"The strangest aspect
of our perilous times is the ominous quiet.
Probably never in his-
tory
has the human race looked so much like sheep marching silently to the
slaughter."
-- physicist
Ralph Lapp, in his book Kill and Overkill
ARMAGEDDON!
HOW SOON?
The Great Tribulation, the Times of the Gentiles, the
“Crisis
at
the Close,” are all prophesied to occur very soon upon
a
rebellious planet. Will you
survive? How much longer
until
we reach Armageddon? When do the
snorting, fiery
Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse begin to bolt from the
starting
gate -- the chute -- and thunder into the night?
William F. Dankenbring
The
Awesome
war has already begun in the
War
clouds are gathering. By the time you
receive this issue of Prophecy Flash, the major war will most likely have
already started.
Once
more, the
Where
is it all leading? What does the future
hold?
·
US Defense Department
officials estimate that Saddam Hussein has 600 tons of chemical weapons and
missiles capable of carrying a delivering them.
·
The
·
Ariel Sharon has
dropped several bombshells recently which have shaken up normally phlegmatic
·
Israeli intelligence
was startled to find out that the Libyan nuclear program was a combined effort
to provide
·
The threat to the
·
The
Intelligence
officials believe that
The
fact is, the
In
another shocking report, intelligence spotters have noted a 60-truck convey
going from
·
Furthermore, revised
intelligence reports indicate that Saddam possesses up to 40 nuclear devises,
including perhaps as many at 10 nuclear bombs and warheads that can be
delivered by fighter-bombers or surface to surface missiles. In addition,
·
When war comes, Arafat
– upon a signal from
The
threat to world peace has never been greater.
Since the bombing of the
Doesn't
sound very rosy for the future, does it?
Alarming trends are taking place around the world. The world has never in its sanguinary history
ever been poised for so great a disaster as it is facing, today!
The
apostle Paul predicted, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times
[times of stress, margin] will come: For
men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers,
without self control, brutal, despisers of those that are good, traitors,
headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a
form of godliness but denying its power.
And from such people turn away!” (II Tim.3:1-5).
Jesus
Christ Himself predicted as to the days at the close of this age, just before
His second coming, “But when you see
The
Messiah also warned, “For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has
not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time,
nor ever shall be” (Mark 13:19).
What
does the future hold? Does Bible
prophecy hold any answers for us, to help us probe into the future, and see
what is going to occur in our near future?
In
a detailed prophecy of the events which will occur on the earth, just prior to
His Second Coming, Jesus Christ told His disciples, “For nation shall rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers
places. All these are the BEGINNING of
sorrows” (Matt.24:7-8). These things
have already begun to happen, and on a stepped up scale!
Jesus
Christ foretold incredible upsets of the weather and the natural order. He declared:
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars;
and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the
waves roaring: Men's hearts failing them
for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the
earth: for the powers of heaven
shall be shaken. And then shall they
see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory” (Luke
These
things have already begun to come to pass, with increasing frequency and
mounting severity.
Following
on the heels of these natural disasters, Jesus foretold widespread religious
deception, apostasy, and persecution upon the true followers of Christ
(Matt.24:9-11). Many false prophets and
religious leaders would rise up, deceiving the many -- charismatic leaders,
religious Neanderthals, and autocratic leaders impressed with their own vanity
and ego. This has happened. Jesus added, “And because iniquity shall
abound” -- wickedness, lawlessness, pornography, obscenity, cursing, gang
violence, immorality, humanism – “the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the END, the
same shall be saved” (Matt.24:11-13).
The
apostle Paul also spoke of this horrible, mind-bending, spine-twisting time of
sheer terror coming upon the earth. He
wrote, “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as
a thief in the night. For when they say,
‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains
upon a pregnant woman. And they shall
not escape” (I Thess.5:2-3).
Coming: GREAT TRIBULATION
Jesus
went on to say, in His famous
Moffatt, in his translation, calls this period of time “the
CRISIS at the CLOSE” (Daniel 12:4, 9).
Daniel prophesied, “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great
prince which standeth for the children of thy
people: and there shall be a TIME OF
TROUBLE, such as never was since there was a nation even
to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one
that shall be found written in the book” (Dan.12:1).
Looking
into the future, into our day, the prophet Jeremiah foretold of this same
indescribable, unique, incredible time!
He wrote: “Alas! for that day is
great, so that none is like it:
it is even the time of JACOB'S TROUBLE; but he shall be saved out of it”
(Jer.30:7).
According
to the War Atlas, since 1945 not a single day has passed without
conflict, war, strife, revolution, or insurrection, somewhere on the
earth. The standing armies of the world,
today, total 32,000,000 soldiers. However,
with complete war mobilization efforts, the nations of the world could field
570 million troops! The annual arms
trade industry hovers around the one trillion dollar mark -- enough money to
permanently solve the
The FOUR HORSEMEN of the
Apocalypse
Another major prophecy dealing with the days ahead of us, the “time of the end,” is found in Revelation, chapter 6. The book of Revelation holds chilling, spine-tingling descriptions of events which will occur in the last days of this present age, leading up to the second coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The time-sequence of events begins with the “four horsemen” of the apocalypse. Notice! We read here of four horses and their riders. They are, in order, white, red, black, and pale. What are they?
“And I saw, and
behold a WHITE HORSE: and he that sat on
him
had a bow; and a crown was given unto him; and he went forth
conquer-
ing, and to conquer” (Rev.6:2).
A
parallel prophecy in Zechariah 6 tell us also of four chariots of horses -- red, black,
white, and “bay.” This prophecy
identifies the four with the four parts of the earth -- the red is connected
with the east, the black with the north, the white with the west, and the “bay”
with the south (Zech.6:1-7). They walk
through the earth. A “horse” is noted
for its military prowess (Job 39:19-25).
These, then, are four mighty military powers, in the four quarters of
the earth!
White
is a symbol of righteousness (Rev.19:8).
The white horse is connected with the west (Zech.6:6, Tanakh). It
represents a mighty military power in the West which has fought the forces of
fascism, Nazism, and Communism. Which
nation or group of nations would that be?
Why, the
“And there went
out another horse that was red: and
power was
given to him that sat thereon to take PEACE FROM THE EARTH,
and that they should KILL one another: and there was given to him
a GREAT SWORD” (v.4)
The
red horse is connected with the east (Zech.6:7, Tanakh).
It is Communism -- remember
“And I beheld,
and lo, a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair
of balances in his hand.
And I heard a voice . . . say, A measure of
wheat
for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and
see thou hurt
not the oil and the wine” (Rev.6:5-6).
The
third horseman -- the black horse -- is connected with the north
country (Zech.6:6) -- that is, modern
“And I looked,
and behold, a PALE horse: and his name
that sat on him
was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them
over the fourth part of the earth, TO KILL WITH SWORD, AND
WITH
HUNGER,
AND WITH DEATH, and with the beasts of the earth” (Rev.6:8).
The
fourth horseman -- the pale horse -- represents the “king of the south” -- the
Muslim world -- and the threat that it poses to the world (Zech.6:6). The leader of this world grouping would be
“And at the time of the end shall the king
of the south PUSH AT HIM:
and the king of the north shall come against
him like a WHIRLWIND,
with chariots [tanks], and with horsemen, and with many
ships [including the
and pass over. He
shall enter into the glorious land, and many countries shall
be overthrown” (Dan.11:40-41).
Note
that by the time this happens, the Western and Northern kingdoms have merged
and have become part of a New World Order!
The ships referred to here can only be a reference to the ships of the
world’s greatest navies, today, those of the
The
“pale horse” of the apocalypse could also represent the growing power of the
ecological movement! The Greek word
translated “pale” in this verse is chloros which
means “greenish, i.e., verdant, dun-colored -- green, pale.” We get our word “chlorophyll” from this
word. The “Green movement” is part of
the ecological movement. Mikhail Gorbachev is prominent in this area. He is the head of Green Cross,
International. At the State of the World
Forum, held at the Presidio, in
In
order for these things to happen, however, the United States in particular,
must be brought into complete conformity with this new world thinking.
The Fall of Modern
The
prophet Hosea records:
“The pride of
Ephraim
[the United States] FALL in their iniquity; Judah [the Jews
and modern
treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children
[lawless and rebellious youth!]: now shall A MONTH DEVOUR THEM
with their portions” (Hos.5:5-7).
However it comes about -- via internal strife and violence,
terrorism, economic collapse, or simply a quiet, subtle takeover by the forces
of the New World Order -- our western nations will end up in dire
circumstances, with economic slavery and loss of freedom and sovereignty. Our enslavement will become complete as our
nations become merged with the New World Order.
Our resources and military will then be used on the behalf of that World
Government. This “New World Order” is
spoken of in the book of Revelation as “
When this world empire is established, it will lead to
World War as Muslims fight “Christians,” and East is
pitted against the West. But before
World War III bursts forth in all its fury, a salient, seminal event will occur
in
Daniel was a prophet greatly
beloved in God’s sight (Daniel
Here we have
clear mention of the sanctuary, or
Daniel was
told, “Understand, O son of man: for AT
THE TIME OF THE END shall be the vision” (verse l7). How plain!
Therefore, here is proof positive that a
This same
end-time tyrant, or evil prince, this same “king of fierce countenance” (Dan.8:23-25),
is also prophesied of in Daniel
This is
clearly speaking of the same spectacular time frame and prophetic event to
occur at the very end of this present age -- the “consummation,” or “time of
the end.” Here again we find mention of a
Daniel, however, was told even more. In Daniel, the 11th chapter, in the longest detailed prophecy in the Bible, Daniel records that this same wicked king, typified by Antiochus Epiphanes in history who defiled the Temple, would “have indignation against the holy covenant,” and “they shall pollute the SANCTUARY OF STRENGTH, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall PLACE THE ABOMINATION that maketh desolate” (Dan.11:30-3l).
What is this “abomination” that causes desolation and desecration?
In the days of Antiochus Epiphanes, it was a statue of Jupiter Olympus, the chief pagan god, which was placed inside the Holy of Holies. But in these last days, the “abominable desolator” will be a man – a human tyrant – who sees himself as the Messiah – as “very God” upon the earth!
We
read the very words of Christ, “When you see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoso reads, let
him understand), then let those who are in
But what is this mysterious event itself? Paul tells us plainly, “Let no man deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away [apostasy from the truth of God!] comes first, and the man of sin [lawlessness] is revealed, the son of perdition [destruction – this megalomaniac will lust to destroy, to brutally ravage the earth, in his quest for total power], who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits AS GOD in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (II Thess.2:3-4).
When this
event occurs, then this monstrous individual will halt the daily sacrifices in
the
The Martyrdom of Saints
After the four horsemen
of the apocalypse begin to ride, dealing death and destruction, and the
“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. . .
. 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” (Rev.6:9-11).
This
great persecution and martyrdom and oppression will occur at the hands of the
Beast power of Revelation -- the New World Order -- modern
“And they
worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast, and
they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the
beast? who is
able to MAKE WAR with him? . . . and
power was given unto him to
continue FORTY AND TWO MONTHS. And he opened his mouth in
blasphemy against God .. . And it was given unto him to MAKE
WAR
WITH
THE SAINTS, and to overcome them: and power was given
him over all kindreds, and
tongues, and nations” (Rev.13:4-7).
The Sixth Seal -- Signs in the Heavens
Jesus
Christ foretold that after that great tribulation, great heavenly signs will
occur. “Immediately after the
tribulation of those days,” He declared, “shall the sun be darkened, and the
moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the
powers of the heavens shall be shaken” (Matt.24:29). The prophet Joel, on the other hand, informs
us, “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, BEFORE the
great and terrible day of the LORD come” (Joel
These
awesome occurrences in the skies and heavens will stagger mankind, causing
terrible fright and anxiety (Rev.6:9-17).
After this, then, comes the final “Day of the Lord” -- the time when God
Himself begins to punish the nations, and bring His divine judgments of wrath
and fury.
The Awesome Trumpet
Plagues
In Revelation,
chapter 8, God says He will then send seven angels with seven trumpet plagues
-- terrible ordeals -- which will in succession
afflict the earth.
Notice
these awesome events. The first four of these will be incredible natural
disasters, including hail and fire cast to the earth -- meteorite showers
causing widespread devastation and destruction (Rev.8:7). The second plague will be a “great mountain”
-- probably a “space mountain” or asteroid -- falling upon the sea, causing a
third part of the sea to become greatly polluted, destroying ships and killing
one third of sea life (Rev.8:8-9). The
third plague will be “a great star” or comet which will fall from “heaven,
burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and
upon the fountains of waters;
. . . and many men died of the waters, because they were made
bitter” (v.10-11).
The Final Three
"Woes"
The
last three of these trumpet plagues -- numbers 5, 6, and 7 -- are also known as
the “three woes” (Rev.8:13). These
represent the final three rounds of WORLD WAR, culminating in the return of
Christ to settle the issue of who will rule the earth once and for all!
Notice! In Revelation 9, the first woe is described
as locusts which utilize chemical warfare, “tormenting mankind for five months”
(Rev.9:1-11). The head of this World
Empire is Satan the devil, working through the Beast (v.11). “Locusts,” in the Bible, are a type of
Assyrian and Babylonian soldiers (see Nahum
This
world power will inflict awesome calamities everywhere -- it is the “king of
the north” (compare Daniel
Following
hard on the heels of this round of World War III, initiated by modern
It
is a fascinating fact, today, that the nation of
The Third Woe - ARMAGEDDON!
At
this point, after billions have already died in natural disasters and worldwide
wars, the devil and his demons will bring all the armies of the earth together,
for one final battle -- to fight against Jesus Christ at His return!
“And I saw three
unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the
dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth
of the false
prophet. For they are
the spirits of demons, working miracles, which go forth
unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, TO
GATHER THEM
TO THE
“And he gathered
them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue,
ARMAGEDDON
. . .” (Rev.16:13-16).
Armageddon! Finally, it will happen. The battle of the ages -- the final conflict
-- the final awesome battle between good and evil! We read about the leading armies in this
final rallying cry for mankind to oppose the rule of God:
“And the ten
horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have
received
no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with
the beast.
These
have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
These
shall MAKE WAR with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them:
for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are
called, and chosen, and faithful” (Rev.17:12-14).
These
ten kings give their power to the Beast for just “ONE HOUR” -- prophetically
speaking. Jesus Christ said that there
are “twelve hours in a day” (John 11:9), and there are 12 months in a year, so
“one hour” evidently equals ONE MONTH in being fulfilled! This final alliance comes together for one
express purpose – to FIGHT AGAINST CHRIST THE MESSIAH when He comes with the
armies of heaven!
Thus
this final alliance refers to a final union of the world which will, apparently
under the auspices of the United Nations, FIGHT AGAINST CHRIST! All the world will be gathered together to
resist Him. All nations will fight
against Him, thinking that He is an invader from outer space, or some alien
intelligence seeking to overthrow the earth!
They
will not succeed, however. For when
Christ returns, “Out of his mouth goeth a sharp
sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of
iron: and he treadeth
the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Rev.19:11-16).
The
“Armageddon!”
Will it really happen? Can it
really happen? Will the nations of the
world unleash their combined military resources upon the returning Son of God,
when He and His armies descend from heaven?
Let’s read the rest of the prophecy:
“And he gathered
them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue
ARMAGEDDON. 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.
And there were voices, and thunders, and
lightnings; and there was a great
earthquake, such as was not since men
were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so
great. And the great
city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the
nations fell: and
great
of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and
the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a GREAT HAIL
out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent
[60-120 pounds];
and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail;
for the plague
thereof was exceeding great” (Revelation
The
word “Armageddon” actually refers to an archaeological ruin of an ancient
fortress located north of
But
notice! There is no mention here of any
“battle of Armageddon.” Rather, the
Scriptures simply state that the armies of the world will once again be
GATHERED there. The actual name of the
battle is revealed in verse 14 -- it is called “the battle of that great day
of God Almighty.” That is its REAL
name!
But
once the nations are gathered, where will the actual battle be fought? The prophet Joel declared,
“Proclaim ye
this among the Gentiles; PREPARE WAR, wake up the
mighty men, let ALL the men of war draw near; let them come
up: Beat
your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks
into spears: let the
weak say, I am strong.
ASSEMBLE YOURSELVES, and come, all ye
heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause your
mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and
come up to the
the heathen round about.
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come,
get you down: for the
press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness
is great.
“MULTITUDES,
MULTITUDES IN THE
the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon
shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their
shining. The LORD
also shall roar out of
the heavens and the earth shall SHAKE: but the LORD will be the hope
of his people, and the strength of the children of
The
battle of that great day of God Almighty, when the nations gather at Har Megiddo, will be fought over
The
The
prophet Zechariah tells us this great battle will be fought over
“And in that day
will I make
people: all that
burden themselves with it shall be CUT IN PIECES,
though ALL the people of the earth be GATHERED
AGAINST IT. In
that day, saith the LORD, I will
smite every horse with astonishment,
and his rider with madness:
and I will open mine eyes upon the house
of
“And
it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to DESTROY
ALL
THE NATIONS that come against
Zechariah
continues his remarkable prophecy:
“Behold, the day
of the LORD cometh, and the spoil shall be divided
in the midst of thee. For I will GATHER all nations AGAINST
JERUSALEM
TO BATTLE, and the city shall be taken, and the houses
rifled, and the women ravished; and half the city shall go
forth into
captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut
off from the
city. THEN SHALL
THE LORD GO FORTH, AND FIGHT AGAINST
THOSE
NATIONS, as when he fought in the day of battle. AND HIS
FEET
SHALL STAND IN THAT DAY UPON THE MOUNT OF
OLIVES,
WHICH IS BEFORE
the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward
the east
and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley;
and half
of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of
it toward
the south” (Zech.14:1-4).
This
great, climactic battle will be the consummation of the age. It will be fought just outside the walls of
Even
the Jews, attacked on every side, will at that final battle fight on the side
of Christ the Messiah. As the prophet
declares, “And Judah also shall fight at
The
Jewish people, by that time, will come to massive national repentance. They will acknowledge Jesus Christ -- Yeshua -- as the true Messiah!
“In that day
shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of
that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and
the house of
David
shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. . . .
"And
I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the
inhabitants of
LOOK
UPON ME WHOM THEY HAVE PIERCED, and they shall
MOURN
for him, as one mourneth for his only son,
and shall be in
bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn”
(Zech.
12:8-10).
For
centuries, Jewish people have rejected Jesus Christ as the true Messiah of
God. They have been misled by jealous
rabbis and leaders who looked upon Him as a threat and who were jealous of His
wisdom, miracles, and effect on the people.
Over the centuries, their rejection became hardened, because of false
“Christians,” who claimed to follow Christ, but whose leaders were masquerading
as the ministers of Christ – false shepherds.
They bathed the world in blood, supposedly “in the name of Christ” -- a
false Christ, a false Jesus (II Cor.11:1-4, 11-15). But soon, many Jews will come to see that the
professing “Christian church” was not Christian at all – they will acknowledge
their mistake. They will awaken to the
truth. And then they will gladly accept
the true Yeshua, the true Jesus Christ, as the true
Messiah of God!
God
says He will save “the tents of
“And this shall
be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the
people that have fought against
away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall
consume
away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in
their mouth.
And
it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD
shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on
the hand of
his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of
his neighbor”
(Zech.14:12-13).
As a good Bible atlas shows, the Kidron valley, or valley of Jehoshaphat, goes along the east side of Jerusalem, then it plunges southward and eastward toward the Dead Sea, and from that low elevation, the Arabah or desert valley extends southward down to the Gulf of Aqaba. As the armies are slaughtered, their blood will flow like a river down this valley. John says, in vivid prose:
“And I looked,
and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like
unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and
in his hand a
sharp sickle.
“And
another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him
that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for
the time is come for
thee to reap; for the HARVEST OF THE EARTH IS RIPE.
“And
he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth
was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple
which is in heaven,
he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar,
which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him
that had the sharp
sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the
clusters of the vine
of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
“And
the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the
earth, and cast it INTO THE GREAT WINEPRESS OF THE WRATH OF
GOD. And the winepress
was trodden without [outside] the city, and BLOOD
CAME
OUT of the winepress, EVEN UNTO THE HORSE BRIDLES, by the
space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs" [two
hundred miles]” (Rev.
14:14-20).
There is so much blood that it reaches a depth
of about six to eight feet, and flows for a distance of over two hundred miles!
This river of blood will flow into the
ARMAGEDDON -- HOW MUCH LONGER?
When
will all this take place? How far off is
this final, climactic, battle of that great day of God Almighty?
Prior
to this final battle, we know that modern
However,
the TOTAL “time of Jacob’s troubles” is not 3 1/2 years, but 7 years --
the same period as the “70th week” of Daniel’s prophecy (Dan.9:24-27,
especially verse 27). This is the “seven
times” punishment which God foretold in the Torah (Leviticus 26:18,21,24,28).
Therefore, from the ONSET of “Jacob's troubles” there would be SEVEN
YEARS till the coming of the Messiah, and the battle of Armageddon!
There
is much reason to believe that those seven years begin with the fall of
1996-1997 -- this very year! Most
Bible chronologies, found in the margin of the King James Version, use the
chronology of archbishop James Ussher,
a brilliant theologian who lived about 250 years ago. He determined that Adam and Eve were created
in 4004 B.C.
According
to Jewish tradition, and the belief of the early Church, God gave mankind a
“week” to fulfill His great Plan. The
first “six” days of that week God gave to mankind to do his own “work.” The final “day,” the “Sabbath” day, represents
the 1,000 year Millennial reign of Christ (Rev.20:4). If the final “day” is 1,000 years, then the
previous six days equal 6,000 years.
The
apostle Peter also tells us that “one day is with the Lord as a thousand years,
and a thousand years as one day” (II Pet.3:8).
However, according to the book of Jubilees, Adam and Eve did not sin
until they had completed “seven years” in the garden
of Eden. Therefore, man’s “days” did not
really begin until Adam and Eve sinned, and were banished from the garden of Eden!
Using
this as a yardstick, then, 4004 minus 7 = 3997 B.C. If we count 6,000 years from 3997 B.C. (that
is, Sept-Oct. of 3998), we come to 2004 A.D. (that is, Sept-Oct. 2003). (Remember, there is no year zero). Notice that in understanding Biblical
chronology, we must remember that God's civil calendar year begins in the fall
of the year -- three months before the Roman calendar new
year and six months before the spring calendar year. Therefore, the beginning of the 6,000th year
from fall 3998 would be fall of 2002, and the end of the year would be fall
2003. But what happens then?
According
to the Jewish calendar, the month of Elul (August-Sept.) is known as the month
of “repentance.” 40 days of repentance
begin in this month, and continue for 10 days into the month of Tishri, the
seventh month (Sept-Oct.). It is
believed that Moses, after smashing the first set of the Ten Commandments, due
to the idolatry of the children of
The
first day of Tishri is known as “Yom Teruah” – the
day of blowing the trumpet, calling people to repentance, a time of shouting,
crying aloud, warning people to get right with God
before FINAL JUDGMENT COMES!
Following the ‘day for a year” principle, the 30 days of Elul could
be interpreted as 30 years at the end of this age – from 1974 to 2004. This period will be followed by the “Ten Days
of Awe,” or “Ten Days of Repentance,” from Tishri 12 to Tishri 10 – from Yom Teruah to Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur pictures the final “reconciliation” of the world to God, that
is, the Second Coming of Christ the Messiah!
These “ten days” could picture TEN YEARS at the close of this age – that
is, from 2004 to 2014.
Another
possibility is that Daniel’s 70th week – a period of 7 days -- pictures 7 years
at the close of this age, and ends with the coming of the Messiah to “finish
the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity,
to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to
anoint the Most Holy” (Daniel 9:24).
This final “week” then could extend from 2004 to 2011 A.D. This would put the final coming of the
Messiah in the year 2011 A.D.
Or,
of course, it could even be sooner than that, for God Almighty says, “Though
the number of the children of
As
Christ Himself declared, “And unless those days would
be shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will
be shortened” (Matt.24:22).
Think
about it. This tottering old world has a
date with destiny. This wicked,
sin-sick, evil society has a rendezvous with God!
The
day of reckoning is fast approaching.
GOD
HAS WEIGHED OUR NATIONS IN THE DIVINE BALANCE, AND WE HAVE BEEN FOUND SEVERELY
LACKING!
A New Look at the “Seven
Seals”
Now let’s recap
what we have studied, and summarize it from a different point of view. In the book of Revelation, the final
traumatic events of this world are disclosed as “seven seals” which are opened
consecutively, one after the other.
The
first of these seven seals is the white horse; the second is the red horse; the
third is the black horse; the fourth is the pale or green horse. The fifth is the “martyrdom of saints” or
“great tribulation.” The sixth is
“heavenly signs.” The seventh consists
of the final seven last plagues poured out in the “Day of the Lord.”
Now
let’s consider. The seventh seal, we
have seen, represents a “day” -- the “day of the Lord.” A “day” is a year being fulfilled. Since the seventh “seal” is one year, it
implies that each of the previous seals is also a year in duration.
Altogether
there are seven seals. In
Leviticus 26, we read of a final “seven times” of punishment upon God's
people
Also,
Daniel”s prophecy of the 70 weeks in Daniel 9 shows
that the final “week” of seven days -- or “years” in being fulfilled -- occurs
just before the second coming of the Messiah to usher in everlasting
righteousness (Dan.9:24-27). Therefore,
the 70th week of Daniel, with “seven days” -- equals seven years, ending with
the coming of the Messiah, as well. So, the seventieth week equals the seven
times of Leviticus 26 which equals the seven seals of Revelation: -- all refer
to the final seven years of this age, which introduce the Messianic Kingdom and
the coming of the Messiah!
Adding
this all up, what do we have? We have,
in the final recapitulation, the following scenario:
The
final year is the year that culminates in the second coming of Christ to put an
end to the destruction of the earth and human life by man. Note the fact that each of these final seven
years is characterized by a special “sign” or symbol. The Chinese also relate each new year to some animal -- the year of the rat, year of the
cat, year of the tiger, year of the snake, etc.
The first four of these Biblical, prophetic final years are the “year of
the white horse,” the “year of the red horse,” the “year of the black horse,” and the
“year of the pale horse.”
Seven
seals = seven years in fulfillment! Each
“seal” is a year of the final “seventieth week” of Daniel 9 and a “time” in the
“seven times” scenario of Leviticus 26.
This entire “week,” then, will be a period of seven years of constantly
increasing woes and troubles throughout the earth. Each year gets worse! Mankind will finally be brought to its
collective knees.
REPENT -- OR PERISH!
Each
year, in effect, God gives mankind a chance to repent. If there is no repentance forthcoming, then
He will increase the pressure, the woes and disasters the following year. Problems will escalate and grow in severity
until a massive world crisis is reached. God therefore commands mankind to
prepare for judgment!
The
Word of God thunders: “The time is
fulfilled, and the
Before
it is all over, Biblical prophecy indicates that billions will die. Before Christ inaugurates His kingdom, the
Kingdom of God, perhaps as much as ninety percent (see Isa.6:12-13; Amos 5:3)
of the earth's population will perish in the disasters, wars, earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions, meteor strikes, comet collisions, disease epidemics, and
nuclear devastation. No wonder Jeremiah
said all faces would be pale, ashen-faced! (Jer.30:6).
The
fiery stallions of the four horsemen have already nervously begun to stamp the
ground, nervously, as they grow more and more agitated, waiting for their
chance to gallop out of the stalls, where they are locked up. Their riders have donned their armor and
grabbed their weapons. Death and hell
and the flames of holocaust accompany them.
Do
you hear them? Do you see them dimly
through the mist and gloom? Do
you see their gleaming red eyes? Do you
hear their rattling sabers? They are
mounting up and preparing to ride!