Herbert W Armstrong

   You know, when we think of a trumpet, we normally think of the musical instrument, the brass instrument that we call a trumpet in modern times, and the music that it plays. But the trumpet that is spoken of in the book of Leviticus, when it talks about the Feast of Trumpets, the day of the memorial of the blowing of trumpets, as it is termed in Leviticus 23, the word that the Bible uses in the original Hebrew is the word shofar. The shofar, the ram's horn, is a loud, piercing blast of warning and alarm.

   Now, back in Isaiah 58, we find where God commands His ministry, He says, lift up your voice like a trumpet, like a shofar, same word that is used there, lift up your voice like a shofar, cry aloud, spare not, and show my people their sin, and the house of Jacob their transgression. You know, brethren, that particular statement and that injunction there in Isaiah 58:1, is something that we have emphasized in times past and have brought out. But brethren, that particular injunction is being carried out in the church at this time in a very unique way.

   God has raised up Mr. Herbert Armstrong from the point of death a matter of months ago, and has brought him back in a special way to lift up his voice like a trumpet, and God's ministry has been enjoined by him to do that. Brethren, the trumpet blast that is being founded in the church right now is a very significant event. Now, I would like to ask the question, what is the significance of that? What is the significance of that trumpet blast being sounded in the church right now? What significance is that in relationship to the events of the end? And what will the events of the end mean to you personally? We need to see this morning, we need to analyze and understand where we stand right now in relationship to the final fulfillment of the Feast of Trumpets.

   I would like for us to focus in more specifically on the vital question of what will the sound of the trumpet mean to you personally? Now, where do we stand today? Where are we in the scope of man's history, in the scope of prophecy? What significance, as I mentioned, the events that are going on, the things that are transpiring in the church of God right now? And brethren, believe me, the things we are going through in the events that were prophesied of in the Bible, we are going through things that God said we would go through. The Apostle Paul, back in the book of II Thessalonians chapter 2, gave a very vital sign, a very vital key in something that, though we have focused on it in times past, I think it takes on deeper significance as we look at it today. The Apostle Paul, in II Thessalonians 2, is talking about the return of Jesus Christ.

   In verse 3 of II Thessalonians 2 (II Thessalonians 2:3), he says, "...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, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he, as God, sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Remember you not that when I was with you I told you these things? And now you know that which holds back, or that which is holding back, that he might be revealed in his time.

   For the mystery of iniquity does already work," Paul said, "...only he who now hinders will hinder until he comes up out of the midst." Now, I'm paraphrasing here because the King James translation is a little bit ambiguous and hard to understand. You can check it up in the Revised Standard or in the Amplified Bible, and it will bring it out a little clearer. "...and then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.

   Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders." Now, brethren, there is a key here. In verse 3 we're told, "...that day shall not come except one event happens first, followed, followed right on its heels by another event, the event that is going to happen first, except there come a falling away first." Now, we understand that, but the Revised Standard version brings that out a little more plainly, and I think when you read it in the Revised Standard you understand a little more clearly. "...that day shall not come unless the rebellion comes first." Now, that's the way the Revised Standard version translates it, and that is a proper translation, and I think it really brings it out in a clear sense.

   "...that day shall not come except the rebellion come first." Now, what rebellion is he talking about? What falling away is he talking about? A falling away from the pagans? A falling away from the Baptists or the Catholics? Well, brethren, when you're already at the bottom, you can't fall away from that. Where are you going to fall? You know, when you're at the bottom of the well, are you going to fall? No, you can't fall unless you're up and you fall down. You can only fall away from the truth.

   Now, there were events that were happening that prefigured, and we need to understand prophecy is dual, and the events that went through, the events that transpired and that happened in the first century, the time of the Apostle Paul, the Apostle Peter, the time of the Apostle John and Jude and James and all the rest, the events that they went through, the events that they lived through, brethren, those things typified and prefigured events that are happening in our time. When you go back to Matthew 24, they came asking Christ the question, what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? So, obviously, Christ answers in Matthew 24 primarily focused on the events of the end time. Christ went through and he gave them certain signs.

   And when you go through and you study it in history and you go through and read Josephus' account of the fall of Jerusalem, you will find that the events that prefigured the end time, the events that followed very much the pattern of Matthew 24. There was a pattern set down back in the first century that culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem which foreshadowed the great tribulation. And you read Josephus' account of the destruction of Jerusalem, the siege of Jerusalem, and you'll understand what I mean.

   He was there, he was a Jewish general, he gives a first-person account of it. But the point is that there is a duality there. And what Christ said had a significance to that time, that day, though its primary significance was for us today.

   But we're able to understand more fully and more completely the significance for us today when we understand some of the forte, some of the patterns. Now, Paul talked about in verse 7 that the mystery of iniquity is already working. Simon Magus had already started, he was the one who headed up the mystery of iniquity, the mystery religion which works lawlessness.

   The mystery religion which works lawlessness. Go back to Revelation 17 and you find mystery Babylon the Great. Simon Magus began a conspiracy that has culminated in the Catholic Church and in the succession of popes who trace back to Simon Magus, not Simon Peter, but Simon Magus, as the first pope.

   The Catholics were very correct when they give 33 A.D. as the date of their founding as a church. They're correct in that. The Church of God predates them by two years.

   We were founded in 31 A.D. Simon Magus was dunked two years later. Read it in Acts chapter 8. So, the mystery of iniquity was already working. Now, if that's all that Paul had reference to, then he wasn't giving any kind of, when he said, that day shall not come except there come a first and the man of sin be revealed, he obviously was talking about something that was transpiring.

   Now, the man of sin, the successor, the head of this mystery religion, there are two events that are referred to here. There are two events that are referred to here. One has reference to the Church of God, one has references to a group that came out from us because they were not of us, that had their beginnings with Simon Magus, and is culminated right now and will eventually culminate in the final successor of Simon Magus, who will be the final false prophet, who is a successor to Simon Magus, is a successor to Nimrod, when you understand it and trace down the pattern.

   But there were events that Paul was referring to. Now, the mystery of iniquity was already working, and it has continued to work down through the years, but it finally culminates. Something has been holding it back.

   Finally, that which hinders doesn't hinder any longer, and he, you know, that final false prophet, that final pope, will arise up out of the mix. But the event that happens first, and obviously, even though it had happened in 4th time in Paul's day, and he makes reference that the mystery of iniquity was already working, obviously this was not the event that he had primary reference to because he gives it up in verse 3 as a sign to know that we're right at the end. And what he says is, "...that day shall not come except the rebellion comes first." Brethren, the rebellion has come.

   The rebellion has come. That tells us that we are in a very significant time, and very possible that final false prophet has already arisen up out of the mix. Now, he has not been fully revealed as such in the sense of working lying wonders and miracles, but that is going to come.

   Now, you know, it's possible that the one who is in that office right now is not the final one, but I think it's very likely that he is. If he's not, he's not going to be there very long. We're given here a time.

   You know, there are many places that go through. There are many things prophecy focuses in on. Prophecy focuses in on the events transpiring in the Catholic Church.

   Prophecy focuses in on the events transpiring inside Europe and the revival of the Holy Roman Empire. Prophecy focuses in on the United States and the British Commonwealth nations, the moral and resultant economic decay and internal collapse that is coming on our nation. Prophecy focuses in on the Middle East and the events that are going to transpire there.

   But brethren, prophecy also focuses in on the Church of God and events that are transpiring inside the Church of God and that are going to transpire. Now, there are a lot of people in the world who look at the Middle East or Europe or even the internal problems of our nation, the impending economic collapse, even in events transpiring in the Catholic Church. There are individuals looking at various of these things, but they don't realize the significance of what they see and the significance of the fact that the pieces are finally all about to come together.

   The reason they don't, the reason that day is going to overtake them as a thief in the night, because Paul said in I Thessalonians 5 that the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, not as a thief in the night on us if we're awake and alert and watching. It'll come as a thief in the night on the Laodicean church, though. It'll come as a thief in the night on some of God's people who are asleep and are going to have to go through the tribulation to get awake.

   It's going to come as a thief in the night on the world. The reason it's going to come as a thief in the night on them is because there's one thing that sets the stage for everything else, and they don't see it, because it takes spiritual fight in order to see it, and that is that day shall not come unless the rebellion comes first. Now, let's go on just very briefly and notice back in the book of Revelation chapter 10 and kind of set the stage as to where we are in prophecy right now as we proceed on out the events that are going to transpire in the months and years immediately ahead of us.

   We're not talking today, brethren, about events that are going to transpire 20 and 30 and 40 and 50 years from now. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24, this generation shall not pass until all these things be fulfilled. And brethren, we have already seen the beginning of the fulfillment of many of these things.

   One of the events that he had particular reference to was the fact that this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness. That began to be done back in 1934 when God raised up the World Tomorrow broadcast. Brethren, the culmination of the events of the 20th century is going to culminate in the lifespan of one generation.

   There will be those who've seen the beginning that will see the end. It will culminate in the lifespan of one generation, not two or three or four. This is a one generation church era in that sense, not that, you know, maybe there are not those various ages in it.

   But in terms of the lifespan, we're talking about events that are the events of one generation. So let's notice again where we are. Let's notice back in Revelation 10:6, talking about this angel who swore by him that lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that therein are, and the sea and the things that are therein, that there should be time no longer.

   Now, if you'll check a better translation of that, that there should be no further delay. The time set, Revelation 10, is an inset. It is not following the time sequence of the rest of the book.

   Revelation chapter 10 is an inset. 11 is an inset. 12 is an inset. 13 is an inset. In terms of 14 is to a great degree an inset. Though there, you know, it goes back and it picks up events and brings you down.

   It brings you down in terms of what's happening in the church, what's happening in the Roman Empire, the false church. It goes back and picks up some loose ends and kind of brings it back down to catch the story up. So, what John sees here is the angel saying, there will be no further delay.

   The time has come for the events to begin to culminate. We saw back in I Thessalonians the sign of that, that day shall not come unless the rebellion comes first. That's number one.

   All right, the time has come that there should be no further delay. Going on speaking as a prophetic statement of the future, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, you know, looking on forward till that time, the mystery of God should be finished as he's declared to his servants the prophet. In other words, the time has come.

   There's not going to be any further delay. We're getting ready to move very rapidly toward that final trumpet. And the voice which I heard from heaven spoken to me and said, go take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which sits upon the sea and upon the earth.

   And I went unto the angel and said unto him, give me the little book. And he said, take it, eat it up. It'll make your belly bitter, but it'll be in your mouth sweet as honey.

   I took the little book and ate it. It was in my mouth sweet as honey as soon as I'd eaten it. My belly was bitter.

   Now what does that mean? Well, the little book is the message of prophecy. Well, that's the way prophecy is. Prophecy is kind of like the icing on the cake.

   You know, you always, oh, you know, terminal prophecy, like prophecy, articles on prophecy. Prophecy always is kind of titillating. It's interesting.

   It's exciting. It's the icing on the cake. It's nice when you're sitting in a comfortable room reading about it.

   You know, sweet to the mouth, but it's bitter. It's bitter as gall to the belly. When you really comprehend and understand what you're reading and you understand the impact of this message, brethren, it's bitter.

   It hurts. It makes you want to go throw up because you realize we're talking about human beings, human lives. We're talking about what is literally going to come to pass on this nation and this world.

   So that's why it's bitter. It's bitter to the belly. It's bitter when you really get the full impact of it.

   You know, it's nice. It's exciting. It's titillating when you first taste of it.

   Now, what is the significance of that? As we go on, he was told to take the message. In verse 11 (Revelation 10:11), he said unto me, You must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. Going right on, And there was given me a reed like a rod, and the angels stood saying, Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

   Mr. Armstrong has gone through these verses in co-worker letters and member letters of recent months. The message came, You have to go and prophesy again. Now, you can't prophesy again unless you've been prophesying and something stopped it, and then you're told to go again.

   This message, this verse, verse 10, could not, the time setting of that had to be after the heart failure that Mr. Armstrong experienced back quite a number of months ago, because prior to that time, he was continually going to prophesy before nations, and kings, and rumors, and people. He was continually doing that. He wasn't doing, he was just, you know, that was his regular course.

   Then it came to a halt. Then we come to the time setting, again pick up that time setting, and the time setting was, You've got to go again. You've got to go at it again now.

   He was also told to take up the rod and to measure the temple of God. You can tie that in. I won't bog down in some of the details.

   You can go back to Zachariah, and you see that the hand of, that the plummet was to be in the hand of the rubbable once again. Measure, you know, measure how straight it's going in the construction of the temple. All right, what are we in? We're in that period of time right now, brethren.

   The rebellion has taken place. Mr. Armstrong has once again started to go again before nations, and kings, and people to the temple. And he's explained and brought out in letters.

   It's been preached before, and it's been preached for a long period of time. I see some of those here from Victoria where I was prior to coming up here, and I know that you've heard some of those things, and I know that you've heard these scriptures going through, and I know that the rest of you have as well. The church is the temple of God, but it's being measured.

   We're being measured right now. When I said that the trumpet was being sounded, the trumpet of alarm and of warning to the church, and what's the significance of that being sounded right now? Brethren, this is the time setting that's to be sounded in. This is the time setting right here.

   The events just prior to the culmination. So, we are in a very critical, a very vital time period. Now, let's go on.

   Let's go back to the book of Revelation, and let's go through and trace the seals of the book of Revelation through, and let's understand the events that are going to be transpiring in the months and years ahead of us. When John saw this book, it was a giant scroll, and it was sealed up, and these seals were set on it, and he had to break a seal, or the seal had to be broken, and of course, the Lamb was the one that was worthy to do that, to unseal the book, to open it up. No man is worthy to do that, or can understand it by himself, but one of the seals is broken, and it unrolls a little bit, and you read it, and it's sealed, and that seal is broken, and the whole book is divided in seven seals.

   So, the whole book comes under that. Now, in Revelation chapter 6:1, I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard as it were the noise of thunder, and one of the four living creatures said, Come and see. And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

   What's that talking about, that he saw a white horse? Well, we could go through back in Matthew 24, and find a parallel to these events, and I'm not going to go back to Matthew 24 on each one of those. Let's notice Matthew 24 very briefly. Matthew 24 is the statements of Jesus Christ in answer to the question, Tell us what shall be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? That was the question asked, and everything we read here is the answer to that question.

   Jesus Christ said, Take heed, let no man deceive you. Many shall come in my name, saying I am Christ, and shall deceive many. He goes on, and he talks about wars.

   He talks about famines and pestilence. He talks about tribulation. He talks about heavenly signs, and you can go through them, and hopefully you've done that in times past, and you can parallel the statements Jesus Christ made right here in Matthew 24 with the seals of Revelation chapter 6. The first seal, the first thing Jesus Christ concentrated on was the fact that there would arise those who would come in his name, claiming to represent him, saying that Jesus is the Christ, and yet they would deceive many.

   Now, the way you do that is what Jesus told the Pharisees back in Mark 7, Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Full well, you lay aside the commandments of God that you may hold to your own tradition. Now, here we see someone coming on a white horse.

   Now, when you go back further in the book of Revelation, you find that ultimately Jesus Christ is the one that is pictured as coming on the white horse. Back in Revelation 19:11, I saw heaven open, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he does judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns.

   He had a name written that no man knew but he himself. He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. The armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in linen, in fine linen, white and clean.

   Out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nation. He shall rule them with a rod of iron. Now, back in Revelation 19, we see Jesus Christ pictured coming on a white horse, wearing many crowns, because he is King of kings and Lord of lords.

   Now, the weapon that it shows Jesus Christ having back in Revelation 19 is a sword proceeding out of his mouth. Now, Revelation chapter 6 pictures a counterfeit, someone also coming on a white horse, claiming, saying, he's Christ, to represent Christ, but he has a different weapon. He doesn't have a sword, he has a bow.

   Now, that symbolizes the fact that he is the successor of Nimrod, the mighty hunter, because Nimrod was the original Pontifex Maximus. He was the original Pontifex Maximus of the Babylonian mystery religion. Of course, that is a title of the Pope today.

   He's sometimes even called in newspaper articles the Roman Pontiff. It's an interesting thing that that title, Pontifex Maximus, was passed down historically. It was passed down through the successors of Nimrod there in Babylon.

   It was later appropriated, it was later succeeded to by one of the generals of Alexander, who was the ruler of Pergamon, and that became the seat of the Babylonian mystery religion. Down in 133 B.C., this title had been passed right on down successively. It had come on down through Belteshazzar, who was the last king of Babylon, passed down through the conquerors.

   Finally, in 133 B.C., Attalus III, who was the king of Pergamon, died. He left a will, and in his will he left his kingdom, Pergamon, and the title of Pontifex Maximus, which he had inherited and went all the way back to the Babylonian monarchs, all the way back to Nimrod, this title of Pontifex Maximus was left to the Roman rulers in 133 B.C. So, from 133 B.C. on, Julius Caesar used the title Pontifex Maximus. From 133 B.C., the title Pontifex Maximus became attached to the ruler of Rome.

   This was used all the way down until 378 A.D., and in 378 A.D., Gratian, who was the emperor of Rome, bestowed that title of Pontifex Maximus on Pope Damascus in 378 A.D. You can actually trace it in history. The popes have used that title since 378 A.D., when it was bestowed by the emperor Gratian on Pope Damascus. Prior to that time, it was used by the rulers of Rome back to 133 B.C. Prior to that time, it was used by the kings of Pergamon.

   Prior to that time, by the kings of Babylon, all the way back to Nimrod. So, there is a direct succession in terms of the title Pontifex Maximus. So, here we have the successor of Nimrod, the mighty hunter, only he's coming on a white horse, claiming to represent Christ, going forth conquering and to conquer, false prophet, culminating in that final false prophet, in that final pope who is going to... that's the first season.

   In other words, once the events transpire in the Church of God, following on the heels of the rebellion, we'll see that final false prophet coming to light, arising up out of the mists. And when he does, that will be the first seal. The first seal will be open.

   Now, the first seal leads to the second seal. And going on in verse 3, and when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second creature say, come and see, and there went out another horse that was rammed. And power was given unto him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, that they should kill one another.

   And there was given unto him a great sword. So, here we see warfare. Warfare ultimately culminating in World War III.

   Now, let's go back in the book of Daniel and see when that's going to begin. Let's see the event that is going to represent... See, wars and rumors of wars. Christ said in Matthew 24, there'll be wars, rumors of wars, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom.

   Now, when he said nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom, he was not simply being redundant. There were two different words that were used there in the Greek. The word that is translated kingdom was the word that we normally think of as referring to a national entity.

   It's used there, and it's translated kingdom. The word that is translated nation, nation shall rise against nation, is the Greek word ethnos, which means the same word we get our word ethnic from. It means ethnic group.

   In other words, there will be not only warfare on a national level, but on an international level there will be civil strife of ethnic group against ethnic group. Now, do you have that in the world today? Of course you do. There's always been those things to a degree.

   But, these seals picture a culmination and a final culmination of these wars, the civil strife, the internal strife of race against race, ethnic group against ethnic group. And you find that around the world, whether you're talking about in southern Africa, whether you're talking about even over in Iran, where the Kurdish nationalists are fighting against the Iranian nationalists. And you've got the Arabs over there, and you've got various national groups, various ethnic groups that are fighting one another.

   But it finally culminates, and these events will culminate, in World War III. Now, let's turn back to look at Daniel chapter 11, and let's note it. Daniel 11:40, at the time of the end, so here's the second seal, 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, with many ships, and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over, and he shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown, but he shall escape out of his hand, even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

   He will stretch forth his hand also upon the countries, the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his trap. Tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him, therefore he shall go with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many, and he shall plant his tabernacles and his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain, yet he will come to his end, and none shall help him." That talks about some events here, talks about the events that are going to begin the second seal.

   The first seal is when that final false prophet arises on the scene, and is seen trying to draw things to himself, and begins to make himself manifest as the great power of God, as he will style himself, and that event is going to be followed on its heels by the second seal. It says, at the time of the year, it's going to be pushed, the king of the south against the king of the north. The king of the north will come suddenly like a whirlwind.

   Now, there are other scriptures you can go through that show the way in which the German-led United States of Europe will make an entry into the Middle East in an underhanded way, in a subtle way. There are many warnings, but if I get off into that, we won't have time to continue on. But we have here an invasion of the Middle East by Germany.

   Now, Christ, of course, spoke, when you see Jerusalem encompassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is near, back in Luke 21. Now, at the same time this event happened, notice what we learn from Hosea 5:5. The pride of Israel does testify to his faith, therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity, Judah also shall fall with them. So Israel and Judah are going to basically fall at the same time.

   Now, as we come on down in verse 7, we see that a monk shall devour them with their portions. So basically, the takeover of this nation is going to occupy a 30-day period. In terms of the crux of it.

   So the time of the invasion of the Middle East is also the approximate timing of the invasion of our nation, the beginning of World War III. Brethren, we just passed the 40th anniversary of World War II. The memories and the lessons of that event have grown rather dim in the minds of most people, particularly in the United States.

   A warning has been being sounded and is being sounded, but most are oblivious to that warning. So the events of the second seal began to come on, followed right on its heels by the events of the third and fourth seal, which come successively, and yet they're very greatly connected. Revelation chapter 6 again, verse 5 (Revelation 6:5), And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast saying, Come and see, and I beheld, and lo, a black horse.

   And he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts saying, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny, and see that you heard not the oil and the wine. You have famine here.

   You have the food staples being parceled out in only the tiniest little increments. You have rationing, food rationing, that is going to come to this nation, blessed by God to be the breadbasket of the world, and yet we've not appreciated that, not recognized it. So we have famine, and coming right on the heels of that, the fourth seal, the fourth beast said, Come and see, and I beheld a pale horse.

   And his name that sat on him was Death and Hell, Death and the Grave. The grave followed him, and the power was given unto him over the fourth part of the earth to kill with the sword, with hunger, with death, and with the beast of the earth. This refers here specifically to pestilence and to the other death, the pestilence, the disease epidemics that come right on the heels of famine, which comes right on the heels of warfare.

   This nation begins to collapse internally as foreign troops begin to occupy this nation, originally, perhaps, even invited in by a Catholic president. You know, [inaudible] maybe Kennedy. Not prophesying who’ll be the next president but think is certainly great likelihood, and I also think it's a great likelihood that if he's the next one, he'll be the last one. Again, I'm not saying that has to work out that way, but I think there are many things to indicate that some of these troops will originally even be invited into this nation.

   We're going to realize what we're in the midst of as they begin to occupy this nation, and the stoppage of transportation that takes place, and the famine, the resultant disease epidemic, and the riots begin to sweep this nation. The culmination of these four seals, brethren, of the war, the famine, the disease epidemic, are going to see the fourth part of the earth die. Brethren, that is one billion people.

   One billion people are going to die in the aftermath, because that's the population of the world today, right at four billion people, and when the fourth part of the earth dies, that's one billion people that are going to be killed in warfare, and are going to starve to death, that are going to die in rampant disease epidemics that are going to sweep this nation. God talks about, back in the book of Amos 4, Amos 4:6, that I also will give you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. He's not talking about some new kind of toothpaste, either.

   I'll give you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and a lot of bread in all your places, yet you've not returned unto me, says the Eternal. I've withheld the rain from you. When there were yet three months to the harvest, I caused it to rain upon one city, caused it not to rain upon another city.

   One piece was reigned upon, the piece whereupon it reigned not withered. Two or three cities wandered unto one city to drink water, and they were not satisfied, yet have you not returned unto me. I've smitten you with blasting and mildew when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased.

   The palmy worm devoured them, yet you've not returned unto me. I've sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt. Your young men have I slain with a sword, I've taken away your horses, have made the stink of your camps to come up into your nostrils, yet have you not returned unto me.

   I've overthrown some of you. God goes on, and He says in verse 12, Therefore thus will I do unto you, O Israel, and because I will do this unto you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel. For, lo, He that formed the mountains, and created the wind, and declared unto man what is his thought, that makes the morning darkness and treads upon the high places of the earth, the Eternal, the God of hosts is His name, and He is going to come down unto this earth.

   And He says, O Israel, prepare to meet your God, because we've not listened, and the upset weather conditions have already hit this nation. It rains one place and floods another place, the crops wither. But brethren, we haven't seen anything yet.

   We haven't seen anything yet when these events begin to culminate in the third and the fourth seal. It begins to take place, leading right on in to the fifth seal that records here in Revelation chapter 6, and when He had opened, verse 9 (Revelation 6:9), 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. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 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 fellow servants also, and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." Now, we see here this fifth seal, which is the seal of the great tribulation.

   And John saw figuratively under the altar the slain, those who were the markers of God down through the centuries, and it talks about how they cried out. You know, some like to say, Oh, this proves we're all going to heaven. Well, if it proves we're all going to heaven, it proves that everybody's going to be crammed down under the altar when they get there.

   You know, if you're going to take it that way, that's where in heaven they're going to be if they're going to be there. They're all going to be crammed under the altar. Well, that's not, of course, the case.

   You go back and you look at the sacrificial altars, and what was under there was the blood. The blood ran down. Now, if you go back to Genesis, to the first martyr, which was righteous Abel, what did God tell Cain? He said, Cain, your brother's blood cries out unto me from the ground.

   They didn't mean Abel's voice. Abel's blood literally had a voice and said, Hey, when are you going to do something? He meant that the very presence of Abel's blood in a pool there on the ground, that its very presence demanded that a righteous God take action, that it cried out by its presence there. And if the blood of righteous Abel cried out for vengeance, how much more does the blood of all the righteous men of God down through the centuries and the millennia collectively cry out for a righteous God to take vengeance? And God says, well, it's going to be a little while yet.

   You'll have to rest. You'll have to remain in your grave. You'll have to stay there asleep in death for a little while longer until final tribulations come on until the final martyrdom has taken place, and then God will intervene. God will, at the end of that fifth seal, begin His intervention. Now, notice back in Matthew 24, the parallel to this, Matthew 24:8, All these are the beginning of sorrows.

   Then shall they deliver you to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. Coming on down a little bit further, going down to verse 21, For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be, ever shall be again.

   And except those days should be shortened, there would no flesh be saved alive, but for the elect saints those days shall be shortened. As you go back to Jeremiah chapter 30, we find from Matthew's account and from the book of Revelation that it is a time of persecution on the church. And if you want to know which era of the church, you go back to Revelation 12, and you find the last two eras are differentiated.

   The Philadelphia church is taken to a place in the wilderness, a place to be protected, and that then the serpent goes to make war with the remnant, those that are left behind. You know, what's a remnant? Fabric stores have remnant sales. What is a remnant? Well, it's that which is left behind.

   It's the last of it, it's that which is left behind. Alright the remnant of her seed are those that are left behind. So it's persecution on the Laodicean church, but Jeremiah 30:7 also brings out someone else that persecuted.

   Alas, for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is even the time of Jacob's struggle, but he shall be saved out of it. Now, in Jeremiah 30 verse 7, it says, the day is great, so that none is like it.

   Now, in Matthew 24, it says, verse 21 (Matthew 24:21), there will be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world at this time, nor ever shall be. So we have obviously the same event, because it's spoken of in both places as being an event without parallel in terms of magnitude. So the time of persecution and martyrdom of the Laodicean church is also called the time of Jacob's trouble, because it will be a national holocaust, brethren, the holocaust of World War II, in which six million of the nine million European Jews perished in Hitler's uprisings.

   Brethren, that event was simply a tiny foretaste of what was going to transpire for our people, nationally. Well, that's two-thirds of European Jews died during World War II. Six million out of nine million.

   Let's go on. Let's note it, because brethren, we need to note it. Some of these things are not very pleasant.

   Some of these things are not very enjoyable. Frankly, when you really understand it, it's bitter as gall. It really is.

   We need to understand it. We need to comprehend it, and our children do, because God doesn't want us to have to go through these things. There's a voice of alarm.

   There's a voice of, there's a trumpet that's being sounded in the church of God right now that's crying aloud, that's sparing not, that's showing God's people their sin. The book of Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah, and it was a prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem. It took place by the Babylonians at the time of Nebuchadnezzar.

   Now, Jerusalem was destroyed. The temple was burned on the ninth day of the fifth month, the ninth of Av, back at the time of Nebuchadnezzar, about 587 B.C. Lamentations prophesied of that event. The Jews traditionally began to fast on that day, the ninth of Av.

   They call it the fast of Av, and from this time on, from the time after the destruction of Jerusalem, they traditionally read the book of Lamentations on that day, because they understood that it foretold that. Well, coming on down, brethren, that happened under Nebuchadnezzar, but you realize that in 70 A.D., when Titus invaded Jerusalem, that he burned the temple on the same day, the ninth of Av, exactly the same day. And so the Jews have a double reason to fast, because both temples were destroyed on that day.

   And when you read the events of the siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., of which Lamentations also prophesied in terms of what happened, you go through Josephus' account of the siege of Jerusalem, and you find, you can just go right down the line in the book of Lamentations, and you can find the description Lamentations gives, you can find it fulfilled in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Well, brethren, as I mentioned earlier, in Matthew 24, Jesus Christ gave events that were to foretell the events right prior to the end of this age in His return. And yet there was a parallel in those events. There was a parallel that went back even to the time of the first century.

   So just as the events of Lamentations prophesy of the original destruction of Jerusalem, of the destruction of Jerusalem under Titus, it looks forward in a greater way. And in its final fulfillment and impact, it looks forward to the end time. It looks forward to the events of the Great Tribulation, and it is a prophecy.

   It is a national lament. It's a prophecy of the Great Tribulation. Lamentations 1:2, talking of Israel, She weeps sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks.

   Among all her lovers she has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her. They have become her enemies.

   The nations we think are our allies. We're going to find out they're our enemies. They're going to stab us in the back.

   We've relied on other nations as our protector rather than on God. We're going to find that our friends have dealt treacherously with us. Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction and because of great servitude.

   She dwells among the heathen. She finds no rest. All her persecutors overtook her between the straits.

   Going on down, on down to chapter 4. We'll just kind of skip through here. Chapter 4, verse 9 (Lamentations 4:9). They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger. For these pine away, stricken through the want of fruits of the field.

   So God says, you know, the events that are going to transpire in this nation are going to make those who were killed in the original attack, they're going to make those seem like the lucky ones. Because the ones that remain are going to starve to death. They're going to pine away.

   The hands of the pitiful women have soddened their own children. They were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. That's a prophecy about cannibalism.

   You go back and you read Josephus' account and he brings out that it got that bad in Jerusalem. In 70 A.D. there were people that were literally eating each other, including women, eating their own children. And Lamentations talks about that in some very gruesome detail.

   Oh, you know, that can't happen. That can't happen today. We don't think, you ever read about some of these plane crashes? Just let people be isolated and be hungry for a little while.

   And they turn to cannibals. And it's going to happen in this nation. And some of the all so high and mighty and floocy and all, you know, big society, they're going to be some of the worst.

   That's what God says right here. The hands of the pitiful women. Oh, you know, just wouldn't touch anything.

   They're going to eat their own children. And when the Lord has accomplished His fury, He has poured out His fierce anger and has kindled a fire in Zion. It is devoured the foundations thereof.

   Coming on down in verse 17. As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help in our watching. We've watched for a nation that could not save us.

   We're going to look to our allies and think, come on, you guys, you're our help. I mean, we gave you all that money. We gave you those weapons.

   You remember the Marshall Plan? Oh, yeah, we remember. But they're not going to be our help. They hut our steps that we cannot go in our streets.

   Our end is near. Our days are fulfilled for our end has come. Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven.

   They pursued us upon the mountains. They've laid wait for us in the wilderness. So God talks about those events coming on down.

   Chapter five, verse one (Lamentations 5:1), remember, oh, Eternal, what has come upon us, consider and behold our reproach. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. We're orphans and fatherless.

   Our mothers are as widows. We've drunken our water for money. Our wood is sold unto us.

   We're going to be down to literal starvation. We're going to be at a point where water will be worth money. Our necks are under persecution.

   We labor and have no rest. We've given the hand to the Assyrians to be satisfied with bread. Our fathers have sinned and are not, and we have borne their iniquities.

   Servants have ruled over us. There is none that does deliver us out of their hand. We got our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

   Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine. They ravished the women in Zion and the maids in the cities of Judah. Princes are hanged up by their hand and the faces of the elders are not honored.

   So, it goes on and it talks about the destruction that's going to come on this nation, brethren, and it's real and it's literal and it's going to happen. It's happened in foretaste before. Ezekiel tells us the magnitude of it in Ezekiel 5:12.

   A third part of you shall die with a pestilence and with famine. With famine shall they be consumed in the midst of you, and a third part shall fall by the sword round about. And I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

   So, that's the breakdown. A third part will die with pestilence and famine. A third part will die by the sword, and a third part will be taken into captivity.

   Amos tells us that the city that goes forth a thousand will only return a hundred. The city that goes forth a hundred will only return ten. There's a parallel here.

   The events back in World War II, the Holocaust, I mentioned before, but the figures were six million out of nine million Jews. Two-thirds died. That's what God says is going to happen to all of Israel.

   Two-thirds are going to die. A third is going into captivity. Brethren, the future Holocaust is going to come.

   It's going to pale and it's going to be a Holocaust. The Auschwitz, the Dachau, the Buchenwald, it's real. It's literal.

   It's going to happen. What seems far off seems hard to imagine, seems hard to comprehend as we sit here in comfort, nice, plush seats, beautiful day outside. Brethren, there are going to be some very gruesome events that are going to transpire in this world before this day is fulfilled.

   You go back and you read about literal human beings. And, you know, those were human beings that, for the most part, never imagined that it could happen to them. The average Jew on the streets of Warsaw back in the 1930s, back in the summer of 1939, had no comprehension, no.

   There was the furthest thought from his imagination the events that were literally going to transpire as Hitler's troops began to move into Poland in September of 1939, and as that event happened, the Polish Jews began gradually to be rounded up, and the final solution began to be carried out. Seems far off, seems unreal, seems unreal to us today.

   Brethren, as these events of the Great Tribulation began to take place, the time of Jacob's trouble, the time of persecution, the time of persecution unparalleled that is going to wreak havoc on this earth, the time of Satan's wrath, we find the beginning of God's intervention. Because the book of Lamentations makes plain that God is not the one that is causing all of this. What God says He will do in the book of Lamentations is that He will simply remove the hedge.

   He says that Israel has been hedged in as a garden, and He's going to remove the hedge, that's all. God is not the one that causes these events, Satan is. The Tribulation is Satan's wrath.

   God has hedged us in. The United States and the British Commonwealth nations stand out as the only nations to have been totally hedged in and protested to go down through. You know when the last time foreign troops set foot on British soil in an invasion of Britain? It was in 1066 with William the Corporal, and he was bringing in the last contingent of Israelites.

   God has put a hedge about those people. You point to me another nation in Europe that's not been invaded for a thousand years, point to me one that hasn't been invaded in the last, you know, 40 years virtually. There were some that did not have the ravages of the war.

   I realize Switzerland was not specifically involved in it, but Switzerland has been invaded before. You go back to the time of Napoleon, you go back to the time of World War I, you go back to the time of World War II, and there have been always attempted invasions of Britain, but Britain has stood. It was God who hedged them in.

   Our nation has stood. British troops are the only foreign troops that have ever invaded this nation in terms of occupying the heartland or a portion of it. I realize we were involved in later wars, but we were invading rather than being the ones invaded.

   God has put a hedge about it. The Japanese couldn't get into Australia or New Zealand. The Germans couldn't get into the United States or Britain or Canada.

   God hedged us about it. God is simply going to take down the hedge. He says, OK, you don't want to trust in me, you want to trust in others? Fine, I'll just take my hedge down, and I'll step back, and I will let you see what you can do for yourself.

   And what I just have gotten through telling you about the events of the Great Tribulation, brethren, those events are real. That's what we're going to do when we lean on our own understanding, on our own might and power, and depend on ourselves without God to bail us out. Then in Revelation 6:12, I beheld when he had opened a sixth field, and, lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as the sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell upon the earth even as a fig tree cast her untimely fig.

   The heavens departed as a scroll. When it rolled together, every mountain and island was moved out of their places. The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the chief captains, the mighty men, every bondsman, every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath is come." Who should be able to say that? That's the sixth seal.

   The first five had represented Satan's wrath. Then with the sixth field, God begins to intervene in the affairs of this world. And the first thing God does is get the world's attention, and there's nothing that will serve to get your attention like an earthquake, where the very ground under your feet begins to shake, and a shower of meteors is going to come down that is going to absolutely pale into insignificance anything we've seen before, and it is going to literally scare people to death.

   God's going to get their attention. Then the seventh seal, and we find in Revelation 7 the completion of the sealing of the 144,000. We go on into chapter 8, 7 is an inset.

   God completes, or God finishes the sealing, the final sealing to fill out that contingent of 144,000 until he finishes that event, and then the events of the seventh seal begin to unfold. When he had opened the seventh seal, chapter 8, verse 1, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour, and I saw the seven angels which stood before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. So, now we see the beginning of the trumpet, the seventh seal, and verse 6, the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

   The first angels sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mingles of blood, and they were cast upon the earth, and the third part of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. You can go back, and you can find a parallel to this back in the book of Exodus, as God began to pour out his plagues on ancient Egypt. So, God first got their attention with an earthquake and with heavenly signs, and now there's going to come hail and fire pouring down from heaven, and the third part of the vegetation of this earth is going to be burned up and destroyed.

   Followed right on the heels of that, the second angel sounded, and as it were, a great mountain burning with fire was cast in to see a third part of the sea become blood. You remember, when Moses turned the Nile into blood, he turned later the fresh water into blood. All right, the third part of the sea is going to be turned to blood, and the third part of the creatures that were in the sea that had life died.

   Talk about a stench. The third part of the sea creatures die and begin to rot and decay, and the stench of rotting blood fills the earth. The third part of all of the sea life is dead.

   The third angel sounded, and there was a great star, fell a great star from heaven burning, as it were, with a lamp. It fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of the water, and the name of the star is called Wormwood. The third part of the waters became Wormwood, and many men died because of the waters, because they were made bitter.

   So, here we find the fresh water that's smitten, and a third part of the fresh water, one third of the fresh water on this earth, becomes contaminated, becomes poison, and people die from drinking it. The fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, the third part of the moon, the third of the stars, for the sun was smitten, the third of the moon, the stars, so as the third part of them was darkened. In other words, you had upset, you had one-third duration.

   All of a sudden, events, things were knocked out of kilter, and the very planetary bodies, the moon in its orbit around the earth, the earth in its orbit becomes erratic, and seemingly unexplainable events begin to happen in the heavens. Day and the night, the time element seems messed up, and I beheld and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpets of the three angels which is yet to come." Now, those were the first four. God says, you know, the bad stuff hadn't happened yet, God says, you know, the last three, then you're really going to know, as God begins to take the world to task.

   Well, having allowed Satan to stir it up into the holocaust of the great tribulation, God has protected, God, before the event of the seventh seal happened, God set his people apart for protection, all of his people on the earth, and he began to pour out his wrath. Chapter 9, going on, The fifth angel sounded, the fifth trumpet, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth, and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit, and he opened the bottomless pit, and there arose a smoke out of the pit, smoke of the great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit, and there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth, and they were given power, as the scorpions have power, and it was commanded that they should not hurt the grass, or the green things, nor any tree, only those men which have not the seal of God in their forehead, and it was given unto them that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months, and their torment was the torment of a scorpion when he strikes a man. In those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it, and they shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

   It goes on, and it's described in a symbolic fashion. John was trying to describe things in the language of his day that he saw and envisioned. He talks about, well, it's kind of like a scorpion, and it looked like hair of a woman trailing out behind.

   Perhaps John saw some of the fighter jets with their vapor trails and things of that nature, and he used the language of his day to try to expound what it was. John had never heard of airplanes or jets or vapor trails or rockets or missiles or things of that nature. He had no words to describe them.

   He had to liken them to creatures that he knew and say, well, it's kind of like this, but then it's kind of like something else, too. It was indescribable in the language of his day. He saw the fifth seal, the first woe, described here.

   He talks about they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon in the Greek Apollyon. Now, this refers to the rising out of abeyance. You can go back in Revelation 17 and find the coming up out of the bottomless pit.

   The rising up of the beast power out of the bottomless pit and the invasion of the beast power into Asia. In fact, Europe is going to launch an attack against Russia and the Asiatic Communists, and they're going to evidently use some type of nerve gas that is going to destroy a lot of people. It talks about there's going to be a tremendous number of people who are going to be tormented for these five months.

   Now, verse 13, the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar, which was before God, saying to the sixth angel, which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. Now, the Euphrates River is the dividing line. That's why it can be stated that Iran is going to eventually fall into communist orbit and everything to the east.

   The Euphrates River basically provides the dividing line between where Russia's influence and the influence of the beast power will come there in the Middle East. So, these four angels, these four great demons that have been bound up there in the river Euphrates, that have not been allowed to go beyond there, are all of a sudden going to be loose. And what are they going to do? They're prepared.

   They're just chafing at the bit, but God has them restrained. He doesn't allow them. They can go no further than God allows.

   He's going to lift the restraints on them at the sixth trumpet. And they're going, they're prepared for the hour and the day, the month and the year for to slay the third part of man. And the number of the horse, the number of the horsemen were 200 million.

   It talks about, verse 18, by these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, by the smoke and the brimstone which issued out of their mouths. That's evidently talking about a thermonuclear exchange that Europe will have invaded Russia and invaded Asia. And all of a sudden, God is going to remove the restraints.

   He's going to turn some of these demon spirits loose, and there's going to be a thermonuclear exchange. Now, you remember that a fourth part of man had already been killed. We started out with 4 billion.

   A fourth part narrows it down to 3 billion. Now, a third part of man is going to be killed. That would be another billion as a result of this nuclear warfare.

   And this army of 200 million is going to begin, is going to mass in Asia to invade the Middle East, because Europe is going to be devastated in this attack. Europe undoubtedly, and probably much of South America and perhaps other areas of the Middle East itself, will not be aimed at in this attack. They're going to come in there with men rather than nuclear weapons, because they don't want to destroy all the oil and the things that are there, so they're going to overwhelm them with manpower.

   But they destroy Europe, and they destroy probably much of the areas of the world that are in alliance with Europe, which will include much of South America and probably much of Africa as well. Now, they prepare, they map for an invasion. This is the sixth pump.

   Now, as we come on down, on down in chapter 14, wait a minute, chapter 11, verse 14 (Revelation 11:14), the second woe is past, and behold, the third woe comes quickly. And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever. And verse 18, the nations were angry, and your wrath has come, the time of the dead, that they should be judged, that you should give reward unto your servants, the prophets, the saints, and the men that fear your name, small and great, and should destroy them which destroy the earth.

   Coming right on down now in chapter 14, verse 14 (Revelation 14:14), And I looked, and beheld a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like the son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. Another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice, and said to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in your sickle and reap, for the time has come for you to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

   And going on down in verse 19, the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was prodden without the city, and blood came up out of the winepress, even under the horses' blight, by the space of a thousand six hundred furlongs, in other words, about five feet deep and about a hundred and twenty miles long. That's what it's talking about.

   This is the result of the destruction of this army of two hundred million going to be gathered. Now, we're going to notice here, as we come on down in chapter 15, what happens. The seventh trumpet, when that sounded, Jesus Christ begins to return.

   Now, it is in the presence of Jesus Christ, the seventh trumpet is divided into seven plagues, because in the presence of Jesus Christ and the saints, Jesus Christ begins to return, the seven last plagues are going to be poured out. The final one occurring when his feet finally stand on the Mount of Olives, because the events we're talking about now are going to transpire in one day's time. The day of the Lord basically encompasses a year.

   And finally, this final day when the trumpet is blown on the final fulfillment of this day, we have the events that occur in one day's time recorded here in chapter 15. Seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them is filled up the wrath of God. In chapter 16, the angels go your way to pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

   The first went and poured out his vial upon the earth. There fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast. Secondly, the sea became as the blood of a dead man.

   Only a third of the sea had been affected before, now the whole sea. There was no water anywhere. The third angel poured his upon the rivers, and all of the fresh water became blood.

   And God says, you know, if you want blood, I'll give you blood. If you've been blood thirsty, all right, I'll give you blood to drink. That's what God is in effect saying to this world.

   The fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. The earth actually thrown out of its orbit, and people beginning to die. The heat was increased.

   Men were scorched with great heat. They blasphemed the name of God, and they repented not. The fifth seal this all occurs in one day's time.

   These events are just transpiring, and people are dying all over this earth. The fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast. His kingdom was full of darkness.

   Darkness covered a great portion of the earth, basically the western world. The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates. The water thereof was dried up that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

   Now earlier, the angels had been loosed from there, and were allowed to go and to gather the armies of the east and to precipitate this thermonuclear exchange. Now, the armies of the east, this 200 million man army actually crosses the Euphrates River and invades the Middle East. They were gathered together for that great day of God Almighty.

   He says, Behold, I come as a thief, and he goes right on down. They were gathered together in a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. They came across the Euphrates and massed there in Armageddon, which is north of Jerusalem.

   Then the seventh vial was poured out and said, It is done. There was a great earthquake such as was not, since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great. Every island fled away.

   The mountains were not found. The whole topography of the earth is altered and changed as a result of this earthquake. Great hail falls out of heaven at the time of Jesus Christ himself sets his feet on the Mount of Olives.

   This great earthquake is also described back in Zechariah. Let's turn back to the book of Joel. Joel 1:15, Alas for the day, for the day of the Lord is at hand, as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.

   Coming on down in chapter 2 verse 1 (Joel 2:1), Blow you the trumpet in Zion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord comes, it is near at hand. A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness as the morning spread upon the mountain.

   A great people and a strong, there's never been the light, neither shall there be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devours before them, behind them as a flame burns. The land is as the garden of Eden before them, behind them a desolate wilderness.

   Nothing shall escape it. It goes down and it describes the destruction. Verse 10, The earth shall quake before them, the heavens shall tremble, the sun and the moon shall be dark.

   The stars withdraw their light from shining. The Lord shall utter his voice before his army. His camp is very great, he is strong, that executes his word.

   The day of the Eternal is great and very terrible, and who can abide it? So God talks about these things in chapter 3 verse 1 (Joel 3:1), In those days and in that time when I bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations and bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat and will plead with them for my people, for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations and parted my land. Verse 12, Let the heathen be wakened and come to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put in the sickle, the harvest is ripe.

   Come, get you down, for the press is full, the fats overflow, their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of the Eternal is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

   The Lord also shall roar out of Zion and utter his voice from Jerusalem. The heavens and the earth shall shake, but the Eternal will be the hope of these people and the strength of the children of Israel. As they come down, they're going, the armies of the east, as they invade, the cross coming into Armageddon and invading down, the valley of Jehoshaphat is outside of Jerusalem.

   It lies between Mount Zion and the Mount of Olives. The valley of Jehoshaphat is in between, and these armies are going to gather there at Jerusalem as Jesus Christ comes down, and they're going to literally be consumed, be destroyed. It talks about a stack five feet deep, 120 miles long, destruction.

   Jesus Christ will return to this earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. He will have brought this earth and the Satan-inspired rebellion of it to absolute, unconditional surrender. What will the final trumpet blast mean to you? You know, brethren, we saw back earlier in the book of Revelation what it will mean to this world.

   It's going to mean destruction to this world. Those who are part and parcel of the beast system are going to weep and lament. It talks about in Revelation 18, Alas, alas, that great city, Babylon, the mighty city, in one hour is your judgment come, and all the merchants of the earth weep and lament.

   The sound of that final trumpet is going to mean destruction for this world. The apostle John wrote in I John 2:16-17, that the world, and he that is of the world, passes away. The world passes away, and he that does the lust thereof passes away.

   This world, its society, is coming to an end. The sound of that final trumpet blast, brethren, is going to mean destruction to the people of this world who refuse to repent and obey God. Now, it's going to mean something entirely different for the people of modern-day Israel who have been languishing in the concentration camps of the time to come, because what it's going to mean to them is recorded back in the book of Isaiah 27:13.

   It will come to pass in that day that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, those who were the walking dead, the living dead, those who have survived the crematory ovens. They shall come who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcast in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Eternal in the holy mountain of Jerusalem. For Israel, the final trumpet blast will signal deliverance.

   And for those who are a part of the church of God, I Corinthians 15:15, Now this I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment 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. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

   Brethren, for us, if we are faithful, it will mean our final salvation. The final trumpet is going to mean different things to different people. When the trumpet blast sounded at Jericho to the inhabitants of Jericho, it meant that their world had come to an end.

   Their city fell down around them, and they were destroyed. For the people of God, it meant God's intervention, God's deliverance. It meant that God had given them the victory.

   Brethren, when that final trumpet blast is blown, what will it mean to you? Which category will you fit into? God warns us back in Proverbs 24:10. If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. If you forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death and those that are ready to be slain, if you say, Behold, we knew it not, does not he that ponders the heart consider it? And he that keeps your soul, does he not know it? And shall he not render to every man according as his works? If you faint now in the time of adversity, the problems are coming on as persecution begins to mount, as problems begin to come on, and enemies begin to attack God's church.

   If you kind of pull back, well, I better sit on the sidelines for a while. I didn't know things were going to get rough. If you faint when the day of adversity comes, your strength is small.

   If you forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, Mr. Whitson went through in the sermonette, we have a job as a watchman. And God says, If you don't sound the alarm, I will hold you responsible for the blood that is slain, the blood that is shed. If we forbear to deliver them that are sold unto death, the whole world is bound in death.

   Brethren, we have the knowledge that the world needs, the world is waiting on us if we pull back and get sidetracked and get all bogged down and start looking at things that we shouldn't be looking at because what we should be looking at is Christ. You know, when we take our eyes off Christ, we get in trouble. That's what happened to Peter when he was walking on the water.

   He was doing okay as long as he looked at Christ. When he got his eyes off Christ, he started to sink. You know, that same thing holds true for us.

   When we keep our eyes on Christ and on what He's doing, we're fine. But when we start looking away from what Christ is doing and get focused on people, we're in trouble. Peter focused on the around.

   When he focused on the problems, he was in trouble. He was about to sink. You can't forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, brethren.

   We say, Oh, but I didn't understand. I didn't realize it was that serious. Brethren, God is going to judge us for the way that we come through this crisis.

   Romans chapter 8, He tells us the consequences. He tells us that the world is waiting on us. Romans 8:16, the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

   And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us for the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God. The world is waiting on us, brethren.

   The whole world groans and travails, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. Brethren, we are the sons of God. We've been called to be heirs of God, to rule with Jesus Christ when He comes back to this earth and that final trumpet blast is going to usher in the kingdom of God, the government of God.

   Let's notice one final scripture in Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews 10:35. Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which has great recompense of reward, for you have need of patience, that after you've done the will of God, you might receive the promise.

   For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them who believe to the saving of the soul.

   Brethren, what will the sound of the trumpet blast, what will it mean to you? Do you realize that the sound of the trumpet currently being blown in the church, what that trumpet means to you, will in all probability determine what that final trumpet will mean to you. He that shall come, brethren, will come. He really will.

   The time is literally going to come when the heavens will be split by the blast of a shofar, sounded by an angel of God, and Jesus Christ himself will begin to come down to this earth. The time will literally come when the ground will begin to disappear under your feet as you rise up to meet him in the air and to come down together on the Mount of Olives. He that shall come will come, brethren, he really will.

   What will his coming, what will that final trumpet mean to you?