THE BOOK OF REVELATION ~
The Revelation of Jesus Christ
[Revelation Chapter 6 to Revelation Chapter 10]
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
~ The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Revelation Chapter 6
Before we look into this chapter 6, let me state a few important facts concerning the scroll that was sealed with seven seals (cf. Rev.5). The majority of “Endtime Message” preachers believe that the Seven Seals were opened in 1963 by Bro. William Marrion Branham, the Seventh Angel to the Seven Church Age. They believe that the Seven Seals could be opened only sometime in the future towards the close of the Church Age because the Book of Revelation is a prophetic book.
I firmly believe that such exegesis is completely wrong. The Book of Revelation clearly shows us that the Lamb took the seven-seal scroll from the right hand of the Almighty One who was sitting on the throne. He then began to break and open the Seven Seals one by one. This took place sometime in the year 96 A.D. , when the Apostle John was given the privilege to be the only earthly witness. When each seal was broken something happened. The 'contents' of each and every seal were unveiled and displayed to John but in symbolic form. However the full revelation of the Seven Seals was given to the saints only in 1963. The revelation of the seals enables the saints to know what is going to take place in the future and to know what had already taken place in the past. But the early saints might only be able to understand in fragments what those prophetic symbols were supposed to depict concerning the future events ahead of their time.
So it is clear that there is an opening, a revealing and a fulfilling for each seal. The Seven Seals on the “title deed” actually stood in the way of full redemption being realized. Therefore they had to be broken. That was why the Lamb had to peel off and break loose the seals one by one. When each seal was broken and loosen, the 'contents' that were revealed would have to be fulfilled. And each fulfillment of the 'contents' brought redemption a step closer to full realization. When the Seventh Seal was opened the whole “title deed” could be unrolled to reveal its entire contents which were written on both sides (cf. Rev.5:1-4). Only when the Seventh Seal is fulfilled can all the contents (of the scroll) be claimed.
Here's a little information about ancient scrolls. An ancient scroll usually contains writing arranged in small columns on a length of papyrus with a wooden roller attached to each end of it. The rollers are slightly projected to serve as handles. The papyrus is rolled or unrolled by means of the two roller-handles. When important scrolls are transported or stored they are rolled up (closed) and secured with strings or wrapped up completely with a large piece of cloth.
The seven seals placed on the scroll (in John's vision) were most probably seven bands of clay encircling the closed (rolled up) scroll with the owner's signature of sorts impressed on each of them.
Now, with the revelation given in 1963, we should understand what John had seen in his vision as the Lamb opened the Seven Seals.
● The First Seal
Verse 1: And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
Notice that when the First Seal was opened, John heard one of the four living creatures give a command with a voice like a “noise of thunder”. When seven angels visited Bro. William Branham in 1963 during a hunting trip in Arizona, U.S.A. there was a thunderous blast. This thunderous blast does not provide the link which makes the Seven Thunders mentioned in Revelation Chapter 10 equate with the Seven Seals when they are opened. This is a common fallacy found among the Branhamites.
The actual command or announcement given was “Come!” and not “Come and see!” The word “come” may also be translated as “go”. It was directed at “something” that appeared when the first seal was opened. It was not directed at John. The command “Come!” was given each time one of the first four seals was opened. Each of the four living creatures around the throne of God took their turn in announcing the opening of the four seals. “The first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle” (Rev.4:7). The order in which they appeared was important because that was God's counter-measure to combat the Antichrist spirit which went out of Satan's domain in four successive and intensifying ways throughout the Church Age as symbolized by the white horse, the red horse, the black horse and the pale horse.
Verse 2: 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 conquering, and to conquer.
When the lion-like living creature raised his voice like thunder and said, “Go!” John looked and saw a White Horse go forth with a Rider on its back. He had a bow and was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Now, the White Horse and its Rider which John saw in this vision did not come out of the written scroll or the “title deed” when the first seal was broken. Some preachers have the mistaken notion that the White Horse and the Rider actually came out of the written scroll when the seal was opened. They interpreted that the White Horse and its Rider were parts of the written mystery in the scroll. They have the same interpretation for all the Seven Seals. However, the truth is that the vision was a result of the opening of the seal itself. It had nothing to do with what was written in the scroll. Nothing came out of the scroll. Nothing sneaked out of the scroll. Nothing was read out of the scroll because the scroll was still sealed with the other six seals.
In Bible prophecies an animal usually symbolizes a powerful and dominant movement or belief — an ISM, which may be religious or political, or both. There is a spirit behind every ISM. For example, China is governed by COMMUNISM and is represented by the Oriental Dragon. Communism is both a religious and a political ideology. It is moved by an anti-God spirit through the “head” of the beast, the governmental leaders.
[Addendum : Religion and State in Communist China .
Despite Communist rule since 1949, China has maintained its vibrant spirituality and religiosity for the past 7 decades. The purpose of this research guide is to understand the complexity of religious life in China and its historic relationship with an atheist state.
China is the largest country in the world by population, and its people practice a diverse range of ancient Chinese worship to imported Western regions and Islam. The first section of this guide will provide an overview of spiritual worship, religious practices and important religious sites in China. These sources will also provide information on the demographical distribution of religion, social structure of religious communities and religious-ethnic minorities.
The state’s policy approach to religion changed drastically from the Mao Zedong Era (1949-1976) to the Reform Era following Mao’s death. However, both Mao and Reform Era leadership utilized religious toleration to meet their political purposes. In alignment with Leninist-Marxist Communism, Mao cracked down on religion to elevate his political status, which in turn generated the Cult of Mao. On the other hand, Reform Era leadership opened up religious worship in the 1980’s to control threatening groups and prevent them from going underground.
Today China is experiencing an increased frequency of public protests and a major upsurge in religion, specifically Christianity. Also, religious sites and temples are an important part of the Chinese tourism economy.
How can we explain this seemingly paradoxical coexistence of religion and communism? How can China truly consider itself to be an ideologically Communist State in Marxist terms with its current policies? ]
Every nation and empire of the world, beginning with the Babylonian Empire of Nimrod (cf. Genesis 11), is basically founded upon a religious principle or idea. When the religious principle or idea catches on among the people a movement, an ISM, is formed. The group will develop into a tribe with a certain political identity. Through time it will become a nation and, through aggression, may become an empire.
At this juncture, we shall briefly take a look at the two Beasts and the Image of the Beast described in Revelation chapter 13 and see what they symbolize. The First Beast that came out of the sea is identified with Romanism in its final stage. It was a composite beast that embodied the spirits of the other beasts which came before it. The way this beast was shown to John shows us that it had come a long way from the time of Abraham because it was the SEED OF ABRAHAM “through the righteousness of faith” (Romans 4:13) that Satan wanted to destroy. The Second Beast which came out of the land is identified with Americanism. The Second Beast (Americanism) would cause the people to create an Image to the First Beast (Romanism or Roman Beast). The Image to the First Beast is identified with Ecumenism (the Ecumenical Movement).
Now, after the First Seal was opened, John saw a White Horse which had a Rider with a bow and a crown was given to him, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. Here we see Satan's counterfeit move in opposition to the Holy Spirit of God.
Satan has always been in direct opposition to the working of God in His people. When God sent Moses on the scene, Satan sent Balaam. Moses prophesied and his prophecies came to pass; Balaam also prophesied and his prophecies came to pass, too. Moses was God's anointed one; Balaam was the false anointed one. When God sent Jesus as the Christ to His people, Satan opposed that move by sending Judas Iscariot, with an antichrist spirit, to betray Christ. One Spirit leads to Life, the other leads to death. These two opposing SPIRITS have actually been in combat since the time of Eden. They will continue until Christ Jesus returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth.
After His ascension, Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit upon the Church. This Holy Ghost power in the saints moved them to be witnesses of the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God's Word “unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). Now, this White Horse that came forth out of Satan was a move not only to oppose but also to counterfeit God's work. White symbolises purity and the horse represents the power of the Word. Satan had knowledge of all that. Jesus Christ and His saints were seen (in John's later vision) riding on white horses (Rev.19:11-16).
Satan produced his counterfeits not long after the Church started. His counterfeits appeared so much like the real works of God. In a shrewd way Satan began to move the people away from the true revelation of God's Holy Word. It was a very subtle move. But how did Satan do it? Just as the Spirit of God worked through man, Satan also did his work through man. Satan had many false prophets. And he had his man on the horse — “and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer”. It was the year 53 A.D., the year Apostle Paul wrote to the saints in Thessalonica telling them that “the mystery of iniquity doth already work” (2 Thessalonians 2:7a; For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. ). It is the spirit of antichrist working through men (making them antichrists in the flesh) who create counterfeits of the works of the Holy Spirit in the Church. The wheat and the tares had already began to grow together in the Church (cf. Matthew 13). Later, while at Miletus during his third missionary journey, Paul warned the Ephesian elders saying, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30).
Our Lord Jesus had prophesied that Satan's counterfeit of the work of God in the last days would look so real like the genuine one that it would deceive the very elect if it were possible (Matt.24:24). But, thank God, it is not possible for Satan to deceive God's elected ones.
Notice that the Rider on the White Horse had a bow with no arrow. It means that he was a bluffer; he was just impersonating a conqueror. He did not even have a crown but was later given one. It again shows that he was not the real McCoy — he was not what he pretended to be — he was not born of royalty. What a sham! Yet, he rode out like a conqueror bent on conquest. Satan was impersonating Christ of whom King David sang about in Psalm 24: “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.” That's right. Jesus Christ is the King of glory. He is the Word of God, holy and invincible. He cannot be hindered by any circumstances and is not afraid of any enemy. Amen. Satan has found himself up against the spirit of the Lion!
As the antichrist spirit started to move in the Early Church in this white innocent form, Satan began to create a system that appealed to the religious carnal mind. It was something that charmed and lured the people in the same way the Serpent beguiled Eve in the garden of Eden. Generally most people just see with their eyes rather than seek to understand with their hearts (cf. Isaiah 6:10 ; Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” ). Also, people are attracted to big, powerful and beautiful things. So Satan began to dress up the clergy and bestow impressive titles on them (based on the doctrine and practice of the Nicolaitans). He also introduced rituals that had the appearance of godliness. And as the carnal mind accepted them, Satan continued to add things that had a form of godliness but without the power of the Word of God. In this manner Satan gradually led the Church away from the leadership of the Holy Spirit of God in the 5-Fold Ministry. Of course, those who were deceived did not belong to the fold of Christ in the first place. John wrote in his epistle concerning this offshoot, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us” (1 John 2:18-19). Later, this separated group fell prey to the false teachings of Balaam which brought them spiritual death, and finally they allowed the woman “Jezebel” to be their spiritual teacher and leader (cf. Rev.2:14,20).
By the time of the Third Church Age (Pergamos) the antichrist spirit had conquered the souls of many worshippers as he rode, following the trail of the true ministry, from Jerusalem through the Land of Israel, all the way through Asia Minor and up to Rome. It was during this same age that the Rider was finally given a crown. This was made possible by the 'conversion' of the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great, who united the church and state. Then the white horse rider had a recognized state church with the privilege of earthly power.
Even today the spirit of the White Horse still continues to conquer the souls of men. But the standard of the Lion of God also prevails in this hour to contend for the faith delivered to the children of God. The spirit of the Lion, which is in Christ Jesus, is the authority that God has put in the Apostolic office in the Church. It was in the Early Church and it is also present in the “Endtime” Church. And all the true ministers of God are motivated by the “Lion” spirit. Despite what the Organized Church may say, the “Lion” ministry has never moved out of the Church.
●The Second Seal
Verse 3: And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
Verse 4: And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
When the Lamb of God opened the Second Seal, the second living creature cried, “Go!” and John saw a Red Horse. When Satan realized that he could not lead the people totally away from the Word of God because the “Lion” spirit was guarding It and also the true worshippers had discerned his impersonation of the true Spirit of Christ, he set off another horse — a red one. But the Rider who sat on it was the same personality that sat on the White Horse, except that his garb was changed. A change of garb meant a change of role. In his pursuit, the antichrist was given the power not only to take the peace from the earth but also to spill the blood of the saints of God with a great sword (Greek: “machaira”) — a sword of war.
The Red Horse was on the scene at about the end of the Second Church Age. Satan, who had already created a spirit of hatred towards the Jews and the Christians, moved the Roman Empire against the true worshippers of our Lord Jesus Christ and had many of them killed. When Pagan Rome became Papal Rome, which was the 7th head on the First Beast, Satan's success was at its height. The Red Horse Rider's great sword became real bloody from the 4th Century A.D. onward. Jews were killed because they were 'Christ-killers' or 'the plague of the earth'; Christians were killed because they were 'protestants' of the Roman Catholic Church; and many of the non-Jews or non-Christians were also killed because they just happened to be in the way. The great sword is still bloody today in certain countries but in a more subtle way because of political involvement.
It has been calculated by authentic historians that from 354 A.D. to the 18th Century, right through the Reformation Period, the Religious Roman Beast had shed the blood of no less than 68 million people in order to establish her unfounded claims to religious dominion. (This historical fact is found in “The Glorious Reformation” by S. S. Schmucker, D.D., Printed 1838.)
The Red Horse and its Rider were confronted by the spirit of the Ox — the second living creature. This spirit in the Christians of that period caused them to labour hard to the extent that they willingly sacrificed their lives. Hundreds of thousands of Christians willingly sowed their lives as martyrs and their sowing had not been in vain; for out of their sowing came forth the “Glorious Reformation”.
The Third Seal
Verse 5: And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
Verse 6: And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
When the Third Seal was opened, the third living creature said “Go!” This third living creature, which had the face of a Man, was there to face the Black Horse and its Rider. Under this Third Seal, Roman Catholicism literally ruled the world for about a thousand years. But it was a “black” time. This period is known in history as the Dark Age. It started from the 5th Century to the 16th Century.
Under the move of the Red Horse the Rider was killing all those who opposed, or refused to submit to, the power of Rome. Many of those Christians who had discerned the antichrist's move under the Red Horse were killed. Many went into hiding or were lying low to avoid detection. Whilst the Red Horse continued its atrocious activities, Satan sent out his Black Horse with its Rider carrying “a pair of balances in his hand”. During the rule of Papal Rome, inflation and scarcity of food were such a problem that “a measure of wheat” or “three measures of barley” cost “a penny (denarius)”. A man's daily wage was just enough to buy a day's nourishment of wheat or barley for himself but not enough for his family. Of course the true believers suffered serious deprivation of food. Prophetically, these words speak of Papal Rome making money by selling her so-called 'religious truths' to the people who would bow to her leadership. The Antichrist was selling man-made dogmas which he passed off as God's Truth. He would introduce dogmas according to his whims and fancies to make money out of the people.
The followers of the Papal system were greatly deceived because they were ignorant, superstitious and fearful. They were especially fearful of purgatory's pains that they would pay a priest large sums of money to pray for the souls of their deceased loved ones to escape from purgatory (something which the Papacy had invented to deceive the people). They had to pay money to have communion with God. They had to pay money to have their sins forgiven. They had to pay money when they wanted to get married or when a child was born or when someone was sick. Literally, the people had to pay money to the church for almost every religious and perverted indulgence 'ordained' by the Papacy. But what unholy indulgences! The Roman Catholics are still having the same indulgences today. No wonder the Vatican City is one of the richest nations in the world. Papal Rome will never change its religious or political scheme.
When Papal Rome came into power and ruled the world with her unholy “gospel”, time stood still in every realm. Everything that was good and beneficial to mankind came to a standstill. Knowledge in every field of science ceased to increase. Plagues, diseases and poverty scourged the earth with death. Foods were scarce. Flourishing cities became depopulated or simply crumbled. Evil works were rampant. Superstitions won the day. It was a time of great darkness. This period of the Black Horse was the heyday of Satan and his Roman Catholic wife.
Then the living creature that had the face of a Man possessed the wisdom of man to confront the spirit of the Black Horse. Through Martin Luther the spirit of wisdom condemned the indulgences that were harmful to the salvation of mankind. He contended that there was no Scripture for trading in indulgences and that it only encouraged people to sin. Luther stated his arguments in 95 Theses and nailed them to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on 31st October, 1517. That day was the beginning of the Age of Reformation throughout Europe. Throughout this period the spirit of man's wisdom was found also in many other men of God; some of whom were Bucer, Zwingli, Calvin, Cranmer and Knox. And the Gospel light began to shine brightly out of the great darkness created by Rome. The message was clear and simple: “the just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). As the people began to follow the light, the spirit of Papal Rome could no longer hold them. Many people were converted to the Word of God. Gradually people came out of their ignorance and shed their superstitions. Even progress were made in the different fields of science. Yes, the Religious Roman Beast had received a deadly wound (cf. Rev.13:3).
Throughout the Dark Age the spirit of the Black Horse and its Rider could not hurt “the oil and the wine”. In Biblical days, oil and wine were two basic necessities which travellers would carry with them on their journeys (cf. Luke 10:34). Natural wine and olive oil were used in cleansing and healing of wounds. The wine was especially used in reviving a wounded and weak person. Prophetically, the oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit and His anointing, and the wine the stimulation of the revelation of the Word of God by the anointing of the same Spirit. Praise the Lord! The Satanic Rider on his Black Horse could not deprive the true believers of the spiritual food of the Lord Jesus. He could not touch that Life of God! The Holy Spirit saw to it that God's elect for that hour received the joy and revelation of the Word. He led those who reached out to the Lord to receive God's anointing and get a stimulation on His Word of Life. Hallelujah!
● The Fourth Seal
Verse 7: And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
Verse 8: And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
At the opening of the Fourth Seal, the fourth living creature — the Flying Eagle — cried with a loud voice, “Go!” and there went forth a Pale Horse. Its Rider was Death and Hell followed him closely and they were given the power to engulf and detain their victims.
Now, in the original Greek the “pale” horse is actually a “green” horse. The word is “chloros” which means “greenish, verdant”. Bible translators chose the word “pale” to describe the horse because the Rider was Death. The word used was close to the truth. However, the actual colour of the horse, in the language of the Orientals, was “black-green” 黑 绿 Hēi lǜ (blackish green). “Black” describes “dying, death” and “green” describes “living, life”. Remember how that the previous horse was black with its Rider carrying a pair of balances in his hands but that the spirit of man's wisdom bruised the head of the Papal Beast. It was dying; truly it was black. But then, Satan set off a “green” horse. What was he trying to do? He was trying to revive the bruised head of the Religious Roman Beast. It was his last and final move against God. And it is happening in this last age — the Laodicean Church Age.
Now, when we look closely at the “blackish-green pallor of death” tissue of a horse we would realize there is a mixture of “white”, “red” and “black” which we cannot see separately. The same is true concerning the Pale Horse. And this is the age during which the Pale Horse is being ridden by its Rider called Death. He is trying to unite the churches of the world to form a One World Church which reflects the Image of the First Beast that John saw in his vision.
Satan did succeed in reviving the head that was wounded to death (cf. Rev.13:3) through an Image (Ecumenism — Ecumenical Movement) formed by the Second Beast (Americanism) in honour of the First Beast (Romanism). In the late 19th Century several groups of churches in America sought to unite themselves as “a council (or alliance) of churches”. But it was only in 1948 that a more concrete religious movement crystallized at a gathering in Amsterdam, Netherlands which culminated in the official formation of the World Council of Churches. The idea of a One World Church was conceived during its July 4-20, 1968 meeting in Uppsala, Sweden. Today, almost every major denominational church has been deceived into becoming a member of this Ecumenical Movement which is leading them all back to Rome, the Great Religious Mother Harlot. O, what an ecumenical stew! What an ecumenical pot! Yes, “there is death in the pot” (cf. 2 Kings 4:40 ;The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.).
But Satan could not deceive the elect because God had sent down to His Church the Eagle, the fourth living creature that was around the Throne of God. The spirit of the Eagle is here and he has torn the mask from Satan for the elect to see that the move of his Pale Horse has the colour of a corpse, that is, “blackish-green”, livid, the greenish pallor of death, and that Death itself was the Rider. Amen. The antichrist spirit could not consume and imprison the true saints of the Lord Jesus Christ but it certainly has power over a quarter of the populace of the earth to kill them in every diabolical way its evil mind could conceive. Just wait till Satan becomes incarnate in the Pope.
Now, all the first four seals uncover the developments of the antichrist from the beginning of the Church. As Israel was once torn down little by little by the hands of the Devil (cf. Joel 1:4 ;What the locust swarm has left, the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left, the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left, other locusts have eaten. ), so will be the Church. But God is now restoring the Church to the Glory of His Word before He turns to deal with Israel to restore her to her former glory. But not all of the Church are the true Church of Christ just as not all of Israel are Israel. God is only restoring that which belongs to Him. Remember that Christ and His Bride are outside that rotten religious mess of Christendom created by men.
● The Fifth Seal
On the opening of the Fifth Seal no more announcement is made by any of the four living creatures around the throne of God. This shows that the seal has no connection to the New Testament Church.
Verse 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:
Verse 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?
For years Bible students have interpreted that the souls under the altar were of the Christians who were killed for their faith in Jesus Christ. But the following observations of the verses disprove the interpretation. Firstly, the verses show that the souls “were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held” rather than for their faith in (or their testimony of) Christ Jesus, and secondly, they cried and asked God “How long will You let them go before You take vengeance on those who spilled our blood?” As true Christians do not seek for vengeance but they would rather pray for those who persecute them (cf. Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60; Romans 12:19), this group of souls could only be of the martyred Jews and not of Christians.
From the time that God blinded the eyes of Israel (cf. Romans 11:25) and turned to the Gentiles with His Gospel to gather a Church out of them (Acts 15:14-19), many Jews were killed from time to time. But during the Second World War from 1939 to 1945, Adolf Hitler and Otto Adolf Eichmann of Germany killed 6 million Jews. This holocaust of the Jewish people created in the people of the world a greater awareness of the Jews and their faith. It was then God's appointed time to begin the restoration of the land of Israel. However, not all Jews who were killed truly died for their testimony of God's Word which was entrusted to Israel. Many cursed God instead of calling upon Him when they faced death. However for those Jewish martyrs who truly held on to God's promise of a Messiah and waited upon Him, their souls are housed under the altar for their names are found written in the Book of Life. But because they did not have the revelation that Jesus Christ was their Messiah they are not part of the Redeemed of the New Testament Church of Christ. Nevertheless God has ordained a place for Israel even before the foundation of the earth was laid. God cannot disannul the promise He made to Abraham when He blinded the children of Israel for the sake of the Gentiles. (Read Roman chapter 11.) Israel was predestinated to be God's true witness since He made a covenant with him. In the Oracle that was given to him Israel had the revelation of the One True God (Monotheism) though his children failed to recognize the Messiah and were thus blinded. They knew the Messiah would be God but they could not see the Mystery of God revealed in Christ. On the other hand, the minds of the Gentiles, who have been given grace to see their need to accept Christ as their Saviour, are so paganized that the majority of them conceive Jesus Christ as a third part of the fullness of the Godhead. (Please read Colossians 1:19 and 2:9.) Hence, they are unwitting subscribers to Polytheism. But the Bride of Jesus Christ in this hour has the full revelation of the Oneness of the Godhead.
Verse 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.
God's election stands sure. Those martyred souls under the altar are saved although they did not have the “born again” experience of a true Christian. This is further supported by the fact that they did not possess “white robes” like Christians do. (Every Christian possesses a “white robe” but a certain number of them will be clothed in “fine linen”. Compare Revelation 7:9-17 and 19:7-9, 11-16.) Instead “white robes were given unto every one of them” signifying that they were given salvation; they were saved. They had the mercy of God. Now, these souls were not saved because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; they did not even believe in Jesus Christ at all. They were saved by God's grace of election. They had the testimony of God and kept His commandments.
As Joseph who was sold out by his brothers into Egypt, Christ Jesus was sold out by the Jews to the Romans. While Joseph was in Egypt he got himself a Gentile wife. Later when his brethren came into Egypt and found out who Joseph was, they were afraid that he would surely kill them for mistreating him. The same was true of those Jewish souls under the altar when they found out who Jesus Christ really was. But as Joseph forgave his brothers, Jesus also forgave those Jews. God's mercy overshadowed them because God blinded them for a purpose just as Joseph was sold into Egypt to achieve a purpose. In both cases, lives were saved according to God's predestinated plans.
Now, these slain Jewish souls were told to rest or wait for “a little season”, a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and kindred brothers, who were to be killed as they themselves had been, was complete. Now, the “little season” points to the period between the year 1948, when Israel became a nation, and the return to earth of the One whom they had pierced. This “little season” will not stretch beyond the “generation” that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 24:32-35 — “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” The prophecy of the fig tree putting forth leaves points to the regathering of the Jews to their homeland.
Saints of God, this present generation will see the return of Christ for His Bride. It is also the same generation that will see another blood bath upon Israel. It will happen when the Antichrist breaks his seven-year covenant, concerning Israel, three-and-a-half years after he has made it with the politicians and religious men. Thousands of faithful Jews whose names are written in the Book of Life will die for their faith in that dreadful period of the Great Tribulation. The generation will end with the coming of Christ and His Bride to the Battle of Armageddon after the Great Tribulation which would complete the whole of Daniel's Seventy Weeks prophecy (Daniel 9:24-27).
One important thing concerning the Seventh Seal must be mentioned right here. Though the Seventh Seal is not mentioned in this chapter, nevertheless, its fulfillment is right in this “little season” of verse 11 that separates the two blood baths of the faithful Jews. When the Seventh Seal was opened in Revelation 8:1 John saw nothing but witnessed a brief period of silence in heaven. Theologians generally believe that the Seventh Seal consists of the Seven Trumpets, Seven Vials and all that follows. If that is so, would not John have seen them and written all about them? (Just wait till we get to Revelation chapter 10.)
The Sixth Seal
Verse 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;
Verse 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.
Verse 14: And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
Verse 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;
Verse 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:
Verse 17: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
The Sixth Seal opened up to show the 'scenarios' in the Day of the Lord which comes right at the end of the 3½ year Great Tribulation. Immediately prior to that, the Seventh Trumpet will sound to herald the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ (Rev.11:15-19). With its sounding “the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven” is opened (Rev.15:5) bringing the “mercy seat” on the Ark of the Covenant into full view showing that “MERCY” is no longer “seated” on the “mercy seat”. It signifies that the “blood” is no longer on the “mercy seat”; that mercy is withheld once the last elect is slain in the Great Tribulation. Also, the Seven Angels are getting ready to pour out the Seven Vials of God's plagues upon the earth (Rev.15:1; 16:1). They are the wrath of God. Once the Seventh Vial is poured out the Sixth Seal immediately takes effect. “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:29-30).
What a day! The heaven and the earth will be so shaken that unusual phenomena occur. There will be awe as well as distress among the people of all nations. “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” (Luke 21:25-26).
This Day of the Lord covers a period of 75 days beginning with the pouring of the wrath of God upon the earth. It includes the Battle of Armageddon (Rev.19:11-21; Zechariah 14:1-4,12), the Resurrection of the Tribulation Saints (Rev.11:18; 20:4) and ends with the Judgement of the Nations (Matthew 25:31-46) before the Age of Regeneration (Matt. 19:28) begins. This 75-day period is arrived at by taking the 1335 days mentioned in Daniel 12:12 and substracting 1260 days (or 42 months) that the Antichrist will rule after he takes away the daily sacrifice of Israel in the middle of the 70th Week (of Daniel 9:24-27).
In closing this chapter 6 let me state that it is unscriptural for anyone to teach that the Church of Christ needs to go through the Great Tribulation before she is raptured. The Bible clearly teaches that there are two groups of “Christian people”, one is called the “wheat” and the other is called the “tares” (Matt.13:24-30,36-43). The “wheat” are the true believers of the Word whereas the “tares” are the false believers (or make-believers) of the Word. The “wheat” group is further divided into two categories which are specifically called the “wise virgins” and the “foolish virgins”. These “virgins” are Christians who desire to meet the Bridegroom (that is, Christ the Word and Lord). But only the “wise virgins” will get to meet their Lord and go into the marriage. The “foolish virgins” are left out. Read Matthew 25. Hence, the “wise virgin” Christians will go into the Rapture before the Great Tribulation begins. The “foolish virgins” will have to face the indignation of the Antichrist and die a martyr's death at the hand of the Antichrist before God's wrath is poured out.
* * * * * *
Revelation Chapter 7
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
~ The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Revelation Chapter 7
This chapter is quite easy to understand. It clearly shows that there are two groups of people who have to go through the period known as the Great Tribulation or Jacob's Trouble (Jer.30:7). The Great Tribulation comes in the second half of the last week of Daniel's “Seventy Weeks” prophecy recorded in the Book of Daniel chapter 9. We need to look into this “Seventy Weeks” prophecy for a little background.
The prophecy of the “seventy of weeks” was given to Daniel while he was a captive together with his people in Babylon. As a faithful man of God Daniel regularly prayed to God, made his supplication, confessed his own sins and the sins of his people, and pleaded with God to bring about the promised return of his people to their land. On one such supplication, in the evening time, God sent the Archangel Gabriel to talk with Daniel and said (in Daniel 9:22b-24):
“O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.”
Notice what that ministering Spirit said to Daniel upon greeting him — “I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.” Saints, I believe God has a group of able ministers, in this closing hour of the Gentile Church Age, who are also greatly beloved of God as Daniel was and who are given the skill and understanding in handling the Word of God. This would be the ministry that would perfect the saints of God (cf. Eph.4). Amen.
Now let us look at the prophecy without going into much detail.
Dan.9:24: Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
“Seventy weeks” is 70 times 7 years which equals 490 years. This time frame of 490 years “determined” or decreed upon “thy people and upon thy holy city” is associated with the people of Israel and the city of Jerusalem to accomplish a six-fold purpose. Because the total number of years “determined” has not run its course, the six-fold purpose has yet to be completely fulfilled. Thus far only that which was “to make reconciliation for inquity” has been fulfilled.
Dan.9:25: Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Here we see Gabriel clearly marked off two counts of weeks (of years) — 7 and 62. “From the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince” was to be a total of 69 weeks (483 years) exactly. “Seven and threescore and two weeks” were marked off to show the “troublous times” the Jews had to go through because of their enemies in those separate periods.
Dan.9:26: And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
After the second period (that is, the 62 weeks) has run its course “shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself”. Now, it cannot be any clearer that Jesus Christ was to be crucified right after a total of 483 years had run its course. Christ Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem after 483 years from the time King Cyrus (of Persia) issued the decree to the children of Israel to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem. (Read Ezra 1:1-4; 5:13,17 and Isaiah 44:28.) He rode into Jerusalem and was hailed as the Prince of Israel (Lk.19:29-44). And in less than a week He was crucified and had nothing for Himself, even though He was a Prince.
Now, of the total of “seventy weeks”, there is still one week left for God to accomplish His six-fold purpose. This one week (of seven years) was marked off because the Messiah was not completely accepted by the people whom He had come to save. So, God put it 'on hold' while He turned to the Gentiles to get a people for His Name. Of course, this was in the foreknowledge and divine plan of God from the very beginning. The Prophet Daniel and the Apostle Paul wrote a great deal about this “time of the Gentiles” and God's dealing with them.
The rest of the prophecy of verse 26 was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when the Roman soldiers of Prince Titus (“the people of the prince”) came and laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem was ravished and the Jews were scattered.
Now, historians and theologians may dispute over the actual year that the decree was issued to the Jews to restore and rebuild Jerusalem because the history of the Medo-Persian period was obscure in many places. Most historians, who based their calculations using the 'canon' of Ptolemy, believed that there were at least ten kings, from Cyrus to Xerxes, ruling over Medo-Persia, and that these kings altogether reigned a total period of 205 years. But according to Jewish and Persian traditions, the period was slightly over 50 years. And Josephus, the Jewish historian, concluded that there were only six kings, one more than that listed in the Bible (Dan.10:1; 11:2).
Also, all the calculations are based on the assumption that the “years” mentioned in the prophecies are 'prophetic years' of 360 days per year. This is probably based on the “days” and “months” mentioned in the Book of Revelation in which the 70th week (the last seven years of the “seventy weeks”) is divided into two equal periods of 3½ years or 42 months each. And since a 'prophetic year' literally shortens the time, a king later than Cyrus, who issued the original commandment in the year 454 B.C., had to be picked.
Dan.9:27: And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The “one week” in this verse is the last “week” of the “seventy weeks” allocated. The “he” in the verse points not to “Messiah the Prince” but to a prince (Heb: nagiyd — a commander, an honourable person) who shall come from among the people of Rome. (In 70 A.D. it was “the people of the prince” who went to Jerusalem but in the future, at the beginning of the 70th week, it would be 'the prince of the people' who will go to Jerusalem.) In the light of other prophetic Scriptures “he” definitely refers to the Antichrist who is none other than the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. He shall be accepted by the Jews for what he is (and will be) as represented to the world in that hour. It would be just as Jesus said to the Jews (in John 5:43): “I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”
The Antichrist shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with many Jews and political leaders of the world for a period of seven years. (When this covenant is made the Bride-Wife of Christ would have been whisked away into Heaven for the final stage of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.) The Jews will restore their practices of temple sacrifices and oblation at that time. After 3½ years the Antichrist will break the covenant and demand that the Jewish practices of temple sacrifices and oblation must cease. He will move into the temple of Jerusalem, take office there and declare himself as God (2 Thess.2:3-4) and make war on those who will oppose him. He is the abomination that shall cause the desolation of the temple of God but his end has been determined.
Now, it is Scripturally plain that there is yet one more week of seven years for the Jews. The teaching that Jesus Christ was crucified (cut off) after 69½ weeks cannot be substantiated by any Scripture at all. With this understanding we now approach the 7th chapter of Revelation.
The 144,000 Jewish Servants of God
Verse 1: And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
The Apostle John is now seeing another vision — a vision of things to be on earth right after the Bride-Wife of Christ is raptured. The “four angels standing on the four corners of the earth” speaks of a place where North meets South and East meets West; and that is, the Bible Land of the Middle East. There are no angel literally standing on those four positions of the earth. But there are angels watching over one particular nation and that is none other than Israel. This is the area that was once the Garden of Eden. This is where the Light of God came into the world and where Mankind began its existence. And this is the area where the final showdown of good and evil will take place to bring the time of the Gentiles to an end. Then the Lord Jesus Christ will reign with His saints for a thousand years in the Age of Regeneration.
These “four angels standing on the four corners of the earth control the four winds of the earth” that they might not blow upon the earth and start the Battle of Armaggedon in the Middle East. The four winds are not natural winds. They signify the primary powers or forces of devastation which influence the nations and people of the world to a certain goal or condition. These four forces are the political power, religious power, economic power and military power. At present it appears that these winds are blowing in the Middle East but only to a certain extent.
Verse 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,
Verse 3: Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
When the Jews rejected the Gospel, God turned to the Gentiles. From around the middle of the First Century, the Gospel was carried mainly northward and westward. Centuries later it was carried across the Atlantic Ocean to the American continent. Then and there the Gospel began to spread to the Far East and throughout the world. As the Gentile Age begins to wind up, the Gospel is now moving towards the Jews. That is why John “saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God” which is the Spirit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Cor.1:21-22; Eph.1:13). Wherever that angel went — Asia Minor, Germany, England, Ireland and the U.S.A. — the Gospel had a great spiritual impact. But once the Church was bogged down by the traditions of man, the angel would move to a new place and revival never returned to the previous place. The last great world-shaking revival started in the early 20th Century in America and it later moved across the Pacific Ocean to the Asiatic World. The revival throughout America lasted about half a century after which the nation went into fanaticism, bewitched by the many different gospels of religious men. And many of such men are high-minded, haughty, pharisaical, liars, insincere and even immoral. America has since then been on the sliding board. She will never rise again. She is finished. That's right. The angel with the Gospel does not backtrack, so to speak. The only revival left for the Gentiles is the perfecting of the saints — where Christ is formed in her, the Bride of Christ — until the Seven Thunders utter their voices. This will be the only revival for the Bride who is shut in with Christ. As for the organized church world there is nothing left for them but the judgement of God.
The Gospel message was carried from Jerusalem going westward around the world and is now going back to Jerusalem from the East. The Apostle Paul said this: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” (Romans 11:25). Yes, Jerusalem will soon see the power of the Gospel of the very Messiah they had rejected when the fullness of the Gentiles is complete.
When John saw this particular vision, it seemed that those four winds were well built up to blow upon the earth with great devastation to the earth, sea and trees. But John saw four angels holding those four winds and another angel ascending from the east crying out to them to restrain those forces as it was not yet time for them to bring about the world condition for the Battle of Armageddon until after “we”, the two prophets of God (the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11), had sealed God's servants in their foreheads.
When the Two Witnesses appear on the scene in Israel, they will preach to the nation of Israel the very Gospel that the children of Israel had rejected. They will prophesy and work signs and miracles in the spirit and power of Moses and Elijah. And in so doing 144,000 men will have the revelation of their Saviour Jesus Christ. They will be called out and sealed by the Holy Spirit with the Name of the Almighty God in their foreheads (cf. Ephesians 1:13; 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
Verse 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.
But notice those 144,000 who were sealed; they were of all the tribes of Israel. John saw 12,000 men sealed of each of the 12 tribes. None of them was a Gentile, showing that the Gospel was returned to the Jews.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
[The tribes of Dan and Ephraim were replaced by those of Joseph and Levi because they had committed spiritual whoredom — idol worship. Read Hosea 5:3; 6:10; Judges 18.]
Because the Two Witnesses will be in Israel during the first 3½ years of the 70th week (7 years) to preach the Word of God, it is obvious that all those 144,000 Jews to be sealed will also be in Israel. (The teaching of the British Israelites that the Anglo-Saxon race belongs to the lost ten tribes of Israel has no foundation in Scripture. It is basically egoism which drives such Caucasian men to think of themselves as the supreme race that they teach such bias doctrine to put themselves in the limelight.) Since World War II, several million Jews have returned to their homeland from all over the world since they were scattered after the Roman laid siege to the city of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.. God is preparing them to hear the Gospel to be preached in Israel by their very own prophets whom God will send before Christ Jesus returns to set up His Kingdom on earth.
The ministry of the Two Prophets will last 1260 days after which they will be killed by the Antichrist. Then the 144,000 Jewish servants to be sealed by the Holy Spirit will preach the Everlasting Gospel and warn the world against bowing to the Babylonish Religious System of the World Church. They will not only warn the people about Mystery Babylon the Great and her Harlot daughters, but will also nourish the remnant of Israel with the Spiritual Food of God as the Israelites flee from the wrath of the Antichrist and become scattered all over the world, hiding themselves in secret places. All these are recorded in the 12th, 14th and 18th chapters of Revelation.
●The “Great Tribulation” Saints
Now, in this next vision the Holy Spirit presented to John a scene in Heaven where a great multitude of people stood before the throne of God. It is important to note what they were wearing and what were said of them.
Verse 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;
Verse 10: And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
Verse 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,
Verse 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.
Verse 13: And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
Verse 14: And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. 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.
It is clear that this great mixed multitude of people standing before the throne and worshipping the Lord are none other than the Great Tribulation Saints. But who are they? Though only one group is specifically featured here, there are actually two groups of people standing before the throne as we shall find them mentioned in chapters 15 and 20 of Revelation. One group consists of Christians who will die for bearing the testimony of Jesus Christ and the other the Jews who will die for holding on to the Word of God. It is the first group that is featured here. To understand who they are, let us take a closer look at the parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew chapter 25:1-13.
Matt.25:1: Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
Matthew 25:2: And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
In this parable Jesus pointed to a time in the future — “then” or “at that time” — denoting that at a certain period in the “kingdom of heaven” (that is, the dispensation of the Church Age) when a number of “virgins” would go forth to meet the “bridegroom”. Jesus gave this parable after He had told His disciples about the signs of His Second Advent and of the end of the world. Notice that the parable also speaks of an oriental wedding which takes place in the evening time and culminates in the bridegroom taking his bride-wife home to his father's house in the morning hour. Hence, the parable points to the setting of the Sun (Gospel Light) over the Gentile Age before It rises again to shine on the children of Israel.
Our Lord Jesus used the number of “ten” virgins, “five” of whom were wise and “five” were foolish. These numbers do not represent the actual numbers of saints but there is a reason why they are used. The number “10” indicates a completeness or perfection of the divine order of things. These “10” virgins are aware of the Word concerning the soon return of Christ that they must prepare and get themselves ready for His return. The number “5” speaks of the grace of God towards both the wise and the foolish virgins.
But who are the “virgins”? 'Virgins' are those who are 'unmarried, pure, knowing no man'. These are Christians who are separated from the Church system formed by the traditions of men.
The traditional teachings dished out by the religious men in Christian churches today are no different from those dished out by the religious teachers in the days of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus hated such teachings and spoke against them (Mark 7:3-8). Paul also warned the true worshippers about them (Colossians 2:8). When religious and academically educated men, who lack the anointing of the Spirit, put their own ideas to the Word of God they make the Word useless and of no effect upon the heart of their listeners. Most of the people who listen to such intellectual men are just having a form of religion without the power of the Holy Word of God. They are burning religious candles without the Light or the Revelation of the Word, so to speak.
At this juncture I need to point out that the parable speaks neither directly of the Rapture of the saints nor of the Bride of Christ getting wedded though it mentions a wedding taking place. But, it speaks of a certain category of Christians, whom Jesus termed the “virgins” (unmarried maidens or bridesmaids), who “went forth to meet the bridegroom” and only the wise ones went with him into the marriage feast. This “going forth to meet the bridegroom” is obviously not referring to “going forth into the Rapture” since almost all Christians of different faith believe that they are the “wise virgins” and that they would make it to the Rapture. Rather, it refers to an event where only the “virgin” Christians know the importance of meeting the Bridegroom. The Bridegroom, of course, is Christ. However, it is not merely the physical Person of Jesus Christ but the glory of Christ the Word. Actually the virgins or bridesmaids (of the Bride) are excited about the marriage and they are eagerly looking forward to receiving and ushering the Bridegroom into the place where the marriage is to be held. They want to be a part of this wedding feast. The virgins are looking forward to seeing and understanding Christ the Word in a very personal and intimate way. When a Bible believer has received and understood Christ the Word then he could and would receive Christ the Person of the Word.
Remember that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a spiritual one and that the Marriage of the Lamb and His Bride is also spiritual. The Marriage or Wedding of the Lamb is to take place spiritually here on earth as the Word-groom comes to claim His Bride. It is an invisible union of the Heavenly Bridegroom (or Word-groom) and the Earthly Bride (or Word-bride). After the marriage feast and nuptials are over and the Word-groom is satisfied that His Bride-Wife has made herself ready (cf. Rev.19:7) then, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the Lord Jesus would sweep His Wife home to His Father's House. This going home to the Father's House is what we call the Rapture. It is there in Heaven that the Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb will take place. So, the Bridegroom in the parable does not speak of Christ, the physical Person, but rather of Christ, the spiritual Word, that would come to the spiritual Bride for the holy union.
In the early 20th Century (about 1903-1906), God poured out a blessing upon several groups of sincere hungry souls in California, U.S.A. and gave them various spiritual gifts. That brought forth a spiritual revival with the manifestation of signs and wonders. The most noticeable gift was “divers kinds of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:10) — speaking in different or unknown languages (Greek: glossolalia) — the least of the 9 spiritual gifts. This experience of speaking in unknown tongues came to be called the Pentecostal experience in reference to the experience of the disciples of Christ on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon them. (At that time, the doctrine of speaking in tongues as being the initial evidence of the Holy Ghost Baptism was not taught.) Of course, organized denominational churches fought against it in one way or another. There was never a revival that the adversary of God was not working to thwart it. In less than a decade (about 1913) some opinions within this revival led to the formation of several different “Pentecostal denominations”. All these happened within the space of fifty years before another “Holy Ghost Baptism” phenomenon came along and was called the “new Pentecost” or “Charismatic Movement”. Today, Pentecostalism and Charismaticism have taken new forms which are both radical and extreme.
Now, the “Parable of the Ten Virgins” is to be fulfilled in this 20th Century. Shortly after the revival started, many Christians awoke to the awareness of the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many songs on the soon return of Christ were written. Many were seeking, receiving and being filled with the Holy Ghost in preparation of Christ's return. This phenomenon was evident throughout the church world. The message was clear: “Come and get oil!” Obviously those were the VIRGINS preparing themselves to meet the BRIDEGROOM. On the other hand, many of those traditional “churchy” Protestant people were fighting against this move, shutting their religious doors in God's face, and went to sleep in their man-made traditional ideas. Such were obviously the TARES. The gathering of the tares to be burned began in 1948 (cf. Matthew 13:24-30).
Having obtained the oil, the virgins looked forward to meeting the bridegroom. It was evening time. We are told, in the parable, that “five of them were wise, and five were foolish”.
Matt.25:3: They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
Matt.25:4: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
Matt.25:5: While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Notice that all the virgins took with them their lamps. Each one of them had a lamp with oil that fueled a burning wick. However, only the wise virgins carried with them an additional vessel of oil. This 'extra' oil proved to be a blessing to the wise virgins as they did not know when the bridegroom would arrive from His 'far away' home. They knew that it would take more than just some Holy Ghost sensations to keep their lamps burning. The foolish virgins were not so thoughtful. They obviously thought that a lamp with certain amount of oil – having some Holy Ghost sensations, signs and wonders – would be 'enough' for them as they expected the bridegroom to arrive according to their own timing. Unfortunately, the bridegroom tarried His coming and all the ten virgins slumbered and slept.
When the spirit of Ecumenism went out in full force in 1948 to gather the Tares, practically every church was affected by it in one way or another because the spirit of bondage was at work keeping people in the dark. It even caused the virgins to slumber among them. The denominational churches were like sepulchres within which the people were entombed in spiritual darkness. The Lamp (Word) of God was replaced by some religious candles (creeds and dogmas) of theological men.
Matt.25:6: And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
This 'midnight cry' was made by the forerunner and messenger of the bridegroom. Just as John the Baptist was the forerunner and messenger of Christ's First Advent, so was there a forerunner and messenger of Christ's Second Advent. His name was William Marrion Branham. And the 'midnight cry', calling the virgins to come out and meet the Word-groom, was made some time in 1956. The phrase “go ye out to meet him” should be translated as “come ye out to meet him”. This is true. The fact is that the bridegroom had sent His messenger to wake the virgins up from their slumber and get them out from among the denominational sepulchres. Like John the Baptist, William Branham was not sent, or approved, by the religious systems of his days. They were disliked by the religious, ecclesiastical and pompous leaders of the church world because their messages hit out at their falsehoods. But the common people heard their messages and received them gladly.
Matthew 25:7: Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
The 'midnight cry' of the forerunner sounded throughout the church world and the virgins awoke to the urgency of the hour. Notice that the virgins arose and started to trim their lamps. Why? They needed LIGHT to show them the way (Psm.119:105). A dim light can hardly show the pathway clearly at night. Also, danger lurks in the darkness (cf. 1 Pet.5:8). Because the virgins had been asleep for a long time, soot built up on the wicks had dimmed their lamps. This speaks of their revelation of the Word being diminished or darkened by reason of their slumber in the religious church system. If they had not slumbered they would have watched and made sure that soot (deceptive doctrines and spirits) did not blacken their wicks (their understanding or revelation of the Word) which were fueled by the oil (the Holy Spirit). In other words, their white robes were stained by false doctrines and false spirits.
So, the 'midnight cry' awakened all the virgins to get them to “come out” of the religious church system and to meet the bridegroom so that they would not be judged along with the harlots in their spiritual fornication (cf. Rev.18:4). They had to trim their wicks of understanding by getting rid of all spirits and doctrines that darkened and dimmed their light. They had to separate themselves from unbelief and meet the Word-groom personally before they could see the Truth clearly.
Matt.25:8: And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
Matt.25:9: But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
In trimming their lamps the foolish virgins found out to their dismay that their lamps were getting dim because the oil in their lamps were almost used up while they were slumbering. Without the oil, the light in their lamps would go out and they would not be able to find their way to meet the bridegroom. Their requests to the wise virgins for some oil were rejected; instead they were told to go and buy them from the oil merchants. They realized too late that whatever 'sensations, signs and wonders', which they had depended on, were not good enough. The wise virgins knew the time of the hour and the need to quickly trim their lamps that they might find their way to meet the bridegroom. Because they had carried extra oil with them the wise virgins were able to keep their lamps burning brightly. In other words, they had a continuous supply of the Holy Spirit flowing in their life to fuel the revelation of the Word of God. Praise God! A wise believer will always keep his spiritual vessel filled up with the Spirit and the Word. Remember the wick must be continuously supplied with the oil. The wick and the oil as “one” give light (life) to the lamp (Christian) just as the Word and the Spirit are one (Jhn.6:63). The Holy Spirit is always connected to the Word and the Work of God.
Matt.25:10: And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
“And while they went to buy” denotes a period of time that the foolish virgins had to spend looking for the oil merchants. The bridegroom came during that time. The forerunner of the Christ's Second Advent had come to herald His Parousia (Coming, Presence) and to introduce Christ the Word to the virgins (as in the parable). And those virgins who were ready went into the marriage. Here the parable ends, but we understand the implication that these individual wise virgins refer to those members who would make up the Bride of Christ. As such they were enjoying a personal spiritual intimacy with the Lord as they feasted with Him in the Word of God. They were getting themselves ready as the Wife of Christ for the Rapture while the foolish virgins were frantically trying to “buy” oil from many different “oil merchants” (preachers who preached about the Holy Spirit, just like those among the Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements today). The marriage celebrations (which include the feasting and the nuptial events) have already started and are still going on at this present time. It will last until the door is shut. Then the “last trump” will be made known to the Bride and the Rapture will take place. The 'midnight cry' was made some time in 1956 (some forty years ago) to call the virgins to the marriage which will climax with the Seven Thunders uttering their voices to the members of the Bride-Wife of Jesus Christ (cf. Rev.10).
Matt.25:11: Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Matt.25:12: But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
The foolish virgins returned later to find the door shut. Whatever “oil” they had bought from the different 'oil merchants' was of no use to them. Had they 'purchased' the right kind of oil earlier on they would have made it on time to the marriage celebrations while the door was still opened. The foolish virgins had missed the day of visitation and were shut out for they had stayed 'too long' in the second realm of the Spirit. Their pleas were met with a rebuff from the Lord, “I know you not”. (Some ministers use Matthew 7:21-23 to support their teaching that the foolish virgins are not saved because of the Lord's rebuff to their plea. But those people mentioned in Matthew 7:21-23 were called “workers of iniquity” who were told to “depart” from the Lord. It was not so with the foolish virgins.) It does not mean that the Lord did not know them as they were but rather He did not know them intimately as those who were married to Him by spiritual revelation of the Word, as a man and his wife are joined together in holy wedlock (cf. Ephesians 5:25-32; Ephesians 4; Revelation 19:7). The door was shut when the last of the wise virgins went in to the marriage. The wise virgins making up the Bride-Wife of Christ were sealed to await the mysterious utterances of the Seven Thunders for their Rapture.
That's right, the Bride is now being united with the Bridegroom in Spirit and Word! She is now looking beyond the second realm of the Spirit into the Word, the Shekinah Glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle John was a type of the Bride-Wife of Christ who heard the utterances of the Seven Thunders. He was told not to write them down because the revelation was for the Bride at the end of time.
Matt.25:13: Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Let us take heed to this warning and be watchful while there is still time. If we are born again of the Spirit of Christ, let us quickly come into the Word and be joined with Him in spiritual wedlock to receive the revelation of Jesus Christ and be ready for the Rapture. Certainly, there will be some who will come so close to the revelation of the Word and still miss the Rapture because they do not hear the right Word in the right way. Such are the Branhamites who keep wandering around in the 'wilderness' of religious confusion with the “Shout” Message that they have heard. They have “come out” but they have not come to the revelation of getting into the Promised Word and be one with the Word-Groom. Yes, they have heard the message but they have not heard it right. If they have heard it right, they would have received specific instructions to enter into spiritual wedlock with the Word. Yes, we need to be one with the WORD — not with the Message. Without the Word of God for this present hour no one can go into the Rapture. So, take heed what you hear and how you hear that you might have the Faith that was once delivered to the saints.
At this present hour God is dealing with the “virgins”, especially the wise ones who have met the bridegroom and entered with him into the marriage. Now, there is no doubt that, in the very near future, the foolish virgins will wake up to the fact that they have been careless with what they have possessed and realize too late that they had missed the Rapture (which they had looked forward to). And with the Two Witnesses appearing and prophesying in Israel, they will know that Daniel's 70th week has began for Israel. With that knowledge the foolish will also know the identity of the Antichrist. They will have to stand firmly against the False Church, whose leader, by that time, will have deceived many political and religious leaders of the world in his ultimate move of bringing the world under his subjection. The foolish virgins will realize that they will have to die for their faith, but they are not the only Christians “which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev.7:14). Obviously there will be some “born again” Christians in the denominational churches who will be shaken, somehow, by what they hear and see in that hour of time. Besides looking at the signs and wonders performed by the Two Witnesses in Israel and their death, in the hands of the Antichrist, and their resurrection after three days and nights, the continuing message of God through the 144,000 Jews (Revelation chapters 14 and 18) will shake them out of their religious allegiance to their denominations. These Christians will also die in the hands of the Antichrist for their faith in Christ. They will resurrect and stand together with the foolish virgins before the throne of God as the Christian group of that “great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Rev.7:9). However, the tares (religious unbelieving Christians, make-believers, impersonators) who are being gathered to be burnt will continue in their religious activities with the False Church and its Image right until Christ Jesus returns physically for the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Daniel's 70th week. Remember, during the Great Tribulation, salvation will no longer be offered to the Gentiles.
As I have mentioned earlier, there is one other group among the great multitude, standing before the throne of God, not featured here in this passage of Scriptures. They are the many faithful Jews who do not know Jesus Christ but they will die at the hands of the Antichrist during the Great Tribulation period for holding on to the Word of God. In Revelation chapters 15 and 20 they are shown standing before the throne of God with those Christian martyrs. But the 144,000 Jewish servants who are exclusively sealed by the Holy Spirit for their ministry to the nation of Israel will not be harmed by the Antichrist; they will not be killed. They are ordained to nourish Israel, the “Woman” of Revelation 12, until the Messiah shall return for the Battle of Armageddon at the end of the Great Tribulation (cf. Isa.26:20-21). In the Age of Regeneration, when the Kingdom of God shall be set up on earth, the 144,000 will serve the Lord Jesus Christ and His Wife as 'eunuchs' in His temple set up in the City of Jerusalem for the nation of Israel. Read Isaiah 56:4-5 and Matthew 19:12.
Verse 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.
Verse 16: They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
Verse 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.
Yes, the Great Tribulation Saints are Christ's redeemed people; they are His people. They will be thirsty and hungry during the period of the Great Tribulation because they will not be able to buy or sell for refusing to receive the Mark of the Beast and to worship its Image. They will also suffer the heat of the sun because the weather will be changed drastically as God deals with Israel (cf. Isaiah 30:26). But their sufferings will cease when Christ Jesus dwells with them and they with Him. Because they are not the overcomers who are made ready as the Wife of Christ and taken up into glory before the Great Tribulation (Rev.3:21), they shall not sit with Christ in His throne during the millennial Age of Regeneration but shall “serve him day and night in his temple”. This “temple” is not the Millennial Temple set up in the City of Jerusalem for the nation of Israel but the Temple of Christ's Body, His Wife who sits with Him in glory. However, when the New Heaven and New Earth come into being these Tribulation Saints will be part of the Holy City, New Jerusalem (cf. Rev.21 and 22). In the Eternal Age, all the redeemed born again children of God, who shall be given a spiritual (glorified) body, will form the Holy City, New Jerusalem.
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Revelation Chapter 8
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
~ The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Revelation Chapter 8
● The Seventh Seal
Verse 1: And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
The seventh and the final seal opened up with nothing but total silence in heaven for the space of half an hour. There are many views on this seal. A common view is that the Seventh Seal comprises the Seven Trumpets. But this could not be so because each set of “seven” in the Book of Revelation is distinct from one another. Another view is that Jesus Christ is getting up from His Throne of Mercy and moving over to sit on His Throne of Judgement. In other words, the Mercy Seat is changing into the Judgement Seat.
Until God sent the 7th Church Age messenger to reveal the truth, theologians, preachers and Bible students could only guess. The obvious truth is that the 7th Seal holds the secret to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember, John did not see or hear anything as there was complete silence. Obviously something great was about to take place. And there is nothing greater than the Lord Jesus Christ coming back to earth to claim His own.
Recall, over in chapter 5, that Seven Seals were placed on the rolled up scroll — “a book written within and on the backside” so that no one could read or look into it. This scroll was the “title deed” to the redemption of the earth. The Seven Seals must be broken one by one so that the scroll could be unrolled (opened up) to reveal its contents. Only the Lion of the tribe of Judah who had prevailed as the Lamb of God was able to break and loose the seals. And once the seventh and the final seal was broken and the book opened, the mysterious contents would be known. Therefore, when this 7th Seal was opened nothing was heard or seen by the Apostle John because it was the last seal on the book. The last seal showed the end of time, not that time had ended.
When the 7th Seal was broken the heaven was silent because the scroll was opened up and all heaven waited in awestruck anticipation for the Lord to claim His finished work of redemption. This was a great moment! Redemption was becoming a reality and soon time will be no more. “Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation” (Zech.2:13). And the Lord was seen coming down to earth as a Mighty Angel with the open book in His hand in Revelation chapter 10. And He shouted with a loud voice like the roaring of a lion; and when He had shouted, the Seven Thunders uttered their voices. John heard their message but was told to seal up what they had said and was forbidden to write them down. But one of these days, the Seven Thunders will appear on earth and break the silence with their message to the Bride of Christ. We will understand more of it in Revelation chapter 10.
Suffice it to say that the Seven Stars (or the Seven Church Age Messengers), the Seven Candlesticks (the Seven Church Ages), the Seven Seals and the Seven Thunders would be fully made known to the Bride of Christ during her marriage to the Lamb here on earth. All these works would be carried out by the Seven Spirits (or the Seven Angels) which stood before the throne of God (Rev.1:4) and which worked together with the Omnipotent and Omniscient Christ Jesus — the Lamb with Seven Horns and Seven Eyes (Rev.5:6). The events of the Seven Trumpets and the Seven Vials would take place only after the rapture of the Bride-Wife of Jesus Christ. They would all take place at the beginning of the time of Daniel's 70th Week and would last till the return of Jesus Christ, with His saints riding on white horses, for the Battle of Armageddon.
The Seven Trumpets
As the visions of the Seven Seals ended, a new series of visions appeared to John.
Verse 2: And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
The Seven Spiritual Angels were back at the throne of God. They were given Seven Trumpets to carry out new assignments for the Almighty. As each of them took turn to blow his trumpet something happened on the earth. After the trumpet blasts, they were given Seven Vials.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
As the vision continued John witnessed a Jewish temple setting. It signified that the dispensation of the New Testament Church had ended and that God was then dealing with Israel. As the judgement of the Lord God was about to come upon the earth, an angel with a golden censer was given a lot of incense to offer to God. The sweet-smelling incense was mixed with the prayers of all the past and present saints of God and offered upon the golden altar before the throne of God. This was done to appease God, so to speak, that He might remember His promises to Israel even as He began to judge her and the world. Amen. God is full of grace and mercy. His wrath will be fully poured out only at the end of Daniel's 70th Week.
Verse 5: And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
The casting of the fiery coals into the earth speaks of the fiery judgement of the Lord coming upon the earth as He begins to deal with Israel according to His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. “According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things. The nations shall see and be confounded at all their might: they shall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf. They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee” (Micah 7:15-17). When the angel cast the censer upon the earth, there were great excitements and tremendous activities in Heaven – “there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake” – which signified the awesome majesty and power of God (see also Rev.11:19; 14:17-20; 16:18 and Isaiah 29:6). And the whole world will surely tremble and wonder at the things that will be taking place. “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” (Luke 21:25-26). Yes, news on mass media will be a regular 'diet' of every one upon the earth as they wonder and question “what is going to happen next and what is going to happen to us?”
Verse 6: And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
Remember, before they could begin to blow their trumpets, these Seven Angels would have done their job of uttering their voices through the Seven Thunders to the Bride-Wife of Christ for her transformation and translation to meet her Lord in the air. Also, the angels blew their trumpets in Heaven and each time a trumpet was blown John saw something take place in that heavenly realm which affected the earth beneath. As the first four seals spiritually affected the Church of God, the first four trumpets physically affected the children of Israel. The blowing of these four trumpets point to the ministry of the Two Witnesses in the spirit and power of Moses and Elijah as God deals with Israel. John saw them in another series of visions later in Revelation chapter 11, verses 3 to 6 which correspond with the four trumpets: “And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.” These Two Prophets are God's grace and mercy to Israel to bring them back to His Word. And their ministry will produce cosmic effects upon the environment of the world.
The plagues to be released by the four trumpets will mainly affect “the third part of the earth” — the Biblical world of the Middle East with Jerusalem as the focal point. This much we need to understand. Of course, the inhabitants of the whole world will be affected in one way or another as God calls the attention of Israel to His Word. These would be in the first half (3½ years) of the last one week (7 years) of Daniel's Seventy Weeks prophecy. God will deal with Israel because in that hour they would have entered into a covenant with the Pope – the Antichrist – of the Roman Beast (cf. Dan.9:27; Rev.13:1-3).
●The First Trumpet
Verse 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.
Hail and fire do not mix. Here they are even mingled with blood. Hail is cold ice-rain. Fire is hot burning mass. Blood is life. “Hail and fire mingled with blood” will not literally be poured upon the earth. They symbolize God's power, wisdom and mercy in judgement on those who reject His Word. It will be a warning judgement though many lives will be greatly affected. Many people will die during this period of judgement. (Read Exodus 9:22-26.) The First Trumpet will cause the beginning of cosmic changes affecting the climate of the earth. The Two Witnesses in Israel will shut up the heavens and no rain will fall in that third part of the world.
Today Israel is blessed with abundance of agricultural products as well as various kinds of animals. What will happen when the drought becomes severe? Of course, there will be extreme heat as the sky will be practically cloudless. This will cause a third part of the earth and trees, and all green grass to be burnt. This condition is foretold in Joel's prophecy: “Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. Is not the meat cut off before our eyes, yea, joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered. How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate. O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field. The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness” (Joel 1:15-20).
●The Second Trumpet
Verse 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;
Verse 9: And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
The description of “a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea” does not refer to a big burning meteorite or a comet plunging into the ocean. Though there may be some phenomena in the heavens, the “great mountain burning with fire” actually symbolizes God's judgement on a great system that will soon be burnt and cast down as He deals with Israel. Israel would have signed a covenant with the “prince” of Rome, before the start of Daniel's 70th Week (Dan.9:27). God hates that Roman Beast. The Roman Church is a whore that defiled the Word of Truth and killed His saints. Yet Israel will enter into a covenant with her! But God will show His displeasure with Israel and that great whore. His Two Prophets will smite the third part of the sea and change the water into blood. The water in the Great Sea (Mediterranean Sea) and other masses of water in that region of the Middle East will become like blood. A third of all the living creatures will die and a third of all the ships will be destroyed in that third part of the sea. Whatever becomes of the water is certainly not literal blood but something that looks like blood which could kill living things and also damage the ships that sail or anchor in those waters. (This phenomenon could possibly be the widespread of 'red tides' or 'red waters' in that area.) Such destructions in the sea will hinder shipping of goods among the nations, especially in that region.
●The Third Trumpet
Verse 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;
Verse 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.
“There fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp” symbolizes that the Adversary of God, Lucifer-Satan, will soon be burnt up. There will not be a literal star or comet falling into every river and fountain in that Biblical region of the world though there may be cosmic disturbances to some extent. Satan was the great star (angel) who was cast out from his high estate in the heavenly places when he sought to be like God. He was the spirit of calamity (Wormwood) to God's creation, so to speak, and one who brought bitterness to all who dwell upon the earth. Therefore, when the Two Prophets smite the fresh water in the rivers and fountains in that third part of the world and make it bitter, Israel and other nations will realize that they have forsaken their Creator and have been misled by that spirit of bitterness. Many people will die because of the bitter water.
●The Fourth Trumpet
Verse 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.
Unlike the first three trumpets, no heavenly symbol is shown when this Fourth Trumpet is blown. God works in 'three', but this is the fourth trumpet blast and the events after this blast will have a greater effect on the whole earth. Through the Two Witnesses, God will smite a third part of the heavenly lights – the sun, the moon and the stars – so a third part of the day and the night will have no light. When God does this, not only Israel and the Middle Eastern region will feel the darkness for a third part of the day and night but all the nations of the earth will also feel the same effect to a certain extent. But what effect will this darkness have upon the inhabitants of the earth? With a third part of the heavenly lights darkened, the earth will lose a proportionate degree of its warmth resulting in drastic climatic changes. The earth will be cold — yes, dark and cold for a third part of the day and night! This shows that there is nothing left but judgement, just like the days when an eerie darkness covered the land of Egypt (when Israel was held captive) for three full days. (Read Exodus 10.)
This Fourth Trumpet will be God's final warning to Israel. It will be sounded some time just before the first 3½ years of Daniel's 70th Week is complete. Meanwhile God is getting Israel ready to listen to the Gospel under the ministry of the Two Witnesses with the spirit of Moses and Elijah that they may be prepared to face what is to come in the final 3½ years — the time of Jacob's Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7) when they reject the Antichrist. By then, the 144,000 Jewish servants will have received the revelation of their Messiah and be sealed with the Name of God in their foreheads (Rev.7:3). They will have learned and understood enough to be able to move with the Holy Spirit to nourish Israel, the Woman of Revelation 12, during the 3½ years of Great Tribulation.
Woe, Woe, Woe
Verse 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!
[Note: The phrase “the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound” does not mean that the trumpets have voices to utter. It simply means that when each trumpet is blown or sounded forth, a certain sound or voice follows. That is, it has a certain meaning, significance or objective. Failure to understand this will result in the misinterpretation of Revelation 10:7 as being the Seventh Trumpeting Angel rather than the Seven Church Age Messenger. All Church Age Messengers have voices. In uttering (speaking, shouting, voicing or crying) forth, they are actually sounding forth their messages in their respective ages.]
Here we have the revelation that three “woes” will come upon the inhabitants of the earth with the sounding of the Fifth Trumpet in the middle of the 70th Week of Daniel and will continue throughout the Sixth and Seventh Trumpets until the end of the final 3½ years of the 70th Week of Daniel. The effect of these “woes” upon the world will be more intense with each passing day until the last trumpet is blown and the last of the Seven Vials is poured out upon the earth. But what are these “woe, woe, woe”?
The First Woe comes immediately with the blowing of the Fifth Trumpet. This is recorded in Revelation 9:1-12. The bottomless pit is opened and all demons are let loose upon the earth to torment mankind. Oh, how the living will wish that they were dead!
The Second Woe is recorded in Revelation 11:7-14. With the demons on the loose the Antichrist will not hesitate to kill the Two Prophets for prophesying against him and 'disturbing the peace' of his kingdom (the Beast system) for some 1260 days or 42 months (Rev.11:3-12; 8:6-12). With the death of the Two Prophets the Voice of God is silenced, so to speak, and Israel will then face the Man of Sin.
The Third Woe is in Revelation 12:7-17. The casting out of the great red dragon (the Devil) and all his angels speaks of the Fall of Lucifer in aeons past and of his incarnation in the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition — the Pope. The Pope will sit in the Temple of Jerusalem and will proclaim himself as God (2 Thess.2:3-4). He is Satan incarnate, and the Abomination that makes desolate the sacred sacrificial place of the temple of the Living God of Israel. The Devil will persecute the Woman Israel and kill those who “keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ”. It will be a bloodbath.
All these “woes” will fulfill the prophecy of Daniel 9:27: “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: AND IN THE MIDST OF THE WEEK HE SHALL CAUSE THE SACRIFICE AND THE OBLATION TO CEASE, AND FOR THE OVERSPREADING OF ABOMINATIONS HE SHALL MAKE IT DESOLATE, EVEN UNTIL THE CONSUMMATION, AND THAT DETERMINED SHALL BE POURED UPON THE DESOLATE.”
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Revelation Chapter 9
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
~ The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Revelation Chapter 9
In Revelation 8:12-13, after the Fourth Trumpet had sounded, a flying angel announced the coming of Three Woes that would strike the earth. Revelation 9:1-12 describes the events of the First Woe as the Fifth Trumpet is blown. These events will take place right in the middle of the last week of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel's prophecy. But, in this vision the Beloved Apostle John was shown the source of the wrath that would come upon the earth. Remember, John recorded the things and events exactly as he had seen them in his series of visions. And only by the Spirit of Revelation can we understand the significance of this vision. John was shown some particular demonic activities of a certain fallen star. Even now, what were shown to John are progressively taking place, but the height of total fulfillment of this vision would be reached during the first 5 months of the middle of the 70th Week of Daniel's prophecy (Rev.9:5,10).
The Fifth Trumpet
Verse 1: And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Unlike the star that fell upon the waters of the earth, under the Third Trumpet (Rev.8:10), which points to the cosmic disturbances brought about by the ministries of the Two Witnesses, this star is an angelic being, who is none other than Lucifer who was given the key of the bottomless pit. Lucifer had aspired to be like the Most High God. He was an original creation of God, yet he was deceived. Who deceived him? No one but he himself did it (cf. 1 Cor.3:18; Gal.6:3). He was cast down from his estate and became the Adversary of God.
In his fall, Satan dragged a third of all angelic beings down with him. Since then there has been constant wars in heaven between the angels who stayed loyal to the Creator and those who followed Satan the Devil (Rev.12:7-9 cf. 12:4a). Those who followed Satan became outcasts. They were stripped of their rightful estates and their privilege of direct access to God's Throne. They could no longer gain access to the heavenly places of God as those who remained loyal to their Creator could. They became earthbound. They were but trouble-makers who abused the powers they possessed. They were the spiritual hosts of wickedness in high places (Eph.6:12). Sinking as low as they could sink, their very thoughts and actions were only evil continually. Hence, the word devil — do evil.
This fallen star was given a key just as the Morning Star, Jesus Christ, was also given a key (Isa.22:22; Rev.3:7). Satan was given the key – the authority or badge of power – to do what he had to do, and would do, with the Bottomless Pit. He was the god of this evil world. Read Ephesians 2:2 and 6:12. And Satan, being what he is, would always impersonate every move of God to try and deceive God's elect, if at all possible. Didn't he even try to deceive Jesus Christ into worshipping him? Read Matthew 4:8-9. [Note: Some preachers disputed that Satan was given any key, that he had any power of authority. They believed that the star of Revelation 9:1 was not Satan but rather a holy angel who, upon given the key of the bottomless pit, flew down so swiftly to earth that gave the Apostle John the impression of a star falling to earth.]
We understand from the Scriptures that God has ordained a Kingdom – Holy City, New Jerusalem – to be built for His Only Begotten Son (Rev.21:1-22:5). The builder of this very beautiful spiritual city is God Himself. This Kingdom of God has a sure foundation who is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor.3:11; Heb.11:8-10). The key was given to Christ (Isa.22:22; Matt.28:18; Rev.3:7). He has absolute power and authority. And the Apostle Peter was the first among the disciples of Christ to receive the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt.16:15-19). From the Day of Pentecost, Peter and the other apostles began to open the Kingdom of Heaven, bringing forth and displaying the precious Truth of God's Eternal Life, Divine Healings, Spiritual Gifts, and other wonderful gifts. They had the authority and the power to do those works. When Satan set forth to impersonate the work of God, he began by impersonating this very Kingdom of Heaven, even from the time man was cast out of the Garden of Eden. His demons would even impersonate the true servants of the Lord Jesus. But notice, he was given the key of the Bottomless Pit.
The Bottomless Pit
Contrary to some teachings, the Bottomless Pit is not Eternal Hell or the Eternal Lake of Fire. The words 'eternal' and 'hell'/'lake of fire' should not be equated with the words 'bottomless' and 'pit' respectively. A pit is a hole or an abyss. Every pit has a bottom. But here we see a Bottomless Pit, sometimes called the bottomless chasm or abyss. No, it is certainly not a hole that is dug deep down through the centre of the earth until it opens up on the other side. Also, no where on the earth is there such a pit that has a lid over it and padlocked. The pit, shown to John in this vision, speaks of a structure that is filthy, diabolical or fiendish. Having no bottom, it has no foundation. Any structure that has no foundation is utterly useless. Yes, it is worthless. Certainly, it would be futile for anyone, who is swept into this Bottomless Pit, to escape. In falling he would continue to fall and would find it impossible to get out of its trap.
Yes, Satan is building his unholy city, a religious impersonation of the real thing of God. As Lucifer, Satan was endowed with wisdom and knowledge (Ezek.28:12-15). But in conceiving his own seed of deceit – that he could be like the Most High – he became perverted (Isa.14:12-14). Satan now seeks to pervert the Truth of God. It is by his religious approach that he possesses the whole world. Having possession of the key of the Bottomless Pit, Satan has the power to counterfeit God's work by building himself an empire, a great religious structure that encompasses the whole world and deceiving all who look upon its so-called beauty. That unholy city is called MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Gen.11:4; Rev.17:4-5). And as John (who types the Beloved Bride of Christ) was shown the vision of the demonic forces of the Bottomless Pit, the True Church of God is given the revelation on how Satan and his spirits are working to accomplish Satan's plan. These demonic spirits are fallen angels that deceive the masses by religious flatteries. They chain the people and cause them to wear garments of God's Word mixed with men's. Their ultimate intention is to cause total destruction of the people.
Verse 2: And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
With the authority given to him, Satan began to exercise his power. When he unlocked the Bottomless Pit he was able to display his power and his works. He began to build his empire – a great city, a great church – which has no foundation. As the key turned and the filthy system was opened, a great smoke came forth from the pit of hell like smoke which puffed out of a great furnace. It was so dense that the sun was obscured and the air was polluted.
What a great move! Satan counterfeited the very great cloud, or smoke, of the glory of God which God had often manifested to the children of Israel (Exod.16:10; 19:18; Num.9:15-16; 2 Chron.5:13; Isa.4:5). The Pillar of Cloud or Smoke shows the Presence of God. It is a covering for the children of God (Psm.105:39). With God's Glory Cloud came the Pentecostal Fire as was seen on the Day of Pentecost in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:9-11; 2:1-4). (There is no smoke without fire, as the saying goes.) The Fire gives light to every true believer of the Living God in this world of darkness even as it cleanses them. However, this great smoke of the Bottomless Pit was not accompanied by any fire. There was no light. Notice, God's Glory Cloud (or Holy Smoke) came from above, Satan's unholy smoke came from below. But from afar, it might be difficult to tell them apart. Something as big as this would certainly catch the attention of the onlookers just as God did with His Great Cloud.
The vision certainly does not speak of a literal smoke but a spiritual one. Yes, there are teachings which expound that this smoke and the locusts, with stings of scorpions in their tails (in verses 3 to 10), would literally come out of hell (a pit in the earth?) during the Great Tribulation and fill the whole earth, choking and inflicting sufferings upon the people.
Throughout the ages, Satan has always tried to outdo God. He is always devising a bigger and more attractive system than God's. He builds more attractive religious places of worship, makes more colorful clothes for his religious prophets and teachers, and creates many more alluring religious things to please the masses. Hence, the towering smoke of the Bottomless Pit speaks of false glory, a pretension that God is there in the system. But do the religious people understand what they are looking at? Do they know what they are really worshipping? Unfortunately the majority of them do not. Like the Samaritan woman whom Jesus conversed with at the well, they too do not know what they are worshipping (Jhn.4:20-24). Like the children of Israel in their exodus from Egypt, they too are so easily deceived into worshipping a false god (Exod.32:1-10). Sadly, because of the ignorance of the people, Satan is being worshipped in many churches today.
Man, by nature, is religious because Adam was created in the image of God. Man has the innate urge to worship His Creator. However, because of sin, man is corrupted in many ways. He is no longer spiritual. His approach to God is greatly affected by his sinful nature, as described in 2 Timothy 3:2-5 — “lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof”. With a personality tainted by corruption, man tends to worship God only on his own selfish terms. And Satan, knowing this weakness in man since the Fall, has been using it to his advantage to build his religious kingdom. Taking advantage of that weakness, Satan has created a system of traditional religions with great physical beauty and great intellectual display. He sprinkles it with just a little of God's Word to make it look godly and holy so he could please the religious emotion of men and women. It was enough for Satan to deceive countless souls with false hopes of salvation thereby leading them into his Bottomless Pit. Once a man falls into it, he is trapped. It is hard for him to get out; he will just keep falling, falling, and falling. And the deeper he falls, the harder it is for him to get out of that fiendish pit.
This so-called 'presence of God', the smoke of the Bottomless Pit created by Satan, has literally taken the religious world by storm in this 20th Century. As soon as God had poured out His Spirit to revive His Church, Satan began to counterfeit those gifts of the Holy Spirit. Through the intellect of Satan's servants, the gifts of God are blatantly impersonated. The impersonations are so real that in almost every church gathering those gifts are much sought after by the people. Today, we see a so-called 'great revival' in many churches. Proclamations such as “the glory of God is here”, “we feel the presence of the Lord here”, and such likes are often heard among the worshippers just because they spoke in tongues, prophesied, or felt some sensations. They tend to believe that such manifestations are the results of the baptism, or the filling, or the gift, of the Holy Spirit.
Unfortunately, what we see is hardly the real genuine Baptism of the Holy Spirit. One question we should always bear in mind is: “What is the Holy Spirit given for?” The answer could not be: “That we may speak in tongues, prophesy, have certain gifts, or just to feel good.” The obvious answer is found in John 14:26 — “the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, HE SHALL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS, AND BRING ALL THINGS TO YOUR REMEMBRANCE, WHATSOEVER I HAVE SAID UNTO YOU.” Amen! That's the purpose of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Truly, all true born-again Bible believers are sealed unto the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit. Yet, many who claim to have the Holy Spirit have never felt led to be taught by the Spirit at all. Isn't the Holy Spirit given to guide us into all things that are Christ's and to glorify Christ? Read John 16:12-15.
Truly, by their fruits – the heart confessions of their faith – ye shall know them. A confession against the Word of God would come to light in that day of judgement. Jesus said: “A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matt.12:35-37 cf. Lk.6:43-46). “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matt.7:21-23).
Those words of our Lord should cause many Gospel ministers and miracle workers to seriously examine what they are doing. There are a great many 'Gospel Ministers' who are doing God a service without it being the Will of God. Many may claim that “God has called me” but the fruits of their mouth bear witness to the fact that their faith is not anchored in the Will of God. And the Will of God is found in the Word of God. Any faith that is contrary to the Word is not in the Will of our Heavenly Father. It is one thing for us to know Jesus Christ, but it is another for Jesus Christ to know us. One may confess that he knows Jesus yet does not do His Will. Hence, any great work done for God would be done in vain. It is important that Jesus Christ knows us intimately just like Abraham and Isaac knew their wives who were completely submissive to their husbands.
As the Apostle John viewed the vision, the great smoke got bigger and bigger until it blocked out the sun, and congested and polluted the air. Light as well as air are needed for all living things. If the sun is darkened and the air is polluted, natural life is threatened. Spiritually, this phenomenon speaks of Satan's move to darken the Glory of the Son of God and the Life of the Spirit in the realm of Christian Worship and Faith. As Satan fans his smoke and increases his counterfeit 'presence of God' in many churches today, including the Endtime Message churches, he is actually keeping the worshippers from seeing and glorifying the True Son of the Living God. With their eyes irritated by the smoke, the worshippers are getting a different revelation of the Lord God.
You may say: “O, aren't the people worshipping Jesus in the churches?” My question is: “Are they really worshipping the Christ of the Bible?”
Like the Samaritan woman at the well, like the Pharisees, like the Sadducees, and like the Scribes, they may claim they are believing the Word and are worshipping the God of the Bible. However, ninety-nine out of a hundred of them just do not know whom they are worshipping. Satan's counterfeit of the real “Holy Ghost” Gospel and revival has darkened the Light of God's Truth in their gatherings. Its smoke has smarted and blurred the eyes of the worshippers so much so that it has blinded them from seeing the Glorified Son of God. What else could the worshippers do but to blindly follow their blind leaders in the thick dark smoke of false glory, only to fall into the ditch (Matt.15:14). The air – atmosphere – of worship is simply thickened with shouts and cries of “amen”, “hallelujah” and “praise the Lord” to every strange teaching and manifestation. The Roman Catholics and all her “separated” brethren – the Lutherans, the Baptists, the Methodists, the Presbyterians, the Charismatics, and many others – have their respective shouts as they congregate together; the Jehovah Witnesses and the Mormons have their own strange declarations of faith; and not the least, the Branhamites have their quotes of 'The Spoken Word' books and tapes, crying, “The prophet said this…” and “The prophet said that…” Not knowing that their lives, their souls, are being choked with pollutants of misleading doctrines and false teachings of self-righteous men and are in danger of death, the worshippers continue on like zombies in their worships. Truly, a strong delusion has come upon many assemblies of worshippers — “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess.2:7-12).
Verse 3: And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
Verse 4: And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
Verse 5: And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
Verse 6: And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
As Satan continues to smoke the churches with his bogus 'presence of God', his demonic spirits are working within that religious atmosphere. It is by these means that he is able to cause such a great deception among Christians. As God sends forth His heavenly angels to minister to His earthly servants, Satan also sends forth his hellish demons to minister to his own.
Satan's ministers are wolves in sheep's clothing — in every way they look like real spiritual Christians with good characters, humble, meek and caring. When they open their mouths to confess their faith, only then could a Bible believer know who they are.
These demonic angels were depicted as locusts in John's vision to show the frenzy and destructive nature of their ministries. We know that pests, such as caterpillars, palmerworms, cankerworms and locusts eat the greens of the fields. But the locusts do not just eat the greens, they are 'strippers of life' of the greens. And they do it bit by bit. When they gather in large groups, they tend to swarm from place to place. Farmers are completely helpless if a swarm of locusts comes upon their field of growing crops. The growing crops would just die at the mouths of the locusts. Within minutes, the field would be in ruins. That is exactly what these locusts (demons) from the smoke of the bottomless pit are doing. Taking advantage of human weakness, they prey on the minds of the intellectual, theological, seminary-trained ministers, who hold a string of degrees, and also those foolish self-styled ministers of God, who go about parroting the words and sayings of true men of God without any revelation of what they meant. These demons would agitate the ego of the puffed-up ministers and exert their influence over them. These men, in turn, would gradually sap the strength and life of the worshippers who congregate with them to listen to their teachings. Is this not the same situation for which our Lord Jesus had reproved the Scribes and the Pharisees? — “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt.15:7-9). “Woe unto you, lawyers [experts in the law of Moses]! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered” (Lk.11:52).
Oh, my! It happened even in Jesus' time. And since the beginning of the Church Age many false apostles have appeared with their false teachings (Rev.2:2). That same spirit of hypocrisy is also right here in our time. Believe this, my friend: if you do not come out of the organized religious system of “Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth” now, you will be destroyed soon (Eph.5:5-17; Matt.22:11-14). If you have enough 'sheep sense' in your head, come out of her immediately and stop those nonsensical beliefs of saying what your denomination says, what your church says, what your pastor says, what your priest says, what your prophet says, or what your apostle says. They are not the Absolute Authority, the Word of God is! Oh yes, all their words may sound good and authoritative but the things of God are spiritually discerned (1 Cor.2:14). Their words cause death for they do not speak the truth. But the Spirit of the Logos gives life. Come right into the Light (Sun) and Life (Air) of the Living Spirit of Christ, the Word of God, and breathe the Life of the Spirit and receive His eternal life. Pray “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him” (Eph.1:17). God is alive! Amen.
Normally, locusts do not have power to torment any living creature. However, these hellish locusts were given the power like that of the scorpions whose poisonous stings could cause excruciating pain in the body of man as well as numbness, dullness, confusion and delusion in his mind. “And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months” (Rev.9:10).
Demons love to play “follow the leader” game. When Satan fell from his heavenly estate, he made a third of the angelic beings to “follow his tail”. He is like “the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail” (Isa.9:15). Now, these fallen angels are as perverted as Satan Himself. They, too, are causing “Christians” to hold to their tails as they work through so-called servants of God. These “Christians” are so numbed by the stings of the locust spirits that their spiritual sense, if there are any left at all, have become confused, dull and delirious to recognize the Truth of the Word of God. They would simply ignore their bondage to the locust spirits and their torment in the hellish smoky system even when God's Truth is made known to them. In their delusion they are made to believe a lie. Yes, they are like the religious Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes who, under the influence of the fallen spirits, were holding to, and teaching for doctrines, the traditions of men. How people can sometimes become so stupid and foolish! Without the Holy Spirit, they would just simply remain religious.
When hell is totally opened up in the middle of Daniel's 70th Week, all those locust spirits, which are manifesting themselves now, will really run wild on earth. That would be the First Woe. Like the Beast which carries the Great Whore, and later turns upon her (Rev.17-18), the locust spirits will readily and eventually torment the souls of all who do not have the Seal of God in their foreheads. These people would be so tormented and hurt that they would want to die. Yet, no matter what they would do to seek death, death will flee from them. In other words, they could not even find the courage to commit suicide. It would not be there in their spirit. Hence, their souls would have to bear the torment of the scorpion stings of the hellish locust spirits for five months. Yes, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt.22:11-14).
Notice that “it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads”. This very statement verifies that the locusts in this vision are not natural locusts. Natural locusts eat and devour the green of the earth. Read Exodus 10:13-15. However, some may argue that these locusts with stings of scorpions are literal and that they are created by God to torment those who reject His Gospel. Friends, the Bible tells me that after God had finished all His creations He ceased from His works (Gen.2:1-2; Heb.4:10). These creatures which John saw were demons engaged in demonic activities upon the earth.
What then does the “green” here, such as grass and tree, refer to? The elect, of course! These are the green that the locust spirits cannot hurt nor touch. They are the green of the earth for they are planted by the rivers of the Living Waters of God's Word and Spirit (Psm.1:3; 23:2; 52:8; Hos.14:8). They have the Holy Spirit of Life! Amen. Satan's angels cannot hurt those who have the Seal of God in their foreheads. And in that first five months of the beginning of the Great Tribulation, when the First Woe is brought upon the earth, the locust spirits would also not be able to hurt those who are sealed under the ministries of the Two Witnesses, and the Foolish Virgins. They would only be able to hurt those men and women who do not have the Seal of God in their foreheads.
Verse 7: And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
Verse 8: And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
Verse 9: And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
Verse 10: And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.
There were no such locusts on earth and never will there be any. Knowing this to be so, some prophetic teachers point the descriptions in the passage to some sort of literal war machines such as tanks and aircraft. This interpretation is supported by Revelation 9:17-19. Those are indeed military weapons of wars.
The shapes of the locusts from the Bottomless Pit as seen in the vision symbolize several things. Firstly, they were likened “unto horses prepared unto battle” which conveys the idea that the demons were sent forth to battle another principality – that of Christ Jesus – to destroy it (cf. Rev.19:11-16). “And the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle” depicts the swiftness of their attack in the battle. They are spiritual war machines, so to speak. Remember that these satanic spirits work in both realms. The Scriptures clearly tell us that there will always be spiritual warfares, in Heaven and on Earth (Rev.12:7; Matt.11:12) as long as God has not brought in the last elect into His Kingdom. So, “put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” (Eph.6:11-18).
Next, “on their heads were as it were crowns like gold and their faces were as the faces of men” depicts the false glory placed upon intellectual men whom the locust spirits use to build Satan's 'Church of God'. Just look at “Christianity” today, and you will see the BIG beautiful buildings, BIG programmes, and BIG everything. Then look at its leaders, and you will never fail to see the “holier than thou” image they have created for themselves. They are graduates of some prestigious seminaries, crowned with square hats and conferred strings of golden degrees which give them the rights to use various titles to their names. They are angels of light, aren't they? Look at their faces. Are they not faces of intellectual men, very much like the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes? They are nothing but hypocrites and wolves in sheep's clothing! Do they not have certain traditions in their religious stance that you just cannot fail to notice them as 'Reverend', 'Right Reverend', 'Very Reverend', 'Cardinal', 'Monsignor', 'Archbishop', 'Doctor', or many other suchlike fanciful titles, which are conferred upon them each time they completed some seminarial studies (Matt.23:1-7)? Even Isaiah spoke of them in chapter 65 and verse 5: “Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.” But “these are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day” saith the Lord. Now, was Christ known by such a stance? Not at all. He was just too ordinary to attract any notice (Isa.53:2-3). He did not come from any recognized ecclesiastical order of the day. “He could only be Baalzebub”, so they thought of Him, and called Him so. The same is true of Christ's disciples and the prophets of old. If they were here in our days, without 'Th.D.', 'D.D.', and other letters to their names, do you think that they will be accepted by the BIG mainstream religious Christian orders? Certainly not! O my, how time has changed people and religions!
In the first half of 1st Corinthians chapter 11, the Apostle Paul expounds the subject of headship and its glory. In verse 15, he says that “if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering”. The long hair on the woman's head indicates the headship over her. It shows her submission to the authority over her and which covers her. Now, we know that the woman is a type of the Church that has been espoused to Christ (2 Cor.11:2), and Christ, the Man, is the Head of the Church, the Woman. Her glory is, therefore, Christ, the Word of God. The Church is crowned with the glory of the Word. Hence, if shame is heaped upon a believing woman for dishonoring her headship by cutting off (or trimming) her hair which is her covering, what consequences will the Church face if she cuts off (or removes) the glorious covering of God's Holy Word, which has been given to her, and substitutes It with some man-made creeds and dogmas? Undoubtedly she will face dire consequences. Obviously Satan had put to use whatever knowledge he had acquired. He simply made his locust spirits appear as if “they had hair as the hair of women” to impersonate the crowning glory of the Word of God. My, my! Make-believers, false teachers, false Christianity – all very religious – looking just like the real things! Yes, they are very attractive and seductive! But “their teeth were as the teeth of lions”! Oh, what powerful teeth they had! The better to kill, of course. Like roaring lions, they walk about, seeking whom they may devour (cf. 1 Pet.5:8; Ezek.22:25; Joel 1:6,7). That's right. For five months they will torment those without the seal of God in their foreheads before they seize their souls in death.
In order to withstand the attack of the enemy, the Bible believers are told by the Apostle Paul to put on the whole armour of God (Eph.6:10-18). The breastplate of righteousness, faith and love, (1 Thess.5:8) is a part of the whole armour. It protects that part of the spiritual body which holds our faith, love and righteousness in the Lord's Promised Word. Satan's demons also “had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron”. But they were breastplates of might and standing in a BIG system. Look at Goliath of the Philistines who came to challenge the army of Israel to a duel. He was a BIG man and he had trust in the authority of the leaders of the BIG nation of the Philistines, and in the iron suit of armour that was specially designed and made for him. Big is Might. Iron is Strength. Together they symbolize Indestructibility. Especially with his breastplate of iron covering his chest to protect his heart, Goliath believed that no one could kill him. Ha! But all that faith was only inside his skull — the place of human intellect. (Wasn't the “skull” the place where they crucified Jesus Christ (Jhn.19:17-18)? Weren't there many seminary educated men who had crucified the Word of God in their intellectual skulls throughout the past history of the Church?) David had full knowledge of that when he confronted Goliath in the Name of the Lord. And with just one stone of faith properly placed, he put an end to that intellectual, egoistic and carnal adversary of God. Amen!
Abaddon — Apollyon
Verse 11: And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.
This verse needs no interpretation. It is obvious that every army has a leader or a king. The king of the locust spirits is none other than Satan, the Adversary of God. His name in the Hebrew tongue, Abaddon, tells us that he is a destroying angel, and in the Greek tongue, he is Apollyon, a destroyer who destroys utterly. Yes, Satan, a liar and a murderer from the beginning, seeks only to steal and to kill (Jhn.10:10; 8:44; Rev.11:7).
Verse 12: One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
The Second and Third Woes actually follow right after the First Woe but are only described in Revelation 11:7-14 and 12:7-17 respectively. In brief: the First Woe is when hell breaks loose completely with demons tormenting mankind; the Second Woe is when Satan kills the Two Witnesses, silencing the Word of God; and the Third Woe is when Satan is incarnate in the Man of Sin. Remember, all these Three Woes happen right in the middle of the 70th Week of Daniel. It will be the beginning of the Great Tribulation, a time when the dark forces of Hell break loose upon the world.
The Sixth Trumpet
Verse 13: And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
Verse 14: Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
Verse 15: And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
Recall the vision that John saw of four angels standing on the four corners of the earth in Revelation 7:1. They are not chained to that area but rather they are held there in the River Euphrates by the Word of the Lord to hold back the four winds of the world so that the world would not enter into Armageddon until the 144,000 Jewish servants of the Lord are sealed. The River Euphrates symbolizes the chastisement of Israel and the shield or rampart that stands between nations. It is some time after the middle of the 70th Week of Daniel that this Sixth Trumpet is blown which means that the 144,000 Jewish servants of the Lord would have been sealed by the Lord and the Two Witnesses would have been killed by the Antichrist (which is the Second Woe). These four angels are told to let loose the four forces – political, religious, economic and military – so that they would bring about Armageddon, “which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year”, according to the time that God had appointed. The demonic spirits that are let loose upon the world to torment mankind would now begin to stir up the different nations, especially the powerful communistic nations of the Far East and the Beast system of the United European nations which is ridden by the Pope. (Later on in Revelation chapter 16 John saw another vision pertaining to this tempest that would bring an inevitable war that will end all wars before the Lord Jesus comes to reign over the earth.)
The demons will have their heyday as the four angels let loose the four forces at the sounding of the Sixth Trumpet. They will stir up the spirit of mankind to kill and destroy themselves by bringing the nations to Armageddon. War has always been fought since the Fall of Mankind in the Garden of Eden. It has always been fought on religious ground. It is one of Satan's ploys to destroy mankind. John's description of these happenings may appear similar to those at the sounding of the Fifth Trumpet. But a closer examination (of the Sixth Trumpet) will reveal that the things he saw, though demonic in appearance, are actually military. Remember, this will be the last move of Satan and his horde before they are seized by Christ at His Glorious Appearing and bound for a thousand years.
Verse 16: And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.
The armies of soldiers that will be geared up for the Battle of Armageddon are 200,000,000. That is the number that John heard in his vision. Centuries ago, the number of fighting men of this magnitude was unimaginable but with today's world population of 6 billions, the nation of China alone has that number of soldiers.
Verse 17: And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
Verse 18: By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
Verse 19: For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
Deployed with the armies of soldiers, specially clothed and protected, will be “horses” — war machines such as tanks, artilleries, amphibians, missiles, etc. These war machines look like “lions” as they “roar” and spit fire, sulphur and smoke out of their mouths. Swinging turrets on some war machines such as aircraft and tanks are powerful “tails”. Guided missiles are like “serpents” gliding (snaking) to their victims. They pack powerful war-“heads” which “hurt” to kill. These “demonic” machines will hurt and kill a third of mankind.
Verse 20: And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Verse 21: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Remember that God's Spirit will no longer draw men to Himself in that day of the Great Tribulation. The Gospel of Grace and Mercy would almost be finished with the Jews as Christ gets ready to come and fight the nations. There is nothing left for the wicked. Even after the calamity of Armageddon men who are filthy will continue in their filthiness; those who are unrighteous will continue in their unrighteousness; those who are unholy will continue in their unholiness; and similarly the rest of the people will live according to their own sinful lifestyles — stealing, fornicating, killing, practise sorceries, idol worshipping, etc. Man will even eat man in that day. They will not repent because they cannot repent. They will continue in their demonic delusion. The world will be in a chaotic condition. May God help us to be watchful and prayerful that we may not be caught in Satan's web of deception.
* * * * * * * * *
Revelation Chapter 10
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
~ The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Revelation Chapter 10
Revelation 10 bridges the gap between the end of the Grace Age for the Gentiles and the return of the Gospel to the Jews. This vision of the Apostle John actually falls within the HALF HOUR SILENCE of the Seventh Seal when it was opened. It shows the MYSTERIOUS Coming of Christ for His True Church (at the close of the Grace Age) before He comes physically to take her to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and return the Gospel to the Jews. These are the final events for the Church. There are basically five events: i) the Mystery of the Marriage of the Lamb (2 Cor.11:2; Rev.19:6-9), ii) the Ministry of the Seventh Star-Messenger (Rev.10:7; Rev.3:14-22), iii) the Revelation of the Sealed Book (Rev.5-6), iv) the Ministry of the Ascension Gifts (Eph.4:11-16), and v) the Final Call to the Bride for her Translation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (1 Cor.15:51-53; 1 Thess.4:13-17; Rev.19:6-9). These five events will be discussed in more detail as we study the verses in Revelation 10. In the last of the final events, the Seven Thunders will utter their voices to the Bride-Wife just as John saw and heard in the vision. Contrary to popular belief, this vision is not about the Rapture, neither is it about the Coming of Christ to the Mount of Olives. (Please refer to 1 Cor.15:51-53; 1 Thess.4:13-17; Zech.14:4 and Acts 1:10-12.) The Rapture will be a literal event when Christ Jesus will meet His Bride in the air. Christ's feet will not touch the earth. And in the Coming of Christ to Mount Olives, the Holy Scriptures clearly show us that He shall stand on the mount and not on the sea and land.
The Mysterious Coming of The Christ
To fully understand the doctrine of the Second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, as Bible believers, we must realize that, before the GLORIOUS PHYSICAL APPEARING (Grk: epiphaneia) of Christ to meet His Bride in the air, there is a SPIRITUAL COMING OF HIS WORD to His Elect. In the First Advent of Christ, the WORD first came to a chosen few for about 30 years before the LITERAL COMING (Grk: eisodos – an entering in [see Acts 13:24]) of God Incarnate. Likewise, the Second Advent also consists of a period of several events in which His PRESENCE (Grk: parousia) and His REVELATION (Grk: apokalupsis) are gradually made known to an elected few before His PHYSICAL COMING (Grk: epiphaneia) for them in the Rapture. This fact can never be over-emphasized. It is this Spiritual Coming of the Word (Logos, the Christ) that has awakened the sleeping virgins of Christ Jesus who, since the beginning of this 20th Century, have received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in anticipation of the meeting with their Lord. However, only the wise, who are well prepared, will see and receive the revelation of the WORD of God and enter into the Marriage (Matt.25). The nominal Christians who are constantly looking for the 'Rapture in the sky' will miss this truth as this mystery is hidden from them.
The utterance of the Mighty Angel that John “must prophesy again” contains a dual prophecy. Though, after his release from exile in 96 A.D., John probably did prophesy for a few years while residing in Ephesus, those prophetic words have a more definite bearing on the Church in the end time. Being the beloved disciple of Jesus, John was given the special privilege of being transported in the Spirit to the Lord's Day to see “the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter”. Prophetically, he types the Endtime Bride, the Beloved of Christ, who will certainly enjoy the same privilege to understand those “things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter”.
The Identification of the Mighty Angel
Verse 1: And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
It is certainly not difficult to identify this Mighty Angel. Though some theologians may teach that he was just one of the many angelic beings doing his job, it is our prerogative, as Bible believers, to establish the truth and maintain an unwavering faith in the Word of God.
The Greek word for 'angel' is 'angelos', and the equivalent in the Hebrew is 'malokh'. The word means 'one who is sent to deliver a message, a messenger', and 'a messenger' can be one who is a spirit being or a human being. However, in this case the Mighty Angel, who was seen coming down from Heaven, was neither a created spirit being nor a human being. He was the very personification of Almighty God in the Person of Jesus Christ Himself.
The description of how the Mighty Angel was clothed clearly shows that He was the personification of God in Christ. In Revelation chapter 1, we are shown how the Son of Man was clothed as a High Priest and Supreme Judge. However, He is described here as being clothed with a cloud and crowned with a rainbow. His face was shining like the sun and His feet were like pillars of fire. These descriptions identify Him as the Mighty Angel of the Covenant.
In the Scriptures, we often read of cloud being used to shroud the Glory of the Lord whenever He appeared before the people. Just as the natural cloud covers and dims the glorious light of the sun so that the eyes of its beholders would not be blinded, the Lord chose to cloth Himself with a cloud to protect those standing before Him from being blinded by His Glorious Light (Ex.24:15-18; 34:5; Lev.16:2). The Pillar of Cloud which was with the children of Israel in their exodus from Egypt was a testimony of His Presence, Leadership, and Strength. It was a Cloud of Blessings. Cloud is also usually associated with His Coming for the Bride (1 Thess.4:15-17) and His Second Coming to earth (Matt.24:29-30; Rev.1:7). Hence, this MYSTERIOUS Coming of Christ, as seen by John also shows His Coming with a cloud. And, other than the elect, no one is able to look beyond the cloud and see the Glorious Light. Amen! Did not God show His Presence to this generation in 1963 in the form of the Face of Jesus Christ in the cloud?
The Living God of the Bible is a Maker of covenants. He is a 'Covenanter' and the rainbow was the first token of an everlasting covenant He made with the man Noah (Gen.9:8-17). Even round about His throne, there is a rainbow to remind us of Who He is (Rev.4:3). The rainbow on the head of this Mighty Angel shows us that He is none other than the Covenant-Maker Himself in angelic form. He is the Angel of THE COVENANT (Mal.3:1). This covenant which was ratified by His Own Blood (Heb.9:11-23) was a firm covenant He made with Abraham. The Old Covenant, which was established at Sinai (Ex.19:5), could not disannul this precious covenant (Gal.3:17-25) within which can be felt God's heartbeat of love for His elect, both Jews and Gentiles (Jhn.17). He is the Redeemer.
[Note: There are some believers who teach that Revelation 10 contains events dealing with the Jews only because they believe that 'THE ANGEL OF THE COVENANT' relates Himself to the people of Israel and not the Gentiles. They trace the Angel of the Covenant only to Abraham who fathered Isaac who fathered Israel. However, the first covenant God made was with Noah (in Genesis 9); and Noah was neither a Jew nor a Gentile. Now, the truth is that 'THE ANGEL OF THE COVENANT' binds Himself to His Own Covenant, not to a people. Read Heb.6:13-20. Jesus Christ is the Mediator of THE COVENANT which is for both Jews and Gentiles. Read Heb.6:16-19; 8:6; 12:24, cf. Mal.3:1. Also, Abraham, the Father who received THE COVENANT concerning THE SEED was neither a Jew nor a Gentile. God keeps His Own Word.]
Notice, though we may not see a rainbow when we see a cloud, rainbow does not appear without the cloud. Rainbow is formed by a spectrum of seven colours produced by the refraction of sunlight. Hence, the Face or Presence of God (Ex.33:14; Isa.63:9; 2 Cor.4:6) refracts the GLORY OF GOD — “His face was as it were the SUN”. Without the Glorious Light shining from the SON of God, God's Blessings (His Presence, His Leadership and His Strength) in the Cloud would not be apparent to His people. As His Glory shines from His Face, Its Light refracts the Rainbow of His Everlasting Covenant through the Cloud.
“His feet as Pillars of Fire.” Fire is another identification of the personality of the Mighty Angel. Fire is not only often used in the Bible to symbolize the Presence of God, it is also used in association with searching, illuminating, separating, cleansing, purifying, and judging (Gen.15:17; Ex.14:24; Deut.4:24; Lk.3:16-17).
The Sequence of the Vision
To have a better understanding of the vision, we should not overlook the sequence of how it was revealed to John. First, John saw the Mighty Angel come down from Heaven. The Mighty Angel did not suddenly appear in his vision standing on the sea and land. He was descending from Heaven. Next, John noticed that He was clothed with a white CLOUD.
As the Mighty Angel continued to descend, His face and other parts of His body became obvious. And He had a little open scroll in His left hand.
The Little Open Book
Verse 2: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth,
What was that “little open book”?
The book was actually a scroll. It was the same scroll that John saw earlier in the right hand of the One Who sat on the Throne (Rev.5:1). It was then a sealed scroll, which was sealed with seven seals. And only Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God, was worthy to open the seals. This Seven-Seal Scroll is now an open scroll. It is the Title Deed to the possession of the earth and the Eternal Life that Adam and Eve had lost.
But why did it become a “little scroll” in the hand of the Mighty Angel? The scroll did not in any way shrink. We must realize that the Mighty Angel was a huge figure in the vision. It is obvious from the fact that He had “His right foot upon the sea, and His left foot upon the land”. He was not just a six-foot tall person standing on the seashore with one foot in the sea water and the other on the beach.
One important fact to bear in mind is that the whole vision was centred on the MIGHTY ANGEL Himself and all that He represented. He was THE PRE-EMINENT FEATURE in the vision. Failure to recognize this fact will cause the events in this prophetic vision of the Apostle John to be misinterpreted. Those who teach that this prophetic vision pertains to the RAPTURE have probably focused their attention on the wrong things in the vision. The little book and its Seventh Seal are often over-emphasized. There are two groups who believe that Revelation 10 is about the RAPTURE. One group contends that the Rapture has yet to take place because the Seventh Seal is still unopened, and that Christ will only come for His Bride once the seal is broken. The other group believes that all Seven Seals were opened by William M. Branham in 1963. Based on certain specific year which Brother Branham had mentioned in some of his sermons, this group teaches that the Rapture has already taken place on a certain date.
Three Phases: Open, Reveal, Fulfill
Any Bible believer, who knows the Word of God well enough, should know that God had woven a certain pattern of numbers in His Bible. Many series of three, five, and seven events or things are recorded throughout the Bible. Similarly, there are three phases in each of the Seven Seals found on the Seven-Seal Scroll for the accomplishment of God's purpose. They are the OPENING phase, the REVEALING phase, and the FULFILLING phase.
Let me give an illustration. Let's suppose that you have never read a Bible. You have one in your hand. To you, it is a closed Book because you do not know what is written in the Book. Then you proceed to open the Book and turn to the first chapter of St. John and begin to read the first verse: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. Now, you have just opened and read a part of the contents of the Bible. But, do you understand what you have just read? Do you have the revelation of the verse? If not, what you have read will remain a mystery to you. Hence, the Scriptural contents must be revealed to you or else the open Bible is still as good as a closed Book to you. When they are revealed to you, you will begin to see the contents and the purpose of God as He brings about the fulfillment of His Word.
Now, when was the Seven-Seal Book actually opened, and by whom?
It was certainly not opened in 1963 by William M. Branham. But the majority of the Endtime Message believers believe otherwise. Unfortunately, their belief is contrary to the Scriptures. As we have noted, in previous chapters, it was none other than Jesus Christ Himself Who opened the Seven Seals after taking the sealed Book from the hand of the One sitting upon the Throne (Rev.5:5-10; 6:1, 3,5,7,9,12; 8:1). The Apostle John was the only earthly witness to that event. When he was in exile on the Isle of Patmos, he was caught up in the Spirit (probably in 96 AD.) to witness the OPENING of the Seven Seals by the Lord Jesus. He was transported (in the spirit) to the future for a preview of the endtime events which will precede the closing of the Grace Age for man. Whatever were shown to John in symbols then are now being revealed in the real form to the Bride of Christ in the Light of the revelation of God's Holy Word. (John is a type of the Endtime Bride of Christ, and the Book of Revelation was written specially to prepare the Bride for that final hour.)
Now, if the Seven Seals were not opened at all, then John would have seen nothing, and he would not have recorded those symbols that were described after the breaking of each Seal. Though the Seven Seals were opened in Heaven by Christ, and the events recorded by John in the First Century, the contents were never fully revealed to the Church until this Endtime Age. Remember, John witnessed the Four Horse Riders, the Souls under the Altar, the Great Earthquake in the Dreadful Day of the Lord, and the Silence in Heaven. But, being in symbolic forms, all these were very little understood by Christians throughout the Church Ages even though some of the events were fulfilled in their time.
However, in 1963, God revealed the mysteries which were hidden in each OPEN Seal to the Church through His Seventh Church Age Prophet-Messenger. Only then did we realize that the events described after the breaking of the first four Seals were historical events. However, the spirits of those four horses and their riders are still living today and will continue to live until their consummation in the Day of the Lord. The Fifth Seal has two parts. The first part was fulfilled in the Second World War, and the second will be fulfilled during the Great Tribulation. The Sixth Seal marks the end of the Great Tribulation prior to the return of Christ on the Day of the Lord.
Since it is recorded that Christ Jesus had opened all the Seven Seals, the Seventh Seal cannot be an unopened Seal. The Apostle John had witnessed the opening of the Seventh Seal. “And when He had OPENED the seventh seal, there was SILENCE in heaven about the space of half an hour” (Rev.8:1). This period of SILENCE in Heaven conceals a GREAT and IMPORTANT event that will take place on the Earth. When will it take place? Has it already taken place? Is it still ahead of us? Or, is it taking place now?
Now, we know that John saw Christ open all the Seven Seals in the vision when he was on the Isle of Patmos at the end of the First Century. As such, how could anyone believe that the Seventh Seal is still unopened and that it will only be opened just before the Rapture when Christ shall come for His Bride?
At this juncture I would like to point out that many ministers and believers have a wrong concept of the Mercy Seat. They believe that once the Seventh Seal is opened, “Christ (or His Blood) will go off the Mercy Seat”. This concept has no Scriptural foundation. It is, at best, only an idea of speculative theology. Some even have the notion that Jesus is literally sitting on a Throne called the 'Mercy Seat' from which He will get up the very moment He has broken the Seventh Seal.
The term 'Mercy Seat', in the Biblical sense, refers to the act, the place, and the accomplishment of the atonement that is in Christ Jesus. The 'Mercy Seat' in the Old Testament was the top of the Ark, a lid of solid gold, where the blood of a sacrificed bullock was sprinkled once a year.
And, as far as the Gospel of Salvation is concerned, it does not necessarily mean that there will be no more mercy for the Jews when God stops showing His mercy to the Gentiles. God's work of redemption will not be over yet even when the Grace Age ends. In God's great Grace and Mercy, the Gospel will have to be preached to the Jews. As such, the Blood is still on the 'Mercy Seat'. Remember, the Seventh Seal will end all things which include the redemption of the earth. Hence, God's mercy will be over only after the Millennial Reign of Christ when He will set fire to this earth to bring an end to all things and to bring forth a New Heaven and a New Earth (cf. 2 Pet.3:10-13).
I must again emphasize that all the Seven Seals had been opened as witnessed by John at the end of the First Century. Certain events described in some of the Seals were fulfilled even before they were fully revealed in 1963. We are still watching prayerfully for those unfulfilled events in the Seals to take place.
Chronologically, all the Seven Seals are rightly placed to end at the Coming of Christ. Each Seal holds certain events which have to take place within a given space of time. Though the Seventh Seal is the last Seal, the time for the fulfillment of this Seal has already begun. But its consummation is not yet complete. THE MYSTERY HIDDEN IN THE SEVENTH SEAL CONCERNS THE COMING OF CHRIST. It is a three-fold mystery. The Coming of Christ consists of several phases, which are the PAROUSIA of Christ, the APOKALUPSIS of Christ, and the EPIPHANEIA of Christ, first to the Bride at the Rapture and then to the world in the Day of the Lord. It began with the COMING OF THE WORD through the prophet (seer) of Malachi 4:6b, who is also the Angel (Messenger) of Revelation 3:14 and Revelation 10:7, to the True Church, and will end with Christ's Epiphany in the Day of the Lord when God shall execute His judgement upon the nations just before setting up His Kingdom on earth. The Seventh Seal shall bring an end to all things. Hence, the vision in Revelation 10 was a preview of the final events.
His Claim
“...and He set His right foot upon the sea, and His left foot on the earth,”
“The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psm.24:1 cf. Isa.66:1a). Yes, the earth belongs to the Almighty God Who gave its Title Deed to the first Adam. But Adam lost his inheritance when he failed his test. As a result, the Title Deed reverted to its Owner until a Kinsman Redeemer could be found to redeem it. But while the Everlasting God waited for the arrival of the Kinsman Redeemer, the devil continued to further corrupt the world with his evil and so-called wisdom. By his deception, he is even worshipped as the god of this world. When the Kinsman Redeemer, the second man, last Adam, came forth to redeem, He overcame the devil and his works by laying down His life at Calvary and raising it up again. Hence, Jesus Christ bought the right to take the Title Deed from the hand of the One sitting upon the Throne (Rev.5). He has the right to take back Eternal Life and the earth, and to restore man to the original position that he had fallen from. Furthermore the Seals were opened to show the redeemed Church the things that must transpire on earth before He would literally come to claim the earth and set up His Kingdom. And, Revelation 10 shows that the time has arrived for that fulfillment.
By placing His feet on the sea and on the land, He signified that He had come to claim the earth and all His possessions. Scripturally, the words “sea” and “land” connote “Gentiles” and “Jews” respectively. (See Isaiah 42:5-12; 23:2-11; 24:14.) Notice that He first placed His right foot upon the sea and then his left foot upon the land. (The word “earth” in the K.J.V. version of the Bible is a mistranslation.) John was no doubt provided a picture of the Mediterranean Sea and the Land of Palestine. Placing His fiery right foot first upon the sea shows that He had come to the Gentiles first to claim His Bride. Scripturally, “right” signifies the Grace and Mercy of God whereas “left” signifies His Judgment. (See Matthew 25:31-46.) So, we see that the Grace of Christ is shown to the Gentiles as Christ comes to search for His elected few and reveal His Presence to them. His Presence brings an Illumination (Revelation) of His Word which purges and purifies, and separates the True Believers from the works of the devil in the systems of the churches today. Amen! God is rich in mercy to whom He will show mercy. But judgement is now upon the False Church and all her prostitute daughters. The Fire of God will soon consume them. (See Revelation 3:14-22 and Revelation 18.)
After the Bride is 'caught away' (raptured) to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and when the last of the Church Ages has ended, Christ will turn to deal with the nation of Israel. He will purge her and claim as His own those true seeds of Israel. It will be a time of trouble. That's why the fiery left foot of the Mighty Angel was placed upon the land after He had placed His right foot upon the sea. Although they rejected the Messiah and His Gospel, the Jews have never been forsaken by God. But they will certainly have to suffer great trials and persecutions when they become converts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which the Two Witnesses (of Revelation 11) shall preach to them. The time of their trouble is known as Jacob's trouble (Jer.30:7). It is the Great Tribulation mentioned by our Saviour in Matthew 24.
The Cry
Verse 3: And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Verse 4: And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
It is said that when a lion roars in the jungle, its roar can be heard several miles away. All animals would hush to listen. The environment would become silent as the animals remain still and wait for something to happen because the king of the beasts has sounded his cry. And that was exactly what the Apostle John had observed in his vision. The Mighty Angel, having put his fiery feet upon the sea and land, gave a loud cry like the roar of a lion. Although John did not record what the cry was, we can deduce its significance from verses 5, 6 and 7. The phrase “as when a lion roareth” signifies that the Mighty Angel had proclaimed Himself as the RIGHTFUL KING of the whole earth and had come to claim His rights over it. He had fought well and had paid the price for it. [Note: Contrary to some views, this verse and the whole context of Revelation 10 do not in any way indicate that the Mighty Angel descended as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.]
Now, after the mighty leonine cry, the SEVEN THUNDERS, which were on the earth in John's vision, uttered their VOICES. John heard the utterances of the Seven Thunders. However, a Voice from Heaven forbade him to write down what he had heard. God has a reason for sealing up those utterances. God's Star-Messenger, William M. Branham, said that it was God's purpose to keep Satan from knowing what those utterances were because Satan, being an impersonator, would certainly cause great damage if he knew the secret. It is true that the Elect of God cannot be deceived. But we know what Satan can do when he distorts the Truth. Churches would split and members would fight with one another over the 'teaching'. Some would get frustrated while others would backslide. Those who believe the lie would find it hard to regain their footing. Hence, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour when the Seventh Seal was opened. Satan could not do a thing. Amen!
The “silence in heaven” after the opening of the Seventh Seal (Rev.8:1) contains the revelation of the events of the Coming of Christ. The revelation of the events is hidden in Revelation 10, that is, the Mighty Angel coming down from Heaven to claim His own and everything that He has redeemed! This revelation, though hidden from the world, is being unfolded to the Bride — in phases. Hush and listen! “The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:8).
Now, the revelation of the things which the seven thunders uttered on earth, but was sealed up, is in the Seventh Seal. Brother William Branham said, “There'll be seven voices of these thunders that will reveal the great revelation at that time” [The Seventh Seal, pg.575]. The voices of the Seven Thunders are only A PART of the THREE-FOLD MYSTERY of the SEVENTH SEAL. THE BRIDE NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT THE SEVEN THUNDERS HAD UTTERED AND SHE WILL CERTAINLY GET TO KNOW THEM. Since John, being a type of the Bride, the Beloved of the Lord, had heard the voices uttered by the Seven Thunders on earth, the Bride will certainly receive that great revelation of the VOICES of the Seven Thunders just before the Lord appears in the air to take her away.
The Seven Thunders
However, before the Bride can hear the VOICES of the Seven Thunders, she will have to know what or who the Seven Thunders are. There have been much speculations about the Seven Thunders. Without the spirit of reverence to God's Inspired Written Word and the wisdom to rightly divide the Word of Truth, many Endtime Message believers have merely quoted the statements of Brother Branham to say that the Seven Thunders were the Seven Seals when they were opened, or revealed (depending on their understanding of the two words). But, it is not recorded in the Holy Scriptures that a thundering noise was heard by John when each seal was opened, or when each of them was revealed in 1963. In fact, the Apostle John did not hear Seven Voices of Thunders, he heard only one “noise of thunder” “when the Lamb opened one of the seals” at the close of the First Century (Rev.6:1). This noise of thunder was reflected on earth in February 1963 over Arizona, U.S.A. just before Christ gave the REVELATION of the Seven Seals to the Church through His servant, William Branham. Hence, the voices of the Seven Thunders were not the sounding forth, nor the opening, of the Seven Seals.
There are also some who believe and teach that the Seven Thunders are the Seven Virtues of Christ (2 Pet.1:5-7) which all True Believers of Christ must 'thunder forth' in their lives to manifest that they are the children of God. This teaching is based on some statements quoted from the sermons of the Seventh Church Age Messenger.
Regardless of what have been taught about the Seven Thunders, the Truth can only be found in the Holy Scriptures which form the foundation of our faith. God is in His Word, and whatever is written for His Bride, it will surely be revealed to her. Amen.
The Seven Spirits of God
Now, it is recorded in the Book of Revelation that there was only one group of SEVEN SPIRITS (Grk: Pneuma) of God before the Throne of God. Read Revelation 1:4-5. They were not seven other Gods besides the Eternal “I Am That I Am”. (The number 'seven' refers to spiritual perfection.) Note carefully the three greetings in those two verses. The first is the greeting “from Him which is, which was, and which is to come”, Who is the “I Am That I Am”, the Almighty Spirit Himself. The second is “from the Seven Spirits which are before His Throne”, and the third is “from Jesus Christ”.
When John first saw these Seven Spirits, they were before the Throne of God (Rev.1:4). They were like Seven Lamps of Fire burning before the Throne (Rev.4:5). Before they were assigned any task, the Seven Spirits did not have any specific identity except their divine status and nature. However, in their first assignment, they took the form of Seven Angels (Grk: Angelos) to the Seven Church Ages. They were the Seven Stars in the right hand of the Son of Man, the High Priest and Supreme Judge, Who walked in the midst of the Seven Golden Candlesticks (Rev.1:16,20). Through the earthly Seven Church Age Messengers, the Seven Stars had kept the Lamps (Churches) of Truth and Faith burning for the Word of God to shine in their respective ages. Therefore, being the Seven Lamps of Fire burning before God's Throne, they were also the Seven Golden Candlesticks.
Each time the Seven Spirits took on a different task, they assumed a different identity according to the role of the One (in Whose hand was the plummet of God) Whom they were working with. In Revelation 5:6, the Seven Spirits are identified with the Lamb as its Seven Horns and Seven Eyes. The Lamb of God, as we know, is none other than Jesus Christ in His role as the Saviour. Having Seven Horns and Seven Eyes do not make the Lamb of God a freak. It is merely the language of the Spirit to describe the Seven Spirits as being a part of the Lamb as He works through them throughout the Seven Church Ages of Grace.
The Seven Horns denote the seven-fold Perfect Power (Omnipotence) of the Lamb, and the Seven Eyes show His Perfect Knowledge (Omniscience). Hence, the Seven Horns and Seven Eyes together show that the Lamb is All-Powerful to redeem the household of God, besides possessing Perfect Knowledge to mete out perfect justice to all who dwell upon the earth. The Seven Redemptive Names of YAHWEH (Jehovah God) of the Old Testament (Isa.11:2) are manifested in the Lamb of God of the New Testament as He works throughout the Seven Church Ages. As Revelation 5 shows, the Lamb with Seven Horns and Seven Eyes is truly worthy to take the Sealed Book of Redemption and to break open its Seven Seals. And in 1963, the Seven Spirits, in a constellation of Seven Angels, came to meet William Branham on a mountain in Arizona, U.S.A. and told him to return East to his home in Indiana, where each of them would unfold to him the REVELATION of the SEVEN OPEN SEALS. This REVELATION was then shown to the Church.
Here in Revelation 10 we still find the same Seven Spirits with Jesus Christ as He takes the role of the Mighty Angel of the Covenant descending from Heaven. As Christ changes His role, they too assume a different role. They are now the Seven Thunders. Notice closely — each of them has a VOICE!
Voices
In the Book of Revelation, the SEVEN SPIRITS assume a total of SEVEN DIFFERENT ROLES. In their assignments, they have been identified as: i) SEVEN STARS in the right hand of the HIGH PRIEST and JUDGE Who walks in the midst of the Seven Golden Candlesticks, ii) SEVEN LAMPS BURNING on the CANDLESTICK, iii) SEVEN SEALS on the backside of the SEALED-BOOK in the right hand of the Almighty, iv) SEVEN HORNS and SEVEN EYES on the LAMB, v) SEVEN THUNDERS with the MIGHTY ANGEL, vi) SEVEN TRUMPETS which will sound after the Rapture of the Bride as God's Gospel returns to Israel, and vii) SEVEN VIALS of God's Wrath which will be poured out upon the wicked of the earth between the closing of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. And in two of their seven jobs, as the SEVEN STARS and the SEVEN THUNDERS, their (audible) VOICES are heard by the True Worshippers of God.
Every Christian knows that God works with, and through, men. God's messengers (both in the Old and New Testaments) were a special breed of men whom God had chosen to carry out certain special tasks. The Word of God was given to them to be voiced to the people of Israel and the Church. Thus, the VOICES of the messengers were the sounding of the MESSAGES of God.
Now, when the VOICES of the men of God are sounded to the people, they do not always deal with teachings or doctrinal truths of God. The Word is sometimes given to correct a certain misconception or to give specific instruction for a certain purpose.
Throughout the Seven Church Ages, the SEVEN SPIRITS ministered as the SEVEN STARS and the SEVEN LAMPS (upon the LAMPSTAND). Individually they represented, and ministered to, each of the SEVEN MEN of God who were chosen to be the STAR-MESSENGERS to the seven successive Church Ages. Their duty was to keep the Church in line with the Truth. Because the SEVEN SPIRITS stood before the Throne of God as SEVEN LAMPS BURNING, the SEVEN MESSENGERS only spoke “WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH” unto the churches (Rev.2-3). Hence, in each Church Age the VOICE of the SPIRIT, which represented that particular age, was heard as his MESSAGE SOUNDED forth through the mouthpiece of the Prophet-Messenger to the Church. And after that Prophet-Messenger was taken off the scene, that same SPIRIT to the age would not only keep the LAMP of Truth BURNING in the lives of the saints who had the Light of God's Life and Love, but would also provide LIGHT through the “Ascension Gifts” ministry for that period of time.
Now, have not the SEVEN STARS uttered their VOICES in their respective Church Ages? And were not their VOICES distinct? Yes. So will be the VOICES of the SEVEN THUNDERS. If the SEVEN STARS were SEVEN ANOINTED MEN of God, so will the SEVEN THUNDERS be. However, the Seven Thunders will utter their voices close together only at the close of the Grace Age after the Mighty Angel of the Covenant has descended to earth with a SHOUT, and just before the SOON APPEARING of the Lord Jesus to His Bride (Rev.10:1,3). Their VOICES will be heard by the Bride of Christ as the FINAL CALL of God within a very short space of time.
[Note: As recorded in the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John received three greetings of Grace and Peace which were to be delivered to the seven churches on earth (Rev.1:4,5). These greetings came together to the Beloved Apostle from the voices of the Eternal Spirit, the Seven Spirits, and Jesus Christ in Heaven just before he was given the seven prophetic letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor and also shown their spiritual conditions. At the closing of the Church Ages (Rev.10), John once again heard the three voices uttering together. How appropriate, for the Almighty is truly the Alpha and the Omega. However, the voices of Jesus Christ (Who was seen in the role of the Mighty Angel) and the Seven Spirits (which were seen in the role of the Seven Thunders) were heard (uttered) on earth. This clearly shows that the distinct and audible utterances of the voices of the Seven Thunders, which John heard but were sealed up, will be heard by the Bride.]
Seven Men
Having studied all the relevant portions of the Scriptures, I can say without a shadow of doubt that the Seven Thunders represent Seven Men whom the Seven Spirits will identify with and work through just before the Rapture of the True Church. The voices of the Seven Thunders will be heard by every True Believer of Christ. It will be the sounding of the LAST TRUMP of God to the Word-Bride to bring about a change in her Body for her to meet her Word-Groom in the air, and be whisked home to His Father's House for the Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Remember, there is only one group of Seven Spirits of God, and they are assigned seven different roles. (Note the seven “seven”.) Five roles are played during the Dispensation of Grace and two roles will be played during the 70th Week of Daniel which will begin after the Church is raptured. Their first assignment is to identify with – and utter their voices through – the Seven Angels to the Seven Church Ages. They are called Stars. At the closing of the Seven Church Ages, they will appear as the Seven Thunders to utter their voices which will be heard and understood by the Bride only. No, the Seven Star-Messengers will not be resurrected to appear as the Seven Thunders. The Seven Thunders are not the Seven Stars. As their identities are different, so are their ministries. Each of the Seven Stars has his own specific Message, which deals with the Word, and which is for his respective Church Age to keep the Lamp of God burning in the Church (Rev.2-3). The Seven Stars are Church Age Messengers. The Seven Thunders are not; they are just seven chosen endtime servants of God who are anointed to utter their voices in respect of the Seventh Seal.
[Note: The voices of the Seven Thunders cannot be the voice(s) of the Five-Fold Ministry as some ministers are teaching. They use the number "7" in the Seven Thunders as a quantifying number for the ministry of perfection under the Five-Fold Ministry. Such interpretation is inconsistent with the rest of the other seven "7" in the Book of Revelation. The Five-Fold Ministry is a group of ministers consisting of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. Remember the precise number 'seven'. There are Seven voices.]
Over in the Book of Zechariah, we see a two-fold prophecy concerning the House of God, the golden lampstand of seven lamps and the two olive trees. And there were two men who played prominent roles in Israel's return to their homeland to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and their temple. They were Joshua, the high priest and Zerubbabel, the civil administrator (or prince). Both Joshua and Zerubbabel were types of our Lord Jesus Christ in His ministerial works of High Priest and Prince. As the natural types the spiritual, we can see Christ carrying out these roles in the last days as the Spiritual Israel (the Spiritual Church) returns to the Promised Word and is being built up as the Holy City New Jerusalem. But notice carefully the following verses:
Zech.3:8: Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
Zech.3:9: For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Zech.4:9: The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
Zech.4:10: For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
Sitting face to face with Joshua were several men — “thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at”. These men were “marvelous men” (Lamsa Translation), “men that are a sign” (Bethel Edition), “men of good omen” (RSV), “men symbolic of things to come” (NIV) and “men who are a sign or omen [types of what is to come]” (Amplified). Translator William F. Beck translated the whole verse as “Please listen, Joshua, O high priest, you and your friends who sit before you. You men stand for something wonderful I will do because I will bring My Servant, the Branch” (An American Translation). And placed before Joshua and the men who sat before him was a stone with seven eyes and having an inscription on it. (Now all these have compound meaning. And there is a play on the phrase “engrave the graving thereof”. Truly, God hides His Truth whilst revealing It.)
Now, what do all these mean prophetically concerning the Church? Simply to show that there is a REVELATION (the stone engraved with an engraving — “engrave (Heb: pathach) the engraving”) placed before our JOSHUA (Jesus Christ the High Priest) and that certain men before him shall be the “eyes” of that REVELATION. God shall open up or loosen (from the same Hebrew word: pathach) the inscription on that stone in the hand of Christ Jesus, not as 'Joshua the High Priest', but as 'Zerubbabel the Adminstrator' or 'Zerubbabel the Prince'. In “the day of small things” (that is, this period of the last generation, not the period of the 2000 years of the Church Age), our ZERUBBABEL shall hold the “plummet” (of that “stone”) and together with “those seven” marvelous men (the “seven eyes”), who shall rejoice to see it in His hand, “engrave (Heb: pathach – open wide) the engraving” and administer that revelation around the world just before God takes the Gospel back to Israel. Amen.
When the Apostle John saw the Seven Thunders in his vision, he also heard their voices but he was forbidden to write down what he had heard. The reason, as we know, is to keep it a secret from Satan who has always been an impersonator and a trouble-maker of God's plan and purpose. As such, this MYSTERY has yet to be revealed. It will be revealed to the elect of Christ in due course. It will be revealed at about the time when the Lord Jesus shall appear to catch away His Bride. When the Seven Thunders shall utter their voices, it will be the final 'reveille' of God to the Bride. It will be the LAST TRUMP of God to her. “And the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess.4:16b-17, cf. 1 Cor.15:52). Amen!
“Then awake, ye saints of the Lord,
Why slumber when the end is nearing.
But get ready for the final call!”
Time Should No Longer Tarry
Now, from the prophecies in the Bible, we know that after the Rapture of the Bride, the Gospel will be returned to the Jews. But according to THE VISION of the Final Events in Revelation 10, John did not see the closing of the Gentile Age after the Seven Thunders had uttered their voices. He was told by a voice from Heaven not to write down what the Seven Thunders had uttered. Logically, the Gentile Age should end then so that the Gospel might again be preached to the Jews by the Two Witnesses (Rev.11). However, he said:
Verse 5: And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
Verse 6: And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
Looking closely at Revelation 10 one cannot help but notice that the Prophetic Time and Events in this vision were sort of 'interrupted' when the Apostle John was told by the voice from Heaven not to write down what the Seven Thunders had uttered. In reality, the Prophetic Time and Events did not stop but in this vision of John they were sort of 'being held in abeyance'. This state of suspension is just like a parenthesis that is being inserted to show the Bible reader something important.
Because of the nature of the events, the whole chapter of Revelation 10 can be divided into two main parts. Verses 1 to 4 form the first part and verses 5 to 11 form the second part.
The vision in the second part actually provides the true believers a bearing on how the Final Events will literally be accomplished in full. This part, in itself, can further be divided into three separate sections — verses 5-6, verse 7 and verses 8-11. The three sections should be correctly understood in order to get the correct revelation of the whole chapter of Revelation 10.
Now, after the voice from Heaven had told John to seal up those things which the Seven Thunders uttered and write them not, the Mighty Angel raised His right hand to heaven, and swore in the Name of the Creator of Heaven and the Earth, and said: “There should be time no longer!”
Why did the Mighty Angel do that? And what did he mean when He said that “there should be time no longer”?
The answers are found within Revelation 10 itself. According to the vision, the Mighty Angel had already made His claim of the Earth when He descended from Heaven. But because John was not permitted to record the utterances of the Seven Thunders, the Prophetic Time and Events were sort of 'suspended', and the claim of the Mighty Angel was not realized. Hence, the Mighty Angel swore by the Creator that “there should be time no longer”.
The sentence “THERE SHOULD BE TIME NO LONGER” would be better translated or paraphrased as “TIME SHOULD NO LONGER TARRY” or “TIME SHOULD NO LONGER DELAY OR RESPITE”. [Some translations render it as “TIME SHOULD NOT INTERVENE” or “THE TIME OF WAITING IS OVER”.] This would give us a better understanding that the Mighty Angel was proclaiming that TIME SHOULD NOT DELAY THE REALIZATION OF HIS CLAIM OF THE EARTH. Per se, the time allotted for the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation to the Gentiles will have to end first before the Gospel can be returned to the children of Israel. And beloved, we do not have to wait very long for those Seven Thunders to utter their voices and transform the Bride for her homegoing to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. However, a question arises: HOW DO WE KNOW THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS THAT THESE PROPHETIC EVENTS WOULD TAKE PLACE?
Times And Seasons
The oath of the Mighty Angel provides the answer to that question:
Verse 7: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Yes, “in the days” of the ministry of the Seventh Angel (to the Laodicean Church Age) when he shall begin to sound forth his voice – his message – the “Mystery of God”, which God had made known to His prophets of old, should (ought to) be finished (accomplished, fulfilled). And when that happens, time shall no longer delay the return of the Lord's Christ.
In his first letter to the Thessalonian believers, concerning the Coming of the Lord (see chapters 4 and 5), Paul said that there was no need for him to write about the precise times and seasons when that event would take place because they were children of light and that that day should not overtake them like a thief coming upon them by surprise in the night. Being sober and watchful they would surely know when it would take place.
Paul's admonition is certainly applicable to the present generation which will see the Second Advent of Christ. This is the very time and season that every true child of God, who walks in the Light of God's Word, will not only witness the visitation of God but also feel His PAROUSIA – His PRESENCE, His COMING – which will hasten the Day of the Lord.
The clear message sounded (uttered) by the Seventh Church Age Messenger marked the beginning of the times and the seasons when the “Mystery of God” would be brought to a close (finished, accomplished, fulfilled). For in sounding forth that Message, the Prophet-Messenger was actually giving forth a SHOUT, a MIDNIGHT CRY — “Behold the Bridegroom cometh! Come ye out to meet Him!” (1 Thess.4:16; Matt.25:6).
“Mystery of God” — “Grafting of the Gentiles”
What is the “Mystery of God” in Revelation 10:7? Many followers of the Message of the hour believe that it refers to all the (prophetic and spiritual) mysteries contained in the Bible. Others believe that it is the doctrine on how God became a man.
The “Mystery of God” is actually hinted in the Old Testament. It has been wrapped in mystery in the prophecies, by the prophets, on how God would show His Mercy to the Gentiles. In the New Testament, Paul revealed that God had made known to him this mystery, which was hidden before the foundation of the world, “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel” (Eph.3:6). Hence, the “Mystery of God” is the period of time which God had allocated for the grafting of the Gentiles into His Promised Word just “as He had declared to His servants, the (Old Testament) prophets”. Read Romans 9:6-8; 16:25-26; Ephesians 2:11-3:11; Genesis 12,15,17; Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 60:3; Galatians 3:16-18.
Now, the purpose of that precious message of the Seventh Church Age Messenger is to separate the Wheat from the Tares, and the True Believers from the Make-believers and Unbelievers. (Read Matthew 13.) It aims to lead the Elect out of darkness and out of the bondage of the world and its religious systems into God's Divine Word. The religious systems of the Mother Harlot and her Daughters (Catholicism and all 'isms' associated with her — Protestantism, Pentecostalism, Charismaticism, Ecumenism, etc.) have already been judged when they rejected the Truth. By and by, they will become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird (Rev.18:2). And as the true elected members of the Body of Christ are being gathered into the WORD, the “Mystery of God” (which is the Dispensation of Grace to the Gentiles) shall be drawn to a close. So, the “Mystery of God” should be (not is) finished. Yes, the grafting of the wild olive tree should be accomplished. And until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, the Gospel cannot be returned to Israel. (Read Romans 11.)
[Note: It is clear that in the “Mystery of God” the Gentile Church has become a part of THE COVENANT which God had made with Abraham, and which He had declared unto His Old Testament prophets. So, would anyone dare to deny that the Lord Jesus Christ, in His role as the MIGHTY ANGEL OF THE COVENANT (of Revelation 10), has no relationship with the Gentile Bride?]
“In the Days of the Voice of the Seventh Angel”
Having established the identity of the Mighty Angel, we have come to understand that THE VISION of Revelation 10 is a vision of the Final Events which would take place at the closing of the Church Ages before the beginning of the 70th Week of Daniel, during which time God will deal with the Jews. Besides the revelation that the Mighty Angel is Christ, Who will come and claim His right to the Earth, we also know that the Seventh Angel is the last Church Age Messenger (Rev.10:7). This further proves that the vision relates to the 'last days' of the Church Ages.
We shall now take a look at the Seventh Angel of Revelation 10:7. Those who understand Malachi 4:5-6 would recognize that the 'Elijah' (a Prophet-Seer), who fulfilled the second half of that dual prophecy – “to turn the heart (faith) of the children (of God) to their (apostolic) fathers” – was also the Seventh Angel (Grk: Angelos – Messenger) to the Laodicean Church Age recorded in Revelation 3:14. And the late William Marrion Branham has been identified as that Prophet-Seer and Star-Messenger of God.
However, there are some who have not come to grips with the fact that the Seventh Angel of Revelation 10:7 was also that same Prophet-Messenger. They are confused by the words “to sound” (in the said verse) which give the impression that the Seventh Angel is the Seventh Trumpeting Angel of Revelation 11:15 who is sounding his trumpet. (See also Rev.8:13.) Well, he is not. Though the verb “to sound” (Grk: salpizo – to trump) seems to refer to the sounding of a trumpet, the phrase “the VOICE of the Seventh Angel” clearly points to the UTTERANCE of the Seventh Messenger. The word “voice” comes from the Greek word “phone”. It means “a sound, noise, voice that is uttered; an address, saying or language”. Simply, “the VOICE of the Seventh Angel” is the ADDRESS (or the SAYING) of the Seventh Church Age Messenger. The sounding of his message is likened to a trumpet which is being blown to call for an audience. (See example in Matthew 6:2.) The Seventh Trumpeting Angel has NO voice (Grk: phone), but only a trumpet (Grk: salpinx). The clear sound of a trumpet blast (Grk: salpizo) carries a distinct message (Grk: phone). [Note: Undoubtedly, there is a parallel in the Seventh Church Age Angel uttering his voice and the Seventh Trumpeting Angel blowing his trumpet. The former deals with the Church, while the latter deals with Israel. But, both also wind up an age to usher in the Reign of Christ.]
Personally, I believe that without the ministry of the Seventh Angel-Messenger, William Branham, many Christians today will never know the times and seasons when the Lord Jesus Christ will return. O certainly the denominational faithful could make guesses by looking at certain signs and prophecies of Scriptures. But when we come to realize who he was, we definitely have a clearer understanding of the actual time and season that the Lord will return. As a man sent from God with a message to this generation, his ministry manifested the 'sign of the Messiah' and brought back “one of the days of the Son of man” as prophesied by the Lord Jesus Himself. (Read Luke 17:22-30.)
The Bride of Christ …
Verse 8: And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 11: And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
This is the third section of the second part of Revelation 10. The Voice which spoke to John from Heaven was that of the Eternal Spirit. Up to that stage of the vision John had already seen and heard all that he was supposed to see and hear. When the Voice from Heaven spoke to John again, there was actually a mystery hidden in all that He was telling John to do.
John was 'transported' in the spirit into the future and shown all those visions. Prophetically, he types the Endtime Living Bride who will not only be raptured but will also see and understand the revelation of what John had seen. John was also told by the Voice of the Eternal Spirit to take the little open book from the hand of the Mighty Angel and eat it. This clearly shows that he types the Endtime Bride who is willing to obey the Voice of the Eternal Spirit and eat of the Book of Life.
Remember, the “little book” is the Title Deed to the possession of the earth and Eternal Life. And Christ has paid the full price for the right to that book which is now opened in his hand. Spiritually, it is the Book of Redemption, the Book of Life. It is the Original Word of God, the Word of Life, which is NOW fully opened up and being revealed to His Bride as the Age of Redemption quickly draws to a close.
Notice that the open book was in the hand of the Angel of the Covenant. Upon God's instruction John went up to Him and asked, “Give it to me”. And it was given to him. This proves the Truth of God's Promise that He will give to anyone who asks, especially regarding the 'eating' of His Revealed Word. Notice also that the open book was handed to John by the One who is the Life of the Bride. Hence, it is the Mighty Angel of the Covenant, Christ Himself in Angelic form, Who is dishing out the Truth, the Original Word of God, and the Revealed Word of Life for the hour to the Bride. Amen! The WORD OF GOD giving out the Word of God! He said: “Take it, and eat it up: and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.”
Yes, the Word of Life will provide a delightful spiritual manna of Revelation and Truth to the hungry Bride of Christ. It will give her a pleasant enlightenment as she receives It. But when It gets into the inner being of her soul and spirit where It is being digested and assimilated, she will feel totally unpleasant and uncomfortable. The reason is that once the Revealed Word is spiritually assimilated in her life it will bring about a complete work of perfection in her whole spiritual being. The Digested Word will automatically counteract every 'poisonous' thought, deed or belief within her. The purpose of the process is to restore the Bride to the original standing that she had held when she first started off on the Day of Pentecost.
The spirit of 'People's rights' is prevalent in this present age. Like the people of the world, Christians too are going their own separate ways. But the True Believers and Worshippers of God will follow God's Way, God's Leadership, even if it means having to swallow their 'self' pride. Since they have been led out of the man-made systems, by the voice of the Seventh Angel, and placed back into the WORD, they will now have to 'clean house' and get strictly in line with the WORD. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt.4:4). They should now literally live by this verse just as the Mighty Angel had told John to 'eat up the book'. That's right, eat the Whole BOOK!
However, who will be feeding the Bride of Christ with the Whole Word of God when the Seventh Church Age Messenger has already been called home?
The answer lies in the last verse of the third section of the second part of Revelation 10.
…and Her Ministry
As the Body of Christ, the Bride has a Ministry. John was told that he “must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings”. This clearly shows that the Bride will manifest her ministry. John is a type of the Endtime Bride who has a True Ministry — the Ministry of the Ascension Gifts of Jesus Christ (Eph.4:1-16).
The statement of Revelation 10:11 is undoubtedly a dual prophecy. The scope of that statement is prophetically for our days though John probably did prophesy for a few years upon his release from exile.
The 'Ascension Gifts' Ministry is commonly called the Five-Fold Ministry. This ministry had not been able to achieve its purpose (as described by Paul in Ephesians 4:12-16) during the past Church Ages because the Church, having fallen deeply into error, had not been restored back to the Original Word. Of course, according to God's plan, it was not time yet for the restoration then. So, until the Church is restored to the Original Word the True Five-Fold Ministry will not be in full operation.
However, now that the Elect is called back to the Original Word, the perfecting of the True Church by the Five-Fold Ministry is now being fulfilled. Christ will perfect His Bride by the gifts He has set in the Body of True Believers.
Answering a question put forth to him during a meeting, Brother Branham said, “Would the Bride of Christ have a ministry before the Rapture? Sure. That's what's going on right now. Certainly! It is the Message of the hour. And the Bride of Christ consists of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. Is that right? That's the Bride of Christ, she's got a ministry – a great ministry – the ministry of the hour. It'll be so humble…”
Putting the Pieces Together
Now that we have an understanding of each of the three sections of Revelation 10:5-11 we can piece them together with Revelation 10:1-4 and see the overall events that are taking place in this final hour of the closing age of Laodicea.
The Mighty Angel descending to earth is not the Rapture nor the Return of Christ on Mount Olivet but the Mysterious Coming of Christ in Spiritual (Word) form. By divine revelation, we have identified the Mighty Angel as the personification of Jesus Christ in Angelic form.
Again, let me emphasize: Revelation 10 is the MYSTERIOUS COMING of Christ in Angelic form. It is not Christ's return to Israel on Mount Olivet or His coming in the Rapture. The former teaching is based upon the wrong notion that the title 'Angel of the Covenant' relates only to Israel and never to the Gentiles. This teaching is not correct as we have already established. On the other hand, the latter teaching is based upon the 'fact' that the Seventh Seal is first seen opened in chapter 8 before Christ comes bodily for His Church in chapter 10. Both teachings are based on the wrong idea that the Seven Seals are opened in this age. The Truth is that the opening of the Seven Seals took place in Apostle John's days but the Revelation of the (opened) Seven Seals took place in our days. Remember, there is an opening, a revealing and a fulfilling of the Seals.
As I have also mentioned before, the Second Advent of Christ, like His First Advent, will take place within a given space of time. During this period the PRESENCE (Grk: PAROUSIA, sometimes translated as COMING) of CHRIST will be unfolded to the Chosen few as He comes in WORD FORM to make Himself known to them. This REVELATION (Grk: APOKALUPSIS) of CHRIST THE WORD to the Bride will precede His GLORIOUS PHYSICAL APPEARING (Grk: EPIPHANEIA) to meet her in the air. So, in His Second Advent, CHRIST would first DESCEND from Heaven to the Earth in Word (Spiritual) form as He was revealed in Angelic (Word) form in John's vision.
The DESCENT of the Mighty Angel from Heaven to the Earth involved a period of time. And, it was during this period that the SHOUT of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 was first uttered by the Seventh Church Age Messenger to call the Elect out of Satan's worldly and religious systems of deception, 'darkness' and 'bondage'. The SHOUT message is the first of the three phases in the Second Advent of Christ to earth. The other two are the VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, and the LAST TRUMP.
We have to look into what the late William Branham had said about the various phases of the Second Advent of Christ in order to understand the three-fold mystery that is in the Seventh Seal in relation to Revelation 10. The Seventh Seal deals with the Coming of Christ, and Revelation 10 forms a great part of the Seventh Seal. It deals with the Final Events which will transpire before the Gospel would be returned to the Jews. We shall now make a comparison of what the late William Branham had said with the revelation of the Apostle Paul, the First Church Age Messenger, as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 so that the whole picture can be viewed clearly and correctly.
The Three-Fold Mystery of the Seventh Seal
To the Endtime Message believers the Seventh Seal is commonly known as the 'Endtime Seal' or the 'End of Time Seal' because this is the seal which would bring about an end to all things. As with all the other Seals, this one also covers a period of time.
In his sermon on the 'The Seventh Seal' (see pages 557, 568, 575 and 576), Brother Branham said that this seal had a three-fold mystery, one of which was the mystery of the Seven Thunders. He compared this Seal with the Sixth, and referred to Matthew 24 where he quoted what Jesus said, concerning His Coming of which only God Himself knew, and said, “No wonder, it wasn't even written. You see, they hushed…nothing taken place then. Angels don't know it; NOBODY KNOWS WHEN HE'S COMING. BUT THERE'LL BE SEVEN VOICES OF THESE THUNDERS THAT WILL REVEAL THE GREAT REVELATION AT THAT TIME. So, I believe…if we don't know it, and it won't be known till that time. But it will be revealed in that day, in that hour that it's supposed to be revealed in. So, the thing for us to do is to be reverent before God and serve Him, and do all that we know how to do, and live good Christian lives.”
This is clearly what Brother William Branham had taught, that Revelation 10 deals with the Coming of Christ. The declaration of the Mighty Angel in the same chapter also points to His Coming. And the Seventh Seal is about His Coming.
In his first epistle to the Thessalonian believers, the Apostle Paul wrote that the Coming of Christ would be in three phases. He declared: “For the Lord Himself shall DESCEND from Heaven with a SHOUT, with THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, and with THE TRUMP OF GOD…” (1 Thess.4:16). Simply, Christ shall descend from Heaven with A SHOUT to be followed by with THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL and with THE TRUMP OF GOD (or THE LAST TRUMP as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:52). After the sounding of THE LAST TRUMP, the bodies of both the dead and living saints will be transformed before they shall meet the Lord in the air.
Meditate upon this for awhile. If the VOICES of the Seven Thunders are a part of the three-fold mystery of the Seventh Seal, and if the SHOUT of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 is the message of the Seventh Church Age Messenger, while the LAST TRUMP of 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 is the bodily change of the dead and living saints just before the Rapture, then the Seventh Seal, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 must all be related to the same event — the Second Advent of Christ.
Therefore the three-fold mystery of the Seventh Seal is actually the three-fold mystery of the Coming of Christ for his Bride as revealed by Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. The mystery of the SHOUT, the VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, and the (LAST) TRUMP OF GOD in this passage of Scriptures will always remain a mystery to the nominal Christians who have always believed that Jesus will suddenly appear, without any warning, to give an angelic shout and a trumpeting sound, and take them to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. But the Bride knows that the Coming of Her Bridegroom covers a period of time (as in the Ancient Oriental Marriage Customs and Traditions), when the Word would first pave the way for the Bridegroom and prepare the Bride, to make her ready, for the Bridegroom to receive her in marriage. Then after a period of nuptial bliss, the Bridegroom would take His Wife to His Father's House for the Grand Wedding Feast. [Note: Each phase of Christ's Coming for His Bride is “with” a Spoken Word Ministry — “with a shout” – Ministry of the Seventh Church Age Messenger, calling the saints out of Babylonism; “with the voice of an archangel” – Ministry of the Ascension Gifts (Five-Fold Ministry), perfecting the saints in the Word; and “with the trump of God” – Ministry of the Seven Thunders, transforming the saints for the translation.]
Ancient Wedding Customs and Traditions
In order to have a clear picture of Christ's Second Advent, we must have an understanding of the Ancient Oriental Wedding Customs and Traditions. In Ancient Oriental Wedding, a Betrothal would normally precede the actual Wedding itself. After the Betrothal, a date would be fixed for the Marriage. The Wedding Ceremonies would vary depending on the distance between the homes of the couple. The Ancient Oriental Wedding was an elaborate affair which normally lasted for many days. It was usually conducted in three phases. The following is a brief description of a Marriage of a couple living far apart from each other.
i) On the appointed day the groom would put on his best garments and a beautiful headdress (not a crown) and set off from his home in a Wedding Procession led by the friend of the bridegroom. The procession, comprising musicians, friends and relatives, some bearing gifts and firebrands, would usually take place after sunset at EVENING TIME. The friend of the groom would arrive at the vicinity of the bride's home ahead of the procession, with a message, to herald the coming of the bridegroom. He would be carrying a firebrand (torch) as the surrounding would be in semi-darkness by then. Upon reaching the vicinity of the bride's home, he would announce the arrival of the bridegroom: “Behold! The bridegroom cometh! Come ye out to meet him!” Amidst the noise, gaiety and brightness (caused by the torches) of the procession behind him, his message declared the PRESENCE of the bridegroom. Even though the bridegroom might still be way back in the procession, his PRESENCE would inevitably be felt. The SHOUT of the forerunner was an announcement and a sign to the bride to get ready and be prepared to meet her beloved. By then, she should have been beautifully dressed up in the Wedding Garments provided by the bridegroom and be eagerly looking forward to the meeting.
ii) The Wedding would take place with a renewal of the Marriage vow. There would be much feasting and gaiety throughout the evening and night. Later in the night the couple would then be escorted to their Nuptial Chamber. Here, in the privacy of the chamber as well as in the 'canopy' of the groom's love, the bride, heavily veiled throughout the wedding ceremony, would be unveiled by her beloved. Intimacy between them would follow and end in physical union to consummate their marriage. In the process, the bride's virginity would be uncovered and a proof obtained. The Bride would then become the Wife. The Marriage Feast and Nuptial Love of the bridegroom and his bride-wife might continue for several days.
iii) After the Wedding and Nuptial Ceremonies, the groom would take his wife home to his father's house. They would be dressed up in Fine Linen. In the house of the groom's father, the Marriage of the couple would culminate in a Grand Wedding Feast.
Remember, the vision of the final events consists of the following: i) the Mystery of the Marriage of the Lamb (2 Cor.11:2; Rev.19:6-9), ii) the Ministry of the Seventh Star-Messenger (Rev.10:7; Rev.3:14-22), iii) the Revelation of the Sealed Book (Rev.5-6), iv) the Ministry of the Ascension Gifts (Eph.4:11-16), and v) the Final Call to the Bride for the Rapture to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (1 Cor.15:51-53; 1 Thess.4:13-17; Rev.19:6-9). All these can be seen in the types of the Ancient Oriental Wedding Customs and Traditions.
The First Phase — The Shout
Now, the SHOUT is the message of the Seventh Church Age Messenger. Being the last of the Seven Messengers to the Grace Age, Brother Branham was also a Forerunner of Christ's Second Advent (Christ's Return) just as John the Baptist was a Forerunner of Christ's First Advent. The Second Advent of Christ consists of Christ's Coming to claim His Bride in Spiritual Marriage and His Physical Appearing in the 'Rapture' to take her home to his Father's House.
As a type of the Ancient Oriental Marriage Customs and Traditions, this Spiritual Marriage of the Lamb of God also takes place at the evening time. And, the time that we are living in is the 'evening time', not because it is the closing of the Grace Age but because these 'latter days' had been predestinated of God for Christ to come and take His Bride in Spiritual Marriage. [Note: 'Darkness' existed in every Church Age. Hence a STAR was sent to each age to light up the Way of Truth. But only in the Seventh Church Age do we have the 'evening time' setting. 'Evening time' and 'evening light' are necessary for the Wedding ceremonies to be conducted. And then the 'Morning Star' (Rev.22:16) will come dawning upon His Bride and take her in Wedlock.] The Prophet-Messenger, a Friend of the Bridegroom, was sent ahead of the Mighty Angel's descent to earth to meet His Bride. Notice that the Mighty Angel, as the Word-Groom, was seen wearing a beautiful 'seven-colored' wedding headdress rather than a crown of gold. (Read Song 3:11; Isa.61:10b.) As a STAR, Brother Branham was sent to pave the way. He carried an EVENING LIGHT message for the Bride to get her ready for the Marriage. (Read Psm.45:13-14; Jer.2:32.)
This herald of Christ's Coming in Angelic form took place during the years 1956 to 1963. It was about that period that the Voice of the Seventh Angel began to sound: “Behold! The Bridegroom cometh! Come ye out to meet Him!” The SHOUT of the VOICE of the Seventh Angel caused a stir among the churches. Practically everyone hushed to listen but only the Elect truly “hath an ear to hear what the Spirit saith to the churches”. The Truth set the Elect free. Their denominational shackles were broken and they walked out of the religious traditions and dogmas into the Original Word and Light of God. (This 'evening light' message is still ringing to gather in the last few staggering Elect.)
When the Seventh Church Age Messenger (Rev.3:14) proclaimed his Message, he was to achieve two things. Firstly, as the Endtime 'Elijah', his message was to turn the heart of the children of God to the faith of their Apostolic Fathers, according to Malachi 4:5-6. Secondly, as his ministry was placed in the period of the Coming of Christ (Rev.10:7), he was also given the REVELATION of the Seven Seals to show to the Endtime Bible believers so that they might be able to discern the time and the season that they were living in. These two things were done by Brother Branham. In so doing, he was proclaiming the Coming of Christ. He sounded the MIDNIGHT CRY (Matt.25:6). His message pointed to the Word-Groom's ARRIVAL and PRESENCE (Grk: PAROUSIA). The various supernatural signs and gifts marked His PRESENCE. His PRESENCE then brought the REVELATION (Grk: APOKALUPSIS) of THE WORD Itself. The times and seasons were made clear to the Elect.
When the members of the Bride came out of denominationalism to receive the WORD(-Groom) they also received many blessings and gifts from the Lord. Among them was the REVELATION of the Book which was sealed with Seven Seals. She was given the understanding of the REVELATION, even as the Seals of the Book were opened to the Beloved Apostle John. However, the Elect should not focus their attention on the “little book”. They should now cast their eyes steadfastly on the eminent MIGHTY ANGEL Who is their Beloved WORD-GROOM.
The Second Phase — The Voice of The Archangel
After the churches were indicted for rejecting the PRESENCE of the WORD, the Word-Groom and His Bride entered into the Spiritual Marriage. It took place approximately during the period 1963 to 1965. The Bride 'renewed' her vow to her Beloved. There was much feasting of the Spiritual Manna spread on the table of God. There were also much rejoicing and dancing in the Spirit of the Lord. Now, as long as the Friend of the Word-Groom was around, the GROOM and the BRIDE could not have any intimacy yet. The reason being that he was an 'important' person who was chosen as a Steward to ensure the proper conduct of the whole event. He was not only a Friend of the Groom, but also His Companion, His Messenger, and His 'Governor' of the wedding feast. And as 'Governor' of the feast his duty was to see to it that the guests were adequately provided with 'food and drinks'. All these were commissioned by his Master. (Read John 2.)
Having finished his work as a Steward of the WORD-GROOM, the Seventh Angel-Messenger's presence was no longer necessary. (He then left the scene.) Then the WORD-GROOM and His BRIDE entered into the Spiritual Nuptial Chamber of the WORD OF GOD. They have been in there since around 1966.
Since then the Bride-Wife has gradually become mellowed. However, it will be many more days before she finally makes herself ready to be a WIFE. And as long as the Marriage upon this earthly home of the Bride-Wife lasts, as predestinated by the Groom's Father, the Spiritual Nuptials (feasting and love-making) will continue. (Read Gen.29:27; Jdg.14:12.)
The Nuptial (Marriage) Chamber in Hebrew is called CHUPPAH. It means 'COVERING, PROTECTION and DEFENCE' (cf. Matt.23:37; Phil. 1:3-21; Eph.6:17), and represents the BRINGING HOME OF THE BRIDE. It is the HOME of the Word-Groom. And THE ORIGINAL WORD is the 'CHUPPAH' OF GOD. The Word-Groom takes His Bride into It and she is safe for what It provides. It is in here that the Bride (the True Church) is identified as the Word-Groom turns on the (SON)LIGHT of the FULL REVELATION of Himself. And the Invisible Union of the Heavenly Bridegroom and the Earthly Bride begins. (Read Gen.29:21-25; Deut.22:13-21; Matt.25:10.)
The VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL is the VOICE of our BELOVED. He is now speaking to the Bride! And whatever goes on in the 'Chuppah' of God between the Word-Groom and His Word-Bride is hidden from the eyes of the world.
Notice. WITHIN the 'CHUPPAH' OF GOD the BRIDE is being mellowed by the SON-LIGHT (Morning Star or Daystar). She is locked in deep Spiritual Embrace with her Beloved in her new relationship with Him as His WIFE. Consider the words of this song:
“Into Thy Chamber, be free Holy Spirit;
Speak to me gently as You close the door.
Heavenly Lover, let Thy Presence cover;
Shekinah unending is all I long for.
Come my Beloved, be my Lord, my Master.
As I yield myself, unite me to Thee.
Let Thy Holy Word wrap 'round me I plead,
My Defence, Protection and Covering be."
And on the OUTSIDE, the EVENING LIGHT is still brightly lit as a flurry of activity continues.
Pause for a moment here. Do you recognize the significance of the activities that are taking place now? If you are a member of the Bride of Christ, where are you now in the final events? Are you now inside the 'Chuppah' of God being mellowed by the SON-LIGHT, or are you still outside the 'Chuppah' and clinging on to the EVENING LIGHT (with all the blessed events and things that had accompanied it)? In this hour of time, are you standing upon the WORD and walking in the SON-LIGHT of God, or are you standing upon the words of a man, an organization or a church? Has the DAYSTAR arisen in your heart, or are you still in the EVENING LIGHT, away from the 'Chuppah' and feeding upon the words of the historical Evening Time Messenger, William M. Branham, and trying to figure out what he had said as you mess around with his sermon tapes and books? (Read and ponder what John the Baptist said in John 3:27-36.)
Yes, this is the EVENING TIME. This is the Laodicean Age. But the Bride is not in it. She is not in that realm. She has been lifted up into another dimension which is parallel to the Laodicean Age. She is in the Token or the Eagle realm. It is a dimension where the BRIGHT AND MORNING (DAY-)STAR shines ever so brightly for the Bride. The SON has arisen in her heart. The FULL LIGHT is in the 'Chuppah' of God to mellow and perfect her. The VOICE of the ARCHANGEL (Strong Angel, Chief Angel, Mighty Angel) is the VOICE of the Word-Groom to the Bride. He is the ONLY ONE Whose FACE the Bride is NOW BEHOLDING! As the ARCHANGEL of the COVENANT His VOICE (WORD) is sounded through His Own Ascension Gifts (Eph.4) which He has given to certain members of His Bride. Hence, the Bride is not just eating THE WORD to enjoy Its sweetness in her mouth, she is also willing to accept Its bitterness in her belly to be perfected. She, too, has a Ministry. Amen. Her Ministry is to declare the Truth to the world, both in words and in deeds. Both the Bride and the Ministry are one. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
The Third Phase — The Last Trump of God
“Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev.19:6b-8).
When this prophecy comes to pass, the Earthly Bride-Wife will have gone through the stage of being a true Wife to her Husband.
There is clearly a difference between a bride and a wife. However, in the Ancient Oriental Marriage Customs and Traditions, when a bride had made herself ready as a wife, she would be given A CHANGE of dress made of Fine Linen. Then she would be taken to the house of her husband's father to be presented as WIFE of the man who would also be dressed in fine linen. She would then sit as a 'queen' next to her 'king' at the head of the supper table. (Read Esther 2.) [Note: This is very similar to another custom in which a male child has to be tutored and trained before his father would accept and positionally place him as a son before the people.]
“The WIFE hath made herself ready” for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! Yes, without a doubt, the Word-Bride of Christ must now make herself ready. In the 'CHUPPAH' of God and in the PRESENCE of the Word-Groom she must now strip off all the carnal ideas and man-made garments which are still with her. She must submit herself completely to the desires of the Word-Groom as her Husband, in order to be perfected and be presented as WIFE at the HOME of the Groom's Father. The secret of that home-going will be made known to her here when the LAST TRUMP of God takes place. It will be the final phase of the Seventh Seal. “Then there is coming forth seven mysterious thunders that are not even written at all! That's right! And I believe that through those seven thunders will be revealed in the last days in order to get the bride together for rapturing faith; because what we got right now, we wouldn't be able to do it. There is something that has got to step forward for we can't have enough faith for divine healing hardly. We have got to have enough faith to be changed in a moment to be swept up out of this earth, and we will find that after awhile, the Lord willing, find where it is written.” [The First Seal, pg.128].
The Seven Thunders will appear on the scene and utter their voices. Although the voices will be heard around the world only the members of the Bride-Wife will have the ears to hear what the voices shall utter. The Bride-Wife will receive a revival in the power of the Word of God in the Last Trump. Brother Branham said, “Wait 'til them seven thunders utter their voices to that group who really can take the Word of God and hand it there!” [The Fourth Seal, pg.304]. It is during this short period of revival that the members of the Body of Christ will receive their rapturing faith. They will have a change in the body. They will receive complete healing and they will be made whole physically before the translation takes place.
Yes, the REVELATION of the VOICES of the Seven Thunders will be a secret to the world but it will be known to the Bride-Wife who will have made herself ready for her CHANGE by then. It will be around the time just before the Word-Groom shall appear in all His Beauty, Power, and Great Glory in the air and say, “Arise, My Love, My Fair One, Come away! Come up hither, and let us return to My Father's House!”
Then shall come the CHANGE, “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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor.15:52-53). Amen. “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev.19:8). The Word-Wife of the Word-Husband will be changed and be dressed in Fine Linen, Clean and White, to testify of her righteousness in her Husband. And He will bring her to His Father's House to receive her reward (Rom.14:10-12; 1 Cor.3:8,14; 2 Cor.5:10). With a Crown of Life upon her head she will sit as a Wife and Queen beside her Husband and King, the Lamb of God, at the head of the Final Grand Marriage Supper Table in the presence of the holy angels. The Marriage of the Lamb will culminate in this great event.
When this grand final event takes place in Heaven, the Gospel of Christ will be 'off the mercy seat' for the Gentiles on the earth. It will be returned to the Jews through Two Witnesses whom God will send (Rev.11; Zech.4:2-3,10-14).
[Note: According to the parable of Jesus, in Matthew 25:1-13, there are “foolish virgins”. They are foolish because they lack the common sense perception of what they should do as they yearn for the arrival of the bridegroom. Their failure in not carrying oil in their vessels, except in their lamps, testifies of their imprudent ordering of their lives in regard to something as important as meeting the bridegroom. Is this not the condition of the Christians today? No, I am not talking about the Ecumenists, Modernists, Hollywood Evangelicals, 'Jezebels', etc., but those who claim to be born again and those who claim to believe in the Endtime Message. What is their perception of the reality of things spiritual? Are not their reckless and inconsiderate habit of mind to the Truth manifesting the folly of their lives as 'virgins' in regard to their faith? Are they not truly foolish?
Friend, what about you? If you fail to enter into the Marriage of the Lamb now, like the “foolish virgins”, one of these days you too will find it too late when the 'door' is shut. And you will find yourself cast into the “outer darkness” of the Great Tribulation that will soon come upon this world.]
Utopia and New Heaven and New Earth
After the Great Tribulation, Christ and His Saints will return to earth. They will come riding on white horses. They will mete out vengeance upon the wicked and judge the world (Zechariah 14:4; Rev.19: 11-18; 20:4). Then the earth will be cleansed of all sins and wickedness as God brings about a restoration of the earth to its Edenic condition. It will be like an Utopian World (Isaiah 65:18-25). This age is known as the Age of Regeneration (Matthew 19:28), an age in which Christ and His Wife will reign over the earth. And the long awaited event – the MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD – will be fulfilled in this age. All the members of the Bride will be manifested as sons and daughters of God (Romans 8:18-23). They will all be positionally placed by God Who, in His Infinite Power and Knowledge, has predestinated according to His Own Will and good pleasure before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:3-14).
Beloved, whatever we have potentially right now — as sons and daughters of God — shall become a reality. Spiritually, we are right now having a foretaste of the reality of that age when our true ADOPTION will be declared. And that Age of Regeneration will be a preliminary stage of the TRUE STATE OF UTOPIA when this present earth and the heavens around it will be burned up to be replaced by a New Heaven and New Earth in a re-creation (2 Peter 3:10-13).
“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation…” (2 Peter 3:14-15a). Amen.
* * * * * * * * * *
Revelation 10
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
~ The Revelation of Jesus Christ
Revelation Chapter 10
Revelation 10 bridges the gap between the end of the Grace Age for the Gentiles and the return of the Gospel to the Jews. This vision of the Apostle John actually falls within the HALF HOUR SILENCE of the Seventh Seal when it was opened. It shows the MYSTERIOUS Coming of Christ for His True Church (at the close of the Grace Age) before He comes physically to take her to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and return the Gospel to the Jews. These are the final events for the Church. There are basically five events: i) the Mystery of the Marriage of the Lamb (2 Cor.11:2; Rev.19:6-9), ii) the Ministry of the Seventh Star-Messenger (Rev.10:7; Rev.3:14-22), iii) the Revelation of the Sealed Book (Rev.5-6), iv) the Ministry of the Ascension Gifts (Eph.4:11-16), and v) the Final Call to the Bride for her Translation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (1 Cor.15:51-53; 1 Thess.4:13-17; Rev.19:6-9). These five events will be discussed in more detail as we study the verses in Revelation 10. In the last of the final events, the Seven Thunders will utter their voices to the Bride-Wife just as John saw and heard in the vision. Contrary to popular belief, this vision is not about the Rapture, neither is it about the Coming of Christ to the Mount of Olives. (Please refer to 1 Cor.15:51-53; 1 Thess.4:13-17; Zech.14:4 and Acts 1:10-12.) The Rapture will be a literal event when Christ Jesus will meet His Bride in the air. Christ's feet will not touch the earth. And in the Coming of Christ to Mount Olives, the Holy Scriptures clearly show us that He shall stand on the mount and not on the sea and land.
The Mysterious Coming of The Christ
To fully understand the doctrine of the Second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, as Bible believers, we must realize that, before the GLORIOUS PHYSICAL APPEARING (Grk: epiphaneia) of Christ to meet His Bride in the air, there is a SPIRITUAL COMING OF HIS WORD to His Elect. In the First Advent of Christ, the WORD first came to a chosen few for about 30 years before the LITERAL COMING (Grk: eisodos – an entering in [see Acts 13:24]) of God Incarnate. Likewise, the Second Advent also consists of a period of several events in which His PRESENCE (Grk: parousia) and His REVELATION (Grk: apokalupsis) are gradually made known to an elected few before His PHYSICAL COMING (Grk: epiphaneia) for them in the Rapture. This fact can never be over-emphasized. It is this Spiritual Coming of the Word (Logos, the Christ) that has awakened the sleeping virgins of Christ Jesus who, since the beginning of this 20th Century, have received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in anticipation of the meeting with their Lord. However, only the wise, who are well prepared, will see and receive the revelation of the WORD of God and enter into the Marriage (Matt.25). The nominal Christians who are constantly looking for the 'Rapture in the sky' will miss this truth as this mystery is hidden from them.
The utterance of the Mighty Angel that John “must prophesy again” contains a dual prophecy. Though, after his release from exile in 96 A.D., John probably did prophesy for a few years while residing in Ephesus, those prophetic words have a more definite bearing on the Church in the end time. Being the beloved disciple of Jesus, John was given the special privilege of being transported in the Spirit to the Lord's Day to see “the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter”. Prophetically, he types the Endtime Bride, the Beloved of Christ, who will certainly enjoy the same privilege to understand those “things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter”.
The Identification of the Mighty Angel
Verse 1: And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
It is certainly not difficult to identify this Mighty Angel. Though some theologians may teach that he was just one of the many angelic beings doing his job, it is our prerogative, as Bible believers, to establish the truth and maintain an unwavering faith in the Word of God.
The Greek word for 'angel' is 'angelos', and the equivalent in the Hebrew is 'malokh'. The word means 'one who is sent to deliver a message, a messenger', and 'a messenger' can be one who is a spirit being or a human being. However, in this case the Mighty Angel, who was seen coming down from Heaven, was neither a created spirit being nor a human being. He was the very personification of Almighty God in the Person of Jesus Christ Himself.
The description of how the Mighty Angel was clothed clearly shows that He was the personification of God in Christ. In Revelation chapter 1, we are shown how the Son of Man was clothed as a High Priest and Supreme Judge. However, He is described here as being clothed with a cloud and crowned with a rainbow. His face was shining like the sun and His feet were like pillars of fire. These descriptions identify Him as the Mighty Angel of the Covenant.
In the Scriptures, we often read of cloud being used to shroud the Glory of the Lord whenever He appeared before the people. Just as the natural cloud covers and dims the glorious light of the sun so that the eyes of its beholders would not be blinded, the Lord chose to cloth Himself with a cloud to protect those standing before Him from being blinded by His Glorious Light (Ex.24:15-18; 34:5; Lev.16:2). The Pillar of Cloud which was with the children of Israel in their exodus from Egypt was a testimony of His Presence, Leadership, and Strength. It was a Cloud of Blessings. Cloud is also usually associated with His Coming for the Bride (1 Thess.4:15-17) and His Second Coming to earth (Matt.24:29-30; Rev.1:7). Hence, this MYSTERIOUS Coming of Christ, as seen by John also shows His Coming with a cloud. And, other than the elect, no one is able to look beyond the cloud and see the Glorious Light. Amen! Did not God show His Presence to this generation in 1963 in the form of the Face of Jesus Christ in the cloud?
The Living God of the Bible is a Maker of covenants. He is a 'Covenanter' and the rainbow was the first token of an everlasting covenant He made with the man Noah (Gen.9:8-17). Even round about His throne, there is a rainbow to remind us of Who He is (Rev.4:3). The rainbow on the head of this Mighty Angel shows us that He is none other than the Covenant-Maker Himself in angelic form. He is the Angel of THE COVENANT (Mal.3:1). This covenant which was ratified by His Own Blood (Heb.9:11-23) was a firm covenant He made with Abraham. The Old Covenant, which was established at Sinai (Ex.19:5), could not disannul this precious covenant (Gal.3:17-25) within which can be felt God's heartbeat of love for His elect, both Jews and Gentiles (Jhn.17). He is the Redeemer.
[Note: There are some believers who teach that Revelation 10 contains events dealing with the Jews only because they believe that 'THE ANGEL OF THE COVENANT' relates Himself to the people of Israel and not the Gentiles. They trace the Angel of the Covenant only to Abraham who fathered Isaac who fathered Israel. However, the first covenant God made was with Noah (in Genesis 9); and Noah was neither a Jew nor a Gentile. Now, the truth is that 'THE ANGEL OF THE COVENANT' binds Himself to His Own Covenant, not to a people. Read Heb.6:13-20. Jesus Christ is the Mediator of THE COVENANT which is for both Jews and Gentiles. Read Heb.6:16-19; 8:6; 12:24, cf. Mal.3:1. Also, Abraham, the Father who received THE COVENANT concerning THE SEED was neither a Jew nor a Gentile. God keeps His Own Word.]
Notice, though we may not see a rainbow when we see a cloud, rainbow does not appear without the cloud. Rainbow is formed by a spectrum of seven colours produced by the refraction of sunlight. Hence, the Face or Presence of God (Ex.33:14; Isa.63:9; 2 Cor.4:6) refracts the GLORY OF GOD — “His face was as it were the SUN”. Without the Glorious Light shining from the SON of God, God's Blessings (His Presence, His Leadership and His Strength) in the Cloud would not be apparent to His people. As His Glory shines from His Face, Its Light refracts the Rainbow of His Everlasting Covenant through the Cloud.
“His feet as Pillars of Fire.” Fire is another identification of the personality of the Mighty Angel. Fire is not only often used in the Bible to symbolize the Presence of God, it is also used in association with searching, illuminating, separating, cleansing, purifying, and judging (Gen.15:17; Ex.14:24; Deut.4:24; Lk.3:16-17).
The Sequence of the Vision
To have a better understanding of the vision, we should not overlook the sequence of how it was revealed to John. First, John saw the Mighty Angel come down from Heaven. The Mighty Angel did not suddenly appear in his vision standing on the sea and land. He was descending from Heaven. Next, John noticed that He was clothed with a white CLOUD.
As the Mighty Angel continued to descend, His face and other parts of His body became obvious. And He had a little open scroll in His left hand.
The Little Open Book
Verse 2: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth,
What was that “little open book”?
The book was actually a scroll. It was the same scroll that John saw earlier in the right hand of the One Who sat on the Throne (Rev.5:1). It was then a sealed scroll, which was sealed with seven seals. And only Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God, was worthy to open the seals. This Seven-Seal Scroll is now an open scroll. It is the Title Deed to the possession of the earth and the Eternal Life that Adam and Eve had lost.
But why did it become a “little scroll” in the hand of the Mighty Angel? The scroll did not in any way shrink. We must realize that the Mighty Angel was a huge figure in the vision. It is obvious from the fact that He had “His right foot upon the sea, and His left foot upon the land”. He was not just a six-foot tall person standing on the seashore with one foot in the sea water and the other on the beach.
One important fact to bear in mind is that the whole vision was centred on the MIGHTY ANGEL Himself and all that He represented. He was THE PRE-EMINENT FEATURE in the vision. Failure to recognize this fact will cause the events in this prophetic vision of the Apostle John to be misinterpreted. Those who teach that this prophetic vision pertains to the RAPTURE have probably focused their attention on the wrong things in the vision. The little book and its Seventh Seal are often over-emphasized. There are two groups who believe that Revelation 10 is about the RAPTURE. One group contends that the Rapture has yet to take place because the Seventh Seal is still unopened, and that Christ will only come for His Bride once the seal is broken. The other group believes that all Seven Seals were opened by William M. Branham in 1963. Based on certain specific year which Brother Branham had mentioned in some of his sermons, this group teaches that the Rapture has already taken place on a certain date.
Three Phases: Open, Reveal, Fulfill
Any Bible believer, who knows the Word of God well enough, should know that God had woven a certain pattern of numbers in His Bible. Many series of three, five, and seven events or things are recorded throughout the Bible. Similarly, there are three phases in each of the Seven Seals found on the Seven-Seal Scroll for the accomplishment of God's purpose. They are the OPENING phase, the REVEALING phase, and the FULFILLING phase.
Let me give an illustration. Let's suppose that you have never read a Bible. You have one in your hand. To you, it is a closed Book because you do not know what is written in the Book. Then you proceed to open the Book and turn to the first chapter of St. John and begin to read the first verse: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. Now, you have just opened and read a part of the contents of the Bible. But, do you understand what you have just read? Do you have the revelation of the verse? If not, what you have read will remain a mystery to you. Hence, the Scriptural contents must be revealed to you or else the open Bible is still as good as a closed Book to you. When they are revealed to you, you will begin to see the contents and the purpose of God as He brings about the fulfillment of His Word.
Now, when was the Seven-Seal Book actually opened, and by whom?
It was certainly not opened in 1963 by William M. Branham. But the majority of the Endtime Message believers believe otherwise. Unfortunately, their belief is contrary to the Scriptures. As we have noted, in previous chapters, it was none other than Jesus Christ Himself Who opened the Seven Seals after taking the sealed Book from the hand of the One sitting upon the Throne (Rev.5:5-10; 6:1, 3,5,7,9,12; 8:1). The Apostle John was the only earthly witness to that event. When he was in exile on the Isle of Patmos, he was caught up in the Spirit (probably in 96 AD.) to witness the OPENING of the Seven Seals by the Lord Jesus. He was transported (in the spirit) to the future for a preview of the endtime events which will precede the closing of the Grace Age for man. Whatever were shown to John in symbols then are now being revealed in the real form to the Bride of Christ in the Light of the revelation of God's Holy Word. (John is a type of the Endtime Bride of Christ, and the Book of Revelation was written specially to prepare the Bride for that final hour.)
Now, if the Seven Seals were not opened at all, then John would have seen nothing, and he would not have recorded those symbols that were described after the breaking of each Seal. Though the Seven Seals were opened in Heaven by Christ, and the events recorded by John in the First Century, the contents were never fully revealed to the Church until this Endtime Age. Remember, John witnessed the Four Horse Riders, the Souls under the Altar, the Great Earthquake in the Dreadful Day of the Lord, and the Silence in Heaven. But, being in symbolic forms, all these were very little understood by Christians throughout the Church Ages even though some of the events were fulfilled in their time.
However, in 1963, God revealed the mysteries which were hidden in each OPEN Seal to the Church through His Seventh Church Age Prophet-Messenger. Only then did we realize that the events described after the breaking of the first four Seals were historical events. However, the spirits of those four horses and their riders are still living today and will continue to live until their consummation in the Day of the Lord. The Fifth Seal has two parts. The first part was fulfilled in the Second World War, and the second will be fulfilled during the Great Tribulation. The Sixth Seal marks the end of the Great Tribulation prior to the return of Christ on the Day of the Lord.
Since it is recorded that Christ Jesus had opened all the Seven Seals, the Seventh Seal cannot be an unopened Seal. The Apostle John had witnessed the opening of the Seventh Seal. “And when He had OPENED the seventh seal, there was SILENCE in heaven about the space of half an hour” (Rev.8:1). This period of SILENCE in Heaven conceals a GREAT and IMPORTANT event that will take place on the Earth. When will it take place? Has it already taken place? Is it still ahead of us? Or, is it taking place now?
Now, we know that John saw Christ open all the Seven Seals in the vision when he was on the Isle of Patmos at the end of the First Century. As such, how could anyone believe that the Seventh Seal is still unopened and that it will only be opened just before the Rapture when Christ shall come for His Bride?
At this juncture I would like to point out that many ministers and believers have a wrong concept of the Mercy Seat. They believe that once the Seventh Seal is opened, “Christ (or His Blood) will go off the Mercy Seat”. This concept has no Scriptural foundation. It is, at best, only an idea of speculative theology. Some even have the notion that Jesus is literally sitting on a Throne called the 'Mercy Seat' from which He will get up the very moment He has broken the Seventh Seal.
The term 'Mercy Seat', in the Biblical sense, refers to the act, the place, and the accomplishment of the atonement that is in Christ Jesus. The 'Mercy Seat' in the Old Testament was the top of the Ark, a lid of solid gold, where the blood of a sacrificed bullock was sprinkled once a year.
And, as far as the Gospel of Salvation is concerned, it does not necessarily mean that there will be no more mercy for the Jews when God stops showing His mercy to the Gentiles. God's work of redemption will not be over yet even when the Grace Age ends. In God's great Grace and Mercy, the Gospel will have to be preached to the Jews. As such, the Blood is still on the 'Mercy Seat'. Remember, the Seventh Seal will end all things which include the redemption of the earth. Hence, God's mercy will be over only after the Millennial Reign of Christ when He will set fire to this earth to bring an end to all things and to bring forth a New Heaven and a New Earth (cf. 2 Peter 3:10-13).
I must again emphasize that all the Seven Seals had been opened as witnessed by John at the end of the First Century. Certain events described in some of the Seals were fulfilled even before they were fully revealed in 1963. We are still watching prayerfully for those unfulfilled events in the Seals to take place.
Chronologically, all the Seven Seals are rightly placed to end at the Coming of Christ. Each Seal holds certain events which have to take place within a given space of time. Though the Seventh Seal is the last Seal, the time for the fulfillment of this Seal has already begun. But its consummation is not yet complete. THE MYSTERY HIDDEN IN THE SEVENTH SEAL CONCERNS THE COMING OF CHRIST. It is a three-fold mystery. The Coming of Christ consists of several phases, which are the PAROUSIA of Christ, the APOKALUPSIS of Christ, and the EPIPHANEIA of Christ, first to the Bride at the Rapture and then to the world in the Day of the Lord. It began with the COMING OF THE WORD through the prophet (seer) of Malachi 4:6b, who is also the Angel (Messenger) of Revelation 3:14 and Revelation 10:7, to the True Church, and will end with Christ's Epiphany in the Day of the Lord when God shall execute His judgement upon the nations just before setting up His Kingdom on earth. The Seventh Seal shall bring an end to all things. Hence, the vision in Revelation 10 was a preview of the final events.
His Claim
“...and He set His right foot upon the sea, and His left foot on the earth,”
“The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psm.24:1 cf. Isa.66:1a). Yes, the earth belongs to the Almighty God Who gave its Title Deed to the first Adam. But Adam lost his inheritance when he failed his test. As a result, the Title Deed reverted to its Owner until a Kinsman Redeemer could be found to redeem it. But while the Everlasting God waited for the arrival of the Kinsman Redeemer, the devil continued to further corrupt the world with his evil and so-called wisdom. By his deception, he is even worshipped as the god of this world. When the Kinsman Redeemer, the second man, last Adam, came forth to redeem, He overcame the devil and his works by laying down His life at Calvary and raising it up again. Hence, Jesus Christ bought the right to take the Title Deed from the hand of the One sitting upon the Throne (Rev.5). He has the right to take back Eternal Life and the earth, and to restore man to the original position that he had fallen from. Furthermore the Seals were opened to show the redeemed Church the things that must transpire on earth before He would literally come to claim the earth and set up His Kingdom. And, Revelation 10 shows that the time has arrived for that fulfillment.
By placing His feet on the sea and on the land, He signified that He had come to claim the earth and all His possessions. Scripturally, the words “sea” and “land” connote “Gentiles” and “Jews” respectively. (See Isaiah 42:5-12; 23:2-11; 24:14.) Notice that He first placed His right foot upon the sea and then his left foot upon the land. (The word “earth” in the K.J.V. version of the Bible is a mistranslation.) John was no doubt provided a picture of the Mediterranean Sea and the Land of Palestine. Placing His fiery right foot first upon the sea shows that He had come to the Gentiles first to claim His Bride. Scripturally, “right” signifies the Grace and Mercy of God whereas “left” signifies His Judgment. (See Matthew 25:31-46.) So, we see that the Grace of Christ is shown to the Gentiles as Christ comes to search for His elected few and reveal His Presence to them. His Presence brings an Illumination (Revelation) of His Word which purges and purifies, and separates the True Believers from the works of the devil in the systems of the churches today. Amen! God is rich in mercy to whom He will show mercy. But judgement is now upon the False Church and all her prostitute daughters. The Fire of God will soon consume them. (See Revelation 3:14-22 and Revelation 18.)
After the Bride is 'caught away' (raptured) to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and when the last of the Church Ages has ended, Christ will turn to deal with the nation of Israel. He will purge her and claim as His own those true seeds of Israel. It will be a time of trouble. That's why the fiery left foot of the Mighty Angel was placed upon the land after He had placed His right foot upon the sea. Although they rejected the Messiah and His Gospel, the Jews have never been forsaken by God. But they will certainly have to suffer great trials and persecutions when they become converts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which the Two Witnesses (of Revelation 11) shall preach to them. The time of their trouble is known as Jacob's trouble (Jer.30:7). It is the Great Tribulation mentioned by our Saviour in Matthew 24.
The Cry
Verse 3: And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Verse 4: And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
It is said that when a lion roars in the jungle, its roar can be heard several miles away. All animals would hush to listen. The environment would become silent as the animals remain still and wait for something to happen because the king of the beasts has sounded his cry. And that was exactly what the Apostle John had observed in his vision. The Mighty Angel, having put his fiery feet upon the sea and land, gave a loud cry like the roar of a lion. Although John did not record what the cry was, we can deduce its significance from verses 5, 6 and 7. The phrase “as when a lion roareth” signifies that the Mighty Angel had proclaimed Himself as the RIGHTFUL KING of the whole earth and had come to claim His rights over it. He had fought well and had paid the price for it. [Note: Contrary to some views, this verse and the whole context of Revelation 10 do not in any way indicate that the Mighty Angel descended as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.]
Now, after the mighty leonine cry, the SEVEN THUNDERS, which were on the earth in John's vision, uttered their VOICES. John heard the utterances of the Seven Thunders. However, a Voice from Heaven forbade him to write down what he had heard. God has a reason for sealing up those utterances. God's Star-Messenger, William M. Branham, said that it was God's purpose to keep Satan from knowing what those utterances were because Satan, being an impersonator, would certainly cause great damage if he knew the secret. It is true that the Elect of God cannot be deceived. But we know what Satan can do when he distorts the Truth. Churches would split and members would fight with one another over the 'teaching'. Some would get frustrated while others would backslide. Those who believe the lie would find it hard to regain their footing. Hence, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour when the Seventh Seal was opened. Satan could not do a thing. Amen!
The “silence in heaven” after the opening of the Seventh Seal (Rev.8:1) contains the revelation of the events of the Coming of Christ. The revelation of the events is hidden in Revelation 10, that is, the Mighty Angel coming down from Heaven to claim His own and everything that He has redeemed! This revelation, though hidden from the world, is being unfolded to the Bride — in phases. Hush and listen! “The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:8).
Now, the revelation of the things which the seven thunders uttered on earth, but was sealed up, is in the Seventh Seal. Brother William Branham said, “There'll be seven voices of these thunders that will reveal the great revelation at that time” [The Seventh Seal, pg.575]. The voices of the Seven Thunders are only A PART of the THREE-FOLD MYSTERY of the SEVENTH SEAL. THE BRIDE NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT THE SEVEN THUNDERS HAD UTTERED AND SHE WILL CERTAINLY GET TO KNOW THEM. Since John, being a type of the Bride, the Beloved of the Lord, had heard the voices uttered by the Seven Thunders on earth, the Bride will certainly receive that great revelation of the VOICES of the Seven Thunders just before the Lord appears in the air to take her away.
The Seven Thunders
However, before the Bride can hear the VOICES of the Seven Thunders, she will have to know what or who the Seven Thunders are. There have been much speculations about the Seven Thunders. Without the spirit of reverence to God's Inspired Written Word and the wisdom to rightly divide the Word of Truth, many Endtime Message believers have merely quoted the statements of Brother Branham to say that the Seven Thunders were the Seven Seals when they were opened, or revealed (depending on their understanding of the two words). But, it is not recorded in the Holy Scriptures that a thundering noise was heard by John when each seal was opened, or when each of them was revealed in 1963. In fact, the Apostle John did not hear Seven Voices of Thunders, he heard only one “noise of thunder” “when the Lamb opened one of the seals” at the close of the First Century (Rev.6:1). This noise of thunder was reflected on earth in February 1963 over Arizona, U.S.A. just before Christ gave the REVELATION of the Seven Seals to the Church through His servant, William Branham. Hence, the voices of the Seven Thunders were not the sounding forth, nor the opening, of the Seven Seals.
There are also some who believe and teach that the Seven Thunders are the Seven Virtues of Christ (2 Pet.1:5-7) which all True Believers of Christ must 'thunder forth' in their lives to manifest that they are the children of God. This teaching is based on some statements quoted from the sermons of the Seventh Church Age Messenger.
Regardless of what have been taught about the Seven Thunders, the Truth can only be found in the Holy Scriptures which form the foundation of our faith. God is in His Word, and whatever is written for His Bride, it will surely be revealed to her. Amen.
The Seven Spirits of God
Now, it is recorded in the Book of Revelation that there was only one group of SEVEN SPIRITS (Grk: Pneuma) of God before the Throne of God. Read Revelation 1:4-5. They were not seven other Gods besides the Eternal “I Am That I Am”. (The number 'seven' refers to spiritual perfection.) Note carefully the three greetings in those two verses. The first is the greeting “from Him which is, which was, and which is to come”, Who is the “I Am That I Am”, the Almighty Spirit Himself. The second is “from the Seven Spirits which are before His Throne”, and the third is “from Jesus Christ”.
When John first saw these Seven Spirits, they were before the Throne of God (Rev.1:4). They were like Seven Lamps of Fire burning before the Throne (Rev.4:5). Before they were assigned any task, the Seven Spirits did not have any specific identity except their divine status and nature. However, in their first assignment, they took the form of Seven Angels (Grk: Angelos) to the Seven Church Ages. They were the Seven Stars in the right hand of the Son of Man, the High Priest and Supreme Judge, Who walked in the midst of the Seven Golden Candlesticks (Rev.1:16,20). Through the earthly Seven Church Age Messengers, the Seven Stars had kept the Lamps (Churches) of Truth and Faith burning for the Word of God to shine in their respective ages. Therefore, being the Seven Lamps of Fire burning before God's Throne, they were also the Seven Golden Candlesticks.
Each time the Seven Spirits took on a different task, they assumed a different identity according to the role of the One (in Whose hand was the plummet of God) Whom they were working with. In Revelation 5:6, the Seven Spirits are identified with the Lamb as its Seven Horns and Seven Eyes. The Lamb of God, as we know, is none other than Jesus Christ in His role as the Saviour. Having Seven Horns and Seven Eyes do not make the Lamb of God a freak. It is merely the language of the Spirit to describe the Seven Spirits as being a part of the Lamb as He works through them throughout the Seven Church Ages of Grace.
The Seven Horns denote the seven-fold Perfect Power (Omnipotence) of the Lamb, and the Seven Eyes show His Perfect Knowledge (Omniscience). Hence, the Seven Horns and Seven Eyes together show that the Lamb is All-Powerful to redeem the household of God, besides possessing Perfect Knowledge to mete out perfect justice to all who dwell upon the earth. The Seven Redemptive Names of YAHWEH (Jehovah God) of the Old Testament (Isa.11:2) are manifested in the Lamb of God of the New Testament as He works throughout the Seven Church Ages. As Revelation 5 shows, the Lamb with Seven Horns and Seven Eyes is truly worthy to take the Sealed Book of Redemption and to break open its Seven Seals. And in 1963, the Seven Spirits, in a constellation of Seven Angels, came to meet William Branham on a mountain in Arizona, U.S.A. and told him to return East to his home in Indiana, where each of them would unfold to him the REVELATION of the SEVEN OPEN SEALS. This REVELATION was then shown to the Church.
Here in Revelation 10 we still find the same Seven Spirits with Jesus Christ as He takes the role of the Mighty Angel of the Covenant descending from Heaven. As Christ changes His role, they too assume a different role. They are now the Seven Thunders. Notice closely — each of them has a VOICE!
Voices
In the Book of Revelation, the SEVEN SPIRITS assume a total of SEVEN DIFFERENT ROLES. In their assignments, they have been identified as: i) SEVEN STARS in the right hand of the HIGH PRIEST and JUDGE Who walks in the midst of the Seven Golden Candlesticks, ii) SEVEN LAMPS BURNING on the CANDLESTICK, iii) SEVEN SEALS on the backside of the SEALED-BOOK in the right hand of the Almighty, iv) SEVEN HORNS and SEVEN EYES on the LAMB, v) SEVEN THUNDERS with the MIGHTY ANGEL, vi) SEVEN TRUMPETS which will sound after the Rapture of the Bride as God's Gospel returns to Israel, and vii) SEVEN VIALS of God's Wrath which will be poured out upon the wicked of the earth between the closing of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. And in two of their seven jobs, as the SEVEN STARS and the SEVEN THUNDERS, their (audible) VOICES are heard by the True Worshippers of God.
Every Christian knows that God works with, and through, men. God's messengers (both in the Old and New Testaments) were a special breed of men whom God had chosen to carry out certain special tasks. The Word of God was given to them to be voiced to the people of Israel and the Church. Thus, the VOICES of the messengers were the sounding of the MESSAGES of God.
Now, when the VOICES of the men of God are sounded to the people, they do not always deal with teachings or doctrinal truths of God. The Word is sometimes given to correct a certain misconception or to give specific instruction for a certain purpose.
Throughout the Seven Church Ages, the SEVEN SPIRITS ministered as the SEVEN STARS and the SEVEN LAMPS (upon the LAMPSTAND). Individually they represented, and ministered to, each of the SEVEN MEN of God who were chosen to be the STAR-MESSENGERS to the seven successive Church Ages. Their duty was to keep the Church in line with the Truth. Because the SEVEN SPIRITS stood before the Throne of God as SEVEN LAMPS BURNING, the SEVEN MESSENGERS only spoke “WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH” unto the churches (Rev.2-3). Hence, in each Church Age the VOICE of the SPIRIT, which represented that particular age, was heard as his MESSAGE SOUNDED forth through the mouthpiece of the Prophet-Messenger to the Church. And after that Prophet-Messenger was taken off the scene, that same SPIRIT to the age would not only keep the LAMP of Truth BURNING in the lives of the saints who had the Light of God's Life and Love, but would also provide LIGHT through the “Ascension Gifts” ministry for that period of time.
Now, have not the SEVEN STARS uttered their VOICES in their respective Church Ages? And were not their VOICES distinct? Yes. So will be the VOICES of the SEVEN THUNDERS. If the SEVEN STARS were SEVEN ANOINTED MEN of God, so will the SEVEN THUNDERS be. However, the Seven Thunders will utter their voices close together only at the close of the Grace Age after the Mighty Angel of the Covenant has descended to earth with a SHOUT, and just before the SOON APPEARING of the Lord Jesus to His Bride (Rev.10:1,3). Their VOICES will be heard by the Bride of Christ as the FINAL CALL of God within a very short space of time.
[Note: As recorded in the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John received three greetings of Grace and Peace which were to be delivered to the seven churches on earth (Rev.1:4,5). These greetings came together to the Beloved Apostle from the voices of the Eternal Spirit, the Seven Spirits, and Jesus Christ in Heaven just before he was given the seven prophetic letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor and also shown their spiritual conditions. At the closing of the Church Ages (Rev.10), John once again heard the three voices uttering together. How appropriate, for the Almighty is truly the Alpha and the Omega. However, the voices of Jesus Christ (Who was seen in the role of the Mighty Angel) and the Seven Spirits (which were seen in the role of the Seven Thunders) were heard (uttered) on earth. This clearly shows that the distinct and audible utterances of the voices of the Seven Thunders, which John heard but were sealed up, will be heard by the Bride.]
Seven Men
Having studied all the relevant portions of the Scriptures, I can say without a shadow of doubt that the Seven Thunders represent Seven Men whom the Seven Spirits will identify with and work through just before the Rapture of the True Church. The voices of the Seven Thunders will be heard by every True Believer of Christ. It will be the sounding of the LAST TRUMP of God to the Word-Bride to bring about a change in her Body for her to meet her Word-Groom in the air, and be whisked home to His Father's House for the Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Remember, there is only one group of Seven Spirits of God, and they are assigned seven different roles. (Note the seven “seven”.) Five roles are played during the Dispensation of Grace and two roles will be played during the 70th Week of Daniel which will begin after the Church is raptured. Their first assignment is to identify with – and utter their voices through – the Seven Angels to the Seven Church Ages. They are called Stars. At the closing of the Seven Church Ages, they will appear as the Seven Thunders to utter their voices which will be heard and understood by the Bride only. No, the Seven Star-Messengers will not be resurrected to appear as the Seven Thunders. The Seven Thunders are not the Seven Stars. As their identities are different, so are their ministries. Each of the Seven Stars has his own specific Message, which deals with the Word, and which is for his respective Church Age to keep the Lamp of God burning in the Church (Rev.2-3). The Seven Stars are Church Age Messengers. The Seven Thunders are not; they are just seven chosen endtime servants of God who are anointed to utter their voices in respect of the Seventh Seal.
[Note: The voices of the Seven Thunders cannot be the voice(s) of the Five-Fold Ministry as some ministers are teaching. They use the number "7" in the Seven Thunders as a quantifying number for the ministry of perfection under the Five-Fold Ministry. Such interpretation is inconsistent with the rest of the other seven "7" in the Book of Revelation. The Five-Fold Ministry is a group of ministers consisting of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. Remember the precise number 'seven'. There are Seven voices.]
Over in the Book of Zechariah, we see a two-fold prophecy concerning the House of God, the golden lampstand of seven lamps and the two olive trees. And there were two men who played prominent roles in Israel's return to their homeland to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and their temple. They were Joshua, the high priest and Zerubbabel, the civil administrator (or prince). Both Joshua and Zerubbabel were types of our Lord Jesus Christ in His ministerial works of High Priest and Prince. As the natural types the spiritual, we can see Christ carrying out these roles in the last days as the Spiritual Israel (the Spiritual Church) returns to the Promised Word and is being built up as the Holy City New Jerusalem. But notice carefully the following verses:
Zech.3:8: Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
Zech.3:9: For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Zech.4:9: The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
Zech.4:10: For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
Sitting face to face with Joshua were several men — “thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at”. These men were “marvelous men” (Lamsa Translation), “men that are a sign” (Bethel Edition), “men of good omen” (RSV), “men symbolic of things to come” (NIV) and “men who are a sign or omen [types of what is to come]” (Amplified). Translator William F. Beck translated the whole verse as “Please listen, Joshua, O high priest, you and your friends who sit before you. You men stand for something wonderful I will do because I will bring My Servant, the Branch” (An American Translation). And placed before Joshua and the men who sat before him was a stone with seven eyes and having an inscription on it. (Now all these have compound meaning. And there is a play on the phrase “engrave the graving thereof”. Truly, God hides His Truth whilst revealing It.)
Now, what do all these mean prophetically concerning the Church? Simply to show that there is a REVELATION (the stone engraved with an engraving — “engrave (Heb: pathach) the engraving”) placed before our JOSHUA (Jesus Christ the High Priest) and that certain men before him shall be the “eyes” of that REVELATION. God shall open up or loosen (from the same Hebrew word: pathach) the inscription on that stone in the hand of Christ Jesus, not as 'Joshua the High Priest', but as 'Zerubbabel the Adminstrator' or 'Zerubbabel the Prince'. In “the day of small things” (that is, this period of the last generation, not the period of the 2000 years of the Church Age), our ZERUBBABEL shall hold the “plummet” (of that “stone”) and together with “those seven” marvelous men (the “seven eyes”), who shall rejoice to see it in His hand, “engrave (Heb: pathach – open wide) the engraving” and administer that revelation around the world just before God takes the Gospel back to Israel. Amen.
When the Apostle John saw the Seven Thunders in his vision, he also heard their voices but he was forbidden to write down what he had heard. The reason, as we know, is to keep it a secret from Satan who has always been an impersonator and a trouble-maker of God's plan and purpose. As such, this MYSTERY has yet to be revealed. It will be revealed to the elect of Christ in due course. It will be revealed at about the time when the Lord Jesus shall appear to catch away His Bride. When the Seven Thunders shall utter their voices, it will be the final 'reveille' of God to the Bride. It will be the LAST TRUMP of God to her. “And the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess.4:16b-17, cf. 1 Cor.15:52). Amen!
“Then awake, ye saints of the Lord,
Why slumber when the end is nearing.
But get ready for the final call!”
Time Should No Longer Tarry
Now, from the prophecies in the Bible, we know that after the Rapture of the Bride, the Gospel will be returned to the Jews. But according to THE VISION of the Final Events in Revelation 10, John did not see the closing of the Gentile Age after the Seven Thunders had uttered their voices. He was told by a voice from Heaven not to write down what the Seven Thunders had uttered. Logically, the Gentile Age should end then so that the Gospel might again be preached to the Jews by the Two Witnesses (Rev.11). However, he said:
Verse 5: And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
Verse 6: And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
Looking closely at Revelation 10 one cannot help but notice that the Prophetic Time and Events in this vision were sort of 'interrupted' when the Apostle John was told by the voice from Heaven not to write down what the Seven Thunders had uttered. In reality, the Prophetic Time and Events did not stop but in this vision of John they were sort of 'being held in abeyance'. This state of suspension is just like a parenthesis that is being inserted to show the Bible reader something important.
Because of the nature of the events, the whole chapter of Revelation 10 can be divided into two main parts. Verses 1 to 4 form the first part and verses 5 to 11 form the second part.
The vision in the second part actually provides the true believers a bearing on how the Final Events will literally be accomplished in full. This part, in itself, can further be divided into three separate sections — verses 5-6, verse 7 and verses 8-11. The three sections should be correctly understood in order to get the correct revelation of the whole chapter of Revelation 10.
Now, after the voice from Heaven had told John to seal up those things which the Seven Thunders uttered and write them not, the Mighty Angel raised His right hand to heaven, and swore in the Name of the Creator of Heaven and the Earth, and said: “There should be time no longer!”
Why did the Mighty Angel do that? And what did he mean when He said that “there should be time no longer”?
The answers are found within Revelation 10 itself. According to the vision, the Mighty Angel had already made His claim of the Earth when He descended from Heaven. But because John was not permitted to record the utterances of the Seven Thunders, the Prophetic Time and Events were sort of 'suspended', and the claim of the Mighty Angel was not realized. Hence, the Mighty Angel swore by the Creator that “there should be time no longer”.
The sentence “THERE SHOULD BE TIME NO LONGER” would be better translated or paraphrased as “TIME SHOULD NO LONGER TARRY” or “TIME SHOULD NO LONGER DELAY OR RESPITE”. [Some translations render it as “TIME SHOULD NOT INTERVENE” or “THE TIME OF WAITING IS OVER”.] This would give us a better understanding that the Mighty Angel was proclaiming that TIME SHOULD NOT DELAY THE REALIZATION OF HIS CLAIM OF THE EARTH. Per se, the time allotted for the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation to the Gentiles will have to end first before the Gospel can be returned to the children of Israel. And beloved, we do not have to wait very long for those Seven Thunders to utter their voices and transform the Bride for her homegoing to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. However, a question arises: HOW DO WE KNOW THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS THAT THESE PROPHETIC EVENTS WOULD TAKE PLACE?
Times And Seasons
The oath of the Mighty Angel provides the answer to that question:
Verse 7: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Yes, “in the days” of the ministry of the Seventh Angel (to the Laodicean Church Age) when he shall begin to sound forth his voice – his message – the “Mystery of God”, which God had made known to His prophets of old, should (ought to) be finished (accomplished, fulfilled). And when that happens, time shall no longer delay the return of the Lord's Christ.
In his first letter to the Thessalonian believers, concerning the Coming of the Lord (see chapters 4 and 5), Paul said that there was no need for him to write about the precise times and seasons when that event would take place because they were children of light and that that day should not overtake them like a thief coming upon them by surprise in the night. Being sober and watchful they would surely know when it would take place.
Paul's admonition is certainly applicable to the present generation which will see the Second Advent of Christ. This is the very time and season that every true child of God, who walks in the Light of God's Word, will not only witness the visitation of God but also feel His PAROUSIA – His PRESENCE, His COMING – which will hasten the Day of the Lord.
The clear message sounded (uttered) by the Seventh Church Age Messenger marked the beginning of the times and the seasons when the “Mystery of God” would be brought to a close (finished, accomplished, fulfilled). For in sounding forth that Message, the Prophet-Messenger was actually giving forth a SHOUT, a MIDNIGHT CRY — “Behold the Bridegroom cometh! Come ye out to meet Him!” (1 Thess.4:16; Matt.25:6).
“Mystery of God” — “Grafting of the Gentiles”
What is the “Mystery of God” in Revelation 10:7? Many followers of the Message of the hour believe that it refers to all the (prophetic and spiritual) mysteries contained in the Bible. Others believe that it is the doctrine on how God became a man.
The “Mystery of God” is actually hinted in the Old Testament. It has been wrapped in mystery in the prophecies, by the prophets, on how God would show His Mercy to the Gentiles. In the New Testament, Paul revealed that God had made known to him this mystery, which was hidden before the foundation of the world, “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel” (Eph.3:6). Hence, the “Mystery of God” is the period of time which God had allocated for the grafting of the Gentiles into His Promised Word just “as He had declared to His servants, the (Old Testament) prophets”. Read Romans 9:6-8; 16:25-26; Ephesians 2:11-3:11; Genesis 12,15,17; Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 60:3; Galatians 3:16-18.
Now, the purpose of that precious message of the Seventh Church Age Messenger is to separate the Wheat from the Tares, and the True Believers from the Make-believers and Unbelievers. (Read Matthew 13.) It aims to lead the Elect out of darkness and out of the bondage of the world and its religious systems into God's Divine Word. The religious systems of the Mother Harlot and her Daughters (Catholicism and all 'isms' associated with her — Protestantism, Pentecostalism, Charismaticism, Ecumenism, etc.) have already been judged when they rejected the Truth. By and by, they will become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird (Rev.18:2). And as the true elected members of the Body of Christ are being gathered into the WORD, the “Mystery of God” (which is the Dispensation of Grace to the Gentiles) shall be drawn to a close. So, the “Mystery of God” should be (not is) finished. Yes, the grafting of the wild olive tree should be accomplished. And until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, the Gospel cannot be returned to Israel. (Read Romans 11.)
[Note: It is clear that in the “Mystery of God” the Gentile Church has become a part of THE COVENANT which God had made with Abraham, and which He had declared unto His Old Testament prophets. So, would anyone dare to deny that the Lord Jesus Christ, in His role as the MIGHTY ANGEL OF THE COVENANT (of Revelation 10), has no relationship with the Gentile Bride?]
“In the Days of the Voice of the Seventh Angel”
Having established the identity of the Mighty Angel, we have come to understand that THE VISION of Revelation 10 is a vision of the Final Events which would take place at the closing of the Church Ages before the beginning of the 70th Week of Daniel, during which time God will deal with the Jews. Besides the revelation that the Mighty Angel is Christ, Who will come and claim His right to the Earth, we also know that the Seventh Angel is the last Church Age Messenger (Rev.10:7). This further proves that the vision relates to the 'last days' of the Church Ages.
We shall now take a look at the Seventh Angel of Revelation 10:7. Those who understand Malachi 4:5-6 would recognize that the 'Elijah' (a Prophet-Seer), who fulfilled the second half of that dual prophecy – “to turn the heart (faith) of the children (of God) to their (apostolic) fathers” – was also the Seventh Angel (Grk: Angelos – Messenger) to the Laodicean Church Age recorded in Revelation 3:14. And the late William Marrion Branham has been identified as that Prophet-Seer and Star-Messenger of God.
However, there are some who have not come to grips with the fact that the Seventh Angel of Revelation 10:7 was also that same Prophet-Messenger. They are confused by the words “to sound” (in the said verse) which give the impression that the Seventh Angel is the Seventh Trumpeting Angel of Revelation 11:15 who is sounding his trumpet. (See also Rev.8:13.) Well, he is not. Though the verb “to sound” (Grk: salpizo – to trump) seems to refer to the sounding of a trumpet, the phrase “the VOICE of the Seventh Angel” clearly points to the UTTERANCE of the Seventh Messenger. The word “voice” comes from the Greek word “phone”. It means “a sound, noise, voice that is uttered; an address, saying or language”. Simply, “the VOICE of the Seventh Angel” is the ADDRESS (or the SAYING) of the Seventh Church Age Messenger. The sounding of his message is likened to a trumpet which is being blown to call for an audience. (See example in Matthew 6:2.) The Seventh Trumpeting Angel has NO voice (Grk: phone), but only a trumpet (Grk: salpinx). The clear sound of a trumpet blast (Grk: salpizo) carries a distinct message (Grk: phone). [Note: Undoubtedly, there is a parallel in the Seventh Church Age Angel uttering his voice and the Seventh Trumpeting Angel blowing his trumpet. The former deals with the Church, while the latter deals with Israel. But, both also wind up an age to usher in the Reign of Christ.]
Personally, I believe that without the ministry of the Seventh Angel-Messenger, William Branham, many Christians today will never know the times and seasons when the Lord Jesus Christ will return. O certainly the denominational faithful could make guesses by looking at certain signs and prophecies of Scriptures. But when we come to realize who he was, we definitely have a clearer understanding of the actual time and season that the Lord will return. As a man sent from God with a message to this generation, his ministry manifested the 'sign of the Messiah' and brought back “one of the days of the Son of man” as prophesied by the Lord Jesus Himself. (Read Luke 17:22-30.)
The Bride of Christ …
Verse 8: And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 11: And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
This is the third section of the second part of Revelation 10. The Voice which spoke to John from Heaven was that of the Eternal Spirit. Up to that stage of the vision John had already seen and heard all that he was supposed to see and hear. When the Voice from Heaven spoke to John again, there was actually a mystery hidden in all that He was telling John to do.
John was 'transported' in the spirit into the future and shown all those visions. Prophetically, he types the Endtime Living Bride who will not only be raptured but will also see and understand the revelation of what John had seen. John was also told by the Voice of the Eternal Spirit to take the little open book from the hand of the Mighty Angel and eat it. This clearly shows that he types the Endtime Bride who is willing to obey the Voice of the Eternal Spirit and eat of the Book of Life.
Remember, the “little book” is the Title Deed to the possession of the earth and Eternal Life. And Christ has paid the full price for the right to that book which is now opened in his hand. Spiritually, it is the Book of Redemption, the Book of Life. It is the Original Word of God, the Word of Life, which is NOW fully opened up and being revealed to His Bride as the Age of Redemption quickly draws to a close.
Notice that the open book was in the hand of the Angel of the Covenant. Upon God's instruction John went up to Him and asked, “Give it to me”. And it was given to him. This proves the Truth of God's Promise that He will give to anyone who asks, especially regarding the 'eating' of His Revealed Word. Notice also that the open book was handed to John by the One who is the Life of the Bride. Hence, it is the Mighty Angel of the Covenant, Christ Himself in Angelic form, Who is dishing out the Truth, the Original Word of God, and the Revealed Word of Life for the hour to the Bride. Amen! The WORD OF GOD giving out the Word of God! He said: “Take it, and eat it up: and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.”
Yes, the Word of Life will provide a delightful spiritual manna of Revelation and Truth to the hungry Bride of Christ. It will give her a pleasant enlightenment as she receives It. But when It gets into the inner being of her soul and spirit where It is being digested and assimilated, she will feel totally unpleasant and uncomfortable. The reason is that once the Revealed Word is spiritually assimilated in her life it will bring about a complete work of perfection in her whole spiritual being. The Digested Word will automatically counteract every 'poisonous' thought, deed or belief within her. The purpose of the process is to restore the Bride to the original standing that she had held when she first started off on the Day of Pentecost.
The spirit of 'People's rights' is prevalent in this present age. Like the people of the world, Christians too are going their own separate ways. But the True Believers and Worshippers of God will follow God's Way, God's Leadership, even if it means having to swallow their 'self' pride. Since they have been led out of the man-made systems, by the voice of the Seventh Angel, and placed back into the WORD, they will now have to 'clean house' and get strictly in line with the WORD. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt.4:4). They should now literally live by this verse just as the Mighty Angel had told John to 'eat up the book'. That's right, eat the Whole BOOK!
However, who will be feeding the Bride of Christ with the Whole Word of God when the Seventh Church Age Messenger has already been called home?
The answer lies in the last verse of the third section of the second part of Revelation 10.
…and Her Ministry
As the Body of Christ, the Bride has a Ministry. John was told that he “must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings”. This clearly shows that the Bride will manifest her ministry. John is a type of the Endtime Bride who has a True Ministry — the Ministry of the Ascension Gifts of Jesus Christ (Eph.4:1-16).
The statement of Revelation 10:11 is undoubtedly a dual prophecy. The scope of that statement is prophetically for our days though John probably did prophesy for a few years upon his release from exile.
The 'Ascension Gifts' Ministry is commonly called the Five-Fold Ministry. This ministry had not been able to achieve its purpose (as described by Paul in Ephesians 4:12-16) during the past Church Ages because the Church, having fallen deeply into error, had not been restored back to the Original Word. Of course, according to God's plan, it was not time yet for the restoration then. So, until the Church is restored to the Original Word the True Five-Fold Ministry will not be in full operation.
However, now that the Elect is called back to the Original Word, the perfecting of the True Church by the Five-Fold Ministry is now being fulfilled. Christ will perfect His Bride by the gifts He has set in the Body of True Believers.
Answering a question put forth to him during a meeting, Brother Branham said, “Would the Bride of Christ have a ministry before the Rapture? Sure. That's what's going on right now. Certainly! It is the Message of the hour. And the Bride of Christ consists of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. Is that right? That's the Bride of Christ, she's got a ministry – a great ministry – the ministry of the hour. It'll be so humble…”
Putting the Pieces Together
Now that we have an understanding of each of the three sections of Revelation 10:5-11 we can piece them together with Revelation 10:1-4 and see the overall events that are taking place in this final hour of the closing age of Laodicea.
The Mighty Angel descending to earth is not the Rapture nor the Return of Christ on Mount Olivet but the Mysterious Coming of Christ in Spiritual (Word) form. By divine revelation, we have identified the Mighty Angel as the personification of Jesus Christ in Angelic form.
Again, let me emphasize: Revelation 10 is the MYSTERIOUS COMING of Christ in Angelic form. It is not Christ's return to Israel on Mount Olivet or His coming in the Rapture. The former teaching is based upon the wrong notion that the title 'Angel of the Covenant' relates only to Israel and never to the Gentiles. This teaching is not correct as we have already established. On the other hand, the latter teaching is based upon the 'fact' that the Seventh Seal is first seen opened in chapter 8 before Christ comes bodily for His Church in chapter 10. Both teachings are based on the wrong idea that the Seven Seals are opened in this age. The Truth is that the opening of the Seven Seals took place in Apostle John's days but the Revelation of the (opened) Seven Seals took place in our days. Remember, there is an opening, a revealing and a fulfilling of the Seals.
As I have also mentioned before, the Second Advent of Christ, like His First Advent, will take place within a given space of time. During this period the PRESENCE (Grk: PAROUSIA, sometimes translated as COMING) of CHRIST will be unfolded to the Chosen few as He comes in WORD FORM to make Himself known to them. This REVELATION (Grk: APOKALUPSIS) of CHRIST THE WORD to the Bride will precede His GLORIOUS PHYSICAL APPEARING (Grk: EPIPHANEIA) to meet her in the air. So, in His Second Advent, CHRIST would first DESCEND from Heaven to the Earth in Word (Spiritual) form as He was revealed in Angelic (Word) form in John's vision.
The DESCENT of the Mighty Angel from Heaven to the Earth involved a period of time. And, it was during this period that the SHOUT of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 was first uttered by the Seventh Church Age Messenger to call the Elect out of Satan's worldly and religious systems of deception, 'darkness' and 'bondage'. The SHOUT message is the first of the three phases in the Second Advent of Christ to earth. The other two are the VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, and the LAST TRUMP.
We have to look into what the late William Branham had said about the various phases of the Second Advent of Christ in order to understand the three-fold mystery that is in the Seventh Seal in relation to Revelation 10. The Seventh Seal deals with the Coming of Christ, and Revelation 10 forms a great part of the Seventh Seal. It deals with the Final Events which will transpire before the Gospel would be returned to the Jews. We shall now make a comparison of what the late William Branham had said with the revelation of the Apostle Paul, the First Church Age Messenger, as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 so that the whole picture can be viewed clearly and correctly.
The Three-Fold Mystery of the Seventh Seal
To the Endtime Message believers the Seventh Seal is commonly known as the 'Endtime Seal' or the 'End of Time Seal' because this is the seal which would bring about an end to all things. As with all the other Seals, this one also covers a period of time.
In his sermon on the 'The Seventh Seal' (see pages 557, 568, 575 and 576), Brother Branham said that this seal had a three-fold mystery, one of which was the mystery of the Seven Thunders. He compared this Seal with the Sixth, and referred to Matthew 24 where he quoted what Jesus said, concerning His Coming of which only God Himself knew, and said, “No wonder, it wasn't even written. You see, they hushed…nothing taken place then. Angels don't know it; NOBODY KNOWS WHEN HE'S COMING. BUT THERE'LL BE SEVEN VOICES OF THESE THUNDERS THAT WILL REVEAL THE GREAT REVELATION AT THAT TIME. So, I believe…if we don't know it, and it won't be known till that time. But it will be revealed in that day, in that hour that it's supposed to be revealed in. So, the thing for us to do is to be reverent before God and serve Him, and do all that we know how to do, and live good Christian lives.”
This is clearly what Brother William Branham had taught, that Revelation 10 deals with the Coming of Christ. The declaration of the Mighty Angel in the same chapter also points to His Coming. And the Seventh Seal is about His Coming.
In his first epistle to the Thessalonian believers, the Apostle Paul wrote that the Coming of Christ would be in three phases. He declared: “For the Lord Himself shall DESCEND from Heaven with a SHOUT, with THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, and with THE TRUMP OF GOD…” (1 Thess.4:16). Simply, Christ shall descend from Heaven with A SHOUT to be followed by with THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL and with THE TRUMP OF GOD (or THE LAST TRUMP as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:52). After the sounding of THE LAST TRUMP, the bodies of both the dead and living saints will be transformed before they shall meet the Lord in the air.
Meditate upon this for awhile. If the VOICES of the Seven Thunders are a part of the three-fold mystery of the Seventh Seal, and if the SHOUT of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 is the message of the Seventh Church Age Messenger, while the LAST TRUMP of 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 is the bodily change of the dead and living saints just before the Rapture, then the Seventh Seal, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 must all be related to the same event — the Second Advent of Christ.
Therefore the three-fold mystery of the Seventh Seal is actually the three-fold mystery of the Coming of Christ for his Bride as revealed by Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. The mystery of the SHOUT, the VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, and the (LAST) TRUMP OF GOD in this passage of Scriptures will always remain a mystery to the nominal Christians who have always believed that Jesus will suddenly appear, without any warning, to give an angelic shout and a trumpeting sound, and take them to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. But the Bride knows that the Coming of Her Bridegroom covers a period of time (as in the Ancient Oriental Marriage Customs and Traditions), when the Word would first pave the way for the Bridegroom and prepare the Bride, to make her ready, for the Bridegroom to receive her in marriage. Then after a period of nuptial bliss, the Bridegroom would take His Wife to His Father's House for the Grand Wedding Feast. [Note: Each phase of Christ's Coming for His Bride is “with” a Spoken Word Ministry — “with a shout” – Ministry of the Seventh Church Age Messenger, calling the saints out of Babylonism; “with the voice of an archangel” – Ministry of the Ascension Gifts (Five-Fold Ministry), perfecting the saints in the Word; and “with the trump of God” – Ministry of the Seven Thunders, transforming the saints for the translation.]
Ancient Wedding Customs and Traditions
In order to have a clear picture of Christ's Second Advent, we must have an understanding of the Ancient Oriental Wedding Customs and Traditions. In Ancient Oriental Wedding, a Betrothal would normally precede the actual Wedding itself. After the Betrothal, a date would be fixed for the Marriage. The Wedding Ceremonies would vary depending on the distance between the homes of the couple. The Ancient Oriental Wedding was an elaborate affair which normally lasted for many days. It was usually conducted in three phases. The following is a brief description of a Marriage of a couple living far apart from each other.
i) On the appointed day the groom would put on his best garments and a beautiful headdress (not a crown) and set off from his home in a Wedding Procession led by the friend of the bridegroom. The procession, comprising musicians, friends and relatives, some bearing gifts and firebrands, would usually take place after sunset at EVENING TIME. The friend of the groom would arrive at the vicinity of the bride's home ahead of the procession, with a message, to herald the coming of the bridegroom. He would be carrying a firebrand (torch) as the surrounding would be in semi-darkness by then. Upon reaching the vicinity of the bride's home, he would announce the arrival of the bridegroom: “Behold! The bridegroom cometh! Come ye out to meet him!” Amidst the noise, gaiety and brightness (caused by the torches) of the procession behind him, his message declared the PRESENCE of the bridegroom. Even though the bridegroom might still be way back in the procession, his PRESENCE would inevitably be felt. The SHOUT of the forerunner was an announcement and a sign to the bride to get ready and be prepared to meet her beloved. By then, she should have been beautifully dressed up in the Wedding Garments provided by the bridegroom and be eagerly looking forward to the meeting.
ii) The Wedding would take place with a renewal of the Marriage vow. There would be much feasting and gaiety throughout the evening and night. Later in the night the couple would then be escorted to their Nuptial Chamber. Here, in the privacy of the chamber as well as in the 'canopy' of the groom's love, the bride, heavily veiled throughout the wedding ceremony, would be unveiled by her beloved. Intimacy between them would follow and end in physical union to consummate their marriage. In the process, the bride's virginity would be uncovered and a proof obtained. The Bride would then become the Wife. The Marriage Feast and Nuptial Love of the bridegroom and his bride-wife might continue for several days.
iii) After the Wedding and Nuptial Ceremonies, the groom would take his wife home to his father's house. They would be dressed up in Fine Linen. In the house of the groom's father, the Marriage of the couple would culminate in a Grand Wedding Feast.
Remember, the vision of the final events consists of the following: i) the Mystery of the Marriage of the Lamb (2 Cor.11:2; Rev.19:6-9), ii) the Ministry of the Seventh Star-Messenger (Rev.10:7; Rev.3:14-22), iii) the Revelation of the Sealed Book (Rev.5-6), iv) the Ministry of the Ascension Gifts (Eph.4:11-16), and v) the Final Call to the Bride for the Rapture to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (1 Cor.15:51-53; 1 Thess.4:13-17; Rev.19:6-9). All these can be seen in the types of the Ancient Oriental Wedding Customs and Traditions.
The First Phase — The Shout
Now, the SHOUT is the message of the Seventh Church Age Messenger. Being the last of the Seven Messengers to the Grace Age, Brother Branham was also a Forerunner of Christ's Second Advent (Christ's Return) just as John the Baptist was a Forerunner of Christ's First Advent. The Second Advent of Christ consists of Christ's Coming to claim His Bride in Spiritual Marriage and His Physical Appearing in the 'Rapture' to take her home to his Father's House.
As a type of the Ancient Oriental Marriage Customs and Traditions, this Spiritual Marriage of the Lamb of God also takes place at the evening time. And, the time that we are living in is the 'evening time', not because it is the closing of the Grace Age but because these 'latter days' had been predestinated of God for Christ to come and take His Bride in Spiritual Marriage. [Note: 'Darkness' existed in every Church Age. Hence a STAR was sent to each age to light up the Way of Truth. But only in the Seventh Church Age do we have the 'evening time' setting. 'Evening time' and 'evening light' are necessary for the Wedding ceremonies to be conducted. And then the 'Morning Star' (Rev.22:16) will come dawning upon His Bride and take her in Wedlock.] The Prophet-Messenger, a Friend of the Bridegroom, was sent ahead of the Mighty Angel's descent to earth to meet His Bride. Notice that the Mighty Angel, as the Word-Groom, was seen wearing a beautiful 'seven-colored' wedding headdress rather than a crown of gold. (Read Song 3:11; Isa.61:10b.) As a STAR, Brother Branham was sent to pave the way. He carried an EVENING LIGHT message for the Bride to get her ready for the Marriage. (Read Psm.45:13-14; Jer.2:32.)
This herald of Christ's Coming in Angelic form took place during the years 1956 to 1963. It was about that period that the Voice of the Seventh Angel began to sound: “Behold! The Bridegroom cometh! Come ye out to meet Him!” The SHOUT of the VOICE of the Seventh Angel caused a stir among the churches. Practically everyone hushed to listen but only the Elect truly “hath an ear to hear what the Spirit saith to the churches”. The Truth set the Elect free. Their denominational shackles were broken and they walked out of the religious traditions and dogmas into the Original Word and Light of God. (This 'evening light' message is still ringing to gather in the last few staggering Elect.)
When the Seventh Church Age Messenger (Rev.3:14) proclaimed his Message, he was to achieve two things. Firstly, as the Endtime 'Elijah', his message was to turn the heart of the children of God to the faith of their Apostolic Fathers, according to Malachi 4:5-6. Secondly, as his ministry was placed in the period of the Coming of Christ (Rev.10:7), he was also given the REVELATION of the Seven Seals to show to the Endtime Bible believers so that they might be able to discern the time and the season that they were living in. These two things were done by Brother Branham. In so doing, he was proclaiming the Coming of Christ. He sounded the MIDNIGHT CRY (Matt.25:6). His message pointed to the Word-Groom's ARRIVAL and PRESENCE (Grk: PAROUSIA). The various supernatural signs and gifts marked His PRESENCE. His PRESENCE then brought the REVELATION (Grk: APOKALUPSIS) of THE WORD Itself. The times and seasons were made clear to the Elect.
When the members of the Bride came out of denominationalism to receive the WORD(-Groom) they also received many blessings and gifts from the Lord. Among them was the REVELATION of the Book which was sealed with Seven Seals. She was given the understanding of the REVELATION, even as the Seals of the Book were opened to the Beloved Apostle John. However, the Elect should not focus their attention on the “little book”. They should now cast their eyes steadfastly on the eminent MIGHTY ANGEL Who is their Beloved WORD-GROOM.
The Second Phase — The Voice of The Archangel
After the churches were indicted for rejecting the PRESENCE of the WORD, the Word-Groom and His Bride entered into the Spiritual Marriage. It took place approximately during the period 1963 to 1965. The Bride 'renewed' her vow to her Beloved. There was much feasting of the Spiritual Manna spread on the table of God. There were also much rejoicing and dancing in the Spirit of the Lord. Now, as long as the Friend of the Word-Groom was around, the GROOM and the BRIDE could not have any intimacy yet. The reason being that he was an 'important' person who was chosen as a Steward to ensure the proper conduct of the whole event. He was not only a Friend of the Groom, but also His Companion, His Messenger, and His 'Governor' of the wedding feast. And as 'Governor' of the feast his duty was to see to it that the guests were adequately provided with 'food and drinks'. All these were commissioned by his Master. (Read John 2.)
Having finished his work as a Steward of the WORD-GROOM, the Seventh Angel-Messenger's presence was no longer necessary. (He then left the scene.) Then the WORD-GROOM and His BRIDE entered into the Spiritual Nuptial Chamber of the WORD OF GOD. They have been in there since around 1966.
Since then the Bride-Wife has gradually become mellowed. However, it will be many more days before she finally makes herself ready to be a WIFE. And as long as the Marriage upon this earthly home of the Bride-Wife lasts, as predestinated by the Groom's Father, the Spiritual Nuptials (feasting and love-making) will continue. (Read Gen.29:27; Jdg.14:12.)
The Nuptial (Marriage) Chamber in Hebrew is called CHUPPAH. It means 'COVERING, PROTECTION and DEFENCE' (cf. Matt.23:37; Phil. 1:3-21; Eph.6:17), and represents the BRINGING HOME OF THE BRIDE. It is the HOME of the Word-Groom. And THE ORIGINAL WORD is the 'CHUPPAH' OF GOD. The Word-Groom takes His Bride into It and she is safe for what It provides. It is in here that the Bride (the True Church) is identified as the Word-Groom turns on the (SON)LIGHT of the FULL REVELATION of Himself. And the Invisible Union of the Heavenly Bridegroom and the Earthly Bride begins. (Read Gen.29:21-25; Deut.22:13-21; Matt.25:10.)
The VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL is the VOICE of our BELOVED. He is now speaking to the Bride! And whatever goes on in the 'Chuppah' of God between the Word-Groom and His Word-Bride is hidden from the eyes of the world.
Notice. WITHIN the 'CHUPPAH' OF GOD the BRIDE is being mellowed by the SON-LIGHT (Morning Star or Daystar). She is locked in deep Spiritual Embrace with her Beloved in her new relationship with Him as His WIFE. Consider the words of this song:
“Into Thy Chamber, be free Holy Spirit;
Speak to me gently as You close the door.
Heavenly Lover, let Thy Presence cover;
Shekinah unending is all I long for.
Come my Beloved, be my Lord, my Master.
As I yield myself, unite me to Thee.
Let Thy Holy Word wrap 'round me I plead,
My Defence, Protection and Covering be."
And on the OUTSIDE, the EVENING LIGHT is still brightly lit as a flurry of activity continues.
Pause for a moment here. Do you recognize the significance of the activities that are taking place now? If you are a member of the Bride of Christ, where are you now in the final events? Are you now inside the 'Chuppah' of God being mellowed by the SON-LIGHT, or are you still outside the 'Chuppah' and clinging on to the EVENING LIGHT (with all the blessed events and things that had accompanied it)? In this hour of time, are you standing upon the WORD and walking in the SON-LIGHT of God, or are you standing upon the words of a man, an organization or a church? Has the DAYSTAR arisen in your heart, or are you still in the EVENING LIGHT, away from the 'Chuppah' and feeding upon the words of the historical Evening Time Messenger, William M. Branham, and trying to figure out what he had said as you mess around with his sermon tapes and books? (Read and ponder what John the Baptist said in John 3:27-36.)
Yes, this is the EVENING TIME. This is the Laodicean Age. But the Bride is not in it. She is not in that realm. She has been lifted up into another dimension which is parallel to the Laodicean Age. She is in the Token or the Eagle realm. It is a dimension where the BRIGHT AND MORNING (DAY-)STAR shines ever so brightly for the Bride. The SON has arisen in her heart. The FULL LIGHT is in the 'Chuppah' of God to mellow and perfect her. The VOICE of the ARCHANGEL (Strong Angel, Chief Angel, Mighty Angel) is the VOICE of the Word-Groom to the Bride. He is the ONLY ONE Whose FACE the Bride is NOW BEHOLDING! As the ARCHANGEL of the COVENANT His VOICE (WORD) is sounded through His Own Ascension Gifts (Eph.4) which He has given to certain members of His Bride. Hence, the Bride is not just eating THE WORD to enjoy Its sweetness in her mouth, she is also willing to accept Its bitterness in her belly to be perfected. She, too, has a Ministry. Amen. Her Ministry is to declare the Truth to the world, both in words and in deeds. Both the Bride and the Ministry are one. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
The Third Phase — The Last Trump of God
“Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev.19:6b-8).
When this prophecy comes to pass, the Earthly Bride-Wife will have gone through the stage of being a true Wife to her Husband.
There is clearly a difference between a bride and a wife. However, in the Ancient Oriental Marriage Customs and Traditions, when a bride had made herself ready as a wife, she would be given A CHANGE of dress made of Fine Linen. Then she would be taken to the house of her husband's father to be presented as WIFE of the man who would also be dressed in fine linen. She would then sit as a 'queen' next to her 'king' at the head of the supper table. (Read Esther 2.) [Note: This is very similar to another custom in which a male child has to be tutored and trained before his father would accept and positionally place him as a son before the people.]
“The WIFE hath made herself ready” for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! Yes, without a doubt, the Word-Bride of Christ must now make herself ready. In the 'CHUPPAH' of God and in the PRESENCE of the Word-Groom she must now strip off all the carnal ideas and man-made garments which are still with her. She must submit herself completely to the desires of the Word-Groom as her Husband, in order to be perfected and be presented as WIFE at the HOME of the Groom's Father. The secret of that home-going will be made known to her here when the LAST TRUMP of God takes place. It will be the final phase of the Seventh Seal. “Then there is coming forth seven mysterious thunders that are not even written at all! That's right! And I believe that through those seven thunders will be revealed in the last days in order to get the bride together for rapturing faith; because what we got right now, we wouldn't be able to do it. There is something that has got to step forward for we can't have enough faith for divine healing hardly. We have got to have enough faith to be changed in a moment to be swept up out of this earth, and we will find that after awhile, the Lord willing, find where it is written.” [The First Seal, pg.128].
The Seven Thunders will appear on the scene and utter their voices. Although the voices will be heard around the world only the members of the Bride-Wife will have the ears to hear what the voices shall utter. The Bride-Wife will receive a revival in the power of the Word of God in the Last Trump. Brother Branham said, “Wait 'til them seven thunders utter their voices to that group who really can take the Word of God and hand it there!” [The Fourth Seal, pg.304]. It is during this short period of revival that the members of the Body of Christ will receive their rapturing faith. They will have a change in the body. They will receive complete healing and they will be made whole physically before the translation takes place.
Yes, the REVELATION of the VOICES of the Seven Thunders will be a secret to the world but it will be known to the Bride-Wife who will have made herself ready for her CHANGE by then. It will be around the time just before the Word-Groom shall appear in all His Beauty, Power, and Great Glory in the air and say, “Arise, My Love, My Fair One, Come away! Come up hither, and let us return to My Father's House!”
Then shall come the CHANGE, “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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor.15:52-53). Amen. “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev.19:8). The Word-Wife of the Word-Husband will be changed and be dressed in Fine Linen, Clean and White, to testify of her righteousness in her Husband. And He will bring her to His Father's House to receive her reward (Rom.14:10-12; 1 Cor.3:8,14; 2 Cor.5:10). With a Crown of Life upon her head she will sit as a Wife and Queen beside her Husband and King, the Lamb of God, at the head of the Final Grand Marriage Supper Table in the presence of the holy angels. The Marriage of the Lamb will culminate in this great event.
When this grand final event takes place in Heaven, the Gospel of Christ will be 'off the mercy seat' for the Gentiles on the earth. It will be returned to the Jews through Two Witnesses whom God will send (Rev.11; Zech.4:2-3,10-14).
[Note: According to the parable of Jesus, in Matthew 25:1-13, there are “foolish virgins”. They are foolish because they lack the common sense perception of what they should do as they yearn for the arrival of the bridegroom. Their failure in not carrying oil in their vessels, except in their lamps, testifies of their imprudent ordering of their lives in regard to something as important as meeting the bridegroom. Is this not the condition of the Christians today? No, I am not talking about the Ecumenists, Modernists, Hollywood Evangelicals, 'Jezebels', etc., but those who claim to be born again and those who claim to believe in the Endtime Message. What is their perception of the reality of things spiritual? Are not their reckless and inconsiderate habit of mind to the Truth manifesting the folly of their lives as 'virgins' in regard to their faith? Are they not truly foolish?
Friend, what about you? If you fail to enter into the Marriage of the Lamb now, like the “foolish virgins”, one of these days you too will find it too late when the 'door' is shut. And you will find yourself cast into the “outer darkness” of the Great Tribulation that will soon come upon this world.]
Utopia and New Heaven and New Earth
After the Great Tribulation, Christ and His Saints will return to earth. They will come riding on white horses. They will mete out vengeance upon the wicked and judge the world (Zech.14:4; Rev.19: 11-18; 20:4). Then the earth will be cleansed of all sins and wickedness as God brings about a restoration of the earth to its Edenic condition. It will be like an Utopian World (Isa.65:18-25). This age is known as the Age of Regeneration (Matt.19:28), an age in which Christ and His Wife will reign over the earth. And the long awaited event – the MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD – will be fulfilled in this age. All the members of the Bride will be manifested as sons and daughters of God (Rom.8:18-23). They will all be positionally placed by God Who, in His Infinite Power and Knowledge, has predestinated according to His Own Will and good pleasure before the foundation of the world (Eph.1:3-14).
Beloved, whatever we have potentially right now — as sons and daughters of God — shall become a reality. Spiritually, we are right now having a foretaste of the reality of that age when our true ADOPTION will be declared. And that Age of Regeneration will be a preliminary stage of the TRUE STATE OF UTOPIA when this present earth and the heavens around it will be burned up to be replaced by a New Heaven and New Earth in a re-creation (2 Pet.3:10-13).
“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation…” (2 Pet.3:14-15a). Amen.
* * * * * * * * * *
Revelation 10
Revelation 10 bridges the gap between the end of the Grace Age for the Gentiles and the return of the Gospel to the Jews.
This vision of the Apostle John actually falls within the HALF HOUR SILENCE of the Seventh Seal when it was opened. It shows the MYSTERIOUS Coming of Christ for His True Church (at the close of the Grace Age) before He comes physically to take her to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and return the Gospel to the Jews.
These are the final events for the Church. There are basically five events:
i) the Mystery of the Marriage of the Lamb (2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 19 :6-9),
ii) the Ministry of the Seventh Star-Messenger (Rev.10:7; Rev.3:14-22),
iii) the Revelation of the Sealed Book (Rev.5-6),
iv) the Ministry of the Ascension Gifts (Ephesians 4:11-16), and
v) the Final Call to the Bride for her Translation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (1 Corinthians 15:51-53;
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 19:6-9).
These five events will be discussed in more detail as we study the verses in Revelation 10.
In the last of the final events, the Seven Thunders will utter their voices to the Bride-Wife just as John saw and heard in the vision. Contrary to popular belief, this vision is not about the Rapture, neither is it about the Coming of Christ to the Mount of Olives. (Please refer to 1 Cor.15:51-53; 1 Thess.4:13-17; Zechariah 14:4 and Acts 1:10-12.) The Rapture will be a literal event when Christ Jesus will meet His Bride in the air. Christ's feet will not touch the earth. And in the Coming of Christ to Mount Olives, the Holy Scriptures clearly show us that He shall stand on the mount and not on the sea and land.
The Mysterious Coming of The Christ
To fully understand the doctrine of the Second Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, as Bible believers, we must realize that, before the GLORIOUS PHYSICAL APPEARING (Greek: epiphaneia) of Christ to meet His Bride in the air, there is a SPIRITUAL COMING OF HIS WORD to His Elect.
In the First Advent of Christ, the WORD first came to a chosen few for about 30 years before the LITERAL COMING (Greek: eisodos – an entering in [see Acts 13:24]) of God Incarnate.
Likewise, the Second Advent also consists of a period of several events in which His PRESENCE (Greek: parousia) and His REVELATION (Greek: apokalupsis) are gradually made known to an elected few before His PHYSICAL COMING (Greek: epiphaneia) for them in the Rapture. This fact can never be over-emphasized.
It is this Spiritual Coming of the Word (Logos, the Christ) that has awakened the sleeping virgins of Christ Jesus who, since the beginning of this 20th Century, have received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in anticipation of the meeting with their Lord. However, only the wise, who are well prepared, will see and receive the revelation of the WORD of God and enter into the Marriage (Matthew 25). The nominal Christians who are constantly looking for the 'Rapture in the sky' will miss this truth as this mystery is hidden from them.
The utterance of the Mighty Angel that John “must prophesy again” contains a dual prophecy. Though, after his release from exile in 96 A.D., John probably did prophesy for a few years while residing in Ephesus, those prophetic words have a more definite bearing on the Church in the end time. Being the beloved disciple of Jesus, John was given the special privilege of being transported in the Spirit to the Lord's Day to see “the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter”. Prophetically, he types the Endtime Bride, the Beloved of Christ, who will certainly enjoy the same privilege to understand those “things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter”.
The Identification of the Mighty Angel
Verse 1: And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
It is certainly not difficult to identify this Mighty Angel. Though some theologians may teach that he was just one of the many angelic beings doing his job, it is our prerogative, as Bible believers, to establish the truth and maintain an unwavering faith in the Word of God.
The Greek word for 'angel' is 'angelos', and the equivalent in the Hebrew is 'malokh'. The word means 'one who is sent to deliver a message, a messenger', and 'a messenger' can be one who is a spirit being or a human being. However, in this case the Mighty Angel, who was seen coming down from Heaven, was neither a created spirit being nor a human being. He was the very personification of Almighty God in the Person of Jesus Christ Himself.
The description of how the Mighty Angel was clothed clearly shows that He was the personification of God in Christ. In Revelation chapter 1, we are shown how the Son of Man was clothed as a High Priest and Supreme Judge. However, He is described here (chapter 10) as being clothed with a cloud and crowned with a rainbow. His face was shining like the sun and His feet were like pillars of fire. These descriptions identify Him as the Mighty Angel of the Covenant.
In the Scriptures, we often read of cloud being used to shroud the Glory of the Lord whenever He appeared before the people. Just as the natural cloud covers and dims the glorious light of the sun so that the eyes of its beholders would not be blinded, the Lord chose to cloth Himself with a cloud to protect those standing before Him from being blinded by His Glorious Light (Exodus 24:15-18; 34:5; Leviticus 16:2). The Pillar of Cloud which was with the children of Israel in their exodus from Egypt was a testimony of His Presence, Leadership, and Strength. It was a Cloud of Blessings. Cloud is also usually associated with His Coming for the Bride (1 Thess.4:15-17) and His Second Coming to earth (Matt.24:29-30; Rev.1:7). Hence, this MYSTERIOUS Coming of Christ, as seen by John also shows His Coming with a cloud. And, other than the elect, no one is able to look beyond the cloud and see the Glorious Light. Amen! Did not God show His Presence to this generation in 1963 in the form of the Face of Jesus Christ in the cloud?
The Living God of the Bible is a Maker of covenants. He is a 'Covenanter' and the rainbow was the first token of an everlasting covenant He made with the man Noah (Genesis 9:8-17). Even round about His throne, there is a rainbow to remind us of Who He is (Rev.4:3). The rainbow on the head of this Mighty Angel shows us that He is none other than the Covenant-Maker Himself in angelic form. He is the Angel of THE COVENANT (Malachi 3:1). This covenant which was ratified by His Own Blood (Hebrews 9:11-23) was a firm covenant He made with Abraham. The Old Covenant, which was established at Sinai (Exodus 19:5), could not disannul this precious covenant (Galatians 3:17-25) within which can be felt God's heartbeat of love for His elect, both Jews and Gentiles (John 17). He is the Redeemer.
[Note: There are some believers who teach that Revelation 10 contains events dealing with the Jews only because they believe that 'THE ANGEL OF THE COVENANT' relates Himself to the people of Israel and not the Gentiles. They trace the Angel of the Covenant only to Abraham who fathered Isaac who fathered Israel. However, the first covenant God made was with Noah (in Genesis 9); and Noah was neither a Jew nor a Gentile. Now, the truth is that 'THE ANGEL OF THE COVENANT' binds Himself to His Own Covenant, not to a people. Read Hebrews 6:13-20. Jesus Christ is the Mediator of THE COVENANT which is for both Jews and Gentiles. Read Hebrews 6:16-19; 8:6; 12:24, cf. Malachi 3:1. Also, Abraham, the Father who received THE COVENANT concerning THE SEED was neither a Jew nor a Gentile. God keeps His Own Word.]
Notice, though we may not see a rainbow when we see a cloud, rainbow does not appear without the cloud. Rainbow is formed by a spectrum of seven colours produced by the refraction of sunlight. Hence, the Face or Presence of God (Exodus 33:14; Isaiah 63:9; 2 Corinthians 4:6) refracts the GLORY OF GOD — “His face was as it were the SUN”. Without the Glorious Light shining from the SON of God, God's Blessings (His Presence, His Leadership and His Strength) in the Cloud would not be apparent to His people. As His Glory shines from His Face, Its Light refracts the Rainbow of His Everlasting Covenant through the Cloud.
“His feet as Pillars of Fire.” Fire is another identification of the personality of the Mighty Angel. Fire is not only often used in the Bible to symbolize the Presence of God, it is also used in association with searching, illuminating, separating, cleansing, purifying, and judging (Genesis 15:17; Exodus 14:24; Deuteronomy 4:24; Luke 3:16-17).
The Sequence of the Vision
To have a better understanding of the vision, we should not overlook the sequence of how it was revealed to John. First, John saw the Mighty Angel come down from Heaven. The Mighty Angel did not suddenly appear in his vision standing on the sea and land. He was descending from Heaven. Next, John noticed that He was clothed with a white CLOUD.
As the Mighty Angel continued to descend, His face and other parts of His body became obvious. And He had a little open scroll in His left hand.
The Little Open Book
Verse 2: And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot upon the earth,
What was that “little book open”?
The book was actually a scroll. It was the same scroll that John saw earlier in the right hand of the One Who sat on the Throne (Rev.5:1). It was then a sealed scroll, which was sealed with seven seals. And only Jesus Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb of God, was worthy to open the seals. This Seven-Seal Scroll is now an open scroll. It is the Title Deed to the possession of the earth and the Eternal Life that Adam and Eve had lost.
But why did it become a “little scroll” in the hand of the Mighty Angel? The scroll did not in any way shrink. We must realize that the Mighty Angel was a huge figure in the vision. It is obvious from the fact that He had “His right foot upon the sea, and His left foot upon the land”. He was not just a six-foot tall person standing on the seashore with one foot in the sea water and the other on the beach.
One important fact to bear in mind is that the whole vision was centred on the MIGHTY ANGEL Himself and all that He represented. He was THE PRE-EMINENT FEATURE in the vision. Failure to recognize this fact will cause the events in this prophetic vision of the Apostle John to be misinterpreted. Those who teach that this prophetic vision pertains to the RAPTURE have probably focused their attention on the wrong things in the vision. The little book and its Seventh Seal are often over-emphasized. There are two groups who believe that Revelation 10 is about the RAPTURE. One group contends that the Rapture has yet to take place because the Seventh Seal is still unopened, and that Christ will only come for His Bride once the seal is broken. The other group believes that all Seven Seals were opened by William M. Branham in 1963. Based on certain specific year which Brother Branham had mentioned in some of his sermons, this group teaches that the Rapture has already taken place on a certain date.
●Three Phases: Open, Reveal, Fulfill
Any Bible believer, who knows the Word of God well enough, should know that God had woven a certain pattern of numbers in His Bible. Many series of three, five, and seven events or things are recorded throughout the Bible. Similarly, there are three phases in each of the Seven Seals found on the Seven-Seal Scroll for the accomplishment of God's purpose. They are the OPENING phase, the REVEALING phase, and the FULFILLING phase.
Let me give an illustration. Let's suppose that you have never read a Bible. And now, you have one Bible in your hand. To you, it is a closed Book because you do not know what is written in the Book. Then you proceed to open the Book and turn to the first chapter of St. John and begin to read the first verse: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. Now, you have just opened and read a part of the contents of the Bible. But, do you understand what you have just read? Do you have the revelation of the verse? If not, what you have read will remain a mystery to you. Hence, the Scriptural contents must be revealed to you or else the open Bible is still as good as a closed Book to you. When they are revealed to you, you will begin to see the contents and the purpose of God as He brings about the fulfillment of His Word.
Now, when was the Seven-Seal Book actually opened, and by whom?
It was certainly not opened in 1963 by William M. Branham. But the majority of the Endtime Message believers believe otherwise. Unfortunately, their belief is contrary to the Scriptures. As we have noted, in previous chapters, it was none other than Jesus Christ Himself Who opened the Seven Seals after taking the sealed Book from the hand of the One sitting upon the Throne (Rev.5:5-10; 6:1, 3,5,7,9,12; 8:1).
The Apostle John was the only earthly witness to that event. When he was in exile on the Isle of Patmos, he was caught up in the Spirit (probably in 96 AD.) to witness the OPENING of the Seven Seals by the Lord Jesus. He was transported (in the spirit) to the future for a preview of the endtime events which will precede the closing of the Grace Age for man. Whatever were shown to John in symbols then are now being revealed in the real form to the Bride of Christ in the Light of the revelation of God's Holy Word. (John is a type of the Endtime Bride of Christ, and the Book of Revelation was written specially to prepare the Bride for that final hour.)
Now, if the Seven Seals were not opened at all, then John would have seen nothing, and he would not have recorded those symbols that were described after the breaking of each Seal. Though the Seven Seals were opened in Heaven by Christ, and the events recorded by John in the First Century, the contents were never fully revealed to the Church until this Endtime Age.
Remember, John witnessed the Four Horse Riders, the Souls under the Altar, the Great Earthquake in the Dreadful Day of the Lord, and the Silence in Heaven. But, being in symbolic forms, all these were very little understood by early Christians throughout the Church Ages even though some of the events were fulfilled in their time.
However, in 1963, God revealed the mysteries which were hidden in each OPEN Seal to the Church through His Seventh Church Age Prophet-Messenger. Only then did we realize that the events described after the breaking of the first four Seals were historical events. However, the spirits of those four horses and their riders are still living today and will continue to live until their consummation in the Day of the Lord. The Fifth Seal has two parts. The first part was fulfilled in the Second World War, and the second will be fulfilled during the Great Tribulation.
The Sixth Seal marks the end of the Great Tribulation prior to the return of Christ on the Day of the Lord.
Since it is recorded that Christ Jesus had opened all the Seven Seals, the Seventh Seal cannot be an unopened Seal. The Apostle John had witnessed the opening of the Seventh Seal. “And when He had OPENED the seventh seal, there was SILENCE in heaven about the space of half an hour” (Rev.8:1). This period of SILENCE in Heaven conceals a GREAT and IMPORTANT event that will take place on the Earth. When will it take place? Has it already taken place? Is it still ahead of us? Or, is it taking place now?
Now, we know that John saw Christ open all the Seven Seals in the vision when he was on the Isle of Patmos at the end of the First Century. As such, how could anyone believe that the Seventh Seal is still unopened and that it will only be opened just before the Rapture when Christ shall come for His Bride?
At this juncture I would like to point out that many ministers and believers have a wrong concept of the Mercy Seat. They believe that once the Seventh Seal is opened, “Christ (or His Blood) will go off the Mercy Seat”. This concept has no Scriptural foundation. It is, at best, only an idea of speculative theology. Some even have the notion that Jesus is literally sitting on a Throne called the 'Mercy Seat' from which He will get up the very moment He has broken the Seventh Seal.
The term 'Mercy Seat', in the Biblical sense, refers to the act, the place, and the accomplishment of the atonement that is in Christ Jesus. The 'Mercy Seat' in the Old Testament was the top of the Ark, a lid of solid gold, where the blood of a sacrificed bullock was sprinkled once a year.
And, as far as the Gospel of Salvation is concerned, it does not necessarily mean that there will be no more mercy for the Jews when God stops showing His mercy to the Gentiles. God's work of redemption will not be over yet even when the Grace Age ends. In God's great Grace and Mercy, the Gospel will have to be preached to the Jews. As such, the Blood is still on the 'Mercy Seat'. Remember, the Seventh Seal will end all things which include the redemption of the earth. Hence, God's mercy will be over only after the Millennial Reign of Christ when He will set fire to this earth to bring an end to all things and to bring forth a New Heaven and a New Earth (cf. 2 Peter 3:10-13).
I must again emphasize that all the Seven Seals had been opened as witnessed by John at the end of the First Century. Certain events described in some of the Seals were fulfilled even before they were fully revealed in 1963. We are still watching prayerfully for those unfulfilled events in the Seals to take place.
Chronologically, all the Seven Seals are rightly placed to end at the Coming of Christ. Each Seal holds certain events which have to take place within a given space of time. Though the Seventh Seal is the last Seal, the time for the fulfillment of this Seal has already begun. But its consummation is not yet complete. THE MYSTERY HIDDEN IN THE SEVENTH SEAL CONCERNS THE COMING OF CHRIST. It is a three-fold mystery. The Coming of Christ consists of several phases, which are the PAROUSIA of Christ, the APOKALUPSIS of Christ, and the EPIPHANEIA of Christ, first to the Bride at the Rapture and then to the world in the Day of the Lord. It began with the COMING OF THE WORD through the prophet (seer) of Malachi 4:6b, who is also the Angel (Messenger) of Revelation 3:14 and Revelation 10:7, to the True Church, and will end with Christ's Epiphany in the Day of the Lord when God shall execute His judgement upon the nations just before setting up His Kingdom on earth. The Seventh Seal shall bring an end to all things. Hence, the vision in Revelation 10 was a preview of the final events.
His Claim
“...and He set His right foot upon the sea, and His left foot on the earth,”
“The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psm.24:1 cf. Isa.66:1a). Yes, the earth belongs to the Almighty God Who gave its Title Deed to the first Adam. But Adam lost his inheritance when he failed his test. As a result, the Title Deed reverted to its Owner until a Kinsman Redeemer could be found to redeem it. But while the Everlasting God waited for the arrival of the Kinsman Redeemer, the devil continued to further corrupt the world with his evil and so-called wisdom. By his deception, he is even worshipped as the god of this world. When the Kinsman Redeemer, the second man, last Adam, came forth to redeem, He overcame the devil and his works by laying down His life at Calvary and raising it up again. Hence, Jesus Christ bought the right to take the Title Deed from the hand of the One sitting upon the Throne (Rev.5). He has the right to take back Eternal Life and the earth, and to restore man to the original position that he had fallen from. Furthermore the Seals were opened to show the redeemed Church the things that must transpire on earth before He would literally come to claim the earth and set up His Kingdom. And, Revelation 10 shows that the time has arrived for that fulfillment.
By placing His feet on the sea and on the land, He signified that He had come to claim the earth and all His possessions. Scripturally, the words “sea” and “land” connote “Gentiles” and “Jews” respectively. (See Isaiah 42:5-12; 23:2-11; 24:14.) Notice that He first placed His right foot upon the sea and then his left foot upon the land. (The word “earth” in the K.J.V. version of the Bible is a mistranslation.) John was no doubt provided a picture of the Mediterranean Sea and the Land of Palestine. Placing His fiery right foot first upon the sea shows that He had come to the Gentiles first to claim His Bride. Scripturally, “right” signifies the Grace and Mercy of God whereas “left” signifies His Judgment. (See Matthew 25:31-46.) So, we see that the Grace of Christ is shown to the Gentiles as Christ comes to search for His elected few and reveal His Presence to them. His Presence brings an Illumination (Revelation) of His Word which purges and purifies, and separates the True Believers from the works of the devil in the systems of the churches today. Amen! God is rich in mercy to whom He will show mercy. But judgement is now upon the False Church and all her prostitute daughters. The Fire of God will soon consume them. (See Revelation 3:14-22 and Revelation 18.)
After the Bride is 'caught away' (raptured) to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and when the last of the Church Ages has ended, Christ will turn to deal with the nation of Israel. He will purge her and claim as His own those true seeds of Israel. It will be a time of trouble. That's why the fiery left foot of the Mighty Angel was placed upon the land after He had placed His right foot upon the sea. Although they rejected the Messiah and His Gospel, the Jews have never been forsaken by God. But they will certainly have to suffer great trials and persecutions when they become converts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which the Two Witnesses (of Revelation 11) shall preach to them. The time of their trouble is known as Jacob's trouble (Jer.30:7). It is the Great Tribulation mentioned by our Saviour in Matthew 24.
The Cry
Verse 3: And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
Verse 4: And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
It is said that when a lion roars in the jungle, its roar can be heard several miles away. All animals would hush to listen. The environment would become silent as the animals remain still and wait for something to happen because the king of the beasts has sounded his cry. And that was exactly what the Apostle John had observed in his vision. The Mighty Angel, having put his fiery feet upon the sea and land, gave a loud cry like the roar of a lion. Although John did not record what the cry was, we can deduce its significance from verses 5, 6 and 7. The phrase “as when a lion roareth” signifies that the Mighty Angel had proclaimed Himself as the RIGHTFUL KING of the whole earth and had come to claim His rights over it. He had fought well and had paid the price for it. [Note: Contrary to some views, this verse and the whole context of Revelation 10 do not in any way indicate that the Mighty Angel descended as the Lion of the tribe of Judah.]
Now, after the mighty leonine cry, the SEVEN THUNDERS, which were on the earth in John's vision, uttered their VOICES. John heard the utterances of the Seven Thunders. However, a Voice from Heaven forbade him to write down what he had heard. God has a reason for sealing up those utterances. God's Star-Messenger, William M. Branham, said that it was God's purpose to keep Satan from knowing what those utterances were because Satan, being an impersonator, would certainly cause great damage if he knew the secret. It is true that the Elect of God cannot be deceived. But we know what Satan can do when he distorts the Truth. Churches would split and members would fight with one another over the 'teaching'. Some would get frustrated while others would backslide. Those who believe the lie would find it hard to regain their footing. Hence, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour when the Seventh Seal was opened. Satan could not do a thing. Amen!
The “silence in heaven” after the opening of the Seventh Seal (Rev.8:1) contains the revelation of the events of the Coming of Christ. The revelation of the events is hidden in Revelation 10, that is, the Mighty Angel coming down from Heaven to claim His own and everything that He has redeemed! This revelation, though hidden from the world, is being unfolded to the Bride — in phases. Hush and listen! “The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:8).
Now, the revelation of the things which the seven thunders uttered on earth, but was sealed up, is in the Seventh Seal. Brother William Branham said, “There'll be seven voices of these thunders that will reveal the great revelation at that time” [The Seventh Seal, pg.575]. The voices of the Seven Thunders are only A PART of the THREE-FOLD MYSTERY of the SEVENTH SEAL. THE BRIDE NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT THE SEVEN THUNDERS HAD UTTERED AND SHE WILL CERTAINLY GET TO KNOW THEM. Since John, being a type of the Bride, the Beloved of the Lord, had heard the voices uttered by the Seven Thunders on earth, the Bride will certainly receive that great revelation of the VOICES of the Seven Thunders just before the Lord appears in the air to take her away.
The Seven Thunders
However, before the Bride can hear the VOICES of the Seven Thunders, she will have to know what or who the Seven Thunders are. There have been much speculations about the Seven Thunders. Without the spirit of reverence to God's Inspired Written Word and the wisdom to rightly divide the Word of Truth, many Endtime Message believers have merely quoted the statements of Brother Branham to say that the Seven Thunders were the Seven Seals when they were opened, or revealed (depending on their understanding of the two words). But, it is not recorded in the Holy Scriptures that a thundering noise was heard by John when each seal was opened, or when each of them was revealed in 1963. In fact, the Apostle John did not hear Seven Voices of Thunders, he heard only one “noise of thunder” “when the Lamb opened one of the seals” at the close of the First Century (Rev.6:1). This noise of thunder was reflected on earth in February 1963 over Arizona, U.S.A. just before Christ gave the REVELATION of the Seven Seals to the Church through His servant, William Branham. Hence, the voices of the Seven Thunders were not the sounding forth, nor the opening, of the Seven Seals.
There are also some who believe and teach that the Seven Thunders are the Seven Virtues of Christ (2 Pet.1:5-7) which all True Believers of Christ must 'thunder forth' in their lives to manifest that they are the children of God. This teaching is based on some statements quoted from the sermons of the Seventh Church Age Messenger.
Regardless of what have been taught about the Seven Thunders, the Truth can only be found in the Holy Scriptures which form the foundation of our faith. God is in His Word, and whatever is written for His Bride, it will surely be revealed to her. Amen.
The Seven Spirits of God
Now, it is recorded in the Book of Revelation that there was only one group of SEVEN SPIRITS (Grk: Pneuma) of God before the Throne of God. Read Revelation 1:4-5. They were not seven other Gods besides the Eternal “I Am That I Am”. (The number 'seven' refers to spiritual perfection.) Note carefully the three greetings in those two verses. The first is the greeting “from Him which is, which was, and which is to come”, Who is the “I Am That I Am”, the Almighty Spirit Himself. The second is “from the Seven Spirits which are before His Throne”, and the third is “from Jesus Christ”.
When John first saw these Seven Spirits, they were before the Throne of God (Rev.1:4). They were like Seven Lamps of Fire burning before the Throne (Rev.4:5). Before they were assigned any task, the Seven Spirits did not have any specific identity except their divine status and nature. However, in their first assignment, they took the form of Seven Angels (Grk: Angelos) to the Seven Church Ages. They were the Seven Stars in the right hand of the Son of Man, the High Priest and Supreme Judge, Who walked in the midst of the Seven Golden Candlesticks (Rev.1:16,20). Through the earthly Seven Church Age Messengers, the Seven Stars had kept the Lamps (Churches) of Truth and Faith burning for the Word of God to shine in their respective ages. Therefore, being the Seven Lamps of Fire burning before God's Throne, they were also the Seven Golden Candlesticks.
Each time the Seven Spirits took on a different task, they assumed a different identity according to the role of the One (in Whose hand was the plummet of God) Whom they were working with. In Revelation 5:6, the Seven Spirits are identified with the Lamb as its Seven Horns and Seven Eyes. The Lamb of God, as we know, is none other than Jesus Christ in His role as the Saviour. Having Seven Horns and Seven Eyes do not make the Lamb of God a freak. It is merely the language of the Spirit to describe the Seven Spirits as being a part of the Lamb as He works through them throughout the Seven Church Ages of Grace.
The Seven Horns denote the seven-fold Perfect Power (Omnipotence) of the Lamb, and the Seven Eyes show His Perfect Knowledge (Omniscience). Hence, the Seven Horns and Seven Eyes together show that the Lamb is All-Powerful to redeem the household of God, besides possessing Perfect Knowledge to mete out perfect justice to all who dwell upon the earth. The Seven Redemptive Names of YAHWEH (Jehovah God) of the Old Testament (Isa.11:2) are manifested in the Lamb of God of the New Testament as He works throughout the Seven Church Ages. As Revelation 5 shows, the Lamb with Seven Horns and Seven Eyes is truly worthy to take the Sealed Book of Redemption and to break open its Seven Seals. And in 1963, the Seven Spirits, in a constellation of Seven Angels, came to meet William Branham on a mountain in Arizona, U.S.A. and told him to return East to his home in Indiana, where each of them would unfold to him the REVELATION of the SEVEN OPEN SEALS. This REVELATION was then shown to the Church.
Here in Revelation 10 we still find the same Seven Spirits with Jesus Christ as He takes the role of the Mighty Angel of the Covenant descending from Heaven. As Christ changes His role, they too assume a different role. They are now the Seven Thunders. Notice closely — each of them has a VOICE!
Voices
In the Book of Revelation, the SEVEN SPIRITS assume a total of SEVEN DIFFERENT ROLES. In their assignments, they have been identified as: i) SEVEN STARS in the right hand of the HIGH PRIEST and JUDGE Who walks in the midst of the Seven Golden Candlesticks, ii) SEVEN LAMPS BURNING on the CANDLESTICK, iii) SEVEN SEALS on the backside of the SEALED-BOOK in the right hand of the Almighty, iv) SEVEN HORNS and SEVEN EYES on the LAMB, v) SEVEN THUNDERS with the MIGHTY ANGEL, vi) SEVEN TRUMPETS which will sound after the Rapture of the Bride as God's Gospel returns to Israel, and vii) SEVEN VIALS of God's Wrath which will be poured out upon the wicked of the earth between the closing of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. And in two of their seven jobs, as the SEVEN STARS and the SEVEN THUNDERS, their (audible) VOICES are heard by the True Worshippers of God.
Every Christian knows that God works with, and through, men. God's messengers (both in the Old and New Testaments) were a special breed of men whom God had chosen to carry out certain special tasks. The Word of God was given to them to be voiced to the people of Israel and the Church. Thus, the VOICES of the messengers were the sounding of the MESSAGES of God.
Now, when the VOICES of the men of God are sounded to the people, they do not always deal with teachings or doctrinal truths of God. The Word is sometimes given to correct a certain misconception or to give specific instruction for a certain purpose.
Throughout the Seven Church Ages, the SEVEN SPIRITS ministered as the SEVEN STARS and the SEVEN LAMPS (upon the LAMPSTAND). Individually they represented, and ministered to, each of the SEVEN MEN of God who were chosen to be the STAR-MESSENGERS to the seven successive Church Ages. Their duty was to keep the Church in line with the Truth. Because the SEVEN SPIRITS stood before the Throne of God as SEVEN LAMPS BURNING, the SEVEN MESSENGERS only spoke “WHAT THE SPIRIT SAITH” unto the churches (Rev.2-3). Hence, in each Church Age the VOICE of the SPIRIT, which represented that particular age, was heard as his MESSAGE SOUNDED forth through the mouthpiece of the Prophet-Messenger to the Church. And after that Prophet-Messenger was taken off the scene, that same SPIRIT to the age would not only keep the LAMP of Truth BURNING in the lives of the saints who had the Light of God's Life and Love, but would also provide LIGHT through the “Ascension Gifts” ministry for that period of time.
Now, have not the SEVEN STARS uttered their VOICES in their respective Church Ages? And were not their VOICES distinct? Yes. So will be the VOICES of the SEVEN THUNDERS. If the SEVEN STARS were SEVEN ANOINTED MEN of God, so will the SEVEN THUNDERS be. However, the Seven Thunders will utter their voices close together only at the close of the Grace Age after the Mighty Angel of the Covenant has descended to earth with a SHOUT, and just before the SOON APPEARING of the Lord Jesus to His Bride (Rev.10:1,3). Their VOICES will be heard by the Bride of Christ as the FINAL CALL of God within a very short space of time.
[Note: As recorded in the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John received three greetings of Grace and Peace which were to be delivered to the seven churches on earth (Rev.1:4,5). These greetings came together to the Beloved Apostle from the voices of the Eternal Spirit, the Seven Spirits, and Jesus Christ in Heaven just before he was given the seven prophetic letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor and also shown their spiritual conditions. At the closing of the Church Ages (Rev.10), John once again heard the three voices uttering together. How appropriate, for the Almighty is truly the Alpha and the Omega. However, the voices of Jesus Christ (Who was seen in the role of the Mighty Angel) and the Seven Spirits (which were seen in the role of the Seven Thunders) were heard (uttered) on earth. This clearly shows that the distinct and audible utterances of the voices of the Seven Thunders, which John heard but were sealed up, will be heard by the Bride.]
Seven Men
Having studied all the relevant portions of the Scriptures, I can say without a shadow of doubt that the Seven Thunders represent Seven Men whom the Seven Spirits will identify with and work through just before the Rapture of the True Church. The voices of the Seven Thunders will be heard by every True Believer of Christ. It will be the sounding of the LAST TRUMP of God to the Word-Bride to bring about a change in her Body for her to meet her Word-Groom in the air, and be whisked home to His Father's House for the Grand Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
Remember, there is only one group of Seven Spirits of God, and they are assigned seven different roles. (Note the seven “seven”.) Five roles are played during the Dispensation of Grace and two roles will be played during the 70th Week of Daniel which will begin after the Church is raptured. Their first assignment is to identify with – and utter their voices through – the Seven Angels to the Seven Church Ages. They are called Stars. At the closing of the Seven Church Ages, they will appear as the Seven Thunders to utter their voices which will be heard and understood by the Bride only. No, the Seven Star-Messengers will not be resurrected to appear as the Seven Thunders. The Seven Thunders are not the Seven Stars. As their identities are different, so are their ministries. Each of the Seven Stars has his own specific Message, which deals with the Word, and which is for his respective Church Age to keep the Lamp of God burning in the Church (Rev.2-3). The Seven Stars are Church Age Messengers. The Seven Thunders are not; they are just seven chosen endtime servants of God who are anointed to utter their voices in respect of the Seventh Seal.
[Note: The voices of the Seven Thunders cannot be the voice(s) of the Five-Fold Ministry as some ministers are teaching. They use the number "7" in the Seven Thunders as a quantifying number for the ministry of perfection under the Five-Fold Ministry. Such interpretation is inconsistent with the rest of the other seven "7" in the Book of Revelation. The Five-Fold Ministry is a group of ministers consisting of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. Remember the precise number 'seven'. There are Seven voices.]
Over in the Book of Zechariah, we see a two-fold prophecy concerning the House of God, the golden lampstand of seven lamps and the two olive trees. And there were two men who played prominent roles in Israel's return to their homeland to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and their temple. They were Joshua, the high priest and Zerubbabel, the civil administrator (or prince). Both Joshua and Zerubbabel were types of our Lord Jesus Christ in His ministerial works of High Priest and Prince. As the natural types the spiritual, we can see Christ carrying out these roles in the last days as the Spiritual Israel (the Spiritual Church) returns to the Promised Word and is being built up as the Holy City New Jerusalem. But notice carefully the following verses:
Zech.3:8: Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
Zech.3:9: For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.
Zech.4:9: The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it; and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you.
Zech.4:10: For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
Sitting face to face with Joshua were several men — “thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at”. These men were “marvelous men” (Lamsa Translation), “men that are a sign” (Bethel Edition), “men of good omen” (RSV), “men symbolic of things to come” (NIV) and “men who are a sign or omen [types of what is to come]” (Amplified). Translator William F. Beck translated the whole verse as “Please listen, Joshua, O high priest, you and your friends who sit before you. You men stand for something wonderful I will do because I will bring My Servant, the Branch” (An American Translation). And placed before Joshua and the men who sat before him was a stone with seven eyes and having an inscription on it. (Now all these have compound meaning. And there is a play on the phrase “engrave the graving thereof”. Truly, God hides His Truth whilst revealing It.)
Now, what do all these mean prophetically concerning the Church? Simply to show that there is a REVELATION (the stone engraved with an engraving — “engrave (Heb: pathach) the engraving”) placed before our JOSHUA (Jesus Christ the High Priest) and that certain men before him shall be the “eyes” of that REVELATION. God shall open up or loosen (from the same Hebrew word: pathach) the inscription on that stone in the hand of Christ Jesus, not as 'Joshua the High Priest', but as 'Zerubbabel the Adminstrator' or 'Zerubbabel the Prince'. In “the day of small things” (that is, this period of the last generation, not the period of the 2000 years of the Church Age), our ZERUBBABEL shall hold the “plummet” (of that “stone”) and together with “those seven” marvelous men (the “seven eyes”), who shall rejoice to see it in His hand, “engrave (Hebrew: pathach – open wide) the engraving” and administer that revelation around the world just before God takes the Gospel back to Israel. Amen.
When the Apostle John saw the Seven Thunders in his vision, he also heard their voices but he was forbidden to write down what he had heard. The reason, as we know, is to keep it a secret from Satan who has always been an impersonator and a trouble-maker of God's plan and purpose. As such, this MYSTERY has yet to be revealed. It will be revealed to the elect of Christ in due course. It will be revealed at about the time when the Lord Jesus shall appear to catch away His Bride. When the Seven Thunders shall utter their voices, it will be the final 'reveille' of God to the Bride. It will be the LAST TRUMP of God to her. “And the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess.4:16b-17, cf. 1 Cor.15:52). Amen!
“Then awake, ye saints of the Lord,
Why slumber when the end is nearing.
But get ready for the final call!”
Time Should No Longer Tarry
Now, from the prophecies in the Bible, we know that after the Rapture of the Bride, the Gospel will be returned to the Jews. But according to THE VISION of the Final Events in Revelation 10, John did not see the closing of the Gentile Age after the Seven Thunders had uttered their voices. He was told by a voice from Heaven not to write down what the Seven Thunders had uttered. Logically, the Gentile Age should end then so that the Gospel might again be preached to the Jews by the Two Witnesses (Rev.11). However, he said:
Verse 5: And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
Verse 6: And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
Looking closely at Revelation 10 one cannot help but notice that the Prophetic Time and Events in this vision were sort of 'interrupted' when the Apostle John was told by the voice from Heaven not to write down what the Seven Thunders had uttered. In reality, the Prophetic Time and Events did not stop but in this vision of John they were sort of 'being held in abeyance'. This state of suspension is just like a parenthesis that is being inserted to show the Bible reader something important.
Because of the nature of the events, the whole chapter of Revelation 10 can be divided into two main parts. Verses 1 to 4 form the first part and verses 5 to 11 form the second part.
The vision in the second part actually provides the true believers a bearing on how the Final Events will literally be accomplished in full. This part, in itself, can further be divided into three separate sections — verses 5-6, verse 7 and verses 8-11. The three sections should be correctly understood in order to get the correct revelation of the whole chapter of Revelation 10.
Now, after the voice from Heaven had told John to seal up those things which the Seven Thunders uttered and write them not, the Mighty Angel raised His right hand to heaven, and swore in the Name of the Creator of Heaven and the Earth, and said: “There should be time no longer!”
Why did the Mighty Angel do that? And what did he mean when He said that “there should be time no longer”?
The answers are found within Revelation 10 itself. According to the vision, the Mighty Angel had already made His claim of the Earth when He descended from Heaven. But because John was not permitted to record the utterances of the Seven Thunders, the Prophetic Time and Events were sort of 'suspended', and the claim of the Mighty Angel was not realized. Hence, the Mighty Angel swore by the Creator that “there should be time no longer”.
The sentence “THERE SHOULD BE TIME NO LONGER” would be better translated or paraphrased as “TIME SHOULD NO LONGER TARRY” or “TIME SHOULD NO LONGER DELAY OR RESPITE”. [Some translations render it as “TIME SHOULD NOT INTERVENE” or “THE TIME OF WAITING IS OVER”.] This would give us a better understanding that the Mighty Angel was proclaiming that TIME SHOULD NOT DELAY THE REALIZATION OF HIS CLAIM OF THE EARTH. Per se, the time allotted for the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation to the Gentiles will have to end first before the Gospel can be returned to the children of Israel. And beloved, we do not have to wait very long for those Seven Thunders to utter their voices and transform the Bride for her homegoing to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. However, a question arises: HOW DO WE KNOW THE TIMES AND THE SEASONS THAT THESE PROPHETIC EVENTS WOULD TAKE PLACE?
Times And Seasons
The oath of the Mighty Angel provides the answer to that question:
Verse 7: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Yes, “in the days” of the ministry of the Seventh Angel (to the Laodicean Church Age) when he shall begin to sound forth his voice – his message – the “Mystery of God”, which God had made known to His prophets of old, should (ought to) be finished (accomplished, fulfilled). And when that happens, time shall no longer delay the return of the Lord's Christ.
In his first letter to the Thessalonian believers, concerning the Coming of the Lord (see chapters 4 and 5), Paul said that there was no need for him to write about the precise times and seasons when that event would take place because they were children of light and that that day should not overtake them like a thief coming upon them by surprise in the night. Being sober and watchful they would surely know when it would take place.
Paul's admonition is certainly applicable to the present generation which will see the Second Advent of Christ. This is the very time and season that every true child of God, who walks in the Light of God's Word, will not only witness the visitation of God but also feel His PAROUSIA – His PRESENCE, His COMING – which will hasten the Day of the Lord.
The clear message sounded (uttered) by the Seventh Church Age Messenger marked the beginning of the times and the seasons when the “Mystery of God” would be brought to a close (finished, accomplished, fulfilled). For in sounding forth that Message, the Prophet-Messenger was actually giving forth a SHOUT, a MIDNIGHT CRY — “Behold the Bridegroom cometh! Come ye out to meet Him!” (1 Thess.4:16; Matt.25:6).
“Mystery of God” — “Grafting of the Gentiles”
What is the “Mystery of God” in Revelation 10:7? Many followers of the Message of the hour believe that it refers to all the (prophetic and spiritual) mysteries contained in the Bible. Others believe that it is the doctrine on how God became a man.
The “Mystery of God” is actually hinted in the Old Testament. It has been wrapped in mystery in the prophecies, by the prophets, on how God would show His Mercy to the Gentiles. In the New Testament, Paul revealed that God had made known to him this mystery, which was hidden before the foundation of the world, “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel” (Eph.3:6). Hence, the “Mystery of God” is the period of time which God had allocated for the grafting of the Gentiles into His Promised Word just “as He had declared to His servants, the (Old Testament) prophets”. Read Romans 9:6-8; 16:25-26; Ephesians 2:11-3:11; Genesis 12,15,17; Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; 60:3; Galatians 3:16-18.
Now, the purpose of that precious message of the Seventh Church Age Messenger is to separate the Wheat from the Tares, and the True Believers from the Make-believers and Unbelievers. (Read Matthew 13.) It aims to lead the Elect out of darkness and out of the bondage of the world and its religious systems into God's Divine Word. The religious systems of the Mother Harlot and her Daughters (Catholicism and all 'isms' associated with her — Protestantism, Pentecostalism, Charismaticism, Ecumenism, etc.) have already been judged when they rejected the Truth. By and by, they will become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird (Rev.18:2). And as the true elected members of the Body of Christ are being gathered into the WORD, the “Mystery of God” (which is the Dispensation of Grace to the Gentiles) shall be drawn to a close. So, the “Mystery of God” should be (not is) finished. Yes, the grafting of the wild olive tree should be accomplished. And until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, the Gospel cannot be returned to Israel. (Read Romans 11.)
[Note: It is clear that in the “Mystery of God” the Gentile Church has become a part of THE COVENANT which God had made with Abraham, and which He had declared unto His Old Testament prophets. So, would anyone dare to deny that the Lord Jesus Christ, in His role as the MIGHTY ANGEL OF THE COVENANT (of Revelation 10), has no relationship with the Gentile Bride?]
“In the Days of the Voice of the Seventh Angel”
Having established the identity of the Mighty Angel, we have come to understand that THE VISION of Revelation 10 is a vision of the Final Events which would take place at the closing of the Church Ages before the beginning of the 70th Week of Daniel, during which time God will deal with the Jews. Besides the revelation that the Mighty Angel is Christ, Who will come and claim His right to the Earth, we also know that the Seventh Angel is the last Church Age Messenger (Rev.10:7). This further proves that the vision relates to the 'last days' of the Church Ages.
We shall now take a look at the Seventh Angel of Revelation 10:7. Those who understand Malachi 4:5-6 would recognize that the 'Elijah' (a Prophet-Seer), who fulfilled the second half of that dual prophecy – “to turn the heart (faith) of the children (of God) to their (apostolic) fathers” – was also the Seventh Angel (Grk: Angelos – Messenger) to the Laodicean Church Age recorded in Revelation 3:14. And the late William Marrion Branham has been identified as that Prophet-Seer and Star-Messenger of God.
However, there are some who have not come to grips with the fact that the Seventh Angel of Revelation 10:7 was also that same Prophet-Messenger. They are confused by the words “to sound” (in the said verse) which give the impression that the Seventh Angel is the Seventh Trumpeting Angel of Revelation 11:15 who is sounding his trumpet. (See also Rev.8:13.) Well, he is not. Though the verb “to sound” (Grk: salpizo – to trump) seems to refer to the sounding of a trumpet, the phrase “the VOICE of the Seventh Angel” clearly points to the UTTERANCE of the Seventh Messenger. The word “voice” comes from the Greek word “phone”. It means “a sound, noise, voice that is uttered; an address, saying or language”. Simply, “the VOICE of the Seventh Angel” is the ADDRESS (or the SAYING) of the Seventh Church Age Messenger. The sounding of his message is likened to a trumpet which is being blown to call for an audience. (See example in Matthew 6:2.) The Seventh Trumpeting Angel has NO voice (Grk: phone), but only a trumpet (Grk: salpinx). The clear sound of a trumpet blast (Grk: salpizo) carries a distinct message (Grk: phone). [Note: Undoubtedly, there is a parallel in the Seventh Church Age Angel uttering his voice and the Seventh Trumpeting Angel blowing his trumpet. The former deals with the Church, while the latter deals with Israel. But, both also wind up an age to usher in the Reign of Christ.]
Personally, I believe that without the ministry of the Seventh Angel-Messenger, William Branham, many Christians today will never know the times and seasons when the Lord Jesus Christ will return. O certainly the denominational faithful could make guesses by looking at certain signs and prophecies of Scriptures. But when we come to realize who he was, we definitely have a clearer understanding of the actual time and season that the Lord will return. As a man sent from God with a message to this generation, his ministry manifested the 'sign of the Messiah' and brought back “one of the days of the Son of man” as prophesied by the Lord Jesus Himself. (Read Luke 17:22-30.)
The Bride of Christ …
Verse 8: And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 11: And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
This is the third section of the second part of Revelation 10. The Voice which spoke to John from Heaven was that of the Eternal Spirit. Up to that stage of the vision John had already seen and heard all that he was supposed to see and hear. When the Voice from Heaven spoke to John again, there was actually a mystery hidden in all that He was telling John to do.
John was 'transported' in the spirit into the future and shown all those visions. Prophetically, he types the Endtime Living Bride who will not only be raptured but will also see and understand the revelation of what John had seen. John was also told by the Voice of the Eternal Spirit to take the little open book from the hand of the Mighty Angel and eat it. This clearly shows that he types the Endtime Bride who is willing to obey the Voice of the Eternal Spirit and eat of the Book of Life.
Remember, the “little book” is the Title Deed to the possession of the earth and Eternal Life. And Christ has paid the full price for the right to that book which is now opened in his hand. Spiritually, it is the Book of Redemption, the Book of Life. It is the Original Word of God, the Word of Life, which is NOW fully opened up and being revealed to His Bride as the Age of Redemption quickly draws to a close.
Notice that the open book was in the hand of the Angel of the Covenant. Upon God's instruction John went up to Him and asked, “Give it to me”. And it was given to him. This proves the Truth of God's Promise that He will give to anyone who asks, especially regarding the 'eating' of His Revealed Word. Notice also that the open book was handed to John by the One who is the Life of the Bride. Hence, it is the Mighty Angel of the Covenant, Christ Himself in Angelic form, Who is dishing out the Truth, the Original Word of God, and the Revealed Word of Life for the hour to the Bride. Amen! The WORD OF GOD giving out the Word of God! He said: “Take it, and eat it up: and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.”
Yes, the Word of Life will provide a delightful spiritual manna of Revelation and Truth to the hungry Bride of Christ. It will give her a pleasant enlightenment as she receives It. But when It gets into the inner being of her soul and spirit where It is being digested and assimilated, she will feel totally unpleasant and uncomfortable. The reason is that once the Revealed Word is spiritually assimilated in her life it will bring about a complete work of perfection in her whole spiritual being. The Digested Word will automatically counteract every 'poisonous' thought, deed or belief within her. The purpose of the process is to restore the Bride to the original standing that she had held when she first started off on the Day of Pentecost.
The spirit of 'People's rights' is prevalent in this present age. Like the people of the world, Christians too are going their own separate ways. But the True Believers and Worshippers of God will follow God's Way, God's Leadership, even if it means having to swallow their 'self' pride. Since they have been led out of the man-made systems, by the voice of the Seventh Angel, and placed back into the WORD, they will now have to 'clean house' and get strictly in line with the WORD. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt.4:4). They should now literally live by this verse just as the Mighty Angel had told John to 'eat up the book'. That's right, eat the Whole BOOK!
However, who will be feeding the Bride of Christ with the Whole Word of God when the Seventh Church Age Messenger has already been called home?
The answer lies in the last verse of the third section of the second part of Revelation 10.
…and Her Ministry
As the Body of Christ, the Bride has a Ministry. John was told that he “must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings”. This clearly shows that the Bride will manifest her ministry. John is a type of the Endtime Bride who has a True Ministry — the Ministry of the Ascension Gifts of Jesus Christ (Eph.4:1-16).
The statement of Revelation 10:11 is undoubtedly a dual prophecy. The scope of that statement is prophetically for our days though John probably did prophesy for a few years upon his release from exile.
The 'Ascension Gifts' Ministry is commonly called the Five-Fold Ministry. This ministry had not been able to achieve its purpose (as described by Paul in Ephesians 4:12-16) during the past Church Ages because the Church, having fallen deeply into error, had not been restored back to the Original Word. Of course, according to God's plan, it was not time yet for the restoration then. So, until the Church is restored to the Original Word the True Five-Fold Ministry will not be in full operation.
However, now that the Elect is called back to the Original Word, the perfecting of the True Church by the Five-Fold Ministry is now being fulfilled. Christ will perfect His Bride by the gifts He has set in the Body of True Believers.
Answering a question put forth to him during a meeting, Brother Branham said, “Would the Bride of Christ have a ministry before the Rapture? Sure. That's what's going on right now. Certainly! It is the Message of the hour. And the Bride of Christ consists of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. Is that right? That's the Bride of Christ, she's got a ministry – a great ministry – the ministry of the hour. It'll be so humble…”
Putting the Pieces Together
Now that we have an understanding of each of the three sections of Revelation 10:5-11 we can piece them together with Revelation 10:1-4 and see the overall events that are taking place in this final hour of the closing age of Laodicea.
The Mighty Angel descending to earth is not the Rapture nor the Return of Christ on Mount Olivet but the Mysterious Coming of Christ in Spiritual (Word) form. By divine revelation, we have identified the Mighty Angel as the personification of Jesus Christ in Angelic form.
Again, let me emphasize: Revelation 10 is the MYSTERIOUS COMING of Christ in Angelic form. It is not Christ's return to Israel on Mount Olivet or His coming in the Rapture. The former teaching is based upon the wrong notion that the title 'Angel of the Covenant' relates only to Israel and never to the Gentiles. This teaching is not correct as we have already established. On the other hand, the latter teaching is based upon the 'fact' that the Seventh Seal is first seen opened in chapter 8 before Christ comes bodily for His Church in chapter 10. Both teachings are based on the wrong idea that the Seven Seals are opened in this age. The Truth is that the opening of the Seven Seals took place in Apostle John's days but the Revelation of the (opened) Seven Seals took place in our days. Remember, there is an opening, a revealing and a fulfilling of the Seals.
As I have also mentioned before, the Second Advent of Christ, like His First Advent, will take place within a given space of time. During this period the PRESENCE (Grk: PAROUSIA, sometimes translated as COMING) of CHRIST will be unfolded to the Chosen few as He comes in WORD FORM to make Himself known to them. This REVELATION (Grk: APOKALUPSIS) of CHRIST THE WORD to the Bride will precede His GLORIOUS PHYSICAL APPEARING (Grk: EPIPHANEIA) to meet her in the air. So, in His Second Advent, CHRIST would first DESCEND from Heaven to the Earth in Word (Spiritual) form as He was revealed in Angelic (Word) form in John's vision.
The DESCENT of the Mighty Angel from Heaven to the Earth involved a period of time. And, it was during this period that the SHOUT of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 was first uttered by the Seventh Church Age Messenger to call the Elect out of Satan's worldly and religious systems of deception, 'darkness' and 'bondage'. The SHOUT message is the first of the three phases in the Second Advent of Christ to earth. The other two are the VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, and the LAST TRUMP.
We have to look into what the late William Branham had said about the various phases of the Second Advent of Christ in order to understand the three-fold mystery that is in the Seventh Seal in relation to Revelation 10. The Seventh Seal deals with the Coming of Christ, and Revelation 10 forms a great part of the Seventh Seal. It deals with the Final Events which will transpire before the Gospel would be returned to the Jews. We shall now make a comparison of what the late William Branham had said with the revelation of the Apostle Paul, the First Church Age Messenger, as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 so that the whole picture can be viewed clearly and correctly.
The Three-Fold Mystery of the Seventh Seal
To the Endtime Message believers the Seventh Seal is commonly known as the 'Endtime Seal' or the 'End of Time Seal' because this is the seal which would bring about an end to all things. As with all the other Seals, this one also covers a period of time.
In his sermon on the 'The Seventh Seal' (see pages 557, 568, 575 and 576), Brother Branham said that this seal had a three-fold mystery, one of which was the mystery of the Seven Thunders. He compared this Seal with the Sixth, and referred to Matthew 24 where he quoted what Jesus said, concerning His Coming of which only God Himself knew, and said, “No wonder, it wasn't even written. You see, they hushed…nothing taken place then. Angels don't know it; NOBODY KNOWS WHEN HE'S COMING. BUT THERE'LL BE SEVEN VOICES OF THESE THUNDERS THAT WILL REVEAL THE GREAT REVELATION AT THAT TIME. So, I believe…if we don't know it, and it won't be known till that time. But it will be revealed in that day, in that hour that it's supposed to be revealed in. So, the thing for us to do is to be reverent before God and serve Him, and do all that we know how to do, and live good Christian lives.”
This is clearly what Brother William Branham had taught, that Revelation 10 deals with the Coming of Christ. The declaration of the Mighty Angel in the same chapter also points to His Coming. And the Seventh Seal is about His Coming.
In his first epistle to the Thessalonian believers, the Apostle Paul wrote that the Coming of Christ would be in three phases. He declared: “For the Lord Himself shall DESCEND from Heaven with a SHOUT, with THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, and with THE TRUMP OF GOD…” (1 Thess.4:16). Simply, Christ shall descend from Heaven with A SHOUT to be followed by with THE VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL and with THE TRUMP OF GOD (or THE LAST TRUMP as stated in 1 Corinthians 15:52). After the sounding of THE LAST TRUMP, the bodies of both the dead and living saints will be transformed before they shall meet the Lord in the air.
Meditate upon this for awhile. If the VOICES of the Seven Thunders are a part of the three-fold mystery of the Seventh Seal, and if the SHOUT of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 is the message of the Seventh Church Age Messenger, while the LAST TRUMP of 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 is the bodily change of the dead and living saints just before the Rapture, then the Seventh Seal, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53 must all be related to the same event — the Second Advent of Christ.
Therefore the three-fold mystery of the Seventh Seal is actually the three-fold mystery of the Coming of Christ for his Bride as revealed by Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. The mystery of the SHOUT, the VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL, and the (LAST) TRUMP OF GOD in this passage of Scriptures will always remain a mystery to the nominal Christians who have always believed that Jesus will suddenly appear, without any warning, to give an angelic shout and a trumpeting sound, and take them to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. But the Bride knows that the Coming of Her Bridegroom covers a period of time (as in the Ancient Oriental Marriage Customs and Traditions), when the Word would first pave the way for the Bridegroom and prepare the Bride, to make her ready, for the Bridegroom to receive her in marriage. Then after a period of nuptial bliss, the Bridegroom would take His Wife to His Father's House for the Grand Wedding Feast. [Note: Each phase of Christ's Coming for His Bride is “with” a Spoken Word Ministry — “with a shout” – Ministry of the Seventh Church Age Messenger, calling the saints out of Babylonism; “with the voice of an archangel” – Ministry of the Ascension Gifts (Five-Fold Ministry), perfecting the saints in the Word; and “with the trump of God” – Ministry of the Seven Thunders, transforming the saints for the translation. Body changed. ]
Ancient Wedding Customs and Traditions
In order to have a clear picture of Christ's Second Advent, we must have an understanding of the Ancient Oriental Wedding Customs and Traditions. In Ancient Oriental Wedding, a Betrothal would normally precede the actual Wedding itself. After the Betrothal, a date would be fixed for the Marriage. The Wedding Ceremonies would vary depending on the distance between the homes of the couple. The Ancient Oriental Wedding was an elaborate affair which normally lasted for many days. It was usually conducted in three phases. The following is a brief description of a Marriage of a couple living far apart from each other.
i) On the appointed day the groom would put on his best garments and a beautiful headdress (not a crown) and set off from his home in a Wedding Procession led by the friend of the bridegroom. The procession, comprising musicians, friends and relatives, some bearing gifts and firebrands, would usually take place after sunset at EVENING TIME. The friend of the groom would arrive at the vicinity of the bride's home ahead of the procession, with a message, to herald the coming of the bridegroom. He would be carrying a firebrand (torch) as the surrounding would be in semi-darkness by then. Upon reaching the vicinity of the bride's home, he would announce the arrival of the bridegroom: “Behold! The bridegroom cometh! Come ye out to meet him!” Amidst the noise, gaiety and brightness (caused by the torches) of the procession behind him, his message declared the PRESENCE of the bridegroom. Even though the bridegroom might still be way back in the procession, his PRESENCE would inevitably be felt. The SHOUT of the forerunner was an announcement and a sign to the bride to get ready and be prepared to meet her beloved. By then, she should have been beautifully dressed up in the Wedding Garments provided by the bridegroom and be eagerly looking forward to the meeting.
ii) The Wedding would take place with a renewal of the Marriage vow. There would be much feasting and gaiety throughout the evening and night. Later in the night the couple would then be escorted to their Nuptial Chamber. Here, in the privacy of the chamber as well as in the 'canopy' of the groom's love, the bride, heavily veiled throughout the wedding ceremony, would be unveiled by her beloved. Intimacy between them would follow and end in physical union to consummate their marriage. In the process, the bride's virginity would be uncovered and a proof obtained. The Bride would then become the Wife. The Marriage Feast and Nuptial Love of the bridegroom and his bride-wife might continue for several days.
iii) After the Wedding and Nuptial Ceremonies, the groom would take his wife home to his father's house. They would be dressed up in Fine Linen. In the house of the groom's father, the Marriage of the couple would culminate in a Grand Wedding Feast.
Remember, the vision of the final events consists of the following: i) the Mystery of the Marriage of the Lamb (2 Cor.11:2; Rev.19:6-9), ii) the Ministry of the Seventh Star-Messenger (Rev.10:7; Rev.3:14-22), iii) the Revelation of the Sealed Book (Rev.5-6), iv) the Ministry of the Ascension Gifts (Eph.4:11-16), and v) the Final Call to the Bride for the Rapture to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (1 Cor.15:51-53; 1 Thess.4:13-17; Rev.19:6-9). All these can be seen in the types of the Ancient Oriental Wedding Customs and Traditions.
The First Phase — The Shout
Now, the SHOUT is the message of the Seventh Church Age Messenger. Being the last of the Seven Messengers to the Grace Age, Brother Branham was also a Forerunner of Christ's Second Advent (Christ's Return) just as John the Baptist was a Forerunner of Christ's First Advent. The Second Advent of Christ consists of Christ's Coming to claim His Bride in Spiritual Marriage and His Physical Appearing in the 'Rapture' to take her home to his Father's House.
As a type of the Ancient Oriental Marriage Customs and Traditions, this Spiritual Marriage of the Lamb of God also takes place at the evening time. And, the time that we are living in is the 'evening time', not because it is the closing of the Grace Age but because these 'latter days' had been predestinated of God for Christ to come and take His Bride in Spiritual Marriage. [Note: 'Darkness' existed in every Church Age. Hence a STAR was sent to each age to light up the Way of Truth. But only in the Seventh Church Age do we have the 'evening time' setting. 'Evening time' and 'evening light' are necessary for the Wedding ceremonies to be conducted. And then the 'Morning Star' (Rev.22:16) will come dawning upon His Bride and take her in Wedlock.] The Prophet-Messenger, a Friend of the Bridegroom, was sent ahead of the Mighty Angel's descent to earth to meet His Bride. Notice that the Mighty Angel, as the Word-Groom, was seen wearing a beautiful 'seven-colored' wedding headdress rather than a crown of gold. (Read Song 3:11; Isa.61:10b.) As a STAR, Brother Branham was sent to pave the way. He carried an EVENING LIGHT message for the Bride to get her ready for the Marriage. (Read Psalm 45:13-14; Jeremiah 2:32.)
This herald of Christ's Coming in Angelic form took place during the years 1956 to 1963. It was about that period that the Voice of the Seventh Angel began to sound: “Behold! The Bridegroom cometh! Come ye out to meet Him!” The SHOUT of the VOICE of the Seventh Angel caused a stir among the churches. Practically everyone hushed to listen but only the Elect truly “hath an ear to hear what the Spirit saith to the churches”. The Truth set the Elect free. Their denominational shackles were broken and they walked out of the religious traditions and dogmas into the Original Word and Light of God. (This 'evening light' message is still ringing to gather in the last few staggering Elect.)
When the Seventh Church Age Messenger (Rev.3:14) proclaimed his Message, he was to achieve two things. Firstly, as the Endtime 'Elijah', his message was to turn the heart of the children of God to the faith of their Apostolic Fathers, according to Malachi 4:5-6. Secondly, as his ministry was placed in the period of the Coming of Christ (Rev.10:7), he was also given the REVELATION of the Seven Seals to show to the Endtime Bible believers so that they might be able to discern the time and the season that they were living in. These two things were done by Brother Branham. In so doing, he was proclaiming the Coming of Christ. He sounded the MIDNIGHT CRY (Matt.25:6). His message pointed to the Word-Groom's ARRIVAL and PRESENCE (Grk: PAROUSIA). The various supernatural signs and gifts marked His PRESENCE. His PRESENCE then brought the REVELATION (Grk: APOKALUPSIS) of THE WORD Itself. The times and seasons were made clear to the Elect.
When the members of the Bride came out of denominationalism to receive the WORD(-Groom) they also received many blessings and gifts from the Lord. Among them was the REVELATION of the Book which was sealed with Seven Seals. She was given the understanding of the REVELATION, even as the Seals of the Book were opened to the Beloved Apostle John. However, the Elect should not focus their attention on the “little book”. They should now cast their eyes steadfastly on the eminent MIGHTY ANGEL Who is their Beloved WORD-GROOM.
The Second Phase — The Voice of The Archangel
After the churches were indicted for rejecting the PRESENCE of the WORD, the Word-Groom and His Bride entered into the Spiritual Marriage. It took place approximately during the period 1963 to 1965. The Bride 'renewed' her vow to her Beloved. There was much feasting of the Spiritual Manna spread on the table of God. There were also much rejoicing and dancing in the Spirit of the Lord. Now, as long as the Friend of the Word-Groom was around, the GROOM and the BRIDE could not have any intimacy yet. The reason being that he was an 'important' person who was chosen as a Steward to ensure the proper conduct of the whole event. He was not only a Friend of the Groom, but also His Companion, His Messenger, and His 'Governor' of the wedding feast. And as 'Governor' of the feast his duty was to see to it that the guests were adequately provided with 'food and drinks'. All these were commissioned by his Master. (Read John 2.)
Having finished his work as a Steward of the WORD-GROOM, the Seventh Angel-Messenger's presence was no longer necessary. (He then left the scene.) Then the WORD-GROOM and His BRIDE entered into the Spiritual Nuptial Chamber of the WORD OF GOD. They have been in there since around 1966.
Since then the Bride-Wife has gradually become mellowed. However, it will be many more days before she finally makes herself ready to be a WIFE. And as long as the Marriage upon this earthly home of the Bride-Wife lasts, as predestinated by the Groom's Father, the Spiritual Nuptials (feasting and love-making) will continue. (Read Gen.29:27; Jdg.14:12.)
The Nuptial (Marriage) Chamber in Hebrew is called CHUPPAH. It means 'COVERING, PROTECTION and DEFENCE' (cf. Matt.23:37; Phil. 1:3-21; Eph.6:17), and represents the BRINGING HOME OF THE BRIDE. It is the HOME of the Word-Groom. And THE ORIGINAL WORD is the 'CHUPPAH' OF GOD. The Word-Groom takes His Bride into It and she is safe for what It provides. It is in here that the Bride (the True Church) is identified as the Word-Groom turns on the (SON)LIGHT of the FULL REVELATION of Himself. And the Invisible Union of the Heavenly Bridegroom and the Earthly Bride begins. (Read Gen.29:21-25; Deut.22:13-21; Matt.25:10.)
The VOICE OF THE ARCHANGEL is the VOICE of our BELOVED. He is now speaking to the Bride! And whatever goes on in the 'Chuppah' of God between the Word-Groom and His Word-Bride is hidden from the eyes of the world.
Notice. WITHIN the 'CHUPPAH' OF GOD the BRIDE is being mellowed by the SON-LIGHT (Morning Star or Daystar). She is locked in deep Spiritual Embrace with her Beloved in her new relationship with Him as His WIFE. Consider the words of this song:
“Into Thy Chamber, be free Holy Spirit;
Speak to me gently as You close the door.
Heavenly Lover, let Thy Presence cover;
Shekinah unending is all I long for.
Come my Beloved, be my Lord, my Master.
As I yield myself, unite me to Thee.
Let Thy Holy Word wrap 'round me I plead,
My Defence, Protection and Covering be."
And on the OUTSIDE, the EVENING LIGHT is still brightly lit as a flurry of activity continues.
Pause for a moment here. Do you recognize the significance of the activities that are taking place now? If you are a member of the Bride of Christ, where are you now in the final events? Are you now inside the 'Chuppah' of God being mellowed by the SON-LIGHT, or are you still outside the 'Chuppah' and clinging on to the EVENING LIGHT (with all the blessed events and things that had accompanied it)? In this hour of time, are you standing upon the WORD and walking in the SON-LIGHT of God, or are you standing upon the words of a man, an organization or a church? Has the DAYSTAR arisen in your heart, or are you still in the EVENING LIGHT, away from the 'Chuppah' and feeding upon the words of the historical Evening Time Messenger, William M. Branham, and trying to figure out what he had said as you mess around with his sermon tapes and books? (Read and ponder what John the Baptist said in John 3:27-36.)
Yes, this is the EVENING TIME. This is the Laodicean Age. But the Bride is not in it. She is not in that realm. She has been lifted up into another dimension which is parallel to the Laodicean Age. She is in the Token or the Eagle realm. It is a dimension where the BRIGHT AND MORNING (DAY-)STAR shines ever so brightly for the Bride. The SON has arisen in her heart. The FULL LIGHT is in the 'Chuppah' of God to mellow and perfect her. The VOICE of the ARCHANGEL (Strong Angel, Chief Angel, Mighty Angel) is the VOICE of the Word-Groom to the Bride. He is the ONLY ONE Whose FACE the Bride is NOW BEHOLDING! As the ARCHANGEL of the COVENANT His VOICE (WORD) is sounded through His Own Ascension Gifts (Eph.4) which He has given to certain members of His Bride. Hence, the Bride is not just eating THE WORD to enjoy Its sweetness in her mouth, she is also willing to accept Its bitterness in her belly to be perfected. She, too, has a Ministry. Amen. Her Ministry is to declare the Truth to the world, both in words and in deeds. Both the Bride and the Ministry are one. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
The Third Phase — The Last Trump of God
“Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev.19:6b-8).
When this prophecy comes to pass, the Earthly Bride-Wife will have gone through the stage of being a true Wife to her Husband.
There is clearly a difference between a bride and a wife. However, in the Ancient Oriental Marriage Customs and Traditions, when a bride had made herself ready as a wife, she would be given A CHANGE of dress made of Fine Linen. Then she would be taken to the house of her husband's father to be presented as WIFE of the man who would also be dressed in fine linen. She would then sit as a 'queen' next to her 'king' at the head of the supper table. (Read Esther 2.) [Note: This is very similar to another custom in which a male child has to be tutored and trained before his father would accept and positionally place him as a son before the people.]
“The WIFE hath made herself ready” for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb! Yes, without a doubt, the Word-Bride of Christ must now make herself ready. In the 'CHUPPAH' of God and in the PRESENCE of the Word-Groom she must now strip off all the carnal ideas and man-made garments which are still with her. She must submit herself completely to the desires of the Word-Groom as her Husband, in order to be perfected and be presented as WIFE at the HOME of the Groom's Father. The secret of that home-going will be made known to her here when the LAST TRUMP of God takes place. It will be the final phase of the Seventh Seal. “Then there is coming forth seven mysterious thunders that are not even written at all! That's right! And I believe that through those seven thunders will be revealed in the last days in order to get the bride together for rapturing faith; because what we got right now, we wouldn't be able to do it. There is something that has got to step forward for we can't have enough faith for divine healing hardly. We have got to have enough faith to be changed in a moment to be swept up out of this earth, and we will find that after awhile, the Lord willing, find where it is written.” [The First Seal, pg.128].
The Seven Thunders will appear on the scene and utter their voices. Although the voices will be heard around the world only the members of the Bride-Wife will have the ears to hear what the voices shall utter. The Bride-Wife will receive a revival in the power of the Word of God in the Last Trump. Brother Branham said, “Wait 'til them seven thunders utter their voices to that group who really can take the Word of God and hand it there!” [The Fourth Seal, pg.304]. It is during this short period of revival that the members of the Body of Christ will receive their rapturing faith. They will have a change in the body. They will receive complete healing and they will be made whole physically before the translation takes place.
Yes, the REVELATION of the VOICES of the Seven Thunders will be a secret to the world but it will be known to the Bride-Wife who will have made herself ready for her CHANGE by then. It will be around the time just before the Word-Groom shall appear in all His Beauty, Power, and Great Glory in the air and say, “Arise, My Love, My Fair One, Come away! Come up hither, and let us return to My Father's House!”
Then shall come the CHANGE, “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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor.15:52-53). Amen. “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints” (Rev.19:8). The Word-Wife of the Word-Husband will be changed and be dressed in Fine Linen, Clean and White, to testify of her righteousness in her Husband. And He will bring her to His Father's House to receive her reward (Rom.14:10-12; 1 Cor.3:8,14; 2 Cor.5:10). With a Crown of Life upon her head she will sit as a Wife and Queen beside her Husband and King, the Lamb of God, at the head of the Final Grand Marriage Supper Table in the presence of the holy angels. The Marriage of the Lamb will culminate in this great event.
When this grand final event takes place in Heaven, the Gospel of Christ will be 'off the mercy seat' for the Gentiles on the earth. It will be returned to the Jews through Two Witnesses whom God will send (Rev.11; Zech.4:2-3,10-14).
[Note: According to the parable of Jesus, in Matthew 25:1-13, there are “foolish virgins”. They are foolish because they lack the common sense perception of what they should do as they yearn for the arrival of the bridegroom. Their failure in not carrying oil in their vessels, except in their lamps, testifies of their imprudent ordering of their lives in regard to something as important as meeting the bridegroom. Is this not the condition of the Christians today? No, I am not talking about the Ecumenists, Modernists, Hollywood Evangelicals, 'Jezebels', etc., but those who claim to be born again and those who claim to believe in the Endtime Message. What is their perception of the reality of things spiritual? Are not their reckless and inconsiderate habit of mind to the Truth manifesting the folly of their lives as 'virgins' in regard to their faith? Are they not truly foolish?
Friend, what about you? If you fail to enter into the Marriage of the Lamb now, like the “foolish virgins”, one of these days you too will find it too late when the 'door' is shut. And you will find yourself cast into the “outer darkness” of the Great Tribulation that will soon come upon this world.]
Utopia and New Heaven and New Earth
After the Great Tribulation, Christ and His Saints will return to earth. They will come riding on white horses. They will mete out vengeance upon the wicked and judge the world (Zech.14:4; Rev.19: 11-18; 20:4). Then the earth will be cleansed of all sins and wickedness as God brings about a restoration of the earth to its Edenic condition. It will be like an Utopian World (Isa.65:18-25). This age is known as the Age of Regeneration (Matt.19:28), an age in which Christ and His Wife will reign over the earth. And the long awaited event – the MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD – will be fulfilled in this age. All the members of the Bride will be manifested as sons and daughters of God (Rom.8:18-23). They will all be positionally placed by God Who, in His Infinite Power and Knowledge, has predestinated according to His Own Will and good pleasure before the foundation of the world (Eph.1:3-14).
Beloved, whatever we have potentially right now — as sons and daughters of God — shall become a reality. Spiritually, we are right now having a foretaste of the reality of that age when our true ADOPTION will be declared. And that Age of Regeneration will be a preliminary stage of the TRUE STATE OF UTOPIA when this present earth and the heavens around it will be burned up to be replaced by a New Heaven and New Earth in a re-creation (2 Pet.3:10-13).
“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation…” (2 Peter 3:14-15a). Amen.
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Revelation 10: The Vision [Chart here ]
Revelation Chapter 11 ( click here to continue )
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