Overview of Prophecy #2

Daniel/Revelation

Fred R. Coulter—February 13, 2016

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[Transcript begins at 2:30 of the audio]

Let's stop and think about things for minute. Everything gets down sooner or later to the individual, everything! When God started out, what did He do? Created Adam, first man; then Eve! Things got so bad that He had to destroy everything with a flood. He started out again with one man and his family; his wife and his three sons and their wives. Then things got so bad again that God started out with one man, Abraham. Everything else that is in the rest of the Bible is because of Abraham.

So, numbers to God do not count. It is what is your relationship with God that counts, and how you love Him and obey Him. Then we come on down to through the children of Israel, and again it narrows down to a man David. Then that narrows down to the prophesied Messiah. From that comes the Church, and from that then comes all of the rulers for the Kingdom of God; the first resurrection.

In this we have a pattern in the Bible that we will see: the Bible tells us a summary first, then gives us the details; after the summary! The details might not necessarily come in sequence right after the other, because we know the Bible is put together 'here little and there a little,' etc.

As I mentioned in part one, the plan of God is pictured by His Holy Days and Sabbath. And two key important things on that, two simple things are:

• the Sabbath
• the Passover

Now then, that is based on another thing, which is more complicated but accurate, and that is on the Calculated Hebrew Calendar.

What God does is He gives the outline and then He puts the details in different places. This is why we have to go through 'a little here, a little there' and 'rightly divide' the Word of God and put it together.

Daniel 9:1: "In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans."

This is just before the 70-year captivity of Judah ended in Babylon. I want you to notice one thing very important: there are patterns in the Bible that follow all the way through. You take what is called 'the Lord's prayer.' It starts out, 'Our Father in heaven, Holy is your name; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.'

That's saying a lot right there. Think of all the details that come from that: for the things pertaining to God's plan in the world, and for the things in each life of everyone who is praying to God. Then 'give us our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses.' What we have here is the pattern.

Look at this pattern, v 4: "And I prayed to the LORD my God and made my confession, and said, 'O LORD, the great and awesome God, keeping the covenant and mercy to those who love Him, and to those who keep His commandments… [follows right along with outline] …we have sinned and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, and have turned aside from Your commandments and from Your ordinances'" (vs 4-5).

Confession of sin, forgive us our sins, and that's what He says, forgive. Let's see how it ends, and then we will see God's answer to this prayer.

• it has to do with Israel
• it has to do with the whole plan of God
• it has to do with the coming of the Messiah
• it has to do with the end of the age
• it has to do with the new heavens and the new earth

Verse 19: "O LORD, hear; O LORD, forgive; O LORD, hearken and do. Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God; for Your city and Your people are called by Your name." Then while Daniel was speaking we have Gabriel who came.

Verse 24: "Seventy weeks…" These are not 70 weeks of 7-day weeks, but these are 70 weeks of 7-year weeks, like counting to the Jubilee; that is called a heptad. Though it is given in sequence, it is not an unbroken sequence.

Verse 24: "Seventy weeks are decreed upon your people and upon your Holy city [#1]to finish the transgression…"

• What is the transgression?
• How far back does that reach? Reaches back to Satan, then Adam!
• Do we all sin because of Adam? Yes, indeed!
• Do we all die because of Adam? Yes, indeed?

"…[#2]and to make an end of sin…" (v 24). When does the end of sin finally take place? There two steps for that:

• the binding of Satan forever
• the Lake of Fire for the incorrigible wicked

When you read these things and, of course, none of what we're talking about now was remotely understood even down during Christ's time. And we have not been able to understand it until we see the things as they're laid out in the pattern of the Holy Days and so forth.

"…[#3]and to make reconciliation for iniquity… [that took place with the death of Christ] …[#4]and to bring in everlasting righteousness… [that's New Jerusalem—new heaven and new earth] …[#5] and to seal up the vision and prophecy, [#6]and to anoint the Most Holy. Know, therefore, and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, to Messiah the Prince…" (vs 24-25). It gives a starting point, and this was with Cyrus.

"…shall be seven weeks… [49 years] …and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again with streets and the wall, even in troublous times" (vs 25). You read the whole history of that in Ezra and Nehemiah and you can read that in Josephus, as well.

So, what were doing and looking at the Scriptures the prophecies, in many cases, are general outlines, then all the details come later. We will see that that's a pattern throughout the whole Bible.

Note the book: The Appointed Times of Jesus the Messiah. Get that because this fully explains the detailed history, which is quite complicated because—we will see in Dan. 10 and you look at the chart in Appendix Y—were looking at about 500 years just to the first coming of Christ. Then over 2000 years to His second coming.

When you have a statement like were told in Isa. 28 'a little here and a little there; line upon line; precept upon precept' and then we 'rightly divide' the Word of God and put it together.

Verse 26: "And after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off but not for Himself…." What does that mean? It means the crucifixion, and that was not to happen until after 62 weeks. So, that 7 years times 62; just a little quick math you see what you come up with.

It didn't say long after the 62 weeks "…but not for Himself…" because that's for the sins of the whole world. But it doesn't tell us that here. Here is a mistake that people make when they read this:

"…And the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary…." (v 26). When Jesus came, did He destroy the city and the sanctuary? No! He did not! This is not referring to Jesus Christ, but this is referring to the one that we know today will be the beast power that has yet to arise.

"…But his end shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week" (vs 26-27).

When people first read that and they find out the Jesus was crucified in the middle of the week they apply this to Jesus. But it doesn't! It applies to the prince who is going to make an agreement be a seven-year time period. This is where we get in prophecy the last seven years, and there quite a few things that fit into that last seven years.

So, we had the building of the temple and after that is completed we come down to the time of Malachi and a prophecy of John the Baptist, and then down to Christ. Christ is not baptized until after the 62nd week has ended, and that ended on the on the last day of the 6th month, and the 1st day of the 7th month began the 63rd year.

In that year Jesus was baptized and His temptation started on the Day of Atonement, which was also a Jubilee. Now, that's profound because think of all the details that have been added to this Scripture through the Calculated Hebrew Calendar and through other Scriptures.

Furthermore, it says that Jesus came at the appointed time, and He died at the appointed time. All that brings in the Calculated Hebrew Calendar.

So, this beast power will come in, make a covenant for seven years and then in the middle of it that's when the Tribulation begins. From this we can understand that at the beginning of that seven-year period there will be a time—as 1-Thess. 5 tells us—of peace and security. Think about that!

In just America, in our entire history we've only had 12 years without war. That's something—isn't it? And consider the rest of the world.

Now then, we come into Dan. 10, and I want to point out some things here, as well. We won't get into Dan. 11 because I want to wait until we have all the research done from Carl Franklin. But I can tell you that when we go through it you're going to find that only a minority of the kings of the north and the south are the ones who carry out the event. There are many kings of the north and south that are not listed here that do not carry out the event.

The event then tells us which king! When you look at it from Daniel's time going forward you have no idea how long that is going to be, and down to Christ it is right at 500 years.

We will save Dan. 11, but we want to do a little reading in Daniel 10:12; apparently Gabriel was sent to him again: "Then he said to me, 'Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard….'"

Even though you pray and you don't get an answer right away that doesn't mean God hasn't heard. I know there have been things I've prayed about, some of them just a thought and then, lo and behold, God answers it. In several cases this happened years later! Then I looked back and I thought: God answered that prayer! I don't know if you've had anything like that happen to you but you will.

"'…And I have come because of your words…. [God responds to our prayers—doesn't He?] … But the prince of the kingdom of Persia…'" (vs 12-13). This also reveals to us, just like it says in Heb. 2, that this world is under angels—including Satan the devil and the demons and the angels of God—so the prince of Persia here was the angel or demon, probably in this case the demon over Persia.

Sidebar: Does that help explain what's happening in Iran today? Who knows! He's certainly not righteous is he?

"'…Then lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; for I had been there alone with the kings of Persia. Now, I have come to make you understand what shall happen to your people in the latter days… [and this does not end until Dan. 12] …for the vision is yet for many days.' And when he had spoken such words to me, I bowed my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. And behold, one looking like the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who stood before me, 'O lord, my sorrows have overwhelmed me because of the vision, and I have retained no strength'" (vs 13-16).

Now then, he [the angel Gabriel] gives Daniel strength and he stands up on his feet.

Daniel 11:1: "And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. And now I will declare to you… [this is the angel speaking] …the Truth" (vs 1-2). Very interesting!

We have to go back to Daniel 10:21, a profound and important verse: "But I will show you that which is written in the Scripture of Truth…." Think on that one for a minute.

What is written in heaven at God's throne concerning the plan of God is called "…the Scripture of Truth…."

• God is true
• His Word is true
• His commandments are true
• all His precepts are true
• Jesus is 'the Way the Truth and the Life'

"…(And there is none who holds strongly with me against them, except Michael your prince" (v 21).

Daniel 11:1: "And I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him…. [the words of the angel] …And now I will declare to you the Truth" (vs 1-2). Coming from the Scripture of Truth! Let's expand our thinking. What did Jesus declare Himself to be? The First and the Last, the Beginning and the Ending! He said that twice (Rev. 1). He says it later in Rev. 21-22. He says it in Isa. 45.

"…Behold, there shall yet stand up three more kings in Persia. And the fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he grows strong, through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece" (v 2). That's over 300 years later.

When you read some of these things, and it looks like it comes one after the other, it really doesn't. That's why the Bible is hard to understand. Isn't it amazing?

I've been doing some series on Church at Home (churchathome.org) how that the world is awash in Bibles. Yet, no one understands it, and the Bible tells them what is going to happen. Yet, if they read it they don't know it. All of this gets down to, like I said in the segments on Church at Home, it gets down to three words: Obey My voice!

You have people who say the Bible is out of date. If your mind is closed you're blinded automatically!

Then it talks all about the king of Greece, and then it goes King of the North/King of the South; King of the North/King of the South right up to the end-time. So, what are we dealing with? We are dealing with about 3,000 years of history in Dan. 11! You take that back to Nebuchadnezzar.

We covered that in Dan. 2; that image begins with Nebuchadnezzar and ends with the return of Christ. Examine all of the book of Daniel and it starts with either Nebuchadnezzar or the kings of Persia and comes to the return of Christ. None of this tells us when or where or how. It just tells us the events.

I have some questions that were raised from the book of Revelation, also covering the two witnesses. Remember the man who said, 'I'm one of the two witnesses, but I can't reveal who the other witness is.' Finally, he revealed who it was, and then he was thrown into jail because he was absconding money to Switzerland from the tithes and offerings of the brethren. I suppose that within a year he's going to get out. You know, there are people who are still following him. That's an amazing thing it's an amazing thing what people will do if they really don't check it all by the Bible.

If you want to help study the book of Revelation get the version of the reading of Revelation with all of the special effects put in there by Randy Vild. He did a wonderful job of putting in the music and all that.

People check it out but they still believe the lie, and that's because they want what they believe rather than what God wants us to believe. That's a different thing and that's a mistake that people make right off.

I made it right off when I was first learning about the Bible. I started reading it to find out if I could find in there something that I believed, which was totally wrong! I couldn't find it! Why? Because it wasn't there! So, think of this way: every time you listen to the book of Revelation I've listened to it over and over again; not out of that I want to hear myself speak, but I did read the Word of God and the music is so inspiring that it brings it really to life.

Were going to read a little bit of Rev. 1 then we'll skip over and get to some other things.

Revelation 1:1: "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him, to show to His servants the things that are ordained tocome to pass shortly…" Shortly in our minds is different than in God's mind. Why? Because with God a day is a thousand years and a thousand years as a day! Why? Because God inhabits eternity; a whole different level of living.

The reason that we go through what we go through is because God wants us to live on that level with Him as His family. That's a fantastic thing! That is absolutely incredible! So, shortly in our lifetime and many other lifetimes is quite a while.

This was given about 95-98A.D. Here we are in 2016. In my book that's a delayed appointment, but in God's book it is going to be shortly, and where does all of this come from? What do we read in Dan. 10:21? From the Scripture of Truth! Another book in heaven! What do you know about that? You think of this: 'all Scripture is God-breathed' and it is Truth. What is the source of that Truth? God and the 'Scripture of Truth' of heaven! That's an amazing thing!

"…and He made it known, having sent it by His angel to His servant John who gave witness to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, and all the things he saw. Blessed…" (vs 1-3). This is the blessing to claim every time you read it or hear it, because you will find that the Bible is made in such a way that you need to read it and study it and read it and study it over and over again. You will learn more and more things from the same things that you have read in the past, because as you read other parts of the Bible then when you come back to say the book of Revelation again you have more understanding in your mind with which to make connection with the Scriptures. It's a lifetime study!

Verse 3: "Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and who keep the things that are written therein; for the time is at hand."

The time is at hand whatever you're coming close to the end of your life. Isn't that true? Yes! What can you find in here that you need to keep? Have you ever done that study? It talks about:

• the love of God talks
• the commandments of God
• the Holy Days of God
• the testimony of Jesus Christ
• the spirit of prophecy

All of those things are there. Look at all the instruction that we have in the seven churches (Rev. 2-3). That tells us a lot! "…for the time is at hand."

Verse 4: "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace and peace be to you from Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come; and from the seven spirits that are before His throne."

We have a sermon explaining the seven spirits—Spirit of God, Spirit of Man, Seven Spirits of God—what are the seven spirits? What do they do? They're basically the eyes of God telling God what's going on, on the earth. That answers the questions:

• How does God know when a sparrow falls?
• How does God know how many hairs are on our head?
• What are our thoughts?

We're dealing with a fantastic and great God Who is so marvelous and great that we are still not much bigger than the speck of dust we were when we were conceived, if we can put it that way.

Verse 4: "John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace and peace be to you from Him Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come; and from the seven spirits that are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, the Firstborn from the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth" (vs 4-5).

You tie v 5 together with Matt. 1:18 when Jesus was born he was the firstborn of Mary; He's the Firstborn from among the dead, so Jesus was born again. This tells us you're not born again until the resurrection.

"…To Him Who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (v 5). That's the whole Gospel; here you have the four Gospels. Everything that's contained in there is summarized in this verse.

Verse 6: "And has made us kings and priests to God and His Father…" Not yet, but designated to be. If God says something it's as good as done.

"…to Him be the glory and the sovereignty into the ages of eternity. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen" (vs 6-7). Let's analyze v 7 for just a minute:

How is "…every eye…" going to see Him? We'll see that in a minute! You can apply this different ways. At His return "…every eye shall see Him…" That means everyone who's alive. But how is every eye going to see Him, and yet, they have previously died? They have to be brought back to life!

"…those who pierced Him…" There was the soldier who pierced Him with the sword and the ones who nailed in the nails in His hands and His feet. When will they see Him? At the second resurrection! I wonder what they're going to do? I wonder what their thoughts will be? They shall see Him at that time! Here is a very good example of Isa. 28, again. That's the way the Bible is put together.

"…all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen."

How will every eye see Him of those who are living when Jesus returns?

(go to the next track)

• How is every eye going to see Him?
• That is those who are living when Jesus returns?
• What does this do for the 'secret rapture'?

The 'secret rapture' is that we're all going to be taken out before the Tribulation begins, and 'all you dumb doe-dos who are not with us will go through the Tribulation, and we are so glad to escape.' No! It won't work!

Let's take the last week from Dan. 9—seven years—and he makes an agreement and in the middle of the seven-year period and the Tribulation begins. What starts the Tribulation that we've already covered? The abomination that makes desolate stands in the Holy place! That's when the Tribulation begins.

We have the seals that are opened; there was a white horse and this was not Christ; this was the false christ. 

Revelation 6:2: "And I looked, and behold, there was a white horse; and the one who was sitting on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him; and he went out conquering, and to conquer." This has to be the false prophet bringing all the religions of the world together.

It's possible—speculation—that that seal has been opened with all the events that are taking place. How long that runs we don't know. This has to be before that 70th week.

Verse 3: "And when He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, 'Come and see.' And another horse went out that was red; and power was given to the one sitting on it to take peace from the earth…" (vs 3-4). That has to be the beginning the Great Tribulation, which then has to be in the middle of the 7-year period when the Great Tribulation begins. That has to be right there.

Let's come to the sixth seal, and we will discover some other prophecies that help us understand and put it together in the timeframe within that last three and half-year period. That why the sermon series: Daniel/Revelation. It's a big, thick series with 40 sermons[transcriber's correction]. This will include what is there, but we may have an improvement on what I had given at that time. Here's an event that takes place that we will see that is described also in Matt. 24:

Verse 12: "And when He opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as the hair of sackcloth, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its untimely figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the heaven departed like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the powerful men, and every bondman, and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him Who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of His wrath has come, and who has the power to stand?'" (vs 12-17).

Let's take this sequence backward: How long is a day in prophecy in fulfillment? One year! This is the last year that comes. That means that if you have three and a half years, and there's one year left, how many years have passed before v 12? Two!

What takes place in Rev. 7 right after the heavens roll back as a scroll? The sealing of the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude! The sealing of the 144,000 are from the children of Israel, the physical children of Israel!

• How do we know the events that take place?
• What is going to happen to Israel when the Tribulation begins?
• They are going to be under the domination of the beast power!
• They are going to be in captivity; wherever they are!

The book of Hosea was written concerning the ten northern tribes and Ephraim. They are called the house of Israel. Zech. 12 talks about the Jews and those in Jerusalem. They are included in Rev. 7.

Hosea 5:13: "When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound… [it's going to get very bad for Britain and the Israelis in Jerusalem] …then Ephraim went to the Assyrian and sent to King Contentious…. [the beast power] …Yet, he could not heal you nor cure you of your wound… [they're taken into captivity instead] …for I will be to Ephraim as a lion, and as a strong lion to the house of Judah…." (vs 13-14).

Both are included in the 144,000, although Ephraim is not named directly, but comes under the name of Joseph.

"…I, even I, will tear and go away. I will take away, and none shall rescue him. I will go; I will return to My place until they confess their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will seek Me earnestly" (vs 14-15). There they are in captivity.

• What do they do in captivity?
• What does Israel always do when they get in trouble?
• They call out to the Lord!

What you have to do is read the history of 1st and 2nd Samuel, Judges, Joshua and 1st and 2nd Kings, and so forth. Whenever they got in trouble they cried to the Lord, and the Lord saved them! What happened when 9/11 happened here in America. We all got 'religious' for three weeks!

They will repent, and this—Rev. 6—where the 144,000 are sealed and converted in the last year of the three and a half year Tribulation.

Hosea 6:1:1: "Come and let us return to the LORD, for He has torn, and He will heal us; He has smitten, and He will bind us up. After two days…" (vs 1-2). A day is as a year in prophecy. We have two days, which is two years.

"…He will revive us…" (v 2). Would you not say that the sealing of the 144,000 is reviving them? Yes, indeed! So, the Tribulation against them is two years, and we will see that in Matt. 24.

"…in the third day… [the beginning of the third year] …He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight" (v 2). That's exactly where Rev. 7 starts; right there, right when this happens!

That's why I've said that after two years the Tribulation against Israel is released. There is still a year and a half left for the rest of the world! We will answer both questions there in Matt. 24:

• How will every eye see Him?
• The ending of the Tribulation after two years?
• How it will take place?

Matt. 24:15—the beginning of the Tribulation. Verse 21 confirms that. Then we have those saying there are the Christ, false christs and everything right there; don't believe it.

Again, we have the pattern of the Bible, which follows all the way through the Bible: What is going to happen is described first; the details come afterward. That's the way God does everything. What did God say to Israel? If you obey My voice, then you'll be a nation of priests to Me. They said, 'Yeah, we'll do it.' Look at all the details that came after they said they would.

Likewise it describes what is going to happen first, and then the details concerning it come afterward.

Matthew 24:27: "For as the light of day, which comes forth from the east and shines as far as the west, so also shall the coming of the Son of man be."

You've heard me say about a second sun. If there is a second sun, will every eye see that? Yes! For how long? We'll answer that question in a little bit.

Verse 28: "For wherever the carcass may be, there will the eagles be gathered together." Is that describing the resurrection? I don't know! That verse has been an enigma to me all my life.

Verse 29: "But immediately after the tribulation of those days…" Against whom? The children of Israel (Hos. 5-6 and Rev. 7). That's just against Israel.

"…the sun shall 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." That's what happened.

We read in Rev. 6 that the heavens roll back as a scroll. BAM! Right there at the end of the two-year period and the beginning of the third-year period. What did it say? The stars will fall, the heavens will darken and so forth!

Verse 30: "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven…" What is that sign? Verse 27 tells us what it is; the light of day! That's the sign of the Son of man that shall appear in heaven.

"…and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn…" (v 30). That's when they begin fighting God and Christ!

"…and they shall see the Son of man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (v 30)—so every eye shall see Him!

Then it comes down to the resurrection, v 31: "And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet; and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

That is like looking down at the earth from heaven. There are going to be saints from everywhere in the whole world, and the angels are going to bring them.

When does that take place? Here's where we bring in the Calculated Hebrew Calendar. We'll answer some other questions and see the pattern: God gives us the summary first, then the details later. Or it is a prophecy from another part of the Bible that you put together with prophecies in another part of the Bible.

Imagine what the earth is going to be like when the heavens roll back as a scroll and the whole earth is shaken; earthquakes everywhere!

• When did God make Israel His people? When He gave the Law at Mt. Sinai and that was on Pentecost!
• When did the Church officially begin? On Pentecost!

based on the Pentecost thing:

• When is the resurrection?

Since we're the firstfruits of God, remember this: The Hebrew calendar is calculated beginning with the seventh month!When you count the Holy Days, Pentecost 'the last day.'

What did Jesus say? I will raise you up the last day (John 6)! Pentecost is the last day of the 50-day count. Pentecost is the last Holy Day beginning with Trumpets:

• Trumpets
• Atonement
• Tabernacles
• Last Great Day
• First day of Unleavened Bread
• Last day of Unleavened Bread
• Pentecost

You add the Passover in and that's eight, but it is the last Holy Day! Since—

• we have the pattern at Sinai
• we have the pattern of Acts 2
• then when you have the sealing of the 144,000

—doesn't it make sense that this would occur on Pentecost?

Let's take this one step further. Rev. 2 & 3, how many churches do we have? Seven! How many weeks to the harvest? Seven! But there's the 50th day!

Rev. 7 represents the 50th day harvest by God at this point. So, this takes place on Pentecost. One year later we have the resurrection of the rest of the saints. Does that make sense? Yes, indeed, because we are firstfruits unto God! We are the Church of the Firstborn! All of those tie together. When you begin to understand things in the Bible you have to include everything. That's why keeping the Holy Days, beginning with the Sabbath, and you keep the Passover so that you're in right standing with God, and then keep the Holy Days, this will add understanding as God gives us understanding.

Right after the heavens roll back as a scroll here is this new sun every day for a year, every day for a year every eye will see it. What happens when people get used to something? They just take it for granted! 'Oh well, the heavens were shaken up and this is just a new body that's in orbit around the earth now.'

Here's what happens: there's great peace and calm after all those earthquakes. Before we get to Rev. 8, what is the rest of the world doing while God is dealing with the 144,000? What do people do after every earthquake? They clean things up! It's going to be so messed up they are going to need the time between Pentecost and Trumpets to get things cleaned up. That is three and a half months; from Pentecost to Trumpets!What happens in Rev. 8? Trumpet plagues! Would those not begin on the Feast of Trumpets? Yes, indeed!

Let's talk about the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude. They held back the winds so they didn't blow and then God sealed them by an angel. There was nobody there to baptize them, nobody there to preach to them. How are they going to receive the Holy Spirit and be sealed? God is going to send it and an angel is going to administer it.

• Can God do that? Yes, indeed!
• Will there be those baptizing people at that time, too? Could very well be, we don't know!

Revelation 7:4 "And I heard the number of those who were sealed: one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel." The first one is Judah, and God says in Zech. 12 that He 'will save the tents of Judah first.' There it is right there.

Did God save the tents of Judah first with the Church when it began? Yes! They were all Jews! 'To the Jew first, then to the Greek, or Gentile.' So, the patterns of God fit all the way through.

There's Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulon, Joseph, Benjamin, and then the great innumerable multitude.

Here we need to answer a question, because it looks like that these people immediately go to the throne of God, but they don't! Why? All those who are Christ's are resurrected at His coming! This is part of His coming, but this is the start of it. He has to come right close to the earth for the resurrection to occur. That has not happened, yet, because that sun is still out there and the earth is turning on its axis.

Verse 9: "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude… [v 10]: …and they were calling out with a loud voice to Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, saying, 'The salvation of our God has come.' Then all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, 'Amen. Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power and strength be to our God into the ages of eternity. Amen'" (vs 9-12).

Verse 9 says that they were "…standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and holding palms in their hands." That's the statement that tells what's going to happen. It describes it, but it doesn't happen until the resurrection.

We'll see why in just a minute. There are two verses in Rev. 8 and 9 that tell us that the saints are praying. If you have the Holy Spirit of God you are a saint. So, they don't immediately go to heaven, though it appears that they do with this description, which tells where they will be at the resurrection.

Verse 13: "And one of the elders answered and said to me, 'These who are clothed with white robes, who are they, and where did they come from?' Then I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' And he said to me, 'They are the ones who have come out of the Great Tribulation; and they have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the One Who sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall not hunger any more, nor shall they thirst any more; neither shall the sun nor the heat fall upon them, because the Lamb Who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them, and will lead them to fountains of living waters; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes'" (vs 13-17).

Notice that the latter part has to do with the new heaven and new earth.

1-Corinthians 15:20: "But now Christ has been raised from the dead; He has become the Firstfruit of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the Firstfruit; then those who are Christ's at His coming" (vs 20-23).

What else has to happen? This also tells us why those in Rev. 7 do not go immediately to the throne of God. What has to happen to make that take place?

Verse 51: "Behold, I show you a mystery: we shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (vs 51-52).

No one is going to the throne of God until the last trumpet, and the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude are sealed before the first trumpet. They are alive when the last trumpet blows!

Revelation 8:1: "Now, when He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about a half hour. Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them" (vs 1-2). They blow in sequence: 1, 2, 3, 4; then 5 &6; then 7.

No one is going to be raised to come before God before the seventh trumpet. So, when you read Rev. 7 you need to get the timeframe understood with other Scriptures, because it looks like—if you just read and end it there—that they immediately go before the throne of God, but they don't!

Verse 3: "And another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar; and much incense was given to him, so that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar that was before the throne."

If they had gone to heaven immediately, they wouldn't be on the earth praying, and they wouldn't be just called the saints, they would be the sons of God at that point.

This shows that the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude are not in heaven, but on the earth and are praying.

Now, there's one other group that is still left that is in a place of safety. They will be praying, as well.

Scriptural References:

• Daniel 9:1, 4-5, 19, 24-27
• Daniel 10:12-16
• Daniel 11:1-2
• Daniel 10:21
• Daniel 11:1-2
• Revelation 1:1-7
• Revelation 6:2-17
• Hosea 5:13-15
• Hosea 6:1-2
• Matthew 24:27-31
• Revelation 7:4, 9-12, 9, 13-17
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 51-52
• Revelation 8:1-3

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Isaiah 28
• 1 Thessalonians 5
• Hebrews 2
• Daniel 12; 2
• Isaiah 45
• Revelation 2; 3
• Matthew 1:18
• Revelation 21; 22
• Zechariah 12
• Matthew 24:15, 21
• John 6
• Acts 2
• Zechariah 12

Also referenced:

Books:

• Josephus
• The Appointed Times of Jesus the Messiah by Fred R. Coulter

Sermon: Spirit of God, Spirit of Man, Seven Spirits of God

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 3/16-16

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