle says, well, please come in and brand me. You know you're going to put them in specific areas out there so they can't move to the left or the right. You've got to control them, and then you brand them.

They don't enjoy that. So, that mark is forced. Forced that you don't keep God's laws, and particularly God's Sabbath. So, God's Sabbath is a God's sign. This breaking God's laws, so the mark of the beast is basically breaking God's laws, because that's what Satan wants. That's what Satan wants us to do, to go against God, but more specifically, breaking the Sabbath. And therefore, there would be a forcing of people not to keep the Sabbath. So, if you keep the Sabbath, they will do everything. And when they have the power to exercise that with great hardship, they will put on you that mark so that you can buy or sell anything. So, that is a time. A real bad time. That's why we need protection, miraculous protection from God. And God promises us protection. Promises us protection.

So, that's the mark of the beast. Now, let's look at Deuteronomy 6.

Deuteronomy 6, verse 5-8.

Deuteronomy 6, verse 5-8. He says, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and these words which are come on you today shall be in your heart, and you shall teach them to your children. You shall talk to them, and you sit in your house, and you walk by the way, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontless between your eyes.

So, God's synonymous, God's laws, is the sign of God, of God's people. Look at Deuteronomy 11, verse 18.

So, we can see this principle very clearly. Therefore, you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontless, frontless between your eyes. So, the mark of the beast is really breaking God's laws, but more specifically breaking the seven. Now, the sign of the beast is not a chirp, it's not a passport, it's not anything that people know. A chirp or a passport, or a credit card, or a cell phone, monitoring where you are, may be the means, how they will control you. Maybe the means, the technology, how they will control you, but it is not the mark of the beast. This is important for us to understand. It may be the means, but not the mark.

Maybe the method or methodology they use to control you, but it's not the mark. The mark is when they control you and force you to break God's laws.

Mary talks about the image of the beast. When you go to Revelation 13 verse 14 to 15, Revelation 13 verse 14 to 15, it talks about the mark, but it says the image of the beast.

And the image of the beast should both speak and cause. Mary would not worship the image of the beast to be killed, so there's going to be an image that people are going to have to worship.

So that is something that will be set up and will speak. What it is, I don't know.

And this is verse 9. Anyone worships the beast and his image. Now, my extension, my extension, we could relate that the religious organization that sets up all these things against God's people and that causes people to worship the beast and the image. You could say that the image of the beast is that organization. Why? Because that organization has an organization structure very similar to the Roman Empire, so that hierarchy, Roman Empire authority is very similar to the hierarchy structure of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church around the world has been set up as its hierarchy structure as an image, as a copy of that Roman hierarchical structure. That government that from one man and then going down from one man down. So you could have the concept of this hierarchy structure that one man controls everything underneath and it's got these different layers of authority of dominating. It could be by extension interpreted as the image of the beast. And then it talks about the number of his name and also in Revelation 13, where we are, reading in verse 17. And it says at the end of verse 17, all the number of his name and verse 17, the eyes of wisdom, let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast for it is the number of a man and his number is 666. And we have an explanation in our booklet, the book of Revelation Unveiled at Last, I've got a copy up, the book of Revelation Unveiled at Last on page 51, explaining about the mark and the number of the beast and you can access that the contents of that page, you can access the contents of that page using that link that I'm giving you on the slide. And the example it uses there in that link is Latinos from Polycorp, but there are many other ways of calculating that number and coming to that Roman, European government that is very clearly marked to that. Right. Now, what about God's work during the tribulation? Because what was taught by the Church of God as a physical organization on the earth? In other words, what is being taught, for instance, by the United Church of God as a physical organization on the earth? Now enters a different phase. What do you mean? Because the physical organization as a church has been protected from the presence of the serpent, as we read a little earlier in Revelation 12 verse 14. And we also read that the rest of the church is now persecuted by the dragon and we're also ready to prevail. The dragon will prevail. So the church as a physical organization in a sense has been canceled. Think about it. We cannot do a work. So when the time of the Great Tribulation comes a little bit before the work will cease. That's where I said maybe that's what the 1335 days of Daniel 12 is all about. It's when the work ceases. That again I'm speculating. I don't know what that 1335 days is. But anyway, going back. So what was freely taught by the church as a physical organization now becomes a work underground because those people, that's the remnant of the church that is persecuted by the dragon, they're gonna have to go underground. They're gonna have to go hiding wherever they are. They're gonna have to hide.

And there will be people that will protect them and things like that. So there'll be some that will be surviving. They will be persecuted. The dragon will prevail. But there will be people underground like a guerrilla warfare. But now from a religious point of view that is it. And because what is happening is there's a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. As we read in Amos 8 verse 11. So this is a time of famine of hearing the word of the Lord. Remember, it's not a famine of reading the Bible. It says of hearing the word of the Lord. So you will not have the capability of going on a web and picking up and downloading or hearing a sermon. If you've downloaded your computer, maybe you haven't. But maybe you won't be able to have computers because in the electricity you'll be limited. Your computers are not there. You're running away. You're ducking and diving. You, when I say you, is those that have not been protected from the presence of the serpent.

Right? So how is the work gonna be done? You see, with the destruction of the church as an organized physical entity, God is not hindered to preach a warning. You see, in Daniel 12 verse 7 says, the power of the holy people be utterly shattered. Yes! So, I believe that the holy people applies to physical Israel and spiritual Israel, of which we are the church of God, spiritual Israel. So the power of the holy people is actually shattered. We can't do the work.

But God is not hindered. You see, because we have the two witnesses appear during these three and a half years and they will not be canceled. Look at Revelation 11. Sorry, it should be that two witnesses, not he two witnesses. I can't pull. My apologies. So, during the Israeli three and a half years, look at Revelation 11 verse 3. He says, and I'll give power to my two witnesses and they will prophesy 1260 days. That is three and a half years. That is for three and a half years. And that is during the time of the great tribulation. And look at verse 5. And if anyone wants to harm them, if anyone wants to cancel, he says, you guys can't do. Or if the media wants to shut them down, they can't because it says in verse 5, if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours the enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, it must be killed in this manner. And I tell you, if people say, well, they don't show about these people and they have this power and causing this, the media, like it or not, they're going to show this. It's going to be news. There's going to be news. So the two witnesses are now frustrating the beast and the false prophet. And so it's two against two. There's the beast leader and a false prophet leader. And there's the two witnesses, two against two. There's this challenge frustrating and we read in Revelation 11 verse 7 that when God says you have finished this work for three and a half years, in verse 7, when they finished it, test me, the beast that ascends out of the bottom of the speck, that is that false beast, will make war against him and overcome them and kill them.

So they'll be killed. And you know, they'll be killed three and a half days before Christ comes.

So and understand, when they be killed, it will be right as when Christ comes.

And they will actually be the first ones to resurrect and then it will be the seventh trumpet and then the resurrection of the saints and it's Christ coming. So that is Christ coming.

And the seventh trumpet, Christ coming is symbolized by the day of trumpets. So brethren, do not be deceived by people that say, oh well, the resurrection will be at Pentecost. That is false because the two witnesses here prove when they die, three and a half days they did, and then it's a resurrection and it's Christ coming, which is the last trumpet and it's a resurrection. It's all there. It's very, very important. But the point I'm mentioning here is God's work will be done during the tribulation in the form of the two witnesses.

All right. So we see that the beast receives power from Satan.

Right? The second beast uses the power of the first beast and performs great miracles and calls the whole earth to worship the first beast. These are things we looked at. Right. But the king of the south, probably the sunnis, push against the first beast, which is the king of the north. And that is in Daniel 11 verse 40. Let's go back to Daniel 11 verse 40. Now, Daniel 11 is the greatest or the longest prophecy about in the Bible, the most detailed, even probably there, Daniel 11. But in verse 40 says, at the time of the end, the king of the south will attack or push against him. That's against the beast, against the king of the north.

Right. And the king of the north, which is the beast, shall come against him. That's the king of the south, like a whirlwind with chariots and horsemen who are near the ships, and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them and pass through. And so he will then, actively destroy the king of the south. So we see the king of the north now, during the tribulation, gaining power and he gained power with the help just before it, by Assyria and things like that, destroying these relish nations and possibly getting hold of their armaments and things like that. So the beast power now is very powerful and it's got this power and it's also got cyber power. So and it's got miraculous power from Satan as well. So the whole world says, who can fight against the beast? Who can? This is what we read here in Revelation 13 verse 4. Who can fight against the beast? Revelation 13 verse 5. And they worshiped the dragon and gave authority to the beast and saying, who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him? But you see what happens is the king of the south says, ah, ah, ah, you know, and then they wiped out, completely wiped out. Now this is described in a lot more detail in the Middle East Bible Prophecy booklet, which is this one, the Middle East Bible Prophecy booklet in the chapter called The Coming of Islam. And I've got the link there to that chapter as well. So that is the thing that I believe it will happen sometime during the Great Tribulation, probably fairly near the early part of the Great Tribulation.

Now the Great Tribulation goes on. It caused a lot of trouble. We know it's prophesied to be for 1,260 days. But let's now look at the sixth seal, which is the heavenly signs. And that is in Revelation 6 verse 12. Revelation 6 verse 12, it says, and I looked, and when he opened the sixth seal, behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black. And we went through this a little bit last time. As I'm saying to you, I'm filling in additional details into all these prophecies. So this now, as we read at the end of verse 16 and 17 of this section of Revelation 6, in other words, of the heavenly signs, says, right at the end says, fall on us, hide on us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of lamb. So people go underground, will go to their basements, like you see to bomb shelters, to whatever it is. People hide from us. And it says, fall on us and hide us from the wrath of the lamb. Verse 17, for the great day of his wrath has come. Of his wrath of the wrath of the lamb, which is the wrath of God, which is, that has come.

Now, what do we have here? We have, in Matthew 24 verse 22, it says, and we covered that last time, that no one will be saved alive unless those days would be shortened. And if it's shortened in the number of days, so then the tribulation is early, finishes early. Is that what it could be?

I believe that the word therefore shortened is being the Greek word 2856 kolobu, which means mutilite, shortened, abreached, curtailed, could very well mean that the power, the influence of the great tribulation, it will be curtailed, will be diminished. How? But what are we going to see that is going to happen with the heavenly signs and afterwards? We're going to see that in a moment.

Because if that was not curtailed, would it was not diminished in influence, in its strength, no human being would be saved, but for the sake of the elect, those days will be shortened. Yeah, because the elect are some people that are living through the great tribulation, as we're going to see in a moment, and they will die, but God wants to keep them alive. And remember early on, I said there's two waves of protection. We're going to look now at that second wave of protection.

So, the wrath of God will be poured on the day of the Lord. That is the seven seals, which consists of seven trumpets. When we look at Joel chapter 2 verse 31, look at me, let's read, Joel chapter 2 verse 31, Joel chapter 2 verse 31, and you may want to keep a note there on Joel, because we're going to come back to it a little later. Joel chapter 2 verse 31 says, the sun shall be turned into darkness and the morning to blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

You see, so the heavenly signs will happen before the great day of the Lord. So, the heavenly signs and God's wrath are linked in a way that the heavenly signs is the warning of God saying, right now I am going to intervene in the world. Now is my wrath, and that is the beginning of the day of the Lord. So, we know a day for a year, numbers 1434 is equal, 4 to 7, a day for a year prophecy. So, the day of the Lord is that one year which is symbolized by the seven seals which unveils the seven trumpets. So, the tribulation is for three and a half years, but one year before the tribulation ends, it's curtailed, it's impacted, and the sign that God says, now I'm going to intervene, is the heavenly signs.

And then after that, there's going to be the seventh seal open, and the seventh seal has seven trumpets.

And the last trump of those seven trumpets symbolizes the first resurrection and Christ's coming. The last trump also unveils the seven lost blanks which will complete the wrath of God.

That's in Revelation 15 verse 1. We will go into that when we get to that later on.

So, the wrath of God is the seventh seal. The seventh seal causes of seven trumpets.

That is the wrath of God, but the final act or punch of the wrath of God is the seven lost blanks which complete the wrath of God. And that word complete in Revelation 15 verse 1 is teleo, which says to bring to a close to finish to end. It ends, completes, for fulls, it completes to the full. It adds the last punch to it. But remember, before the wrath of God is poured on earth, those that have repented during the great tribulation will be sealed, protected from the effect of these trumpets, of these seven trumpets, of the seven trumpets and the seven lost blanks. So, they'll be sealed, they'll be protected. And this is the second wave of protection. Remember, I said there's two waves. There's a first wave before the great tribulation, which is a portion of God's Church. And then there's a second wave of those that repent during the great tribulation. Now, it is important for us to counter this point so you can understand from the Bible. Although the whole world will be deceived during the great tribulation, deceiving the whole world, there'll be many people that had been called during our work today. So, we've got booklets out there, we're preaching the Gospel, people know this truth. And you know, people even have things from the days of the worldwide Church of God. We have these things, we have this material that is still out there. The booklets have been there, been sent out all over the world, all over the place. And some of God's people went on the ground, but others have the material. So, others will say, we should have learned, we should have paid attention, we should have acted. And so, now, during the great tribulation, when these things are happening, these people, they were called, but did not act. They are called, but few are chosen. So, these people are called, but they haven't been chosen to be protected before the great tribulation. And it is too many, of course, they've chosen to be in the Kingdom, because they've responded, but few are chosen, means they have not responded. But during the great tribulation, they will say, we should have done something. We better repent now. We better repent now. You see? So, look at Matthew 22 verse 14. Matthew 22 verse 14 is a parable of the wedding.

Of a wedding, Matthew 22 verse 14, it says many are called are chosen, but that parable, it's talking about a wedding feast.

And starting in verse 5, it says those people were called, but they didn't pay attention. Ah, no, you know, and some obviously were killed in the process, and they killed others and all that, but they didn't pay attention to this. But when this happens, they'll say, bang, I should have paid attention. You see, there will be some people that during the great tribulation that will repent.

Now, that is why, brethren, we preach the Gospel as a witness to the wall, Matthew 24, 14, before the great tribulation. Because then they'll be given a hope, maybe by the two witnesses, but also because they have heard this information from us. So, they have that hope. And therefore, because the Gospels preached to them, they will not have a hope to say, because all these things happen, I better repent, I better change, I better change. And, brethren, God always gives people a chance to repent.

God always gives people a chance to repent. Remember, I read to you those five waves on Leviticus 26. Now, let's go back to Leviticus 26.

Leviticus 26, and I mentioned that the fifth wave, which was the tribulation, started in verse 27. But now it comes, later down, in verse 40. So, it's actually during the tribulation.

And he says that if they confess the iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their un-fifle, in which they were un-fifle to me, that they also have walked contrary to me.

I, and I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of the enemies. If the innocent, incised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt, then I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abram. I'll remember the land. And look a bit further in verse 44. Yet for all that, when they are in the land of the enemies, that's in the great tribulation, I will not cast them away. Nor shall I abode them, to after destroy them, and break my covenant with them.

So, God will not destroy them all. So there will be another of them that will be protected.

Now remember, I asked you to keep a marker in Joel chapter 2. Well, go now to Joel chapter 2.

Start in verse 1. Blow the trumpet inside, and souther the law in my holy mountain. Oh, that's the day of trumpets, isn't it?

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming.

The day of trumpets, seven trumpets, the seven seals, represents the seven trumpets, represents the day of the Lord, represents that one year. Remember? The day of the Lord is coming.

How do we know that? By the heavenly signs, right? The heavenly signs tell us, now is the day of the Lord coming. For it is an end. A day of darkness, and glooners, and 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, or will ever be, any after them, even after my success. So, that is talking about that day of the Lord, seven trumpets. Look a little bit further in verse 10 and 11. The earthquakes before them, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon grow dark, the stars diminish their brightness, the Lord gives voice before his army, for his count is very great, for strong is the one who executes his word, for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible.

You see, the heavenly signs are before the day of the Lord. Who can endure it? Who can endure it?

Now look at verse 12. Now therefore, says the Lord, turn to me with all your heart, with fasting and with weeping and with mourning, so reign your heart and not your governments, return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, he relents from doing harm. No, brethren, who knows if you will turn and relent and leave a blessing behind him. You know, those people are going through the tribulation.

They know the day the Lord is coming, the sun, the moon is turning black. He says, who knows if God will relent and will protect me and will see me. Look at verse 31, which is what we saw a little earlier, Joel 2 verse 31.

It says, the sun shall be turned into darkness, the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. But look at verse 32, and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Whoever calls and repents during the great tribulation has the opportunity to be protected. So that is very significant, very significant. Many will repent during the great tribulation.

Before God punishes the world with his wrath, you will also protect, seal, those who repent during the great tribulation. So if you turn now to Revelation chapter 7, because at the end of Revelation chapter 6, there's the great day of the Lord is coming.

And if you go to chapter 8, in verse 1 says, when he opened the seventh seal, and it says there was silence in heaven. So what happens in that time in between? It's Revelation chapter 7. It's Revelation 7. After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth on the sea on any tree. Who are those? Those are the first four trumpets that start in chapter 8. The first four trumpets, the first one's in verse 7, the second one in verse 8, the third one in verse 10, and the fourth one in verse 12 of Revelation 8. Those are the four winds. So it says, hold it, hold it. It's like this silence in heaven for half an hour. However, that there it is. And it says, I saw an angel ascending 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 in the sea. Those are the four first trumpets saying, do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.

You see, it says, don't do anything until I've sealed the servants of our God. Now, who are they?

In verse 13 and 14 it says, then one of the elders asked, who are these arrayed in white robes and where they come from? And I said to him, sir, you know. So he said to me, these are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

These are the ones that went through the great tribulation and have come out. They survived through the great tribulation and they repented and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.

And we can see there are two groups. You see, one is in verse 4, Revelation 7 verse 4, and I heard the number of those who were sealed. 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

So that's one group. He relies.

And verse 9, and I heard after these things, verse 9, after these things are looked, and I heard after these things, verse 9, after these things are looked. And behold, Yah is another number, but it's not 144,000. He's a great multitude which no one could number.

But now it's not of all the tribes of the children of Israel, but it's of all the nations.

So you can see the parallel. The one he gives you, he heard, and Yah is that number of Israelites.

And then in verse 9, he said, Yah is a number which no one can number of Gentiles. You see, because when the Bible talks of nations, it's Gentiles.

So what do we have is two groups of people that are being sealed by God, and they have their robes made white with the blood of them.

Now, these 144,000 in verse 5 through verse 8, we can see that the tribe of Dan is not represented amongst these 144,000.

Brethren, these are 144,000 people that are living and have come out of the Great Tribulation, or they are alive during the Great Tribulation, and these are 144,000 Israelites.

Physical people that are being sealed. Why? Why are they sealed? Because they are protected from the wrath of God, which is to come.

Now, the tribe of Dan is not represented. There may be a few people from Dan, but they are being treated, possibly, now I'm speculating, possibly as Gentiles. So they'll be treated as a nation. Why? Because tribe of Dan got very mixed with idolatry and behavior, so that amongst this group they're not even treated as part of Israel. I'm not saying that they will not be treated as part of Israel in the new heaven and new earth and all that, but I'm just saying amongst those they're going to be protected because they got so involved with idolatry and things like that. There's not enough. Maybe I'm speculating all of them. So those other Danites, I'm speculating again, remember, could very well be amongst treated amongst those others from other nations. So, as we see in Revelation 7, verse 13 through 15, he says, they washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the lamb.

Do these people need to be at this stage spirit beings, so that they are before the throne of God?

If they are spiritual, why do they need to be sealed and protected?

Now, look at Zephaniah chapter 3 verse 12. Zephaniah chapter 3 verse 12.

Zephaniah chapter 3 verse 12.

I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.

Brethren, I believe this is fulfilled here. At this time of the end, these people will go through the great tribulation, and they repent.

I believe they will be meek and humble. They trust in God.

I think that's the fulfillment of Zephaniah 3 verse 12.

Now, it says they washed in the blood of the lamb. Aren't we, you and I, washed in the blood of the lamb? Look at 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 17 through 19. 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, yet in fear, knowing that you are not redeemed with corruptible things like silver gold from your animalist conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of the Lamb of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot. You see, we are redeemed by Christ's blood. We are brought back.

And look at Hebrews chapter 10 verse 14. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 14.

This is a very important chapter verse. A lot of people don't pay a lot of attention to it, but we should. And it says by one offering, Hebrews chapter 10 verse 14, it says by one offering, he has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. Christ has perfected us forever. And that is mind-boggling, brethren. We are perfected already forever, but we're not perfect yet. We are being sanctified, continuous presenters.

But he's done his part. For he's concerned we did already.

And therefore, look at verse 19. Look at verse 19 through 22. It says, Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, what do you mean enter the holiest by you enter the throne of God?

Today, it says, brethren, have boldness now today to enter the holy of holies by Jesus' blood by a new and living way, which he consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh. Remember, the high priest, only the high priest, could go to the holy of holies, and then only once a year on the day of atonement. Remember? But now we have a new and living way through that veil that is through the crushed flesh. You and I can access the holy of holies any moment you and I get on our knees to pray to God.

You and I pray to God. We are before God on Israel, on God's throne.

We enter today, spiritually speaking, in the holy of holies by Jesus Christ's blood, having our hearts and body washed with pure water. Look at, continue our reading in verse 21. And having high priests over the house of God, let us draw near with true heart, with full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Then if we are washed with pure water, and our hearts are sprinkled from a evil conscience, we are white.

So when we read Revelation 7, verse 13 through 15, Revelation 7, verse 13 through 15 says, these are arrayed in white robes, and these come before the throne of God.

Isn't that what you and I do today? Isn't that what you and I do today? It says, come of Paul must see to the holy of August. So those in Revelation 7, 15 are physical beings, which need to be sealed, physically speaking, so that they do not suffer the punishments of God's wrath. Well, because God is going to punish the world, why should He punish those that have repented? Why should God punish those that have repented? Brethren, this is enormous hope for us, for our beloved ones that are not repenting today.

And that way, Christ will guide them to the fountains of the world.

Read, at verse 16 through 17, they shall not hunger anymore, nor thirst anymore, during that latter part of the Tribulation they want, and beyond, because after that is the wonderful world tomorrow. The sun shall not strike them nor any heat, for the Lamb who is in the midst of the front, will shepherd them and lead them to living waters. They're not yet in living waters. We will lead them, because they sealed them, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Yeah, that's the whole future, but they have that courage to go through it. Do you know that Revelation 7, 16, and 17, this section here I'm reading, they shall neither hunger nor thirst anymore, the sun shall not strike them nor any heat, for the Lamb who is in the midst of the front, will shepherd them and lead them? Do you know it's a direct quote from Isaiah 49 verse 10? Let's go and look at Isaiah 49 verse 10. Isaiah 49 verse 10.

Isaiah 49 verse 10.

I'll make each of my mountains Yeah, sorry, verse 10. Verse 10, sorry. They shall neither hunger nor thirst, neither heat nor sun shall strike them, for he who has mercy on them will lead them. That's Christ, even by the springs of water you will guide them.

And do you know, brethren, what is the context of Isaiah 49 verse 8? He says, I'll preserve you, and then he says, and these people will come in my highways, and they'll come from afar from the north and the west. You can read that in verse 12. And he says, and they'll come, because what he's talking about, yeah, brethren, is the second Exodus.

The context is the second Exodus. The second Exodus is when brethren come at the beginning of the millennium, which represents the Feast of Tabernacles, which is after all these things have happened, and second he's put in jail, these people come. And where do they come from? Because they've been sealed through this. They survived. They're the ones that have repented. They're the ones that have repented, as we saw in Joel 2. And they've been sealed, a great multitude of Gentiles and 144,000 of Israelites. They'll come, the second Exodus. And in many scriptures about the second Exodus, I'm listing, yeah, a number of them that you can read about about the second Exodus. That is, the people that will come, there will be the physical pioneers of the world tomorrow. Brethren, that is so encouraging, and everything just makes sense.

Now that they are protected, God's wrath during the seven trumpets can be pulled.

But we see the rest of the population from your own words, they do not repent.

Anyway, brethren, I hope you've learned something very encouraging, very encouraging, because we're going to go through very difficult times. We've got to be close to God, but even those that have not repented, they will get a chance when things really get bad. May God spare our beloved ones and may they repent in the days ahead.