blog.Tribulationperiod.com

September 24, 2018

We have come a long way in this series. Now we come to an area of great controversy in interpretation. The great controversy revolves around the answer to the question: Who or what is the beast that ascends out of what is said to be a “bottomless pit.”

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.

The “bottomless pit” is in the heart of the planet earth. Most geometric objects have a bottom. Among objects having a bottom would be the square, the rectangle, the triangle, the prism, the cube, the cylinder, the hexagon, and many others. But the earth is shaped like none of these, it is an oblate spheroid, and has no bottom. If one started digging a bottom would never be found. And, if it were possible dig through it, a person would surface on the opposite side, never having found a bottom. The earth has a center, but is bottomless. The Koine Greek word translated as “bottomless pit” is “abussou,” from which our English word “abyss” is derived. The reason they translated it as “bottomless pit” in the KJV was in harmony with its use in other places in Revelation as a companion to the Koine Greek word “phreatos,” which in the English means “shaft.” One such usage occurs in Revelation 9:1, where the phrase “the bottomless pit” is translated from “phreatos tes abussou.” Phreatos means “shaft,” tes is “of the,” and abussou means “abyss” or “pit.” Sinply stated: “The shaft of the abyss.”

Revelation 9:1
And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

Please note that the word “earth” appears in this verse. It is translated from “gen,” which means “earth.” I am telling you this because some believe that “the beast” of Revelation 11:7 is the false prophet, the second beast of Revelation 13:11, who comes up out of the “earth.” They say “the earth” in 13:11 is the same as “the abyss” found in 11:7. It does not seem reasonable that John would use “bottomless pit” (abyss), really meaning “the earth, since he had used the words separately when referring to the false prophet of 13:11 and the Antichrist of 11:7.

Revelation 13:11
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

The bottomless pit is filled with demonic spirits, fallen angels, with a king over them named “Destroyer” in both Hebrew and Greek. He is over the weapons of Satan’s destruction of the earth and mankind, those weapons being the demonic spirits of the tormenting locusts in Revelation 9:3-11, and the killing spirits of the army of demons in Revelation 9:13-19. He is the Destroyer king of Satan that unleashes the three woes of his destruction upon the earth in the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpets, which contain the three woes.

Revelation 9:11,12
And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. [12] One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

After the blowing of the seventh trumpet, the saved of all the ages are found being judged in heaven, while on the earth God’s wrath is about to come upon the demonic hoards that that have been engaged in destroying the earth under the demon king “Destroyer.”

Revelation 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 11:18
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.

Please note: “AND SHOULDEST DESTROY THEM WHICH DESTROY THE EARTH.”

It is the wrath of God (“thy wrath”) that destroys the Destroyer’s armies with seven vials of wrath.

September 17, 2018

The abilities of the two witnesses, to carry out the work they have been given the authority to accomplish by the testimony of God, is outlined in Revelation 11:5,6. Please bear in mind that these abilities, according to the Greek text, does not necessarily infer that they will use them. It simply states they have the abilities and authority to use them, if they so desire. The President of the U.S. has the authority and ability to unleash atomic weapons, but he may never choose to do so. It is the fact that he has both the authority, and the ability, to do so, which has kept our enemies from launching them against us.

Revelation 11:5
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Kenneth Wuest’s translation of this verse gives the best understanding of it I have yet encountered.

Revelation 11:5
And if, as is the case, anyone desires to injure them, fire proceeds out of their mouth and indeed consumes their enemies. And if, as is the case, anyone shall desire to injure them, it is a necessity that in this manner, in the nature of the case, for him to be killed.

The “fire” coming out of their mouth, used as a figure in the Old Testament as “fire” coming out from the lips of a prophet, does not mean literal fire will flow from their lips like a circus flamethrower. I believe this “fire” used in Revelation 12:5 is of the same character as the “fire” from the mouth of Jeremiah the prophet.

It refers to the word of God from their mouths foretelling what terrible fire is to come down upon the enemies of Israel.

Jeremiah 5:14
Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Jeremiah 23:28,29
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord. [29] Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

I rather suspect the two witnesses, as prophets located in the Negev with Israel, will be warning their enemies that if they launch weapons of fiery mass destruction again Israel, they will do the same to them. The brimstone and fire that comes down so often from heaven, following the sixth seal, is an unleashing of natural phenomena by God from His creation, and this is the 1260 day period of the testimony of the two witnesses before Armageddon. The two witnesses will, at times, ask God to produce volcanic eruptions in specific areas in response to the actions of Israel’s enemies.

Revelation 11:6
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

James 5:17-18
Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. [18] And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

September 10, 2018

In Parts 1 through 7 an attempt to build a case has been made to show that: (1) The Two Witnesses represent the prophet Elijah and the law giver Moses, (2) They are figuratively representative of the O.T. Assembly of Israel and the local N.T. Assemblies (Churches) of this present age, (3) They are real flesh and blood men, (4) The N.T. Churches are linked to Elijah through John the Baptist, who preached in the spirit of Elijah, and the Assembly of Israel is linked to Moses, who gave them the Law, the first five books of the Old Testament, and (5) John was the Elijah only to those who believed his message that the Messiah had arrived, and the kingdom was at hand. A case has been made to show that one of the two witnesses will preach in the spirit of Elijah, with the same message of repentance that John preached to Israel, a message of repentance. Sackcloth, the garment of repentance, will be the dress of both witnesses.

Revelation 11:3
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

I believe the man preaching in the spirit of Elijah will go into the Negev wilderness with the one-third of Israel that survives the future attack from the north, and that most of them will eventually believe his testimony, and he will become their Elijah.

Malachi 4:5
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

When the religious leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask John if he was Elijah, he answered the question directly, saying, “I am not?” He did not lie, for they did not believe his message concerning the Messiah. He was the Elijah only to those who received his message by believing it. Jesus made this spiritual distinction clear in Luke 11:13-15. Only men and women who received John’s message possessed spiritual ears.

Matthew 11:13-15
For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. [14] And IF ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. [15] He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Since all Israel is still in unbelief, a second Elijah will be sent to them during the last 1260 days before the final battle of Armageddon.

Romans 11:32
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

II Corinthians 3:15-17
But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. [16] Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. [17] Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Immediately after the transformation, where Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, in answer to a query based on what the unbelieving scribes had stated concerning the coming of Elijah, indicated that their Elijah would eventually come and “restore all things.” John did not “restore all things” during his ministry, so Jesus must be referring to the Messiah of unbelieving Israel, who is yet to come.

Matthew 17:10,11
And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? [11] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.

The restoring, or restitution, of all things will not come to pass until the Second Advent of Jesus, which is still in our future, and will be the times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord among Israel. At the present time the Messiah of Israel has been received up into heaven until the times of restitution of all things occurs, which will being in the times of refreshing. Most of Israel will turn to the Lord in the Negev wilderness, and their sins will be blotted out. I believe the message to be preached by the two witnesses is found in Acts 3:17-21.

Acts 3:17-21
And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. [18] But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. [19] Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; [20] And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: [21] Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

September 4, 2018

It has been established in Parts 1 through 6 that John came and preached in the spirit of Elijah, and was the Elijah for any who believed his message. It was proven that John was the messenger sent to announce the Seed who was the messenger of the covenant, Jesus Christ. It was shown that John and Jesus both preached for Israel to repent, because the kingdom was at hand. But Israel as a nation rejected the message of John and of Jesus. It was clearly stated that if they did not heed their message, the land of Israel would be smitten by a curse. They did not heed it, and the Lord smote the land with a curse. It was a warning that Jesus taught in a parable picturing Israel as a fig tree.

Malachi 4:5,6
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: [6] And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a CURSE.

The word used for “earth” is “erets,” which in most cases is translated as “land.” Israel would not repent and turn to the Messiah, so the land was cursed and they were plucked up out of it.

Luke 13:5-9
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. [6] He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. [7] Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? [8] And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: [9] And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

The certain man is the Father, the vineyard is the world into which Israel was supposed to spread the promise of a Messianic Seed through Abraham, the fig tree is Israel, and the dresser of the vineyard is the Messiah. Jesus was “journeying toward Jerusalem” at the time he gave this parable of the fig tree. He had labored for three years to see fruit produced by the fig tree in repentance and the receiving him as the Messiah, but had found none. He was soon to be cut off in the extra year, the fourth year, he had requested. And because of the rejection the fig tree Israel dried up under a curse, and was cut off from the land.

Mark 11:12-14
And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: [13] And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. [14] And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Mark 11:19-21
And when even was come, he went out of the city. [20] And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. [21] And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou CURSEDST is withered away.

As the Son of God, he knew there would be no figs on the tree. He used it for an example of what was going to be done to Israel because of their rejection of his message. A day passed between the time the fig tree was cursed, and the time it withered away. It was some 40 years from the time of his rejection until Israel withered away, and was carried from the land. Their temple became spiritually desolate when they rejected him, and physically desolate when Titus destroyed it and carried Israel into captivity.

Matthew 23:37-39
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! [38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. [39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Luke 21:24
And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

The leaves of Israel were still green when they crucified him, but as he spoke to the women of Jerusalem, who were weeping as they followed him to cross, he warned them that the day was coming for their children when Israel would dry up, and be carried away.

Luke 23:28-31
But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. [29] For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. [30] Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. [31] For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?