Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
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?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
The fifth seal reveals under the altar in the heavenly sanctuary, the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and their testimony. We know that the altar is where Jesus, during the Day of Atonement service collects incense and also intercedes for his people on earth:
Revelation 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
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.
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 incense cast into the earth represents the outpouring of the latter rain on God's end time people to enable them to give the 'loud cry' of Revelation 18: 2- 4
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. note
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
A call to come out of Babylon is sounded throughout the world by God's servants who have received the outpouring of his Holy Spirit. The seven trumpets are sounded by God's servants during the 'Loud Cry'. The altar is also referred to in Revelation 9:
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God
During the prophetic Day of Atonement Jesus Christ our heavenly High Priest is cleansing the heavenly sanctuary. The sixth trumpet is sounded just prior to the close of probation:
Revelation 9:13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
The fifth seal is opened by Christ. It is his voice which instructs the sixth trumpet angel. The Day of Atonement cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary from sin and the lives of the living who plead for his mercy and salvation is soon to be completed.
The cry from the souls under the altar takes place during the mayhem and destruction of the sixth trumpet war:
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
One third of those living on the earth at the time of the sixth trumpet are destroyed:
Revelation 9:18 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.
The sixth trumpet war is described in Daniel 11 at the time of the end :
Daniel 11:40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
When the war is over the King of the North/spiritual Babylon, Satan himself - the king of fierce countenance is incensed with those giving the loud cry:
Daniel 11:44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
This is the same action described in Revelation 11 when the beast that ascendeth from the bottomless pit (Satan) makes war on the witnesses:
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Daniel and Revelation are highlighting the same event. God's servants at the time of the end have been declaring the truth of God's word - the second coming of the real Jesus Christ is imminent - Satan is an impostor and the Sunday law he has instigated is a test for all - will you obey your creator and worship him on the seventh day of the week (Saturday) or will you bow down to the antichrist, the man of sin and worship him on the first day of the week (Sunday)? Satan instituted this replacement sabbath a long time ago within Papal traditions and it has been nurtured and grown in acceptance as THE DAY of worship for Catholics and Protestants alike. But it is not GOD'S DAY - it is SATAN'S DAY!
Revelation 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Daniel 11:45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The beast from the bottomless pit is the one world government of Revelation 13. Revelation 17 clearly identifies the same beast:
Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
The eighth king is Satan himself. The word of God states that the eighth king is of the seven. He has ruled through the previous seven powers or kings. These powers or kings were described in the prophecies of Daniel. The image Nebuchadnezzar sees in vision and described by Daniel to him defines the history of the nations before it even takes place. In Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar's pride, fueled by the spirit of Satan, creates an image of gold and commands all to worship at its feet. All who refuse to worship the image will receive a fiery death as punishment. The God of heaven reveals he is in control when he sends his son to be present and is seen walking in the fiery furnace with those Nebuchadnezzar had thrown to their death:
Daniel 3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
Satan the eighth king is of the seven. He has been ever present in the rulership and conduct of the earthly kings he has persuaded. Just like Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who he influenced to destroy God's people in Babylon Satan will himself parade and persuade the world that he is Christ and go out with fury to destroy those who will not bow the knee at his commands.
Christ described what would take place in the latter days to his disciples:
Luke 21:16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Mark 13:12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
The nuclear war of the sixth trumpet will be fought and won by the King of the North - Satan parading the world as Jesus Christ also has the allegiance of the Papacy and Protestant religions alike. The rest day Sunday has been instituted to give honour to Satan as their saviour and also act as a rest for the environment which needs to recover from the immense damage that has been perpetrated on the world by mankind.
But there is a group of people who are against him. They are those that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12) They are sounding the loud cry of Revelation 18:2 repeating with great impact that Babylon has fallen and pleading with God's people to escape her clutches before it is too late.
A special message also given at this time is the third angel's message of Revelation14:
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Satan zealously pursues and demands the worship of those who are alive at this point in time in the earth's history. For the majority of Catholics and Protestants alike this is a reasonable request and the least they can do for Jesus Christ their Saviour - but by doing so they believe the biggest lie perpetrated in the history of the world:
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
The ten commandments - the law of God have been altered. The fourth commandment has been replaced. The seventh day of the week has been set aside as the specified day of worship and now this false Christ or antichrist - Satan, confirms the changes he has wrought in the law of God; the Papacy and Protestant churches follow his lead.
Satan is angered by the opposition he receives:
God's witnesses have been giving their testimony for the allotted 1260 day period (Revelation 11: 3). This is a literal end of time period. This is the final and complete fulfillment of the Revelation 11 prophecy. At the end of their testimony Satan who is personating Christ and deceiving the world makes war upon God's witnesses.
Revelation 13:
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
If you don’t worship the image of the beast, if you don't bow the knee and worship Satan as Christ and give obeisance to him on the day he has designated - Sunday, you will receive a death sentence. The privilege of buying and selling will be stripped from those disobedient to Satan's requirements.
John' s Revelation 11 prophecy highlights the presence of two candlesticks :
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
God's last day church or witnesses are made up of two of the churches (candlesticks Revelation 1:28) previously highlighted in the earlier chapters of Revelation :
Revelation 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
The members of the last day church of Smyrna are encouraged to be faithful to the end. Some of them will be cast into prison and will have tribulation for ten days but if they are faithful unto death the second death will not hurt them rather they will inherit a crown of life.
Members of the church of Smyrna are those who Christ refers to in the fifth seal when responding to the cries of previously martyred souls under the altar.
Revelation 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Some Smyrna church members will be martyred for refusing to comply with Satan's image of the beast edict:
Revelation 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Sunday has been declared the day of worship for all. The Papacy has again risen to power (recovered from its deadly wound -1798) and the Pope is esteemed by Satan himself as his earthly representative. All people alive at the end time have had the opportunity to rest on Sunday - the day of Satan's choosing - and recognise that Satan himself is God - by worshipping him on his select day - Sunday - the first day of the week. Those protesting against the majority loudly cry that this 'Sunday' law is not the sabbath instituted in Eden. They also reject Satan's efforts to emulate Christ. Satan is titled the ultimate antichrist and labelled so by God's true servants at the peril of their lives.
Satan is furious - he ensures a death decree is ratified by the ten kings and their courts of justice.
But while they are murmuring and complaining and falsely accusing, and doing Satan's work most zealously, another class is brought to our notice: “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” TSA 52.1
This subject is urging itself upon my mind. I want you to consider it, for it is a matter of vast importance. With which of these two classes shall we identify our interest? We are now making our choice, and we shall soon discern between him that serveth God, and him that serveth Him not. Read the fourth chapter of Malachi, and think about it seriously. The day of God is right upon us. The world has converted the church. Both are in harmony, and are acting on a short-sighted policy. Protestants will work upon the rulers of the land to make laws to restore the lost ascendancy of the man of sin, who sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. The Roman Catholic principles will be taken under the care and protection of the state.
This national apostasy will speedily be followed by national ruin. The protest of Bible truth will be no longer tolerated by those who have not made the law of God their rule of action. Then will the voice be heard from the graves of martyrs, represented by the souls which John saw slain for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ which they held; then the prayer will ascend from every true child of God, “It is time for thee, Lord, to work, for they have made void thy law.” TSA 52.2
Revelation 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Between the end of the sixth trumpet and the sounding of the seventh, right on the border of the close of probation Satan makes a public statement to the world by taking the lives of those already imprisoned - those belonging to the church of Smyrna.
Revelation 20 confirms this fact:
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The word of God reveals that those who lose their lives at the time of the mark of the beast and refuse to worship him will participate in the judgment of those who are destroyed at the second coming and those who are not resurrected. It identifies how they die - they are beheaded.
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
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.
When the Smyrna church prisoners are beheaded for their faith it will be time for Christ to avenge their blood on those that dwell on the earth.
Strong's Definition: From G1558; to vindicate, retaliate, punish: - a (re-) venge.
When the seventh trumpet sounds Revelation 11 outlines the avenging that is about to begin:
18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
The nations anger was unleashed in the nuclear war of the sixth trumpet and is still festering and what is really important to notice is that 'thy wrath has come'. At this point in time the investigative judgment of Christ has ceased and he opens the sixth seal - the seal which reveals the final climactic events taking place on earth and God's wrath towards those who have rejected his free gift of righteousness..
When the defiance of God's law is almost universal, when his people are pressed in affliction by their fellow men, God will interpose. Then will the voice be heard from the graves of martyrs, represented by the souls that John saw slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ, which they held,—then the prayer will ascend from every true child of God: “It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law.” The fervent prayers of his people will be answered; for God loves to have his people seek him with all the heart, and depend upon him as their deliverer. He will be sought unto to do these things for his people, and he will arise as their protector and avenger. “Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him? RH December 21, 1897, par. 16
The other church that is identified as constituting one of the two witnesses of Revelation 11 is Philadelphia :
Revelation 12:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Phildelphia are God's faithful servants to the very end. Characteristics highlighted in the words of Christ include:
* they have kept his word
* they have not denied the Father or his son Jesus Christ
* will be worshipped by the synagogue of Satan
* kept the word of Christ's patience
* will be kept from the hour of temptation
Just before us is the “hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” [Revelation 3:10.] All whose faith is not firmly established upon the Word of God will be deceived and overcome. Satan works with all deceivableness of unrighteousness to gain control of the children of men; and his deceptions will continually increase. But he can gain his object only as men voluntarily yield to his temptations. Those who are earnestly seeking a knowledge of the truth, and are striving to purify their souls through obedience, thus doing what they can to prepare for the conflict, will find, in the God of truth, a sure defense. “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee,” [Revelation 3:10.] is the Saviour's promise. He would sooner send every angel out of Heaven to protect his people, than leave one soul that trusts in him to be overcome by Satan. GC88 560.2
Philadelphia is kept from the hour of temptation. They recognise Satan for who he really is - an impostor. They do not hesitate to declare the truth. They have the faith of Jesus and keep the commandments of God.
Psalms 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
Psalms 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
Members of the Philadelphian church are protected by God - they trust him implicitly and are courageous in the face of adversity. He will save them as he has promised even in the most trying circumstances.
The members of the Philadelphian church in the time of the seventh trumpet and sixth seal will escape from the abomination of desolation
Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
Witnesses to prophecy becoming world history, God's last day servants, are protected by their almighty God and their saviour Jesus Christ, even in the midst of the seven vials being poured out upon the ungodly.
Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
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?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
The fifth seal events have taken place. The fellow servants of the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and their testimony have also been slain. The time of trouble such as never was, the day of the wrath of God has finally come. The sixth seal will be opened and God will avenge the blood of his faithful servants.
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?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
The fifth seal reveals under the altar in the heavenly sanctuary, the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and their testimony. We know that the altar is where Jesus, during the Day of Atonement service collects incense and also intercedes for his people on earth:
Revelation 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
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.
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 incense cast into the earth represents the outpouring of the latter rain on God's end time people to enable them to give the 'loud cry' of Revelation 18: 2- 4
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. note
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
A call to come out of Babylon is sounded throughout the world by God's servants who have received the outpouring of his Holy Spirit. The seven trumpets are sounded by God's servants during the 'Loud Cry'. The altar is also referred to in Revelation 9:
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God
During the prophetic Day of Atonement Jesus Christ our heavenly High Priest is cleansing the heavenly sanctuary. The sixth trumpet is sounded just prior to the close of probation:
Revelation 9:13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
The fifth seal is opened by Christ. It is his voice which instructs the sixth trumpet angel. The Day of Atonement cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary from sin and the lives of the living who plead for his mercy and salvation is soon to be completed.
The cry from the souls under the altar takes place during the mayhem and destruction of the sixth trumpet war:
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
One third of those living on the earth at the time of the sixth trumpet are destroyed:
Revelation 9:18 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.
The sixth trumpet war is described in Daniel 11 at the time of the end :
Daniel 11:40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.
When the war is over the King of the North/spiritual Babylon, Satan himself - the king of fierce countenance is incensed with those giving the loud cry:
Daniel 11:44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many.
This is the same action described in Revelation 11 when the beast that ascendeth from the bottomless pit (Satan) makes war on the witnesses:
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Daniel and Revelation are highlighting the same event. God's servants at the time of the end have been declaring the truth of God's word - the second coming of the real Jesus Christ is imminent - Satan is an impostor and the Sunday law he has instigated is a test for all - will you obey your creator and worship him on the seventh day of the week (Saturday) or will you bow down to the antichrist, the man of sin and worship him on the first day of the week (Sunday)? Satan instituted this replacement sabbath a long time ago within Papal traditions and it has been nurtured and grown in acceptance as THE DAY of worship for Catholics and Protestants alike. But it is not GOD'S DAY - it is SATAN'S DAY!
Revelation 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?
Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Daniel 11:45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.
The beast from the bottomless pit is the one world government of Revelation 13. Revelation 17 clearly identifies the same beast:
Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
The eighth king is Satan himself. The word of God states that the eighth king is of the seven. He has ruled through the previous seven powers or kings. These powers or kings were described in the prophecies of Daniel. The image Nebuchadnezzar sees in vision and described by Daniel to him defines the history of the nations before it even takes place. In Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar's pride, fueled by the spirit of Satan, creates an image of gold and commands all to worship at its feet. All who refuse to worship the image will receive a fiery death as punishment. The God of heaven reveals he is in control when he sends his son to be present and is seen walking in the fiery furnace with those Nebuchadnezzar had thrown to their death:
Daniel 3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
Satan the eighth king is of the seven. He has been ever present in the rulership and conduct of the earthly kings he has persuaded. Just like Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon who he influenced to destroy God's people in Babylon Satan will himself parade and persuade the world that he is Christ and go out with fury to destroy those who will not bow the knee at his commands.
Christ described what would take place in the latter days to his disciples:
Luke 21:16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
19 In your patience possess ye your souls.
Mark 13:12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.
13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
The nuclear war of the sixth trumpet will be fought and won by the King of the North - Satan parading the world as Jesus Christ also has the allegiance of the Papacy and Protestant religions alike. The rest day Sunday has been instituted to give honour to Satan as their saviour and also act as a rest for the environment which needs to recover from the immense damage that has been perpetrated on the world by mankind.
But there is a group of people who are against him. They are those that keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12) They are sounding the loud cry of Revelation 18:2 repeating with great impact that Babylon has fallen and pleading with God's people to escape her clutches before it is too late.
A special message also given at this time is the third angel's message of Revelation14:
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Satan zealously pursues and demands the worship of those who are alive at this point in time in the earth's history. For the majority of Catholics and Protestants alike this is a reasonable request and the least they can do for Jesus Christ their Saviour - but by doing so they believe the biggest lie perpetrated in the history of the world:
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
The ten commandments - the law of God have been altered. The fourth commandment has been replaced. The seventh day of the week has been set aside as the specified day of worship and now this false Christ or antichrist - Satan, confirms the changes he has wrought in the law of God; the Papacy and Protestant churches follow his lead.
Satan is angered by the opposition he receives:
God's witnesses have been giving their testimony for the allotted 1260 day period (Revelation 11: 3). This is a literal end of time period. This is the final and complete fulfillment of the Revelation 11 prophecy. At the end of their testimony Satan who is personating Christ and deceiving the world makes war upon God's witnesses.
Revelation 13:
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
If you don’t worship the image of the beast, if you don't bow the knee and worship Satan as Christ and give obeisance to him on the day he has designated - Sunday, you will receive a death sentence. The privilege of buying and selling will be stripped from those disobedient to Satan's requirements.
John' s Revelation 11 prophecy highlights the presence of two candlesticks :
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
God's last day church or witnesses are made up of two of the churches (candlesticks Revelation 1:28) previously highlighted in the earlier chapters of Revelation :
Revelation 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
The members of the last day church of Smyrna are encouraged to be faithful to the end. Some of them will be cast into prison and will have tribulation for ten days but if they are faithful unto death the second death will not hurt them rather they will inherit a crown of life.
Members of the church of Smyrna are those who Christ refers to in the fifth seal when responding to the cries of previously martyred souls under the altar.
Revelation 6:11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Some Smyrna church members will be martyred for refusing to comply with Satan's image of the beast edict:
Revelation 13:15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Sunday has been declared the day of worship for all. The Papacy has again risen to power (recovered from its deadly wound -1798) and the Pope is esteemed by Satan himself as his earthly representative. All people alive at the end time have had the opportunity to rest on Sunday - the day of Satan's choosing - and recognise that Satan himself is God - by worshipping him on his select day - Sunday - the first day of the week. Those protesting against the majority loudly cry that this 'Sunday' law is not the sabbath instituted in Eden. They also reject Satan's efforts to emulate Christ. Satan is titled the ultimate antichrist and labelled so by God's true servants at the peril of their lives.
Satan is furious - he ensures a death decree is ratified by the ten kings and their courts of justice.
But while they are murmuring and complaining and falsely accusing, and doing Satan's work most zealously, another class is brought to our notice: “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” TSA 52.1
This subject is urging itself upon my mind. I want you to consider it, for it is a matter of vast importance. With which of these two classes shall we identify our interest? We are now making our choice, and we shall soon discern between him that serveth God, and him that serveth Him not. Read the fourth chapter of Malachi, and think about it seriously. The day of God is right upon us. The world has converted the church. Both are in harmony, and are acting on a short-sighted policy. Protestants will work upon the rulers of the land to make laws to restore the lost ascendancy of the man of sin, who sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. The Roman Catholic principles will be taken under the care and protection of the state.
This national apostasy will speedily be followed by national ruin. The protest of Bible truth will be no longer tolerated by those who have not made the law of God their rule of action. Then will the voice be heard from the graves of martyrs, represented by the souls which John saw slain for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ which they held; then the prayer will ascend from every true child of God, “It is time for thee, Lord, to work, for they have made void thy law.” TSA 52.2
Revelation 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Between the end of the sixth trumpet and the sounding of the seventh, right on the border of the close of probation Satan makes a public statement to the world by taking the lives of those already imprisoned - those belonging to the church of Smyrna.
Revelation 20 confirms this fact:
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The word of God reveals that those who lose their lives at the time of the mark of the beast and refuse to worship him will participate in the judgment of those who are destroyed at the second coming and those who are not resurrected. It identifies how they die - they are beheaded.
Revelation 6:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
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.
When the Smyrna church prisoners are beheaded for their faith it will be time for Christ to avenge their blood on those that dwell on the earth.
Strong's Definition: From G1558; to vindicate, retaliate, punish: - a (re-) venge.
When the seventh trumpet sounds Revelation 11 outlines the avenging that is about to begin:
18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
The nations anger was unleashed in the nuclear war of the sixth trumpet and is still festering and what is really important to notice is that 'thy wrath has come'. At this point in time the investigative judgment of Christ has ceased and he opens the sixth seal - the seal which reveals the final climactic events taking place on earth and God's wrath towards those who have rejected his free gift of righteousness..
When the defiance of God's law is almost universal, when his people are pressed in affliction by their fellow men, God will interpose. Then will the voice be heard from the graves of martyrs, represented by the souls that John saw slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ, which they held,—then the prayer will ascend from every true child of God: “It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law.” The fervent prayers of his people will be answered; for God loves to have his people seek him with all the heart, and depend upon him as their deliverer. He will be sought unto to do these things for his people, and he will arise as their protector and avenger. “Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him? RH December 21, 1897, par. 16
The other church that is identified as constituting one of the two witnesses of Revelation 11 is Philadelphia :
Revelation 12:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Phildelphia are God's faithful servants to the very end. Characteristics highlighted in the words of Christ include:
* they have kept his word
* they have not denied the Father or his son Jesus Christ
* will be worshipped by the synagogue of Satan
* kept the word of Christ's patience
* will be kept from the hour of temptation
Just before us is the “hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” [Revelation 3:10.] All whose faith is not firmly established upon the Word of God will be deceived and overcome. Satan works with all deceivableness of unrighteousness to gain control of the children of men; and his deceptions will continually increase. But he can gain his object only as men voluntarily yield to his temptations. Those who are earnestly seeking a knowledge of the truth, and are striving to purify their souls through obedience, thus doing what they can to prepare for the conflict, will find, in the God of truth, a sure defense. “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee,” [Revelation 3:10.] is the Saviour's promise. He would sooner send every angel out of Heaven to protect his people, than leave one soul that trusts in him to be overcome by Satan. GC88 560.2
Philadelphia is kept from the hour of temptation. They recognise Satan for who he really is - an impostor. They do not hesitate to declare the truth. They have the faith of Jesus and keep the commandments of God.
Psalms 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
Psalms 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
Members of the Philadelphian church are protected by God - they trust him implicitly and are courageous in the face of adversity. He will save them as he has promised even in the most trying circumstances.
The members of the Philadelphian church in the time of the seventh trumpet and sixth seal will escape from the abomination of desolation
Jeremiah 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
Witnesses to prophecy becoming world history, God's last day servants, are protected by their almighty God and their saviour Jesus Christ, even in the midst of the seven vials being poured out upon the ungodly.
Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
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?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
The fifth seal events have taken place. The fellow servants of the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and their testimony have also been slain. The time of trouble such as never was, the day of the wrath of God has finally come. The sixth seal will be opened and God will avenge the blood of his faithful servants.
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