CHAPTER TEN

Point

 
 

     |-------------------------------------------- Concurrent Judgments ---------------------------------------------|

    |-------------------------- Concurrent Judgments --------------------------------------------|
 

#	SEVEN SEALS	SEVEN TRUMPETS	SEVEN BOWLS
	GREAT TRIBULATION begins	The 3 Woes Begin (Rev. 8:13)
5	Alter of Souls (Rev. 6:9, 13:15)	1) Satan Cast to the Earth (Rev 9:11;12:3-9)
			Events leading to POINT C Last months of theTribulation......
			1. BOILS (Rev. 16:2)
			2. BLOOD SEAS (Rev. 16:3)
			3. BLOOD RIVERS (Rev. 16:4)
			4. SOLAR HEAT (Rev. 16:8)
			5. DARKNESS (Rev. 16:10)

    |-------------------------- Concurrent Judgments --------------------------------------------|
 

#	SEVEN SEALS	SEVEN TRUMPETS	SEVEN BOWLS
6	Great      Earthquake Day of Wrath  / Signs in Heaven      (Rev. 6:12)	2)                    Earthquake 4 Angels / Euphrates / 200 Million Man Army      (Rev. 9:14-19, 11:13)	6.           Earthquake 3 Frogs / Euphrates / Armageddon     (Rev. 16:17)
7	Silence in Heaven (Rev. 8:1)	3)  Second Coming (Rev. 11:14-15)	"It Is Done" (Rev. 16:17)

Disclaimer: In case you have an aversion to eschatological charts, the preceding was a spreadsheet comprised of event horizon cells within a matrix of correlated timelines.

    Immediately after the lead-in of the first five bowl judgments, the Tribulation ends with a bang (see diagram above). The sixth and seventh bowls are two phases of POINT C. The Return of Christ, Parousia in the original Greek, is in response to Armageddon. The Parousia and Armageddon are inseparable events, two sides of the same prophetic coin. These events happen in such rapid succession, like the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" that begin the Tribulation, they are in essence one terminus on the prophetic timeline. The armies of the world gather together in Israel and before the true "Mother of All Battles," Jesus returns in the clouds of heaven and destroys the Antichrist and all the heathen armies.
 
 

"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; 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. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 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; 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: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Rev. 6:12-17 KJV)

    The atmospheric and astronomical signs that are mentioned here correlate to the signs mentioned by Jesus (Mat. 24:29-30) and the sermon of Peter on the day of Pentecost where he quotes the prophet Joel. Peter quotes Joel but stops short of verse 30, because there would be a two thousand year gap between Joel 2:29 and verse 2:30. Verse 30 picks up with the end times and the Second Coming of Christ:

"And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. (Joel 2:30-32).

    Joel identifies the last Battle extending into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the Kidron Valley east of Jerusalem (below the Mount of Olives where Jesus will Return to Earth). Certainly, the main headquarters of the Antichrist's forces will be his Fortress Temple where his Image compels worship. The prophet defines this as a conflict involving "all" the nations of the world after a time of dispersion for the Jewish people:

"For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land." (Joel 3:1-2 KJV).

In the sixth seal, St. John parallels the signs mentioned by Joel concerning the end:

"Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain" (Joel 3:11-17a KJV).
 
 

"Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 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. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. 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. 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. 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. 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: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." (Rev. 9:14-21 KJV emphasis mine).

    The Sixth Trumpet unleashes four fallen angels, demonic spirits, which had been chained by God and reserved to fulfill His Will in these judgments (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6). The Fifth Trumpet, which occurs at Point B of the Tribulation, records the fall from the 3rd heaven of a demonic power, The Destroyer. The name given in the Rev. 9:11, Abaddon or Apollyon, if not a alias for Satan is certainly a demonic power that has fallen with his rebellious leader. Jesus says that Satan is the one who comes to destroy, not the forces of God (John 10:10). Of course, the Rev. 12:7-12 which occurs also at Point B, mid-Tribulation, shows us the same event from a slightly different perspective. In both cases, Satan and his evil powers are cast to earth like falling stars (1/3 of the stars of heaven may refer to the fact that there were originally three archangels: Lucifer, Michael, and Gabriel - each with his own third of the angelic host).

    The Bottomless Pit is the underworld and the habitation of evil. The "messenger" of the Bottomless Pit is not an angel of God (cf. 2 Cor. 11:14). The word translated "angel" is the Greek word angelos which only means messenger. A messenger was sent to torment Paul, but that angel was from Satan not God as the text clearly states (2 Cor. 12:7). The same is true in chapter nine of Revelation. The angels of God throughout the Revelation, even when seen unleashing horrible judgments, maintain their holy character and presence of righteousness. It is the Beast who ascends out of the Bottomless Pit and overcomes and kills God's prophets (Rev. 11:7-8). It is the angel of God who chains Satan in the Bottomless Pit at the end of the Tribulation (Rev. 20:1-2). God's angel is not chaining a holy angel. The holy angels are not being reserved in the haunt and habitation of demons, "what concord hath Christ with Belial?" (2 Cor. 6:15). God's angels are not chained nor bound, only prisoners and convicted rebels are incarcerated. Satan and his angels are the convicts, prisoners, and rebels.

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"And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." (Rev. 16:12-16 KJV emphasis mine).

    The Sixth Seal is the beginning of the Armageddon process. The Euphrates River is dried up so that the 200 million man army from the Kings of the East can cross over on their way to Israel (Rev. 16:12). Why are these Kings marching to the Holy Land, it is the headquarters of the Antichrist. This mighty river has served as a territorial boundary from the earliest days of man; it defines the Fertile Crescent of civilization. Without proper bridging infrastructure, it would present an enigmatic barrier to massive mechanized troop movements. However, the scripture states that this formidable geographic impediment is eliminated so that this mighty mass of oriental destructive power can continue on to their appointment with annihilation.

    The Kings of the East are most likely a relatively new confederacy of Far Eastern states, a United States of the East. Probably the technological brains of the Japanese aligned with other Southeast Asian powers will combine with the enormous brawn of China to form an unequaled power sphere. After years under the rule of the European Antichrist, the Orientals see their chance for a coupe and the opportunity for ascendancy to total domination of the world. The scripture states that this army will consist of 200 million warriors (Rev. 9:16). China has been able to field this number for several decades now, and no other army in the contemporary world can make this boast. The "Sleeping Giant" shall awaken as predicted.

    Revelation 9:15 is addressed to the Tribulation believers and not the Church. First of all, the Church is told to watch for the increasing birthpangs and budding of the fig tree (Mat. 24:42-50). In Matthew, Christ informs us that the evil servant will be caught by surprise when His Master comes:

"The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of" (Mat. 24:50 KJV).

    The Church is not to be surprised by the Coming of Christ, He is not coming as a thief for us (1 Thess. 5:4). Paul makes this perfectly clear in the quintessential "Rapture" passage in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4:13-5:9. Christ will overtake the unbelievers as a thief in the night, but not the Church:

"For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:2-9)

    The sinners will be overtaken and endure the judgment of the Tribulation, but we are to be alert and aware of His Coming for the Church. The reason is that God has not appointed us to the harsh judgment of His Tribulation wrath. Keep in mind also that the tribulation saints who are still alive at the time of the sixth bowl will know the exact time of his coming since they will have the Book of Revelation to read and will be counting down from the Abomination of Desolation, 3.5 years - 42 months - 1260 days until P-Day. They will be watching and thus will be blessed by the Parousia.
 
 

"I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle" (Rev. 16:13-14 KJV emphasis mine).

    After WWIII at the beginning of the Tribulation, there will be a power vacuum which will be immediately filled by the Antichrist's hegemony. Russia is devastated, and the United States is decimated^k. However, by the end of the Tribulation, it appears that Russia and her Islamic allies are strengthened. The King of the North, Russia, and her allies, the King of the South; attack Israel at the same time that the Kings of the East arrive from across the Euphrates (Rev. 16:14, all the armies/powers of the world are at Armageddon)^l.

    Daniel 11:40-45 is a clear reference to this battle strategy which shall take place "at the time of the end" (Dan. 11:40a). This passage is a continuation of the classic description of Antichrist found in the preceding verses, Dan. 11:36-39. The King of the North (Dan. 11:40) will attach Israel in league with the King of the South (Dan. 11:40) and as these forces clash with the Antichrist's forces centered in the Middle East, early warning detection picks up the Oriental Confederacy crossing the Euphrates to join the North and South in the fray. The Antichrist will encamp between the Mediterranean Sea and the inland sea of Israel prepared for the final conflict, an unambiguous reference (Dan. 11:45). The Son of Satan will be utterly destroyed in this encountered, and no one can help him (Dan. 11:45).

    Three frogs are released by the Trinity of Evil (Rev. 16:12-14) to control key players in each of the three attacking power blocks. The purpose is to energize these leaders to mobilize toward the Battle of Armageddon. These are mind controlling propaganda demons. One major demon for the King of the North, a big demon for the King of the South, and another high ranking evil spirit dispatched to the Kings of the East. These Big Three spheres of power converge against the Antichrist's power block. Frogs are symbolic of unclean creatures and are typical of evil powers, one of the plagues of Moses upon Egypt was the unleashing of frogs upon the land (Exodus ch. 8). God allows these foul emissaries to work His will against their fellow ghoul, the Satanic impostor.

    I believe that these three frogs along with the four nefarious "messengers" loosed in Rev. 9:14-15 form a satanic counterfeit to God's "sevens of judgment," a demonic sextuplet of evil sent forth to spread havoc upon the world. In some sense of apocalyptic balance, God allows the enemy to mount a final counter-strategy, an inverse set of "seven" which ultimately works into the Divine prophetic culmination.
 
 

    Ezekiel in chapters 38 and 39, describes a vision of Russia and five allies attacking Israel in the End Times. There is no mention of the Kings of the East nor the return of the Lord^m. In fact, just the opposite, Russia is defeated and retreats to Siberia and the radioactive decontamination lasts for exactly seven years. The assembly for Armageddon is by its name, in the Valley of Meggido (Jezreel Valley). The heathen armies assembled at Armageddon are all destroyed by the Return of the Lord, the Parousia. In light of this contrast, it is plain to see the distinctive which separates these two conflicts, seven years of Tribulation.

    In Revelation, it clearly states that this conflict will occur in a physical place called in the Hebrew, Har Megiddo. In the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament that Jesus and the Disciples read, Megiddo is mentioned nine times. It is in the valley directly below the city of Megiddo which sits upon the elevated Tel of Megiddo (Har Meggido). This is where King Josiah came to fight against the king of Egypt, Necho (2 Chron. 35:22). The original Greek in the Revelation renders the two words, Har and Megedon (an accusative neuter singular noun form of Megiddo) as one word with the 'H' sound removedⁿ. Today, we call this Final Battle - Armageddon. Megiddo is an ancient city of the Canaan assigned to Manasseh. It is located on the southern rim of the plain of Esdraelon, about 11 miles from Nazareth, and 6 miles from Carmel. Jesus must have looked out over this vast plain many times as a child growing up in that area. Even in the time of Christ, this plain was a major travel route and saw the passage of many conquering armies.

    The Revelation gives us many descriptions concerning this Battle. In Chapter 14, we see the Great Harvest of God's Wrath with Christ casting in the sickle and the blood of the enemy soldiers rising to the height of a horse's bridle (14:10-20). This distance mentioned in verse 20 is the distance covered by the Valley of Har Meggido, the Valley of Jezreel. Chapter 16, the last bowl judgments, identifies the Eastern power block and the exact physical location of the Battle. Chapter 19 demonstrates that "all" the armies of the world will assemble to fight against the Christ (v. 19) and be utterly defeated. Their flesh will be eaten by the vultures (v.21; cf. Mat. 24:28) as their blood rises to flow as one mighty crimson river of carnage.

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"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. . . . In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. . . And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. . . Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle (Zech. 12:1-14:2 excerpts, emphasis mine).

    The Old Testament prophet, Zechariah, writing five hundred years before Christ gives us even more perspective on the Battle of Armageddon and the Parousia of Christ. Zechariah chapter 12 describes a future time when Jerusalem and Israel will be encompassed about by "all the people of the earth" who are gathered against the City of David (12:1-3, 14:1-2; cf. Isa. 29:1-8). This is the "Day of the Lord" (Zech. 14:1) an eschatalogical term which can only mean the end time. God will utterly destroy the heathen armies aligned against His Holy Land (v. 4; cf. Rev. 14 and 19). Although there was a partial fulfillment in 70AD when Titus destroyed the city, the events that accompany this complete vision did not all occur.

    As in the case of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus relates momentarily to 70AD and the Temple's destruction then moves on to speak at length about the end times. Zechariah skips over two millennia and reveals "in that day" the Lord will destroy "all nations" that seek to destroy his people (v. 9) and they shall see the One that they pierced 2,000 years ago (v. 10). On that day, the Jewish nation will receive their Messiah, Jesus Christ. Obviously, this prophecy was not fulfilled in the historic past. Following through on the discussion thus far, Zechariah's passage indicates the exact point on the timeline, Point C, which also specifies the location of this end time event in "the valley of Megiddon" (12:11).

    Only one third of the Jewish people will survive the Final Holocaust (Zech. 13:8-9). The Jews will be tried as by fire in the melting pot of God, the Tribulation furnace of preparation. Malachi prophesies concerning the First and Second Comings of the Lord (Mal. 3:1-3; cf. Zech. 13:9). He begins with a pronouncement of John the Baptist's ministry and Christ the "messenger of the convenant" (v.1) and then skips over the gap of 2,000 years to the Second Coming. The Second Coming will be a time of refining and purifying for the Jewish people (vv.2-3). Today in Israel, they echo "never again" in defiance of another holocaust, but what awaits them is way beyond the atrocities of Hitler. This is the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:7) which Jeremiah proclaimed would come. The Jewish nation rejected their Messiah; and they will accept another, a false deliverer, who will terrorize Israel (John 5:43). This is what God says, not some radical anti-Semite from an Aryan-Nazi fringe party. This is the truth of God's Holy Word as stated by Jewish seers. The surviving Jews will receive their Messiah and inherit the Millennial Kingdom, the covenant promised to Abraham by God (Gen. 13). A Covenant which cannot be disavowed ( Rom. 11:25-27).

"Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin's gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king's winepresses. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth" (Zech. 14:3-12 KJV excerpts, emphasis mine).

    Zechariah gives us vivid pictures of the Return of Christ at Armageddon (Zech. 14:3-15). Just as Jesus ascended into Heaven two millennia ago, He shall return to that very spot on the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:9-12). He ascended to Heaven in clouds, and He will return in the clouds (Mat. 24:30, 26:64; Acts 1:9; 1 Thess. 4:17; Rev. 1:7, 14:14-16). His feet will set down on the Mount of Olives, and a "great earthquake" (Zech. 14:5) will split the Mount of Olives area so that a great valley will be created (Zech. 14:4-5). This is all in the context of Armageddon when He will fight against all the nations in the day of Battle (Zech. 14:3). Again, "all" means all nations, unlike Ezekiel's vision of WWIII.

    This great earthquake is the anchor and key event which ties all the Point C prophecies together. As our diagram verifies, each of the three "seven" judgments (seals-trumpets-bowls) end with an great earthquake. The sixth iteration of each judgment is the great earthquake followed by the Return of Christ (either directly stated or implied). The sixth seal judgment is a "great earthquake" and astronomical anomalies. The sixth trumpet is a "great earthquake" with urban destruction. The sixth bowl follows suit with great hail stones etc. Of the thirteen occurrences of "earthquake" in the King James Version, only three do not apply to the Comings of Christ. Of the remaining cases, there are two references to the earthquake at Christ's resurrection (Mat. 27:54, 28:2). At least six of the references, one half, apply to the Second Coming of Christ (Isa. 29:6; Zech. 14:5; Rev. 6:12, 8:5, 11:13(19), and 16:18). Not only are earthquakes rarely mentioned in prophetic scripture, but the "great earthquake" can only be found in relation to the resurrection of Jesus, the ministry of Paul (Acts 16:26), and at the end of each plague in the Book of Revelation.

    The "great earthquake" of Revelation is one and the same event viewed from different judgment perspectives, just as the resurrection is one event viewed from four Gospel perspectives. Once this is understood, it is possible to construct an accurate timeline based upon this foundational correlation. This is the Rosetta Stone of Revelation interpretation. This proves that the three judgments presented in Revelation (seals-trumpets-bowls) are not serial - i.e. one group of seven following another. These are concurrent judgments presented from different vantage points for different purposes. Each has its own unique focus that communicates a Divine insight into the overall judgments of the Holy God of Israel.

[ Chapter Ten | Section Three | Table of Contents ]
 
 

    The Seventh Seal, Trumpet, and Bowl Judgments are correlated descriptions of The Coming. From a Heavenly perspective, the Return punctuates Heaven with pregnant silence. The culmination of God's plan of salvation and the promise of the Messianic Kingdom is a breathtaking realization. The Last Adam who defeated Satan at the Cross is returning to Earth with the Title Deed which was usurped from the first Adam. Ownership of the Edenic planet is being returned to the rightful owner, and Satan's tyranny over man is finished. From Man's perspective, Satan will no longer dominate as ruler of the evil world system (Eph. 6:12, 2 Cor. 4:4). The Mission of Christ is done, it is finished. The Lamb who was slain from before the foundation of the world returns to earth as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The Suffering Messiah returns as the Conquering King. The Parousia is the righteous vindication of a just God who has graciously offered a rebellious creation every opportunity to repent and receive The Truth.

    The Parousia is the Return of Christ, the Second Coming. The term, Parousia (pronounced par-oo-see'-ah), occurs 24 times in the New Testament in some form. It is used in Matthew 24, 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Thessalonians chapters 2-5, 2 Thessalonians 2, James 5, and in the First Epistle of John 2. Its literal Greek meaning is the coming, arrival, or presence of someone. In all cases referenced here, it refers to the future visible return of Jesus in the clouds of Heaven to fulfill all Messianic prophecy and rule and reign in His Kingdom on earth.
 
 

    The Exilic Prophet Zechariah presents a consistent chronology for our timetable and follows events through from the Return of Christ into the Millennial Reign. As in the Book of Jude, Zechariah tells us that the Lord is going to come with all His saints, both Old and New Testament (Jude 1:14). In chapter 14, he speaks of a strange lighting effect which shall occur at the Parousia (v. 6-7, cp. Mat. 24:29) and how the living waters will flow to the Dead Sea (v.8). No more utter destruction shall occur (v.11), i.e. Christ has returned to rule in peace for 1,000 years.

    The plague, the horrible judgment which Christ will unleash upon the heathen armies of the world at the Battle of Armageddon, is also described (Zech. 14:12). This has all the characteristics of a neutron bomb attack but Revelation 19:21 indicates that this phenomenon results from the sword of His mouth, the Word of God (Heb. 4:12). This scene reminds me of the movie portrayal in the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" where the Nazis open the Ark and supernatural power consumes the antagonists as they stand on their feet.

    And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth" (Zech. 14:12)

    Verse nine proclaims that the Lord shall be ruler over all the earth in that day. The "day" referred to is the "Day of the Lord," an end time term which means Christ's return and rule on the earth^o. In that day, His name will be One name since the name of Jesus is the name of Jehovah. There will be one name for the true God of Israel, Jesus - the Lord our Savior. People of faith have argued and debated about the persons and character of God for centuries, but in the glorious era, all will be one in Christ (Gal. 3:28).

    At the end of Zechariah's book (14:16-21), the prophet reveals two very important concepts for the Millennium. First, there will be mortal people left alive from the heathen nations after the Battle of Armageddon, and secondly that all the nations of the world will go up to Jerusalem each year at the Feast of Tabernacles to commemorate the Return of Christ. This is to celebrate the establishment of His Kingdom, like we Americans celebrate July 4th, our Independence day - this will be the world's independence day from sin and Satan.

    There are seven feasts of Judaism (Lev. 23): The first four feasts, which occur in the Spring, were fulfilled by Jesus at His First Coming^p. Only three, the Fall feasts, await fulfillment: the Feast of Trumpets - Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Atonement - Yom Kippur, and this feast - the Feast of Tabernacles. Zechariah confirms that at least one of these three will be fulfilled when Christ sets up the Millennial Kingdom (Zech. 14:16,19). That implies that the other two unfulfilled Fall feasts, Trumpets and Atonement, may be fulfilled by future events surrounding the end times before the Millennium begins. St. John heard a trumpet call on the Isle of Patmos and so did the Apostle Paul. Interestingly enough, Jesus came into the world the first time in the Fall of 4BC^q.
 
 

"Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

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. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. "(Mat. 24:23-31 KJV emphasis mine).

    Jesus, in the end times discussion on the Mount of Olives, prophesies concerning His coming again (Mat. 24:23-31). He makes it plain that His Parousia will be undeniable and unmistakable. His disciples should not be fooled by dubious reports of His return. In verse 27, the Lord states that His Coming will be visible to everyone on the earth just like lightning flashing from East to West - you can't miss it. This visible Coming will occur at the Battle of Armageddon, where the vultures are gathered together (v.28). This seems to have a double meaning since the human army of vultures will gather together in the Valley of Jezreel, and the foul of the air will also gather for the consumption of their decaying flesh. All the earth shall see "the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven." (Mat. 24:30). The only sign that the first generation received was the sign of Jonah, Jesus coming back again from the dead. It may be that the only sign the final generation will see if the same one, Jesus coming back again. Although there will be unique atmospheric or astronomic phenomenon occurring at that time (v.29), it may be that what follows in this verse is the sign, an appositive. If so, then the verse would read, "and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, i.e. all the tribes of the earth shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; all the tribes of the earth will mourn at this sight." (Bartee paraphrase).
 
 

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." (Rev. 19:11-21 KJV emphasis mine).

    Revelation chapter nineteen gives a compelling vision of the Parousia from Heaven's perspective. From verse 11 onward, we see the image of the resurrected, ascended, and victorious Christ. Although some scholars have assumed that the rider on this white horse is the same as in chapter six, the first horse of the apocalypse, even a cursory comparison between these two riders should dispel this notion. The rider here has his name written all over, Faithful and True, the Word of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The rider in Rev. 6:2 has no names. The rider here has many crowns and a sword for His weapon; the rider in chapter six has a bow with no arrows and only one crown. The rider in chapter six is accompanied by three other horsemen, but Christ is followed by the armies of heaven.

    The Beast, who is the Antichrist, and all the leaders of the world gather together to make war with the Creator of the Universe - how arrogant, who foolish, how hopeless. There is no contest. The War never really begins, thus it is called just a "Battle" - not a war. This is not a world war, it is the world preparing for a war that is over before they can fire a shot. Jesus destroys all of them with His Word and the Beast and False Prophet are cast into the Lake of Fire. The believers return to earth to rule and reign with Christ for 1,000 years and then forever (2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:6).
 
 

    Thus far we have discussed the ABCs or prophecy. After ABC comes DE. These events are years on down the prophetic road and occur post-Tribulation at a time when the believers will be in immortal bodies. The ABCs of the Tribulation are from God's eternal vantage point right around the corner. However, we must put Point D and E into chronological perspective in order to avoid confusion when contrasting prophetic passages that would be unclear otherwise. Certain characteristics belonging to D and E make them impossible to confuse with events taking place during the Tribulation. Let me reiterate that there are only 5 major end time prophetic coordinates, and we already have an understanding of the first three: ABC.

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^k Rev. 12:14, referring to the Jews fleeing to the wilderness at the mid-Trib point may be a reference to America, whose emblem is the winged eagle. [ Return ]

^l The King of the North appears to advance against the Southern King (Dan. 11:41-43) and prevail for a time, probably a reference to a double-cross by the King of the North perpetrated against his ally the King of the South - even in the midst of this attack. [ Return ]

^m Ezekiel does not allude to the Battle of Armageddon in this passage except in a possible reference in vv.39:17-18. The great feast of flesh described here probably occurs as a result of WWIII and not the Battle of Armageddon. No doubt, in both conflicts, terrible carnage results in a similar spectacle of gore.  [ Return ]

ⁿ According to the prevailing pronunciation among the Greek-speaking Gentiles.  [ Return ]

^o This is not some spiritualized concept, some abstract metaphysical language concerning a symbolic truth or spiritual plane metaphor. This is a literal and plain meaning in its context (Zech. 12-14). One has to twist the scripture into exegetical contortions to arrive at any other position than the obvious and direct meaning.  [ Return ]

^p Christ was crucified on Passover (1 Cor. 5:7), lay in the grave on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and arose on the Feast of First Fruits (1 Cor. 15:20,32). Of course, the Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus to the Church on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). [ Return ]

^q The ministry of Jesus began around His 30th birthday (Luke 3:23). Most scholars believe His ministry lasted 3 1/2 years based upon the number of feasts observed as recorded in the Gospels. Subtracting 33 1/2 years from the Crucifixion of April 30AD puts the Birth of Christ around the Fall of 4BC (the commonly accepted date of His birth). Jesus was not born on the birthday of the Pagan Sun God, December 25th, as we commonly celebrate today. That so-called Christian observance was introduced in a later time of persecution so that the believers could celebrate in disguise without fear of reprisal.  [ Return ]
 
 

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