Today we are approaching a subject about which for years I searched for the answer, tried to link together certain verses of scripture in the Book of Revelation. How often we read over something, never once laying any importance on some certain word (such as woe) when that may be the very word which holds the key to unlock the hidden mystery. The word WOE found in Rev. 8:12-13 under the fourth trumpet, certainly has no reference to the term Whoa used in the sense of stopping a team of horses. No! On the contrary, Webster’s Dictionary defines WOE as relating to extreme sorrow; to extreme grief. As a matter of fact, WOE used here indicates to be immersed (covered) in grief or sorrow.
CHRIST’S DESCRIPTION OF HOUR
Dan. 9:27 and Dan. 12:1-13 both speak of this great hour of extreme sorrow and extreme anguish (the WOES). Jesus in Matt. 24, Luke 21 and Mark 13 uses many statements which referred strictly to the work of the anti-Christ in his relation to Israel during the middle of that 70th week. Christ called the period of 3 ½ , the last half of Daniel’s 70th week, a time of trouble coming upon the earth (especially for Israel), a time such as had never been before nor would ever be again. This period spoken of by our Lord, recorded in Matthew, Luke and Mark is actually Christ’s own way of discussing that precise time period during the middle of the week when those THREE WOES of Rev. 8:13 are announced. Matt. 24:15-22. Remember, in relation to this final 70th week, we intend to show what event on earth triggered these WOES, secondly at what time during the final week these THREE WOES were announced and administered and finally, just what are these THREE WOES and how they affect mankind.
FOURTH TRUMPET JUDGMENT
Rev. 8:12-13 where the THREE WOES are pronounced follows the blast of the fourth trumpet angel who is none other than the fourth trumpet judgment angel who, because of what is transpiring in Jerusalem during the middle of the final week, smites a third part of the sun, a third part of the moon and a third part of the stars. As the third part of all this was darkened, the day shone not for a third part neither did the night.
WOE SPOKEN THREE TIMES
Verse 13 declares I (John) beheld and heard an angel flying through the midst of the heavens saying WOE, WOE, WOE, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels which are yet to sound! Bear in mind what WOE means, extreme sorrow, extreme grief or being immersed in sorrow or anguish. Nowhere in Revelations has the word WOE appeared until introduced following the sounding of the fourth trumpet angel. When it was introduced the word WOE was spoken three separate times. This lets me know there are to be three separate and distinct WOES and all three WOES relate to what Jesus called the time of trouble such as the world had never seen. Better still, the THREE WOES are sounded in the hour when the world is brought strictly under satanic control. Hence, the THREE WOES pertain to no other time period. These Three Woes are poured out as the result of what the anti-Christ did in Jerusalem when he breaks his covenant with Israel during the middle of the 70th week!
PART 1 – EVENTS OF FIRST 3 ½ YEARS LEADING TO WOES
ANOINTING ON TWO JEWS
The chart is equally divided off in two separate sections, each section having a 3 ½ year period, totaling seven years. It illustrates how once this final 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy officially opens by the anti-Christ making a covenant with Israel (Dan. 9:27), that two Jewish prophets begin prophesying in the land of Israel. Rev. 11:3 declares for a space of one thousand two hundred three score days, these two Jewish prophets who are God’s witnesses in Israel, prophesy in sackcloth. According to Rev. 11:6, during the days of their (3 ½) years prophesying to Israel, these two prophets have power to smite the earth with all manner of plagues as often as they desire. Smiting the earth with plagues is not to be looked upon as some suppositional thing, because they are literal plagues which will affect nature, vegetation as well as atmospheric conditions, even to closing up the heavens where it rains not and also turning water to blood there in the Middle East. We can think of only two such prophets in all Israel’s history anointed with such miraculous power as this and that was Moses and Elijah. To clarify once and for all who these two Jewish prophets are and at the same time show how the sounding of these first three trumpet angels’ judgments of Rev. 8:7-11 relates strictly to the ministry of these two prophets who, during the first half of the 70th week, are smiting a third part of the earth (mainly the Middle East) with plagues, are absolutely not the original Old Testament Moses and Elijah returned to this earth, but instead are none other than two Jewish prophets in Israel anointed with two of the greatest anointing of God ever expressed upon earth, anointing which rested upon both Moses and Elijah and may I say, without question these anointing are two of the greatest ever to rest upon a prophetic office which rested upon the Prophets, Moses and Elijah.
ANOINTING OF MOSES & ELIJAH
Remember, when God anointed Moses that anointing carried a threefold purpose (1) it was to bring forth an exodus for the Israelite people (2) it was to establish a law and give Israel a prophetic word which she had been without for over 400 years. However, when God anointed Elijah with a prophetic office, it was during a time when Israel was in national apostasy. Israel had forsaken the law and word of God which Moses had give her. Elijah’s was a prophetic anointing to challenge that nation Israel who had drifted into national apostasy, to return to God. It was an anointing to restore back to the people something they had lost (remember the contest at Mt. Carmel) The anointing resting on Elijah, not only closed the heavens for 3 ½ years but challenged the very people who should have stayed with the word of God to return to the word.
SIMILARITY OF EVENTS
This lets me know these are the two special supernatural anointings, which will once again reappear and rest upon two Jewish prophets, as Israel enters into her 70th and final week of time (last 7 years). Look at the similarity. Although the Jew in that hour will already be back in the land, we realize the anointing of Moses will not be used again to plague Egypt (turning water to blood and so forth) or even be used freeing Israel from Egyptian bondage and escorting her through the Red Sea, nevertheless the needs are very similar. The two anointings will be expressed and manifested during a period when God has been steadily returning Jews to the land from every corner of the globe. Beloved, that in itself truly is the greatest exodus Israel ever had. Secondly, the fact that it is the spirit of Elijah resting upon one of the two Jews shows that those Jewish people who did return to the land by the hand of God returned from among the gentiles to fulfill all scripture, and spiritually speaking, the hour Israel enters into her final 70th week will find her in the greatest hour of apostasy she has ever faced. We do not mean to imply there will not be any true, sincere, orthodox Jews in Israel. Sure there will, but they will only be in the minority. The nation or the majority (even now) lives in apostasy. Israel, having been dispersed among gentile nations, returns to her homeland bringing with her many theological ideas concerning the Holy writings and her prophets Israel returned bringing with her more modern interpretations and theological ideas as to what their prophets of old meant. Never has there been an hour in Israel’s history when she was any more in apostasy than today (Example, offering a hen or rooster on the day of atonement instead of a lamb as they are commanded for the sins of the people) Spiritually they are in apostasy while physically they are in an exodus. Therefore such a setting as this, an exodus as well as apostasy is the perfect setting for the reappearing of these two great anointings which rested on Moses and Elijah of old.
WOES EXPRESSED IN MIDDLE OF WEEK
According to Rev. 8:13 the three dreadful woes of extreme anguish were announced once the fourth trumpet angel had sounded, therefore, I ask you, according to prophetic time which will be going on earth, exactly when does the fourth trumpet angel sound precisely in the middle of Daniel’s 70th week!!
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SOUNDING OF THE FIRST THREE TRUMPETS
Briefly let’s acquaint ourselves with the operation of these first three trumpet judgment angels in Rev. 8:7-11 to see whether or not their ministries are separate judgments being poured out, apart from the judgment ministry of these two prophets. Recall, these first three trumpet judgment angels were announcing their judgments in glory however, when their judgments were released to actually hit the third part of the earth, that judgment released, was administered strictly through the ministry of these two Jewish prophets who were striking the earth with plagues as often as they desired. Let’s just see if that is scripture; let’s see if these first three judgment trumpet angels of Rev. 8:7-11 are doing anything more than announcing judgments which are actually being expressed or fulfilled through the earthly ministries of these two Jewish prophets during the first half of that week!
A SEPARATE EVENT?
First, If trumpet judgments sounded by these first three angels are something entirely different and completely apart or separate from the ministry of these two earthly Jewish prophets, then look what you are going to run into. We are dealing with precisely the same earthly time period when both the ministry of the two prophets as well as the three judgment angels were in progress, and secondly, if these three angels ministry are separate, then they are doing nothing but a re-run or repeat or re-enactment as to what these two Jewish prophets are already doing on earth. Beloved, if they are separate works as some think, then you would have the three judgment angels sounding their particular judgment to be felt or expressed on the earth and then along would come the two prophets with their ministry almost repeating identically what the angels in the first half of the week had already done.
JUDGMENT VS. WRATH
Remember all 7 of these angels (Rev. 8 and 9) sounding trumpets are judgment angels, not wrath angels. For an illustration between the judgment of God and the wrath of God let us examine Moses in Egypt. Did not he, in Egypt, by the hand of God turn water into blood? What was God doing? He was pronouncing judgment (not wrath) upon Egypt. Moses, God said, speak to the dust and lice will come forth. What was that? More judgment upon Egypt. I ask you, did any of these many judgments against Egypt bring Egypt to repentance. You know they did not. Speak to the waters Moses and they will bring forth frogs. What was that? Still more judgment upon Egypt. However, note, when God destroyed Egypt’s might (her army) in the Red Sea, there beloved has much more than judgment administered, that was his wrath being poured out.
COVENANT SIGNING TRIGGERS WEEK
Try to visualize these two Jewish prophets in Israel, fulfilling not a wrath ministry but a judgment office work against Israel soon after Daniel’s 70th week is triggered into motion by Israel signing a special peace and prosperity covenant with the anti-Christ for seven years. Recall, that final week cannot possibly begin until the anti-Christ signs that covenant with Israel. True, he signed with other nations also, but that signing did not affect prophecy. Signing with Israel triggers that 70th week. Dan. 9:27.
UNIFIED EUROPE
However, before this 70th week begins, something has happened in Europe and for survival sake the frightened European world will be forced to do something quickly. Out of what the Western world does, however soon it may be – 12 months or 3 years, whatever, the world will be introduced to that long prophesied European 10 nation beastly system. When that Western European beastly system with seven heads and ten horns (Rev. 13) is finally formed in Western Europe, becoming that long prophesied united (Roman) beast system of the old resurrected Roman Empire it will be headed up under one head who by that hour has successfully united all the ten political governments of western Europe into one powerful government; united also all her economies into one and also, that one apostate church system is already formed portrayed in Rev. 17, which for a period of time will ride this beast before later being thrown off and trampled to death under its feet. The head is non other than the anti-Christ, the pope who in that hour becomes the voice or mouthpiece of this powerful beast system of Europe before the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy (to affect Israel) begins. In actuality it will be an hour for man’s final effort for survival, political, monetary and military. True, it will be mankind’s way of mustering every ounce of his political efforts hoping through it somehow to be able to survive. After 6000 years of constant struggle this will be mankind’s culmination day. However, little does the world realize it is also to become Satan’s coronation day because when that hour arrives which officially opens Daniel’s 70th week, naturally the economical pressure in the Middle East will be most severe. If you think Israel is hard pressed today, just wait until time arrives which opens this final 70th week, especially as the world’s economy becomes more and more strained, even reaching the breaking point.
ISRAEL SIGNS UNDER PRESSURE
By compelling present world conditions existing in that hour, little Israel will be forced to side with this beast system. Yet bear in mind, the spiritual orthodox Jew will never have any part with what is transpiring. It is only Israel’s political or apostate Jew, who for survival sake, will unite with it signing this covenant agreement (thus beginning her final and 70th week.) It is the political Jew who can not see his being re-gathered back into the land has had any definite fulfillment of prophecy, who goes for it. That is the Jew who grabs this opportunity offered by the man of sin for survival and peace.
FULFILLING PROPHECY
Such an act begins the fulfilment of John 5:43 where Jesus declared before the ruling Jews to whom he was attempting to present himself as Messiah God – I come to you in my Father’s name and you did not receive me (as Messiah God). But the savior looks further down in that hour when Israel will already be in their 70th week and continues saying, but if another come in his name you will receive him. And with open arms during that hour they will receive the anti-Christ who comes in his own name. However, the complete fulfillment of Christ’s statement will not appear until the middle of the week when the anti-Christ presents himself as their Messiah God and they accept him. As the covenant is signed, according to Dan. 9:27, the 70th week officially opens. The Jewish race who in no way appreciates the Catholic Church nor cares anything for the pope will nevertheless, in that hour, in order to preserve their monetary system that apostate Jew will be willing to bow to anything. Why not? He can easily accept this period of peace and prosperity under the anti-Christ as his Messiah, after all to many Jews in Israel today the coming of the Messiah is nothing more than a period of peace and prosperity. That is what the anti-Christ promised: peace and prosperity.
WEEK OPENED UNAWARE
When the man of sin signs this covenant with Israel, neither he nor Israel is aware this signing has officially opened the 70th week of Daniel, because whatever signing the anti-Christ did before with other nations had absolutely no bearing on scripture whatsoever, it is only this particular signing with Israel that officially opens the70th week and brings God’s two prophets upon the scene rebuking Israel for what she did. It is the signing with that nation (Israel) that automatically displeases God and we begin to hear these seven trumpet judgments in glory blasting away during that week. Keep in mind, not all the Jews in Israel are apostate Jews because one element knows why he is back in the land and is impatiently awaiting for what they believe to be the first coming of their Messiah God. What the apostate Jew did in signing the covenant angered God and set off the 7 judgment angels in Rev. 8:9 to blasting away.
ANGRY GOD SENDS PROPHETS
No sooner is that covenant agreement signed (Dan. 9:27) than God, now so displeased with Israel’s actions, sends these two great anointings, on two Jewish men in Israel who begins rebuking Israel. Beloved, are you aware if we are living in the day of Christ’s soon return, these two Jewish prophets are already on this earth and although no one knows who they are or what area of the earth they may have originated, one thing is for sure, they won’t be nine year old kids in that hour. They are two Jewish men with a basic purpose, they known who they are, what they are supposed to do and they well know once their work is completed the anti-Christ is going to kill them. Furthermore, they will know what God has been doing among the gentiles even before their hour as well as what God is doing in their hour and most of all, what he will be doing in the near future. They will not preach, taking a text from a certain chapter in the Bible as men do today, instead they prophesy. They foretell things to the Jew in that hour, things which are imminent, things which are pending, things to happen in just a few short months and years; things God’s people will soon be facing in Israel as well as what Jews throughout the world will soon be facing. Standing in the streets of Jerusalem they will pronounce judgments.
JUDGMENT OF APOSTATE JEW
Ask yourself the question, on whom and for what purpose do they pronounce judgment? It is against those apostate political Jews who favored the signing of that agreement. This judgment is God’s way of trying to correct that political Jew for his wrong and error in linking up with that system. Can’t you see that nation in her political endeavor during the first half of that 70th week. Today, Israel is truly prospering. She may have a high inflation rate of 35 per cent and pay 86 per cent of her salaries for taxes, but as far as her crops are concerned she is flourishing. Already, she is exporting all kinds of fruits and vegetables into the Common Market nations of Europe who one day forms into this beast system. Recently, Israel signed a pact linking her more closely into the Common Market nations, enabling her for a considerable period of time to export all her fruit and vegetables into Europe for sale. Yet, in that hour, because the political element of Israel links up with the anti-Christ who heads up the European Common Market system, this greatly displeases God, therefore watch what he does.
AFFECTS MIDDLE EAST
As the final prophetic week of seven years opens, God is angry! The first three trumpet judgment angels in Rev. 8:7-11 sound their trumpets and for 1260 days on earth through the ministry of those two prophets, a third part of the world feels the effects. A third part of the vegetation and water is affected. Note beloved, it is only a third part of this world which is affected by what these 3 judgment angels and two prophets are doing. This lets me know what is taking place on earth through the sounding of those first three trumpet judgment angels is happening only in the Middle East where approximately one third of everything in the world is. No, the sounding of these three angels will not affect the entire planet earth, only a third part. This by no means even affects the Far East where today dwells your oriental race of people who will be busy preparing for Armageddon, which comes at the end of the 70th week.
WHY NOT FAR EAST
Why does that ministry not affect the Far East, your oriental race, referred to in Rev. 16 as the kings of the East, which definitely is the one side of the communistic picture seen coming to Armageddon. Recall, none of these four world beast powers or empires of Daniel 7:1-28, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece or Rome, ever ruled the Far East where dwells the oriental race. Therefore, when those first three trumpet angels expressed their judgment powers in the earth, their powers being actually ministered through the authority of these two prophetic offices in Israel, affecting only a third part of the world. Therefore it was bodies of water around Israel which become blood, not in the Far East but Middle East!
DROUGHT AND FAMINE
Did not Rev. 11:6 declare these two prophets had power to shut the heavens? Did not the Prophet Elijah bring such judgment against the ten northern tribes in Israel declaring, it will not rain until I call for it? You remember the story of what happened in Samaria, they all practically starved. Though today Israel has plenty of food, in that hour when those two prophets get through prophesying judgment upon Israel, you will not only see her barley and wheat fields drying up and parching but her forests also. In Joel 1:19 he prophesies the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. Not literal fire but the fire of drought seeing no rain will come for 3 ½ years during the days of their prophecy. When that spirit of Elijah stands in Jerusalem prophesying during the first half of that 70th week, accompanied by that spirit of Moses, naturally that political element of the Jew is going to be humiliated and furious as Pharaoh was down in Egypt. I can see those two prophets clothed with these two great anointings saying, alright, if you do not believe we have THUS SAITH THE LORD, you will believe us next year when you try to put out your crops and nothing will grow.
STRATEGY DURING FIRST HALF
Remember after that signing, for 3 ½ years while these prophets are busy prophesying in Israel, the anti-Christ himself is also going to be quite busy. For a while everything in the western gentile world will be prospering and the average man of the world is content saying, what this great leader has to offer is just what we have always needed. During the first part of that week (first 3 ½ years) peace and prosperity to a certain degree will reign, but wait until later (last 3 ½ years) it turns out to be a false peace for the world. At first the man of sin will be a most eloquent man, a great speechmaker filled with wonderful promises for a glorious future of peace. The western world is saying, we need to be united. But let me tell you one thing, God sure did not want Israel united with this thing. Yet since she did unite, two prophets stand in her midst and for that first half of Daniel’s 70th week they not only prophesy but also smite that part of the world with plagues!
JEWS SEALED
According to Revelation Chaps. 7 and 14, while these two men prophesy during the first half of the week, there is going to be a selected and predestinated element of Jews who will receive a revelation. It is no other than the 144,000 Jews from the House of Israel (Rev. 7:2-8). Today, at present, according to the latest American Jewish Yearbook we are told throughout the world the Jewish population stands at better than 14,150,000. More than 5 ½ million (estimated 5,730,000) of these Jews live in the U.S. constituting 2.8 percent of the population. And get this, this figure is by far larger than that living in Israel! Israel has a Jewish population of 2,806,000. There are more Jews in American than in any other country of the world, including Russia who still has 2,680,000; France, 550,000; Argentina 475,000; Great Britain, 410,000; and Canada with 305,000; that is not including persecuted Jews in Arab countries as well as other places.
SACRIFICE ALTAR REOPENED
You must understand, all those Jews will never return to Israel, however, there will be enough returning that 144,000 can be sealed in with a revelation delivered by these two prophets. The seal of the living God is the Holy Ghost (Eph. 4:30). Who knows, some of these other Jews may go to Israel in that hour and be fortunate enough to hear those two prophets seeing Israel will, in the beginning of her 70th week at least have her sacrificial altar in her hands (Dan. 9:27, 12:11), whereby she may offer animal sacrifices unto Jehovah and a Jewish temple in the process of being built will certainly stimulate Jews throughout the world as they no doubt will be called upon to make great contributions toward the rebuilding of that temple. 144,000 predestinated seed of God in Israel during the first half of the 70th week will hear a revelation as well as received the seal of God, the Holy Ghost. That is why Rev. 7 pictures 144,000 of these people from the tribes of Israel sealed in their forehead and later Rev. 14 pictures this same 144,000 in an entirely different dramatic setting. Because later in Rev. 14 John saw that same 144,000 standing on Mt. Zion with a lamb (where Jerusalem) having their father’s name written in their forehead. Not written with an indelible pencil, of course not, but with the revelation of who Jesus Christ is. Note their obedience to the Spirit because it says they follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth. Don’t literalize that, that is not 144,000 men of Israel trailing around behind a natural lamb! Then what is it? It is this special 144,000 who heard two prophets somewhere during the first half of that week, now with the Spirit of God in their lives, following that Holy Ghost wheresoever he leads them. Have you ever wondered where he would lead them? Don’t think for a moment these 144,000 are going to be sidetracked to sit it out on the bleachers until the millennium reign begins. No, these are servants of Jehovah and they have a job to do. That job will be getting a definite message to the millions of Jews still living in dispersion out in the gentile world and that message must be delivered quickly. No, it is not by any means a Salvation Message. It is not a message of grace whatsoever, it is a warning message to have nothing to do with this beast system in that hour seeing it has turned completely satanic (after the middle of the week).
FIRST HALF NOT TRIBULATION
Their job comes in the latter half of that prophetic week. Keep in mind, the first half of that 70th week can be very peaceful and is never spoken of as a time of tribulation because during that time the western world will be quite busy establishing their unification of one world government as well as their one world religion, etc. Yet may I remind you, God has other plans and this new world order under the anti-Christ isn’t going to progress very far before God steps in and disrupts it. Two prophets are prophesying in Israel pronouncing judgment and fulfilling those first three trumpet angel judgments in Rev. 8:7-11. According in Dan. 9:27 somehow the orthodox Jew in Israel has gained access to his old ancient temple grounds.
ERECTION OF TEMPLE UNNECESSARY
Yes, as that period of the 70th week is officially opened, by some means the orthodox Jew gains possession of his holy spot and animal sacrifices on the altar will have already begun, because remember, it won’t be necessary for the Jew to have his temple built at that hour, although probably it will have begun and with modern equipment it shouldn’t require too many years before completion. Nevertheless, the Jew will not wait for that temple to be erected to be again offering sacrifice because once that sacred rock altar now covered over by the Dome of the Rock falls into his hands he can immediately begin to offer sacrifices unto Jehovah. Thus, the first thing the orthodox Jew will do, after having received his temple ground where stands the sacrifice altar, is to do exactly what his ancestors did when they returned from Babylonian captivity under the prophets Zachariah and Haggai. Neither did they have a temple in that hour, yet once they found that sacrificial rock among the rubbish they began to sacrifice animals upon it several years before the second temple was ever rebuilt. As a matter of fact they hadn’t been back in the land two months before they erected an altar and began sacrifices. Such an act as this automatically places Israel on grounds of worship and communication with Jehovah. Later they erected a temple, wherein the priest could further function in his priestly administration.
GAINS TEMPLE GROUND
Thus according to Dan. 9:27, 12:11 scripture which doesn’t mention their temple as having been erected as the 70th week officially opened, although it does discuss the ability of the Jew being able to offer sacrifices on his sacred sacrificial altar, known today as the rock of Moriah. Once again as the Jew begins to offer burnt offerings unto Jehovah and as smoke raises from the sacred altar with a true ordained sacrifice burning upon that rock offering sacrifices once again places the nation back on the basis of a true scriptural fellowship with Jehovah. May I remind you also whenever God has a prophet on earth to benefit Israel as a nation, when they were in their homeland there was always an animal sacrifice on that sacred altar.
REVELATION THROUGH PROPHETS
Yes we are fully aware although there will be blood animal sacrifices on the sacrificial altar according to Dan. 9:27, the blood sacrifice on the altar itself has nothing whatsoever to do with any Jew receiving the true revelation of who Jesus Christ is ABSOLUTELY NOT! That revelation comes strictly from God through those two prophets, nevertheless the fact there is a continual sacrifice laying on the altar during the first half of that week speaks only that Israel has come in line with the Old Testament law which Israel, as God’s chosen people of old, was always recognized by and required to walk in. That altar setting only enables Israel as a people to now begin having fellowship with God whereby he may remove the veil from their eyes, especially the 144,000, giving to them the revelation of various scriptures. See, God doesn’t bypass anything he does everything exactly according to the pattern of the word. No we haven’t forgotten our subject of the THREE WOES, but seeing the THREE WOES do not appear until the middle of the 70th week, we began in the first part of the week working our way up to the middle where soon we shall see the operation of the THREE WOES. I can see that nation during the first half of that 70th week as the orthodox Jew, now with his temple ground in his possession, begin to fellowship Jehovah. Two mightily anointed Jewish prophets appear following the signing of his covenant in Dan. 9:27, standing on that ancient temple grounds prophesying and warning the people of the judgments to fall upon their nation as a result of what their nation did; telling them how displeased God is with it all, warning them what is soon to take place, seeing their good time is almost to be turned into a nightmare.
PART 2 – EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE OF WEEK PRODUCES WOES
Timewise we have reached the middle of the week. 3 ½ years or one thousand two hundred sixty days have passed which has actually concluded the ministry of these two prophets. Their job is finished. Nevertheless, the sealing away of the 144,000 has already taken place and in certain circles, a great revival has stirred Israel. Undoubtedly this stirring revival irritates and agitates greatly the man of sin, seeing such a revival sets off a social disorder or social disruption throughout the Jewish world. It causes an international as well as a social and political disturbance among the Jewish people which forces the anti-Christ to step in and change things as the anti-Christ makes his move against Israel, Dan. 9:27, 12:11 declares half of the prophetic week of seven years has passed, one thousand two hundred three score days. These two Jewish prophets have successfully brought spiritual life and revival to one element of Jews while at the same time brought plagues (Rev. 8:7-11) which is God’s judgment against the political Jew. But I ask you, did these plagues striking a third part of the earth (in the Middle East) cause the political apostate Jew to repent – THEY DID NOT! Instead he continues right on his own chosen way feeling everything is fine Israel has her temple area, more than that, Israel has her covenant of peace and prosperity with the anti-Christ and although the plagues against the land have been severe, the political minded Jew is still satisfied to allow things to remain as they are. Because of such an attitude, God must somehow judge that apostate Jew even more severely. Watch what he does.
ANTI-CHRIST MOVES IN FOURTH TRUMPET SOUNDS
Conditions have now so developed in Israel where in its necessitates action by the man of sin, Satan’s little prince to step in and do something and it is what he does in the middle of that week in Jerusalem which caused that fourth angel in the spirit world to smite a third part of the heavens, black out a third part of the moon, sun and stars whereby a third part of them gave no light and the day shown not for a third part as well as the night. It is then we hear in Rev. 8:13 the angel flying through heaven saying WOE, WOE, WOE to the inhabiters of the earth, ‘WOE’ meaning extreme sorrow, extreme misery, extreme suffering will come against the inhabitants of the earth. When? In the middle of the week! Why? Because God’s anger is so kindled against Israel for what she now does that he smites the third part of the heavens! We note with the first three trumpets, a third part of the earth was smitten, however, with the fourth trumpet God struck the heavens and pronounced THREE WOES to follow.
WOE ANNOUNCED UNDER FOURTH TRUMPET
Watch carefully what this man of sin does in the middle of the 70th week. The moment the anti-Christ is forced by conditions in Israel to do something, he automatically fulfilled Dan. 9:27 as well as Dan. 12:11, once he has destroyed Israel’s privilege to sacrifice. We are in the middle of that prophetic week and note in the middle of that week, the angel sounds the THREE WOES following the fourth trumpet blast when the anti-Christ destroyed the orthodox Jew’s privilege of being able to offer sacrifice, Satan’s prince, the anti-Christ desecrated the altar by rendering it useless. Dan. 9:27 declares he takes away the (daily) sacrifice from off the altar as well as stopping the evening oblation. The evening oblation is incense being offered up unto God at the evening time.
ALTAR DESOLATE – HOW LONG?
The Bible even tells how long the Jewish altar will remain desolate (useless) Dan. 12:11, a thousand two hundred ninety days, a period of 30 days over the allotted 3 ½ years for the great tribulation to run its course. Then once again the altar becomes useful for a millennium purpose. Blessed is he that waiteth, Daniel says 45 more days, which comes to a thousand three hundred thirty-five days. Seventy-five extra days in Dan. 12:12 added to that space of 1,230 days or the last half of the week, are days which by no means relate to the actual sacrifice itself, but seeing the anti-Christ himself being the abomination that maketh desolate polluted this holy area for the last 3 ½ years of the 70th week. Those days relate strictly to the cleaning up process or the rededication of the temple as well as the rededication of the altar. These extra days places you well over into the millennium reign when Christ is already on earth. Remember Christ will never step into that temple, though it was built for him, nor will he permit a sacrifice to go upon the altar to serve strictly for the millennium purpose until first all this cleaning up and rededicating process is completed. That is why you have those extra days mentioned in Dan. 12:11-12 past your normal Jewish 3 ½ years or 42 months. The altar shall be used again.
TEMPLE BUILT BEFORE MILLENNIUM
Some say they do not believe the Jewish temple is to be built before the coming of Christ. Well if the temple isn’t to be rebuilt before the coming of Christ, then please interpret. Rev. 11:1-2 which shows John being instructed to take a reed or measuring rod and go measure the temple, measure a temple, which I remind you is not the spiritual temple of God, whose house we are in the grace age if we have the Holy Ghost abiding in us (I Cor. 6:19) John was instructed to measure the actual temple of God. When the word of the Lord came to John on the Isle of Patmos, Herod’s temple lay in ruins! As a matter of fact all Jerusalem lay in ruins in 96 A.D. But an angel told John to rise and measure the temple, the altar and them that worship therein. Verse 2 says, but the court which is without the temple leave out, measure it not for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy city shall be trod under foot forty and two months. This 42 months beloved is still future. For someone to tell me where, after 96 A.D. or anywhere in Israel’s past history was Jerusalem ever trod down by Gentiles for only a small period of 3 ½ years, as John says Jerusalem will be trodden down here! Some think the Jewish temple is built after Christ comes to reign for a thousand years and not during the final week of Daniel’s prophecy. How ignorant people can be to scripture. If the temple is not built until after Christ comes, then somewhere during the millennium you will have to say the Gentiles will overrun the temple area for forty-two months. What wild ideas some have concerning scripture.
ABOMINATION STANDING IN HOLY PLACE
Once the anti-Christ stops the daily sacrifice there in the midst of the week, he sets himself up in the temple being rebuilt and Dan. 12:11 refers to his act as the abomination that maketh desolate. Christ, picking up that very statement, elaborates further on it in Matt. 24:15 saying to the Jewish people facing that dark hour in the middle of the week, when you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place (Dan. 12:11) whosoever readeth let him understand; let everybody in Judaea (Israel) flee for their lives into the mountains because then (for 3 ½ years) shall be great tribulation, etc.
DESIRES HONOR PAID IN SAME SPOT
Really brother, do you believe the anti-Christ will literally sit in the temple in Jerusalem? Well, how many believe that Jesus will sit in the temple in the millennium? Sure, Ezekiel 43, 44, and 45 that covers the anointing of the most holy. Remember, whatever God promised for mankind’s benefit, Satan will always run first with his counterpart. Recall how Zech. 14 declares every nation must go up to Jerusalem during the thousand years reign on to that temple area and worship the Lord of Host, keeping the feast of the tabernacles. Well, the devil wants the same honor and he wants that honor paid to him on the same spot of ground, in the same identical building! Because the Jews rejected the first manifestation of Christ, the Lord gives them the anti-Christ as a curse. This is God’s way of dealing with the apostate element of the nation. Then turns around in the millennium and gives that hour to the spiritual course of the nation. During the middle of the week he breaks his covenant and sets himself up in the temple of God. When he does God immediately releases hell upon the earth.
WHAT TRIGGERED 4TH TRUMPET
The fourth trumpet judgment sounded as the anti-Christ reached out and struck Israel’s altar and worship there in the middle of that week, took over the temple presenting himself as God and the apostate Jew went along with it! Whatever took place in the holy land by the middle of the week has caused the anti-Christ to go to Jerusalem and break his word to Israel. Remember Dan. 9:27 says he broke his own covenant. Israel never broke it! The apostate Jew was very content with the covenant and the true orthodox Jew never accepted it in the first place. It was the anti-Christ who broke it. He made the agreement for a period of seven years, but saw it was benefitting the Jew far too much, therefore after the covenant had been in existence for 3 ½ years which brought prophetic time up to the middle of the prophetic week, HE BROKE IT! He not only broke his word but the apostate Jew accepted him as Messiah God and this sets off a chain reaction in the heavens as the forth trumpet angel is heard to sound smiting a third part of the sun, moon and stars, the THREE WOES on mankind are pronounced.
APOSTATE JEW ACCEPTS ANTI-CHRIST AS GOD
Why are THREE WOES pronounced on mankind at this very hour? It is because the anti-Christ moves into Jerusalem and into the temple, setting himself up as God and that apostate Jew agrees to go right along with it. Why shouldn’t he, as it has already been stated the apostate Jew feels the coming of the Messiah is nothing more than a period of prosperity anyway and as far as the anti-Christ is concerned up to this hour, he has given his kingdom that prosperity and peace. Nevertheless once that anti-Christ touches the altar and stops the sacrifice in behalf of the orthodox Jew, he fulfills Rev. 11:1-3 as he will also cut off the ministry of these two prophets. Having taken away the daily sacrifice from the altar, Paul’s revelation in 2 Thessalonians says the man of sin sets himself up as God in the temple and is worshiped as God (2 Thess. 2:3-4). But what makes God so angry is the apostate Jew in Israel who he had already plagued for 3 ½ years accepts him as their Messiah God. This brought the FIRST WOE! Speaking of the hour during the middle of the week, Revelation declares everyone in these various areas where his influence is felt (including Israel) whose name is not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world will worship the beast when they behold the spirit of the beast which was and is not, yet is, Rev. 13:8. However, please note, he does not call upon the world to worship him as God until around the middle of week! Because it is not until the middle of the week that he moves into Jerusalem and takes over. Then his whole kingdom, including the apostate political Jew who feels the Messiah is a period of peace and prosperity, will worship him as God.
TREADING JERUSALEM 42 MONTHS
Bringing his international police force into Jerusalem fulfills Rev. 11:2, where under his authority the Gentiles (his police force) tramps the streets of Jerusalem for 42 months. The orthodox Jews are no longer allowed access to the temple area because the anti-Christ has set himself up in the temple declaring himself to be God. Such action immediately sets up a hatred among the orthodox Jews and this still further agitates the anti-Christ, who by this hour according to Rev. 12:13-14, becomes a (wild) beast seeing he has now completely become the incarnated devil himself as Satan who was earlier cast to the earth has completely possessed the man of sin and intends to give Israel a bloodbath. Such satanic hatred against Israel will now usher in a period of 3 ½ years of pure hatred against the Jew as a race of people.
4TH TRUMPET SOUNDS IN MIDDLE OF WEEK
Notice the fourth trumpet angel sounding its judgment did not affect anything on the earth as did the first three trumpets. It is your celestial elements affected by the sound of the fourth angel’s trumpet! Get this, in the middle of the week that carnal political Jew accepted the anti-Christ as their Messiah God there in the temple to completely fulfill John 5:43 having every intention of still going along with the anti-Christ even though he broke his covenant with Israel! Such action greatly angers God and God will use this very diabolical thing to further speak to Israel. Becoming angry over what the political Jew has allowed, the fourth trumpet angel blasts forth in the middle of the week and God smites, not the earth, but a third part of the sun, moon and stars wherein they will not shine for a third part of the day.
MIDDLE EAST AFFECTED
Where will this darkness be primarily expressed on earth? No doubt in the Middle East only! Probably this darkness can not even been seen in the rest of the world only in the Middle East because the anti-Christ is in the Middle East committing this diabolical act and what is worse, those apostate Israelites go along with it! Thus is the Middle East, primarily Israel, this dark celestial shadow will hang. It is God’s way as a sign to the nation, you accepted the devil’s agent as Messiah, all right, if this is what you wanted this is what I am going to give you, only more than you ever dreamed possible! For the last 3 ½ years of Daniel’s 70th week my voice won’t be heard anymore through a prophet, therefore I am going to give you literally hell on earth. Why do I say hell on earth? Because no sooner did that fourth angel sound his trumpet a blast that no natural ear heard, God smites a third part of the sun, moon and stars, now we hear the THREE WOES sounded.
WOE NUMBER ONE
HELL LOOSED – FIFTH TRUMPET
Rev. 9:1-12
Watch closely what happens, the fifth angel sounds his trumpet and with it we see the FIRST WOE released on earth. What do we now see coming up out of hell? In the middle of that final week the fifth angel sounds his trumpet releasing the First Woe upon the inhabitants of the earth, releasing for that first five month period extreme anguish, extreme suffering, extreme sorrow, seeing earth no longer wants to worship God but Satan instead. God himself said to the fifth angel, release that first WOE, Rev. 9:12. Did any natural man hear it when it was released? Absolutely not! But the spirit world heard it. The fifth angel sounded and all hell heard, eager to be turned loose upon the earth, whereby they might torture mankind. It is symbolic of course, because there is no place on earth with a huge hole that you could say here is the entrance leading to the bottomless pit. No, John is strictly seeing a symbolic picture but it shows hell to be opening up and freeing every demon spirit as God calls for them to come forth. As the bottomless pit opens, verse 2 says, a smoke rose from the pit as the smoke of a great furnace and the sun was darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. Look at that dreadful darkness which rose from this pit in the middle of the week as that man of sin broke the covenant, set himself up in the temple as God and demanded all mankind, including apostate Judaism, to accept and worship him as God. When they do, God immediately releases every devil in hell. God seeing the world including apostate Israel desires to be ruled over by Satan’s man of sin, simply says, you like all that so much, I am going to give you 100 percent of all the devil is. Therefore to accommodate you, I will empty hell just for you and turn every demon loose on the earth. Yes, Israel is included in this because basically the overall picture prophetically concerning the week is primarily concerned with Israel.
TORMENT MANKIND
John watched this dramatic sight unfold. The bottomless pit open and these locust like creatures who were demons coming forth. Why are they described as resembling locusts? In the spiritual sense these demons are going to have the same effect upon the flesh and the spirit of mankind in their torturing ability and affects similar to that of a natural locust working and stripping away the leaves and grass of natural vegetation. They simply gnaw away until they have devoured the very thing they are gnawing upon. Verse 3 shows why it is spoken in this manner – And there was given unto them power as a natural scorpion on the earth has power. And note they are commanded not to hurt the grass nor any green thing of the earth, trees, etc. These two prophets’ ministries fulfilling the sounding of the first three trumpet judgments had already accomplished that. These things of torment will only affect man in his physical and spiritual makeup. In verse 4 they are commanded not to hurt vegetation but only to torment those men who did not have the seal of God in their forehead. Recall this sealing came during the first half of the week and this statement proves the 144,000 Israelites were already sealed in and are exempt from this tormenting five month period. Only those unregenerated people who had already aligned themselves with the anti-Christ system, accepting him as God were tormented. Note verse 5 and to them it was given not to kill them, only to torment the unregenerated five months and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion as he strikes a man. In those days man shall seek death and shall not find it, desiring to die, but death flees from them.FIVE MONTHS TORMENT These demons are strictly for torment. No, they do not create heart trouble, cancer, etc., these diseases are already here. They literally work on the mentality and spiritual makeup of man, act as a tormenting restless disturbing thing. Listen to the Lord commanding them to hurt mankind during that final 3 ½ year period, their torment is as a torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. A scorpion sting makes man so miserable, so sick, in such misery, aching, running a high fever. It does not necessarily kill man, yet for hours he is so miserable going through such aches and fever he may wish he was dead. However note, in these five months mankind to be tortured cannot die. Man will actually seek suicide to try and escape the pressure of these tormenting spirits yet God won’t permit him to go through with it. SUICIDE LEADERS Amazing how little pressure mankind can actually stand. You would be surprised to know the tens of thousand of people who because of one tormenting pressure or another, can not cope with life and would gladly commit suicide to escape reality. In America alone (in 1975) some 55,000, according to officials, will commit suicide. Suicide rate season runs highest following the suicide of a famous personality. Statistics show for the first three months after Marilyn Monroe committed suicide the rate of suicides rose over 35 per cent above the natural trend. The rate of increase above normal depends upon how well known the celebrity was. What does it mean? Simply that thousands of people desire to commit suicide but do not have the courage, however, let a famous celebrity lead the way and it furnishes courage for thousand of others. Just think, if man can hardly stand his tormenting pressures today when he can die, think of the extra agony that will be added during that special five months after the middle of the 70th week when God has become so disgusted with mankind he won’t permit any man to die. Picture that FIRST WOE being poured out on mankind. During the first five months of the last 3 ½ years of the final week, everything in hell will be loosed and allowed to come upon earth to invade and infiltrate a society who has shown or expressed more than anything, by accepting the anti-Christ as their God that they wanted a satanic rule over them. The purpose of this infiltration is to make life so miserable, so unbearable for unregenerated mankind, spiritually, mentally as well as physically, that he would gladly seek death to escape it but God simply won’t allow unregenerated man to take the short cut out. Here is WOE number one. When did it strike the earth, in the middle of the prophetic week. TWO FOLD PURPOSE Actually these released demons have a twofold objective. Not only will they torment mankind five months but as that period of the final portion of the week (last 3 ½ years) draws nearer to its climax, these same devils will become confusing spirits to help throw that entire Western European beast system, headed by the man of sin, into a total state of confusion and unrest, no doubt fulfilling Rev. 17:16-18. While the same time will help prepare the world for Armageddon, including the nations of the Far East oriental people, who by this late hour will all be under their own form of Communism. Never think a devil causing a severe headache can not do something else they sure can, they sure can. Once these tormenting demons are released on earth and serve their five months purpose, watch what the scripture says their final objective is Rev. 9:7, and the shape of the locust were like unto horses prepared unto battle. And on their heads were as it were crowns like gold and their faces were the faces of men, and they had hair as the hair of women. Women’s long hair on a man’s face, This is not said to discredit any young man but are you aware when you see those long haired characters walking the streets today you could well be looking at a physical shadow of what John actually saw in the Spirit. It is pathetic when you can not tell a man from a woman.
SON OF PERDITION ANOINTED TO DESTROY
With man’s face and hair of a woman and teeth as teeth of lions, verse 9 declares them to have breastplates as it were breastplates of iron and the sound of their wings were as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. Here they take on a military characteristic. Verse 10 says their tails were like scorpions and there were stings in their tails and their power was to hurt men five months. In verse 11 we learn these creatures had a king over them who is the angel of the bottomless pit and that captain and king is the devil whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon but in the Greek is Apollyon. Notice carefully what this name signifies. It brings out the fact of what Satan will be doing in the windup or showdown. This name signifies the devil who is both Lucifer and Satan actually is a “destroyer” or “destroying angel” showing destruction and you associate that word perdition with the son of perdition meaning one ordained to lead to destruction such as was Judas Iscariot who betrayed Christ. Therefore when Satan entered Judas Iscariot, Satan anointed him for the purpose to destroy Jesus, thus causing Judas in scripture to be referred to as the son of perdition. However in this particular setting of the middle of the week when Satan fully enters or anoints the man of sin (as he did Judas) we see that man of sin now take on his role as the son of perdition which means one ordained to lead to destruction. True, mankind had desired this very hour (or rule) nevertheless it was still Satan’s plot, through his man of sin, the son of perdition to now take mankind down the pathway of destruction. God, now disgusted with mankind allows Satan to lead mankind, who he had already rejected, right off into destruction. Satan’s plan is carried out through his agent, now called the son of perdition, because the anti-Christ is not only Satan’s mouthpiece but after the middle of the week has become the very incarnation of this spirit itself. Bear in mind, this son of perdition role does not apply to the anti-Christ until the world reaches the middle of that final prophetic week when he breaks that covenant of Dan. 9:27 and Dan. 12:11 and becomes specially anointed for the kill. It is only then God says I will give the world the most horrible experience mankind has ever endured, I will literally turn hell loose upon the earth, giving them all hell has to offer. Here the devil is allowed to incarnate himself in his agent because in that hour Satan has already set his trap and as far as God is concerned it is already over and finished seeing he won’t lift his hand in behalf of any intervention following the death of his two prophets. The objective is now to take mankind straight to destruction and while leading them down that road to destruction Satan and his demon hosts will have the privilege of slowly tormenting mankind, making life miserable for him because at the end of this last 3 ½ years God intends to destroy all of them during the hour of Armageddon anyway. Thus with the anti-Christ’s broken covenant in the middle of week, we see the first WOE released as hell is turned loose. May I say all three of these woes are sounded and administered directly as the result of what the anti-Christ does in the middle of that week.
WOE 2 & 3 WHEN AND HOW EXPRESSED
Rev. 9: 12 declared, one WOE is past, behold there comes two WOES more hereafter. But the question is in relationship to the final week, where are the other two WOES placed? For years I searched the scriptures trying to see in the light of the scripture relating to this final week, just where, when and how these Woes were to be expressed. Were they to be divided out over the entire final 3 ½ year period of time or just how were they to be expressed. In other words where in the week were they to fall. Was I to understand that one Woe was to be expressed now and then sometime later in the prophetic week another Woe would be released, etc., or did they possibly overlap one another. How the other two woes were expressed still remained to be the question.
6TH TRUMPET CARRIED NO WOE
I took note while reading the sixth trumpet angel it was odd that you did not find the second Woe mentioned anywhere in that trumpet. When God gave the answer I saw these three Woes were all connected into that same time period used to express the fifth trumpet blast there in the middle of the week. Three things were accomplished in the middle of that week and these things constitute the three Woes! These Woes were to be released consecutively, one after the other, falling precisely in the middle of the week. Woe number one is hell being turned loose as the anti-Christ moved into the temple area and those apostate Jews accepted him as God. Two more Woes are to follow. Beloved, as hell is turned loose on earth, your second and third Woes are set in motion.
WOE NUMBER TWO – DEATH OF PROPHETS
What is the second Woe? It is none other than the killing of the two prophets by the anti-Christ which silences the intervention of God for the people in the middle of the week according to Rev. 11:14 and the third Woe is that bloodbath against Israel for 3 ½ years. Therefore, reading the sixth trumpet angel’s judgment, we see no where is the second Woe mentioned. Because remember the effects of the sixth angel will not climax until Armageddon at the end of the 70th week. For the second Woe we pick up Rev. 11:7 where Israel’s two Jewish prophets have just completed their ministry during the first half of the prophetic week, ministering and plaguing the Middle East for a period of 3 ½ years. Did the political apostate Jew repent? They did not. But thank God that 144,000 men received the revelation of who Jesus Christ is. There were some spiritual Jews who received some very important information which will benefit them during the last half of the week, which shall be discussed more thoroughly under the third woe. Now let us establish the second Woe. Time wise, as Rev. 11:7 begins they are at the middle of the week. And when they (the two prophets) shall have finished or shall have completed their testimony (note that is past tense), the beast that ascended up out of the bottomless pit killed them. Here is the Apostle John’s method of describing the spirit of that beast which comes up out of the pit because it is only the spirit of the beast which could come up out of the pit, the body of the beast cannot, only a spirit can do that.
SPIRIT OF BEAST
Therefore it is the spirit of the beast of that old resurrected Roman Empire, which comes up out of hell and embodies or entwines itself around that European beast system of 10 nations as well as the man of sin who is the head of the government of that beast system. This simply becomes Satan’s way of embodying himself or characterizing himself to act out his diabolical purpose primarily against Israel. Thus John says, that beast (spirit) that ascended out of the bottomless pit makes war against them (the two prophets) and shall overcome them and kill them. When, during the first part of the week? Absolutely not!! Because Rev. 11:5 declared during the days of their prophesy (3 ½ years) no one can hurt them seeing if anyone tried the fire (of judgment) proceeded out of their mouth to destroy them. That fire naturally is not a literal fire but is the fire of judgment of the spoken word such as was spoken by Elijah when fire fell and burned up 100 soldiers (2 Kings 1:9-15) in the days of Israel’s apostasy. However, note after their 3 ½ years, once their ministry is completely finished, they can be killed. This shows as long as the anti-Christ is only in the preliminary stage of that week, working out his final plan of take over, God is giving those Jews a revival in Israel during which time nothing can harm these prophets. However, once the revival has accomplished its purpose and God is finished with his two prophets, we see the means and way God has of allowing their ministry to be fulfilled. See, it is time for the fulfillment of Dan. 9:27 and to allow the devil to do all his diabolical work in deceiving the world, presenting himself as God in the middle of the week and soon to lead his followers to destruction. The devil there in the middle of that week, working through his agent the anti-Christ, reaches over, breaks the covenant with the Jew, denying their right to sacrifice, kills the two prophets in the same time period as we see God has now released two of the three WOES announced under the fourth trumpet. Trumpet number five released Woe number one. The anti-Christ, having now become the beast man, reaches out and kills those two prophets, not in some great prison yard but out in the streets of Jerusalem.
SPIRIT OF JERUSALEM
However note, there has such a spirit taken over in Jerusalem by the middle of the week that God does not even refer to this great city by its rightful name Jerusalem, instead gives it two other names which reveal the spiritual setting as it prefigures what the city will be like in that hour. Verse 8 says, and their dead bodies shall lay in the streets of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt where also our Lord was crucified. What does Sodom and Egypt mean in relation to Jerusalem in the middle of the week. Sodom you remember was a wicked city destroyed long ago and Jesus most certainly was not crucified in Egypt. Therefore these two names (Sodom and Egypt) reveal the spiritual setting showing the moral situation of the people of the city themselves by the middle of the week. As the world reaches the middle of that week, although they have had a great revival in Jerusalem and 144,000 men have been sealed in, nevertheless in a moral sense those Jews who rejected that message but accepted the anti-Christ as God, are possessed with all those idolatrous Sodomite spirits which have been released and running loose. There is in that hour such a spirit of idolatry which affects these blinded political apostate Jews in the fact he worships the anti-Christ as God in their own temple, the political Jew having rejected the two prophets’ message and accepted the anti-Christ as God is now living (as far as God is concerned) in a far worse spiritual and moral condition in their makeup or image before God than the sinful people he destroyed in Sodom. Therefore because of the idolatrous presence of the anti-Christ having moved in makes Jerusalem the filthiest city, both morally and spiritually, as she becomes the cross road of world travel. In that hour in the middle of the week in Jerusalem, you have two conditions simultaneously because as the anti-Christ breaks his covenant he places Jerusalem under his strict Gentile control to fulfill Rev. 11:3. For 42 months Jerusalem will be in bondage and because the two prophets were killed the voice of God will be silenced from any further intervention for the next 3 ½ years. Jerusalem now truly becomes a city of international travel.
WATCHING THE DEAD
Vs. 9,– and they of the people and kindred and tongues and nation shall see (no doubt by satellite television) their dead bodies lie in the street 3 ½ days and shall refuse to allow their dead bodies to be placed in graves for 3 ½ days the world stares upon these dead bodies. Much is heard today concerning communication satellites, that is where pictures and words bounce off a satellite and is seen and heard instantly in all parts of the world. The world will be able to see by television as well as hear by radio these facts without delay. The dead bodies lay in the street and the whole (prophetic) world sends gifts one to the other because they are glad to see these two men dead, because of the plagues which had been placed on them. However, they will only lay there for 3 ½ days, long enough for their bodies to bloat because since the world is making such a big to do over this, God intends to get glory from the very same thing. The world who has been rejoicing over the death of these two men is soon going to have their rejoicing shattered, God is going to speak from heaven and these two men will stand on their feet. No doubt TV cameras will be trained on this sight when it happens. Wonder what the evening newscasters of the news media will say that night concerning their raising from the dead leaving the earth and ascending to heaven? The Bible declares in verse 13 and the same hour (in the middle of the week) there will be a great earthquake. Where? In Jerusalem and Israel. It seems that whenever a resurrection takes place in the land of Israel, the earth just has to rejoice (remember the resurrection of Christ and the great earthquake that followed.) In this earthquake 7000 men are slain and a tenth of the city falls, and the remnant gave glory to God. Although that is true it does mean that they repented and got right with God. Many people today when they see a phenomena occur will acknowledge it had to be God, but it does not make them serve him. What else could they say, it happened there before their very eyes. Now watch closely, verse 14 declares the second Woe is (now) past and behold the Third Woe comes quickly. What is the second Woe? It is when the anti-Christ kills those two prophets in the middle of the week. It is God’s way of saying, you killed my prophets so now you will see my hand no more until 3 ½ years later because now the world will literally have hell on earth. That is what these Three Woes are relating to. All Three Woes relate to the action of the anti-Christ in the middle of that 70th week. No, the earth will certainly not be a joyful place in which to live.
WOE NUMBER THREE – BLOODBATH
We approach the third Woe, and remember it is not some condition developing which happens way out toward the end of the week. It expresses itself right along with Woes number one and two. However, note the third Woe is not mentioned in the same manner the other two are mentioned, nevertheless, it is the last time the word Woe ever appears in Revelation. Our third and final Woe also released in the middle of the week, is seen in Rev. 12. John, looking in the heavens, saw something. There appeared a great wonder (or symbol) in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet. What is John looking at? True, he saw the profile of a woman but what he actually sees is the woman’s silhouette as she is so precisely standing in the sun or the glory of the sun is actually what shrouds her, becoming her outer garment. Looking under her feet John saw the moon. John is looking upon the nation of Israel which one day will truly be clothed in the sun when she appears in all her millennium glory. But the moon under her feet shows the nation had passed through 1400 years of the law age which was a foreshadow of better things to come, although it was the gentiles (not Israel) who would receive that better things to come, meaning the grace age.) That same law which testified of the grace age being given to the gentiles spoke also in Hosea, Amos and other prophets of the millennium when all Israel would be saved and shine as a nation in that age. Moreover the fact John saw the woman clothed in the sun did not signify Israel was clothed in the grace age. No, she is only clothed with the glory of Christ when he sits in the millennium, therefore every verse throughout Chapter12 must be interpreted in its proper perspective. Israel, having passed through over 1400 years of the law, prefigured in type by the moon under her feet, that same law tells us that the devil will try to destroy Israel in the middle of the 70th week, but God will save her. He is going to preserve her whereby she will sit in the millennium as a glorified shining nation, fulfilling all of God’s prophecies which he promised her by all his prophets, pertaining to the kingdom age. Christ, her Messiah, will not sit in New York City, he will sit in Jerusalem on Mt. Zion, on the ancient throne of David in order to fulfill Ezek. 21:27 where Zedekiah, the last king of the royal seed line of David, was taken and along with his royal seed was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. God said he would overturn and overturn and overturn, meaning the kingdom of Israel would simply consistently be done in this manner until he would come whose right it was to rule. God would give him the royal diadem which would no longer be signified by two broken tribes of Israel and Judah but under the kingdom of Christ these two sticks (or diadem) would become one and Christ would rule and reign for a thousand years.
WOMAN WITH CHILD
Staring at the woman, John noticed she was with child, crying in travail and pain to be delivered. How could anyone think this pregnant woman could possibly be the church when the church was always spoken of as a virgin. There is no place in scripture which says the church is with child. The church isn’t even married yet. She won’t be married until Rev. 19, but this woman was heavy with child. In fact she was crying to be delivered. It is none other than the nation Israel which after 1400 years of the law age had already conceived by the mouth of her prophets who dropped off the seed of the word of God, those prophetic promises of God such as out of Zion shall come forth a ruler who will rule my people. He will come forth out of Bethlehem (for that is where he will be born). He will be called a Nazarite, etc. Out of Egypt he will call his Son to name only a few prophecies Israel was pregnant with. It is these many prophecies which is the seed word of God which produces this manchild. In the hour of Christ’s birth Israel was under that last beast power to ever rule the world. Furthermore, this resurrected Roman rule will also be the last beast system seen in the middle of the week who tromp, tromp, tromp over her land. Since 606 B.C. until the period of the Romans, it had been some 600 years that Israel was first out of the land then back in, scourged, overrun, slaughtered, etc, and now Israel was desperately wanting her Messiah. The time had arrived when the woman must give birth to the child. Note, under Roman rule the manchild was born. All prophecies concerning this event had come to pass.
RED DRAGON AND ROMAN EMPIRE
Verse 3 picks up with still another aspect of the story. There appeared another wonder in heaven and behold a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns upon its heads. It’s tail drew out a third part of the stars from 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. Brief review: In the heavens stood this pregnant woman, in pain and ready to be delivered of child. In another place stood this great red dragon, all this is none other than a heavenly reflection of the old earthly Roman system down here on earth in which Satan had embodied himself. If the woman is a symbol and a reflection of a nation of people, then so is the red dragon. The dragon is a symbol and a reflection of earthly forces in earthly systems in which Satan has embodied himself for the sole purpose of getting at God, in order to seek to hinder the fulfillment of God’s word. Remember when God’s word is fulfilled it will be fulfilled through people. Likewise, Satan who opposes it, must therefore oppose the word through people. The fact John saw this dragon having seven heads and ten horns certainly wasn’t the picture of Rome in 96 A.D. nor at the time of Christ’s birth but it is the picture of the Roman Empire in its entire complete embodiment and characteristics as it will be in the last days. What John is looking at is none other than a reflection of all this as it is seen in heaven, because all this is definitely the plan of Satan. John is reviewing the overall profile or picture of what will be going on down here on earth, however, only time itself would literally fulfill and characterize it as it would all be displayed on earth.
RULES NATIONS
Verse 5 – and she brought forth a manchild who (later on) was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. Rev. 19 depicts that scene of the second coming of Christ taking place after the close of the great 3 ½ year tribulation period, (falling in the last half of the 70th week), saying, out of his mouth goeth a sharp two-edged sword with which he smites the nations and begins to rule (the smitten nations) with a rod of iron. Thus Rev. 12:5 shows the approach to the first advent of Christ and the nation Israel pregnant with the prophecies of the first advent. In a little town called Bethlehem, some 6 miles from Jerusalem, a baby was born king, who would literally rule the nations. Potentially and basically during the advent of Christ, God gave Israel accessability to their Messiah and King, however, note when Christ came riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, 33 A.D., a dramatic event which according to the prophet of this age, completed the 69thweek of Daniel’s prophecy) Christ was not announced as Saviour of the world, instead the prophecy of the event said (Zech. 9:9) behold your King cometh unto you riding on a donkey. No, he wasn’t announced as Saviour of the world and when he was crucified the inscription placed over His head did not read, saviour of the world, but JESUS OF NAZARETH, KING OF THE JEWS! Therefore during His first advent He was given to Israel but Israel crucified their King. This lets me know the devil (the old dragon) used that old ruling body of apostate political Jew during his hour to deny and refuse Christ. Israel was under the Roman rule and authority when the apostate Jews compelled the Romans to crucify Him. It was non other than the devil working through that old political system of Jews, that set up His trial, laid the plot and handed Christ, their King and Messiah, over to the Romans who in turn crucified Him. Naturally the devil thought he had Him. The dragon thought through this act, they had destroyed God’s Word wherein He could not fulfill His promise of kingship. But what saith the scripture? And she brought forth a manchild who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up unto God and to His throne. Recall, on the third day Christ rose from the dead. God, knowing Israel as a nation would reject Christ on the basis of His kingship, instructed His prophets, Hosea, Isaiah and even David in the Psalms to prophesy concerning how Israel would reject Christ at His first appearing. And because of that God would take the kingship away from Israel and in order to fulfill His role as Saviour to the world would now give His salvation to the Gentiles who for 1900 years has enjoyed salvation through God’s grace. Nevertheless we too have become guilty of playing with the Gospel story as Israel became guilty of playing with the writings of her prophets. Israel with her schools of various interpretation of theological ideas was so preoccupied arguing over these theories, they simply did not know when Christ came the first time. However, had they been paying close attention to Daniel’s prophecy concerning the 70 weeks they should have known their Messiah King was on earth. That’s why God gave them Daniel’s 70 weeks or that period of time that they might know and understand when time for the Messiah had arrived.
CHURCH AGE BETWEEN VERSES 5-6
In Rev. 12:5 what does his being caught up into heaven speak of? It speaks of Christ’s resurrection and 40 days later ascending up on high which now completed His first advent. This statement closed out verse 5 and please note here God has stopped or cut off the nation from his program because between verse 5-6 lays the duration of over 1900 years of seven gentiles church ages. In 70 A.D. Israel was removed from the land and scattered into the four corners of the earth where she would remain for the duration of the grace age, Israel, God’s timepiece, was now cut off or stopped from all other prophecies pertaining to the messiahship and the king for this duration. God simply stopped his time clock concerning her. God, giving to the gentiles the salvation He had offered Israel, fulfills Paul’s revelation in Rom. 11:25 where Paul declared, brethren, I would not have you ignorant that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be brought in.
MIDDLE OF WEEK
Here we must point out Rev. 12:6 picks back up the story of Israel over 1900 years later. This time the story is picked up in the middle of her 70th week. The reason is because of what was accomplished by the ministry of the two prophets in Israel during the first half of the prophetic week. Bear in mind we live in the generation which saw the political rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948. No, that was not the spiritual rebirth of the nation at all, only the political rebirth. Because the nation had to first be politically reborn whereby a portion of the scattered people could be brought back into the land before this final 70th week of time could begin.
WOMAN FLEES
Verse 6, and the woman fled into the wilderness where she hath a place prepared by God that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred three score days. At what point of this final week did the woman Israel flee? Watch it because this tears down many carnal ideas concerning this week. Verse 6 picks up the story right in the middle of the week, still allowing 3 ½ years to be fulfilled. Note verse 6 describes one aspect of this woman fleeing into the wilderness. Watch how the scripture now goes back and brings out to build up the picture, because from now on it will be dealing strictly with the final half of that 70th prophetic week. The woman fled for a period of a thousand two hundred three score days.
MICHAEL STANDING UP
Verse 7 carries us back briefly to the beginning of that week when the two prophets appeared on earth. This fulfills Daniel 12:1-2. Daniel, in Babylonian captivity, was greatly disturbed over the future of his people (the Jew) and was asking the angel concerning the outcome of it all. The angel instructed Daniel (Dan. 12:1) that at that time shall Michael stand up, the prince of thy people (Israel) and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was before (Matt. 24:21). The angel continued, nevertheless, even though there will be a time of severe trouble as has never been before, everyone whose name is written in the book will be delivered (into that desert place). Well we know the 144,000 of Rev. 7 will be sealed away during the early ministry of those two prophets in the first half of the week. True, the spiritual core of the nation (not political) is awakened, revelated and made ready for this time of trouble which comes in the latter half of the week. God simply will not revive the political element of the nation because they continued right on in their merrymaking way and accepted the anti-Christ as messiah when he moved into the temple and declared himself to be God. It was because of these political apostate Jews that caused God to pronounce these three Woes on the inhabitants of the earth in the beginning of the last half of the week.
WAR IN HEAVEN
Looking again at this woman, John says in verse 7, there was a war in heaven. John watches a heavenly scene taking place in glory as the final week opens down on earth. Therefore, you may place both Dan. 12 as well as Rev. 11:7 right over the beginning of that 70th week. Now watch something, there was war in heaven. Michael(who stood up for Israel) and his angels fought against the dragon (Satan). Satan we all know is the prince of the power of the air. No, he does not rule God’s abode (heaven) but he does fill the atmosphere around this planet. Paul declared Eph. 6, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness. Our atmosphere is not only charged with righteous angels, it is also filled with demonic power. Therefore, as the final week begins on earth in the Middle East and things start taking shape in the heavenly atmosphere, remember, once the anti-Christ signs that covenant with Israel that officially begins or opens that 70th week and you only have seven years of time left. At this time Michael the archangel, Dan. 12:1-2 stands up for Israel. Michael’s assignment is to watch over Israel and guide the nation through her darkest hour of history. As Michael stands up I can see him draw his sword as he meets the devil, his adversary and a great conflict begins in the heavens. While on earth during the first part of that week things between the anti-Christ and the world system are shaping up. In the heavens a constant warfare goes on. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and the dragon fought with his angels and prevailed not. Neither was their place found anymore in heaven. What does that mean? It is simply God’s way of saying Michael, time has come to clean house, go drive the devil out of the atmosphere. On earth there is seven more years left of time. Therefore let us start cleaning house up here. Thus Michael began cleaning house, that is basically driving out every devil which has its mind centered on Israel because once that week begins it is Satan’s plot to choke Israel to death and destroy her whereby she cannot fulfill the scriptures that will bring Christ unto his rule and reign for the millennium. On earth as the first thousand two hundred three score days progressed forward in the prophetic week, a war is going on in heaven. On earth two prophets are prophesying, smiting the earth with plagues and bringing judgment against the political side of the Jew and the nation. The middle of the week has finally arrived and Michael has gained the victory as Satan loses the battle of the atmosphere.
DEVIL CAST OUT
Although Satan lost the battle in heaven God allows him 3 ½ years holiday on earth. Since Satan is the king of all fallen spirits, he is the captain of every creature mentioned in Rev. 9 coming up out of the bottomless pit. The nations of the earth by the middle of the week have aligned themselves with this political genius, the anti-Christ, when time arrives for him to break his covenant with Israel causing God to release his three Woes on earth. Verse 9, (In the middle of the week), the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent called the devil and Satan who deceived the whole world. He was cast out into the earth along with his angels, verse 10, and I heard a loud voice saying in heaven (in the middle of that weeks) 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 who accuses them before our God day and night.
OVERCOMERS
Beloved, time on earth has come during the middle of the week to see who has the goods. Bear in mind this cannot apply to the bride church, the bride of Christ is gone, therefore this verse cannot apply to the bride of Christ to see if they have the goods. She is at the wedding with the groom. Why is it stated in this manner? The reference refers to earth, it refers to the foolish virgins and those Jewish saints as well who were awakened during the hour of the two prophets. In other words, in the middle of the week when Satan is cast down and all hell is turned loose for the expression of that first Woe and God is no longer on the scene to actually show mercy and intervention through his two prophets seeing they had been killed (Woe No. 2), it has now reached the time that whoever has the goods in this hour must now prove it. You see, those would be the ones who had the salvation for that hour yet, bear in mind, salvation in that hour is not a salvational grace message as you and I know today. Some people think the only individuals going to be saved for the millennium is the bride of Christ and the 144,000. God have mercy on such a foolish way of looking at the scripture. Speaking of that darkest hour, verse 10 says, now is come salvation. No, it does not mean down here on earth during the last 3 ½ years they will have a great revival and people be saved as they were in the grace age before the bride left, they will not. The hour on earth has arrived which is going to prove who is right because we were told in verse 11 and they (who was referred to in verse 10) overcame the devil by two means, first by the blood of the Lamb and second by the word of their testimony. These two terms or expressions indicate that only two separate classes of people on earth can fit in this category in verse 10. They are the Gentile foolish virgins of Matt. 25 who in that dark hour will overcome the devilish beast system (by the blood of the lamb) once the anti-Christ takes over in the middle of the week, declaring himself to be God and sets out to annihilate every God fearing believer left on the face of the earth who missed the rapture of the church. Beloved, there will be a blood bath hit this world that will make the blood bath in the Dark Ages look small. Now what about those who overcame by the word of their testimony? Who are they? These are Jews. Recall when the prophet to this age interpreted the fifth seal and showed the unidentified souls under the altar were not Gentile saints but instead were Jews who were slaughtered between 1939-45 in Hitler’s hour of purge. Naturally not all of the six million Jews slaughtered by Hitler was seen under the altar, of course not, but those slaughtered who had been true to their God were there. Every soul under that altar was given a white robe (after he got there) not on the basis of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God having cleansed them for sin, No, they were blinded unto this salvation until the fullness of the Gentiles come in according to Paul’s revelation in Rom. 11:25, 27 God blinded Israel in order to bring in the Gentiles. But they were there under the altar of God because of the word of their testimony (they were devout Jews and because of that God said their testimony merited them white robes). Those martyred Jews of Europe, killed in Hitler’s purge were heard pleading under God’s altar, how long, O Lord, will thou not avenge our blood? Not all killed in that purge went under God’s altar, by any means, but those who did are heard crying out unto God for revenge. In their hearts, they knew Jehovah should do something about the situation.
REST A LITTLE SEASON
Recall they were given white robes and told to rest just a little season until their brethren should be killed as they were. When it said, yet a little season, that did not mean 100 years later. Yet a little season until your brethren shall be killed in the same manner you were, lets me know from the closing of World War II until the reign of the anti-Christ over the Jew would not be a long period of time, only a short season. Thus the little season in Rev. 6 under the fifth seal connects right here in the middle of that 70th week when they (the Jews) will overcome that anti-Christ by the word of their testimony and by the blood of the Lamb (gentile foolish virgins). And note many will die because it says they loved not their lives unto the death.
THIRD WOE, WHAT IS IT?
Verse 12, Therefore, rejoice ye heavens and ye that dwell in them. Oh, I want to catch this word, WOE, because here is your third woe put into action in the middle of that week. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth. This third Woe is non other than that horrible blood bath brought about beginning the middle of the week. The third Woe is that persecution against Israel set forth immediately by the anti-Christ in the beginning of the last half of that week to literally destroy Israel as a nation of people. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea, for the devil (who lost the battle in the atmosphere with Michael) has come down unto you having great wrath because he knows he hath but a short time (3 ½ years). Now with that third Woe pronounced in the middle of the week, let us back up temporarily. Whatever the devil now hopes to fulfill in the last 3 ½ years on earth, he must do it through his agent the anti-Christ who is the head of that world beast system described in Rev. 13 as the beast coming up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns. And get this, a body like a leopard, feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion. This latter description shows this beast has now incorporated the Middle East nations which once had been the territories of the ancient Babylonian Empire, Media-Persia, Grecian as well as Roman Empire which had its revival in the last days and was shown to be the head of this beast. But did you know none of these four empires ever ruled the Far East where dwelt the Oriental people? Rev. 13 shows the picture of the revival of the old resurrected Roman Empire, through which Satan will work, mainly against Israel to close out God’s prophetic picture. The minute that anti-Christ, the devil’s agent on earth, breaks that covenant with Israel, he is turned loose on earth and the two prophets are killed. Seeing the battle in heaven has already been won, Satan is kicked out of heaven into earth in the middle of that week. Imagine Satan and all his imps from hell being turned loose on earth and not a prophet around anywhere to pray for the people. Thus for 3 ½ years the world will have nothing but hell loosed on earth with no intervention from God. With the death of his two prophets, his voice for 3 ½ years is silenced and there will be a time of trouble such as never has been before. Now kicked out of heaven for 3 ½ years Satan now possessing his agent, the anti-Christ, sits in Jerusalem with his huge army to do his every command. The earth will not only be bathed with the blood of the Jewish martyrs as in Hitler’s purge, but the devil, through his agent will also cut off every Gentile foolish virgin. Because in that hour, if you don’t bow to the system you already know the penalty. Therefore I hope you see the three Woes are definitely now something dragged out over the final 3 ½ years, instead they are simply the formula by which God unfolds the unleashing of Satan’s power for 3 ½ years. God having now cleared the atmosphere of the dragon, not what Satan does.
PERSECUTING THE WOMAN
Verse 13, And when the dragon saw he was cast on to the earth he persecuted the woman (Israel) who brought forth the manchild. Beloved, this is why it is stated Woe to the inhabitants of the earth. Why persecute Israel and no other nations? Simply because Satan does not want certain scriptures to be fulfilled. He does not want God to set up his Messiah kingship and the millennium reign to begin. Remember at this hour that reign is only 3 ½ years away, therefore Satan feels Israel must not survive; every Jew must be annihilated. Immediately following the tribulation of those days, Matt. 24:29, Rev. 6:12-15 Jesus declared, the sun shall be darkened and the moon withdraw its light. The powers of the heaven shall be shaken, the stars shall fall as a fig tree cast her untimely figs and every mountain and island shall flee away. Beloved, when that 3 ½ years closes out, completing the 70 weeks of Daniel. God will have counted off the days for the reign of the anti-Christ seeing he only allows Satan to rule in this manner for 42 months and not one day more. Persecuting the woman who (past tense) brought forth the manchild, lets me know it was Israel back in Verse 2, giving birth by prophecy to the messiah, the king of Israel during his first advent. And to the woman was given two wings of a great eagle. When was this done? Right in the middle of the final prophetic week. These two wings of an eagle, what do they represent? All of us know an eagle means a prophet, right? Therefore, these wings of an eagle are symbolic meaning the message of these two prophets which she had already received in the first part of the week. No this part does not refer to the whole nation of Judaism, but only that element of Jews who were awakened by the message of those two prophets. The wings of an eagle were given to the woman in order she might fly into the wilderness for safety. No sooner was the devil cast onto earth then he persecuted the woman who fled.
WOMAN FLEES TO DESERT PLACE
Some feel the place in the wilderness to which she fled is none other than the old ancient city of Petra, located in a boxed in canyon down in Arabia, the old ancient place of the Edomites. Why beloved, every Arab knows where that place is. No, they will not flee into some boxed in canyon, that would be the worse place they could go. The anti-Christ would for sure bottle up that hole and cut them off for good, but God has a place prepared in this earth for that true spiritual Israelite who was revelated during the first half of the week. When that anti-Christ broke his covenant and killed those two prophets, those spiritual Jews already had the revelation where and when to go. When they saw this they knew it was time to leave Israel. The fact the two wings of an eagle was given to the woman shows it was given to the spiritual revelated seed of the woman only and not unto the whole house of Israel in the sense of every Jew. Because, don’t forget you have the largest number of Jews (5 ½ million) living in America alone. It is to that true predestinated seed of God who were given those two wings of an eagle that she might fly into the wilderness into her place. Just as certain as God, but his word, had already prophesied that out of Zion in Jerusalem would come forth one who would rule his people by his same word he had already predetermined and planned a place of refuge and safety for that spiritual revelated Jew. Those two prophets knew where it was to be and told the spiritual element where to go to be nourished for time, times and a half time. That terminology beloved carries you right back to Daniel. For a time, times and a half of time is Daniel’s language describing the dreadful hour to come upon Israel ( 3 ½ years) Dan. 7:25.
EXCESSIVE HATRED
The minute the devil’s power is cast into the earth and all hell is loosed on earth and God is no more on the scene to intervene through his two prophets that anti-Christ is ready to choke out the very existence of Israel but those spiritual Jews already know where to go. By the dozens they leave Israel as the anti-Christ cannot stop them. After they are gone watch what verse 15 says the devil does – And the serpent cast out of his mouth water like a flood. This terminology portrays a flood of wrath released by the man of sin. It fulfills Dan. 9:27 when the beast prince breaks the covenant with Israel and causes the overspreading of abomination that maketh desolate. Abomination in Dan. 9:27 means excessive hatred and desolate means to render void. Such a scene of excessive hatred against Jerusalem and the Jew is characterized by Antiochus Epiphanes, the Assyrian 168 B.C. when he offered a sow on the altar, followed by extreme persecution, and further typed by Titus in 70 A.D. in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem and is culminated when the anti-Christ literally fulfills it hoping to totally exterminate the Jew. Verse 16 says, referring to the fleeing spiritual Jew, and the earth helped the woman. Naturally as John watched all this, seeing it only as a figure, no doubt there was some kind of hole or something in the earth which did open up and swallow the water whereby it could not get to the woman. But how in reality will it be fulfilled? Such a scene lets me know somewhere on this earth there is a nation which will open up its doors to these spiritual Jews.
PROPHETIC WORLD
Someone may ask, won’t the entire world be going under this Roman beast system? I do not mean to shock you with this answer, but the answer is NO! But doesn’t the Bible say the whole world did? Yes, but you must remember it is the whole prophetic world, not the entire literal world because the entire world would take in also all the Far East nations of the world. None of these four world beast powers (Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece or Rome) spoken of in Daniel ordained to rule the world, not one ever ruled the nations of the Far East, the orientals. However, every one of them did rule and fulfill their role in the prophetic world, mainly Europe and the Middle East. Always remember they had absolutely nothing to do with the kings of the East or your oriental people who meet the anti-Christ’s army at Armageddon. Your oriental people was never any part of any one of the four world beast systems nor will they ever be. These oriental people never once enter the picture until Rev. 16 and that is strictly for Armageddon where God is pictured as placing them all (both armies, 200 million men) into his winepress of wrath and getting into the press himself walking up and down on the grapes, squishing juice from the grapes as a result human blood flows to the horse’s bridle in the valley of Jezreel in Armageddon. Back to Rev. 12:16, The earth has opened up its mouth and swallowed the flood. (A nation has opened up and taken in these fleeing spiritual Jews.) And verse 17 says the dragon was angry with the woman, hating her because he knows he has but a short time. If only he could succeed in killing off those spiritual Jews everywhere who believe in Jehovah and who believe in God’s plan he could then be successful in annulling the fulfillment of the Messiah and his kingdom reign. This you recall was Satan’s purpose in the crucifixion when he truly thought he had Christ where he wanted him. But Christ rose from the dead thus once again Satan will make a desperate attempt to get rid of those millennium scriptures through destroying Israel. He is so angry with the woman he goes forth to make war with the remnant of her seed who kept the commandments of God.
PERSECUTING WOMAN’S SEED
That beloved is none other than the Jews in dispersion outside the nation Israel who are still living in Gentile nations for recall, many of these Jews never return to Israel, seeing the largest amount of 5 ½ million remained in America. Yet you have enough to return to Israel to fulfill Rev. 7, where the 144,000 received a revelation and became stimulated with the wine of the Spirit under these two prophets, although it was not until Rev. 14 that you see the same 144,000 Israelites revelated in the first part of the week, going forth now in the second half to do something for God. The minute the covenant is broken in the middle of the week is a signal to that revelated 144,000 to quickly get out of Israel. Those 144,000 Jews, described in Rev. 7 as having received the seal of God which is the Holy Ghost (Eph. 4:30) while those four angels remained holding back war and strife in the Middle East (Rev. 7:1) until these were sealed, are none other than virgins.
VIRGINS AND LAST MESSAGE
(They have not been defiled with woman.) That does not mean these 144,000 men have never been married. It simply means they are Jews who have never been proselyted to any of these Gentile Babylonian daughters (Rev. 17:4-5) missionary programs. They were revelated and sealed strictly by the ministry of two prophets. These 144,000 are servants of God. Rev. 14 reveals them in that hour as standing on Mt. Zion following the Lamb withersoever he goeth. This shows that number has the Lamb’s spirit, the Holy Ghost in their lives and they follow the leadership of the Holy Ghost. It simply means that in that dark hour, their hour of being used has arrived and they have a message for the rest of the millions of Jews in dispersion as they will be going to the Jews in dispersion telling their brethren all about this diabolical system, and to stay away from it. Recall how the Jewish apostles sought out the Jews in the first century offering them the gospel of grace. Likewise the 144,000 go to these millions of Jews still in Gentile dispersion, because soon the anti-Christ will be coming after them. Again we repeat, they do not go with a message of salvation. That anti-Christ is going to do everything he can in every nation over which he has power and authority to carry out his diabolical plot. He will literally seek to destroy that Jew for verse 17 declares, he went to make war with the remnant of her seed who kept the commandments of God, Note: and also those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Who in that hour has the testimony of Jesus Christ? None other than those Gentile foolish virgins who were left behind, who simply were not ready when the rapture took place. What do these 144,000 Jews tell the other scattered Jews? Remember their message is not one of salvation such as we saw in the grace age. They won’t be telling the people like Paul and Peter did repent and be baptized, etc. Their urgent message to the Jewish brethren in dispersion will be, do not accept any part of this beast system. They are telling mortal man, whatever you do, do not accept or worship this beast system, you worship God. I don’t care what the anti-Christ tells you to do, threatens you or even kills you, don’t you align yourself with it. The revelation of these Jews in that hour will be to tell mortal man how to be preserved in order to live under the glorious reign of Christ when he returns. Remember when Christ and his bride returns, revealed from heaven riding white horses, Christ destroys every many and woman who identifies themselves with that beast system. These millions of Jews in dispersion will be no exception if they worship this beast (man) who declared himself God there in the middle of the week. Thus these Jews going to their brethren in dispersion carry the last message this world will ever receive. It is not that God is on the scene doing signs, miracles, etc. No during that last 3 ½ years the world will see no more of the display of God, they saw his last operation through his two prophets who were cut off in the middle of the week but through this message delivered by the 144,000 will be God’s way of preserving a few mortal men whereby when Jesus does sit in his kingdom there will be a living fleshly remnant of each nation who never bowed their knee to the anti-Christ system. These, God will preserve as a seed or for the new age to rule and reign over while the rest is cut down. For does not Rev. 19 plainly declare when Christ comes, out of his mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword with which he should smite the nations. Smiting the nations signifies that Christ at the close of the 3 ½ year tribulation period pours out his vials of wrath (Rev. 16) on the beast and on his kingdom by bringing together the kings of the Far East against the beast of Western Europe and her allied territories (Middle East) along with every apostate thing into Armageddon. Armageddon as shown in Rev. 19 is simply God’s way of allowing mankind, as far as his military might has advanced, with it destroys one another.
PART 3 EVENTS OF FINAL 3 ½ YEARS
THE 6TH TRUMPET RELEASES FOUR ANGELS Examine the sixth trumpet even though it does not carry a Woe, just to see where it sounds and what happens once it does. Its sounding loose the four angels bound in the river Euphrates. For what purpose? To go forth to prepare any army for battle, a number of which excelled 200 million men. Here was Armageddon in preparation. Note the sixth angel sounded immediately following the fifth angel, not some 3 ½ years later when the effects of this sixth sounding was felt. Beloved, these angels were to prepare for Armageddon and that cannot be done overnight. In reality it will take a better part of the remainder of the week (3 ½ years) to prepare such an enormous army for battle where the effects of the sixth trumpet can be felt by the end of the week. You don’t jump up overnight, find a cause for war and prepare 200 million men for battle. No sooner was the first Woe sounded (under the fourth trumpet) than the fifth trumpet immediately sounded, releasing hell on earth. Then immediately followed by the sixth angel sounding his trumpet and note, what took place, it released those spiritual forces to begin the preparation for that Middle East war, setting the stage of war between two communistic camps.
GEOGRAPHICAL BARRIER
The River Euphrates where these creatures were pictured as bound (or not being allowed to operate) has always served as a geographical barrier between your Far East nations (oriental race) and your Middle East nations. Recall also around this Euphrates area is where mankind’s original history as well as the prophetic picture and the plan of salvation all got its start. The fact that these four angels are pictured bound in the Euphrates River does not imply they have been bound and struggling for centuries trying to free themselves. Certainly Not! This is a symbolic picture, but remember according to Rev. 7:1-2 something had to first happen in Israel before these angels could be released to prepare the war of Armageddon. Perhaps, Rev. 7:1 can throw some light on this setting under the sixth trumpet as it also pictures practically the same setting only in a little different manner. In Rev. 7:1-2 we saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth (winds represent war and strife) on the earth or the sea or any tree until something happened. That was until the sealing of the 144,000 with the seal of God in their forehead could first take place, which remember took place in the first half of the prophetic week. Next came an angel bearing that seal the 144,000 are to be sealed with, which is none other than the Holy Ghost, Eph. 4:30. The sealing took place in the first part of the week, before the four angels were released under the sixth trumpet in the middle of the week although the effects of that trumpet is not fully realized unto the end of the week.
FAMOUS BATTLEGROUND
Time has arrived for the preparation of that final war in the Middle East called Armageddon. Why the Middle East? The valley of Armageddon or plains of Jezreel, Josh. 17:16, Israel’s largest and most fertile valley, was in the B.C. period the most famous battleground in the world. Laying in a triangle shape approximately 15 mi. x 15 mi. x 20 mi. the valley of Jezreel and the plain of Eschelon at the foot of Mt. Megiddo was the scene of wars with the Egyptians, Hitties, Israel, Philistines, Assyrians, Syria, Persia, Greeks, Roman Crusaders, Turks, Yes, and even the British under Gen. Allenby (1918) have marched and fought on these plains. The ancient town of Megiddo guarding the pass which formed the easier caravan route between the plain of Sharon and the Valley of Jezreel was first a royal Canaanite city. No less than 20 cities have been built on this 13 acre hilly site. In Solomon’s day the city was a fortress. The importance of the city is whoever controls it, controls the valley. This area has witnessed many international conflicts of nations. The battle of Armageddon will be the final land war ever to be fought in this strategic passage. How strange mankind would at the end of civilization return to his original area where great international struggles of nations in the past were fought. When civilization started moving from east to west, especially after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., we also see wars involving nations moving westward also. For centuries mankind’s wars were fought on the continent of Europe because as mankind moved slowly westward, so did his wars. World War I and World War II on the 20th Century were fought primarily on European soil although World War II extended into the Far East with Japan where the U.S.A. remained in a struggle in the Far East through Vietnam and Korea for better than 30 years. Wars continually in the Far East now show mankind has swung westward as far as he could go and is slowly returning the area of the Middle East where his origin was and his B.C. wars were all fought. The youngest of all the western nations of the world has recently closed a shameful, embarrassing chapter of her American history, the defeat of the Vietnam War, a 30 year war is finally over in the Far East. A war which divided and bankrupted the greatest, youngest western nation on earth. Europe who colonized the Far East was run out years ago. The U.S. who had no colonization interest to protect in the Far East as did France, Belgium, etc., was nevertheless, the last of all the western nations to leave. Since the 50’s America who has drained herself in two Far East wars trying unsuccessfully to block the advancement of Communism is also being pushed completely out of the Far East picture, giving way to the very thing she fought, while Communism like a creeping cancer slowly soaks up the Far East. The next major war involving nations will be none other than in the Middle East.
MANKIND’S CIRCLE
Thus when the sixth trumpet sounded in the beginning of that final 3 ½ years, four angels are immediately released from the Euphrates River to go forth and prepare nations for that final land war. Where? Right back in the Middle East, the area of man’s beginning. Mankind, made his circle continually pushing westward until finally he circles back to the Middle East for his final struggle of existence. These spirits released in the last half of that week began to set in motion political conditions between the western European world and that of the eastern oriental world (namely the Far East nations who will soon all be under Communism) by preparing strife and conflict between these two different elements of Godless governments. On one hand will be the Godless European beast system consisting of western nations who by the end of the week has ditched Catholicism for some form of Communistic theology all of their own. On the other hand, from the Far East comes the kings of the East, another communistic camp. All that part of the oriental world is pictured in Rev. 16 preparing themselves for the dreaded conflict of the Middle East where 200 million men are slaughtered in the Valley of Jezreel in the Battle of Armageddon. The European western world of the beast system for the first 3 ½ years of the week rode triumphantly while in the Far East your oriental race also had been rising rapidly higher and higher, embracing their own special brand of communism and seeking to make a name for themselves. The day is coming when they definitely make a name for themselves. For centuries they desired to and under Genghis Khan the oriental race tried desperately to make a great name, planting their influence upon the western world and almost succeeded. Had it not been for that German Emperor, Charlemagne, who turned the tide, driving him out of Europe, you would have had a far greater mixture of the oriental blood and influence mixed into your western world than what you have today. Nevertheless, since Charlemagne turned the tide and ran Genghis Khan and his oriental armies out of Europe, the yellow race has never been able to stamp their influence on the western world at all. Yet for centuries in the Far East that yellow race has constantly fought among themselves for preeminence. Scriptures refers to the yellow race as the kings of the East who come against that western arm under the man of sin at Armageddon. The far eastern world battling against the western European world for supremacy. Loosing the four angels bound in the Euphrates River is God’s way in the last half of that week of eliminating that ancient geographical barrier dividing the Far East from the Middle East.TWO GODLESS CAMPS
John described that scene of slaughter at Armageddon from God’s viewpoint in this manner (Rev. 14:14-20) there sat one in the clouds likened unto the Son of God with a sharp sickle in his hand. And an angel was heard flying though the heavens saying, thrust in thy sharp sickle and reap the clusters of the earth (in the closing of the 70th week) for the harvest of the earth has come, and he thrust in his sharp sickle and reaped the clusters of the earth and cast them into the winepress of the wrath of God. Beloved the winepress of God is none other than Armageddon. It is God’s way and he knows how to bring them all to Armageddon, doesn’t he. Two forms or camps of communism, each desiring to conquer the other. Therefore beloved, when that European beast consisting of those ten Western European nations rises up and destroys the woman (Catholicism) which rode her back, Rev. 17:1-18, these nations themselves, disgusted with Catholicism in Europe somewhere in the final half of that week accept their own form or brand of socialism or communism. Recently a U.S. Senator declared if things continued as they are going, Europe would be under communism in less than ten years. Even today we are seeing communism pressuring the many governments of Europe for social change. Portugal recently swung to the Vatican, the government is better than 33 percent communistic. Recently a poll was taken in England which showed only 26-28 percent of their population even believed in God. Many nations (over a third of the world) have already fallen to the communistic ideology of life. Remember both sides came to Armageddon with a motive but God came with an objective and that objective requires 200 million men to be slaughtered and the blood to run to the bridle of the horses.FOUR BILLION
Where will so many men come from? The world in April, 1975 topped the four billion population mark. Presently there are over 800 million people in China alone and close to 700 million in India. That is a good start. Before everything closes out in that entire Far East, they will all be under the communistic hammer and sickle. The Far East will be under one great communistic camp. Therefore may I say, while both the anti-Christ and God (through his fifth trumpet) is giving mankind hell on earth in the second half of the week, once that sixth trumpet is sounded those spiritual forces are released going into the earth stirring up strife and preparing the two communistic camps for Armageddon. When that final 3 ½ years of Daniel’s 70th prophetic week reaches its climax, it will be time for the anti-Christ’s road to have reached an end and God will bring, from the effects of that sixth trumpet angel blast 200 million men to Armageddon for slaughter. In actuality the sixth trumpet shows the effects of the Euphrates River the same as does the sixth vial. No sooner does the anti-Christ break his own covenant then immediately the sixth trumpet angel sounded and those four angels were loosed whereby throughout the last portion of the week they might prepare the great host of armies who are eventually brought to Armageddon and fought in the very end of the week. As Armageddon is in progress at the close of the week, God speaks to the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field saying, come and east flesh of dead captains of the mighty, the rich, the bond, the free, etc. Eat the flesh till you be full and drink blood until you are drunk. Joel’s prophecy shows this also Armageddon is God’s cleaning up process. The Bible declares the rest who are not slain through this process were slain by the sword which proceeded out of his mouth at his coming. That is unleashed wrath. Though death he destroys them.
7TH TRUMPET
Naturally John saw also the seventh angel blow his trumpet yet the effects of it wasn’t to be expressed until the end of the forty-two months. Reading carefully the sixth seal and the seventh trumpet, along with the seventh vial in Rev. 16, you will note all three speak of the coming of the Lord. Yet we are fully aware there is not three separate phases of Christ’s second coming. Christ comes under the sixth seal because when that seal is expressed in its earthly and celestial fulfillment the sun became as black as sackcloth of hair, not like it occurred under the fourth trumpet when only a third part of the sun, moon and stars were all smitten. However, according to the sixth seal and Matt. 24:29-30 when that sixth seal becomes applicable for fulfillment to be expressed in the celestial elements and in the earth, the sun becomes black as sackcloth of hair and the moon becomes as blood and the stars from the heaven fall to earth and the heavens shall literally depart as a scroll. At that time shall appear the sign of the coming of the son of man in great glory. What does the heavens departing as a scroll, as well as everything else blacking out portray? Remember the old theater houses before the days of motion pictures, as the play on stage was ready to begin, all the lights in the auditorium dimmed and everyone’s attention was focused on the stage where the play was ready to begin. Reading again the sixth seal and comparing it with the seventh trumpet, beginning with Rev. 11:18 declares the nations were angry and thy wrath is come and the time of the death that they should be judged. Observe, it is not here he is coming because his coming is seen over in Matt 24:29 immediately following the tribulation of those days (42 months). There the sun is darkened, the moon withdraws it light and the power of the heavens mightly shaken. Then shall appear the sign of the son of man coming in power and great glory. Paul declares in 2 Thess. 1:7-10 at his coming, Christ is revealed from heaven in flaming fire in the hour of his great appearing with the celestial elements blacking out, watch what happens. Like the playhouse. God first turns off the great celestial lights and they stay off long enough for this earth to make one complete revolution and then he appears in flaming fire right from the stage of glory. The sixth seal declares, the mountain shall shake and the islands shall flee away. Now if you will read the seventh vial of wrath (Rev. 16) you will see the rich men, etc., run to the mountains and rocks and cry out, Hide us from his wrath. The sixth seal, the seventh trumpet and the seventh vial all unlock the great revelation and the closing out of the great judgments and wrath.