So, as we get started again on the study of the end times, we come to the chronology part of the study. This is the part where we just lay out the events in chronological order. We will spend a little time describing the events, but this is not meant to be a deep dive into meaning, but it’s more like skipping a rock across the top of a pond.
But before we get into the study, did anyone hear any headlines, or news stories that made you think, “Humm, the end times, are we there?” I had a couple of things that came to my attention, and they had to do with money, and monetary transactions.
Treasury Department Seeks to Track Financial Transactions ...
The Biden administration is proposing that banks be required to report all transactions greater than $600 to collect more tax revenue. This policy is poised to suffocate businesses and stifle the financial privacy of Americans.
May, the Treasury Department released the Biden administration’s revenue proposals for fiscal year 2022. One aspect of this document that has gone under-reported is the administration's new plan for reporting requirements for financial institutions.
The document is unequivocal about the administration’s goal for financial reporting, stating, “this proposal would create a comprehensive financial account information reporting regime.”
The Biden administration’s goal here is to increase tax revenue by making sure no income avoids detection. How will the administration do this? It plans to leverage financial institutions like banks.
“[T]his requirement would apply to all business and personal accounts from financial institutions,” the proposal reads, “including bank, loan, and investment accounts, with the exception of accounts below a low de minimis gross flow threshold of $600 or fair market value of $600.”
In other words, financial institutions will report any flows in and out of business and personal accounts of more than $600.
This reporting requirement is far above any current requirements on financial institutions. As the document itself states, currently only information for certain types of revenue (including 1099 forms MISC, NEC, and K) require reporting.
The first negative that many see is economic; the stifling of business. But many also see something that relates to the end times; the massive governmental control of everyone’s money.
There is a second thing I noticed this week.
Another article about banks setting policies based in Environmental goals.
So, let’s get back to the chronology; from here on, we are going to describe the sequential events of the end times. We will look at each event, and give you the Scriptures that describe that event. Again, this is not intended to be a deep dive into meaning.
BEFORE THE TRIBULATION
Event: Jesus ascended and sat at the right hand of the Father. Scripture: Acts 1: 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. That is what happened on earth, and in heaven, the Father receives the Son with these words; Psalm 110: 1 The Lord says to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool for your feet.”
Now, the next major event after Jesus’ ascension, in the chronology of end times events is,
Event: Destruction of Herod’s temple in 70 A.D. It is an important event in end times chronology because Jesus predicted it in the same discourse where He predicted end times events. And it is also important because it foreshadows what will happen when the antichrist wages war against Israel, and commits the Abomination of Desolation. Scripture: Matthew 24:1-2 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. Explanation: This prophecy by Jesus about the destruction of Herod’s temple was what precipitated the whole end-times conversation. Prophecy is often given this way in Scripture. There will be a short-term fulfillment that, when fulfilled, will give evidence to the hearer that the prophet is truly from God. The hearer can say, “Well, He got that prediction right, so I can believe the rest of the prophecy.”
So, Jesus’ prediction regarding the destruction of Herod’s temple comes to pass in 70 AD. Now we can have faith that all of His predictions about the end times will come to pass. But what did Jesus say would happen after the destruction of the temple?
Event: “Normal” life in the world Scripture: Matthew 24: 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 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. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. 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. Explanation: False Saviors, war, famine, pestilence, and earthquakes are part of the normal course of life in this world. We shouldn’t be alarmed when they happen. It is the normal course of this fallen world.
And we’ve experienced that haven’t we? Life keeps going on. Let me ask this; You’ve seen those cartoons that say, “The end is near!” on a sign that some prophet looking guy is carrying.
And you’ve seen movies, read books, or heard sermons that conveyed that message; “The End is Near.” When was the first time you heard that message? When was the first time you heard a message like that, and thought, “It might come in my lifetime?”
I remember the book, “Satan is alive and well on planet earth.” I think it was that book that pointed out that Israel returning as a nation was a huge step toward ushering in the end times. Because so much of end times prophecy, if taken literally, hinges on Israel being a nation, back in the promised land. That was 1948. And it was very important, because end times prophecies tell us that the Jewish people will be regathered to the promised land.
Event: The Jewish people are regathered to the land of Israel. Scripture: Jeremiah 16:14-16 “Therefore behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that it will no more be said, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;’ 15 but, ‘As Yahweh lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the countries where he had driven them.’ I will bring them again into their land that I gave to their fathers. 16 “Behold, I will send for many fishermen,” says Yahweh, “and they will fish them up. Afterward I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain, from every hill, and out of the clefts of the rocks. Ezekial 34:11-16 “‘For the Lord Yahweh says: “Behold, I myself, even I, will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered abroad, so I will seek out my sheep. I will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13 I will bring them out from the peoples, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them with good pasture; and their fold will be on the mountains of the height of Israel. There they will lie down in a good fold. They will feed on fat pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will cause them to lie down,” says the Lord Yahweh. 16 “I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will feed them in justice.”’ Now, the final fulfillment of this prophecy will take place in the millennium when Christ sets up His kingdom in Israel. In that day, there will be a massive regathering of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. But I think we can see God beginning to move the Jewish people back there now, in preparation for end times events.
Now, this is WHERE THE RAPTURE WOULD BE IF IT CAME BEFORE THE TRIBULATION
Event: Pre-Tribulation Rapture Scripture: I have already made a case that the Rapture will be after the Tribulation. And I based it on Scriptural evidence. But I want to mention another piece of evidence, or more precisely a lack of evidence. We are building this chronology of events on the Olivet Discourse first, the book of Revelation second. And there is no pre-tribulation Rapture in the Olivet Discourse. I believe it describes a post-trib rapture. “After the Tribulation.” But, as we move to the book of Revelation, we again look for evidence of a pre-tribulation rapture. But, here’s the problem. It’s not my problem, I believe in a post-Tribulation rapture. But if you believe in a pre-tribulation rapture, there is a big problem. Where is the description of a pre-trib rapture in the book of Revelation? Really, it’s not in there. I challenge you to find it. Before the book of Revelation starts describing the 7 last years, and its plagues, where does it say, “The Lord comes and takes out the Church from the world?” It would have to be in chapters 1 through 5, so look for it. I’m telling you, it’s not there. Well, some say that it is. Let me show you where they say that it is; The letter to Philadelphia. Revelation 3: 7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. This promise was made to the church in Philadelphia. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Some people have taken these letters to the seven churches to be representative of “ages” of the church stretching from the first century, to the church that will exist during the Tribulation; the apostate church, the Laodician church. So, they say, that the 6th church, the Laodician church, will be the final true church that is “kept from the hour of testing to come on the whole world” by being raptured before the Tribulation. The biggest problem with this is that the book of Revelation doesn’t say that these churches represent ages of the church. In addition, the seven churches don’t fit the history of the church in the world. And the final problem is; even if you take this as a promise to the church before the Tribulation, it doesn’t mean that that church will be taken out of the world, but can simply mean that they will be protected from “the wrath of God” during that time. So, is that supposed to be the only place in Revelation that supposedly describes the pre-trib rapture? The second is a hidden meaning in chapter 4:1-2 John sees a vision of Christ as high priest, and then this happens; Revelation 4:1-2 After these things I looked and saw a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard, like a trumpet speaking with me, was one saying, “Come up here, and I will show you the things which must happen after this.” 2 Immediately I was in the Spirit. Behold, there was a throne set in heaven, and one sitting on the throne. This is even more of a stretch than the last one. They say that John here “represents” the church being called up to heaven, before God begins revealing the events of the Tribulation to him. Again, here’s a big problem with that. There is no indication in the text that John represents the church here. My point is that there is no explicit place in chapters 1 through 5, before the Tribulation, that describes Christ returning to the earth, and catching away His Church. And since the book of Revelation is the final Word in the Bible. Since it is the book that gives us the final and full revelation of the end times; if Jesus is going to rapture the saints before the Tribulation, shouldn’t it be described there? The return of Christ and gathering of His saints is described at the end of the book. Revelation 19: 5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 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. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.
So, let us go back to the chronology of events. We are back at the starting point of the Tribulation.
There is a day when it starts; the official first day of the last 7 years of man’s day. The Day of the Lord, judgment will begin. The Old Testament predicts it.
Event: Prophecy of the start of the Tribulation Scripture: Isaiah 13:9-16 9 Behold, the day of Yahweh comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy its sinners out of it. 10 For the stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be darkened in its going out, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. 11 I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will humble the arrogance of the terrible. 12 I will make people more rare than fine gold, even a person than the pure gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place in Yahweh of Armies’ wrath, and in the day of his fierce anger. Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter into your rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourself for a little moment, until the indignation is past. Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; Daniel 9:24-27 24 “Seventy weeks are decreed on your people and on your holy city, to finish disobedience, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. 26b The people of the prince (the antichrist) who come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will be with a flood, and war will be even to the end. Desolations are determined. 27 He will make a firm covenant with many for one week. In the middle of the week he will cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. On the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate; and even to the full end, and that determined, wrath will be poured out on the desolate.” And the New Testament predicts it. Matthew 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. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 1 Thessalonians 5: But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
It will start. But we just don’t know when.
Matthew 24:32-33 32 “Now from the fig tree learn this parable: When its branch has now become tender and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near. 33 Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that he is near, even at the doors.
36 “But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven,[b] but my Father only. 37 As the days of Noah were, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
44 Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.
7 YEAR TRIBULATION BEGINS
But what is the kick off?
Event: The Holy Spirit steps back His restraint on evil in the world. God the Holy Spirit has been at work in the world since the beginning of time. What has the Spirit been doing? John 16: 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And by these means, and others, He restrains evil in the world. Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2,7 Now, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him, we ask you 2 not to be quickly shaken in your mind, and not be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by letter as if from us, saying that the day of Christ has already come. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way. Notice that it says that He is “taken out of the way.” Some, who teach a pre-tribulation rapture, say that the Holy Spirit literally leaves the earth during the Tribulation. The Church is taken, so the Holy Spirit goes with them to heaven. But we can’t have a world without the Holy Spirit during the Tribulation, because there are believers alive during the Tribulation. There are believers who are persecuted and martyred by the antichrist during the Tribulation. And if you have believers, you have to have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. The gift of the Spirit to believers is Jesus promise. He promised to be with them by His Spirit. So, He is “taken out of the way.” He quits restraining sin in the way that He did before. He takes a “hands off” approach. The inmates will now be given run of the asylum. Think about that. Even if God didn’t judge with earthquakes, and plagues, this would be judgment enough. What do you think the world would be like if God took a “hands of approach?”
The Antichrist is revealed 1 John 218 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. Just after the Holy Spirit removes His restraining hand from the world, the antichrist makes his move. Now, we spent some time earlier studying who the antichrist is. These are some Scriptures that tell us what he does. Scripture: He is empowered by Satan Daniel 8: 23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce [k]features, Who understands sinister schemes. 24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy [l]fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-11 8 Then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will kill with the breath of his mouth, and destroy by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; Revelation 13 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads, blasphemous names. 2 The beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. He may be homosexual. Daniel 11:36-39 “The king will do according to his will. He will exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and will speak marvelous things against the God of gods. He will prosper until the indignation is accomplished; for that which is determined will be done. 37 He won’t regard the gods of his fathers, or the desire of women, or regard any god; for he will magnify himself above all. He speaks pompous words. Daniel 7: 19 “Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; 20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke [i]pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows. 25 He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute[j] the saints of the Most High, Revelation 13 5 A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy was given to him. Authority to make war for forty-two months was given to him. 6 He opened his mouth for blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his dwelling, those who dwell in heaven.
That is the event of “the rise of the antichrist.” So, what is the next event?
The opening of the 7 seals
Event: The 1st seal and the 7- year covenant with the antichrist This is the 1st seal of 7 seals that are opened. They begin the judgment of God during the Tribulation. The first 4 seals are commonly called “the four horsemen of the apocalypse.”Event: 2nd seal Then comes the second seal. Scripture: Revelation 6: 3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. Explanation: This follows quickly on the heels of the 1st seal conqueror. As the antichrist leads his political and military crusade across the world, nations and people will be forced to take sides in this one-world movement. Some nations will go to war over their sovereignty, and violence will be used as both a military and regional strategy to force compliance. The horse is red, indicating the great bloodshed that will follow in this time of war. “Peace” goes out the window. “They will kill one another.” It doesn’t say who kills who. That indicates that this violence and war is going to be widespread. National wars, regional conflicts, civil war, violent crime. And I think that we will witness conservative Christians being made scapegoats. The antichrist will be anti Christian, and Christians will be portrayed as “backward” and standing in the way of world progress.
Event: 3rd seal Scripture: Revelation 6: 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Explanation: First seal; the conquest by the antichrist. Second seal; War and violence break out across the world. The third seal; Famine follows war. The horse is black, indicating the darkness of this event. This is actually the normal course of events. War causes a disruption in the delivery of necessities. And it is not that there will necessarily be decrease in resources, just an interruption in their delivery. Think about Covid-19. We ran out of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and eggs. And a lot of the shortages had nothing to do with a short supply, but rather with people hoarding supplies. Because of unrest around the world, people will panic, and basic necessities, like bread, will be in short supply, and become very expensive. In these verses, it says that a choenix[a] of wheat for a denarius, and three choenix of barley for a denarius! A choenix of wheat is the measure of wheat needed to feed a man for a day. And a denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer. Barley is an inferior and cheaper grain. So, it means that the price of grain products, like bread, will be inflated so much that a man will have to use all his paycheck, just to feed himself, or all his paycheck to feed his family with inferior food. He will have no money for anything else. Bread could also symbolize the basic necessities for living. It also says, “Don’t damage the oil and the wine!” Now, what does that mean? I don’t know for sure. And anyone who is honest will tell you the same. But here’s my best guess. Oil and wine are luxury items. So, in the craziness of the Tribulation times, basic necessities like bread will be hyper-inflated in price, but certain luxury items will remain cheap, while the items you need to keep yourself alive will skyrocket in price. It’s kind of sad that if we take this literally, people won’t be able to afford bread, but they will still be able to get cooking oil and get drunk. And It’s not hard to imagine this circumstance. We find it in our own day. During 2020, there was a rush on toilet paper, a basic necessity. But there was plenty of some more expensive items. Again, it sounds like a mass panic, compounded by disruptions in the supply chain, resulting in high prices for some items, and low prices for others.
Event: 4th seal We have the 1st seal; the antichrist bringing the nations under subjection, the second seal; worldwide death by violence, the third seal; worldwide scarcity of the basic necessities for survival, and now the 4th seal. Scripture: Revelation 6: 7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. The fourth seal is just greater death. The horse is “pale.” (chloros; ashen, green) It is the pale green flesh of the person who is close to death, or already dead. The horse’s rider is “death,” and Hell followed him. That indicates that there will be catastrophic numbers of people dying across the globe. They will be dying as a result of all that is happening in the world; war, violence, famine, disease that follows, and the beasts of the earth. Isaiah says this about it. Isaiah 24:1 Behold, Yahweh makes the earth empty, makes it waste, turns it upside down, and scatters its inhabitants. Explanation: We would expect this. War and famine beget death. Death by sword, famine, and wild animals? We understand death by sword and famine. But how do wild animals get mixed up in all of this? Well, once again, I don’t know for sure, but this is a judgment from God. But much that happens in the 1st 5 seals seems to be the natural consequences of God taking His hands off of the steering wheel. He doesn’t cause the violence. It is the result of Satan being unrestrained, and the nature of man being unfettered. So, what happens with the animals? I think there could be three things that cause them to turn on humanity. 1st; if the world is warring, and in famine, then you know the scarcity will also affect the animal kingdom. People will stop being caretakers of animals, and instead become competitors for scarce resources. For example; If more people are starving, then more people will be hunting deer, rabbits, etc. That means there will be less game for bobcats, and in some areas, bears. So those animals will have to make their way into the cities to find food. A second reason animals may turn on humanity is wildlife management. All the world’s governing systems will be strained and broken. Disaster relief will be scarce. Mankind’s focus will turn to self-preservation. So, things like control of vermin will fall by the wayside. And as quickly as some animals multiply, like rats, the destroyed cities of the world could become vermin breeding grounds. And there is a third possibility. Part of God’s restraint may be on the animals of the world. It could be that the animals of the world, which are naturally afraid of people, will become unafraid, or even violent toward people. So, this seal is just a description of an increase in the mortality rate. Massive numbers of people will die from hunger, war, and animal attacks.
Event: 5th seal After the 4th seal comes the 5th. The martyrdom of Christians. Jesus said in His Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24: 9 “Then they will deliver you up to oppression and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake. Scripture: Revelation 6: 9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. Explanation: As I stated earlier, I think the 1st 5 seals are opened quickly at the start of the final 7 years. And the conditions they foster continue through much of the 7 years. There continues to be war, famine, death, and martyrdom that characterize the Tribulation. The 1st seal is the rise of the antichrist, and from the get-go, he will oppose Christ, and Christians. And as he institutes new laws, and makes covenants with nations, he will call for leaders and people to swear allegiance to his plan for the world’s redemption. Christians, both leaders and citizens alike, will see this for what it is; antichrist and anti-God. They will refuse to comply. So, the antichrist, and his minions, will declare Christians to be enemies of reason, of science, of harmony. Then, as the warring starts, policies of imprisonment and extermination will be implemented. That doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be a worldwide outlawing of Christianity. But in each nation, violence against Christians will increase, like it did against Jews during WWI and WWII. And Christians will have fewer and fewer allies. And when widespread death from war, scarcity, disease, violence, and animals takes place, Christians will be made scapegoats. They are the cause for all the evil that is happening. They did not bow to the plan. So, war followed, then famine, and death. If they had just gone along with the program, the world could be in utopia. So, the citizens of the world will join in the chorus, along with the antichrist, to rid the world of these unevolved Neanderthals. Apple working on technology that can detect depression, anxiety, cognitive decline in users — and some observers are not thrilled Join us in discovering why Humanity Over Comfort matters for your organization This webinar will challenge participants to consider: how does your organization determine how it needs to improve and transform; and what are the consequences of the choices we make as it relates to the organization's health and productivity? Humanity over Comfort seeks to holistically examine these ideas using a coherent and humanistic framework. At the end of this webinar participants Will examine how to create context for clarity around its anti-racism work Will consider the conditions necessary to sustain the type of engagement that creates clarity Will preview the premise of Humanity over Comfort as a means of achieving the above outcomes Ohio high school goes into lockdown, prompts police response after insane 100-person brawl breaks out: report Last time we looked at the opening of the 1st 5 seal judgments in the book of Revelation; The first seal was the antichrist going out on a mission to conquer and bring the world’s governments under his authority. Part of those conquests are by intimidation, some by war, some by persuasion, or bribery. The second seal was violence; peace is taken from the earth, people kill one another. The third seal is famine. It will take a day’s wage to just feed your family with the bare necessities. The fourth seal is death; people are kill by war, death, disease, and animals gone berserk. Then the fifth seal is opened; the mass martyrdom of Christians. For that reason, I think this is the time of the rise of the religious system called Babylon in the book of Revelation. We know that the actual city of Babylon is in Iraq, and is just a bunch of ruins. But toward the end of Revelation, the city of Babylon is described as the seat of antichrist’s idolatrous religion. It is the seat of persecution against the Church. Revelation 17: 5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. We don’t know what city this is. Rome is a good candidate. In the beginning of the last 7 years, I think this coalition of false religions will join the antichrist in weeding out those who oppose the one-world plan. They will begin identifying the “conservatives,” and “fundamentalists,” who are always standing in the way of a truly ecumenical church. And they join the call for them to be restricted, reeducated, imprisoned, or terminated.