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Day of the Lord's Wrath |
Dear Brethren,
The Countdown to the return of Jesus Christ will be complete
when the last trumpet sounds. "The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in
heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he
shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 11:15) After six thousand years of
human misery, wars and sin, this world cries out for the day of Christ's return in power and great glory.
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour
Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13)
Students of the Bible understand that God has given us a prophetic outline of events leading up to the
return of the King of kings, Jesus Christ. God's Feast days reveal His plan of action.
"The Lord spoke unto Moses, saying.., In the seventh month, in the first day of the month,
you shall have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation."
(Leviticus 23:23-24)
By comparing the words of Jesus in Matthew 24 with those in Revelation, the full meaning of the Feast of
Trumpets is revealed. When opened, the seven seals of Revelation 5 reveal the sign
of Christ's coming spoken of in Matthew 24. "I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the
throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals."
(Revelation 5:1) "As [Jesus] sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,
saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the
end of the world?" (Matthew 24:3)
The first four of the seven seals
explain the four horsemen. The
opening of the first seal revealed the rider of the white
horse representing the false prophets and false teachers
that will deceive many until the second coming of Christ. "Jesus
answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many
shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."
(Matthew 24:4-5) "I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that
sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth
conquering, and to conquer." (Revelation 6:2)
The opening of the second seal revealed the rider of the red
horse representing the wars that would ravage the earth until
the second coming of Christ. "You shall hear of wars and rumors
of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass,
but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom." (Matthew 24:6-7) "There went out another
horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace
from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto
him a great sword." (Revelation 6:4)
The opening of the third seal revealed the rider of the black horse representing
famines, and natural disasters. "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places."
(Matthew 24:7) "When he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come
and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand."
(Revelation 6:5-6)
When the fourth seal was opened, the rider of a pale horse representing death and
pestilences went forth, and the grave followed
him. "There shall be famines, and pestilences, and
earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
(Matthew 24:7-8) "I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that
sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them
over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with
death, and with the beasts of the earth." (Revelation 6:8)
Satan's great wrath will be unleashed on all
of mankind in the first two and a half years of the soon
coming great tribulation. This is the fifth seal. "Woe
to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil [Satan] is come
down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short
time." (Revelation 12:12) "Then shall they deliver you
up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for
my name's sake." (Matthew 24:9) "When he had opened the
fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word
of God, and for the testimony which they held." (Revelation 6:9) "I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me,
These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes,
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Revelation 7:14)
Following the great tribulation,
heavenly signs will usher in the opening of the sixth
seal. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall
the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken."
(Matthew 24:29) "I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo,
there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and
the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a
fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty
wind." (Matthew 24:29) "I will show wonders in the heavens
and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned
into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of
the Lord come." (Joel 2:30-31)
The heavenly signs will usher in the seven trumpets - the seventh seal. "There
shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with
perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after
those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall
they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:25-27)
"When he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I
saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets."
(Revelation 8:1-2)
The seven trumpets signal the day of God's wrath, the day of the Lord. "The great day of
the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man
shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of
wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day
of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring
distress upon men. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of
the Lord's wrath." (Zephaniah 1:14-18) "The great day of His wrath is come; and who
shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6:17)
As the day of the Lord's wrath begins, the first trumpet sounds, and a third of the trees
and grass are burnt-up. "The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled
with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green
grass was burnt up." (Revelation 8:7)
At the second trumpet, one third of the oceans and sea-life are ruined.
"The second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire
was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third
part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third
part of the ships were destroyed." (Revelation 8:8-9)
One third of life sustaining water is contaminated at the time of the third
trumpet. "The third angel sounded, and there fell a
great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third
part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star
is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many
men died of the waters, because they were made bitter." (Revelation 8:10-11)
The fourth trumpet signals the time when the sun's strength is greatly diminished.
"The fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and
the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third
part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the
night likewise." (Revelation 8:12)
The fifth trumpet begins the three woes, the first of which is the battle with Satan and his
army. "I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice,
Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three
angels, which are yet to sound!" (Revelation 8:13) Jesus said, "I beheld Satan
as lightning fallfrom heaven." (Luke 10:18) "The fifth angel sounded,
and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit…
And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee
from them… And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the
Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon."
(Revelation 9:1-11)
War escalates in the sixth trumpet to the point that one-third of mankind is
killed. "One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes
more hereafter… And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four
horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which
had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river
Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and
a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men."
(Revelation 9:12-15) The two witnesses are slain. (Revelation 11:7)
Now the wrath of God will be completed. We have come to the seventh seal,
the seventh trumpet, and the third woe, which is the first vial of the seven
last plagues of God. "The second woe is past; and, behold, the third
woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded... And I saw another sign in
heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues;
for in them is filled up the wrath of God." (Revelation 11:14-15; 15:1)
"One of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of
God, who liveth forever and ever." (Revelation 15:7) "I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the
seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the
earth." (Revelation 16:1) "Then shall appear the sign of
the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and
they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory." (Matthew 24:30)
The first vial causes horrible sores. "The first [angel] went, and poured
out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of
the beast, and upon them which worshiped his image." (Revelation 16:2)
Death of the seas is the result of the second vial. "The second angel poured out
his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea."
(Revelation 16:3)
All water becomes useless at the third vial. "The third angel poured out his vial
upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood." (Revelation 16:4)
At the fourth vial, the
sun erupts with a scorching fury. "The fourth
angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch
men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of
God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him
glory." (Revelation 16:8-9) "Moreover the light of the moon
shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,
as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of
his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound." (Isaiah 30:26)
Evil mankind has not repented, even as the
fifth vial is poured out on the seat of the
beast. "The fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of
the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues
for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their
sores, and repented not of their deeds." (Revelation 16:10-11)
The sixth vial dries up the
Euphrates River in preparation for the battle of that great day
of God Almighty. "The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great
river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings
of the east might be prepared… to gather them to the battle of that great day of
God Almighty." (Revelation 16:12-14)
And we come to the final plague - the seventh vial - the greatest natural disaster
in man's history. "The seventh angel poured out his vial into the air;
and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne,
saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and
there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so
mighty an earthquake, and so great… And there fell upon men a great hail out of
heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because
of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding
great." (Revelation 16:17-21)
When the seventh seal, the seventh trumpet, and the seventh vial are complete, the Lord's wrath will be
complete. "The seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The
kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever
and ever." (Revelation 11:15)
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Sermon: |
"Day of the Lord's Wrath"
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