The End of the Matter
The Churches of Revelation Part 5
Judges 2:20-22:
Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.
This is part five of my article entitled “The Churches of Revelation”. This article is part of a larger series entitled “The End of the Matter”. The objective of these articles is to answer two questions which the disciples asked Yahoshua {Jesus}?
Matthew 24:3:
“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’”
They are actually asking him three questions, but we’re only going to deal with the two which are highlighted. What will be the sign of His coming and the end of the age? We will be going through the prophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel, and the book of Revelations, to learn what the Holy Scriptures has to say about these questions.
Before I begin I would like to take a moment to ensure all who may read these articles that I am not predicting the hour, the date, the month, or the year when these events will take place. I am simply putting the sequence of events together which the bible says are the events that lead up to the the coming of Yahoshua, and the time of the end. Only the father knows the specific dates of when these things will take place.
In our last article I showed that the six seals which cover the Scroll in Revelation chapter six, when removed, reveal messages to the seven churches. The first seal when removed revealed a message for Ephesus, the second seal for Smyrna, the third seal for Pergamos, the fourth seal for Thyatira, the fifth seal for Sardis, and the chapter ends with the six seal; which is the message for the Philadelphia church.
I also showed that it will be during the time of the Philadelphia era of the church that the Messiah will return, and the 144,000 people who are mentioned in chapter seven are those who will make up the church of Philadelphia. They are Israelites, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes. They shall be sealed with the Seal of God and spared from the hour of tribulation.
Before we go on I would like to review one last item. Revelation 7 speaks of two groups of people. Revelation 7:1-8 speaks of a group of people it calls the 12 tribes of Israel and they shall be sealed from the tribulation to come.
Revelation 7:3-4:
“Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
Revelation 7:9-17 speaks of a group of people who went through a tribulation and are now with the lamb.
Revelation 7:9-17:
After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands…..Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
This chapter is so crucial in our understanding of Revelations that I must stop and go through this chapter step by step. Why??
Because it is from this chapter the false doctrine of “The Rapture” is mistakenly inferred.
The doctrine of the rapture speaks of a time when Yahoshua takes His church off this earth just prior to the rise of a world leader called the Antichrist. Depending upon the version you hear, this Antichrist shall rule much of the world for three in a half or seven years. During this time he will bring about war and tribulation. The people spoken of in Revelations 7:9-17 are supposedly the people who were not raptured away, but are still on earth during the time of the reign of this Antichrist, and the great tribulation, and during this time they have accepted Yahoshua as their Savior, but unfortunately died before the end of this era. It is after this that Yahoshua is supposed to return to defeat the Antichrist. It is this doctrine of the rapture that has caused much confusion in understanding the book of Revelations, because this is not what chapter seven is saying. We can learn what is really going on in this chapter by referring to other scripture.
Let us start with the question what really happens to these 144,000 people? I stated earlier that this is the Philadelphia church. These people make up the sixth church mentioned in Revelation 3:7-13 which means the sixth seal was for them.
Revelation 6:12-17:
I watched as He opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!” For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?
These scriptures describe the events just prior to the return of Yahoshua. I repeat it is during the time of the church of Philadelphia that Yahoshua shall return. And upon His return something will happen to the 12 tribes of Israel which will make up His church.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:
For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God ………we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air
It clearly states that when Yahoshua returns to the earth those who are alive will be caught up in the air to meet Him, but is this a rapture?
The next part of the chapter, Revelations 7: 9-17, speak of people who have died during a great tribulation, but it must be understood it is not the tribulation that takes place after the church has been taken away. This scripture is speaking of the tribulations that occurred during the time the churches were on the earth. The first five churches mentioned in Revelations all went through a tribulation. The tribulations they went through are described in “The First Five Seals” of the scroll which is opened by Yahoshua, who is head of the church.
The first seal opened describes the tribulation the first church, the church of Ephesus, would have to endure. The second seal when opened, describes the tribulation of the second church, the church of Smyrna. We can do this for each of the first five churches. The sixth seal describes the events that the church of Philadelphia will go through. They are kept from a tribulation because they were the faithful church.
Revelation 3:10:
Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
Then who are these people spoken of in Revelations 7:9-17?
Revelation 7:13:
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”
Revelation 7:14:
I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
The people being spoken of are those who died from the prior churches. Each church had a tribulation. These people are those who died in these tribulations, those who died and had the Holy Spirit. How do we know this; again let us refer to other scripture.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
Scripture clearly states that upon the return of Yahoshua the dead in Christ will rise first. These are the people who are being spoken of in Revelations 7: 9-17, those who have died in Christ throughout the centuries. And those who are alive, which will be those who make up the church of Philadelphia, shall meet them in the air. This event is also described in 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15:50-53:
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
It is during this time, the time of the church of Philadelphia that Yahoshua shall return. Just prior to this, or just as He is returning, the dead in Christ shall rise first. Right after that moment or as the bible says, “In the twinkling of an eye”, those who are alive and have been sealed shall rise to meet Him in the air along with the dead who have been made alive. Some may ask isn't this the same as the doctrine of the rapture. I answer no! The doctrine of the rapture states that after this event the Antichrist will come into power, but what does the Bible say will happen after this event?
The Bible calls this event: “The First Resurrection.”
Revelation 20:4-6:
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Yahoshua and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
The Bible states that upon the return of Yahoshua, those who have died with His Spirit shall rise first, and after that those who are living with His Spirit, which is the church of Philadelphia, made up of 144,000, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. These people, who have been redeemed from the earth, those who were dead and those who were living, shall rule with Yahoshua in His kingdom for 1000 years.
The confusion lies in the fact people believe when Christ returns to set up His kingdom, this will begin the era known as “The time of the End” and that the worship of the beast, its image, and the receiving of the mark of the beast only happens at this time. As we continue to study this book called Revelations we shall see that this is simply a lie just like the doctrine of the rapture.
Let us now continue and look at the seventh a seal.
Just as the first six seals were for the first six churches, the seventh seal is for the seventh church, the church of Laodicea.
Chapter 8 of Revelations is the opening of the seventh seal.
The message revealed is for the church of Laodicea. Before we go on it must be understood that the church of Laodicea is on the earth after the return of Yahoshua. It is during the time of the church of Philadelphia that Yahoshua returns, redeems His people, those who are dead, first, and then those are alive, second. He then sets up His Kingdom on earth, and the people He has redeemed shall rule with him for 1000 years.
There will be flesh and blood people on the earth living their lives. It is during this 1000 year period that the church of Laodicea is also on the earth. This era of 1000 years is not “The time of the End” I cannot stress this enough. It is the 1000 year reign of Christ, His Kingdom shall be here, people will be alive and living out their everyday lives and the Church of Laodicea will be the church on earth during this time. Those whom Yahoshua has redeemed upon His return shall serve as Kings and Priests to those who are alive on the earth and to His Church respectively. They shall rule with Yahoshua for 1000 years.
Let us now continue with the church of Laodicea.
Revelation 8:1-6:
When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
I stated earlier that the purpose of the seals was to inform the particular church it was meant for, their punishment for not overcoming. Let us review the message to the church of Laodicea looking at it from the context that it is on the earth during the Reign of Christ, not the Antichrist.
Revelation 3:14-22:
To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with My Father on His throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The church of Laodicea becomes corrupt. It is on the earth during the time Yahoshua reigns, but somehow it becomes lukewarm and greedy. It begins to trust in its own riches. We shall go more into the attitude of this church in future lessons but understand the context, understand the time this church is on the earth.
When the seventh seal is opened it is revealed that there are seven angels standing by with seven trumpets. Each angel has a trumpet. Each trumpet is a punishment to the church of Laodicea for not overcoming their sins. Because of the length I shall not list each trumpet and the curse it brings upon the earth and the church. For that information you may refer to the chart at the end of this article, but I will discuss the last three trumpets; the fifth trumpet, the sixth trumpet, and the seventh trumpet.
We find that the fifth trumpet is blown beginning in Revelations chapter nine.
Revelation 9:1-2 :(NKJV)
Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.
Creatures arise out of the pit and are then commanded to hurt those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
Revelation 9:3-5:
And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes.
This scripture causes people to believe that this event is happening during the time of the so-called rapture. It is not. All of this is taking place after the Kingdom of Yahoshua has been instituted. The church which is on the earth at this time has sinned, and because of this, the world, and more specifically, the church, will have these seven trumpets blown against them, but just because the church has sinned does not mean that everyone has sinned. During this time there will be people who are obedient to God and His laws. Just as He had servants who were sealed with His seal before Yahoshua returned He will have His servants sealed with His seal after Yahoshua has returned. It must be understood, and I cannot stress this enough, these events are taking place after the return of Yahoshua; either after His1000 year reign or just prior to its end.
We then see that the tribulations and sorrows that these creatures bring with them cause men to seek the death.
Revelation 9:6:
During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
Verses 7 through 10 describe what these creatures looked like and why they were so feared. Verse 11 tells us that they have a King over them.
Revelation 9:11: (NKJV)
And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.
It then tells us that this is the first woe and two more are coming.
Revelation 9:12: (NKJV)
One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.
The last three trumpets are called the three woes; the fifth trumpet being the first woe, the sixth trumpet being the second woe, and the seventh trumpet being the third woe. These woes begin when the bottomless pit is opened. The fifth trumpet ushers in what many call “The Great Tribulation” or the last three woes, which are the last three trumpets.
When the sixth trumpet is blown it releases four angels who are standing at the river Euphrates. They were prepared specifically for this task and they are commanded to kill a third of mankind.
Revelation 9:13-15: (NKJV)
Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.
Verses 16-19 speak of a 200 million man army and describe how they go throughout the world tormenting mankind with their plagues.
Revelation 9:16-19: (NKJV)
Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million… By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.
Revelation 9:20-21:
The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Let us go to Revelations chapter 10. As this chapter begins six of the seven trumpets have been blown. An angel comes to John with a little book. {Rev 10:1-2} This angel begins to cry out, and as he does John hears seven voices that sound like thunder. He is about to write what they are saying but is instructed not to do so. {Rev 10:3-4} The angel who came to John then swears to the Most High that the seventh angel who holds the seventh trumpet should delay no longer. {Rev 10:5-6} Then verse seven clearly states that when that angel blows the seventh trumpet the mystery of God will be finished.
Revelation 10:7: {NKJV}
But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.
This clearly shows that the time of the end will not occur until the seventh angel blows the seventh trumpet which takes place long after the return of Yahoshua and His kingdom is set up on earth. Revelation 10: 8-11 tells of John receiving the little book from the angel and is commanded to eat the book. He is then told he must still continue to prophesy to peoples, nations, tongues and Kings.
This brings us to chapter 11. If we understand that these events are taking place after
Yahoshua has set up His kingdom on this earth; chapter 11 is no mystery at all. In the first verse John is given a command to measure the Temple of God. If Yahoshua has set up His kingdom it only makes sense that there would be a temple. The temple is not built until after Yahoshua has returned to this earth. This is an important piece of information and we will explore this subject later in the series.
Revelation 11:1 (NKJV}
Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.
In 11: 2 John is told not to measure outside the temple because that area has been given to the gentiles for 42 months.
Revelation 11:2 (NKJV}
But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the Holy City underfoot for forty-two months.
God’s calendar is made up of 12 months. If you calculate 42 months with each month having 30 days you’ll come up with 1260 days. This is important because the amount of time the gentiles will occupy the Holy City is also the same amount of time that these two witnesses will prophesy and have power; power which will be given to them by God.
Revelation 11:3 (NKJV):
And I will give power to my two witnesses and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days {42 Months} clothed in sackcloth. Emphasis added mine
During the time of the occupation of the Holy City by the gentiles these two witnesses will be prophesying for the same amount of time. They are described prophetically in verse four and you may read about these two witnesses in the book of Zechariah beginning in chapter 4.
Revelation 11:4:
They are “the two olive trees” and” the two lamp-stands”, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”
Verses 5-6 describe the power they will have on this earth.
Revelation 11:5-6:
If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. ..They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
Verses 7 -10 describes how the beast, which comes out of the bottomless pit, shall kill them, and the inhabitants of the earth shall rejoice over their bodies. Please take note that the enemy, the beast, which destroys these two witnesses, comes from the bottomless pit; the very same bottomless pit that was mentioned in chapter 9.
Revelation 11:7-10: {NKJV}
When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. …And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
The people then rejoice over their bodies for 3 ½ days until they are resurrected by God.
Revelation 11:11-12: (NKJV)
Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud and their enemies saw them.
It is at this time there is a great earthquake, many are killed, and the second woe is past. This is the end of the plague of the sixth trumpet.
Revelation 11:13-14: (NKJV)
In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
In verse 15 we are told that the seventh angel blew his trumpet and with the blowing of the trumpet two things occurred:
The first we find in Revelation 11:15: (NKJV)
Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud 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 the second we find in Revelation 10:7: (NKJV)
But in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.
At the sounding of the seventh trumpet the mystery of God is finished. With the blowing of the seventh trumpet the kingdoms of the world have become the kingdoms of Yahoshua and his Father. How could this be you ask?
When Yahoshua returns to this earth His kingdom is for 1000 years only; a specific amount of time. He shall rule Israel. His Temple and His capital shall be in Jerusalem. During this 1000 year period the peoples living on the earth shall be going about their daily lives. He will have a church on this earth which the bible calls the church of Laodicea. The church is not a building,but a group of two or more people.
Due to the riches of the church, after all they are on the earth during the time that Christ is King of Israel, they become lukewarm, lackadaisical, and spiritually bankrupt. It is due to this attitude that the seven last plagues, or the seven last trumpets, are instituted. When the fifth trumpet is blown, or the first woe, the bottomless pit shall be opened, and the Beast and his army shall be released upon the earth.
When the sixth trumpet is blown or the second woe, there is Great War upon the earth. The Beast shall control a 200 million man army. It is during this time the Holy City, the place where Yahoshua has His Temple, will be under siege by the Gentiles, led by the Beast. The same time the Holy City is under siege two witnesses will be prophesying upon the earth, and they will have power which will be given to them by God. They will be killed, and their bodies will be left in the street for 3 ½ days. After this there will be an earthquake; this is the blowing of the seventh trumpet, or the third woe. This is the end of the mystery of God. The story ends here there is no more to it. All of the kingdoms of the world will become the kingdoms of Yahoshua and His Father. This is the end of the matter.
The rest of Revelations is simply this story being told over and over again. Let me repeat that; the rest of Revelations is simply this story being told over and over again only in different ways. It will be these versions of the story, or the rest of the book of Revelations,l that we will go through in my next article.
So with this my friends I must say goodbye until next time. Thank- you for all of your support.
Peace