Total Pageviews

Saturday, December 15, 2012


The inevitable question hangs tough today, demanding an answer. Millions want to know, “If God is (real), how could He allow such evil? Yesterday, twenty innocent (in the eye of God) little people entered Heaven, never to feel pain again and we, like Job, are left to work this over, trying to wrap our heads around this evil. In the first book of the Bible, we find Gen. 1:26 and we see that God made man in His Image. God is a Spirit being and in no manor human at the point of Creation and that is important to remember here. And in the Bible, we learn that God created all that has been created for “His” pleasure... God has free will and because we are created in the image of God, we have free will. In the first chapters of Genesis we see that free will has good and evil options to work with ad sometimes from. We find early on that God, the Creator, walked with Adam in the cool of the evening. Adam and God both longed for fellowship and both chose to enjoy the other. And in the second chapter, we see God finds that Adam is without a help mate and God removes one of Adam's ribs and creates the most beautiful, perfect vision of a woman and rings her to Adam to wed. God's free will is always perfect and His actions are always time just right. Adam was alone just long enough to know that he was incomplete, just long enough to develop the need for his mate. If God had created Eve at the same time He did Adam it is quite possible that Adam might never have realized his deep need need of the fellowship she brought to his life. If Adam had never had the opportunity to realize his need for companionship, he and we might never have had the opportunity to realize that his need was a picture of the free will love God feels for us. (The first three chapters of Genesis cannot be exhaustively taught from the pulpit in a year, maybe two.) The other side of free will is evil! But, you see, without the ability to exercise free will, there can be no love and love is the good every one of us needs. Love is not the product Hollywood pushes onto our children when we fail to live the truth in front of them. What Hollywood is selling is a soft side of evil. No! I did not just call the coupling of a man and his wife evil. However, what is ignored in the church today, the back seat activities of teens and the married but not to each other activities, promoted by Hollywood and Broadway is evil... soft, wanted but evil! And I assure you that you need to study the Book of Job until you can see the love of God that I see there. As bad as it appears, God knew Job's breaking point and He never allowed Satan to push Job that hard. When Job's trial was over and he had learned how strong his faith was, he ws completely restored and he was blessed wit hthe knowledge he would never have gained. The moms and dads are mentally collapsed today and the journey back is very, very hard to travel. When my very best friend took an eighty-one mm in the chest, I was the first to find him and I remember nothing of the following three months other than what I was told I did. The parents of these missing babies do not have an ever present enemy and they are not supplied with a never ending supply of munitions, praise God. They need our tears and our prayers and no, they will not be healed in ninety days and they will not be healed in twenty years. These fellow parents, grandparents, classmates, brothers and sisters are hurt and incomplete until the day they, I pray, go home to Heaven. Please, cease not to pray.
Where in the world to begin? Today the people of Newtown had a visit from Evil. I have a firend with the screen name, Major. Major and I knew Evil and lived with him for a long time. I suspect that, like myself, Major has had his heart ripped out of his chest, once more. Evil murdered 20 children, at least some of them and possibly all of them, Kindergärtners. And to add to the carnage, he murdered 6 adults. I have a number of dreams that refuse to leave me alone and have often awakened my wife with screams for her to get in the damned hole before they kill her. For three tours I lived, ate, drank and slept with Evil and I now live to warn people that they never want to know what I and Major know. You see, as close as we lived to evil for as long as we did, we do not know the horror of the Evil these babes now hold in their precious hearts and it brings tears to my eyes to know it. It is a sad thing but as they gather all the knowledge and as they do all the interviews and as they publish it for us to know, you must understand, neither they, the officials and reporters, nor any of us will ever know the permanent damage done to these babies. Some of the victims will not even become aware of the damage done to them for Decades yet, themselves. My doctors accuse me of being hyper-vigilant because I need to know who is behind me and what they are doing. Some of the Little People will now have this same need and they are to darned young to know the Face of Death and his brother, Evil, these are Small Americans! My call is to prayer. (2Chro. 7:14) I'm not crazy, these evil deeds were never known in this land before I became a man and joined the military. I spent seven years, ten months in the service to my country and when I returned home, it was common to have weekend Sex Parties with fifty people or more attending... pure evil! Our nation and these babies need the prayers of God's people. If you are not indwelt with the Holy Spirit, I, neither, expect you to understand this need nor should you fall on your face and pray, God will not listen to you! On the other hand, there is a small group that, like myself, live with the guiding hand of the Spirit of God, and now is the time for us to pray for the hand of God to be on these babes, their parents, the teachers, the police and our nation, please pray without ceasing.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Acts 1:1-5

Act 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
Act 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
Act 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Act 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

There are a rather odd assortment of teachings today that, simply put, defy the very Word of God. More and more, these days, I find myself having reason to teach elementary school basics to young adults due to the true State of the Union. There is no story nor any written record that can be, properly, used without the lost art of comprehension. The above text is one, such, example.

The Book of The Acts of the Apostles is not well taught in churches these days and it is easily overlooked due to the lack of the proper name being used as the title, thereof. When we read the least read part of the Bible, the Index, and we read Acts, it has no real impact. And yet, herein, lies the recorded History of the Early Church, after the Genesis, a major foundation block for the building of Grounded Christianity.

Often, I have been reminded of my years as a soldier and as a carpenter. In Basic Training, Boot Camp to the Marines, we were taught the foundation a successful soldier builds his life on. As a carpenter before I could ever erect the first wall I needed a solid foundation to build on or all my work would fail. As a soldier, if my machine-gun failed because I was to drunk to clean it before I laid down to rest I would not have been successful the next day when the enemy sought to bring my chopper to the ground. The same is true of the Christian, with no foundation, nothing can be built that can endure.

Saint Luke begins this historical record with mention of it´s intended recipient, Theophilus. The name is oft defined as the Lover of God and it is a popular belief that he was Luke´s benefactor and reason for his education as a doctor. Both this record and the Book of Luke are addressed to him and look to be for his Spiritual Profit.

In verse 2 we learn that, to the horror and disdain of the, Self Proclaimed, New Testament Christian, that Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ, left His Apostles and therefore, His Followers with commandments! This is a touchy subject among a rebellious people and that is just what these Modern Day ?Converts? are, rebellious.

If a man, any man will revere God so much as to hunger for His Word, he or she will read it... from beginning to end. The remarkable thing that is discovered by such a reader that has prayed and submitted themselves to the perfect Will of God is that the context of the scriptures is one, from Genesis 1:1 through the very last Amen of The Revelation of Jesus, the Christ. The message, throughout is the message of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

On one forum I am presently about to reply with the reasoning behind my rebuke for his heretical offering that Salvation is offered through faith but can be earned by good works. The saddest point of this is that this gent is not alone in this belief. If a person does not read the scriptures in their context they are without a foundation to stand on and if you do not swtand on the truth, you will fall for anything.

In verse three it is important to note that the record of Jesus´ death and resurrection is verified and particularly that He taught for forty consecutive days after His death and burial. And in verses four and five comes the heart of the matter for this lesson, all followers of the Christ are indwelt (baptized) with or by the Holy Spirit of God, the Father and God, the Son.

We are commanded not to quench the Spirit (1Thes. 5:19) so it is possible to be a saved man and still be Carnal. That being said, the single, most important thing any man can ever do is a Spiritual Inventory. This is a matter that needs to be cared for over and over, the more often the better. No-one can do it for you and you cannot do it for yourself without an honest Prayer Life. You must, prayerfully submit yourself to the will of God for your life!

This, inventory, is best accomplished by the person that has devoted their life to the study of the Word of God. This Does Not Require A Degree In Biblical Studies! A degree can be a hindrance. There are teachers in seminaries, around the world, that teach against the Word of God being infallible. Couple bad information, teaching, with the truth that the mind, like the computer, is only as good as the information it contains.

If you can fall on your face and submit to God, He is able and He will accomplish the work He has begun in you. May God bless you and yours.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Revelation 20

Revelation 20:1:
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Revelation 20:2:
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Revelation 20:3:
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

Most people, lost and saved, alike, have heard enough of the truth of the scriptures that they know of the Millennial Reign of the Christ. Today, however, most folks have the idea of the Devil being a cartoon character with a long tail and wearing a red pajama suit. These folks, some of them calling themselves Christian, tend not to believe in the second coming of Jesus nor in the truth of Satan. But the truth is that Jesus is returning and the Devil will be contained during His reign.

Revelation 20:4:
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Revelation 20:5:
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

These two verses and the next three require a man to think and that is not a popular past time these days. Some today have taken verses 4 and 5 to prove the rule of Christ does not include the members of the Bride but that, in their opinion. It is, however worthy and necessary to note the next three verses before deciding such a thing.

Revelation 20:6:
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Revelation 20:7:
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Revelation 20:8:
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Here is the truth of the whole situation and it looks to me as though the martyrs, if not part of the Bride, are at least their equals. During that thousand years we shall rule together, under the guidance of Jesus, the Christ. Then, after one thousand years of peace, in an agrarian world, the lost will, once more, be deceived by him and gather to do battle with God.

Revelation 20:9:
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Revelation 20:10:
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Here is the portion that, just, baffles me. Satan has had two thousand years to read and to understand the prophecy in this book of the Bible and some of these people will have lived six, seven or even nine hundred years of life, lived under the rule of Jesus and yet they team up to overthrow Jesus and the Saints.

Revelation 20:11:
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Revelation 20:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Revelation 20:13
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Revelation 20:14:
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation 20:15:
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This is the End of the world! The Earth has been destroyed by fire and all life here has ceased to be and the Second Resurrection has occurred. It is a popular teaching today that all people of all faiths will go to Heaven (Universalism) and in a manor they are correct. I do see the Great White Throne being in Heaven but anybody that is not I the First Resurrection will not be in Heaven for very long. I am, because of my Spirit and prayer filled studies, of the opinion that when one is shown that one´s name is not in the Book of Life, that then the books containing their deeds will be opened and the degree of their punishment will be shown to them and applied. I do believe that many will be cast, along side Satan, into the Abyss, forever. From my studies I have determined that not all in the Second
Resurrection will suffer equally, just as all in the First are rewarded equally.

Revelation 19

Revelation 19:1:
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
Revelation 19:2:
For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.
Revelation 19:3:
And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
Revelation 19:4
And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

Father God has sent down His righteous judgment on the Great Whore, Babylon, and His judgment is forever. One thing we must all remember is that the Lost Man will know this truth for the first time but God has known the outcome since before time was created and the Christian that has studied to show himself approved has known since a short time after his or her conversion. So it is that we, like the twenty-four elders, the four beasts and all the angels in Heaven willingly fall at the feet oif God in worship.

Revelation 19:5:
And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.
Revelation 19:6:
And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

One of the difficult to understand truths of scripture is illustrated here, there are more humans in Heaven than those that comprise the Bride of Christ. The best explanation of this picture here is found in Matthew 22:2-14 where the parable of the Wedding Feast is began with, ¨The kingdom of heaven is like unto,¨ and goes on to explain that there will be guests at the Wedding Feast in Heaven.

Revelation 19:7:
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Revelation 19:8:
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
Revelation 19:9:
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

All that are found at this Heavenly event, the Bride, as well as the guests, will remain in Heaven throughout Eternity.

Revelation 19:10:
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Revelation 19:11:
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Revelation 19:12:
His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Revelation 19:13:
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Here we find the reason for one of my pet peeves. There is an element inside the Church Family today that is concentrating on teaching heresy. One of the, apparent, key points in the New Testament Theology is that God changed. In the Old Testament, these people teach that God was the God of wrath but that when He was born of Mary as a man child He took on a new nature and is no longer the God of wrath. Here we find, in the New Testament, that this is not the case!

Not only does God judge and send sinners to an Eternity in the Fiery Abyss but He also does what they themselves find impossible and makes war. We will never begin to grasp the truths of the New
Testament without the study of the Old because all that occurs in the New is referenced from the Old Testament.

Revelation 19:14:
And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Revelation 19:15:
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Revelation 19:16:
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

I grew up knowing that life can be and often is tough. It is a lesson that every American needs to come to grips with as has the rest of the world. God/Jesus is not fooled by a soft word from a dictator with the atomic bomb at his disposal and when He leads the Bride, His Army, back here He will come as the concurring King of the worlod.

Revelation 19:17:
And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
Revelation 19:18:
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Revelation 19:19:
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
Revelation 19:20:
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 19:21:
And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

We must take notice of one thing here, God does all of the fighting! Yes, the Army of God is there, following Him, but God, Himself, does all of the fighting.

Revelation 18

Revelation 18:1:
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
Revelation 18:2:
And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
Revelation 18:3:
For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Another angel from heaven proclaims the fall of mystical Babylon. MHCC

In chapter 17 we saw the righteous Judgment of the Great Whore that ¨sitteth on many waters¨ a.k.a. Many peoples and nations and here we find mystical Babylon going down with her. There are many faces of this proclamation for possible examination and not many of them should be dogmatically taught. This being said we must, however, never be willing to compromise what the text proclaims and we do see, here, that everything evil has manifested itself through Babylon and the nations of the world have embraced it. We see that the merchants have become rich because of her and merchants do not wax rich without the people participating. All of the earth has bought into mystery Babylon.

Revelation 18:4:
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Revelation 18:5:
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Revelation 18:6:
Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Revelation 18:7:
How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Revelation 18:8:
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

A voice from heaven admonishes the people of God, lest they partake of her plagues. MHCC

When we look at these passages it must always be remembered that John is recording events that will occur in the natural realm as they are affected by the Spiritual realm. John is seeing one angel speak when an unseen voice interjects. This is God calling all that will hear Him, He states ¨my people,¨ proving, to my satisfaction that it is Father God. In verse 5 we see that God has not been slumbering, no, God knows everything.

Verse 6 requires prayer and care when considering the meaning of what is said. In verse 4 God is speaking to His people and the Rapture has already taken place, indicating that, without the presence of the Holy Spirit Some have Spiritually awakened and are seeking to follow God. And so it is that God say, ¨reward her even as she has rewarded you.¨ Remember that we learn that evil devils have filled Babylon with evil.

Many have misused Matt. 7:1 by drawing it out of context to shut the mouth of the Christian to keep themselves from being judged righteously but the context makes a lie of that as does this passage where the future Christ Follower is called upon to judge evil. In verse 7 they are even called to rise up in rebellion, it appears to me, to prepare mystery Babylon for the soon falling righteous judgment of God, described in verse 8.

Revelation 18:9:
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Revelation 18:10:
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
Revelation 18:11:
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
Revelation 18:12:
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,
Revelation 18:13:
And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.
Revelation 18:14:
And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.
Revelation 18:15:
The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,
Revelation 18:16:
And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Revelation 18:17:
For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,
Revelation 18:18:
And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
Revelation 18:19:
And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

The lamentations over her. MHCC

What we have here is a list that needs close scrutiny for if we are careful to consider, a good deal of what we enjoy partaking in today is going to be lost here. In verse 13 we learn that even the souls of men have been traded or sold. And I will tell you that such is being done right now! In my years of work I worked with Christians, Lost Men and men that had sold their souls to Satan for certain kinds of success. One such young man was so indwelt, or possessed, that he just reeked of evil. He laughed at all the wrong things, lied, stole, swindled and did all manor of evil... he was solod out to mystery Babylon, Satan!

When God judges this world there will be a great change and I do not see many that will be willing to live without their ¨comforts¨ and live a simple but fulfilling life. No, it is very much as the Matthew Henry out line suggests, they will sorrow deeply.

Revelation 18:20:
Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.
Revelation 18:21:
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
Revelation 18:22
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
Revelation 18:23:
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
Revelation 18:24:
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

The church called upon to rejoice in her utter ruin. MHCC

This is, among men, a very controversial passage. My understanding, perhaps wrong, is that all the Christ Following Converts have been beheaded. In verse 21 we see a stone like a great millstone cast into the sea and in 22 we see the sound of the millstone, industry, will be heard no more. Then, in verse 23, it looks to me like like the Light and Power companies also fail. When we read the Genesis, the beginning, account, we were an agrarian people that had very, very little industry. It is my perception that the Earth will, under the reign of Jesus, by of that nature once more. We worship our autos, electric drills, TVs and even the computers, like the one I type this message on but I tell you we will have no need of the Internet then.

Revelation 17

Revelation 17:1:
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Revelation 17:2:
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
Revelation 17:3:
So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

One of the single most important points to remember and yet the most difficult to grasp is the illustration given in scripture that there is no relevance to earth time in Heaven. (2Pet. 3:8, Psa. 90:4) For this reason we can nad should understand, in my opinion, that John saw these things happening, first hand. I know that it is difficult to support but it is my position that the Glorified Body that Jesus now has and we will have is not at all like the body we now have in composition.

If we can get past the natural (what we are familiar with) arguments and learn to accept the teaching of the Holy Spirit, on it's face value, it is easier to grasp what is told here. This angel did not, again, in my opinion, deliver a vision to John but rather, with the consent of God, allowed John the use of one of the normal functions of the Glorified Body and John, in this passage, is actually viewing the judgment of Babylon.

Revelation 17:4:
And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Revelation 17:5:
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

So it is that here we find one of the passages, that without the Holy Spirit's input, can be extremely confusing. Remembering that we take the Bible in the Literal manor, here is a metaphor. We know from the archaeologists that Babylon is not some fable dreamed of but rather is a historical fact and if we are up on current affairs, we know that Saddam Hussein was busy rebuilding that old city again. Now we find it here in the pages of this prophecy, some 2,000 years old, represented by a whore. It is a matter worthy of prayer for understanding, meditation and study.

Revelation 17:6:
And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.
Revelation 17:7:
And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

It would seem certain that John was just as normal as the rest of us, he was impressed by what he saw. The angel, much like the Holy Spirit, in us, corrects and begins to instruct however.

Revelation 17:8:
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Revelation 17:9:
And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
Revelation 17:10:
And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
Revelation of John 17:11:
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Revelation of John 17:12:
And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Revelation of John 17:13:
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
Revelation of John 17:14:
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

7-14 The beast on which the woman sat was, and is not, and yet is. It was a seat of idolatry and persecution, and is not; not in the ancient form, which was pagan: yet it is; it is truly the seat of idolatry and tyranny, though of another sort and form. It would deceive into stupid and blind submission all the inhabitants of the earth within its influence, except the remnant of the elect. This beast was seven heads, seven mountains, the seven hills on which Rome stands; and seven kings, seven sorts of government. Five were gone by when this prophecy was written; one was then in being; the other was yet to come. This beast, directed by the papacy, makes an eighth governor, and sets up idolatry again. It had ten horns, which are said to be ten kings who had as yet no kingdoms; they should not rise up till the Roman empire was broken; but should for a time be very zealous in her interest. Christ must reign till all enemies be put under his feet. The reason of the victory is, that he is the King of kings, and Lord of lords. He has supreme dominion and power over all things; all the powers of earth and hell are subject to his control. His followers are called to this warfare, are fitted for it, and will be faithful in it.(MHCC)

Revelation of John 17:15:
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Revelation of John 17:16:
And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
Revelation of John 17:17:
For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.
Revelation of John 17:18:
And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

These last four verses give us the playbook to work from when dealing with this chapter so that we can take the meaning of this chapter and some others as literal. The Book of the Revelation is recorded in the same manor and style as the Bible, the books now called the Old Testament. The first thing we learn is that warters, plural, is often used to represent peoples of different nations and tongues or languages.

Here, we also learn that God does exercise His sovereign will to the point that even the lost and going to Hell will do His will. This is one of the points that the Five Point Calvinist loves to use to prove their erroneous theory of Predestination. Predestination is a fact because it is taught in the Revealed Word of God. The problem enters when men take the Bible out of context.

When we allow the scriptures to interpret themselves, the way Father God intended it becomes imperative to, as scripture teaches, understand that the wisdom of God is limitless. Then we must learn one very vital lesson from the Bible, there is no relationship with time in Heaven! (2Pet. 3:8 and Psa. 90:4) It is my opinion from the study I did, some years ago, that God is. To explain; As demonstrated by these scriptures and a book I read recently, ¨Heaven Is For Real,¨ God is, simultaneously in the present, the past and the future. So it is that God knows the future.

I´m not saying that God that God will not, has not nor that He will not force His will on the lost. Clearly, He has and from the prophetic readings, he will. But, before He created the universes, He knew the names in the Book of Life. From our reading, meditating and praying over the scriptures, we know that our God is not a cruel God, He is Just! It is the Calvinist´s view that God creates a few to go to Heaven and all the rest to spend eternity in Hell, NOT! If a man has read the scriptures, he or she knows that God loves all of His creation but He is also a Just God and will serve justice.

Revelation 16

Revelation 16:1:
And 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.

We learned at the end of chapter 15 that the Temple of God, in Heaven, has been opened but no man can enter there because volumes of very intense some is pouring out. These seven angels have had seven bowls or vials of God´s wrath given to them by one of the four beasts (Arch Angels?) to be poured out on the remnant of the Earth. Now a Great Voice (God?) is sending them off to complete their charge!

Revelation 16:2:
And the first 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 worshipped his image.
Revelation 16:3:
And 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 16:4:
And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
Revelation 16:5:
And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
Revelation 16:6:
For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

How many lessons have we studied that verify and reinforce the teaching that as we live, so shall we die? These peoples have hatted, desired to and have killed the prophets God sent to them and then gloated for three days, as they lay dead in the street and the World celebrated their demise.

There is the Spiritual extension of this to cover all of time, here on the Earth and we must be careful not to center on just this, that we remember to study to learn to be obedient to our Master.

Revelation 16:7:
And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

Here I see, and some might argue with me, but I see one of the four Angels or possibly one of the foru and twenty speaking and being heard, form the outside.

Revelation 16:8:
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Revelation 16:9:
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.

I am forever battered with the debate designed remark, ¨If God would do miracles, the way He did in Bible Times, I and many others would believe.¨ First off, we see that, even though Israel is, daily, in the presence of God, few believed, in the Wilderness. Then when God took on the form of Jesus, the man, and performed great miracles, few believed!

And today? God has not ceased to do His works! There are, litterbug, thousands of miracles happening, every day, and people respond... coincidence! And in these verses, God, who knows all, is teaching us that in the face of God´s wrath, men still refuse to believe the truth.

Revelation 16:10:
And 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,
Revelation 16:11:
And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

I have heard this passage used more oft than can ever be justified to prove that Satan rules in Hell and this is a popular belief that is found, even, in the churches on Sunday morning. The beast is not Satan, in Rev. 13:2 we learned that that old dragon, Satan, gave the beast his power, making the beast a servant of Satan.

The beast will rule here on the earth for a very short spell. What we are taught here is that God´s wrath will be poured out on the earth, his seat, and as men refuse to repent of their sins they will so unsure of their lives that they will bite their tongues to feel the pain and know they have not died. You see, they know the truth, at least to a degree, and still, they refuse to repent.

Revelation 16:12:
And 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.

There seem to be a good many different ways to look at this passage but knowing what I do about highways built by China, to the east, Bible prophesy and the size of the Chinese Army, what I see here is the Communist Army of China moving toward the valley of the Battle of Armageddon.

Revelation 16:13:
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Revelation 16:14:
For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

An understanding of Biblical Imagery and Metaphor are essential to get any grasp or hold at all on the passages now. We must pay strict attention to the context here or others, not can but, will delude us. Frogs did not, and I say once more, did not, come out of their mouths! Verse 14 even stresses the point that hey are Spirits!

This is a very dangerous passage and must be dealt with prayerfully and with much thought and consideration... with prayerful meditation!

Revelation 16:15:
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

It is always important to pay attention! In this case, God is making a point that is easily over looked in the context of the passage. As I have repeatedly stated in past lessons, there will be people saved during the Tribulation Period and I see this verse as singled out and yet applicable to the man and woman of that period and of this! God is teaching us to pay attention!

Revelation 16:16:
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Revelation 16:17:
And 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.
Revelation 16:18:
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.

It is generally taught, and I agree, that this great city is just as is expressed, it is Babylon. I have not had the good fortune to see earth history from the perspective of Heaven, as John did, and I cannot stand still and teach anyone that this is the Babylon Saddam Hussein was busy rebuilding or if it is the spiritual interpretation so many are fond of today, it might be both! In any case, the people have learned to hate God so much and to depend completely on Satan and when the infra-structure he has established collapses it will leave such a void, or rather make them aware of the void that exists without God.

I have, from childhood been heard to remark, when it thunders, that God is speaking and in Houston, in the fifties, it was normal to see Ball Lightening and Lightening Displays that would last thirty minutes and on to what seemed an hour and my mom would scream for me to stand up and get into the house before God struck me dead. I was not fearful, I was impressed. My mother´s reaction is much closer to normal than mine and when God unleashes all His power the people will tremble.

And that much heralded and much loved city is split, by our God, into three pieces!

Revelation 16:19:
And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Revelation 16:20:
And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Revelation 16:21:
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.

This is a terrible end to the world the Lost Man has come to cherish in this short span of time, they will be reeling and looking for any Christ Believer to abuse in any manor their minds will conjure. The strange thing is, they will give the death they desire to the Christian they despise.

Revelation 15

Revelation 15:1:
And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having seven plagues, which are the last, for in them is finished the wrath of God.

These chapters remind us that the Book of The Revelation of Jesus, the Christ, are, likely, not recorded chronologically and that we must view them in the same manor that is required for us to be saved, by faith! In fourteen we saw the Harvest and the sorting of the Wheat and the Tares and up to this point we have seen three and a half years of false peace, the kind of peace a man or, in this case, a False Christ can generate and in the previous fourteen chapters we have seen some of the wrath of God mixed in and it can be confusing without the peace of the Holy Spirit and His understanding. But we take heart here for it is announced that these seven Messenger/Servants of God hold the end of Godś wrath... if the world will just be still and seek after God!

15:2: And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire; and them that come off victorious from the beast, and from his image, and from the number of his name, standing by the sea of glass, having harps of God.
15:3: And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages.

It is a Human Tendency to lump these first three verses with the next three or four before commenting but I find such a strong emphases that is worthy of note here. Jesus, when teaching us to pray taught us to always praise and to glorify God, the Father. And then again we are instructed to pray always and without ceasing. Here we have the victorious in the Christ and they are on their cloud recliners playing their harps to themselves...NOT!

No, they are singing, glorifying and praising God... for all eternity. For the great majority, this is next to impossible to conceive because we tend to reference everything to our Earthly Journey, and nothing can be further from correct! In 1Cor. 15:52 we are instructed that in an instant (my note: at the Rapture) we will be changed and add that to the truth taught by Jesus in the Gospels that there will be neither male nor female in Heaven and our entire perspective is changed!

We will no longer lust for our wives or our husbands because we are not sexual beings any longer and we will be eager to praise our LORD! We, absolutely, will not be the same people!

15:4:Who shall not fear, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts have been made manifest.

Holy! This is a word so often not understood and therefore misapplied. It is so misunderstood that if the Watch Tower people had began to grasp it, their entire mission to translate the New World Translation Bible would have taken an entirely different course. In the early versions of this abomination, on a fly-leaf they explained how they had interpreted the text. They assigned ¨A¨ meaning to each Hebrew, Aramaic and Koine Greek word and from these assignments the text arose!

The word Holy in it´s context here sets God apart from all else. It denotes His perfection and absolute absence of fault. Now, in First Peter 1:16 we learn that I am holy. Notice that I use the lower case h in reference to myself! I am not Holy as is God,rather than being perfect I am separated from the people around me for God´s purposes. A single definition can not be used to interpret the word holy! I have often been called foolish by the young of today because of my insistence that the entire composition of the Bible is of one context but it is and we will never understand the first thing about the scriptures without learning to discern composition.

15:5:And after these things I saw, and the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
15:6:and there came out from the temple the seven angels that had the seven plagues, arrayed with precious stone, pure and bright, and girt about their breasts with golden girdles.

This message and all of these events come right out from Heaven.

15:7:And one of the four living creatures gave unto the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
15:8:And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and none was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels should be finished.

It has long been understood by the men that have taken the study of scripture seriously that it is a terrible thing to find one´s self in the hand of the Wrathful God and these last two verses are a great illustration of that truth.

Revelation 14

Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

Its my position that these are the same one hundred and forty-four thousand that are from the twelve tribes.

14:2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:
14:3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.
14:4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
14:5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

These are, indeed, strange people, they, every one, are virgins. We saw in Exodus that thunder was used to describe the voice of God and here we find that metaphor again and we see in verse two a common metaphor in the Old Testament used to represent a huge crowd of people, many waters. The LORD has even given unto them a new song, rendered in a language that no man can speak.

These redeemed are so serious about their faith that they have not even defiled themselves with marriage to a woman. This group of Jewish men compose a Church that is truly devoted to their service to the Lamb.

14:6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
14:7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

It is important that an understanding of the biblical use of the term, fear, and how it is used. The, very, best example I know of is that of a young lad and his father. When I was ten, my mother remarried and my dad came into my life. I so respected and loved the Veteran of WWII that I feared disappointing him. Fearing God is much the same, I am saved and it is my position that salvation an not be lost but I would rather die than to disappoint Father God.

14:8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

When I was lost in my sins I was out at night as often as I possibly could, I drank the wine constantly seeking after joy, peace and fulfillment but it was never really there. These Lost Men in the Tribulation period will find even less fulfillment in their momentary pursuits. They will find, what they believe to be fulfillment and in an instant there will be that great undefinable void again, no matter the morsel gained. Because they have denied Jesus and refused His salvation but have chosen the momentary pleasures of lust, they have sentenced themselves to eternal suffering in the Lake oof Fire.

14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

It is popular today to believe that Jesus ended the influence of the Bible, the Bible Jesus and all of the disciples taught from, the Old Testament, on our lives. That is not true! The Law was never meant to save men! Every Saint in Heaven was and is saved by faith in Jesus, the Messiah. I am not, as I am oft accused of, telling you that you must keep the Law.

But, at the same time Jesus in Matt. 5:18, Jesus promised us that not even the smallest stroke of the pen shall pass away before everything in the Bible is fulfilled. We are told to follow Jesus and the truth is that the example Jesus set was one of perfection and He broke not even one law. In the Law we see a beautiful word illustration of God and it is this that we are to seek to model for the World to look at.

And no, and I know it too, you cannot do this without the Holy Spirit leading you through this life.

14:14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
14:15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
14:16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
14:17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. (KJV)

The harvest here represents judgment and judging from the number of Angels with the cycles and the sharp, finely sharpened edges, it will be a terrible time for the remaining people on the Earth.

Revelation 13

Revelation 13:1:
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Revelation 13:2:
And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

Many have found this to be a Spiritual Metaphor for a modern day Roman Empire and I will not nor can I debate it being something else. We see that the sea is used to represent a multitude of people and using that example it is easy to see Satan´s man rising up to gain power. Some have been so bold as to proclaim this empire being composed of the countries of the European Union, I´m not at all certain of that. The Roman Empire consisted of nations from all of the known world and I tend to be more inclusive in my assessment of this reconstitution of the empire.

Revelation 13:3:
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

It is wonderful, the method and the manner of God´s use of words. I have seen several interpretations of this one scripture and none of the convince me of their being the one explanation.

Revelation 13:4:
And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

It is important to remember, the Beast has just shone up on the radar and God has promised a peace that will be unparalleled for the first three and one half years, and this man will appear to be the author of that peace. Suddenly Satan and the Beast will be put up as God´s.

Revelation 13:5:
And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Revelation 13:6:
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Revelation 13:7:
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Revelation 13:8:
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:9:
If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Many take this to show that the Church is not raptured until the first three and a half years are completed and I, being Pretrib, do not argue with them. You see, this is one of those secondary issues and in no manor affects our mission as described in the Great Commission. (Matt. 28:18-20) It is my position that, much like in the Left Behind series, there will be Laymen, Deacons and even Pastors that were not committed, whole heartedly, and they will finally get it! Life for these later Christians will be pure persecution. All of the Lost will be out to slay them, along with the Two Witness´.

Revelation 13:10:
He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Revelation 13:11:
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

Revelation 13:12:
And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

Revelation 13:13:
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

Revelation 13:14:
And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

Revelation 13:15:
And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Revelation 13:16:
And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

Now enters the imitator of God. I take it that the world will see this one as the ultimate peace giver and will throw open their arms to welcome him into their, very, hearts. I find it important to note, here, that the Mark is issued and nowhere before the Beasts take over is it given. Many fear the Chip that, today, is being injected into our animals and the children of the Upper Class, all over the world. All of the Banks are calling for this chip to be given to all of us, but this is not the mark. (My opinion.) There is reason to fear this chip but for the time being, at least, the Mark of the Beast is the least of the reasons.

All of our Bank Records, Criminal Records and Medical Records are accessed through this chip and still, these are not as dangerous as the primary reason to distrust the chip. These chips are read because they have an RF Signal. RF is short for Radio Frequency. Therefore the chip is locatable 365 days a year, 24/7. You cannot hide without cutting the chip out of your body.

Revelation 13:17:
And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Revelation 13:18:
Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Here we find an interesting point, every Bar Code, I´m instructed, begins with a six, ends with a six and directly in the middle, is a six. And I have no firm ground to make a statement about such but it is alarming to those that are close to the Church but have not committed.

Revelation 12

Revelation 12:1:
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Revelation 12:2:
And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. (ASV) 1901

A description of the church of Christ and of Satan, under the figures of a woman and of a great red dragon. (1-6) Michael and his angels fight against the devil and his angels, who are defeated. (7-12) The dragon persecutes the church. (13,14) His vain endeavours to destroy her, He renews his war against her seed. (14-17) Revelation 12:1 1-6 The church, under the emblem of a woman, the mother of believers, was seen by the apostle in vision, in heaven. She was clothed with the sun, justified, sanctified, and shining by union with Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. The moon was under her feet; she was superior to the reflected and feebler light of the revelation made by Moses. (MHCC)

It can be tempting to see Mary with Jesus here but we need to remember that these verses are the revelation of Jesus to John about the future to come. If we look at our Church Family today it is in travail and birthing new Christians is more and more difficult and almost worse from day to day. It is my personal belief that, although I have lived a full life and even though I am in the final stage of MS, I expect to live until the Rapture.

Revelation 12:3:
And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
Revelation 12:4:
And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Here comes Satan, performing miraculous feats for the world to be amazed at.

Revelation 12:5:
And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Revelation 12:6:
And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

This is so easily misunderstood but we must remember that Mary did not spend three and a half years in the wilderness. She, led by her husband, Joseph, did escape the murder of the children of Bethlehem by going into Egypt, perhaps the second most developed nation in the world at that time.

(HCC) A description of the church of Christ and of Satan, under the figures of a woman and of a great red dragon. (1-6) Michael and his angels fight against the devil and his angels, who are defeated. (7-12) The dragon persecutes the church. (13,14) His vain endeavours to destroy her, He renews his war against her seed. (14-17) Revelation of John 12:1 1-6 The church, under the emblem of a woman, the mother of believers, was seen by the apostle in vision, in heaven. She was clothed with the sun, justified, sanctified, and shining by union with Christ, the Sun of Righteousness. The moon was under her feet; she was superior to the reflected and feebler light of the revelation made by Moses. Having on her head a crown of twelve stars; the doctrine of the gospel, preached by the twelve apostles, is a crown of glory to all true believers. As in pain to bring forth a holy family; desirous that the conviction of sinners might end in their conversion. A dragon is a known emblem of Satan, and his chief agents, or those who govern for him on earth, at that time the pagan empire of Rome, the city built upon seven hills. As having ten horns, divided into ten kingdoms. Having seven crowns, representing seven forms of government. As drawing with his tail a third part of the stars in heaven, and casting them down to the earth; persecuting and seducing the ministers and teachers. As watchful to crush the Christian religion; but in spite of the opposition of enemies, the church brought forth a manly issue of true and faithful professors, in whom Christ was truly formed anew; even the mystery of Christ, that Son of God who should rule the nations, and in whose right his members partake the same glory. This blessed offspring was protected of God.

Revelation 12:7:
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
Revelation 12:8:
And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Revelation 12:9:
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

And some, being careful and paying close attention, find themselves in Heaven, before the Earth was created. And then, again, when we read Isaiah 14 we see that this also might be the future encounter, resulting in Satan being cast out once more. My own view is the later of the two making this the encounter where Satan, once more, tries to ascend to the Throne of God. I find the story of Job and God giving permission to Satan to harm Job important to understanding all the possibilities in this portion of the Revelation. Satan, today, still approaches the Throne of God to accuse.

Revelation 12:10:
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Revelation 12:11:
And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

And in these two verses we find the reason for my position on this. It is always important and in my opinion, critical, to keep verses of scripture in context.

(MHCC) 7-11 The attempts of the dragon proved unsuccessful against the church, and fatal to his own interests. The seat of this war was in heaven; in the church of Christ, the kingdom of heaven on earth. The parties were Christ, the great Angel of the covenant, and his faithful followers; and Satan and his instruments. The strength of the church is in having the Lord Jesus for the Captain of their salvation. Pagan idolatry, which was the worship of devils, was cast out of the empire by the spreading of Christianity. The salvation and strength of the church, are only to be ascribed to the King and Head of the church. The conquered enemy hates the presence of God, yet he is willing to appear there, to accuse the people of God. Let us take heed that we give him no cause to accuse us; and that, when we have sinned, we go before the Lord, condemn ourselves, and commit our cause to Christ as our Advocate. The servants of God overcame Satan by the blood of the Lamb, as the cause. By the word of their testimony: the powerful preaching of the gospel is mighty, through God, to pull down strong holds. By their courage and patience in sufferings: they loved not their lives so well but they could lay them down in Christ's cause. These were the warriors and the weapons by which Christianity overthrew the power of pagan idolatry; and if Christians had continued to fight with these weapons, and such as these, their victories would have been more numerous and glorious, and the effects more lasting. The redeemed overcame by a simple reliance on the blood of Christ, as the only ground of their hopes. In this we must be like them. We must not blend any thing else with this.

Revelation 12:12:
Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Revelation 12:13:
And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

Isa. 14:13 And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.

These two verses are applicable to both of the times that Satan is cast down. Once more remember when we read the book of Job we find that Satan still presents himself in the courts of Heaven to accuse the Church and there is found no reason to believe that this will ever change before the Tribulation period..

It is popular to be a Liberal Christian today because the very term is almost without limit in it´s diversity. But we must remember that Heaven is, in no form, a Democracy! Heaven (my words) is a Theocracy with a Monarch on the Throne with unlimited power! God has not ever been, nor will He ever be, amused by our attempts to unseat Him. When we look at Satan, the single, most powerful being on the Earth we see that he and all of his angels will spend the time from the destruction of the Earth through Eternity in the Abyss. Can the Lost Man/Liberal Christian actually believe they will change the nature of Father God?

Then there is the matter brought forward in the discussion about Revelation 11 on one of the forums, ¨Did Jesus really abolish/replace or supersede the Ten Commandments?¨ The answer, of course, is no! The words of Jesus, Himself, are critical here. In the much touted (by the Liberal) Sermon On The Mount, Matt. 5:18, Jesus teaches exactly the opposite.

I often encounter the, ¨Are you for real¨ crowd when I explain this but in Mal. 3:6 we learn that God never has nor will He change, He is the ¨one¨ unchanging constant in all of Creation. And then when we look at John 1:1-3 we learn that Jesus created all things and that nothing was created without Him. That means that He is the God of both Testaments.

That brings me to the one point I always stand by, ¨The Old Testament, also known as the Jewish Bible, is still the Bible Jesus, Paul, Peter and the rest of the Disciples taught from, making the New Testament the most authoritative Life Application Commentary ever written on the Bible.¨ It is so important that God has seen fit to have it included in the transcript and printing of today´s copies of the Bible.

Revelation 12:14:
And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
Revelation 12:15:
And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
Revelation 12:16:
And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Revelation 12:17:
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

(MHCC) 12-17 The church and all her friends might well be called to praise God for deliverance from pagan persecution, though other troubles awaited her. The wilderness is a desolate place, and full of serpents and scorpions, uncomfortable and destitute of provisions; yet a place of safety, as well as where one might be alone. But being thus retired could not protect the woman. The flood of water is explained by many to mean the invasions of barbarians, by which the western empire was overwhelmed; for the heathen encouraged their attacks, in the hope of destroying Christianity. But ungodly men, for their worldly interests, protected the church amidst these tumults, and the overthrow of the empire did not help the cause of idolatry. Or, this may be meant of a flood of error, by which the church of God was in danger of being overwhelmed and carried away. The devil, defeated in his designs upon the church, turns his rage against persons and places. Being faithful to God and Christ, in doctrine, worship, and practice, exposes to the rage of Satan; and will do so till the last enemy shall be destroyed.

If there ever was any doubt this last verse, in this chapter, settles the issue. To the Jewish believer, the Law was given. Here we find a Church, a Jewish Christian Church, after the Gentile and Jewish Christians are raptured from the Earth and for that to be, there is Salvation during the Seven Year Tribulation.

Revelation 11

Revelation 11:1:
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
Revelation 11:2:
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

This is the half way mark, 11 of 22 chapters, and we find that our LORD is instructing on the Great Tribulation, a.k.a. The day of the LORD. From my studies in the Major and the Minor Prophets I make it that at this point the Church has been raptured and the Man of Satan is in control, via the One World Government. (This will be explained when we begin chapter 13.)

In this passage we find that the Temple has been rebuilt. Some will say this is the temple in Heaven and I reject that idea based on the text. The text clearly speaks of the Gentiles (Lost Men) and they shall never be turned loose in Heaven and further it speaks of the first forty-two months of the Tribulation period.

In my sight the Dome on the Rock (The Golden Shrine built on top of the Temple Location) has been removed by what-ever means and has been replaced with the third, and in perspective, final, Temple for the name of Yahweh is built there.

Revelation 11:3:
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Revelation 11:4:
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Revelation 11:5:
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
Revelation 11:6:
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

There has been and still is a great deal of conjecture and concern over the identity of these two witnesses and I believe they are Enoch, who walked with God and was no more or Elijah and Moses. Most of the teachers I´ve studied with lean towards Elijah and Moses and I, like them, refuse to be dogmatic on this identity matter. These will be the two God has already appointed and nothing I say or do will change that! The most relevant matters here are that they are, not will be, God´s Witnesses and they are going to trouble the World for three and a half years.

Revelation 11:7:
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Revelation 11:8:
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
Revelation 11:9:
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
Revelation 11:10:
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
Revelation 11:11:
And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Revelation 11:12:
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

We will not be here to see this (the Saved Men and Women) but the joy and the celebration of their deaths will end abruptly and fear will grip the hearts of every lost person alive at this time. These men have defended themselves with fire out of their mouths. It is difficult, sometimes, to determine what is literal and what is symbolic I this book.

The Holy Spirit has convinced me that all the writings here about the Two Witnesses is to be taken literally. It as been suggested to me by more than a couple of people that these men might have a Flame Thrower of some fashion but knowing what I do of God I can never embrace such a plain ad simple idea. When working our way through any prophetic passage we must remember we serve a truly Awesome God with limitless power and ability. God does not do things our way!

Revelation 11:13:
And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Revelation 11:14:
The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

I believe that it is very important to remember that the timing of events in Israel must be considered as our Time-Piece. When I look at the scriptures the closest thing I find that may be relative to the United States is the prophecy in Obadiah and references in other places of Edom. This just infuriates people, particularly my fellow citizens but like Edom and the second Edom, Ancient Rome, in the grand scheme of events, the U.S. is not important in Spiritual Matters.

So, here, we see that a tenth of the Holy City, in Jerusalem, is destroyed and seven thousand men are killed. Watch me here because this is important for understanding. When we see a head count in the Bible, women and children are not counted, putting the count for the dead to total no less than twenty-one thousand and much more likely, well over thirty thousand. This will be no small event.

Revelation 11:15:
And 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 for ever and ever.
Revelation 11:16:
And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Revelation 11:17:
Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Revelation 11:18:
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

Here we find what some have used for evidence of the Mid-Tribulation Rapture position. For myself, with all other scripture being used to consider my position, I cannot go there. That and the truth that the Holy Spirit as never sought to instruct me otherwise leaves me to consider that I have either drawn the right conclusion or this matter, not being a matter of Salvation, is not of critical consideration. I have taken the position that if a body disagrees with me here that I can agree to disagree and let my LORD settle the matter in and at His timing.

Revelation 11:19:
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

And this chapter ends in such a grand display of God´s power.

Revelation 10

Revelation 10:1:
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
Revelation 10:2:
And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,
Revelation 10:3:
And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Revelation 10:4:
And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

Here we find what I always try to caution people to understand, everything is not revealed to us. God has given, to us, His children, all that we need to know and no more. Why am I concerned? There are three, yes three, types of people on the Earth God created. The first is the Lost Man and you will need to read and then Chain Reference Matt. 22:2-14 to understand that there are two classes of Saved Men.

I am oft rebuked, some harshly, for this teaching but it is the teaching of God by the Son. If we have been to church at all, we know that going to our final destination, Heaven or the Abyss, is eternal. From this teaching I extract the truth that, save those at the Great White Throne Judgment, all that are at the Wedding Feast will remain in the Food Grace of God forever. The guests at the feast in the parable, greatly out number the Bride. They (in my opinion) have entered through the Narrow Gate but, it would appear, have not loved the Groom, Christ, with all their heart, body and soul!

So my concern, this lack of all the information goes and rows in two directions! The Bride tries, not always successfully, to obey their Christ but then there are those that are both in the Guests and in the Lost that instead of reading the Word of God and building their faith, they begin to Interpret, not from one language to another but, into what God should have said or meant to say. We are saved by faith and we grow only by faith!

And then the old fossil pulls his stingy brim down toward his glasses, steps off the stump and walks away.

Revelation 10:5:
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
Revelation 10:6:
And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

I have more than few times, seen folks, some of them preaching for many years, teach that this seventh angel is Jesus but verses 5 and 6 should prohibit all teachers from making that claim because the angel, possibly Michael or Gabriel, swears by Jesus. When we deal with scripture we should, and in my opinion, must, always be careful not to interpret the Word of God unless it is from one language to another. God has already blessed men to give us His Word and God knew exactly what He wanted to say.

Revelation 10:7:
But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Revelation 10:8:
And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

Now we see that Jesus, still in Heaven, is commanding John to take the little book from the hand of His angel, once again, confirming that this is a servant of His, with one foot on the earth and one on the land.

Revelation 10:9:
And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
Revelation 10:10:
And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
Revelation 10:11:
And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

There is, and I believe for good reason, a great deal of discussion had on this passage. What I have been given by the Holy Ghost is a Spiritual application here. John, like Daniel, has been forbidden to write everything he has seen, heard and made privy to. As a man chosen, by God, to evangelize, I have had great success with the Internet and Prison portions of my ministry. I have helped people from all six populated continents to find the foot of the cross of Jesus.

When God first saved me I consumed the Book (the Bible) and it was the sweetest thing I had ever found! But like D.L. Moody, it made my belly ache. D.L. Once looked out the window of his hotel room in London and when asked what he saw he said something about all the lost people that were going to Hell. One cannot embrace the truth of the Bible without being heart-broken.

Revelation 9

Revelation 9:1:
And 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.

This, by itself is a major topic in our day with the Liberal Christian (oxymoron) and the more fundamental Bible Believing Christian. To begin with, there has been a redefinition of Hell and with that, a great deal of coherent understanding is lost. To begin with, some of the early fathers of the Faith considered Hell to include Abraham´s Buxom, a.k.a. Paradise, to be in Hell producing the statement that Jesus spent His three days of death in Hell preaching to the Old Testament Saints. With my Submissive to the Holy Spirit Bible Study of the past 21+ years it has been made clear to me that Hell and Paradise, not Heaven, were never together. Yes, both are or were in the Spiritual Realm but as we see in Luke 16:26, there is a great space between the two.

The whole problem begins with our attempts to relate the Spiritual Realm with our world when we cannot do that! In Matt. 27:52-53 we see that Jesus released the Saints, just after His death, and they poured through the streets of the Holy city, just moments after His death. And in the Bible we learn that a day in Heaven can be liken unto a thousand years here on earth showing that thee is no reference between earth and the Spirit Realm.

The point of all this is that many, today, make the Bottomless Pit to be Hell and it is not, Hell is the waiting place until the Final Judgment.

Revelation 9:2:
And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

This is a great matter to study. The eternal abode, it seems, has been connected to the time/space continuum of the earth.

Revelation 9:3:
And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

Revelation 9:4:
And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

The 144,000 have been excepted of the punishing sting and possibly death of these vicious pests.

Revelation 9:5:
And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

Revelation 9:6:
And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

If there is any death, at all, from this it will be preferred to the suffering from the bite.

Revelation 9:7:
And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

Revelation 9:8:
And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

Revelation 9:9:
And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

Revelation 9:10:
And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

This can be taken two ways. In class this past Sunday the popular view was that the one bitten would suffer the pain from a single bite for five months and my personal opinion (no specifics from the Holy Spirit) is that the plague of these will be for five months.

Revelation 9:11:
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 9:12:
One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

The Futurist View, better known as the Liberalist´s View is that this passage and, for that matter, all of the Book of The Revelation is metaphorical. I, however, will never be found in that camp except the LORD change my mind. It is a pat rule of Hermeneutics that any scripture cannot be understood without the light of all other scripture shinning on it. Therefore it is required that you, by God, have read all of the Bible and that you use all of the other input from there to understand this or any other portion of scripture. With that accomplished, many times past, it becomes apparent to me when a part of a passage, chapter or book in metaphorical.

The metaphorical view, as it was explained by the proponent of this view, in class Sunday, includes the king mentioned here to be the king over the people on the earth instead of, as the scripture, clearly states, the king over these evil and nasty Grass-hoppers. To go down this rabbit trail is to place one´s self over and above God! I am one of His, many, purchased slaves, of whom He has made His Children by adoption and will never, for even a moment, believe I can tell my Father anything.

In summation, God has said what He has said and I believe there will be an evil infestation over the face of the earth that I desire no part with. And yes, the awful bottomless pit is a reality and is not metaphorical.

Revelation 9:13:
And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

Revelation 9:14:
Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

Revelation 9:15:
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.

This portion, I also take for what is written and this, being factual, sets us up for the next fact.

Revelation 9:16:
And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

Revelation 9:17:
And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

Revelation 9:18:
By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

Revelation 9:19:
For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

This is tricky! Verses 16 – 19 are a metaphor about a truth that is known to many and will be a terrible force when set into motion... and they stand, this day, ready to move! There is now a highway from China to the Euphrates River for China´s quarter of a million man Army to make this trip over now. Add to that the Haditha Dam is nine kilometers long and can dry the river for the crossing of the troops.

Revelation 9:20:
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

Revelation 9:21:
Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

No matter how you count it, one third or two thirds dead, there is a horrible slaughter taking place here. At the moment the world is just a few weeks short of passing the 6,000,000,000 population mark and each third, right now is two billion people! And the survivors still do not repent!