The Spiritual Significance of the Holy Days, Part 5B

Trumpets

[Study Aired September 12, 2025]

Lev 23:23  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:24  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
Lev 23:25  Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Num 29:1  And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.
Num 29:2  And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish:
Num 29:3  And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram,
Num 29:4  And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
Num 29:5  And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you:
Num 29:6  Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.

We paused our last study to come back to the story of the conquest of Jericho by marching around it with seven priests blowing seven trumpets for seven days. Jericho was conquered, and Israel was in a figure resting while that conquest took place by the hands of our Lord.

Jos 6:1  Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
Jos 6:2  And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
Jos 6:3  And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
Jos 6:4  And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

The battle of Jericho as well as all of Israel’s battles were “finished from the foundation of the world.” That is why the Lord spoke to Joshua as if the battle had already been won:

Jos 6:2  And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.

‘Have given’ is in the Hebrew Qal stem which equates to the Greek aorist tense. Both are defined as verbs which have no regard to tense. What that means is that ‘I have given’ is an is, was, and will be statement. All of Israel’s battles, whether they won or lost, were all “finished from the foundation of the world.” The same can be said for anything that has been done, is being done, or will be done in the history of mankind. For this reason we are plainly told this about God’s perspective on the lives of all men of all time:

Psa 139:16  Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance; And in thy book they were all written, Even the days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was none of them.  (ASV)

These words are written ‘for our admonition’:

1Co 10:11  Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. (ASV)

We are told that circumcision signifies “the putting off of the flesh.”

Col 2:11  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

Israel had been circumcised at Gilgal just a few weeks before the conquest of Jericho. Circumcision signifies that the day of judgment “begins at the house of God”, and that judgment has been “begin[ning] at the house of God” since that kingdom was first established within us. Judgment is accomplished in all men “each in his own order” (1Co 15:23). The seven priests with the seven trumpets circling Jericho demonstrate, and the festival of trumpets itself signifies, that in time God’s trumpet judgments will include “all [who are] in Adam.” That judgment has been, is being, and will always be administered by the “seven priests” who are also called the seven angels of the seven churches, which angels we are also told blow the seven trumpets. It is the book of Joshua which shows us the seven trumpets are blown by seven priests, and it is the book of Revelation which shows us that the seven angels of the seven churches signify those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of the book of Revelation. The entire prophecy is addressed “to the angel of the [seven] churches.”

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

Rev 2:1  Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus [Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea] write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

The book of Revelation, and indeed all scripture, is addressed “to the seven churches”, and is also addressed to “the angel” of every church. If we want to know who the seven priests who are blowing the seven trumpets as Israel marches around Jericho, if we want to know who they signify, then we must first know who the seven angels of the seven churches signify. So who do those seven angels signify? “One of the angels” tells us who they all signify:

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The “second witness” to this Truth is found in:

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

This book is addressed to the seven churches and to the seven angels of the seven churches. It is they are are commanded to “read, hear, and keep… the things written therein.”

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

That is who the seven priests of Joshua 6 signify. It is each of us who are admonished that we will be blessed if we “read, hear, and keep the things which are written therein.”

The seventh trumpet consists of ‘seven vials’ which “fill up the wrath of God” (Rev 15:1and 6). The Canaanites and the giants in the land of Canaan signify our weaknesses and our passions and our rebellious carnal mind. The destruction of the walls of Jericho on the seventh day of blowing of trumpets signifies the wrath of God being poured out upon the kingdom of our rebellious old man, the man of sin, the beast within every man.

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Rev 15:6  And the seven angels [you and I and our fellow servants, the seven angels to the seven churches] came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

The fact that these seven angels “came out of the temple” proves that they are the seven priests which the seven priests of Joshua 6 prefigure and foreshadow. Only the priests were permitted to enter into the temple. Anyone who was not a son of Aaron, anyone who was not a priest was to die, and the priest who let them in was to die also:

Num 18:2  And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
Num 18:3  And they [the Levites who are not the sons of Aaron] shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.

It is these same seven angels who pour out the seven vials of the wrath of God which are essential to “consume [the man of sin] with the spirit of [their] mouth, and destroy [him] with the brightness of His coming.”

Jos 6:13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked [the first man Adam, the beast, the man of sin within all of us] be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [“At the last trump”]

Rev 15:7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

Who are these seven angels? Here is “one of” the seven angel’s own answer to that question:

Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him [the angel of Rev 17:1]. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 22:8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

This angel tells us that he signifies the very churches and angels to whom this whole prophecy is addressed… “I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book.”

It is through the blowing of the seven trumpets by the seven priests that Jericho’s walls, typifying the walls and fortifications of the kingdom of the beast within us, are destroyed. As we showed earlier it all “begins at the house of God.”

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

“Begin at the house of God” does not mean that the judgment which “must begin at the house of God” is the one and only judgment mentioned in scripture. This judgment which “begins at the house of God” is the first of the Lord’s judgments. This first judgment prepares those who are being judged first “in this present time” to “have part in the first resurrection”, which Christ refers to as “the resurrection to life”:

The resurrection

John 5:28  Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto life [Rev 20:6]; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation [Rev 20:11].

The judgment of this present time is just the beginning, and it begins within His own “house”, His firstfruits, His “body, which is His church.” This is how Paul describes this judgment which “begins at the house of God.”

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

This verse, Colossians 1:24, reveals a great truth which many who have been deceived by the false doctrine of a “substitutionary atonement death of Christ”, will and do consider to be blasphemy. Nevertheless, Paul very clearly states that his own sufferings are for “[Christ’s] body’s sake, which is the church.” He even states that this suffering in his body is “the afflictions of Christ in my body… which are behind [Greek: lacking] of the afflictions of Christ”. It is all a work of God and not of us, but it is being done through us “for His body’s sake, which is the church” as we will discuss in our next study if the Lord wills.

The next holy day is the day of atonement, only nine days after the feast of trumpets. The day of atonement is followed five days later by the feast of tabernacles and the last great day, which we will get to in the following study, Lord willing. Every holy day reveals the order in which the Lord is working to save all of His creatures.

Before we begin our study of the day of atonement, I want to briefly review what we have so far learned through the holy days, about the plan of God to save all men of all time:

Review

The revelation of that plan begins with the Passover.

Indeed Christ was offered on the day of the Passover. Rest assured the priests and the Pharisees did not plan it that way. They were as blind to what they were doing as you and I were to the fact that we are the beast. As such we also are partakers in the crucifixion of our Lord, and we also must be “crucified with Christ” and with him we must bear the sins of the Lord’s people:

1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

The priests and the Pharisees had no clue that it would be “through our offences” that Christ would be delivered up to be crucified, and that it would be  through our justification that He would be resurrected from the dead:

Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for [Greek: dia – through] our offences, and was raised again for [Greek: dia – through] our justification.

Romans 4:25 is an integral part of being called in Christ “before the world began”:

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

While Peter, typifying all of His apostles, went out and wept bitterly for denying Christ when He most needed them most, they and we still must endure seven sevens of the work of God in our lives while we are being matured for the day of Pentecost, “on the morrow after the seventh sabbath.” Only then, “When the day of Pentecost was fully come” can the holy spirit come to us and enter into our hearts and form and found the church of Christ and the kingdom of God within us.

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Luk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Act 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Act 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Pentecost is the day after which we are finally willing to die with Christ because the spirit of God has changed our hearts, and we now become Christ’s firstfruits, “endued with power from on high… and not of ourselves” (Luk 24:49, Eph 2:8-10).

Lev 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Lev 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

If we are Christ’s, then we are “”Firstfruits unto the Lord… a kind of firstfruits” because this feast typifies those who are in that blessed and holy first resurrection as Christ’s firstfruits. So the feast of Pentecost is also called “the feast of your firstfruits.” The meal offering of Pentecost is “baken with leaven” because we, unlike the head of His body, are not without sin and are therefore “baken with leaven.”

Exo 23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. [The number ‘three’ signifies the process of the Lord’s judgment of mankind:

The Number Three

Exo 23:15 Thou shalt keep [1] the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
Exo 23:16 And [2] the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and [3] the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exo 23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

While our Lord was a sin offering “who knew no sin”, the same cannot be said for His firstfruits, who, in Him, become a trespass offering which Christ fulfills only through “them that are Christ’s.” That is how we can be “chief of sinners” and also “fill up in our bodies what is behind of the afflictions of the Christ.” Because Christ fulfills the trespass offering only through us, the Pentecost offering is the only offering offered to God with leaven:

Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

2Co 5:21 For the man who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him (ACV)

We become the righteousness of God in Him, and He becomes the trespass offering through us… “baken with leaven.” “In Him” we offer our lives as the scapegoat (Lev 16:8-26) and the second bird (Lev 14), as a living sacrifice, “for His body’s sake, which is the church.”

Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church; (ASV)

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Pentecost is the second festival season, and it signifies the third step we all must experience in the Lord’s plan. Pentecost is the summer wheat harvest, which comes fifty days after the Spring barley harvest. Pentecost is the only holy day in the Summer season. The last four steps in the process of the salvation of all men are all in the third season of the Lord’s plan for the salvation of all men of all time. These last four steps are all in “the seventh month”, and they begin with the festival of trumpets on the first day of the seventh month which we are concluding with this study.

Before that goal of God being in all His sons is accomplished, we are told that “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death”. Add the following verse to all we have learned about the plan God for the salvation of all mankind of all time which He is revealing to us through these holy  days:

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption [flesh and blood] inherit incorruption.

Our first father, Adam, and “the first man Adam” in all of us (1Co 15:45), has demonstrated that flesh and blood are not fit to be in the incorruptible kingdom of God, simply because flesh and blood are dying corruption which can never become immortal. We are very clearly told that death must be destroyed before God can be all in all. If that is the case and if flesh is dying in every generation of mankind, how is it even possible for death to ever be destroyed since little ‘flesh and blood, corruptible, Adams’ are being born every day by the millions?

The answer to this dilemma is solved for us in the story of Samson in Judges 14:

Jdg 14:1 And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines. [This story signifies God’s elect lusting after the doctrines of Babylon]
Jdg 14:2 And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.
Jdg 14:3 Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.
Jdg 14:4 But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines [signifying all flesh and blood, (Rev 13:16)] had dominion over Israel.

The Philistines were a very religious people whose God was named Dagon. These Philistines are the Biblical type of all who are in the land of promise but they are there without the benefit of circumcision, and they are more than willing to put the teachings of their god, Dagon, ahead of the doctrines of Christ. They see their preeminence over God’s elect as proof that their God is the true God just as the Jews of Christ’s day, and the Christians of today feel toward the Lord’s ‘scattered flock.’

Jdg 16:23 Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together for to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice: for they said, Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.

Dagon typifies the god of modern day ‘Babylon the great’  who is none other than the “great Red Dragon” who empowers the beast within all men:

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

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

The entire story of Samson is a type of God’s elect whose service to God is first in the strength of our own flesh as we are married to the doctrines of Babylon, and to the modern day ‘leaven of the Pharisee and Sadducees’. This self-righteous iniquity in time brings us to our wits’ end as this story of Samson demonstrates. Only then are we finally made aware that we are blind as a bat and totally useless to God or mankind in a life of our own making while living in and among the doctrines of the enemy. Samson in his death typifies God’s elect who are more than willing to die to everything in this life to gain Christ:

Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, [the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees] but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Physically blind Samson is the type of this same mind. Here are Samson’s own words after he, in type, is finally given spiritual vision:

Jdg 16:30 And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Dying “with the Philistines” is the dying of our flesh to our old man, and just as Samson delivered his people through his death, so we are delivered from our own sinful flesh through our dying daily to the power of our flesh over the new man who is being born within us as we “die daily.”

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

This is the fruit of Pentecost which introduces the church era which leads up to the day of the blowing of trumpets in our lives.

Christ’s doctrine and His own example demonstrate for us that life comes only through death:

Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

Col 1:22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

It is only “through death”, the death of our old man, that our new man can be born. So it is for all men of all time, and so it is with death itself. Until death itself is destroyed, there will be no victory over death. As long as little Adams are being born, death cannot be destroyed, and that is the real reason for putting “the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan” in prison for a thousand years, just to release him again for “a little season” afterward.

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

Why, after placing Satan in prison for a thousand years, would a loving heavenly Father release him upon an unsuspecting world? The answer is that God is seeking an occasion against the Philistines of that time. When Satan is loosed upon the world after it has been ruled with a rod of iron for a thousand years, mankind’s carnal mind will be ripe for the deception Satan is sent to bring upon all nations at that time. After being ruled with a rod of iron for a thousand years, mankind will be convinced by Satan that he is capable of overcoming the saints of the “blessed and holy first resurrection”, who have been their rulers for the past one thousand years. We are told that Satan is given to deceive the nations in the four quarters of the earth to “encompass the camp of the saints”, and at that very moment, just like the fall of Jericho and just like the sudden destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, fire will come down from God out of heaven and will destroy all flesh of all men “in the four quarters of the earth” so that it can truthfully be said that death is destroyed, and there will be no one left on this earth who can beget another rebellious carnal-minded Adam in a vessel of clay.

That is why it is right after being told that fire comes down from God out of heaven, that we then immediately read of “a great white throne” revealed to us for the first time. This great white throne is also revealed at the same time as we learn for the first time of “the lake of fire”:

Rev 20:7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. [Notice what happens immediately after the destruction of all flesh]
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life [a thousand years earlier] was cast into the lake of fire.

“The second death… is… the lake of fire”. When the second group of mankind experiences the death of their carnal mind that is the death of death, and it is “through [this] death” that life is given to all men of all time.

The four months from Pentecost to Trumpets signify this age of grace, when God is preparing a few faithful elect out of the many called multitudes who come to Him. Judas was an elect who did not leave Christ when the multitudes left Him.

Joh 6:64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
Joh 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Joh 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Joh 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Joh 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Christ knew who would betray Him, and yet “the twelve”, which included Judas, remained faithful even after “many of His disciples went back, and walked no more with Him.” Still Judas was found not to have a proper wedding garment, and he was predestined to be God’s rejected elect who, like God’s anointed, King Saul, sought to kill God’s faithful elect, signified by King David. Both King Saul and Judas were the Lord’s anointed, but neither was faithful to the end. Being called and being elect are not enough to be given a wedding garment and to be in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection.”

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Those who are with Christ in the armies of heaven will have one more necessary qualification, and that qualification is to be faithful to the end:

Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Rev 17:14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful [“to the end”].

As the apostle Paul said of the Hebrews (Heb 6:9)… “I am persuaded better things of [us].”

Next week, Lord willing, we will begin our study of the day of atonement, and we will begin to see the blessings of being in that “blessed and holy… first resurrection”, and in time we will see what is the function of those blessed and holy  few who “endure [and are] faithful… to the end”.

Here is a taste of what is in store for all who are given that blessed calling:

Isa 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

The next step in the Lord’s plan for us is signified by the day of Atonement, a day of fasting and afflicting our souls demonstrating that we realize the need to have our sins covered and be at one with our Lord.

Lev 23:26  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:27  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28  And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29  For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Lev 23:30  And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
Lev 23:31  Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Lev 23:32  It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

[Here is the link to the next study in this series.

The Spiritual Significance of the Holy Days, Part 5A

Trumpets

[Study Aired September 7, 2025]

Lev 23:23  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:24  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
Lev 23:25  Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

This feast has less said about it here in Leviticus 23 than any of the seven festivals. There are no instructions concerning the offerings to be offered, and no particular event is being celebrated, as with the Passover and the days of unleavened bread. There is no counting of the weeks leading up to this festival, but it is worthy of our notice that there is a rather long period of time between the feast of Pentecost and the Day of Trumpets. The only instruction found in these three verses is “Ye… shall… have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.”

It is interesting to note that trumpets being blown “for a memorial” is mentioned in one other place:

Num 10:10  Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.

Numbers 29 gives us many more instructions concerning this “memorial of blowing of trumpets”:

Num 29:1  And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.
Num 29:2  And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the LORD; one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish:
Num 29:3  And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram,
Num 29:4  And one tenth deal for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
Num 29:5  And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you:
Num 29:6  Beside the burnt offering of the month, and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.

The feast of trumpets

The events which lead up to the rulership of “this world” by the elect of God are pictured within and without by the feast of trumpets on the first day of the seventh month, in the Fall.

Inwardly, this feast signifies that part of our lives when we realize that the kingdoms of this world within us have been subdued to our Lord and His Christ. At this point we realize that the sins and passions that once had free reign no longer dominate us. Christ has taken His rightful place on the throne of our heart and mind. We still have the day of atonement and the feast of tabernacles and the last great day ahead of us, but the seventh trumpet assures us that we are being judged in this present time, and that places us in “earnest”, downpayment form in that blessed and holy first resurrection.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Lev 23:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
Lev 23:25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

We do no work on the holy days in acknowledgment that we are His workmanship and that Christ in us has labored to enter into His rest, and we of ourselves can do nothing:

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

“Which God has ordained that we should walk in them” is the same as saying “the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”

Heb 4:3  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished [“before ordained”] from the foundation of the world.

Every holy day symbolizes a great work of God within each of us. Outwardly and dispensationally these holy days symbolize a step forward in the plan of God for all men, and yet every holy day is a sabbath because God wants us to know that He is working all things after the counsel of His own plan, purpose, and will, and not because of anything that we do:

Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Every step of God’s plan for mankind is to be taken only with “a sacrifice made with fire unto the Lord.” The fire of God’s chastening and scourging does indeed entail torment, but it is a ‘fire’ which burns up and consumes all that can be destroyed by that fire.

Rev 14:6  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
Rev 14:7  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
Rev 14:8  And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Rev 14:11  And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. [What is all of this???]
Rev 14:12  Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 14:13  And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

That which is not consumed and destroyed is purified in that tormenting fire. The torment, like the fire itself, has a purpose and an end, and that purpose and end is the cleansing and purifying of “every man.” ‘Every man… shall suffer [the] loss” of all the wood, hay and stubble, in his life, “but he himself shall [in the end] be saved, yet so as by fire.”

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Joseph is a type of Christ, our judge, and the way he dealt with his brothers who sold him into slavery in Egypt, demonstrates how the fire of the Word of God works in our own lives. It demonstrates how we are judged by the Words of our own mouth and how we reap what we have sown:

Gen 42:21 And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.
Gen 42:22 And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.
Gen 42:23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.
Gen 42:24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

It is an emotional thing to have to witness our own brothers and sisters being brought to true and deep repentance through the torment which their own words bring upon them. We, too, must endure this very same “godly repentance” in our own lives before we will be granted to cause our brothers and sisters to be brought to that same place and time in their lives. It takes a symbolic “Seven trumpets” of God’s judgments upon the kingdom of this world, the kingdom of our old man, to drag us to deep heartfelt repentance. Joseph could easily have said, “Hi boys, it’s me, Joseph, your little brother who you sold into slavery. Hey, don’t worry about anything. I have died for you in a sense by spending thirteen years as a slave in Egypt, and now all you have to do is to accept my generous sacrifice for all you did to me.” However, that is not what Joseph did, that is not what Christ did for you and me, and that is not what we will do for those in the lake of fire. The false doctrine of ‘substitutionary atonement’ is a lie which comes straight out of the smoke and the locusts which ascend out of the abussos, “the bottomless pit” of our carnal minds. The “smooth” words of that deceitful false doctrine (Isa 30:10) deny the need for seven trumpets to effectuate the destruction of the giants in our land (Jos 6). ‘Substitutionary atonement’ is robbing millions of any hope of being saved in this present time. It is a lie of the devil and must be revealed as such. That fire which saves us is the word of God, and this is what that word teaches us about who we are and what we will do:

Eze 14:4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

Luk 19:22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

That is exactly what Joseph’s brothers thought of Him. In their own carnal mind they knew that it was just a matter of time before Joseph would seek his revenge against them, and that carnal reasoning tormented them for many long years. They really believed that when their father, Jacob, died, Joseph would get his revenge upon them all for what they had done to him:

Gen 50:15 And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

It was their own unforgiving heart that caused them to suffer in fear all those years, and so the scriptures were fulfilled which said:

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Contrary to the smooth teaching of the false doctrine of “the substitutionary death of Christ”, Christ is not in the process of saving us with “coffee and doughnuts.” Rather we are plainly told “he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.” It is much easier to be forgiven and at the same time refuse to forgive those who have trespassed and sinned against us. It would also have been much easier for Joseph to have revealed himself to his brothers to begin with than for him to have restrained himself from doing so while he tormented them as he did. Nevertheless, these things happened to them, and they are written for our admonition upon whom these very same “ends of the world have come.” That is right, these events are the events that come upon us all in “the ends of the age”, both inwardly and outwardly and dispensationally.

As the apostle warned us, and as our Lord Himself taught us, “Be not deceived, God is not mocked, whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap [by] the tormentors… till the debt is paid.”

Mat 18:32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Mat 18:33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
Mat 18:34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

All of these lessons are learned first by those who are pictured as the firstfruits of the feast of Pentecost. The holy days build on each other. The chastening grace through faith of Pentecost is being tried:

1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1Pe 1:7  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

The appearing of Jesus Christ will be at “the [signified] seventh trump” for all of His elect:

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Earlier Paul had called this “the last trump”:

1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Revelation symbolically calls this the trumpet of “the seventh angel.”

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded [his trumpet]; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev 11:16  And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17  Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18  And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Rev 11:19  And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

These trials which the grace of Pentecost and the seven, sevens that bring us to Pentecost prepares us for the judgments of the seven trumpets which are what this feast signifies.

From Pentecost to the feast of trumpets is roughly 120 days, the time from the summer to the fall. It is during this extended time that we are being matured through fiery judgments which “begin at the house of God.” Those fiery words apply to us first, and we are the first to be judged out of our own mouths, according to the idols of our own hearts” (Eze 14:1-9).

Outwardly even the scholars of Babylon agree that this long period of four months signifies the entire church age, from Christ’s death and resurrection until the day of His appearing and the establishing of His kingdom over the kingdoms of this world. It is during this extended period of time that the house of God is being judged and being gathered together to become the manchild who will rule the nations with a rod of iron for a thousand years:

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed [the first man Adam, the beast, the man of sin within all of us], whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

“That wicked… shall [be] consume[d] with the spirit of His mouth.” In other words, “that wicked” is consumed by the fiery words of Christ in the mouths of His firstfruit witnesses.

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

“The feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest” is the feast of Pentecost, and “the feast of ingathering at the year’s end” is the double festival of tabernacles and the last great day. Between those two festivals is this feast of blowing of trumpets and the day of atonement.

This festival, “the blowing of trumpets” is only nine days before the day of atonement, indicating that these two festivals are closely associated with each other. We are even told that “a sin offering [of] atonement” is offered to the Lord at the feast of trumpets:

Num 29:1  And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month [the day of Trumpets], ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.

Num 29:5  And one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you:

That association signifies that our sins cannot be covered without first drinking the cup Christ drank and being baptized with the baptism He was baptized with, which are both typified by the trumpet judgments of Revelation 16 within our lives. This judgment is even now taking place within the lives of those who are “the house of God” and are acknowledged as such at the feast of trumpets:

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

We will pause our study at this point and finish our examination of the spiritual significance of the day of the blowing of trumpets in our next study. In that study we will see how the seven trumpets which were blown for seven days were also blown by seven priests. Those trumpets culminated in “the last trump” on the last day which brought down the walls of Jericho. That was not the end of Israel’s work to overcome the giants in the land. It was only the beginning, and there is great significance “for our admonition” in the account of the destruction of the walls of Jericho by the seven trumpets being blown by seven priests.

Jos 6:1  Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
Jos 6:2  And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour.
Jos 6:3  And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
Jos 6:4  And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

[Here is a link to the next study in this series.]

Rev 16:17-21 The 7^th Vial, Part 2

[Study Aired April 4, 2025]

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21  And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

This seventh and last of the seven last plagues fills up the wrath of God against all the ungodliness and uncleanness in our lives. There has been and still is uncleanness in each of us if we are still abiding in these bodies of corruption as we each are:

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption [flesh and blood] inherit incorruption.

We paused our last study quoting these following verses which demonstrate the extent to which Christ identifies with us and we with Him even as we live in these corruptible bodies:

Act 22:6  And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.
Act 22:7  And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Act 22:8  And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

The curse that was placed upon Christ’s body as it hung upon the cross, signifies the curse of the spiritual type of our crucifixion with Christ while we are yet alive in these clay vessels:

Isa 54:7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

Act 5:30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.

So Christ has partaken of everything we endure, including being “forsaken of God… in a little wrath”, and we, too, must accept that “all things are ours… things present and things to come”:

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

Lo and behold, we are to follow in the footsteps of, and live by the pattern set for us by our Savior. What a radical concept:

Col 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

It is the function of these seven plagues to burn out of us “the traditions of men… the rudiments of the world” which are not after the “steps” of Christ. How have we received these things? Do we receive the traditions of men “after Christ”, or do we receive the rudiments of this world through “the example Christ has left us”? No, we receive them through human “philosophy and vain deceit”, and we simply reject those who follow the example and “steps” Christ has left us as an example for us to follow.

Gal 4:1 What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.
Gal 4:2 He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.
Gal 4:3 So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. [Which includes verse 10 below]
Gal 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
Gal 4:5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
Gal 4:6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[1] Father.”
Gal 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Gal 4:8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.
Gal 4:9 But now that you know God– or rather are known by God– how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? [Here is what Paul is referring to:]
Gal 4:10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
Gal 4:11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
Gal 4:12 I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong.
Gal 4:13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.
Gal 4:14 Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
Gal 4:15 What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
Gal 4:16 Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?  [BSB]

According to the scriptures, there is a very close link between the pain we experience in life and the darkness in which we live due to the “unclean spirits” which come out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophets which dominate our lives until the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled in us.

Jud 1:6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. [‘Darkness’ is God’s judgment which causes us to “gnaw our tongues for pain” (Rev 16:10)]

Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Rev 15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments [the seven plagues of the seven angels] are made manifest.

Rev 16:10 And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
Rev 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east [the way of Truth which destroys Babylon] might be prepared.
Rev 16:13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

While it is absolutely true that “the sword does not depart from our house”, even after we repent of our sins, it is nevertheless also true that as our unrighteousness and ungodliness are replaced with “Christ in us”, the wrath of God subsides until we can say with the apostle:

Eph 2:1 And you [hath he quickened], who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

So in the gospel of John we read:

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him [It does not continue to abide on “he that believeth on the Son”].

The corresponding seventh trumpet

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Rev 11:16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Rev 11:18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged [“The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God” (1Pe 4:17)], and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.[Our old man]
Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple [“which temple we are” (1Co 3:15-16)] the ark of his testament [His Truth within our lives]: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail [Which all “sweeps away the refuge of lies” (Isa 28:17)].

In the seventh vial we are told “It is done.” In the seventh trumpet we read “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”.

Both the vials and the trumpets are declared to be judgments of God, and in both the seventh vial and the seventh trumpet we are told there are “lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.”

Rev 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, [and] so great.

Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Once again, this seventh trumpet corresponds perfectly with this seventh vial because each trumpet is but the second, middle part of the same three-step process which makes up and fills up the judgments and the wrath of God against all of our ungodliness and unrighteousness, in which we hold and claim Christ, who is the Truth of God.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Christ never in His life says “I know the Truth”, rather, He tells us “I AM the Truth”, simply because that is the Truth.

“He who has an ear let him hear”

This entire “revelation of Jesus Christ” is addressed to “the seven churches.” We come so very far in our service that we are fighting wars in the heavens, before we are caused to “Remember the height from which we have fallen.”

Here is what the spirit says to the first two churches:

Rev 2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:
Rev 2:2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
Rev 2:3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Rev 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
Rev 2:5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
Rev 2:6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Rev 2:7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Rev 2:8 “To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
Rev 2:9 I know your afflictions and your poverty– yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Rev 2:10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Rev 2:11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. (NIV)

These two churches, and the other five, are all being addressed to “He who has an ear.” “What you are about to suffer” is “what is written in the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” It is the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the seven vials, and “no man can enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels have been fulfilled.” So “what you are about to suffer” is the “seals, trumpets and vials”, and there is no way to pick and choose what we want to keep and what we do not want to keep. We must all “keep those things which are written therein… till the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled” in our lives.

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 15:8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

This seventh vial is the “great earthquake” which accomplishes what nothing to this time has accomplished. It is greater than any earthquake that has ever or ever will be experienced in our lives, and this earthquake is the turning point in our lives. This ‘great earthquake’ is “[our] wits’ end” of this verse of scripture:

Psa 107:25  For he [the Lord] commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble [because of the seven last plagues].
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end [Great earthquake].

Here is where the fire is cleansing the temple and purifying our temple for the arrival of our True King, Christ.

Here is this seventh vial in the words of our Lord in Mat 24:

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

The “great tribulation” Christ refers to here is the “great earthquake such as was not since men were upon the earth”:

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

The “great day of His wrath”, the “great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be”, and the “great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, are all one and the same event we “must [all] suffer [and] endure to the end.”

Rev 2:10  Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Rev 2:11  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

“He who hath an ear let him hear” is always associated in scripture with the fact that the masses of those who come to Christ and believe on Him, still are “not given… to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God.” Notice verse 9 of Matthew 13.

Mat 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given [ears to hear].

So just how does our Lord keep the masses of Christianity from “understanding the mysteries of the kingdom of God?” How does He stop the masses of Christians from “keeping the things written therein”? Here is what we are clearly told:

Mat 13:19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
Mat 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Mat 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

Let us analyze what we are told here. Those who are “carnal… babes in Christ” (1Co 3:1-4) and those who are “weak in the faith” (Rom 14:1), “understand not the word of the kingdom… are offended when tribulation and persecution arise because of the Word”, and the Word is “choked by the cares of this world and they are unfruitful.”

Conversely those who “go on unto perfection” (Heb 6:1), understand the Word of the kingdom, remain steadfast in tribulation and persecution because of the Word, and the cares of this world do not choke the Word in their lives and they are very fruitful.

None of this is of ourselves, it is all of Christ and His Father. Nevertheless this is how it is lived out in our lives:

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

2Co 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

The word ‘prove’ in Romans 12:2 is the same Greek word translated “alloweth” in Romans 14:22. Those who mature in Christ “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” They do not simply “agree to disagree” with the elders of the body of Christ. Those who are not “weak in the faith… prove themselves” and are not offended by a weaker brother who has not bothered to prove his doctrine. They bear with his infirmities, while steadfastly “proving what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”, instead of taking on the infirmities of their weaker, infirm brother.

Rom 14:22 The faith which thou hast, have to thyself before God: happy, he that bringeth not judgment upon himself by that which he approveth; (REV)

Whether we are “weak in the faith”, or we are able to “eat strong meat”, we will be judged “according to our works.”

Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

We will pause our study at this point where we are being informed that being weak in the faith can lead to bringing judgment upon ourselves by “that which [we] approve”. These “great and marvellous” plagues reveal whether that is the case if we are granted to “go on to perfection and stop laying again the foundational doctrines of Christ”:

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

Rev 16:10-16  The 5^th and 6^th Vials, Part 1

[Study Aired March 23, 2025]

Rev 16:10  And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
Rev 16:12  And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs [come] out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, [which] go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Rev 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Rev 16:16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Introduction

Once again we must remind ourselves that the pouring out of these seven vials is a “great and marvelous” work of the Lord in our lives, and they are a vital part of “the words of this prophecy”. We must keep in mind that we are specifically told we are to “read, hear and keep”, “the things which are written” in this “revelation of Jesus Christ” within us.

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

We are also told that the multitudes who come to Christ are “not given… to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven”:

Mat 13:9  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them [the multitudes who come to Christ] in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Mat 13:13  Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Mat 13:14  And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

Since we must all live by every word of God, we are therefore all first born blind from the womb of our first bondwoman mother.

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. [All who think “Jerusalem which now is” is “God’s chosen people” are still “in bondage with… the children of the bondwoman” (vs 26-28)]

After we acknowledge that we were born in a spiritually blind condition, then we begin to be healed of our spiritual blindness.

Joh 9:39  And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
Joh 9:40  And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
Joh 9:41  Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

So it is at our own peril of being “hurt of the second death” in the lake of fire, that we put these seals, trumpets or vials off into the future or off in the past or onto anyone else but ourselves. Scripture is not written to others. Scripture is addressed to “he that hath an ear.” Hopefully that is to you and me, if indeed we are granted to know God and His Son. It is addressed to those who are given eyes to see and ears to hear that we ourselves are the beast whose throne and whose kingdom is affected by, and destroyed by, this revelation of Jesus Christ.

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

This revelation is all about “the brightness of His coming” to judge our old beastly man within by the words of this prophecy which are “the spirit of His mouth”.

Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

It is all the revelation of our judgment, and our judgment is addressed to all the seven churches of Asia with all of their false doctrines within us. Those seven churches are shown by “the seven angels [of] the seven churches” that their judgment is in this revelation, which consists of a book sealed with seven seals.

Rev 1:20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

This ‘revelation’ signifies the entire Word of God, “the spirit of His mouth”, which is completely hidden with seven seals from all who are not given to understand that all of mankind is destined to “live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” [Ecc 9:2, Mat 4:4].

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

If even one of those seven seals is not fulfilled within each of us, then this entire revelation of Jesus Christ will remain completely sealed from our understanding. The seven seals are seven judgments which are expanded to include seven more trumpet judgments, which are expanded to include these seven vials which “fill up the wrath of God” against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness within all of us.

It is first our own inward armies of false doctrines who are gathered to the great day of God almighty. It is us while we are yet self-righteous sinners in Babylon, who are completely unaware of the coming of our Lord as a thief who plunders and destroys the kingdom of our father, the Devil, within us. With that in mind, let’s see what our Lord is doing within that doomed kingdom within us all, in the fifth and sixth bowls which fill up His wrath against our ungodliness and unrighteousness. Here is this fifth vial:

Rev 16:10  And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

The first thing we need to notice is that this is the only one of the seven vials which does not use the exact same language as that used in the parallel seven trumpets. Let us remind ourselves of the fact that these vials are part of the seven trumpets, and that the principles found in the seven trumpets are also to be found corresponding with each of the seven vials. Here is a review of each to make this point:

First trumpet:

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. (1Pe 1:24  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:)

First vial:

Rev 16:2  And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and [upon] them which worshipped his image.

Second trumpet:

Rev 8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9  And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Second vial:

Rev 16:3  And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. [Mat 26:27  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave [it] to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; Mat 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.]

Third trumpet:

Rev 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
Rev 8:11  And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter [1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.]

Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

Third Vial:

Rev 16:4  And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
Rev 16:5  And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
Rev 16:6  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Rev 16:7  And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

The Word of God is sweet in our mouth, but it is both blood and bitter in our belly where we must digest and live by its every word.

Joh 6:53  Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Joh 6:54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Joh 6:55  For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
Joh 6:56  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Fourth Trumpet:

Rev 8:12  And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
Rev 8:13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Fourth Vial:

Rev 16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Rev 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

The apostle Paul who was first known as “Saul of Tarsus” signifies who we all are while we are in the harlot churches of Babylon. At that time we were one and all ‘blasphemers’:

1Ti 1:12  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
1Ti 1:13  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

It is while we are in spiritual darkness that we are being “scorched with fire from the Sun.”

Ecc 3:16  And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness [the Lord’s apostate churches], that iniquity was there.

God is calling light out of darkness, and for those who are given to fear Him and hear Him, the outcome is worth the pain.

Mal 4:2  But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

We have all been blasphemers who, like the apostle Paul, “did it ignorantly in unbelief”, and it was at that time that we “repented not to give Him glory.” Instead we returned to our sins “as a dog to his vomit” (2Pe 2:22).

Rev 11:3  And I will give power unto my two witnesses [also called the “seven angels” with the seven vials, (Rev 19:10, 22:8-9) “our fellowservants”], and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4  These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 11:5  And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Our old man, our first Adam, must be devoured by the scorching fire of God’s word, the scorching heat of the Sun of Righteousness, before we become that heat and that fire. Once again, good comes through “keeping the things written therein”, and we have delivered ourselves from the curses which are placed upon those who either “add to” or “take from the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Rev 22:18-19).

The fifth trumpet and the fifth vial

Now we come to the fifth trumpet. Up until now, everything in every trumpet is repeated in the corresponding vial. That corresponding work will continue in the fifth trumpet, but it will be done in a way which will reveal to us that the “bottomless pit” is what the scriptures call ‘the sea’ within us. It will also reveal that this is where the throne of the beast is located. Read the paper entitled What is The Bottomless Pit?

https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/the-bottomless-pit/

Here again is this:

Fifth Trumpet:

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
Rev 9:3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Rev 9:4  And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
Rev 9:5  And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
Rev 9:6  And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
Rev 9:7  And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces [were] as the faces of men.
Rev 9:8  And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
Rev 9:9  And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
Rev 9:10  And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. [Isa 9:15 – … the prophet that teacheth lies, he [is] the tail.]
Rev 9:11  And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
Rev 9:12  One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ [This is what men seek “in those days”]: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Fifth Vial:

Rev 16:10  And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

Both this fifth vial and the fifth trumpet are concerned with the effects of the darkness they expose in our lives:

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

The revelation of the location of “the bottomless pit” is imparted to us when we see from whence all that darkness resides. It is the smoke out of the bottomless pit of the sixth trumpet which darkens the sun and air. The darkness associated with this 6^th vial corresponds with the darkness that comes out of the bottomless pit, revealing that “the seat (throne) and kingdom of the beast”, and the bottomless pit are one and the same thing. Both are the spiritually blind, rebellious, carnal mind which is revealed to be the source of all that darkness.

Rev 16:10  And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast [our rebellious, carnal mind]; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

The phrase “bottomless pit” is translated from two Greek words. ‘Bottomless’ is translated from the Greek word G12, ‘abussos’, meaning ‘deep’ and the Greek word ‘phrear’, G5421, “a pit”. So it is our rebellious, carnal mind which is a deep pit, and that deep pit is the home of the locusts [false doctrines] which darken the sun and the air:

Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit [abussos, phrear]; and there arose a smoke out of the pit [phrear], as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit [phrear].
Rev 9:3  And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

When the devils who were “legion” were being cast out of the demoniac man, they pleaded with the Lord not to send them “out of the country” but to send them into a herd of 2,000 swine:

Mar 5:10  And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
Mar 5:11  Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
Mar 5:12  And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
Mar 5:13  And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea [G2281: ‘thalassa’, “lake”].

The Greek word ‘thalassa’ (lake) is replaced with the Greek word ‘limne’ in Luke’s account of this same incident where we learn that the devils requested that they not be sent into the abussos, the deep. They wanted to enter into the herd of swine [They were allowed for their request to be granted as they asked according to God’s plan.]:

Luk 8:30  And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
Luk 8:31  And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep [G12: ‘abussos’, deep].
Luk 8:32  And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.
Luk 8:33  Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake [G3041: ‘limne’ “a pond or a lake”], and were choked.

“The deep”, ‘the abussos’ here in Luke 8:31 obviously refers to the “limne, a pond, a lake or sea” [G2281: ‘thlassa’] of Galilee where the herd of 2,000 swine drowned. The “lake of fire” of Revelation 19:20, 20:10; 20:14, 20:15 is the G3041, ‘limne’ of fire’ where the devil who was “cast into the bottomless pit” [abussos, “deep”] at the beginning of the thousand-year reign of Christ and His Christ, is now “cast into the ‘limne’ (G3041) of fire [which] is the second death”, as opposed to the first death which we die with Christ in “this present time” (Rom 8:18, 1Co 15:31, Gal 2:20).

Both this fifth trumpet and this fifth vial are poured out upon the throne of the beast because the Greek word translated ‘seat’ is ‘thronos’, which everywhere else is translated simply as ‘throne’. The sea signifies the “many waters” of our flesh where the doctrines of the harlot and the beast sit on that throne, which rightfully is Christ’s throne. The cleansing of the temple is accomplished through enduring the ‘fire’ of the Word which is called “a sea of glass mingled with fire” with which fire Christ will reclaim His throne.

Once again we see how the events of this fifth vial correspond to the events which take place in the fifth trumpet we can now understand that they both deal with the pain that must be experienced in the “bottomless pit” of our own rebellious carnal mind.

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Our carnal mind which cannot be subject to the law of God is our own dark bottomless pit which, being the darkened mind of our flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God:

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Once again we see how the details concerning the purpose for the process of being judged by all of that pain which is poured out upon “the throne of the beast” are given to us in the fifth trumpet, while the filling up of that wrath and pain is given to us in the fifth vial. It is through the details of the trumpets that we are given to understand the meaning of the symbols of the vials. In this particular vial, we learn that “the seat [throne] of the beast” is ‘abussos’ , “the bottomless pit”. It is up from this abussos that we all rise:

Rev 13:1  And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea [G2281: ‘thalassa’, which Mark 5:13 demonstrates is the same as the G12 ‘abussos’ of Luke 8:31, and the “lake”, G3041, ‘limne’ of Luke 8:33] having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Rev 17:15  And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

‘Thalassa’, ‘limne’, and ‘abussos’, one and all refer to the deep darkness of our carnal minds which are “enmity against the law of God” (Rom 8:7) and “cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1Co 15:50).

We certainly do not immediately repent and thank the Lord for the pain we experience. Instead we, like self-righteous Job, first feel that the Lord has unjustly made us His target, and we blaspheme His name when we make that accusation:

Job 16:11  God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
Job 16:12  I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
Job 16:13  His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
Job 16:14  He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.
Job 16:15  I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
Job 16:16  My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
Job 16:17  Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

We have already learned that Satan’s throne is our hearts and minds which rightfully belong to our Creator. We have just seen that it is our hearts and minds which are first possessed by “the [self righteous] man of sin… the son of perdition” before the coming of Christ who drives Satan out of our hearts and minds with the brightness of His fiery coming:

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

“The seat of the beast” is our own hearts and minds which are full of so much pain that we “chew [our] tongues” when we finally come to see the depth of darkness we have been in for so long. Everything we have ever believed was a lie, and we blaspheme the name of the Lord because the pain of losing it all seems to be more than we can bear. The Lord wants us to know that the only way He can change our rebellious old man is through severe mental and spiritual pain. ‘Chewing our tongues’ is just another way of saying that He makes us eat our own words by judging us with our own iniquity and judging us “out of [our] own mouth”:

Jer 2:18  And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?  
Jer 2:19  Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

The waters of Sihor and the waters of Assyria signify the lying, smooth, false doctrines of all the harlot daughters of Babylon.

Luk 19:22  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

The sixth trumpet and the sixth vial

Sixth trumpet:

Rev 9:13  And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Rev 9:14  Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
Rev 9:15  And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
Rev 9:16  And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
Rev 9:17  And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
Rev 9:18  By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
Rev 9:19  For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
Rev 9:20  And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Rev 9:21  Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

The sixth vial is also poured out upon the great river Euphrates:

Rev 16:12  And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
Rev 16:13  And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
Rev 16:14  For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Rev 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed [is] he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Rev 16:16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

We will pause our study at this point, and in our next study we will consider what the spiritual significance of “the great river Euphrates” is.  The Euphrates was the artery through which the wealth of all the provinces of Babylon flowed into that great city, and in our next study we will see that this great river signifies all the lies and false doctrines which keep the wealth of the whole world flowing into modern day spiritual Babylon the great, the mother of harlots. This river is referred to as “the waters of Assyria” in the Old Testament:

Jer 2:18  And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor [The Nile]? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? [Euphrates]

]]> https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/rev-161-3-the-first-two-of-the-seven-last-plagues/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rev-161-3-the-first-two-of-the-seven-last-plagues Fri, 14 Mar 2025 14:21:57 +0000 https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/?p=32316 Study Audio Download

Rev 16:1-3 The First Two of the Seven Last Plagues

[Study Aired March 14, 2025]

Rev 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
Rev 16:2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.
Rev 16:3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

Introduction

This and the next several studies will be a powerful demonstration of the ‘is, was and will be’ character of the word of God as it relates to the seven seals, the seven trumpets of the seven angels and these “seven angels with these seven last plagues (which) fill up the wrath of God. In each case we will see that the number seven signifies a completing, rather than a certain order of events. When we forget that Truth of the meaning of the spiritual symbolism of the number seven, we inevitably become dispensationalists who ask “Where am I in this process? How far have I come, and how much further do I have to go?” instead of realizing that no one is ever perfected before “the third day”, and that again has nothing to do with the number three itself, but it rather has to do with the process of judgment signified by that number.

In the next few studies we will see that the “seven last plagues” of these vials or bowls are actually part of the seven seals upon this book, inasmuch as these seven plagues are the seventh trumpet, which in turn is the seventh seal.

Until that last seal is opened, this book is still sealed, and until the last trumpet sounds, the judgments of God are still working in our lives, and the seventh seal is still not opened. Since the seven trumpets of the seven angels are the seventh seal, this book is completely sealed from our vision until those seven angels sound in our lives. Now, since the seventh trumpet of God’s judgment is the seven last plagues “which fill up the wrath of God”, we are under that yet unfilled wrath until the “mystery of God should be finished” in us “till the seven plagues of the seven angels” have begun to be fulfilled within our lives.

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

We must take notice at this point that the statement… “no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled” is in the aorist tense.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled^{[G5681: aorist tense]} with smoke from the glory  of God, and from his power; and no man was able^{[G5711: imperfect tense]} to enter^{G1525 [G5629: aorist tense]} into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled^{G5055 [G5686: aorist tense]}.

Who is “the earth” of verse one?

“In the days… when he shall begin to sound the mystery of God should be finished… filling up the wrath of God”, makes it abundantly clear that this is all speaking of an ongoing process of judgment within “the earth” which is us, and it all adds up to the fact that this book cannot be unsealed to be “read, heard or kept… till the seven plagues of the seven angels have begun to be fulfilled within our lives.”

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

Who is the “earth” which is supposed to “Hear the word of the Lord”? We need not guess:

Rev 1:3 Blessed is he [the “earth”] that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he [the “earth”] that keepeththe sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:8  And I John [and you and me, Lord willing] saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets [“the earth” that “hears these things”], and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

“The time is at hand” that “the mystery of God… Christ in you, the hope of glory… should be finished” in “the earth”; within each of us. That is why this prophecy is called “the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Col 1:26-27, Rev 1:1-3). This book is all about the revelation of Jesus Christ within His elect, and that is why we are admonished in the third verse of the first chapter, and the 10th verse of the last chapter, to “keep the things written therein, for the time is at hand”.

Rev 16:1  And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

Since we are “the earth” to whom Christ has been sent by the Father, and since we are also “the temple of God” (1Co 3:16-17), it is obvious that this “great voice from within the temple” is Christ and His Words speaking to us from within us. It is of utmost importance that we notice that these seven last plagues are poured out at the behest of this “great voice” which emanates “out of the temple”. What this tells us is that God really does do all that He does through Christ whom the Father has sent to do His will on this “earth”. Since this voice comes “out of the temple” and we, in Christ, are also that temple, it follows that we are sent by Christ to do all that Christ does. What that means is that we are called to live the life He lived. That is exactly what Christ has told us. Just as His Father operates all through Him, He also operates all through His anointed and sent ones; through His Christ; through His anointed; through His church (Eph 3:9-10):

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

2Co 1:21  Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed [Greek: Chrio, Christed, or anointed] us, is God;

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

“As He is, so are we”? What does that mean? God sent Christ for one purpose, and that purpose was “to save the world, not to condemn the world” to everlasting torment or to everlasting death.

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially [but not exclusively] of those that believe.

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also [“each in his own order” 1Co 15:23] for the sins of the whole world.

Who are these seven angels?

While we have discussed this much earlier, we need to put what we see here with what was said earlier to know for certain who these seven angels symbolize.

That these seven angels are God’s own physical servants in this age is not to be doubted, because we are twice told that they are those who are admonished at the beginning of this prophecy to “keep the things written therein”.

Rev 17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Rev 21:9 And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

There it is, twice we are told that it was “one of the angels which had the seven vials” who shows us 1) the judgment of the great whore, and 2) the bride, the Lamb’s wife. Where are we told that these seven angels are those who are told in chapter one, verse three, to “keep the things written therein”? Here it is. Here is where the symbolism of these seven angels is revealed to us. Notice who “the angel who showed John these things” tells John he symbolizes:

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

“I am your fellowservant, and of your brothers that have the testimony of Jesus.” These seven angels are you and me, if indeed we “have the testimony of Jesus.” This same amazing revelation is repeated in the 22nd chapter of Revelation:

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

Which angel is this angel? Here it is again. Here is “the angel which showed these things unto John:

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Rev 21:9  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

So the seven angels are “our fellowservants, our brothers who have the testimony of Jesus, and them which keep the sayings of this book.” The seven angels are John and you and me.

So the same angels that have the seven last plagues are also showing us who is the “great whore that sits upon many waters”, as well as showing us “the bride the Lamb’s wife.”

However, the “mystery of God which He has declared to His servants” is not finished, and no man is given to enter into Christ, our temple, “till the seven plagues of the seven angels has been fulfilled” in the life of every man who is given to enter into Christ with Christ being in Him, fulfilling the mystery of God which He declared to His servants the prophets.

Joh 2:19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple [Christ Himself], and in three days I will raise it up.

Rev 10:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

What is this, the greatest mystery of all time? Here it is:

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Joh 14:20  At that day [the days of the voice of the seventh angel] ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

What this tells us is that we are in Christ, as all things are “in Him” (Act 14:22), but Christ is not really in us “till the seven plagues of the seven angels has been fulfilled” in our lives.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

So now let us examine what begins to happen in the days of the seventh angel, when he begins to sound His seventh trumpet. Let’s examine what must be done before “the mystery of God, as He has declared by His servants the prophets”, can be finished us us,.

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

The “beginning of the sounding of the seventh angel” is these seven vials which “fill up the wrath of God.” These are the worst trials of our life as the first Adam, and they are poured out upon all of the ungodliness and unrighteousness that is within each of us. This is what is required to separate from us all of our heart’s idols and all of the pulls of the flesh which, until this point, have had the dominion over the throne of our hearts. That is why we are told in chapter fifteen, which is dedicated solely to the introduction of these seven angels with these seven vials, that the introduction of these angels with these vials is a “great and marvelous” event in our lives.

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Rev 16:2  And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

At this point we will begin to demonstrate that this entire “revelation of Jesus Christ” is to primarily and spiritually be understood only in its ‘is, was and will be’ nature as one whole prophecy which is to be kept within the lives of each of us.

Here we are finally arriving at “the days of the seventh angel, when he is beginning to sound his trumpet”, which trumpet is these “seven last plagues which fill up the wrath of God.” What does this tell us about the seven seals that are upon this prophecy of our walk? What does this tell us about the seven angels with the seven trumpets of the things we are to keep in the things written in the words of this prophecy? Let’s go back and notice just a few verses in the sixth seal which will help to open our eyes to what this entire revelation of Jesus Christ within us is all about:

Rev 6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13  And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

If we were to take the time to look at the four horsemen of the first four seals upon this revelation of Christ within us, along with “the souls under the altar who were beheaded for the word of their testimony” and who comprise the fifth seal, we would see that they are nothing less than the judgments of God which lead “the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man” within us to “say to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

In other words, there is no possible way that the events of these seven seals were ever intended to be thought of as being anything other than judgments of “the great day of God’s wrath” upon our first Adam. The judgments of these seven seals are neither before nor after any of the events which we find in the events we are to keep which are opened up and revealed in the reading, hearing and keeping of the seven trumpets of the seven angels. Those seven trumpets, as a whole, are the seventh seal that is upon this book. Without the opening of that seventh seal, we cannot “read, hear or keep the things written therein”. So it is not possible to open the seventh seal without reading, hearing and keeping the sounding of the seventh trumpet.

Stated another way, we cannot, as all of orthodox Christianity wants us to believe, say that some men can enter into the temple of God in heaven without keeping the seventh trumpet with all of its plagues which simply must fill up the wrath of God on our stubborn and rebellious first man Adam, if we hope to “stand on the sea of glass mingled with fire, or enter into the temple of God in heaven.

Let’s take the time to see just how interconnected all of the seals, trumpets and vials of God’s wrath are. To make this clear we will display both the first trumpet and the first vial, side by side, and we will comment upon the fact that the work being accomplished in each of us is being accomplished upon the exact same object, and that object, in every trumpet and in every vial or bowl, while described each time in seven different terms, is all really just different symbols of what God is doing within each of us, to conform us to “the revelation of Jesus Christ”. Here are both the first trumpet and the first vial:

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Now notice what is the object of the pouring out of the first vial.

Rev 16:2  And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and [upon] them which worshipped his image.

Notice that the object of both the first trumpet and the first plague which fill up the wrath of God, is “the earth”, which of course is us (Jer 22:9). Both are simultaneously working to conform us to the image of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. The trees and grass of the first trumpet, are simply a less severe trial than the noisome and grievous sore upon the men within us which had the mark of, and worshiped the image of the beast. Both the wrath of God and His judgments are working in us for that one and same end.

Now let’s look at the second trumpet and the second vial and see what they might have in common. First, the second trumpet:

Rev 8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9  And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Now the second vial:

Rev 16:3  And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

The mention of “the third part” in both the first and the second trumpets, tells all with eyes to see, that these words are speaking of the process of judgment within us:

Rev 8:6  And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Rev 8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9  And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

The ‘fire’ of the first trumpet and the ‘fire’ of the second trumpet both signify the work of our Lord’s ‘fiery words’ in the mouths of His messengers, His angels:

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

It is the Lord’s fiery words which will judge and save “every man”:

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Our old man is not saved, yet it is through his judgment and destruction that our new man is saved; “yet so as by fire”.

In the first trumpet and the first vial that judgment is upon our earth. In the second trumpet and the second vial it is upon the sea as the symbol of the body of our flesh, out of which comes “the blood of a dead man”, which “dead” man is called “creatures… in the sea” in the second trumpet.

Mat 8:21  And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Mat 8:22  But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

The fact that the object of both the trumpets and the vials are exactly the same, corresponding to their number, is not a coincidence. We will see that this holds true for all of the seven trumpets and all of the seven vials. What does this mean? It means that the seals, trumpets and vials are one and all expressions of God’s wrath upon the hardhearted and stubborn beast we all are as that “first man Adam” (1Co 15:45-47). The fact that the trumpets and the vials are judgments of the exact same thing means that they are all essential prerequisites to finishing the mystery of God within us, revealing who has been granted the patience of the saints, the gift of keeping the commandments and the gift of the ability to keep the commandments through the faith of Jesus (Rev 14:12). It is only those who are granted the strength to endure these trials who are given the honor of standing on that sea of glass, having the harps of God and being given the privilege of  entering into the temple of God in heaven.

The solemn significance of the seventh seal which is the seven trumpets is emphasized by being introduced with ‘silence in heaven for the space of half and hour’:

Rev 8:1  And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Rev 8:2  And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

The enormous significance of the seventh trumpet is indicated with these words:

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

The fact that there are three sets of seven – seven seals, seven trumpets and seven vials, for the one who is given eyes that see and ears that hear, is “the acknowledgment of the mystery of God” and His ability to finish the process of His judgment which He has begun in each of us:

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

It is these seven last plagues of the wrath of God which begins to finish this “mystery of God”:

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh [trumpet] angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

It is only the rebellious flesh of our old man who is terrified by the words of this prophecy. To our new man these are words of comfort from the God of all comfort:

Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Summary

What we have learned in this study is that the seven seals, the seven trumpets and the seven plagues, are all one single is, was and will be work of God’s judgment upon our old man who, as “the first man Adam”, is also called“the earth” with its “sea and fountains of water” within us.

We have seen that “the earth” in scripture symbolizes Adam and all who are in him. We have seen that it is we, as God’s elect, who as “the earth”, including the sea and the fountains of waters, are those upon whom all these last plagues begin to be poured, before we can enter into the temple of God in heaven.

We have seen that the “great voice out of the temple” is “Christ in us” preparing our hearts through His fiery judgments, to take up His permanent residency as He is destroying our old “man of sin… with the brightness of His coming” (2Th 2:3-8).

We have seen that Christ has sent us just as His Father sent Him, to be the saviors of this world by living His life within us, and by suffering as He suffered. As such we have seen that we are these seven angels who pour out these seven plagues at the behest of Christ who is doing His judging of us within us.

1Co 11:31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
1Co 11:32  But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

We have seen that these seven angels reveal to us, both the judgment of the great harlot within us as well as “showing us the bride the Lamb’s wife”.

Rev 21:9  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.
Rev 21:10  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Next study, Lord willing, we will see this is, was and will be character of these words continue to be demonstrated as we witness the striking correlation between the seven trumpets and the seven plagues of the seven angels. Here are the next two plagues:

Rev 16:4  And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
Rev 16:5  And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.
Rev 16:6  For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
Rev 16:7  And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous [are] thy judgments.
Rev 16:8  And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
Rev 16:9  And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

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Rev 15:1-4 Angels With The Seven Last Plagues

[Study Aired March 2, 2025]

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
Rev 15:2  And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, [and] over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Rev 15:3  And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
Rev 15:4  Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

Introduction

This fifteenth chapter of the book of Revelation is only 8 verses long and is essentially nothing more than the introduction to the sounding of the seventh trumpet which we are told is ‘great and marvellous’ because of the importance which scripture places upon this event within our lives. It consists of the pouring out of the “seven vials” or the seven bowls of the seven last plagues. This trumpet is part of a complete sounding of the trumpet which is called “seven trumpets”, and it cannot be considered apart from the other six trumpets. To separate this trumpet from the others would be like saying the first six vials of God’s wrath are for most people, but the seventh is only for the really wicked. Or ‘the first six seals are for most people but the seventh seal is only for the extremely wicked.’ God’s word is never to be handled in that way. We live by it all (Mat 4:4), and it is all for ‘he that reads, hears and keeps the things written therein’ (Rev 1:3). So these seven last plagues are brought into our spiritual view by “seven angels”, or messengers, and the very fact that the spirit has inspired the use of the number ‘seven’ tells us that if our understanding is to be complete, then every word is to be kept by those who are given to ‘read, and hear and keep what is written here’.

So we are about to finally discover what happens “in the days of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound…” We are about to discover what must take place before “the mystery of God [which is “Christ in you” (Col 1:27)] should be finished” within us. Here it is again:

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

Once again, we are reminded in verses 3 and 4 of this fifteenth chapter of Revelation, that these seven last plagues are the “works… ways… and manifest… judgments of our Lord”, and in 1Peter 4:17 we are told that God’s judgments “first begin with us”.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

We know this is all “within” us because we are told that Christ is come to judge this world, and we are told that His coming is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” We are even told what qualifies him to judge this world within us:

Joh 5:25  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they [the dead] that hear shall live.
Joh 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
Joh 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

There it is. That is the qualification for those who will “execute judgment.” They must all be “the son of man”. “The hour now is that the dead hear the voice of the Son of God”, and that ability to “hear the voice of the Son of God”, and to understand “the mystery of God… is made manifest [only] to His saints”.

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

If we forget that it is the sounding of the trumpet of this seventh angel in our lives which facilitates the “finishing of the mystery of God” within us, then we will never realize the finishing of that work in our lives. If we deny that the sounding of the trumpet of this seventh angel with his “seven last plagues of the wrath of God” has anything to do with the finishing of the mystery of God in our lives, then “we will be judged out of our own mouth”, and we will never “enter into the temple” of God, until “the seven plagues of the seven angels is fulfilled” (Verse 8).

Rev 15:8  And the temple [“which temple ye are” (1Co 3:16-17)] was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Luk 19:22  And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book

So these seven plagues are going to be fulfilled in the lives of “every man” who has ever lived, and we are plainly told that it is a bitter experience for us all. Here are the verses from chapter ten which follow verse seven, and which tell us of the bitterness of having to “keep… every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”.

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Rev 10:8  And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Rev 10:9  And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
Rev 10:10  And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
Rev 10:11  And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

As we have demonstrated, it is “the Israel of God”, including Gentile Galatians (Gal 6:15-16), who are “redeemed from every nation…” (Rev 5:9). We all rejoice to learn the truths we are learning. These wonderful truths are sweet in our mouths as we first hear and learn about them. But here is what happens when we “eat this book”:

Eze 2:3  And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
Eze 2:4  For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 2:5  And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
Eze 2:6  And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
Eze 2:7  And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
Eze 2:8  But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth,and eat that I give thee.
Eze 2:9  And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;
Eze 2:10  And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe. [“the seven plagues of the seven angels”]

It is when we discover that we are required to “prophesy before many people” and live out these words in our lives that we all end up praying this prayer:

Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

We will one and all “eat this book”, and in doing so, we will “fulfill the seven plagues of the seven angels” in our own lives. It is at our own peril that we think we can eat all but “the seven plagues of the seven angels”. We will eat this entire book, including the seven last plagues. It will either be while we live in these vessels of clay, or they will be fulfilled in our lives as resurrected spirit bodies in a place called “the lake of fire”. In the end, “the mystery which has been hid from ages and generations” will be fulfilled and realized in “every man”, and “every man” will experience that same “one event” which we have referenced so many times in Ecc 9:2.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Now let’s remind ourselves what that “mystery of God, which He declared to His servants the prophets” really is. Here are the scriptures:

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Col 1:28 is the fulfillment of Rev 10:9-11. Let’s read it again:

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

“Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings”. It is this commission, to be a faithful witness to the words of this prophecy, which is an integral part of the experience of the seven vials of the seven angels, and the “finishing of the mystery of God” and the birth of “Christ in you”.

So “every man will be presented perfect in Christ Jesus” in his own time, and “every man” will, at his own appointed time, “enter into the temple, when the seven plagues of the seven angels are fulfilled” in his life. So there really is but “one event… which comes alike to all men”. All of “man[kind really] shall… live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God”, and “all things [really] are ours, things present and things to come”, and “every day we live [really] was written in God’s book before any of them ever were.”

Psa 139:16  Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. (NASB)

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

With this Truth firmly in place, let’s begin our study of “the words written in this book” which we are instructed from the beginning of this prophecy to read, hear and keep (Rev 1:3).

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

Here we are again plainly told that these seven angels with these seven last plagues are a “sign in heaven”. What does that mean? We will not again go through all the scriptures which demonstrate that “heaven” is the spiritual place of God’s dwelling within the hearts and minds of His saints. We have already demonstrated this to be what the scriptures teach. What we are being told that is “great and marvellous” is that these seven angels with these seven last plagues upon us and upon our lives, are a sign to God’s elect which prepares our hearts for the fulfilling of these plagues within the hearts and minds of every man who will ever enter into the temple of God. Paul tells us the same thing in these words:

2Th 1:3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
2Th 1:4  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Now look at what Paul reveals that “all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure” are. This is what our  sufferings in His body is all about:

2Th 1:5  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

That is the purpose of these “seven last plagues” and that is why are we told that they are a “great and marvellous sign” in [our] heavens! That is the purpose for all of God’s wrath upon our “ungodliness and unrighteousness”:

Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Rom 1:18  For [Greek: gar, because] the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

“The just shall live by faith because the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men…” That wrath of God, is first revealed against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of those who are chosen to become “the house of God”, and that chastening fire is just as hot and burning against our ungodliness and unrighteousness as it is against those who are predestined to be in that lake of fire. There is “one event to all”.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Fiery trials are called “fiery” because they are painful. “Fiery trials” and “great earthquakes” are both symbols of how God speaks to and judges the ungodliness and unrighteousness within us. Both are “plagues” upon our weak, flesh and blood, “shapen in iniquity, conceived in sin” bodies.

Why are these plagues called the “last plagues”? The answer is clear. We are told that they are “the manifest judgments of God” (Rev 15:4), and we are told “for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” They are “last” because they are those experiences in our lives which are required to finally finish and “fill up the wrath of God… against our ungodliness and unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18). In other words, these are the experiences which are timed to be so earth-shaking and so severe as to change us from within, in our hearts.

Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

At this point we need to ask, is God’s wrath only against certain evil people whose sins are so egregious that they deserve God’s wrath, whereas others are not? That is exactly what Job’s “miserable comforters” thought about Job:

Job 22:1  Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,
Job 22:2  Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?
Job 22:3  Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?
Job 22:4  Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?
Job 22:5  Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?
Job 22:6  For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.
Job 22:7  Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry.
Job 22:8  But as for the mighty man, he had the earth; and the honourable man dwelt in it.
Job 22:9  Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.
Job 22:10  Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee;

The story of Job signifies the story of the Lord’s rejected and despised elect. The experiencing of God’s wrath is something which, in the Lord’s own time, becomes common to all men. That is what the scriptures teach about this seventh trumpet which “fills up the wrath of God”.  There really is just “one event [that is common] to all men”.  It is the Lord’s elect who are intended to be the first to “read, hear, and keep the things written in this book”, and that includes the seven last plagues of the wrath of God which is this seventh trumpet.  We cannot say that we are to see ourselves as sinners in need of a Savior and perhaps in need of some chastening from our heavenly Father, but never once in need of experiencing His wrath against us.

Do we ever need to experience His wrath? The answer to that question is to simply ask if you or I have ever “held the truth in unrighteousness”?

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Have you ever been ungodly or unrighteous? Have you ever been an unbeliever? Have you ever taught anything contrary to the truth, while at the same time claiming to be a teacher of and a witness for the Truth? If you have ever done any of these things, and we all have (Rom 7:17-21, Psa 51:5), then this is the Truth concerning God’s wrath as it relates to each of us:

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath [Greek: orge] of God abideth on him.

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened [given life], who were dead in trespasses and sins [did not believe];
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath [Greek: orge], even as others.

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

According to the apostle Paul, we have all been “the children of wrath” and “the children of disobedience” and were all “dead in trespasses and sins… held the truth in unrighteousness, and are chief of sinners” before we were “given life in Christ Jesus”.

1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Is this simply a rhetorical statement by the apostle Paul? Or is this not how we are all to come to view ourselves? There are those who contend that God’s wrath is never poured out upon his elect. God’s elect, they contend, are somehow raptured away, or in some way protected from and never, ever exposed to the wrath of God. The whole orthodox Christian world quotes 1Th 5:9 as proof that God has promised to keep his elect from ever having to endure or experience His wrath which is being discussed here in Rev 15-16. Let’s look at that verse and see if it really does guarantee that God’s elect never have and never will endure His wrath upon their ungodliness or unrighteousness. Here is 1Th 5:9:

1Th 5:9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath [Greek: orge], but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

It is pointed out by some that the Greek word translated ‘wrath’ in Rev 15:1 is ‘thumos’ and God’s ‘thumos’ wrath is said to be much more severe than God’s ‘orge’ wrath.

For those who make such a clamor and distinction between the Greek words ‘orge’, and ‘thumos’, it is interesting to note that the Greek here in 1Th 5:19, which is touted as proof that we are never to experience God’s wrath, is ‘orge’ and not ‘thumos’. But where in that verse are we told that we never have had and never will have God’s ‘thumos’ or his ‘orge’ wrath poured out upon our ungodliness and unrighteousness? One thing is very clear, there is nothing in 1Th 5:9 that states that God’s elect do not experience His ‘thumos’ wrath.

So is there really any Truth to the argument that the ‘thumos’ wrath of God is somehow disconnected from or different from the ‘orge’ wrath of God? To answer that question we need to remember what we read in the previous chapter of Revelation. Notice how these two Greek words are used in the same verse and are both experienced by all who receive the mark of the beast:

Rev 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Rev 14:10  The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath [Greek: thumos] of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation [Greek: orge]; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

So the ‘thumos’ of God is poured out without dilution into the cup of His ‘orge’. This “cup of God’s ‘orge’, which is full of God’s ‘thumos’” is then drunk by “any man who has ever worshiped the beast and his image, and received his mark in his forehead, or in his hand”. That doctrine is in complete accord with all the rest of the New Testament writings on this subject. Notice who God’s thumos and orge are upon in the writings of the apostle Paul:

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath [Greek: orge] against the day of wrath [Greek: orge] and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation [Greek: thumos] and wrath [Greek: orge],
Rom 2:9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

So ‘indignation’ and ‘wrath’, ‘thumos’ and ‘orge’, are as closely associated as “tribulation and anguish”. Now since we know that “all things come alike to all” (Ecc 9:2) and since “all things present and things to come are ours” (1Co 3:21-22), and since God’s thumos and His orge are “upon every soul of man that does evil”, and since “all have sinned” (Rom 6:23), how can we not conclude that we do indeed “fulfill the seven plagues of the seven angels”, and that we “keep the things which are written” in this 15th and 16th chapters of Revelation?

As we pointed out earlier, Job is the Old Testament type of us as we endure these seven plagues which fill up the wrath of God against all of our “ungodliness and unrighteousness”. Just like every one of us, Job thought he was totally undeserving of God’s wrath upon his ungodliness and unrighteousness. Job considered himself to be anything but ungodly and unrighteous. If you have any doubt about that then please take the time to read Job 29. Job, just like each of us, despised the judgments of God in his life. Here is what Christ said to Job, in response to Job’s accusations against God’s “righteous judgments”:

Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
Job 40:9  Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
Job 40:10  Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
Job 40:11  Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
Job 40:12 Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
Job 40:13  Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.
Job 40:14  Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.

We will pause here and continue our study of our judgment by the seven angels with the seven last plagues in our next study.

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The Book of Amos – Chapter 3:1-15: Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing,
but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets”– Amo 3:7

[Aired November 30, 2024]

Although this study and much of the Book of Amos focuses on Israel and, specifically, the Priests directly indicting us, highlighting our guilt and punishment, it is all integral to the Feast of Trumpets and the trumpet blasts in Revelation. Thus, a degree of repetition will be reflected during these studies.

Humanity innately desires an easy life that monetary riches enable. With money, we can make ourselves look more appealing than nature has provided; it vainly authorises greater intelligence and access to the world’s best academic institutions. Monetary riches engender personal wealth on all levels of one’s presentation to the world unchallenged while remaining semiconsciously yet unashamedly naked.

Ecc 10:19  A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

In succession with those riches, our Lord intentionally created sexual awareness to be part of our daily lives, intrinsically. Even though it is a subliminally and constantly present spontaneity of mind, outwardly, we, and even the most debauched, thankfully, practice social sobriety. Accordingly, the Bible is about the marriage of the Lamb of God to the pinnacle of his creation in the Bride who is first to be blessed to see the spiritual implications of every Old Covenant Law. Consequently, the Bible is equally about two women; one a whore and the other the Bride of Christ, as it is about two men, the old and new Adam in Christ, who, paradoxically to the churches of the world, are one representation of the Bride in transition.

Without the Law in Christ’s commandments, we would never know the spirit of the Law. Amos and all the Bible’s prophets’ prophecies are deeply connected to our sexuality and broken covenant and the most profound aspect of indicting guilt for a guaranteed punishment. Incomprehensibly to Cain (Gen 4:13… “my punishment is greater than I can bear”) and the world who see us as masochists, we have learnt to glorify God for our chastisement and send each other gifts in the form of prayers, psalms, and encouragement for the torment He has given us (Rev 11:10). That response is us joyfully ascending into heaven in a cloud while our old enemies left in the old Adam below, mournfully look upward; a chasm impossible to traverse.

Rom 7:7-25  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

There, in the last sentence of that scripture, is our realisation for our acknowledgment of the subtlety of spiritual transgressions. As seen in the previous study in Amos chapter two under the Old Covenant, we could lust all we liked physically of mind and not transgress God’s Commandments so long as we didn’t physically engage sexually. However, now and in light of the New Covenant (subtlety juxtaposed in John 8:1-11) in our study of physical Judah and Israel, we are aroused most gloriously in righteous spiritual spontaneity by the lyrics of the song only the 144,000 in Revelations 14:1-5  are learning today!

Rom 7:8  But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence [meaning, inordinate ‘desire, carving, longing’ in the lust of the mind and spirit insidiously for what is now forbiden]. For without the law sin was dead.
Rom 7:9  For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I [learned to] died [daily].
Rom 7:10  And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
Rom 7:11  For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
Rom 7:12  Wherefore the law is holy, and the [spiritual] commandment holy, and just, and good.
Rom 7:13  Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
Rom 7:14  For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the [spiritual] mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the [disappearing] flesh the law of sin.

Significations:

Israel’s Guilt and Punishment

Amo 3:1  Hear this word that the LORD hath spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family [the twelve tribes inclusive of Judah] which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying, 
Amo 3:2  You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. 

Just wow! Don’t those first verses make you shiver? Our Lord addresses his Bride, the few, nonetheless the ‘whole family’ he will drag out of Babylon and sobering us with the stark reality of his will that it is “you only [primarily meaning his Bride] have I known of all the families of the earth“! The ‘kicker’ (colloquially ‘usually unpleasant’) for the spiritually immature is that he “will punish you for all your iniquities“! Now, that is too much for our former Gentile Christian selves to stomach and attracts a jolly good spiritual stoning for the consternation it unsettles the Babylonian within.

With the taste of wording common to the Body of Christ, ‘no person will ever see eternal life without the wrath of God through chastisement in his life at God’s appointed time’. This process of chastening brings salvation and teaches us righteousness (Isa 26:9).

Hos 11:1  When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Hos 11:2  As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
Hos 11:3  I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
Hos 11:4  I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love [hidden chastisement]: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
Hos 11:5  He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return [to God].

Not returning to Egypt and going into Assyria and Babylon is part of our journey towards becoming Christ (Jer 29:3-23).

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared [in their order of salvation] to all men,
Tit 2:12 Teaching [chastening] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world [Not all sins are transgression, but are highly apt to lead into transgression. Christ must increase as we decrease the flesh subject to corruption];

Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

1Co 11:32 But when we are judged [Hebrew: “krinō”], we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned [Hebrew: “katakrinō” = a later judgement] with the world [to the later “great white throne… judgment”].

Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
Heb 12:8  But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

It is only the Elect who are being chastened since Christ and the foundation of the world. All of the Gentile Christian Church are bastards in their own time and order.

Psa 119:71  It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;

It is only the Elect who can hear and live in the fire of his word. The Lord’s Elect, “they that have done good [in] this present time” (Rom 8:18), are being judged in ‘this present time’ and will not need to come up “unto the resurrection of judgment”. “When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world… unto the resurrection of judgment.” Nevertheless, even those who are condemned to the resurrection of judgment are still being judged by God, and when His judgments are in the earth men will learn righteousness, even those in the lake of fire, the second death, the Great White Throne Judgment:

Isa 26:8 Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee.
Isa 26:9 With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

It is only by the Lord’s sovereign will that some few are given to be judged in “this present time”. If we are blessed to be part of “the house of God [in] this present time”, then we will also be given to believe these words of the apostle Paul concerning this the greatest of all honours:

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. [God chastises us for our good!]

Jer 24:5  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.
Jer 24:6  For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up.
Jer 24:7  And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
Jer 24:8  And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten, they are so evil; surely thus saith the LORD, So will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem, that remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt:
Jer 24:9  And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.
Jer 24:10  And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, among them, till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.

The answer to all of the following rhetorical verses is profoundly yes.

Amo 3:3  Can two walk together, except they be agreed? 

That verse makes a subtle connection with marriage. Every spirit-led Elect of God coming out of Babylon and married to an unbeliever, like Lot coming out of Sodom with his wife looking back, immaturely experiences initial ‘bitterness’ for their spouse’s seeming ridiculous blindness in not realising that it is God that blinds all people, including the incipient Elect.

2Co 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

1Co 7:12  But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
1Co 7:13  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

Isa 42:19  Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’S servant?

Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles [In the Lake of Fire].

And, for the time being,

Isa 42:2 He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street [in this age unless he is asked about his faith].

Amo 3:4  Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? 

The Lord assuredly will roar as a lion out of Zion when we haven’t fed the spiritually hungry, just as the wolf feeds her young in the evening (Gen 49:27).

Joe 3:16  The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Amo 3:5  Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin [lure for the unfortunate bird we are] is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? 

It is every person since and inclusive of Adam conceived to the end of the One Thousand Year rule who is the bird taken in the snare of our whorish mother, Babylon the Great. Even righteous Gideon bowed to femineity and unconsciously emasculated himself and Israel (Deu 23:1).

Ecc 7:26  And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Jdg 8:27  And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah [female fawn]: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
Jdg 8:28  Thus was Midian [Effectively the Ammorites] subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

Gideon’s subduing the Midianites is akin to what some Babylonian Christian girls do today, supposedly for Jesus, by deliberately luring unbelieving young men, justifying sex ‘for Jesus’, deludedly thinking that they have done their duty in saving them. Gideon’s action is a classic act of not trusting in God’s strength over appeasing the downright alluring girls next door who, with exposed thighs, are ‘delightfully’ ensnaring (Ecc 9:12. Prov 7:6-27).

Amo 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? 

Those rhetorical questions asked by our Lord through Amos lead us back to the theme of an earthquake, symbolised by a mighty trumpet blast corresponding to a force of 10 on the Richter scale. The Lord’s Elect, as seen in Isa 42:1, are blessed to have their earth shake their self-styled temple to powder and are wonderfully “afraid” to give Christ all glory. That verse of Amos 3:6 is one of the most profound statements emanating from God’s throne that affects everything we think and do; “shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” However, we all inwardly sigh for it being one of the greatest delusions and “gin” (Amos 3:5) to our family and friends for the ‘snare’ it is and them, as we once were, beguiled by the chief ‘birder’, Satan to oppose themselves stubbornly parroting that God allows sin by our will.

2Ti 2:25  In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
2Ti 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

For Babylon’s churches, there is no greater enigmatic demonstration of Trumpet blasts than the Seven Trumpets of Revelations. These Trumpets herald the Elect’s swift understanding that the Trumpets, Vials, Woes and associated plagues are different versions of the same great tribulation first to come upon them and, ultimately, all mankind in his order.

Ecc 9:2  All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Ecc 9:3  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;

Everyone will hear Christ’s voice in his God-given time and order to hear. Understanding Jesus’s “loud voice” on the “great day of the feast” today is the greatest Trumpet blast the Elect will ever hear. The expression, “for three transgressions and four,” adds up to seven and represents the Seventh Trumpet expressed eight times (judgement) in Amos. The rest of humanity, hearing it, will assuredly hear it without understanding at the end of the One Thousand Year rule in death by fire, be that death his fiery word or both in a literal fire, before being instantly resurrected to hear it all again in the Resurrection to Judgment and the Last Great Day, the Eighth Day following the Feast of Tabernacles. Hence, every generation hears that trumpet blast.

Rom 11:7  What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

Rev 1:9  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev 1:10  I was in the spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Joh 7:37  On the last day, the great day of the feast, [of Tabernacles] Jesus got up and said in a loud voice, If any man is in need of drink let him come to me and I will give it to him.

For a far more in-depth understanding of the Feast of Trumpets, begin here with other localised links:
https://www.iswasandwillbe.com/revelation-81-6-the-seven-angels-prepare-to-sound-seven-trumpets-part-1/

As is demonstrated in those preceding verses, the Lord says,

Amo 3:7  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. 
Amo 3:8  The lion hath roared [Trumpet and Earthquake], who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy? 

Luk 8:10  And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others [Everyone who is not given of God to be an Elect] in parables [designed to hide the meanings]; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

Amo 3:9  Publish in the palaces at Ashdod [Powerful cities of Egypt, Sodom and Old Jerusalem – Babylon], and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say, Assemble yourselves upon the mountains of Samaria, and behold the great tumults [confusion] in the midst thereof, and the oppressed in the midst thereof. 
Amo 3:10  For they know not to do right, saith the LORD, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces. 
Amo 3:11  Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; An adversary there shall be even round about the land; and he shall bring down thy strength from thee, and thy palaces shall be spoiled. 

Today, December 2024, the entire world is living in foreboding fear of nuclear war, but not the Bride. She looks upon worldly, apparently end-time events with immense intrigue since she knows her husband’s mind in blessing her with good and not evil. She glorifies in her Lord identifying her confusion and seeing Satan coming afar off and having her old man within destroyed. She utterly disdains the physical riches of this world and shakes her head for having impudently exposed her beauty validated by a leering world to the point of spiritual adultery.

Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Amo 3:12  Thus saith the LORD; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch. 

The Bride of Christ is the ‘two witnesses’ represented as ‘two legs’, the shepherd who testifies in transition in hearing her husband’s voice represented as ‘a piece of an ear’ in the house of Jacob. She is embarrassed by her whoredoms and steps out of bed, and on looking back, is temporarily shocked that she was in bed with her sisters still fornicating with Damascus and, in humiliation, flees as did Joseph from Potiphar’s wife (Gen 39).

Amo 3:13  Hear ye, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, 
Amo 3:14  That in the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him I will also visit the altars of Bethel [house of God]: and the horns of the altar shall be cut off, and fall to the ground. 

Gen 6:1  And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
Gen 6:2  That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Gen 6:3  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Once our Lord has made us aware of our sins and transgressions and, in symbolic frustration, chastised us multiple times, we hopefully become acutely aware of our tendency to oscillate like Old Israel between physical riches and validating our beauty in bed with Babylon, much like Ohola and Oholibah. When this chastisement ceases, we no longer feel His spirit striving with us. This leads us into a dangerously insidious state as we again begin to act as a law unto ourselves, excusing our behaviour in the absence of His guidance and swift correction (Rom 2:14-18). Consequently, Christ, our horns and altar of his strength to overcome, are cut off, and we fall again to the dust of the earth. Accordingly, we return to a wintery fruitlessness in the summertime when we should spiritually harvest in abundance. Where there isn’t a harvest, our spiritual barns are empty, and we starve of Christ’s word.

Amo 3:15  And I will smite the winter house with the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, saith the LORD. 

To that end, and again, the indictment is upon the very Priests of God, his Elect; we shall continue to see in the next chapter our enduring guilt and punishment.

Rev 9:1-2 Part 1-The Fifth Trumpet

[Study Aired Aug 2, 2024]

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

Introduction

Before we begin to study the words of this fifth trumpet, let’s recall what is said of these last three trumpets in the last verse of the preceding chapter.

Rev 8:13  And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

As the life of any man of God, whether in the Old or the New Testament demonstrates, the trials we endure toward the end of our walk, in the lion’s den, in the fiery furnace or in the Garden of Gethsemane, could never have been endured without first having our hearts prepared for those trials, by enduring easier trials earlier in our walk. So it is with each of these last three woes. Each of the first six seals and each of the first four trumpets were preparation for these last three “woes” culminating in the seven last plagues upon all who are to become the temple of God’s holy spirit.

1Ch 29:18  O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:

Job 11:12  For vain man would be wise, though man be born [like] a wild ass’s colt.
Job 11:13  If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;

Psa 10:17  LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

Jer 12:3  But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

“Pull out” who? Who is “pulled out” like sheep for the slaughter? Who is the temple, and who enters that temple? It is those who are “keeping the things written therein.” It is all who are now being judged by these seven trumpets. Being ‘pulled out like sheep for the slaughter’ is the greatest honor that can be bestowed upon mankind simply because ‘the slaughter’ refers to the death of our carnal minded old men and the destruction of what “is  in my flesh”:

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Psa 44:22  Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Isa 53:7  He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Act 8:32  The place of the scripture which he read was this, He [ Christ] was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

“As He is so are we”, and just as Christ’s flesh was first judged for us, so must we “first be judged” for the sake of “the church which is His body”.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

To remind us that the vials are but a later iteration of these trumpets, let’s take note of how both target the same subject:

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

Rev 16:10  And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat [G2362: ‘thronos’, throne] of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,
Rev 16:11  And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

With this reminder that “The sum of thy Word is Truth” is the proper approach to this prophecy (Psa 119:160 ASV), let’s number the symbols of the first two verses of this fifth trumpet. 1) The first symbol is the angel that sounds the trumpet. 2) the second symbol is a star that falls from heaven to the earth. 3) The third symbol is the heaven from which the star falls. 4) The fourth is the earth to which which the star from heaven falls. 5) The fifth is the key to the bottomless pit. 6) The sixth is the bottomless pit itself. 7) the seventh is the smoke of a great furnace. 8) The eighth is the darkened sun, which is darkened by the smoke of the pit, 9) and finally, the ninth is the air that is also darkened by the smoke of the pit.

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

Since we have already given the Biblical revelation of what the first four symbols are and since we have already given the Biblical, spiritual meaning of what the eighth symbol of the darkened sun is, we will simply list and briefly review what these symbols and their meanings are before getting into what the scriptures reveal about the remaining four symbols.

1) What is the angel?

The angels that sound the trumpets, as we have demonstrated, signify the priests who alone are commissioned to “blow with the seven trumpets”:

Jos 6:4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

Go back to our earlier study on Rev 8:1-6 – Part 2, What Is Fire of The Altar Cast Into The Earth? to review all the scriptures which reveal who these seven angels signify. They themselves tell us that they signify “your fellowservants who keep the sayings of this book and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev 19:10, Rev 22:8-9), and Peter and John tell us that if we are in Christ then we are these  seven angels…‘seven priests’:

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth:

2) What is the star?

This star that “falls from heaven to the earth” is a messenger from the God who “dwells in the heavens.”

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall [G4098: pipto] from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

The use of the pronoun ‘he’ demonstrates that this ‘star’ is indeed a messenger from God, who is sent with a key to open up this thing called “the bottomless pit.” When the angel uses the key to open the pit, the sun and the air are darkened by the smoke from the pit.

This “key to the bottomless pit” appears again in the hand of an angel who does not “fall” (G4098: pipto) from heaven, but rather “comes down (G2597: katabaino) from heaven” and binds Satan for a thousand years and “casts him into the bottomless pit.”  Look at what this angel with this key is doing the next time we see him:

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down [G2597: katabaino] from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

We are told that this star here in Revelation 9:1 “fell from heaven”, a phrase used elsewhere only of Satan and his angels.

Isa 34:4  And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

Mat 24:29  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall [ G4098, pipto] from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

Luk 10:18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall [G4098: pipto] from heaven.

Rev 12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
Rev 12:4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast [G906: ‘ballo’] 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.

In Revelation 20:1 We are told “I saw an angel come down [G2597: ‘katabaino’] from heaven having the key to the bottomless pit.” Christ is certainly the preeminent ‘Star’ and as such it is He who sends both a good angel to cast “the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan… into the bottomless pit… for a thousand years, and it is Christ who also sends an evil star, or angel, to open the bottomless pit and let the smoke of that pit darken the light of the sun and darken the air.” It is Christ who sends an angel “to testify unto [us] these things…”

Rev 22:16  I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

It is by the agency of this “star,” Christ, that this angel is sent to open the bottomless pit so “the sun and air are darkened by the smoke from the pit.” It is God who sends evil spirits to darken the sun and the air.

1Sa 16:14  But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Sa 16:15  And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

1Ki 22:19  And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left.
1Ki 22:20  And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1Ki 22:21  And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1Ki 22:22  And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.
1Ki 22:23  Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

This “star” in this ninth chapter “falls [G4098: pipto] unto the earth.” and has the key to open the bottomless pit and releases evil and lying spirits signified by the smoke of the pit which darkens the sun and the air. The angel of the 20^th chapter cast the dragon, that old serpent the devil and satan, into the pit and locks him up for a thousand years.

3) Where and what is heaven?

The heaven from which this star falls and “the heavens” through which this angel is “flying”, we have established beyond question, are the hearts and minds of God’s elect.

Heb 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these [the blood of animals – verse 22]; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Heb 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:

Exactly where is Christ? We just quoted the verse that tells us where Christ now is.

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Upon what throne is Christ seated? Where is the kingdom over which Christ is ruling? Into which “holy place” has He entered? Exactly where is the dwelling place of “the presence of God?” Wherever all this is taking place – wherever all of these things are to be found – that is where Christ will be found “Making known to us the things that must shortly be done, [and] keeping the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” Here is exactly where the kingdom of God is located.

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

So where is the temple where God dwells in His heavenly kingdom at this very moment?

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

4) What is the earth?

The fourth is the earth to which the star from heaven falls. Since we have seen in our previous studies that scripturally speaking, the “earth” is our physical bodies in which the spirit of God dwells in the heavens of our hearts and minds, we will gain much from the things which are written in the words of this prophecy, only if we keep all of these Biblical truths in mind, as we continue this study into the seven trumpets of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Jer 22:29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure [“Christ in us” (Col 1:27)] in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

We must not fail to remember that both the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as well as the tree of life, (Christ), both come out of the ground, out of the earth. That is why Christ was “made of a woman”…the ground… the earth:

Gen 2:9  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

8) What is the darkened sun?

The eighth symbol is the darkened sun, which is darkened by the smoke of the pit. We we have already covered this symbol in our study of a darkened sun in the previous trumpet where we saw that darkness is a word associated with lack of knowledge, and faith in the lies and false doctrines of Babylon. A darkened Sun is a deceived condition, with faith in the doctrines of “another Jesus… another spirit… and another gospel.” That ‘darkness’ is the lying doctrines of a triune God, an immortal soul, an ever-burning hell, a rapture, etc; etc; etc… “two hundred thousand, thousand” false doctrines of the messengers of Satan who appear as messengers of light.

Joh 12:35 Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
Joh 12:36 While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.

2Co 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Rev 9:16  And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
Rev 9:17  And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
Rev 9:18  By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
Rev 9:19  For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

Isa 9:18  For wickedness burneth as the fire: it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
Isa 9:19  Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.

That is the “darkness of the sun,” with which we will be dealing throughout this revelation of Jesus Christ. This ‘darkness’ signifies all the lies and false doctrines of all the harlot daughters of Baylon the mother of harlots. Being caught up in that deception is all a necessary part of the revelation of Jesus Christ.

5) What is the key to the bottomless pit?

The fifth symbol of this fifth trumpet is the key to the bottomless pit. What is this key? The answer is that this key unlocks and unleashes upon us those doctrines which cause us to be blinded by the lies of the Adversary and His messengers.

Rev 9:1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

It is needful at this point to remind ourselves that his prophecy is “the revelation of Jesus Christ,” which we are commanded to “read, hear and keep, for the time is at hand.”  It is also needful at this point to remember, and to once again recognize “the preeminence of Christ in all things.”

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

“All things” includes Christ’s preeminence among the stars, good and evil. Christ is the preeminent “Morning Star,” or angel of God, as we pointed out above when discussing the meaning of a star.

Rev 22:16  I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

So while Christ certainly does not Himself “darken the Sun and the air with the smoke of the pit,” He nevertheless tells us that it is “He who has the keys of death and hell.”

Rev 1:18  I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

Just as Christ gave the keys to the kingdom of God to Peter, and to all the apostles, likewise He gives the key to the “bottomless pit” to this “star”, and this angel opens the bottomless pit with this key.

Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee [Peter and you and me, Mat 18:18] the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be [have been] bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye [all the apostles and each of us if we are in Christ] shall bind on earth shall be [have been] bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be [have been] loosed in heaven.

If the kingdom of God is within you (Luk 17:20-21) then we are all given those “keys to the kingdom of heaven”:

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

What does that have to do with the key to the pit? That key to the bottomless pit is also given to an angel who is within each of us, just as the kingdom of heaven is within us. The key of the bottomless pit is all the false doctrines which empowers us to deceive and be deceived and to confuse and lie to those who would enter the kingdom of God. That is the key to the bottomless pit out of which comes the smoke which darkens “the sun and the air”:

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

Here is how this angel uses this key to the bottomless pit.

Luk 11:52  Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered [with the wicked lies that burn like a furnace’ (Isa 9:18) lies and false doctrines.

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

Having the key to the bottomless pit and opening that pit and darkening the sun and air, by reason of the smoke of that pit signifies “taking away the key of knowledge.” We have all been guilty of opening the bottomless pit, and darkening the sun and air, by reason of the smoke from that pit. We have all been guilty of “deceiving and being deceived” as we use the key to the bottomless pit in our own lives

Where is the bottomless pit?

6) The sixth symbol of this fifth trumpet is the bottomless pit itself. Where and what is this thing called “the bottomless pit?” All of the commentaries think this pit and its smoke is speaking of some great false spiritual leader, and indeed it is. However, this great deceiver is sitting on Christ’s throne within each of us, and it is there that this entire revelation is taking place. Here is Gill’s very typical ‘somewhere out there’ take on what this bottomless pit is.

“Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit,… With the key that was given him; he made use of his universal power over all bishops and churches, enacted laws, issued out decrees, made articles of faith, and imposed them on men’s consciences, and obliged all to submit to his hellish principles and practices; and this, as it may be applied to Mahomet, the eastern antichrist, may regard the publishing of his Alcoran, and obliging all his followers to receive it as the infallible word of God:.”

If ever we need to remember that we are to “read, hear and keep the things written therein,” it is as we consider what the scriptures mean by “the bottomless pit.” All the comments and commentaries, such as this comment by Gill, serve only to further the function of the smoke that comes from this thing called “the bottomless pit.”  The last thing in the world the Adversary wants us to know is the correct location and the Biblical understanding of where this “bottomless pit” is.

Many of us have been taught that this bottomless pit doesn’t even really exist until the beginning of the millennium, when Satan is cast into the bottomless pit and restrained for one thousand years. Here are the verses which are most familiar to the majority of Christians.

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

We are not yet in Revelation 20. We are in Revelation 9, after which an angel is “given” the key to this bottomless pit and is permitted to “darken the sun and the air by means of the smoke that arises out of the pit.”

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

If you search for the phrase ‘bottomless pit’, you will find it seven times in the King James Version, and all seven instances are found only in the book of Revelation. The first is right here in this ninth chapter of Revelation.

We will pause our study here and we will examine the verses which contain the words “bottomless pit” in our next study. It is very revealing to discover that the Greek (G5421: ‘phrear’) translated ‘pit’ appears in only two of these seven entries containing the phrase ‘bottoneless pit’.

Rev 8:7  The First Trumpet-Hail and Fire Mingled with Blood, Part 1

[Study Aired July 5, 2024]

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Introduction

As we read this entire prophecy, it is of utmost importance to remember what the words we read signify and not be distracted along with the rest of the world by the words themselves. As a quick example to remind ourselves of this principle for understanding this prophecy, let’s look again at these verses:

Rev 5:5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

A lion is a dead lamb with seven horns and seven eyes??? We have already established that this book was “signified” to John, as things he and we are to read, hear and keep “for the time is at hand.” This entire prophecy is “things which must shortly come to pass” in the lives of all to whom it is given to “read, hear and keep the things written therein.”

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

“The time is at hand, [and] things which must shortly come to pass” are one and the same thought. This prophecy is for the person who can read, hear and keep the things written within this prophecy. It is definitely not for a single generation some two thousand years after the giving of this heavenly vision.

So the lion and the lamb actually have nothing at all to do with a literal, physical lion or lamb. These are spiritual symbols of Jesus Christ the Lord of glory. In like manner seven horns and seven eyes have nothing at all to do with the literal, physical number seven. Seven, as we have already discussed in great depth (see The Spiritual Significance of the Number Seven), is the symbol of that which is complete. So the “seven horns and seven eyes are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.” In other words, these seven spirits are the complete work of the spirit of God in each of us. “The earth” as we will see below, and as we have already discussed in earlier chapters, signifies mankind in general, and in particular those of mankind in whom the spirit of God dwells and is doing His fiery work at this time.

The spirit of God is not physically divided into seven separate spirits. The church of God and the overcomers in that church are not in seven different literal churches in Asia. The angels or messengers to the church of God are not divided into seven literal messengers or angels. This entire prophecy is addressed to “He that hath an ear.” ‘He that has an ear’ is counseled to hear what the spirit is saying to all of the churches:

Rev 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

In like manner, the mysteries of the kingdom of God are not hidden by seven physical seals, on a physical scroll. Seven will always, without fail, signify that the subject with which it is connected is spiritually complete. The seven spirits are the complete spirit of God.

1Co 6:17  But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

The seven seals completely seal and hide the mysteries of the kingdom of God within you.

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

The seventh seal is the last seal that has kept us from seeing the mysteries of the kingdom of God within us. It is now being loosed from the book of this prophecy, and we are about to learn what signifies the complete (seven) judgment (trumpets) of our beastly man of sin. That complete judgment is presented to us as seven trumpet judgments upon “the earth” of our flesh, which causes our “kings, great men, our rich men, our chief captains, mighty men, every bondman, and every free man” within us to say the things we heard in these verses:

Rev 6:12  And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Rev 6:13  And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev 6:14  And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The sixth seal tells us what to expect in the seventh seal. What we are to expect is the judgment of the kingdom of our old man, signified by “a great earthquake” which will introduce “the great day of His wrath”, and according to Christ, this “great earthquake” is just “the beginning of sorrows.” Something extremely painful to our old man must take place in our lives which is so painful that the Lord finally now has our attention. For one person that “great earthquake” which preceded “the great day of His wrath” was to be struck down and physically blinded on the road to Damascus. For others it is other extremely painful experiences like losing everything we have worked for all our lives. That was part of what happened to Saul of Tarsus. Everything he had ever worked for and accomplished was lost in a moment. Job and Saul of Tarsus typify how our judgment begins, and those experiences are signified by “a great earthquake” preceding “the great day of His wrath” which signifies the beginning of the judgment which is now on the house of God:

Mat 24:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world [Greek: aion, age]?
Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:6  And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8  All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Mat 24:9  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

1Pe 4:12  Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Jer 50:46  At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.

So this earthquake of the sixth seal is but the beginning of sorrows for our ‘earth’, signifying our life with Babylon’s harlot daughters. This “great earthquake” begins “at the taking of Babylon.” We “read, hear and keep”, meaning we live through this ‘earthquake.’ This earthquake isn’t a one-time only earthquake. Like all of Christ’s Words, this earthquake has that same “is, was and will be… shall never pass away”, aorist character about it, and it is mentioned again in “the things that are written therein” (Rev 1:3). This earthquake will continue to be lived and kept, culminating in the complete judgment and destruction of “great Babylon” within us. All of that is the work of the great earthquake of the seventh trumpet which signifies the seven last plagues.

Rev 16:17  And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.
Rev 16:18  And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.
Rev 16:19  And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
Rev 16:20  And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Rev 16:21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven [The Truth of Christ exposing the lies of Babylon and her doctrines], every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great [Truth utterly destroys all lies].

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

These seven trumpets, according to Revelation 6:17, reveal “the great day of His wrath” because they culminate in the seventh trumpet, which is simply the seven last plagues. They are not the seven only plagues. The seven last plagues are preceded by the plagues found in the first six trumpets, but seven does not mean a literal ‘seven plagues’. What ‘seven last plagues’ signifies is that “the great day of His wrath” is come, and these seven plague “fill up” His wrath.

Rev 15:1  And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

The trumpets are not completed until the last of the seven trumpets sounds and its seven plagues have been poured out upon our sinful flesh, which is the beast upon which up “great Babylon” sits within us. Here is the reason for the trumpets we are beginning to study:

Isa 58:1  Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

Rev 6:13 And the stars of heaven [all the false doctrines of Babylon] fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

It is the “stars of [our defiled] heavens, falling to the earth”, accompanied by “a great earthquake”, both in the sixth seal, that bring us to the point of being able to begin to hear these seven trumpets of “the great day of God’s wrath” and to begin “to read and hear and keep the things written therein”, which are right now being revealed to us in these seven trumpets of the seventh seal. This whole process is also called “war is in the heavens”, and it takes place during “the great day of His wrath” which is designed to purify and cleanse our heavens.

Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

Heb 9:23  It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves [purified] with better sacrifices than these.

Rev 12:7  And there was war in heaven [The heavens of our hearts and minds]: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, [What and Where is Heaven]
Rev 12:8  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. [His false doctrines and those who proclaim those false doctrines begin to be exposed within us]

‘There was war in heaven and the dragon and his angels prevailed not’ because The Truth, Christ, will always prevail over all lies.

So here is…

The first trumpet

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

We have in this verse six symbols: 1) hail, 2) fire, 3) blood, 4) the earth, 5) the third part of the trees burned up and 6) all green grass. Let’s take each of these symbols and allow the Word of God, not the fertile imagination of some man, to tell us what they signify spiritually. Before we get into the meaning of these six symbols, let’s remember and take note that this is “the beginning of sorrows” (Mat 24:7-8), and the beginning of God’s judgments upon His own house (1Pe 4:17). With that in mind, let’s remember these verses concerning the meaning of the words ‘fire’ and ‘hail’ and how those words are connected with God’s judgment which “first begins” upon His own house.

Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8  All these are the beginning of sorrows [Judgment upon the house of God].

1Pe 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 4:14  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
1Pe 4:15  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
1Pe 4:16  Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Our trials are to be expected. We will be “reproached for the name of Christ,” if we are faithful to His Word.

Mat 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Christ is that “root”, and those who experience “judgment first beginning at the house of God” are those who “have… root in themselves”, because they were first offended, as Peter was, and they repented of being offended and are now no longer offended when they are “reproached for the name of Christ.” Never forget that ‘living by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’ necessitates that we can only be those who are not offended because of the Word, if we have first lived through that offense and have come to acknowledge that we “have no root in ourselves.”

Therefore what we are about to discover in each of these seven trumpets is that “the fiery trials which are to try us” must first expose the weakness of our old man and his kingdom within us. Then, and only then, with Christ, “the root of Jesse,” in us we too, with Peter, can “rejoice inasmuch as we are partakers of Christ’s sufferings.”

Let us take these symbols in this first trumpet, and see what the scriptures reveal them to be. Whatever they are in this trumpet is what they will be throughout this entire prophecy.

What does ‘hail’ signify in scripture?

It is instructive to note that hail in nature comes down from the heavens and is very destructive to the things on the earth. That is exactly how this symbol is used spiritually. Here is what spiritual ‘hail’ accomplishes in the judgment of our earth in this verse of Revelation 8, which we are commanded to “read, hear and keep.” (Rev 1:3)

Exo 9:19  Send therefore now, [and] gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.

This is the story of the ten plagues which God poured out upon Egypt in the process of delivering Israel out of Egypt. “The field” is where the grass grows, and Christ tells us plainly that “the field is the world.”

Mat 13:38  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

We are “in and of the world” until we begin to “die to this world.” Only then are we, by the process of judgment, “in the world but not of the world.”

Eph 2:1  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by [fiery chastening (Tit 2:11-12)] grace ye are saved;)

So the ‘hail’ of scripture destroys the “cattle” and all else we have in our “field” because the things of this world “are not of God.”

Gal 5:16  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Where does this lust of the flesh originate? It originates in our “field… the lust of the flesh… the world” that is within us all by nature.

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

“All that is in the world” is encapsulated in these three overarching sins. Like the two overarching commandments of loving God and loving neighbor, all sins “hang upon” these three sins.

Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

It is on the three sins of 1 John 2:16 that all the sins and all the lies of the churches of this world hang.  It is “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” that keep us from “coming out from among them” and being separate so that we ‘partake not of their sins and receive not of their plagues.’

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

It is not human or natural to be willing to be “hated of all men.”

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

The hail in particular symbolizes that part of God’s Word which destroys the doctrinal lies which are all the doctrines of Babylon.

Isa 3:1  For, behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water.

When “the whole stay of bread and water is taken away from Jerusalem and Judah” all that is left is “the refuge of lies.”

Isa 28:17  Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

What is fire in scripture?

We have discussed this in depth and will not belabor this point but to quote a few verses demonstrating that ‘fire’ symbolizes the Words of the spirit of God.

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Christ said His fiery words were also spirit, and that is is His fiery words which will judge us all.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Joh 12:48  He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

Paul again makes these words that judge us all, words of fire:

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

So what is fire mingled with blood?

Let’s allow the fiery Word of God to demonstrate for us what is “fire mingled with blood.”

All Joseph ever wanted from his brothers who had wanted him dead, was that they acknowledge and give an accounting to their father of what they had done to him and to their Father. He tells us as much when he informs them that their evil deed wasn’t really their evil deed at all:

Gen 45:4  And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
Gen 45:5  Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
Gen 45:6  For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet [there are] five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
Gen 45:7  And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
Gen 45:8  So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Before any of us are Joseph, you and I are first Joseph’s brothers. We think of ourselves as better men than to sell our Lord for thirty pieces of silver, or in the case of Joseph, twenty pieces of silver. Christ told His own disciples that He wanted them all to “drink of the cup of My blood in the New Testament.” In doing that, Christ was telling His disciples, who thought that they were better men than to ever deny Him, that they would indeed deny Him, and that in doing so they were no better of themselves than Judas, of whom God had already written in His book to be the betrayer of our Lord. So this is what happened just a few hours after drinking Christ’s blood.

Mat 26:72  And again he [Peter] denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
Mat 26:73  And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
Mat 26:74  Then began he to curse and to swear, saying I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
Mat 26:75  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

Mar 14:27  And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.
Mar 14:28  But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee.
Mar 14:29  But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I.
Mar 14:30  And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, [even] in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Mar 14:31  But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.

We all know that Christ was right and Peter was wrong, and that before the cock crowed Peter was looking Christ in the eye, cursing the air blue, and denying that He had ever known Christ.

Luk 22:60  And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew.
Luk 22:61  And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Luk 22:62  And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

“And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.” That is “fire mingled with blood”, and you and I are all Peter and have all denied our Lord. We can delude ourselves that “we will not drink of such a cup as that cup,” but we will through “fire mingled with blood… drink of that very cup.”

We will stop here for now and continue our study of the spiritual significance of the first trumpet in our next study.

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14  If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

“Every man” means there are no exceptions to this “hail and fire mingled with blood” which is “cast into the earth.” Christ Himself drank of this cup. Who, then, are we to think that “Yet will not I” as Peter told our Lord? No, Christ did not deny His calling to die on the cross, but His flesh sweat blood resisting being murdered at the early age of thirty three, and he told His disciples that He would drink of this cup of the wrath of God upon His own “body made of a woman, made under the law.”

Mat 20:22  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Mat 20:23  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

Mat 26:39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

1Pe 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

What cup did Christ drink of? His Father forsook His body which was “made of a woman, made under the law… in the flesh.” He drank of the same cup that He commanded His disciples to all drink. It was “the cup of His blood”, and He wants us all to know that it was for our sins against Him and His Father, that He died for us.

Mat 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
Mat 26:27  And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Mat 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

We also will all “drink indeed of Christ’s cup” and we also are required to relinquish these temporal, corruptible bodies of flesh and blood. However, the reward is well worth the sacrifice of an already dying body:

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

In our next study we will consider the spiritual significance of the earth, the trees and the green grass, and how the fire of the Lord’s word affect each of this spiritual symbols within us:

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Rev 8:1-6 Part 3 – The Seven Trumpets

[Study Aired June 30, 2024]

We concluded our last study by pointing out that because this entire prophecy is addressed to the seven angels of the seven churches therefore the seven angels who blow the seven trumpets are the same seven angels. It is the seven angels of the seven churches which inform the seven churches of the judgments which are coming upon them.

It is these same seven angels who tell us that they are “your fellow servant, and those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” If we are God’s elect, then it is we who are signified by these seven angels to the seven churches. It is these seven angels who are given the priesthood to “perform the service of God” who will have mankind to come to know Him and His son:

Num 3:10  And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.

Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

The promise of being kings and priests is not just to the leaders and elders of the body of Christ. That promise is to the entire body of Christ who are all “fellowservants and of [our] brothers who have the testimony of Jesus… and of them which keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book”:

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
Rev 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
Rev 22:12  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

You and I, if we are fellow servants and of our brothers the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book, are commissioned to “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.” That is the commission given to those who “have been made kings and priest unto God and His Father.” It is the priests alone who have been given this commission. Look at what the scriptures reveal about these “seven priests.”

Heb 9:6  Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.

That ‘tabernacle’ signifies the house of God. It signifies His temple, and this is now those who are His temple and His dwelling place:

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The work of a priest, and therefore our work, is revealed in the spiritual types and shadows of the Old Testament. Just look at how many times we see this phrase “seven priests” in the Old Testament, and look at what these “seven priests” do in “accomplishing the service of God.”

Jos 6:4  And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams’ horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

Jos 6:6  And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.

Jos 6:8  And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns passed on before the LORD, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.

Jos 6:13  And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rereward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.

Jos 6:16  And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the LORD hath given you the city.

It is “the… seven priests bearing seven trumpets… going on and blowing with the trumpets” who signify the seven angels who stand before God. It is the same seven angels in Christ’s right hand, who tell us that they are our fellow servants, who keep the sayings of this book and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, who are sent as God’s messengers to God’s seven churches, to blow these seven trumpets to prepare us “go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you.” This is the message of the seven angels with the seven trumpets. If you think the number ‘seven’ simply means ‘seven’, then you know nothing about comparing spiritual things with spiritual. The names of these seven churches, like the names of the twelve tribes, are given only as types of those first-fruit overcomers who are in Christ. The seven churches signify the “complete… one body… which is the church.” The seven angels to the seven churches are all the messengers of God to all who are in the “one body… which is the church,” just as “the seven spirits of God… are one spirit.”

Here are a few verses which demonstrate the spiritual significance of the number seven, but for a more in depth study be sure to read The Spiritual Significance of the Number Seven at this link:

The Spiritual Significance of the Number Seven

Rev 4:5  And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

The “seven spirits” of God signify His “one spirit” just as “the seven churches” signify the “one body… which is the church… whether we be Jews or Gentiles”.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’ sake, which is the church:
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

What is “the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God?” It is “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

How is this mystery made known to His saints? There is only one way; “by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” That is how the apostle Paul learned of this mystery:

Rom 16:25  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Gal 1:12  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

That is how the apostle Peter learned of this mystery:

Mat 16:17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

That is how the apostle John learned of this mystery:

Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John

That is how we will all learn of this mystery. What is this mystery being revealed to us as “the things written therein which we are to keep… the sayings of the prophecy of this book… every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God… [the] all things are yours” of this revelation? Here is that mystery. Here is what this “revelation of Jesus Christ” is:

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

1Co 3:21  Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours;
1Co 3:22  Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours;
1Co 3:23  And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.

As such we must say these words with our Lord.

Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.
Luk 13:33  Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.

Remember these are the same words we were given in the spiritual type and shadow in the Old Testament at the spiritual type of the founding of the body of Christ, at the blowing of the trumpet at the first Pentecost at mount Sinai.

Exo 19:11  And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.

Exo 19:15  And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
Exo 19:16  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that [was] in the camp trembled.

These seven trumpets announce the war being fought against the enemy in our land. ‘The land’ signifies our bodies which are occupied from birth with many ‘giant’ passions and lusts which are “enmity against God” (Rom 8:2). That ‘land’ and that ‘giant’ enemy are both within. It is primarily within us that “the kingdoms of this world are becoming the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.” The outward fulfillment of that prophecy is secondary to its primary inward application. That outward fulfillment is contingent upon first being applied within against our carnal mind which must precede a new mind, the mind of Christ who will then be qualified to rule the outward kingdoms of this outward world:

Num 10:9  And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

These “seven trumpets” warn us that “the third day” is near, and we will soon be meeting our Lord. That is when the fire, which ‘fire’ is the eyes and words of our Lord, begins doing its fiery work in our lives. Remember this verse in chapter one, just before John saw His glorified Lord. Coming to see our glorified Lord is nothing less than being caused to look behind us to hear our Lord’s own voice “as of a trumpet”, which calls us to “go to war in our land against the enemy that oppresses us.” “Then you shall blow an alarm with the trumpets.” Those trumpets are also the voice and Words of our Lord.

Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Rev 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Rev 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

This all being so,…

What does the fire from the altar which is cast unto the earth signify?

Rev 8:5  And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

This entire revelation is the words of that “voice, as of a trumpet” which we hear behind us. “The Lord’s day” is revealed to us in the sixth seal which seals away from our view the understanding of the sayings of the prophecy of this book. It is in this sixth seal “that great and terrible day of the Lord” is revealed to us, wherein “every man will say to the rocks and mountains, fall on us and hide us from the face of the Lamb, because the great day of His wrath is come.”

Rev 6:15  And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
Rev 6:16  And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
Rev 6:17  For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

That is what the fire from the altar signifies, and that is what the thunderings and lightnings which causes the earth to quake within us all signifies. The altar signifies the cross which we are admonished to take up and follow in the steps of our Lord. The fire from the altar which is cast into the earth is the same spiritual fire of the altar given us in the Old Testament spiritual type and shadow.

Eze 10:2  And he spake unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city. And he went in in my sight.

We are “the city” and the “fire from between the cherubim” is the Lord’s words and voice which come to us “from between the two cherubims”:

Exo 25:22  And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

Num 7:89  And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims: and he spake unto him.

“The city” is the city of Jerusalem, the Old Testament spiritual type of the “earth” which, in turn, is the type of us all in Adam who claim Christ’s name, but do not want to eat His bread or wear His apparel (Isa 4:1):

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women [“the seven churches”] shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Here is where Jerusalem is called the earth; not just once, but three times.

Jer 22:1  Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
Jer 22:2  And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates:

“These gates” are the gates of Jerusalem. “The house of the king of Judah” was in Jerusalem. It is to this city that the Lord makes this plea in this same chapter:

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

It is to us that these words are addressed. We are the “earth” into which the coals from the altar are cast, and whose lives are being cleansed by the ‘fire’ that is these coals. That ‘fire’ is always the Word of God, and that fiery Word is in the hearts, minds and mouths His elect.

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Christ’s example of dying daily, which He came and set for us, is the fire that tries every man’s works.

1Co 3:13  Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

That “voice behind ” us (Rev 1:12) is “Christ in you,” and the “you” that Christ is in signifies “thy fellowservant, and of your brothers, and of those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book”:

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

If Christ is in us, then it is we who are commanded… “seal not the sayings  of this book” of which ‘sayings’ we are told to “keep the things that are written therein because the time is at hand.” When it is all said and done, then we will know that this entire prophecy signifies the “war in your land against the enemy [within] which oppresses you…”

1Sa 2:10  The adversaries of the LORD [our own carnal-minded ‘old man’] shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king [Christ in us], and exalt the horn of his anointed.

Num 10:9  And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy that oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

Summary

We have seen that the primary purpose and spiritual significance of trumpets in scripture is to call us to meet our God “on the third day,” and to call us to Christ.

Exo 19:16  And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
Exo 19:17  And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

“The third day” signifies the day of Christ’s resurrection, and it signifies the day we are “raised with Him to walk in newness of life”.

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We also saw that it is also the function of trumpets to alarm us of the spiritual warfare we are facing in this journey of following our God wherever He goes.

Num 10:2  Make thee two trumpets of silver; of a whole piece shalt thou make them: that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps.

Num 10:6  When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey: they shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Rev 14:4  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

That is what these seven trumpets signify here in the sayings of this prophecy of this book. That is what the fiery words from between the cherbims will accomplish in our lives.

We have seen that the scriptures forbid anyone but the priests, the sons of Aaron, to blow the trumpets to bring the people to God, and to lead them in war. We also saw that it is God’s elect who are the priests, who are the angels to the seven churches, to whom this entire prophecy is addressed. We also saw again that it is these seven angels who represent our fellow servants, our brothers and sisters, and those who keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Finally, we saw that the fire from the altar is the same fire we see throughout the entire word of God. That fire is the Word of God in the mouth of those to whom He gives the humbling honor of being faithful to His words even unto the death of the flesh.

Next week, Lord willing, we will discover the meaning of the symbols found in the blowing of the first two trumpets:

Rev 8:7  The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
Rev 8:8  And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
Rev 8:9  And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.