Learning about the sealing of the servants

Revelation Chapter 7

Excerpts from-

Daniel and the Revelation by Uriah Smith

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Revelation Chapter VII

The Seal of the Living God

Verse 1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

The time of the work here introduced is established beyond mistake. The sixth chapter closed with the events of the sixth seal, and the seventh seal is not mentioned until we reach the beginning of Revelation 8.

The whole of Revelation 7 is therefore thrown in here parenthetically.

Why is it thus introduced at this point? Evidently it is given for the purpose of stating additional particulars concerning the sixth seal.

The expression, "after these things," does not mean after the fulfillment of all the events previously described, but after the prophets had been carried in vision to the close of the sixth seal, that the consecutive order of events as given in Revelation 6 might not be broken, his mind is called to what is mentioned in Revelation 7, as further particulars in regard to the seal.

We inquire, Between what events in that seal is this work done?

It must be accomplished before the departing of the heavens as a scroll, for after that event there is no place for such a work as this. It must take place after the signs in the sun, moon, and stars, for these signs have already been fulfilled, and such a sealing work has not yet been accomplished.

It comes in therefore between the 13th and 14th verses of Revelation 6. There, as already shown, is just where we now stand. Hence the first part of Revelation 7 relates to a work the accomplishment of which may be looked for now.

Four Angels.--

Angels are ever-present agents in the affairs of the earth. Why may not these be four of those heavenly

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beings into whose hands God has committed the work of holding the winds while it is God's purpose that they should not blow, and loosing them when the time comes for the hurting of the earth?

Four Corners of the Earth.--

This expression denotes the four quarters, or the four points of the compass, and signifies that these angels in their particular sphere have charge of the whole earth.

Four Winds.--

Winds in the Bible symbolize political commotion, strife, and war. (Daniel 7: 2, Jeremiah 25: 32.) The four winds, held by four angels standing in the four quarters of the earth, must denote all the elements of strife and commotion that exist in the world. When they are all loosed and all blow together, it will constitute the great whirlwind just referred to in the prophecy of Jeremiah.

Angel Ascending From the East.--

Another literal angel, having charge of another specific work, is here introduced. Instead of the words "ascending from the east," some translations read, "ascending from the sunrising," which is a more literal translation. The expression evidently refers to manner rather than locality, for as the sun rises with rays at first oblique and comparatively powerless, then increases in strength until it shine in all its meridian power and splendor, so the work of this angel begins in moderation, moves onward with ever-accumulating influence, and closes in strength and power.

Seal of the Living God.--

It is the distinguishing characteristic of the ascending angel that he bears with him the seal of the living God.

From this fact and the chronology of his work we are to determine if possible what movement is symbolized by his mission.

The nature of his work is evidently suggested by his having the seal of the living God.

To ascertain what his work is, we must determine what the seal of the living God is.

A seal is defined to be an instrument of sealing, that which "is used by individuals, corporate bodies, and states, for making impressions on wax, upon instruments of writing, as an evidence of their authenticity." The original word in this text

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is defined, "A seal, i.e., a signet ring; a mark, stamp, badge; a token, a pledge."

The verb signifies: "To secure to any one, to make sure; to set a seal or mark upon anything in token of its being genuine or approved; to attest, to confirm, to establish, to distinguish by a mark." With these definitions as a basis, we compare Genesis 17: 11 with Romans 4: 11, and Revelation 7: 3 with Ezekiel 9: 4, and find that the words "token," "sign," "seal," and "mark" are used in the Bible as synonymous terms. The seal of God brought to view in our text is to applied to the servants of God. In this case it is not some literal mark to be made in the flesh, but some institution or observance having special reference to God, which will serve as a "mark of distinction" between the worshipers of God and those who are not His servants, though they may profess to follow Him.

A seal is used to render valid or authentic any enactments or laws that a person or power may promulgate. Frequent instances of its use occur in the Scriptures. In 1 Kings 21: 8, we read that Jezebel "wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal." These letters then had all the authority of King Ahab. Again, in Esther 3: 12: "In the name of King Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king's ring." So also in Esther 8: 8: "The writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse."

A seal is used in connection with some law or enactment that demands obedience, or upon documents that are to be made legal, or subject to the provisions of law. The idea of law is inseparable from a seal.

We are not to suppose that to the enactments and laws of God binding upon men, there must be attached a literal seal, made with literal instruments. From the definition of the term, and the purpose for which a seal is used, as shown before, we must understand a seal to be strictly that which gives validity and authenticity to enactments and laws. This is found in the name of signature of the lawmaking power, ex-

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pressed in such terms as to show what power is, and its right to make laws and demand obedience. Even with a literal seal, the name must always be used as indicated in the references given above. An instance of the use of the name alone seems to occur in Daniel 6: 8: "Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not." In other words, affix the signature of royalty, which shows who it is that demands obedience, and what his right is to demand it.

In the prophecy of Isaiah 8, we read: "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples." This must refer to a work of reviving in the minds of the disciples some of the claims of the law which have been overlooked, or perverted from their true meaning. In the prophecy this is called sealing the law, or restoring to it its seal, which had been taken from it.

The 144,000 who in the chapter before us are said to be sealed with the seal of God in their foreheads, are again brought to view in Revelation 14: 1, where they are said to have the Father's name written in their foreheads.

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More on this tomorrow by the GRACE and MERCY of our LORD all by HIS WILL, not ours!

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Heaven departs as a scroll...

Imagine if you will- the heavens departed as a scroll. From time to time we see strange and amazing cloud formations, people post them online because they are miraculous, truly wondrous to look at. These cloud formations bring to mind the prophecies of God, we know He reveals so much in His word. We know that the heavens will depart as a scroll and when they do- EVERY mountain and EVERY island will be MOVED out of what we imagine are their permanent and immovable positions.  This is something we truly must find hard to imagine, but it WILL come to pass.  Anyone who has lived through an earthquake has felt what they thought to be solid, shifting beneath them. I've never felt an earthquake personally, so I must imagine it and I think I can. This prophecy, this GREAT AMAZING prophecy WILL come to pass, and when it does--  all the kings of the earth, all the great men, all the rich men, all the chief captains, and all the mighty men, and each bondman, and every single free man -- ALL who are not God's, ALL who have NOT surrendered their lives to our Savior in order to be saved, will HIDE themselves, and WANT to be destroyed by the very structures hiding them. They want to be hidden from GOD, from our SAVIOR and our Savior's righteous wrath.  They KNOW they've made a grave error in their self-focused lives.  They'll know TOO LATE. They'll know and they won't be begging for salvation because they didn't want salvation before and will not want it even in the face of their annihilation.  Those who choose NOT to believe, would NOT want eternal life in the love of God. They'd only want eternal life in their sins and sin will be done away with.

We need to be saved from our sins, our most cherished, beloved sins.  Nothing that would stand between us and our God, our Savior, the Holy Spirit should remain in us, and THEY will rid us of all that would dare to keep us from THEM, if we choose by faith to let them, and choose daily.

Please Father, please, we would stand unhidden by any rocks or caves, we would stand waiting to be taken to our Savior in the air as the last trump sounds, as the heavens depart and He descends into sight to call us to Him. We long for this, Father! We long to be saved because we cannot save ourselves! We are vile creatures caught up in so much that would separate us from You, please, by faith, save us. All through Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior now and forever!  Amen!

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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?

Daniel and Revelation- by Uriah Smith (Excerpts)

"The Heavens Departed as a Scroll."--

In this event our minds are turned to the future. From looking at the past, and beholding the word of God fulfilled, we are now called to look at events in the future, which are no less sure to come. Our position is unmistakably defined. We stand between the 13th and 14th verses of this chapter.

We wait for the heavens to depart as a scroll when it is rolled together. These are times of unparalleled solemnity and importance, for we do not know how near we may be to the fulfillment of these things.

The departing of the heavens is included in what the writers of the Gospels call, in the same series of events, the shaking of the powers of heavens. Other scriptures give us further particulars concerning this prediction.

From Hebrews 12: 25-27; Joel 3: 16; Jeremiah 25: 30-33; Revelation 16: 17,

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Joel 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.

Jer 25:30  Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

Jer 25:31  A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

Jer 25:32  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

Jer 25:33  And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

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.

 …we learn that it is the voice of God, as He speaks in terrible majesty from His throne in heaven, that causes this fearful commotion in earth and sky. Once the Lord spoke with an audible voice, when He gave His eternal law from Sinai. At that time the earth shook. He is to speak again, and not only the earth will shake, but the heavens also. Then will the earth "reel to and fro like a drunkard." It will be "dissolved" and "utterly broken down." Isaiah 24.

Mountains will move from their firm bases. Islands will suddenly change their locations in the midst of the sea. From the level plain will arise the precipitous mountain. Rocks will thrust up their ragged forms from earth's broken surface. While the voice of God is reverberating through the earth, the direst confusion will reign over the face of nature.

To show that this is no mere conception of the imagination, the reader is requested to mark the exact phraseology which some of the prophets have used in reference to this time. Isaiah says:

 "The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again." Isaiah 24: 19, 20.

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Jeremiah in thrilling language describes the scene as follows: "I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. . . . For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate." Jeremiah 4: 23-27.

Then will the world's dream of carnal security be effectually broken. Kings who, intoxicated with their own earthly authority, have never dreamed of a higher power than themselves, now realize that there is One who reigns as King of kings.

The great men behold the vanity of all earthly pomp, for there is a greatness above that of earth. The rich men throw their silver and gold to the moles and bats, for it cannot save them in that day. The chief captains forget their brief authority, and the mighty men forget their strength. Every bondman who is in the still worse bondage of sin, and every freeman--all classes of the wicked, from the highest down to the lowest--join in the general wail of consternation and despair.

They who never prayed to Him whose arm could bring salvation, now raise an agonizing prayer to rocks and mountains to bury them forever from the sight of Him whose presence brings to them destruction. Fain would they now avoid reaping what they have sown by a life of lust and sin. Fain would they now shun the fearful treasure of wrath which they have been heaping up for themselves and their catalogue of crimes in everlasting darkness. So they flee to the rocks, caves, caverns, and fissures which the broken surface of the earth now presents before them. But it is too late. They cannot conceal their guilt or escape the long-delayed vengeance.

"It will be in vain to call,

'Ye mountains on us fall,'

For His hand will find out all,

In that day."

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The day which they thought never would come, has at last taken them as in a snare, and the involuntary language of their anguished hearts is, "The great day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?" Before that day comes with its fearful scenes, we pray you, reader, give your most serious and candid attention to your salvation.

Many now affect to despise the institution of prayer, but at one time or another all men will pray. Those who will not now pray to God in penitence, will pray to the rocks and mountains in despair; and this will be the largest prayer meeting ever held.

Between the signs- fulfilled and unfulfilled

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 Heavens Departed as a Scroll."--

In this event our minds are turned to the future. From looking at the past, and beholding the word of God fulfilled, we are now called to look at events in the future, which are no less sure to come. Our position is unmistakably defined. We stand between the 13th and 14th verses of this chapter.

We wait for the heavens to depart as a scroll when it is rolled together. These are times of unparalleled solemnity and importance, for we do not know how near we may be to the fulfillment of these things.

The departing of the heavens is included in what the writers of the Gospels call, in the same series of events, the shaking of the powers of heavens. Other scriptures give us further particulars concerning this prediction.

From Hebrews 12: 25-27; Joel 3: 16; Jeremiah 25: 30-33; Revelation 16: 17,

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.

Heb 12:27  And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Joel 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.

Jer 25:30  Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

Jer 25:31  A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.

Jer 25:32  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

Jer 25:33  And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

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.

 …we learn that it is the voice of God, as He speaks in terrible majesty from His throne in heaven, that causes this fearful commotion in earth and sky. Once the Lord spoke with an audible voice, when He gave His eternal law from Sinai. At that time the earth shook. He is to speak again, and not only the earth will shake, but the heavens also. Then will the earth "reel to and fro like a drunkard." It will be "dissolved" and "utterly broken down." Isaiah 24.

Mountains will move from their firm bases. Islands will suddenly change their locations in the midst of the sea. From the level plain will arise the precipitous mountain. Rocks will thrust up their ragged forms from earth's broken surface. While the voice of God is reverberating through the earth, the direst confusion will reign over the face of nature.

To show that this is no mere conception of the imagination, the reader is requested to mark the exact phraseology which some of the prophets have used in reference to this time. Isaiah says:

 "The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again." Isaiah 24: 19, 20.

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Jeremiah in thrilling language describes the scene as follows: "I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. . . . For thus hath the Lord said, The whole land shall be desolate." Jeremiah 4: 23-27.

Then will the world's dream of carnal security be effectually broken. Kings who, intoxicated with their own earthly authority, have never dreamed of a higher power than themselves, now realize that there is One who reigns as King of kings.

The great men behold the vanity of all earthly pomp, for there is a greatness above that of earth. The rich men throw their silver and gold to the moles and bats, for it cannot save them in that day. The chief captains forget their brief authority, and the mighty men forget their strength. Every bondman who is in the still worse bondage of sin, and every freeman--all classes of the wicked, from the highest down to the lowest--join in the general wail of consternation and despair.

They who never prayed to Him whose arm could bring salvation, now raise an agonizing prayer to rocks and mountains to bury them forever from the sight of Him whose presence brings to them destruction. Fain would they now avoid reaping what they have sown by a life of lust and sin. Fain would they now shun the fearful treasure of wrath which they have been heaping up for themselves and their catalogue of crimes in everlasting darkness. So they flee to the rocks, caves, caverns, and fissures which the broken surface of the earth now presents before them. But it is too late. They cannot conceal their guilt or escape the long-delayed vengeance.

"It will be in vain to call,

'Ye mountains on us fall,'

For His hand will find out all,

In that day."

Page 451

The day which they thought never would come, has at last taken them as in a snare, and the involuntary language of their anguished hearts is, "The great day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?" Before that day comes with its fearful scenes, we pray you, reader, give your most serious and candid attention to your salvation.

Many now affect to despise the institution of prayer, but at one time or another all men will pray. Those who will not now pray to God in penitence, will pray to the rocks and mountains in despair; and this will be the largest prayer meeting ever held.

Ah! better far

To cease the unequal war,

While pardon, hope, and peace may yet be found; 

Nor longer rush upon the embossed shield 

Of the Almighty, but repentant yield,

And all your weapons of rebellion ground. 

Better pray now in love, than pray erelong in fear. 

Call ye upon Him while He waits to hear; 

So in the coming end,

When down the parted sky

The angelic hosts attend

The Lord of heaven, most high,

Before whose face the solid earth is rent, 

You may behold a friend omnipotent,

And safely rest beneath His sheltering wings, 

Amid the ruin of all earthly things.

Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith (Excerpt)

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Truth.

May God help us KNOW truth, BELIEVE truth, LIVE truth!

More tomorrow by HIS grace!

Amen!

The sixth seal- signs in the moon and the stars

Prophecy-  past history and history in the making.

"The Moon Became as Blood."--

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.

The darkness of the following night, May 19, 1780, was as unnatural as that of the day had been.

"The darkness of the following evening was probably as gross as ever has been observed since the Almighty fiat gave birth to light. . . . I could not help conceiving at the times, that if every luminous body in the universe had been shrouded in impenetrable shades, or struck out of existence, the darkness could not have been more complete. A sheet of white paper held within a few inches of the eyes, was equally invisible with the blackest velvet."

"In the evening . . . perhaps it never was darker since the children of Israel left the house of bondage. This gross darkness help till about one o'clock, although the moon had fulled but the day before."

This statement respecting the phase of the moon proves the impossibility of an eclipse of the sun at that time. Whenever on this memorable night the moon did appear, as at certain times it did, it had, according to this prophecy, the appearance of blood.

"The Stars of Heaven Fell."--

The voice of history still cries, Fulfilled! We refer to the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833. On this point a few testimonies will suffice.

"At the cry, 'Look out of the window,' I sprang from a deep sleep, and with wonder saw the east lighted up with the dawn and meteors. . . . I called to my wife to behold; and while robing, she exclaimed, 'See how the stars fall!' I replied, 'That is the wonder:' and felt in our hearts that it was a sign of the last days. For truly '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.' Revelation 6: 13. . . .

"And how did they fall? Neither myself nor one of the family heard any report; and were I to hunt through nature

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for a simile, I could not find one so apt to illustrate the appearance of the heavens, as that which St. John uses in the prophecy before quoted. 'It rained fire!' says one. Another, 'It was like a shower of fire.' Another, 'It was like the large flakes of falling snow, before a coming storm, or large drops of rain before a shower.' I admit the fitness of these for common accuracy; but they come far short of the accuracy of the figure used by the prophet. 'The stars of heaven fell upon the earth;' they were not sheets, or flakes, or drops of fire; but they were what the world understands by the name 'falling stars;' and one speaking to his fellow in the midst of the scene, would say, 'See how the stars fall!' and he who heard, would not pause to correct the astronomy of the speaker, any more than he would reply, 'The sun does not move,' to one who should tell him, 'The sun is rising.' The stars fell 'even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.' Here is the exactness of the prophet. The falling stars did not come, as if from several trees shaken, but from one; those which appeared in the north fell toward the north; those which appeared in the west fell toward the west; and those which appeared in the south (for I went out of my residence into the park), fell toward the south; and they fell, not as ripe fruit falls. Far from it. But they flew, they were cast like the unripe fruit, which at first refuses to leave the branch; and, when it does break its hold, flies swiftly straight off, descending; and in the multitude falling, some cross the track of others, as they are thrown with more or less force."

"The most sublime phenomenon of shooting stars, of which the world has furnished any record, was witnessed throughout the United States on the morning of the 13th of November, 1833. The entire extent of this astonishing exhibition has not been precisely ascertained, but it covered no inconsiderable portion of the earth's surface. . . . The first appearance was

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that of fireworks of the most imposing grandeur, covering the entire vault of heaven with myriads of fireballs, resembling skyrockets. Their coruscations were bright, gleaming, and incessant, and they fell thick as the flakes in the early snows of December. To the splendors of this celestial exhibition the most brilliant skyrockets and fireworks of art bear less relation than the twinkling of the most tiny star to the broad glare of the sun. The whole heavens seemed in motion, and suggested to some the awful grandeur of the image employed in the Apocalypse, upon the opening of the sixth seal, when '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.' "

"After collecting and collating the accounts given in all the periodicals of the country, and also in numerous letters addressed either to my scientific friends or to myself, the following appeared to be the leading facts attending the phenomenon. The shower pervaded nearly the whole of North America, having appeared in nearly equal splendor from the British possessions on the north, to the West India Islands and Mexico on the south, and from sixty-one degrees of longitude east of the American coast, quite to the Pacific Ocean on the west. Throughout this immense region, the duration was nearly the same. The meteors began to attract attention by their unusual frequency and brilliancy, from nine to twelve o'clock in the evening; were most striking in their appearance from two to five; arrived at their maximum, in many places, about four o'clock; and continued until rendered invisible by the light of day."

"The spectacle must have been of the sublimest order. The apostle John might have had it before him when he indited the passage referring to the opening of the sixth seal: '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.' "

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This is from wiki-

1800s[edit]

A sky full of shooting stars over a village

A famous depiction of the 1833 meteor storm, produced in 1889 for the Seventh-day Adventist book Bible Readings for the Home Circle.

A sky full of shooting stars over the Niagara falls

Woodcut print depicts the shower as seen at Niagara Falls, New York. Mechanics' Magazine said this illustration was made by an editor named Pickering "who witnessed the scene."

The Leonids are famous because their meteor showers, or storms, can be among the most spectacular. Because of the storm of 1833 and the recent developments in scientific thought of the time (see for example the identification of Halley's Comet) the Leonids have had a major effect on the development of the scientific study of meteors which had previously been thought to be atmospheric phenomena. Though it has been suggested the meteor shower-cum-storm has been noted in ancient times[8] it was the meteor storm of 1833 that broke into people's modern day awareness - it was of truly superlative strength. One estimate is over one hundred thousand meteors an hour,[9] but another, done as the storm abated, estimated in excess of 240,000 meteors during the nine hours of the storm[1] over the entire region of North America east of the Rocky Mountains.

It was marked by several nations of Native Americans: the Cheyenne established a peace treaty[10] and the Lakota calendar was reset.[11][12] Abolitionists like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass as well as slave-owners took note[13][14] and others.[15] The New York Evening Post carried a series of articles on the event including reports from Canada to Jamaica,[16] it made news in several states beyond New York[17][18] and though it appeared in North America was talked about in Europe.[19] The journalism of the event tended to rise above the partisan debates of the time and reviewed facts as they could be sought out.[20] Abe Lincoln comment on it years later.[21] Near Independence, Missouri, in Clay County, a refugee Mormon community watched the meteor shower on the banks of the Missouri River after having been driven from their homes by local settlers.[22] The founder and first leader of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, had predicted "stars falling from Heaven",[23] and afterwards noted in his journal that this event was a literal fulfillment of the word of God and a sure sign that the coming of Christ is close at hand.[24] Though it was noted in the midwest and eastern areas it was also noted in the far west.[25]

Denison Olmsted explained the event most accurately. After spending the last weeks of 1833 collecting information, he presented his findings in January 1834 to the American Journal of Science and Arts, published in January–April 1834,[26] and January 1836.[27] He noted the shower was of short duration and was not seen in Europe, and that the meteors radiated from a point in the constellation of Leo and he speculated the meteors had originated from a cloud of particles in space.[28] Accounts of the 1866 repeat of the Leonids counted hundreds per minute/a few thousand per hr in Europe.[29] The Leonids were again seen in 1867, when moonlight reduced the rates to 1000 per hour. Another strong appearance of the Leonids in 1868 reached an intensity of 1000 per hour in dark skies. It was in 1866–67 that information on Comet Tempel-Tuttle was gathered pointing it out as the source of the meteor shower.[28] When the storms failed to return in 1899, it was generally thought that the dust had moved on and storms were a thing of the past.

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonids>

*******

Once again science seeks to erase prophecy through its explanations. Truly, this particular meteor storm was of great significance at the time and it did what it was intended to do- it drew people to the word of God.  People were woken from their stupors to realize that, YES, the truth in God's word, Jesus would return and they needed to be ready- JUST as we need to be ready. We NEED to be READY.

We have the BLESSING, the privilege of being able to look back upon history to mark over the centuries the heavenly flares that have been set off into the dark sky for us to notice. 

Some would use the long period of time between signs as proof that our Savior is NOT going to ever come, that He lied by saying the word SOON, but they're WRONG.

Our soon and His soon are two different things. And SOON in a life span of a human being is truly a short period of time.  Ask any old person how short their life is.  We all note it once we pass the early twenties.  Time truly FLIES, you blink and you're no longer 18 but 50, no longer 50 but 80. 

We need to be prepared for our Savior's return at every step throughout our lives, right?

Those who are alive when He returns will be blessed to be dedicated so fully to Him through the Holy Spirit, they will have heeded ALL the signs, ALL the prophecies! They will know Him and He will know them.

By God's grace may WE be among those who are ready, whether or not our Savior arrives in our life time!

By His mercy, His love now and always!

Amen.

Sixth Seal - sun becomes black

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;

(Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith - Excerpts)

The Darkening of the Sun.

--Following the earthquake, as announced by prophecy, "the sun became black as sackcloth of hair."

(((The following is based upon the fact this book was written only a little over a hundred years after this happened, 1897.   We know right now that people who are living today in the year 2015, have heard of things that happened over a 100 years ago, we know it as our history. In the early 1900's we will recall the following-

• 1901 - William McKinley assassinated

• 1901 - Theodore Roosevelt becomes President

• 1901 - U.S. Steel founded by John Pierpont Morgan

• 1902 - First Rose Bowl game played

• 1903 - Great Train Robbery movie opens

• 1903 - Ford Motor Company formed

• 1903 - First World Series

• 1903 - The Wright brothers make their first powered flight in the Wright Flyer

• 1904 - Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine

• 1904 - Panama Canal Zone acquired

• 1904 - Worlds Fair St. Louis

• 1905 - Niagara Falls conference

• 1905 - Industrial Workers of the World

• 1906 - Susan B. Anthony dies

• 1906 - Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Act

• 1906 - San Francisco earthquake

• 1907 - Oklahoma becomes a state

• 1907 - Coal mine explodes in Monongah, West Virginia, killing at least 361. Worst industrial accident in American history.

• 1908 - Ford Model T appears on market

• 1908 - Federal Bureau of Investigation established

• 1909 - The U.S. penny is changed to the Abraham Lincoln design

• 1909 - William Howard Taft becomes President

• 1909 - Robert Peary claims to have reached the North Pole

• 1909 - NAACP founded by W. E. B. Du Bois

• 1911 - First ever Indianapolis 500 is staged; Ray Harroun is the first winner

• 1912 - RMS Titanic sinks

• 1912 - New Mexico and Arizona become states

• 1912 - Girl Scouts of the USA was started by Juliette Gordon Low

• 1912 - Theodore Roosevelt shot, but not killed, while campaigning for the Bull Moose Party

• 1913 - Woodrow Wilson becomes President

• 1913 - 16th Amendment, establishing an income tax

• 1913 - Henry Ford develops the modern assembly line

• 1914 - Mother's Day established as a national holiday

• 1915 - RMS Lusitania sunk

• 1916 - U.S. acquires Virgin Islands

• 1917 - U.S. enters World War I

• 1918 - Treaty of Versailles ends World War I

• 1919 - Theodore Roosevelt dies

• 1919 - United States Senate rejects Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations

• 1919 - 18th Amendment, establishing Prohibition

• 1919 - Black Sox Scandal during the that year's World Series, wherein the fallout lasts for decades

1920s

• 1920 - 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote

• 1920 - First radio broadcasts in Pittsburgh and Detroit

• 1921 - Warren G. Harding becomes President

• 1924 - J. Edgar Hoover is appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation — predecessor to the FBI.

• 1925 - WSM broadcasts the Grand Ole Opry for the first time.

• 1926 - NBC founded as the U.S.'s first major broadcast network

• 1927 - Charles Lindbergh makes first trans-Atlantic flight

• 1927 - The Jazz Singer, the first "talkie" (motion picture with sound) is released

• 1927 - U.S. citizenship granted to inhabitants of U.S. Virgin Islands

• 1927 - Columbia Broadcasting System (later called CBS) becomes second national radio network in the U.S.

• 1928 - Disney's Steamboat Willie opens, the first animated picture to feature Mickey Mouse

• 1928 - Kellogg–Briand Pact

• 1928 - Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

• 1929 - Herbert Hoover becomes President

• 1929 - St. Valentine's Day Massacre

• 1929 - Immigration Act

• 1929 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average plummets a record 68 points over a two-day period, setting off the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and triggering the Great Depression

• 1929 - The Museum of Modern Art opens to the public in New York City

• 1929 - American Samoa officially becomes a U.S. territory

• 1929 - The Great Depression Starts

From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_States_history_(1900%E2%80%9329)>

This is history and people RECALL history.  While we might NOT recall this great dark day in 1897 they were still recalling it vividly.))))

This part of the prediction has also been fulfilled. We need not here enter into a detailed account of the wonderful darkening of the sun, May 19, 1780. Most persons of general reading, it is presumed, have seen some account of it. The following detached declarations from different authorities will give an idea of its nature:

"Dark Day, The. May 19, 1780--so called on account of a remarkable darkness on that day extending over all New England. . . . The obscuration began about ten o'clock in

Page 443

the morning, and continued till the middle of the next night, but with differences of degree and duration in different places. . . . The true cause of this remarkable phenomenon is not known."

"In the month of May, 1780, there was a very terrific dark day in New England, when 'all faces seemed to gather blackness,' and the people were filled with fear. There was great distress in the village where Edward Lee lived, 'men's hearts failing them for fear' that the Judgment-day was at hand; and the neighbors all flocked around the holy man, [who] spent the gloomy hours in earnest prayer for the distressed multitude."

"The time of this extraordinary darkness was May 19, 1780," says Professor Williams. "It came on between the hours of ten and eleven A.M., and continued until the middle of the next night, but with different appearances at different places. . . .

"The degree to which the darkness arose was different in different places. In most parts of the country it was so great that people were unable to read common print, determine the time of day by their clocks or watches, dine, or manage their domestic business, without the light of candles. In some places the darkness was so great that persons could not see to read common print in the open air, for several hours together; but I believe this was not generally the case.

"The extent of this darkness was very remarkable. Our intelligence in this respect is not so particular as I could wish; but from the accounts that have been received, it seems to have extended all over the New England States. It was observed as far east as Falmouth [Portland, Maine]. To the westward we hear of its reaching to the furthest parts of Connecticut, and Albany. To the southward it was observed all along the seacoasts, and to the north as far as our settlements extend. It is probable it extended much beyond these limits in some direct-

Page 444

tions, but the exact boundaries cannot be ascertained by any observations that I have been able to collect.

"With regard to its duration, it continued in this place at least fourteen hours; but is probable this was not exactly the same in different parts of the country.

"The appearance and effects were such as tended to make the prospect extremely dull and gloomy. Candles were lighted up in the houses; the birds, having sung their evening songs, disappeared, and became silent; the fowls retired to roost; the cocks were crowing all around, as at break of day; objects could not be distinguished but at very little distance; and everything bore the appearance and gloom of night."

"The 19th of May, 1780, was a remarkable dark day. Candles were lighted in many houses; the birds were silent and disappeared, and the fowls retired to roost. . . . A very general opinion prevailed that the day of judgment was at hand." [20]

Whittier, in a well-known poem, pictures it thus:

" 'Twas on a May-day of the far old year

Seventeen hundred eighty, that there fell 

Over the bloom and sweet life of the Spring, 

Over the fresh earth and the heaven of noon, 

A horror of great darkness, like the night 

In day of which the Norland sagas tell,-- 

The Twilight of the Gods. The low-hung sky 

Was black with ominous clouds, save where its rim 

Was fringed with a dull glow, like that which climbs 

The crater's sides from the red hell below. 

Birds ceased to sing, and all the barnyard fowls 

Roosted; the cattle at the pasture bars

Lowed, and looked homeward; bats on leathern wings 

Flitted abroad; the sounds of labor died; 

Men prayed, and women wept; all ears grew sharp 

To hear the doom-blast of the trumpet shatter 

The black sky, that the dreadful face of Christ 

Might look from the rent clouds, not as He looked 

A loving guest at Bethany, but stern

As Justice and inexorable Law."

*******

You can go to the following link which will give a cause for this great dark day, and they'll tell you because it was explained by a fire in Canada that it wasn't important to prophecy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England%27s_Dark_Day

Truly, God doesn't HAVE to use events that are inexplicable for signs, why would He? Why CAN'T HE who controls ALL things use a forest fire to bring about this DARK DAY which brought to people's minds of that time the coming of the Lord?  Signs are used to herald events- near and far.  Who are WE to presume that the signs are not from God? How dare we make that assumption.  God works in HIS time, and allows people to who will see to see, but those who would be blind will remain blinded. If you WANT excuses NOT to believe, to NOT comprehend, they will be abundant! Satan LOVES to supply a wealth of excuses to keep people in the dark and all who want them - have at them. I pray to God that I NEVER accept any excuse of Satan's but that the Holy Spirit opens my heart and mind to ALL the truth I need to be HIS!

More on all of this tomorrow, all by the GRACE and MERCY of our LORD and SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST NOW AND FOREVER!

AMEN!

Life now- temporary to eternity

Heb 2:9  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

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;

Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Heb 2:16  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

Heb 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Heb 2:18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

Glorious truth!

Do you have a fear of death? Many do. Many also have a fear of life. It's so easy to understand why. There are so many things in life that cause fear. Pain, sickness, injury, deprivation, poverty to the point of life endangerment. We have control over so little in life, and those who try to convince you otherwise, they are deluded. The deluded are filled with self-delusions based upon their own unique experiences. They have these experiences and then believe all who choose can share in their experience if only they do certain things. They can't comprehend the reality that others are not them, and therefore will not find life as they find it. Pain in one might cause them to rise, another might experience pain and it causes them to be bitter and angry, still another might take on an attitude of pure despair in their pain.  The uniqueness we hold as individuals should be recognized but by and large it isn't and we are thrust into a society of norms regulated by majority rule. 

The truth of the matter is, pain is frightening. Depravation is discouraging. Injuries are depressing. Life is filled with many pains- emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual. And while I can sit back and spout my personal advice based on my personal experience, it has no weight behind it because it is unique to me and my personal unique life not another's.

We all have things in common, but not necessarily unique in details. 

Our Savior took on our flesh and blood, God in the flesh, choosing not to take on the flesh of angels.

Our Savior acknowledges that the Devil has the power over death.

How does the devil have this power?

God told mankind they would surely die if they did not trust in Him, their Creator.

Mankind believed God and trust Him.

The Devil didn't want mankind to trust God.

The Devil lied to mankind.

Mankind believed the Devil's lies.

Mankind stopped trusting their Creator.

The Creator allowed mankind to choose.

Mankind chose death, because God was true- in disobedience- no longer trusting, mankind would surely die.

Death is so much more than the mere ending of our lives. Death is living in the knowledge of death to come, it's living in a world that no longer has God as their all in all, but rather the Devil.

In choosing to believe the Devil over believing God, mankind switched allegiances to the Devil by that choice. 

The Devil- in who sin was birthed, gave to all mankind all that sin entails.

Jesus came to redeem mankind, to buy them back by the sacrifice of HIS LIFE, HIS GODLY, SINLESS LIFE.

We choose to believe that we've been redeemed, and the promise of that redemption is to be revealed fully at the last trump, when Christ shall appear and all those alive and dead in Him, will be reunited to live forever without sin, without death, without fear, without the Devil.

We have HOPE for the future promise to be fulfilled even as we suffer life and all its horrors right here and now.

Our hope is heaven, all else is TEMPORARY to eternity, even the worst of all things we may ever encounter.  And even the most chronic and awful of circumstances that we may endure for years and years and years, are still temporary to eternity! We need to have this HOPE, this eternal hope found only in our SAVIOR, not in ourselves or anything, any situation we are found in here and now in our temporary home.

Please Father, please, we would be YOURS. We would cling to YOU and YOUR promises just as the closest of all to you have had to do, cling to the promises through FAITH even when by all appearances in our lives there should be no hope, in You we MUST hope! 

By YOUR grace and mercy, Lord, by YOUR love now and forever!

In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen! 

We are all equally...sinners.

1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

ONE MEDIATOR between God and men.

So how do people explain their attempts to put others as mediators between them and God?

We have ONLY ONE means of mediation.

Each of as INDIVIDUALS must accept Christ Jesus ALONE as our mediator.

We can ask for prayers from each other, but those prayers are for the ONLY MEDIATOR to intercede for us.  We cannot ask others to be our mediator- we cannot ask for mediators between us and Christ Jesus, there are NONE.  The mediator facilitates the way for reconciliation, and only ONE- Christ Jesus can bring reconciliation and Christ Jesus would have us come to HIM, not to any other.  Christ Jesus did NOT instruct His disciples to look to one another for salvation, but to look to Him for salvation. Yes, we are to pray for each other, and help each other but NEVER put each other, or any human whatsoever, upon a pedestal. We are truly ALL equal as sinners, every one of us! We cannot make any other person a sainted person, special in some unique way. Only GOD knows the hearts of men and only GOD knows the truth of what is within each of us. To put another person as special so as deserving honor and recognition is to say we know their hearts when we can't.  We don't have that power and we aren't expected to have that power. The most saintly seeming person in the entire world could in truth be the most deceptive in the art of satan's counterfeiting ways.  To ask such a one, a human being, to be mediator for us with God, with Jesus, is to be led astray by satan himself.

We are to PRAY to God the Father in Heaven and to Him alone, through the grace and mercy of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

We are NEVER to pray to another, not ever! To do so is to pray to a false god.

We must not be deceived!