Trumpets continued...

******* Continuing our prophecy study--  Please GO back and READ the study from the beginning to gain full understanding of where we are if you haven't been following this study daily.  Thank you :)  We are on lesson number 81. God bless you! ******

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.

Again - Taking a lot of information from the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith--

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The Second Trumpet--

'The Roman Empire, after Constantine the Great, was divided into three parts. Hence the frequent remark, "a third part of men," is an allusion to the third part of the empire which was under the scourge.

 This division of the Roman kingdom was made at the death of Constantine, among his three sons, Constantius, Constantine II, and Constans. '  (D&R by U. Smith)

Updated note-DEATH

Constantine maintained his role as a military commander, fighting the Alemani in 328 CE with the assistance of his son Constantius II, defeating the Goths in 332 CE by starving them into submission, and lastly, capturing lost territories from the Dacians (territories that were later lost after his death). His last wish was to conquer neighbouring Persia after their king Shapur II had invaded Armenia. However, it was not to be. In 337 CE Constantine fell ill and died. He had ruled for thirty-one years. He was buried at the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, leaving his empire in the hands of his three sons - Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans with Constantius II eventually defeating his brothers and ruling the entire empire by himself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR DONALD L. WASSON

Donald has taught Ancient, Medieval and U.S. History at Lincoln College (Normal, Illinois)and has always been and will always be a student of history, ever since learning about Alexander the Great. He is eager to pass knowledge on to his students.

From <http://www.ancient.eu/Constantine_I/>

Web Info - Constantius II (Latin: Flavius Julius Constantius Augustus;[1][2] August 7, 317 – November 3, 361), was Roman Emperor from 337 to 361. The second son of Constantine I and Fausta, he ascended to the throne with his brothers Constantine II and Constans upon their father's death

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantius_II

Web Info- Constantine II (Latin: Flavius Claudius Constantinus Augustus)[1] (316 – 340), was Roman Emperor from 337 to 340. Co-emperor alongside his brothers, his short reign saw the beginnings of conflict emerge between the sons of Constantine the Great, and his attempt to exert his perceived rights of primogeniture ended up causing his death in a failed invasion of Italy in 340.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_II_(emperor)

Web Info- Constans (Latin: Flavius Julius Constans Augustus)[1] (c.323[1][2]–350), was Roman Emperor from 337 to 350. He defeated his brother Constantine II in 340, but anger in the army over his personal life and preference for his barbarian bodyguards saw the general Magnentius rebel, resulting in Constans’ assassination in 350.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constans

'Constantius possessed the East, and fixed his residence at Constantinople, the metropolis of the empire. Constantine II held Britain, Gaul, and Spain. Constans held Illyricum, Africa, and Italy.

The sounding of the second trumpet evidently relates to the invasion and conquest of Africa, and afterward of Italy, by Gaiseric (Genseric), king of the Vandals. His conquests were for the most part naval, and his triumphs were "as it were a great mountain burning with fire, cast into the sea."

What figure would better, or even so well, illustrate the collision of navies, and the general havoc of war on the maritime coasts? In explaining this trumpet, we are to look for some events which will have a particular bearing on the commercial world. The symbol used naturally leads us to look for agitation and commotion. Nothing but a fierce maritime warfare would fulfill the prediction.

If the sounding of the first four trumpets relates to four remarkable events which contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire, and the first trumpet refers to the ravages of the Goths under Alaric, in this we naturally look for the next succeeding act of invasion which shook the Roman power and conduced to its fall.

The next great invasion was that of Genseric, at the head of the Vandals. His career reached its height between the years A.D. 428-468. This great Vandal chief had his headquarters in Africa. But as Gibbon states, "The discovery and conquest of the black nations [in Africa], that might dwell beneath the torrid zone, could not tempt the rational ambition of Genseric; but he cast his eyes towards the sea; he resolved to create a naval power, and his bold resolution was executed with steady and active perseverance." [5] From the port of Carthage he repeatedly made piratical sallies, preyed on the Roman commerce, and waged war with that empire. To cope with this sea monarch, the Roman emperor, Majorian, made extensive naval preparations.

(The history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire, Volume 4 By Edward Gibbon, Guizot (François, M.))

"The woods of the Apennines were felled; the arsenals and manufacturers of Ravenna and Misenum were restored; Italy and Gaul vied with each other in liberal contributions to the public service; and the imperial navy of three hundred large galleys, with an adequate proportion of transports and smaller vessels, was collected in the secure and capacious harbor of Carthagena in Spain. . . . But Genseric was saved from impending and inevitable ruin by the treachery of some powerful subjects, envious, or apprehensive, of their master's success. Guided by their secret intelligence, he surprised the unguarded fleet in the Bay of Carthagena: many of the ships were sunk, or taken, or burnt; and the preparations of three years were destroyed in a single day. . . .

"The kingdom of Italy, a name to which the Western Empire was gradually reduced, was afflicted, under the reign of Ricimer, by the incessant depredations of the Vandal pirates. In the spring of each year, they equipped a formidable navy in the port of Carthage; and Genseric himself, though in a very advanced age, still commanded in person the most important expeditions. . . .

"The Vandals repeatedly visited the coasts of Spain, Liguria, Tuscany, Campania, Lucania, Bruttium, Apulia, Calabria, Venetia, Dalmatia, Epirus, Greece, and Sicily. . . .

"The celerity of their motions enabled them, almost at the same time, to threaten and to attack the most distant objects, which attracted their desires; and as they always embarked a sufficient number of horses, they had no sooner landed, than they swept the dismayed country with a body of light calvary." [6]

A last and desperate attempt to dispossess Genseric of the sovereignty of the seas, was made in the year 468 by Leo I, the emperor of the East. Gibbon bears witness to this as follows:

"The whole expense of the African campaign, by whatsoever means it was defrayed, amounted to the sum of one hundred and thirty thousand pounds of gold, about five million and two hundred thousand pounds sterling. . . . The fleet that sailed from Constantinople to Carthage consisted of eleven hundred and thirteen ships, and the number of soldiers and mariners exceeded one hundred thousand men. . . . The army of Heraclius and the fleet of Marcellinus either joined or seconded the imperial lieutenant. . . . The wind became favorable to the design of Genseric. He manned his largest ships of war with the bravest of the Moors and Vandals, and they towed after them many large barks filled with combustible materials. In the obscurity of the night, these destructive vessels were impelled against the unguarded and unsuspecting fleet of the Romans, who were awakened by the sense of their instant danger. Their close and crowded order assisted the progress of the fire, which was communicated with rapid and irresistible violence; and the noise of the wind, the crackling of the flames, the dissonant cries of the soldiers and mariners, who could neither command nor obey, increased the horror of the nocturnal tumult. Whilst they labored to extricate themselves from the fire ships, and to save at least a part of the navy, the galleys of Genseric assaulted them with temperate and disciplined valor; and many of the Romans who escaped the fury of the flames, were destroyed or taken by the victorious Vandals. . . . After the failure of this great expedition, Genseric again became the tyrant of the sea; the coasts of Italy, Greece, and Asia were again exposed to his revenge and avarice; Tripoli and Sardinia returned to his obedience; he added Sicily to the number of his provinces; and before he died, in the fullness of years and of glory, he beheld the final extinction of the empire of the West." [7]

Concerning the important part which this bold corsair acted in the downfall of Rome, Gibbon uses this significant language: "Genseric, a name which, in the destruction of the Roman Empire, has deserved an equal rank with the names of Alaric and Attila." [8]

Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

[6] Ibid., 481-486.

[7] Ibid., 495-498.

[8] Ibid., chap. 33, p. 370.

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Revelation

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.

Taken from the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith-

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The Third Trumpet.--In the interpretation and application of this passage, we are brought to the third important event which resulted in the subversion of the Roman Empire. In revealing the historical fulfillment of this third trumpet, we shall be indebted to the notes of Albert Barnes for a few extracts. in explaining this scripture, it is necessary, as this commentator says, "that there would be some chieftain or warrior who might be compared with a blazing meteor; whose course would be singularly brilliant; who would appear suddenly like a blazing star, and then disappear like a star whose light was quenched in the waters. That the desolating course of that meteor would be mainly on those portions of the world that abounded with springs of water and running streams. That an effect would be produced as if those streams and fountains were made bitter; that is, that many persons would perish, and that wide desolations would be caused in the vicinity of those rivers and streams, as if a bitter and baleful star should fall into the waters, and death should spread over the lands adjacent to them, and watered by them." [9]

It is here premised that this trumpet has allusion to the desolating wars and furious invasions of Attila, king of the Huns, against the Roman power. Speaking of this warrior, particularly of his personal appearance, Barnes says:

"In the manner of his appearance, he strongly resembled a brilliant meteor in the sky. He came from the East gathering his Huns, and poured them down, as we shall see, with the rapidity of a flashing meteor, suddenly on the empire. He regarded himself also as devoted to Mars, the god of war, and was accustomed to array himself in a peculiarly brilliant manner, so that his appearance, in the language of his flatterers, was such as to dazzle the eyes of beholders." [10]

In speaking of the locality of the events predicted by this trumpet, Barnes has this note:

"It is said particularly that the effect would be on 'the rivers' and on 'the fountains of waters.' If this has a literal application, or if, as was supposed in the case of the second trumpet, the language used was such as had reference to the portion of the empire that would be particularly affected by the hostile invasion, then we may suppose that this refers to those portions of the empire that abounded in rivers and streams, and more particularly those in which the rivers and streams had their origin--for the effect was permanently in the 'fountains of waters.' As a matter of fact, the principal operations of Attila were in the regions of the Alps, and on the portions of the empire whence the rivers flow down into Italy. The invasion of Attila is described by Gibbon in this general language: 'The whole breadth of Europe, as it extends above five hundred miles from the Euxine to the Adriatic, was at once invaded, and occupied, and desolated by the myriads of barbarians whom Attila led into the field.' " [11]

The Name of the Star Is Called Wormwood.--The word "wormwood" denotes bitter consequences. "These words--which are more intimately connected with the preceding verse, as even the punctuation in our version denotes--recall us for a moment to the character of Attila, to the misery of which he was the author or the instrument, and to the terror that was inspired by his name.

" 'Total extirpation and erasure,' are terms which best denote the calamities he inflicted. . . .

"It was the boast of Attila that the grass never grew on the spot which his horse had trod. 'The scourge of God' was a name that he appropriated to himself, and inserted among his royal titles. He was 'the scourge of his enemies, and the terror of the world.' The Western emperor with the senate and people of Rome, humbly and fearfully deprecated the wrath of Attila. And the concluding paragraph of the chapters which record his history, is entitled, 'Symptoms of the Decay and Ruin of the Roman Government.' The name of the star is called wormwood." [12]

[9] Albert Barnes, Notes on Revelation, p. 239, comment on Revelation 8: 11.

[10] Ibid.

[11] Ibid., p. 240.

[12] Alexander Keith, Signs of the Times, Vol. I, p. 267-269.

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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!

Taken from the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith--

The Fourth Trumpet.--We understand that this trumpet symbolizes the career of Odoacer, the first barbarian ruler of Italy, who was so intimately connected with the downfall of Western Rome. The symbols sun, moon, and stars--for they are undoubtedly here used as symbols--evidently denote the great luminaries of the Roman government, its emperors, senators, and consuls. The last emperor of Western Rome was Romulus, who in derision was called Augustulus, or the "diminutive Augustus." Western Rome fell in A.D. 476. Still, however, though the Roman sun was extinguished, its subordinate luminaries shone faintly while the senate and consuls continued. But after many civil reverses and changes of political fortune, at length the whole form of the ancient government was subverted, and Rome itself was reduced from being the empress of the world to a poor dukedom tributary to the Exarch of Ravenna.

The extinction of the Western Empire is recorded by Gibbon as follows:

"The unfortunate Augustulus was made the instrument of his own disgrace: he signified his resignation to the senate; and that assembly, in their last act of obedience to a Roman prince, still affected the spirit of freedom, and the forms of the constitution. An epistle was addressed, by their unanimous decree, to the emperor Zeno, the son-in-law and successor of Leo, who had lately been restored, after a short rebellion, to the Byzantine throne. They solemnly 'disclaim the necessity, or even the wish of continuing any longer the imperial succession in Italy; since in their opinion the majesty of a sole monarch is sufficient to pervade and to protect, at the same time, both the East and the West. In their own name, and in the name of the people, they consent that the seat of universal empire shall be transferred from Rome to Constantinople; and they basely renounce the right of choosing their master, the only vestige that yet remained of the authority which had given laws to the world.' " [13]

Keith comments on the downfall of Rome:

"The power and glory of Rome as bearing rule over any nation, became extinct. The name alone remained to the queen of nations. Every token of royalty disappeared from the imperial city. She who had ruled over the nations sat in the dust, like a second Babylon, and there was no throne where the Caesars had reigned. The last act of obedience to a Roman prince which that once august assembly performed, was the acceptance of the resignation of the last emperor of the West, and the abolition of the imperial succession in Italy. The sun of Rome was smitten. . . .

"A new conqueror of Italy, Theodoric, the Ostrogoth, speedily arose, who unscrupulously assumed the purple, and reigned by the right of conquest. 'The royalty of Theodoric was proclaimed by the Goths (March 5, A.D. 493), with the tardy, reluctant, ambiguous consent of the emperor of the East.' The imperial Roman power, of which either Rome or Constantinople had been jointly or singly the seat, whether in the West or the East, was no longer recognized in Italy, and the 'thirdpart of the sun' was smitten till it emitted no longer the faintest rays. The power of the Caesars was unknown in Italy; and a Gothic king reigned over Rome.

"But though the third part of the sun was smitten, and the Roman imperial power was at an end in the city of the Caesars, yet the moon and the stars still shone, or glimmered, for a little longer in the Western hemisphere [empire], even in the midst of Gothic darkness. The consulship and the senate ["the moon and the stars"] were not abolished by Theodoric. 'A Gothic historian applauds the consulship of Theodoric as the height of all temporal power and greatness;'--as the moon reigns by night, after the setting of the sun. And instead of abolishing that office, Theodoric himself 'congratulates those annual favorites of fortune, who, without the cares, enjoyed the splendor of the throne.'

"But, in their prophetic order, the consulship and the senate of Rome met their fate, though they fell not by the hands of Vandals or of Goths. The next revolution in Italy was its subjection to Belisarius, the general of Justinian, emperor of the East. He did not spare what barbarians had hallowed. 'The Roman Consulship Extinguished by Justinian, A.D. 541,' is the title of the last paragraph of the fortieth chapter of Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of Rome. 'The succession of the consuls finally ceased in the thirteenth year of Justinian, whose despotic temper might be gratified by the silent extinction of a title which admonished the Romans of their ancient freedom.' 'The third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars.' In the political firmament of the ancient world, while under the reign of imperial Rome, the emperorship, the consulate, and the senate shone like the sun, the moon, and the stars. The history of their decline and fall is brought down till the two former were 'extinguished,' in reference to Rome and Italy, which so long had ranked as the first of cities and countries; and finally, as the fourth trumpet closes, we see the 'extinction of that illustrious assembly,' the Roman senate. The city that had ruled the world, as if in mockery of human greatness, was conquered by the eunuch Narses, the successor of Belisarius. He defeated the Goths (A.D. 522 [*]), achieved 'the conquest of Rome,' and the fate of the senate was sealed." [14]

E. B. Elliott speaks of the fulfillment of this part of the prophecy in the extinction of the Western Empire, as follows:

"Thus was the final catastrophe preparing, by which the Western emperors and empire were to become extinct. The glory of Rome had long departed; its provinces one after another been rent from it; the territory still attached to it become like a desert; and its maritime possessions and its fleets and commerce been annihilated. Little remained to it but the vain titles and insignia of sovereignty. And now the time was come when these too should be withdrawn. Some twenty years or more from the death of Attila, and much less from that of Genseric (who, ere his death, had indeed visited and ravaged the eternal city in one of his maritime marauding expeditions, and thus yet more prepared the coming consummation), about this time, I say, Odoacer, chief of the Heruli--a barbarian remnant of the host of Attila, left on the Alpine frontiers of Italy--interposed with his command that the name and the office of Roman Emperor of the West, should be abolished. The authorities bowed in submission to him. The last phantom of an emperor--one whose name, Romulus Augustus, was singularly calculated to bring in contrast before the reflective mind the past glories of Rome and its present degradation--abdicated; and the senate sent away the imperial insignia to Constantinople, professing to the emperor of the East that one emperor was sufficient for the whole of the empire. Thus of the Roman imperial sun, that third which appertained to the Western Empire was eclipsed, and shown no more. I say that third of its orb which appertained to the Western empire; for the Apocalyptic fraction is literally accurate. In the last arrangement between the two courts, the whole of the Illyrian third had been made over to the Eastern division. Thus in the West 'the extinction of the empire' had taken place; the night had fallen.

"Notwithstanding this, however, it must be borne in mind that the authority of the Roman name had not yet entirely ceased. The senate of Rome continued to assemble as usual. The consuls were appointed yearly, one by the Eastern emperor, one by Italy and Rome. Odoacer himself governed Italy under a title (that of patrician) conferred on him by the Eastern emperor. And as regarded the more distant Western provinces, or at least considerable districts in them, the tie which had united them to the Roman Empire was not altogether severed. There was still a certain, though often faint, recognition of the supreme imperial authority. The moon and the stars might seem still to shine on the West with a dim reflected light. In the course of the events, however, which rapidly followed one on the other in the next half century, these, too, were extinguished. Theodoric the Ostrogoth, on destroying the Heruli and their kingdom at Rome and Ravenna, ruled in Italy from A.D. 493 to 526 as an independent sovereign; and on Belisarius's and Narses's conquest of Italy from the Ostrogoths (a conquest preceded by wars and desolations in which Italy, and above all its seven-hilled city, were for a time almost made desert), the Roman senate was dissolved, the consulship abrogated. Moreover, as regards the barbaric princes of the Western provinces, their independence of the Roman imperial power became now more distinctly averred and understood. After above a century and [a] half of calamities unexampled almost, as Dr. Robertson most truly represents is, in the history of nations, the statement of Jerome--a statement couched under the very Apocalyptic figure of the text, but prematurely pronounced on the first taking of Rome by Alaric,--might be considered as at length accomplished: 'Clarissimum terrarum lumen extinctum est.' 'The world's glorious sun has been extinguished;' or as the modern power has expressed it, still under the same Apocalyptic imagery--

'She saw her glories star by star expire.' till not even one star remained, to glimmer on the vacant and dark night." [15]

The fearful ravages of these barbarian hordes who under their bold but cruel and desperate leaders devastated Rome, are vividly portrayed in the following spirited lines:

"And then a deluge of wrath it came,

And the nations shook with dread;

And it swept the earth, till its fields were flame,

And piled with the mingled dead.

Kings were rolled in the wasteful flood,

With the low and crouching slave,

And together lay, in a shroud of blood,

The coward and the brave."

Fearful as were the calamities brought upon the empire by the first incursions of these barbarians, they were light as compared with the calamities which were to follow. They were but as the preliminary drops of a shower before the torrent which was soon to fall upon the Roman world. The three remaining trumpets are overshadowed with a cloud of woe, as set forth in the following verses.

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!

This angel is not one of the series of the seven trumpet angels, but simply another heavenly messenger, who announces that the three remaining trumpets are woe trumpets, because of the more terrible events to take place under their sounding. Thus the next, or fifth trumpet, is the first woe; the sixth trumpet, the second woe; and the seventh, the last one in this series of seven trumpets, is the third woe.

[13] Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. III, chap. 36, p. 512.

[14] Alexander Keith, Signs of the Times, Vol. I, p. 280-283.

[15] Edward B. Elliott, Horae Apocalypticae, Vol. I, pp. 354-356.

[*] Edward Gibbon, in History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume IV, chapter 43, pages 273, 274, places the defeat and death of Teias, the last king of the Goths, in A.D. 533. This is the date usually accepted by historians, and is the one used by the author of this book. (See pages 127, 128.)--Editors.

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History.

Does it all fit? Only time will tell. Greater minds than mine have studied all this and put it together. I'm willing to entertain the idea that it fits and will continue to do so as I keep my mind open to be guided by the Lord to all truth.

May God continue to bless us as we seek to understand His word, putting things together as history unfolds.

In His most amazing LOVE. Through the Holy Spirit may we be guided always! Please Lord let us see, let us know all we need to know, let Your love shine through to us in all things. We need Your wisdom, Your righteousness, Your love all by the grace of our Lord and Savior!

Amen.

The Trumpets Sound- History Unfolds

I have a confession to make. I'm not a fan of history. Oh, in a general sense I am but to study it, to make it my profession or hobby, no, it's not something I'm fond of. I don't have a knack for remembering historical facts, I find a lot of historical documentaries boring.  I'm not sure how many people reading this might feel the same way, I'm not even sure anyone is reading this at all, truly only God knows. The reason I'm making this confession is because I just reread the following study for at least the third time and to tell you the truth it seemed confusing to me.  I read the facts and I know MUCH greater minds than mine (as I mention in the study) have figured things out. Now do I believe them? What if my belief is misplaced?  All along we've talked about how important it is to study and to read, to keep the things in this book of Revelation and that will forever be true.  I WILL keep on with the study and I WILL pray earnestly to comprehend what I need to comprehend and I pray YOU do the same. So go ahead and read the following and continue on with the study and may God bless us both with the TRUTH we need to be His which is the most important thing ever. May our confusion one day become enlightened by Jesus our Savior, our Lord now and forever.

AMEN.

******* Continuing our prophecy study--  Please GO back and READ the study from the beginning to gain full understanding of where we are if you haven't been following this study daily.  Thank you :)  We are on lesson number 80. God bless you! ******

The First Trumpet Sounds

So far in our study we have seen that the Seven Churches and the Seven Seals all follow a sort of parallel journey. We need to study the seven trumpets in the same light to keep consistent.

Before the Seven Angels with their trumpets sounded we were given a very solemn scene in heaven where there was silence and then the prayers of the saints in smoke from incense was sent up before God. The censer fire was then tossed to the earth drawing our attention once more back to the earthly and out of the heavenly.

We know factually that with these goings on representing history that we are being pointed to an eventual time when we will all be sealed and Christ will return for us. That same conclusion must be drawn in the seven trumpets as well.

Because history has played a key part in the others and the angels are sounding their trumpets from heaven not leaving heaven just as the angels to the churches revealed, and the seals were loosed in heaven, let's see if history doesn't coincide in some manner with the seven angels trumpets sounding.

The trumpets announce things- some good, some bad. They call to battle, they call to feasts, and even as they call to those things they are announcing them are they not?

Can it be that the announcing these trumpets represent are showing battle scenes?

Let's go to history and see if there isn't a time such as this would describe- political struggles, wars.

Please note- greater minds than mine have studied diligently to produce the facts related here. In fact many great minds have studied this and the consensus seems to be that it 'fits'. So if I point you to a number of things that I haven't personally dug up in the sense that I've become a historian overnight, please understand that I still believe what is being said based on the facts that history reveals so much and God will guide us as He needs to.

In the Seven Seals we were shown a parallel history with the Seven Churches that for the most part aligned with each other to review the Christian era throughout time- God's people throughout time. The Seven Trumpets seem to take on a different point of view and tell the history of the political structure through time.

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.

Taken from the book Daniel and Revelation by Uriah Smith-

'The First Trumpet.--The blast of the first trumpet has it location about the close of the fourth century and onward, and refers to these desolating invasions of the Roman Empire under the Goths.'

'Alexander Keith has justly remarked on the subject of this prophecy: (((Alexander Keith (1792–1880) was a Church of Scotland minister, known for his writings on biblical prophecy.     From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Keith_(minister)> ))))

"None could elucidate the texts more clearly, or expound them more fully, than the task has been accomplished by Gibbon. The chapters of the skeptical philosopher that treat directly of the matter, need but a text to be prefixed and a few unholy words to be blotted out, to form a series of expository lectures on the eighth and ninth chapters of the Revelation of Jesus Christ." [1] "Little or nothing is left for the professed interpreter to do but to point to the pages of Gibbon." [2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gibbon  Noted Historian.

The first sore and heavy judgment which fell on Western Rome in its downward course, was the war with the Goths under Alaric, who opened the way for later inroads. The death of Theodosius the Roman emperor, occurred in January, A.D. 395, and before the end of the winter the Goths under Alaric were in arms against the empire.

The first invasion under Alaric ravaged the Eastern Empire. He captured the famous cities and enslaved many of the inhabitants. Thrace, Macedonia, Attica, and the Peloponnesus, were conquered, but he did not reach the city of Rome. Later, the Gothic chieftain crossed the Alps and Apennines and appeared before the walls of the Eternal City, which fell a prey to the fury of the barbarians in A.D. 410.

"Hail and fire mingled with blood!" were cast upon the earth. The terrible effects of this Gothic invasion are represented as "hail," from the northern origin of the invaders; "fire," from the destruction by flame of both city and country; and "blood," from the terrible slaughter of the citizens of the empire by the bold and intrepid warriors.

After quoting at some length from Edward Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Chapters XXX-XXXIII, concerning the conquests of the Goths, Alexander Keith has presented an admirable summary of the historian's words emphasizing the fulfillment of prophecy:

"Large extracts clearly show how amply and well Gibbon has expounded his text in the history of the first trumpet, the first storm that pervaded the Roman earth, and the first fall of Rome.

To use his words in more direct comment, we read thus the sum of the matter:

The Gothic nation was in arms at the first sound of the trumpet, and in the uncommon severity of the winter, they rolled their ponderous wagons over the broad and icy back of the river. The fertile fields of Phocis and Boeotia were crowned [sic] with a deluge of barbarians: the males were massacred; the females and cattle of the flaming villages were driven away. The deep and bloody traces of the march of the Goths could easily be discovered after several years. The whole territory of Attica was blasted by the baneful presence of Alaric. The most fortunate of the inhabitants of Corinth, Argos, and Sparta were saved by death from beholding the conflagration of their cities. In a season of such extreme heat that the beds of the rivers were dry, Alaric invaded the dominion of the West. A secluded 'old man of Verona' [the poet Claudian], pathetically lamented the fate of his contemporary trees, which must blaze in the conflagration of the whole country [ note the words of the prophecy,--'The third part of the trees was burned up']; and the emperor of the Romans fled before the king of the Goths.

"A furious tempest was excited among the nations of Germany; from the northern extremity of which the barbarians marched almost to the gates of Rome. They achieved the destruction of the West. The dark cloud which was collected along the coasts of the Baltic, burst in thunder upon the banks of the upper Danube. The pastures of Gaul, in which flocks and herds grazed, and the banks of the Rhine, which were covered with elegant houses and well-cultivated farms, formed a scene of peace and plenty, which was suddenly changed into a desert, distinguished from the solitude of nature only be smoking ruins.

Many cities were cruelly oppressed, or destroyed. Many thousands were inhumanly massacred. The consuming flames of war spread over the greatest part of the seventeen provinces of Gaul.

"Alaric again stretched his ravages over Italy. During four years the Goths ravaged and reigned over it without control. And in the pillage and fire of Rome, the streets of the city were filled with dead bodies; the flames consumed many public and private buildings; and the ruins of a palace remained, after a century and a half, a stately monument of the Gothic conflagration." [3]

After making this summary, Keith completes the picture by saying:

"The concluding sentence of the thirty-third chapter of Gibbon's History is of itself a clear and comprehensive commentary; for in winding up his own description of this brief but most eventful period, he concentrates, as in a parallel reading, the sum of the history and the substance of the prediction. But the words which precede it are not without their meaning: 'The public devotion of the age was impatient to exalt the saints and martyrs of the Catholic Church on the altars of Diana and Hercules. The union of the Roman empire was dissolved; its genius was humbled in the dust; and armies of unknown barbarians, issued from the frozen regions of the North, had established their victorious reign over the fairest provinces of Europe and Africa.'

"The last word--Africa--is the signal for the sounding of the second trumpet. The scene changes from the shores of the Baltic to the southern coast of the Mediterranean, or from the frozen regions of the North to the borders of burning Africa. And instead of a storm of hail being cast upon the earth, a burning mountain was cast into the sea." [4]

[1] Alexander Keith, Signs of the Times, Vol. I, p. 241.

[2] Ibid.

3] Ibid., pp. 251-253.

[4] Ibid., p. 253.

*******

History by a renowned scholar uncontested by others for its factual content.

*******

I'm no Bible scholar and certainly no historian, but I'm able to see when things seem to fit.

I could conclude that I'll never understand prophecy and stop looking, stop studying, stop reading, but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to continue to pray and hope that the Lord will guide me to all the truth I need to know so that I may be His when He returns. If, as some suppose, these prophecies have nothing to do with history, time will tell that too but for now as the pieces of the puzzle seem to be falling into place we have to trust that we are being guided in the right direction.

May the Lord bless and keep us in Him now and forever, may the Holy Spirit sent to guide us and keep us in truth do so now and forever, by the mercy and the grace of Jesus Chirst, our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Prophetic Silence and Prophetic Prayers

******* Continuing our prophecy study--  Please GO back and READ the study from the beginning to gain full understanding of where we are if you haven't been following this study daily.  Thank you :)  We are on lesson number 78. God bless you! ******

Rev 8:1  And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

Silence.

Up until this point there had been a constant revealing of things, one after the other. John was shown so much and kept busy. Then pointedly Jesus opens the seventh seal- the final seal on the book that held such importance that it needed to be sealed by these amazing seals that could only be opened by Christ Himself.

The story of mankind since Christ was born was told in the seals. The story of mankind since Christ was born and until Christ returns. These seals are Christ's to open because this is His time, time since He came to earth and gave salvation unto us all. Time foretelling what His people would do with the time, what would transpire over time, what special temptations would come and what trying obstacles would exist. Each seal was broken just as each Church was admonished, each time period foretold and why? So we could look back and see and know. Of course those living during the first seal might not have been able to see themselves so clearly, as well as the second, third, fourth, fifth and so on. Do we- who live in the sixth seal- understand the time we are in? We should, having the clarity of time in the past and yet there are many who are blind and unseeing because they refuse the eye salve that Christ has to give, they refuse the blessing of the Holy Spirit in all truth.

The book of Daniel was pointedly shut up-

Daniel {12:9} And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

History had to take place before this book of prophecy could be understood.

If I took a book and read it then said the following to you, what would you think- "I just ate that book right up!"

What would you assume from such a sentence? That I literally ate a book; paper, leather, ink, and glue? Even if it had no glue or leather and it was more of a scroll it's still paper I'm eating, right? People don't literally eat a book when they say they ate it all up. What they've done is 'read' the book. They've read it and did so in such away they devoured what was written inside for enjoyment or for educational purposes it doesn't matter really because they just read that book so fast it was noteworthy.

Why am I mentioning this at all? Because the little book of prophecy- Daniel's book which was sealed until the time of the end would be unsealed at the time of the end. And we find this in Revelation- a big book of prophecy compared to a book half its size such as the book of Daniel.

Revelation {10:9} And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. {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. {10:11} And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

When the book of Daniel was finally opened to be understood it was as if a curtain had opened upon the Lord's word. Back in the early 1800's this understanding started to emerge. Such understanding of the book unfolded that many, many believed whole-heartedly in what was being told to them about this heretofore undiscovered wealth of prophetic knowledge.

The book of Daniel-another book of prophecy that clearly is understood in light of the history that took place before it could be fully comprehended.

In Daniel you find one revelation, that of the great statue with a Head of Gold, arms and breast of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron, feet of iron mixed with clay. Daniel begins right in the prophecy to foretell what it means--

Daniel {2:31} Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. {2:32} This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, {2:33} His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. {2:34} Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. {2:35} Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

{2:36} This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. {2:37} Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. {2:38} And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. {2:39} And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. {2:40} And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. {2:41} And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. {2:42} And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. {2:43} And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. {2:44} And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. {2:45} Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

-- Do you see? The kingdoms through time until the end of time. We can see clearly what these kingdoms were and are- having the history of time on our side to do so but in the time of the King of Babylon they could scarcely understand that feasibility that there would ever be even a single kingdom other than their own that would reign. Tell me what kingdom wants to believe they might no longer exist in time? Do we even want to believe that one day we would have no distinction of our own? Aren't people still fighting wars even today to possess their own countries to rule? Yet history reveals there was another kingdom just like Daniel's interpretation of the dream revealed and then another and another.

Without the comprehension of history we could not understand the things we understand today by the grace of God and mercy of Jesus Christ by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

So here we have John witnessing Jesus opening these seals that are so amazingly important no other but Him could do so. Seals that depicted time from the time, Jesus returned to heaven as a human conquering death by God.

Just as an owner of a diary owns the key to the lock of that diary, Jesus alone could open the seals and reveal the truth in His word for us in these last days.

Why reveal the truth to us? Because before He returns there will be a group of people alive when He returns and they will be living in Him having never tasted death at all. These people would be translate by Christ and changed to immortality in the air as they meet Him when He returns and these people will know Christ and be known of Christ. These people will understand and know all that has transpired beforehand and they'll be ready for Christ, prepared by the grace of God, enlightened through the Holy Spirit in comprehension of all that is needed to be understood before Christ returns.

As this seventh and final seal on this special book of Christ's is broken there is silence in heaven the space of a half an hour, certainly a notable length of time whether a literal half an hour or prophetic.

Silence.

Perhaps a calm before the storm.

The period of transition for God's people being made ready in Him to their being finally sealed and then the way for Christ's return is complete and the wrath to follow unfolds.

Silence.

No more pleading on the behalf of sinners. All testimony is at an end.

Silence.

No talking. No music. No singing. No sound at all.

Silence for mankind. No admonitions to give because the time is over to listen, to heed the warnings.

Some call silence ominous, a deathly quiet. What do they mean by a deathly quiet? They mean that the dead know nothing, to them the quiet is forever. This silence in heaven is only the space of a half an hour but what a noteworthy half an hour it is.

If at my birthday celebration I open all of my presents but one and each time I tell you what present is in the box I've opened you expect that when I get to the last present to do the same, right? Open it and look then tell you what I've received. If instead of doing that I open the last present then just simply stare at it for a half an hour saying nothing to you at all, and you unable to say anything to me, unable to do anything but wait for time to pass and for me to reveal what is in that last present how long do you imagine that wait will feel like to you? Interminable, yes? Yet the wait is for John isn't it? He's the one being shown these revelations of Jesus Christ. And yet rather than just pick up after the wait without mentioning it, it was a wait that needed to be remarked upon and for a reason.

We were told about this silence a space of a half an hour for a reason. In history during the lulls not many realize they are in a lull. When the chaos and strife ends it's with the hope there will be no more chaos- no more strife, not with the hope that it will reoccur at some point in time. When the lull is over between strife's only then can you mark it as a lull. This silence in heaven after the seventh seal is broken is a period of time and the fact it is in heaven- seen to be in heaven not as an earthy symbol we can only suspect that the silence is that transitional period before God's wrath is loosed. Perhaps there is a slight reluctance to have the beginning of the wrath unfold. Think about it. While it means glory and pure inexplicable joy for many it means the destruction of many, many more. And while Christ will be able to say He's done all He could do and be completely worthy in that, the sadness that the next curtain to rise is the last for a world of un-repentent sinners- sinners that He died for and would have covered with His blood and made white in His righteousness if they would only have let him- that sadness has to be tremendous and beyond anything we could ever hope to truly comprehend. Even if we give analogies such as trying to convince people on a sinking ship, people you love with all your heart, to come into your boat which will take them to safety only to have them refuse, even such analogies fall short of the mark, far short. Christ would have us all and that same Christ wept at the grave of His friend Lazarus, even as he prepared to bring him back to life. The emotion of weeping is a heartfelt sorrow and if Christ wept then how great will be His sadness for the lost? Like the grief we know as humans it goes through stages and Christ's grief for the lost will be great but the victory to come will reign after the wrath of the Father is complete.

Silence.

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 seven angels which stood before God- Remember...

Rev 1:19  Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

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.

These seven angels are standing before God- not in Christ's hand. Are they different angels? It's possible, yes? Then again the symbolic gesture could be that because they were in Christ's hand they were His- just as the seven churches are His people.

Regardless, seven angels stood before God and to them were given seven trumpets. These angels weren't in Christ's hand and they weren't standing before the Lamb that had been slain rather they were before God who was on sitting on His throne. God's angels.

Given trumpets. What is the symbolism of a trumpet in the Bible? It's used the most for making an announcement of a coming event of importance. The same word used here in Revelation is used in Matthew- 24:31 'And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.' And in Corinthians- 14:8 'For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?' 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.

An announcing, and what an announcement these angels will be making. The silence is over.

Just a note here, the angels when John saw them didn't have the trumpets already, they weren't seven angels holding trumpets- the seven angels were given the seven trumpets. By God?

Rev 8:2  And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

Rev 8:3  And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

The same altar where John saw the souls crying out under the fifth seal? The altar of incense- typifying the prayers of the saints.

Rev 8:3 ... having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

The angel stood before the altar with a golden censer- a censer was used to transport coals into the Holy Place of the temple where a special incense was placed upon the hot coals. The incense would make the offerings sweet to God. A golden censer was used on the Day of Atonement. This angel has a golden censer and he was given much incense, not just a tiny bit, or just incense of a normal amount, but MUCH incense- and he was to offer it with the prayers of ALL saints. All saints.

People need to realize just how important prayer is, God hears our prayers we might not believe it to be so and find it hard to imagine someone listening when we seemingly never get a reply, but our prayers are heard. Here in this vision of John's he sees the seventh and last seal broken on the precious book only Christ could break the seals thereof and after a notable silence he watches an angel stand before the alter with a golden censer and sees him given much incense to offer it with the prayers of all saints on the golden altar before the throne of God. The prayers are made acceptable through Christ. The prayers- your prayers, my prayers are offered before God. Prayers offered - to be offered they must be made. Prayer is so important and must not be neglected. Our prayers can't be offered to God if they are not first prayed. Something to consider in these last days we live in.

Rev 8:4  And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

Visualize it, the smoke of the incense rising up before God out of the angel's hand- your prayers, my prayers, the prayers of the saints given to God.

Rev 8:5  And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar…

Typically the censer is filled with coals from the altar of burnt offerings, but here it would be the fire burning on the altar of incense before the throne of God is where the fire is taken from. The prayers have ascended in the smoke, they are no longer there to be offered- they've already been offered and what's left is the fire. The fire which burned the incense which caused the smoke which held the prayers of the saints. The fire mingled with the incense making the prayers acceptable to God. The purifying fire. Christ's righteousness, Christ's sacrifice alone makes our prayers acceptable to God. After the prayers are offered only then is the censer- the carrying instrument- the transporting vessel used again and this time it is filled with fire- not the prayers of the saints but the purifying fire, the wrathful fire that can and will purge the earth.

Rev 8:5  ...and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Rev 8:6  And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Cast to earth the fire ignites the cleansing that is to start. Think about it...

The fire purified the prayers of the saints and made them acceptable to God and now the fire of purification is cast to earth, it's cast there for a purpose. The breaking of the seventh seal on that very special book caused a silence, a prayer offering, all before the beginning of the end. The final seal is broken, all of God's children, all of God's people still alive on earth at this time are sealed and under the protection of Christ, and now the wrath will begin for those who have chosen to shun God, to shun the truths found in Christ and Christ alone.

After the fire is cast to earth there were voices, thundering, lightning's, and an earthquake. Then and only then the seven angels with their seven trumpets lifted them to sound out.

Amazing! This vision, this prophecy. Nothing is hidden as so many suppose. There is no mystery, it's unveiled for us to see, to know, to understand. No wonder those who read are blessed. We are told this would happen and if we think for one moment that history which has proven the prophecies real will stop short of being fully fulfilled, we are in big trouble. Maybe this is a fairytale of nightmarish proportions to some, maybe it's laughable nonsense to others, but to those who truly believe in Jesus we could never toss aside something so important as this message of prophecy given to us to reveal to us what will be and what our part in it could be should we choose to believe.

Satan has done a number on people with the fantastical stories he's concocted making it so that anyone who fancies themselves even a tidbit of an intellectual cannot believe in these words. He's done his job well but Christ did His job a million times better and the offer of salvation is real. The offer to live now for a better world to come, is real. The offer is there for all of us and we just have to grab hold of it and take Jesus into our hearts, minds, and spirit and ask for forgiveness, repenting of our sins and the gift of salvation is ours in Christ, through Christ now and forever.

May our hearts be open to Christ forever! May our prayers ascend to the Father! May we be sealed and accounted worthy only by the blood of the Lamb slain to save us. By His grace and His mercy, in His righteousness alone, by faith all through love.

Amen. 

Prophetic Signs

Signs all around, signs throughout history, signs we need to study, to believe and to wait for. 

******* Continuing our prophecy study--  Please GO back and READ the study from the beginning to gain full understanding of where we are if you haven't been following this study daily.  Thank you :)  We are on lesson number 77. God bless you! ******

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.

Again, there is no horse-no rider- no beast to portray this message to John - rather as soon as Jesus opens the sixth seal John experiences a number of different things all very physical in nature . He beheld instantly- there was no 'coming and seeing', no 'and I looked and saw', these strange sights were seen one after the other in quick succession.

A great earthquake

Sun black as a mourning symbol

Moon as blood

Numerous stars fell quickly to the earth

Heaven departs as a scroll

Every mountain and island moved

Tell me why this sudden departure from seemingly completely symbolic gestures to the physical signs in nature? Why the leap from following the time line of the Seven Churches to seemingly jumping in this time period straight to the end of all things? From the point in time after the sixth angel things would seem to happen very swiftly without slowing down right to the end of time, right?

Seriously, think about it. In about the mid-1800's the knowledge of people all over the world seemed to suddenly spring to life. By the early 1900's people had invented things that would keep the ball in motion right up until where we are today, after thousands of years of seeming stagnation with only little bouts of inspiration. For example, the horse for transportation and such existed for thousands of years- thousands, then suddenly we have cars. The increase in knowledge didn't slow down either after a short burst. We didn't suddenly have one startling change such as having the printing press or other noteworthy yet seemingly singular invents taking place. We had this sudden outpouring of knowledge and it hasn't ceased to this very day and it shows no sign of stopping- people are not getting dumber, or slowing down, the fount of knowledge hasn't been exhausted if anything it's increased exponentially and continues to do so. You take a person from the 1700, 1800's and drop them into the 1900's, or into the new millennium and there would be such shock it would be unbelievable.

The rapidity of events shown to John here in a very physical way are like markers in time. This will happen (when?), this will happen (when?), this will happen (when?), and so on right up to a point we haven't seen it happen and yet having markers along the way tell you something don't they? Think about it.

You're on a trail with markers along the path - will you expect the markers to remain true to form until you reach your destination? You would.

Here are markers in time that are so blatant that to ignore them is to risk ignoring the fact that Christ is returning and the world is as we know it is ending. Following markers is important even if there are varying lengths of time between them. If I'm journeying on a supposedly marked path, I keep on it and hope for the markers even if it seems like a long, long time since I've seen the last marker. That hope for the last marker has to remain and it's through faith that hope stays firm. The hope for the last marker is the hope for the end of the journey.  Christ admonishes the Laodicean church to buy of Him gold tried in fire- faith. Through the early time period of these markers it's easy to follow, to believe, and the sixth church of Philadelphia has this remarkable renewal of faith, a clarity of these markers.

A GREAT EARTHQUAKE -

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, took place on 1 November 1755, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1755_Lisbon_earthquake)

SUN BLACK as the mourning symbol -

The Great Dark Day - New England's Dark Day refers to an event which occurred on 19 May 1780, when an unusual darkening of the day sky was observed over the New England states and parts of Canada. The primary cause of the event is believed to have been a combination of smoke from forest fires, a thick fog, and cloud cover. The darkness was so complete that candles were required from noon on. It did not disperse until the middle of the next night (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_England's_Dark_Day)

MOON AS BLOOD -

Moon Turned Into Blood - "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come." Joel 2:31 May 19, 1780, stands in history as "The Dark Day." Since the time of Moses, no period of darkness of equal density, extent, and duration has ever been recorded. "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come." Joel 2:31.

The moon became as red as blood on the night of the "dark day," May 19, 1780. Milo Bostick in Stone's History of Massachusetts says, "The moon which was at its full, had the appearance of blood."

(http://www.bibleuniverse.com/articles/second-coming-prophecies-fulfilled/moon-turned-into-blood.aspx

"New England's Dark Day" in The Weather Doctor Almanac 2004. Retrieved from http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/almanac/arc2004/alm04may.htm.

"An Account of a very uncommon Darkness, in the State of New England, May 19, 1780" in The Analytical Review, Or History of Literature, Domestic and Foreign, on an Enlarged Plan, p. 519.

^ Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, p. 193 )

Numerous STARS FELL Quickly to the Earth -

Silliman believed the meteor had a cosmic origin, but meteors did not attract much attention from astronomers until the spectacular meteor storm of November 1833.[23] People all across the Eastern US saw thousands of meteors, radiating from a single point in the sky. Astute observers noticed that the radiant, as the point is now called, moved with the stars, staying in the constellation Leo

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteoroid )

The meteor storm of 1833 was of truly superlative strength. One estimate is over one hundred thousand meteors an hour,[2] but another, done as the storm abated, estimated in excess of two hundred thousand meteors an hour[3] over the entire region of North America east of the Rocky Mountains. It was marked by the Native Americans, slaves and owners, and many others. That same 1833 shower, near Independence, Missouri, was taken as a sign to push the growing Mormon community out of the area.[3]

(http://www.answers.com/topic/leonids)

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Heaven Departs as a Scroll

Every Mountain and Island Moved

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Now we come to a time when the heaven departs as a scroll- how does a scroll depart when it's rolled together? If you have a scroll laid out on a table you put weights down on the corners to hold it open, don't you? It's hard to study otherwise, unless you are just going to stretch out your arms and put your hands on it to keep the two halves from closing. What happens when you lift the weights, or your hands? It snaps back into place doesn't it? And very quickly at that.

So the heavens departing in a snap - has this happened? We've breached the atmosphere sending shuttles into space and still the sky doesn't snap away does it? Surely we'd know. We've set off atomic bombs which have sent mushroom clouds billowing upwards spreading the poison it contains for miles, but have the heavens departed? No.

This is a marker in time that HASN'T OCCURRED- in fact the last marker would be in 1833 almost 183 years ago. Time indeed for the waters to become lukewarm.

This day is coming there is no doubt about it, and only those who are not lukewarm, but found counseled by Christ will escape the dreadful coming of the end of times for those not found safe in the righteousness of Christ.

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?

John saw this amazing trail of events and then it ended and he was seeing after those things - this:

Rev 7:1  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.

The angels of God are holding in check the strife that would come upon the earth should they not hold it back. Why are they holding it back? Because of this...

Rev 7:2  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,

Rev 7:3  Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

Rev 7:4  And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Rev 7:5  Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

Rev 7:6  Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

Rev 7:7  Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

Rev 7:8  Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

Those that are God's in this time before the angels fully release the winds of strife will be sealed. Sealed how? If I give my seal of approval it means nothing unless- say you are my child- my son or daughter. They do something and I approve, giving them my seal of approval and it means a lot to them, it shows my approval of them which they hold in high esteem. If God seals us we are sealed as being His. We are given a mark that reveals that we are His and He approves of us.  God approves of our total reliance upon the Son of God for all things, for allowing Christ's righteousness to reign in us, for accepting fully the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

After the sealing John was allowed to see this:

Rev 7:9  After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

Rev 7:10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

Rev 7:11  And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

Rev 7:12  Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Amazing! Such a glorious sight! John witnessed the saints throughout time gathered before the throne of God, the angels, the elders, the beasts all of them fell before the throne and worshipped God! Truly this was an amazing sight to behold. God reigns forever in all blessing, all glory, all wisdom, all thanksgiving, all honor, all power, all might to God! Forever and ever!

Was John through with this vision yet? No. One of those 24 elders before the throne spoke to John as he witnessed the wonder of things to come.

Rev 7:13  And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

The elder wanted to know what John thought he was seeing. He asked- What are those in white robes and where did they come from? John answers--

Rev 7:14  And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest.

He doesn't presume to know does he? He doesn't launch into some speech about who he thinks they are or where they come from but he tells the elder that the elder himself knows. He doesn't even ask that it be revealed to him, but lets the elder decide if that is something he wishes to reveal and he does...

Rev 7:14  ...And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Rev 7:15  Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

Rev 7:16  They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

Rev 7:17  For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

How amazing! How beautiful! John is told the truth of the whole matter.

Those who come through the great tribulation- for what other tribulation is there than to fight in the war of good and evil and prevail through Jesus Christ our Savior?

This is a battle we ALL fight in, we are all called to war in it by our very birth.

Those who take their own filthy garments of unrighteousness and wash them in the blood of the Lamb are truly making them white in His righteousness, pure in the only righteousness that exists anywhere- the righteousness found alone in Christ.

Those who do this, who claim Christ's righteousness will stand before the throne of God- they will serve him always in his temple and that is wherever He dwells. No more hunger of any type! No more thirst of any kind! No more sun and heat to burn us and we will be fed by Jesus! We will be taken to the living fountain of water! And GOD shall wipe the tears from our eyes! Tears that we know so well, so deeply, agonizingly felt for all that goes on around about us.

May God bless and keep us! May God accept us through the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, now and forever may we be found in Him forgiven by Him as we ask for forgiveness and repent of our sins.

By His grace!

Amen

Killed for Christ

Killed for Christ.  Could you be killed for Christ? Would you die for your faith in Christ?  I like to think I would, and ONLY through His mercy and grace would I be able to, not by my own will or strength at all whatsoever.  People do die for their belief in Christ…

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/03/08/beheadings-imprisonment-made-2015-worst-year-for-christian-persecution-report-finds.html

http://www.clarionproject.org/news/100000-christians-being-killed-faith-yearly


******* Continuing our prophecy study--  Please GO back and READ the study from the beginning to gain full understanding of where we are if you haven't been following this study daily.  Thank you :)  We are on lesson number 76. God bless you! ******

Rev 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:
Rev 6:10  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?
Rev 6:11  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 fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

The first thing of note is the fact when Jesus opens the fifth seal John isn't called by one of the four beasts and told to come see, also there was no horse and rider depicting a journey through time here.

John watches the fifth seal being opened by Jesus and then instantly sees the altar. Where does an altar usually dwell? In a temple, right. There John sees the altar and the vision of those who died for their faith in Jesus and the word of God. Where else would such a vision exist? Just as Abel's blood cried out from the ground, just as rock cried out of the wall, the beam out of the timber - (Habakkuk 2: 11.)

Hab 2:11  For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.

 Just as an ass was made to talk- these things happen depicting situations that are uncommon, not usual. Seeing the slain souls just like seeing the horses of the previous vision this is exactly what they are- visions of the unusual. Do you see red horses typically? No. Do you typically see riders holding balances? These are symbolic visions holding important messages and as John saw the souls under the altar do you really believe he could have seen ALL those slain for God, for Christ there? They would be innumerable and wouldn't fit under an altar. Symbolically it's realistic to understand that this vision in this time period is encompassing all those slain for God, for their beliefs in God. Those, who when faced with the prospect of death, if they do not deny Christ, those who would rather die than give up the truth in God, these are those people under the altar. ~

Are people today being slain for the word of God?

Go to this website-

http://www.persecution.com/

And here-

Christian Deaths Climb in Eritrean Prisons

Wednesday, August 10, 2011 (6:27 am)
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent

ASMARA, ERITREA (Worthy News)– Three Christians imprisoned for the testimony of Christ have died during the past months in Eritrea, including a 42-year-old man in solitary confinement Friday, according to a Christian support organization.

Pasted from  

(If you want more CURRENT news by all means there is a lot out there. In 2016 Christians are still dying for Christ- a lot of them.)

The answer is- yes! People are being killed today for the Word of God!  We might not experience it here in the United States so much, but it is happening and we can't turn a blind eye to it all, we just can't.

Up until the Lord's return there will be those dying for the Word of God.
~
The question of how long is a question people put to themselves even now. How long before Christ returns- because only after all that MUST come to pass has come to pass- can true vengeance belonging to the Lord be enacted.

This time period, if as with the others, coincides with the seven churches, would last approximately 200 years, between 1500 and 1700. During this time we know the reformation began and people began to sail to a new land where they could practice their religion out from under the thumb of the papacy where they would not be under religious persecution such as was going on in such a widespread manner elsewhere.

This little season of rest perhaps indicates the escape of many who otherwise would have perished under the ongoing papal persecutions as people began to move away from their staunch Catholic beliefs.

Being given white robes means what? They were being covered by Christ's righteousness, they were being given the assurance of their sacrifice; and where it says they should rest until their fellow servants and brethren should be killed as they were should be fulfilled- surely this means there would be more who would sacrifice themselves for Christ, for their faith. In truth this meant not all would be able to escape, not all the souls that would be sacrifice were there and only when all of them were there could Christ avenge them together.

True vengeance for those martyred in Christ is only complete when death is swallowed up in the victory and the last of death is destroyed once and for all.

May God bless us all as we continue to study His word to find truth and understanding through the Holy Spirit's guidance. By the grace of Jesus Christ may we all be found in Him, and if called to die for Him, for the truth and faith in Him, may we do so in His strength. His will be done now and forever.


Amen