Welcome to our 14^th annual Prophecy Update and what changes we have seen in the world and in the Church in those 14 years!  Looking back over the updates we have done, the earliest I could find was from 1996 as we looked at the Magog invasion. And we see the nations gathering together, aligning themselves together to come against Israel just as Ezekiel tells us.  The one nation you need to be watching is Turkey because they have tried to join the European Union, become part of the west you might say, and have been rejected. And it seems like, because of this, Islam is gaining strength and as soon as they turn from the west, I believe that is the last nation needed in this soon to come war!

            Back in 1997 our focus for our Prophecy Update was a “Jet Through The Book Of Revelation.” And yes, believe it or not, in one night we finished the book of Revelation, only taking some 12 hours!  No, we did an overview and that is going to be our focus tonight as we look at REVELATION REVISITED!  In doing so we will see how world events are lining up with Biblical prophecy.

            I don’t know about you, but for me, as I look at the signs of the times related to Biblical prophecy, I am excited because I know the Lord’s return is getting closer.  But, there are those in the church community, in the Emerging Church, who see us as a threat not only to them but also to this world. Before we dig into the book of Revelation, let me share with you these words from Roger Oakland in his article called, Hostile Sentiment Toward “End-Time” believing Christians Increasing. He wrote:

If you haven't already noticed, anti-Christian sentiment is growing toward those who believe in a biblical last days/Book of Revelation scenario prior to Christ's return. A 2005 article titled "Lutheran leader calls for an ecumenical council to address growing biblical fundamentalism" should help convince you. The article shows not only this growing resentment towards Bible-believing Christians but also the interspiritual path this change in attitude is taking:

The leader of the nation's largest Lutheran denomination has called for a global Christian council to address an "identity crisis" on how churches interpret and understand the Bible. Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ... called for Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican and Lutheran churches to come together to combat a fundamentalist-millenialist-apocalypticist reading of Scripture.

            He goes on to say:

In an interview on Planet Preterist website, McLaren discusses his dilemma over eschatological-thinking believers:

I didn't start with any interest in rethinking eschatology ... I think many of us are in this kind of rethinking process--some starting from the beginning part by rethinking, perhaps, the relation of faith and science in relation to evolution and young-earth creationism . . . some starting from the middle, as they re-examine what the gospel of the kingdom of God is supposed to mean, or the idea of integral or holistic mission ... and some starting from the end, re-examining eschatology. . . .

Sometimes I think that people who are thoroughly indoctrinated and habituated into this kind of system will not be able to break free from it without experiencing both psychological and social dislocation and disorientation. (emphasis added)

McLaren also says that such Christians are really going to hurt our world. He continues:

An eschatology of abandonment, which is how I would characterize certain streams of the left-behind approach, has disastrous social consequences... Any project geared toward improving the world long term is seen as unfaithful, since we're supposed to assume that the world is getting worse and worse.

In the interview, McLaren is asked what he thinks about a "preterist book"* that was being released. McLaren states:

A lot is at stake in these conversations--and very literally, the lives of thousands of people hang in the balance because if the dominant religious group in the country with the most weapons of mass destruction embraces an eschatology that legitimates escalating violence . . . well, I hate to think about it.

In essence, McLaren is saying if you believe the Book of Revelation and Matthew 24 are yet to take place, you are a dangerous psychological misfit and are assumed to have no compassion for the suffering, no concerns for the environment or the world in which we live, and have the potential to blow up the world with "weapons of mass destruction." If McLaren was talking about big governments and political parties, that would be one thing, but he is clear--he is referring to Christians who believe what the Bible says about the last days.

Kevin Eckstrom, "Lutheran leader calls for an ecumenical council to address growing biblical fundamentalism" (Religious News Service, August 11, 2005). Interview by Planet Preterist with Brian McLaren (http://planet prete rist.com/news-2774.html).

- Roger Oakland, Hostile Sentiment Toward “End-Time” Believing Christians Increasing

            Folks, for years the battle against the church has come from the outside, unbelievers, but now it is coming from inside, from within the church as we have just seen!  Why is this persecution coming from within the church? Because we believe the Bible is God’s Word, because we believe it is inspired, infallible from Genesis through Revelation in the original writings, because we believe what the Scriptures teach regarding the world getting more evil and the Lord’s return getting closer, because we believe that God is not done with Israel as a nation and He will deal with His people, the Jews once again and they will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, that Jesus is the only way to the Father and we can only get there through His shed blood for our sins, and because of this we are unstable!

            In fact, we are so bad that they have linked us to Islamic terrorists, those religious fundamentalists! I hope you see that it is high time we awoke from our spiritual sleep and shined brightly for Christ and not blend in with the world or the unsaved, lukewarm church, this Emerging Church or whatever it will be called down the road. With that said, in spite of what they may say, let’s see what God has to say in the book of Revelation for us!

            In Revelation chapter 1 we are told what this revelation is all about. It is not about the cataclysmic judgments that are coming upon this earth and its inhabitants.  It is not about the Antichrist or the False Prophet. It is not about a one-world government or a one-world religion. It is not even about the battle of Armageddon. Yes, these are found in the book of Revelation but this book is all about the revelation of Jesus Christ as He is unveiled in all of His glory coming back to set up His kingdom on this earth and to rule and reign for 1,000 years from the throne of David!

The writing of this book was probably around 96 AD.  Keep in mind that the first wave of Roman persecution against Christians occurred under the reign of Nero, who ruled from 54 to 68 AD.  Under his command both Peter and Paul were martyred for their faith in Jesus Christ as well as many other Christians. Then came the second wave of Roman persecution against Christians and this time it was Domitian and he ruled from 81 to 96 AD.  Domitian demanded the people to worship him as God, Caesar worship.  And if they refused they were either placed in prison or put to death.  Obviously Christians would not worship anyone but the true and living God, which made them targets of Domitian!

            Extra-biblical sources tell us that Domitian tried to boil John in oil but the guy wouldn’t die, so he was sent to the island of Patmos, a penal colony.  He was exiled to die on this rocky, barren, volcanic island located in the Aegean Sea about 32 miles from Ephesus and 40 miles from Miletus.  But John did not die there, in fact, when Nerva replaced Domitian; he released John from his exile on Patmos.  Nerva was kinder towards Christians, obviously, than Domitian was.  John spent the remainder of his life in Ephesus where he died of natural causes at the age of around 100.  John was the only apostle who was not martyred for his faith. Thus, as I have said, he probably wrote this book around 96 AD.

            Some like to tell us that the Book of Revelation is a sealed book. They tell us that we should not study it. I totally disagree with that because the Bible tells us the exact opposite. In Revelation 1:3 we are told, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

You see, God wants us to read this book; He has built in a blessing for those who not only read and hear the words of this book, but also apply these things to their lives!  We might not understand everything, but we will be blessed!

           Look at the several blessings that are found in this book beside what we have read here in Revelation 1:3 and then you tell me why we should not read it? :

1.  REVELATION 14:13

“Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’”

2.  REVELATION 16:15

“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

 3.  REVELATION 19:9

“Then he said to me, Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true sayings of God.’”

4.  REVELATION 20:6

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

5.  REVELATION 22:7

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

6.  REVELATION 22:14

“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.”

           John tells us that the “time is near.”  The Greek word for “time” is KARIOS, which speaks of a period of time or a season.  You see, the next great event or era is the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan as the book of Revelation unfolds for us.  Thus, John’s warning to his generation and subsequent generations is to be ready.  It is as Paul said in Romans 13:11-14, “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”  Be watching, be waiting, be ready and walk accordingly, fulfilling the work that God has called you to do.  Jesus is coming folk’s and I believe His return is near!

            Here in Revelation chapter 1 John is told to write this to the seven churches located in Asia Minor or modern day Turkey and then we are given a description of Jesus Christ that will be used as He writes to each of these seven churches individually. These were real churches in existence at that time.  They also picture for us church history, as we shall see. And they speak to us individually.

            The book of Revelation is divided up for us very easily. In fact, Revelation 1:19 gives us the outline of this book.  This verse reads as follows, “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.”  Thus, the outline is as follows:

1.  THE THINGS WHICH YOU HAVE SEEN – REVELATION 1

2.  THE THINGS WHICH ARE – REVELATION CHAPTERS 2 AND 3. These are the things that deal with the church or the church age.

3.  THE THINGS WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE AFTER THIS – REVELATION CHAPTERS 4-22.  This deals with the things that will take place after the church age.

             Thus, that is the outline we will follow as we go through this fascinating and I believe, very timely book dealing with the Revelation of Jesus Christ!  I also think a great summation of not only Revelation but also the Bible, is given to us by Norman Geisler and William Nix.  This is what they said:

            The “Paradise Lost” of Genesis becomes the “Paradise Regained” of Revelation.  Whereas the gate to the tree of life is closed in Genesis, it is opened forevermore in Revelation.

- Geisler and Nix

            I think you have figured out we are not going to do a verse-by-verse study through the book of Revelation or we will be ushering in 2010!  In face, back in 2006 we did some 34 weeks of study in the book of Revelation on Thursday’s and Sunday’s and you can check that out if you like a more in-depth study on the book. But I do believe that this overview will help you to put things into perspective in regards to Biblical prophecy.

            Revelation chapter 2 begins the seven letters that Jesus wrote to the churches in Asia Minor. So let’s look at these seven letters because I believe they paint for us a picture of church history and since our study is on Bible prophecy, that is what we will focus on.

            In Revelation chapter 2:1-7 Jesus writes a letter to the church in Ephesus and the focus here is that they left their first love. This first century apostolic church was very orthodox in their theology, they worked very hard for the Lord but they lost that love for the Lord. And Jesus warns them that if they did not remember what it was like when they first were saved, if they did not repent of their sin, if they did not return to their first works, then He would remove their light, their witness. This is the first century church!

            In Revelation chapter 2:8-11 Jesus writes a letter to the church of Smyrna or the persecuted church from the end of the first century to the fourth century as Christians were persecuted for their faith, some 5 to 6 million being martyred! And Jesus encourages them to continue on, He knows what they are going through and they will be rewarded for their faith.  This is the persecuted church from the end of the first century to the fourth century.

            In Revelation chapter 2:12-17 Jesus writes a letter to the church of Pergamos and the focus here is the church uniting with the world. In fact, Pergamos means “mixed-marriage.”  Folks, light and darkness do not mix and what Satan couldn’t do with persecution for hundreds of years, weaken the church, he did by watering it down. And thus, it was a church that didn’t want to rock the boat, cause any trouble and they just blended in with the world. This is the church of the fourth and fifth century, from 312 to 590 A.D., as Constantine made Christianity the state religion, he joined the church with the state! It truly is as G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “The church of Christ persecute has been the church of Christ pure. The church of Christ patronized has always been the church of Christ impure.”  And Jesus tells this church that His sword, His Word will judge their actions because they compromised their faith!  This is the compromising church from 312 to 590 A.D.

            In Revelation chapter 2:18-29 Jesus writes a letter to the church of Thyatira or the corrupt church. Here is a picture of the Roman Catholic Church from around 590 to

1517 A.D. The name Thyatira means a “continual sacrifice,” which is interesting to me. You see, the Roman Catholic Church offers a continual sacrifice for sin through the Mass, indulgences and-so-on, in spite of what God’s Word says that Jesus finished the work of salvation for us! And for those who continue with their doctrine, they will be judged unless they repent! Keep in mind that this was a period of time known as the dark ages as the Roman Catholic Church tried to keep the Bible out of the hands of the people! This is the corrupt church from 590 to 1517 A.D.

            As we move into Revelation chapter 3 we continue with these letters and here in chapter 3:1-6 Jesus writes a letter to the church of Sardis and it pictures for us a period of time known as the Protestant Reformation, from 1517 to 1750 A.D. It was a time when God’s Word was getting out, when Martin Luther and others took a stand for salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and not in works like the Roman Catholic Church was teaching! Tragically, this movement died out, it became cold, lifeless. Yes, Jesus said that they had a “name,” which is a Greek word that speaks of a denomination and there were several that came out from this period, but they were dead! Look today at some of the Protestant churches, like some of the Lutheran, Presbyterians, Wesleyans, Methodists, Congregationalists and how they have moved away from God’s Word and hold up their denomination. 

            Look at how this happened. There was the compromising church of Pergamos and that lead to the corrupt church of Thyatira. Now a man of God was raised up, several in fact, and took a stand for God, bringing people back to God and a movement started.  And as this great move of God was moving forward, it became prepackaged, formulas, traditions, the Spirit was left out and it became a monument of a great work. And folks, a monument is a cold, lifeless piece of stone! And the Lord said that unless they repent, they would be judged! This is a period of time known as the Renaissance and we know it as the Protestant Reformation from 1517 to 1750 A.D. that became a dead church.

            In Revelation chapter 3:7-13 Jesus writes a letter to the church of Philadelphia, the faithful church. You see, out of this Protestant Reformation comes two main branches and the church of Philadelphia is one of them. It is a period of time known as the Great Awakening of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and truly continues on today! Jesus encourages this church that if they remain faithful they will be kept out of the Tribulation Period!  What a great and precious promise to all those who love the Lord and have received His salvation that is only found in Jesus Christ! This is the faithful church of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries!

            And lastly, Jesus writes a letter to the church of Laodicea or the lukewarm church, the apostate church of the last days, or this second branch that came off the Protestant Reformation and this is growing strong today! Don’t think this is the saved church for Jesus is on the outside knocking to get in. They have a form of godliness but deny its power, they deny Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible not the Jesus they made up in their own imagination! I see this today as The Emerging Church, The Seeker Friendly Church, The Purpose Driven Church and I am sure it will have many names to come, but it is the apostate church of the last days. I am not saying that everyone going to these churches is not saved, but when you listen to what is being taught, it is very dangerous!

            I do realize some of you don’t believe this, but listen to what is being said by these groups and as we move on in our studies, you will see how they will help form a one-world religion with Jesus but not the Jesus of the Bible!

            First of all what is this Emerging or Emergent church movement all about?  It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what they believe because there is such a variety out there and many don’t even have doctrinal statements. One writer put it like this:

To accomplish this transition, "emerging Christians" (also known as "emergents") deconstruct and reconstruct (redefine and reshape) Christian beliefs, standards, and methods to accommodate postmodern culture. The predominantly young participants in this movement prefer narrative presentations drawn from their own experiences over biblical exposition that often dictate theological absolutes. They believe change is necessary to effectively reach the post-Christian Western culture, rather than proclaim a message that is viewed as outdated and unpopular with today's "Any Way to God" tolerant culture.

The very premise of the movement provides a sense that evangelicalism must be cast aside in order for something new, radical, and more modernistic to emerge. "For almost everyone within the movement," Carson argues, "this works out in an emphasis on feelings and affections over against linear thought and rationalities; on experience over against truth; on inclusion over exclusion; on participation over individualism and the heroic loner [valiant]." This approach produces what McLaren calls "a new kind of Christian," and a new kind of church. A metanarrative or “a unifying theory of universal meaning” is to be replaced by a far more humble understanding of truth that accepts pluralism as a given, and holds any claim to absolute truth as suspicious.

Emerging church leader Pip Piper from Birmingham, UK, stated: "Evangelism or mission for me is no longer persuading people to believe what I believe, no matter how edgy or creative I get. It is more about shared experiences and encounters. It is about walking the journey of life and faith together, each distinct to his or her own tradition and culture, but with the possibility of encountering God and truth from one another." This is often referred to as a Christian-branded New Age perspective of total ecumenical acceptance.

Spencer Burke, an emerging church leader from Newport Beach, California, has a church that is experimenting with faith traditions outside the Christian fold. There is a Buddhist family in their church. As a community, the church visited a Buddhist temple. They participated in a guided meditation with this family. He feels that the Spirit has been with these people all along as well as other faiths that refute the deity of Christ. David Yonggi Cho is Senior Pastor and founder of the Yoido Full Gospel Church (Assemblies of God) and appeases the masses, 830,000 members as of current, to worship any god they wish. Roger Oakland of Understand the Times wrote, “It should be apparent what is occurring as the emerging church evangelization program unfolds. Walls that once separated biblical Christianity from pagan religious belief systems are being demolished. Instead of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ that saves sinners from certain hell, the gospel has been redefined. The narrow pathway that Jesus proclaimed leads to heaven through faith in Him alone now has been broadened to permit open access for the sake of establishing the ‘kingdom.’”

Mystical and contemplative practices are being promoted by emergent leaders such as Brian McLaren, Robert Webber, Dallas Willard, Tony Campolo, Richard Foster, and others. Publishers like NavPress, InterVarsity, and Zondervan are flooding the market with books promoting contemplative practices based on Eastern mysticism. Unaware pastors and church leaders read these books and then promote the ideas, believing they are advanced methods to draw close to God. These ideas are also being exported from seminaries to churches by graduates who have been primed to take Christianity to a new level of enlightenment using mystical and social reform philosophies.

One of the main indicators that the Emerging church is present can be seen in the way the future is perceived. Rather than urgently proclaiming the gospel according to the Scriptures and believing the time short, the emphasis will shift. A new emphasis among emergents is the idea that the world can be improved through social programs, community outreaches, and neighborhood awareness programs. While this is good by any standard, the emphasis behind it is to force the Kingdom of God on Earth as propagated by several key emergent leaders. Roger Oakland states, “This purpose-driven view of establishing global utopia may be a plan, but it is ‘driven’ by humanistic reasoning and not led by the Holy Spirit.”

- S. E. Ray, The Emerging Church – The New Reformation?

What are some of the leaders of this movement saying? Listen carefully:

"Emergent doesn't have a position on absolute truth, or on anything for that matter. Do you show up at a dinner party with your neighbors and ask, 'What's this dinner party's position on absolute truth?' No, you don't, because it's a non-sensical question." Tony Jones at the 2005 National Youth Workers Convention

"Meditative prayer like that we experienced in the labyrinth resonates with hearts of emerging generations."—Dan Kimball, Vintage Faith

"My goal is to destroy Christianity as a world religion and be a recatalyst for the movement of Jesus Christ," McManus, author of a new book called The Barbarian Way, said in a telephone interview. "Some people are upset with me because it sounds like I'm anti-Christian. I think they might be right."—Erwin McManus, from The Barbarian Way

"Many Christians use "Breath Prayers" throughout their day. You choose a brief sentence, or a simple phrase that can be repeated to Jesus in one breath." —Rick Warren

"The fact is that contemplative spirituality will play a huge part in the Church of the future, and candles are just the beginning." Duane Cottrell

"Some of the values of the emerging church are an emphasis on emotions, global outlook, a rise in the use of arts, and a rise in mysticism and spirituality."—Josh Reich
Creating Worship Gatherings for the Emerging Church

"Church Should Be Like a Dance Club" —Josh Reich Creating Worship Gatherings for the Emerging Church

"I stopped reading from the approved evangelical reading list and began to distance myself from the evangelical agenda. I discovered new authors and new voices at the bookstore-Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen and St. Teresa of Avila. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. Contemplative spirituality seemed to open up a whole new way for me to understand and experience God. I was deeply moved by works like The Cloud of Unknowing, The Dark Night of the Soul and the Early Writings of the Desert Fathers." —Spencer Burke, The Ooze

            The bottom line is this. As you look at this letter that Jesus wrote to the church of Laodicea they were self-sufficient, they had many programs but they are lost apart from Christ, the One they are leading people away from. What they are teaching is undermining the authority of the Scriptures and as you do you are going to move people away from the authority of God’s Word and you will bring them to psychological teachings, social teachings, opinions of the masses, trends of the moment and the philosophy of pragmatism or a man centered approach to life instead of a God centered approach. Folk’s that is exactly what we see being taught from the pulpits of America today!

            And that is exactly what Paul said would happen in the last days, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”  II Timothy 4:2-5.  And as we will see tonight, I believe this ignorance of God’s Word that will open the door to the one-world religion!

As we move into Revelation chapter 4 the Church Age has come to an end and we are now getting a glimpse of Heaven. And here we see the last division of this book, according to Revelation 1:19 and that is, “the things which will take place after this.”  The Greek words that John uses for “after this” are META TAUTA.  As John opens up Revelation chapter 4 he does so by saying META TAUTA or “After these things.”  You see, after the things of the church have been completed, as the Church Age comes to an end, then these things will take place, the Tribulation Period will begin.  Revelation chapters 2 and 3 covered the Church Age, as we have seen, and now we are focusing on what takes place after this.  But what happened to the church?

I believe that John is a picture of the Church and here in Revelation chapter 4 John was caught up into heaven, he was immediately before the throne of God and the Greek word for “immediately” is EUTHEOS, (yoo-theh’-oce) and it means just that, at once or soon!  I believe this is a picture of the Rapture of the Church.

Also, in the first 3 chapters of the book of Revelation the Church is mentioned 19 times and then the Church is not seen again on this earth until we return with our Lord in Revelation chapter 19.  We have been taken out of this trial that is coming upon those who dwell on the earth, those who have rejected Jesus as their Lord and Savior and the Lord’s wrath will be poured out upon them.  We will see that taking place beginning in Revelation chapter 6 as the seal judgments are opened. And so here at Calvary Chapel we believe in the pre-tribulation Rapture of the Church or that we will meet the Lord in the air prior to the start of the Tribulation Period because we are not earth dwellers, our citizenship is in heaven and thus, this trial is not for us!

            And folks, there is a difference between the Rapture of the Church and the second coming of Jesus Christ; they are not the same event.  David Breese says this regarding the difference of these two events. He tells us, “The rapture, therefore, comes before the tribulation, and takes Christians out of this world before that seven-year period of the wrath of God. Notice that, in the Rapture, Christ does not come all the way to this world. Rather, Christians are caught up to meet Him in the air (I Thes. 4:17).  At the second coming of Christ, His glorious return, He comes with the saints. 

In fact, He returns with an army from heaven for the conquest of the world (Rev. 19:11-16).  Remember, in that this is an army of His saints (Jude 14), you and I will be a part of that glorious conquest that centers on the return of Christ in power.” Folks, I agree with him, I think the Rapture of the church is the next big event before the Tribulation Period begins.             And here in chapter 4 we see 24 elders before the throne of God, and they represent the Church and God the Father is seated upon the throne.

Now, as we move into Revelation chapter 5 we see the Father have a scroll in His hand and no one was able to open the scroll or to loose its seals. This scroll is the title deed of the earth that was given to Satan when Adam sinned and John begins to weep convulsively because no one is able to take it back from Satan. But then John sees a Lamb as though it were slain, He sees Jesus who is worthy to take the scroll and to loose the seals, Jesus is the one who will take back the earth because He paid for it with His blood and He will take possession of it one day.  It is out of this that worship in heaven breaks forth, worship by the Church, by the angelic hosts; heaven is filled with the worship of God!

            As we move into Revelation chapter 6 the scene changes from Heaven to earth, from God the Father and the Lamb to the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. It is at this point that the 7-year Tribulation Period begins as Jesus begins to loose each of the seven seals with a corresponding judgment that will unfold.

            This first seal reveals the rider on the white horse and this is not Jesus Christ but the Antichrist, the man of sin! And notice that he comes on the scene as a man of peace and his crown is not that of a king, a DIADEMA in the Greek, but a victor’s crown, a STEPHANOS. And he is ushered into this position of world leader not by force but by the people. I believe this will happen on the heels of a nuclear holocaust in the Middle East, famine, economic catastrophe, ecological disasters either real or imagined and-so-on. Whatever it will take to put this man into power. He will have the answers.  How will this happen, how will people buy into this?

Arnold Toynbee, the famous contemporary historian, expressed this need perfectly when he said, "By forcing on mankind more and more lethal weapons, and at the same time making the World more and more interdependent economically, technology has brought mankind to such a degree of distress that we are ripe for the deifying of any new Caesar who might succeed in giving the World unity and peace."

The former Secretary General of Nato, Paul Spaak, adds, "We do not want another committee; we have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people and to lift us out of the morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man, be he God or the Devil, and we will receive him!"

            Did you hear what they were saying?  People are longing for peace and unity and it does not matter who will bring it, be it God or the Devil! Folks, the world is ripe to receive the Antichrist as their leader because he will not only be charismatic, but he will have the answers to their problems, at least that is what they think!  For 3½ years he will be a man of peace and then his true colors will be seen and he will lash out at all those who refuse to bow down before him!

            This second seal reveals a rider on a red horse as wars break out.  I believe we have now begun the last 3½ years of the 7-year Tribulation Period, a period of time known as the Great Tribulation! This false peace will quickly dissolve into anarchy! How could the world be so deceived by this so-called man of peace? Folks, it has happened before. John MacArthur reminds us:

It may seem incredible that the world, hovering on the brink of final disaster, could be so totally deceived.  Yet that is precisely what happened on a smaller scale before the outbreak of the most devastating war to date, World War II.  Adolf Hitler spelled out in detail his plans for conquest in his book Mein Kampf, published more than a decade before World War II began. Yet, incredibly, the Western allies (particularly Britain and France) persisted in believing Hitler’s false claim to be a man of peace.  They stood idly by as he re-occupied the Rhineland (demilitarized after World War I), thus abrogating the Versailles Treaty, then annexed Austria, the Sudentenland, and Czechoslovakia.  Desperate to appease Hitler and avoid war, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met with the Nazi dictator at Munich in 1938. Upon his return to England, Chamberlain triumphantly waved a piece of paper (containing a worthless pledge of peace from Hitler) which he claimed guaranteed “peace with honor . . . peace for our time.”  When Winston Churchill (one of the few never taken in by Hitler) rose in the House of Commons to declare that England had suffered a total, unmitigated defeat he was shouted down by angry members of Parliament. The deception was nearly universal; almost everyone misread Hitler’s intentions.  Only after he invaded Poland in September 1939 did the allies finally acknowledge the truth. By then it was too late to avoid the catastrophe of the Second World War.

- John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11, p. 179

            As we move into the third seal we see that it reveals to us a rider on a black horse, which speaks of worldwide famine! You see, all those wars and possibly drought conditions have brought about this famine and it will take a day’s wage to buy a daily ration of wheat for a man or you can buy three times more barely!

            The fourth seal reveals a rider on a pale horse, which speaks of death. You see, what is born out of wars, famine is death! The earth’s population today is over 6 billion people and over one-fourth will die in this judgment, over 1.5 billion people!  They will die as a result of wars, of famine, of pestilence and by the beasts of the earth in this one judgment!

            The fifth seal focuses on those saints who have been martyred for their faith during the Tribulation Period. How do I know that for sure?  Because of what Revelation 7:14-15 tells us, “And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.’”  And they are waiting to be avenged by God for their death because of their faith in Jesus Christ; they were martyred for their faith!

            And as we come to the sixth seal, well, let’s just read what is taking place in Revelation 6:12-17, “I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is 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 of 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! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”

            How sad a picture this is. Man knows where this judgment is coming from, God, and instead of repenting of their sin, they try to hide themselves from God and that doesn’t work! Paul reminds us in Hebrews 4:12-13, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” The problem for this group of people is that they can’t stand before a holy and righteous God in their own righteousness, which are like filthy rags, and thus, they will be judged!

            As Revelation chapter 7 opens up we see God seal 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel in the midst of this judgment. These are Jewish evangelists you might say, bringing to the Jews and the people of this world the Good News of Jesus Christ. And God is sealing them to protect them from the judgment that is to come, that is going to be poured out upon a Christ rejecting world, these trumpet judgments that are next to come onto the scene!

            As the chapter continues on we see a great multitude in heaven from “all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” and they are standing before the throne and the Lamb! Who are they? I believe they are the fruit of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses who were saved during the Tribulation Period and martyred for their faith in Christ! How do I know that? Listen carefully to what Revelation 7:13-17 tells us, “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?’ And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

            Back in Revelation chapter 6 there were those who could not stand before God in their own righteousness and tried to hide themselves from His wrath.  Here we see this group of people who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb and God will comfort them and they will praise Him! They can stand before Him not in their righteousness but the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed into their lives by faith!

            As Revelation chapter 8 opens up, we see the seventh seal opened and there is silence in heaven for a half an hour!  All worship stops, not a sound is heard, but why? I believe it is because of what is about to take place in these trumpet judgments. It is as Zephaniah 1:7 tells us, “Be silent in the presence of the Lord God; For the day of the Lord is at hand, For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice; He has invited His guests.”

            In the first trumpet judgment we see 1/3 of the earth’s vegetation destroyed as hail and fire come down in this judgment of God upon the earth dwellers. Then, with the second trumpet blast we see 1/3 of the oceans being destroyed by possibly some gigantic meteorite or asteroid with it’s tail of fire flashing through the sky and crashing into the ocean.

            As we move into the third trumpet judgment we see that 1/3 of the fresh water supply is destroyed, it has become bitter. Again, it could be some kind of celestial body that contaminates the fresh water supply, it is a star called Wormwood or Bitterness.  And in the fourth trumpet judgment we see a 1/3 reduction in daylight and it affects 1/3 of the moon and stars!  A 33% reduction in daylight in this judgment of God!

            And just when you think it can’t get any worse, Revelation 8:13 tells us, “And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, ‘Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!’” The next 3 trumpet judgments are far worse than anything that has taken place!

            In Revelation chapter 9 we see the first two woes or the fifth and sixth trumpet judgments, and they are not good!  In the fifth trumpet judgment we see Satan given the keys to the bottomless pit and he releases these demonic locusts, these fallen angels that have been chained for this judgment, these are bad dudes, so bad they had to be locked up!  And as they are released they will torment men for 5 months with their scorpion like sting and man will want to die, but for 5 months, death will take a holiday!  One woe down and two to go!

            The sixth trumpet judgment or the second woe we see more demons released, some 200 million of them are unleashed from the area of the Euphrates River and at this point death no longer takes a holiday! We see 1/3 of the earth’s population destroyed in this judgment! So at this point over 3 billion of the earth’s 6 billion people have been destroyed in these judgments! 

And tragically they still did not repent of their sin, those that remained. In Revelation 9:20-21 we are told, “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.” Their hearts were so hard, their sin had blinded them so much, they refused to repent and come to God and thus, they will die in their sins!

            As we move into Revelation chapter 10 we see a break in these judgments as some of the details of the Tribulation Period are filled in for us. Here we see a mighty angel give John a book and the message is given to us in Revelation 10:11 in what is to be done with it, “And he said to me, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.’”  John must let people know of what is coming so they can repent of their sin and receive Jesus and we should do no less!

            Here John is told to eat this scroll or book and as he took it into his life it was sweet. That truly is how God’s Word is to our lives as we take it in and apply it to our lives.  David wrote in Psalm 19:7-11, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.”  God’s Word is sweet to those who believe!

            But as John took it in it was also bitter to him, why? Because of the judgments that are coming upon those who refuse to receive Jesus, they will face His judgments! And so as John eats this scroll or book, it is sweet but then the reality of the judgment against those who refuse Jesus, it became bitter!

Thomas Paine, an immigrant to America in 1787, had leaped from obscurity to fame after writing some brilliant pamphlets on freedom. But then he made a fatal mistake. He began to write his "masterpiece" called The Age of Reason, which scoffed at Christianity.

"This will destroy the Bible," he predicted. "Within 100 years, Bibles will be found only in museums or in must corners of second-hand bookstores." His book was published in London in 1794. But it brought him so much misery and loneliness that he once said: "I would give worlds, if I had them, had The Age of Reason never been written."

Paine became a bedridden invalid until his death, friendless and alone, in 1809. The Bible remains a best seller!

Many people have come and they have gone who have echoed the same words as Mr. Paine. They speak so boldly of the demise of God’s Word, and yet God’s Word continues on and they have returned to the dust of the earth. And God’s Word will continue to stand, even in the darkest days, as a light to point people to the true and living God, even during the tribulation period. It is as Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." Matthew 24:35.

Yes, God’s Word is bittersweet!  There is the bitterness of judgment for those who reject Jesus and it is hard when family and friends close their hearts to the truths of God.  But it is also filled with sweetness, filled with the promises of God to those who love Him!  As the Psalmist said, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!”  Psalm 119:103.  It is truly as Swete wrote, “Every revelation of God’s purposes . . . is ‘bitter-sweet,’ disclosing judgment as well as mercy.”

            In verses 1-2 of Revelation chapter 11 John is told to measure the temple proper, NAOS in the Greek or the inner temple, which consisted of the holy place and the holy of holies. He is also told to leave out the outer court because that has been given over to the Gentiles. I believe the temple will be rebuilt during the Tribulation Period, the sacrifices started up again and then, during the last 3½ years the sacrifices will cease and the city trampled by the Antichrist! We see this mentioned in the book of Daniel as we are told, “Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”  Daniel 9:27.

            Both the blood and the grain sacrifices will take place for the first 3½ years of the 7-year Tribulation Period. And I believe that the Antichrist will make a covenant with the Jews and probably the so-called Palestinians to rebuild the temple. The problem today is that this area has been made into a Muslim holy site and they will not allow the Jews to rebuild, not yet anyway.  Also, in the middle of the Tribulation Period the Antichrist will go into this rebuilt temple and demand to be worshiped as god and it is then that the sacrifices will stop!

Today this Temple Mount area is a hot bed of contentions.  You see, in around 630 AD Omar built this Dome of the Rock supposedly on the spot where Mohammad was to have ascended up into heaven.  In fact, it is the third most holy site for Muslims, Mecca being the first, which is the birthplace of Mohammad and then Medina.

            Back in 1967, during the Six Day War, the Jews recaptured the old city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. And General Moshe Dayan, in a gesture of peace, gave control to Jordan to oversee the Temple Mount and now the Palestinians are in charge.  So what is the problem?

            The problem with the Jews building their temple on this Muslim site is given to us in a Time magazine article dated October 16, 1989 and titled, “Time for a New Temple?”  They said, “The merest hint of rebuilding the temple is considered an outrage by the prophets followers, who, in the words of an official at Al Aqsa, ‘Will defend the Islamic holy places to the last drop of their blood.’”  You see, if the Jews attempted to rebuild on this site, you would see a holy war break out!  I believe the key to the site of this third temple is found in this verse as John is told to leave out the outer court because it has been given to the gentiles!

            There are many theories out there as to where this temple should be built and they focus on where the previous temple and holy of holies was located.  I tend to lean more towards the one given to us by Dr. Asher Kaufman, who is a Plasma Physicist at the Rachan Institute in Jerusalem.  He feels that king Solomon’s temple stood to the north of the Dome of the Rock and feels that the holy of holies was located in a place called the Dome of the Spirits or the Dome of the Tablets.  The Muslim’s called it this in around 600 AD, and could it be speaking of the place where the stone tablets, the 10 commandments were kept in the Ark of the Covenant in the holy of holies?

Also, according to the Mishna, a highly esteemed book of Jewish oral traditions, when the high priest stood at the entrance of the holy of holies on the Day of Atonement, as he looked out he could look right through the eastern gate. And back in 1970 they excavated and have confirmed that the original eastern gate is directly below the present day eastern gate that has been sealed up by the Turks to prevent the Messiah from coming through it!  Like that is going to stop Him!

            If this is the place, the Dome of the Spirits or the Dome of the Tablets, the same place, the Jews could rebuild their temple and the Dome of the Rock would not have to be destroyed or taken down. Why? Because it will be in the outer court, a place that John was told not to measure for it has been given to the gentiles!

Also, Hebrew Christian scholar Arnold Fruchtenbaum has noted the following:

The significance of Israel’s reinstituting the Sanhedrin may be another event that leaves in place the possibility of how the Lord will work out His will with His people. Almost 60 years after a 1,900-year absence, the nation of Israel came into existence. Jewish people from the four corners of the world have made aliyah to live in the Land. The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has reconstructed the instruments for Jewish Temple worship; Jewish men determined to be descendants of Aaron, known as the Kohanim, are being trained in ritual practices to serve as Temple priests; and now we have the establishment of an authoritative body to speak to the nation of Israel on matters of Jewish religion.

This is significant in light of such passages as Zechariah 12:10 and Hosea 5:15, which speak of a time when the people of Israel will be led into the acceptance of Jesus as their Messiah. The existence of a religious authority for the entire nation will facilitate the multitudes coming to faith.

- Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries Newsletter (Fall 2004/Winter 2005), p. 4

            Today they are ready to rebuild, they have almost all they need, and they are just waiting for permission to do so.  And folks, I believe it will be the Antichrist, after the start of the Tribulation Period, who will give them permission to rebuild the temple and in the outer court, where the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque are located, as John is told, don’t measure this area because it has been given over to the Gentiles!  The Temple will be rebuilt once again as I have said, they even have the plans already to what this temple will look like!