Reviews and Views

…in my opinion.

Book of Revelation – Chapter 7

Chapter 7 is God’s parenthesis or pause until the opening of the last seal. He is informing us of what lies ahead for His people (Israelites and Gentiles) in the terrible period of trial that follows the Rapture of the Church. This chapter may be divided into two portions dealing with two groups and portrays God as compassionate, merciful, and loving. These saved and sealed multitudes are probably the fruit of the ministry of the two mysterious witnesses (to be discussed later).

In verses 1 through 8, four angels hold back the four winds. This pause gives time for a great revival on earth after the Church is gone. These servant multitudes are sealed by God in their foreheads. Also, during this stillness, 144,000 Jews are sealed. There are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. As God lays claim to His own, that does not mean they necessarily escape the everyday disasters of earth. It does mean that God watches over them and takes careful note of their affairs. Notice there are two very different groups of people in chapter 7. “One company is Jewish (144,000); the other is Gentile. One passes unscathed through the fiery furnace of the Tribulation; the other is martyred to the very last man.” (John Phillips commentary, page 110). The sealed 144,000 defy the totality of Satan’s secular dominion. The sealed multitude of Gentiles saved during the Tribulation will close their testimony with their blood.

During the Tribulation hour, the presence of the Holy Spirit exists. In the passage of 1 Thessalonians 2:6-7, the Holy Spirit is the Hinderer. Since the Holy Spirit lives within all believers in Christ and He is everywhere, only His restraining influence over sin is removed during the Tribulation hour when the Church is Raptured home to heaven. His continued presence on earth produces one of the greatest revivals in the history of humanity. While we (believers) remain on earth, we are the salt of the earth and the world’s light, as stated in Matthew 5:13-16.

In verses 9 through 17, John sees a multitude of new believers standing before the throne of GOD. He doesn’t know who they are since they came after the Church went to heaven. This multitude comes out of the Great Tribulation. These glorious martyrs have not died yet; they may not even have been born, but God wants the saints of all ages to know about them. Hence, the reason for revealing them now. 

Each group of believers saved during different dispensations of time has various duties to perform.

(1) The Church is the bride of Christ and enjoys the 1,000-year honeymoon upon the earth (chapter 20, verse 4), reigning with Christ as rulers, kings, and priests (1 Peter 2:9 and Revelation 1:6).

(2) The 144,000 serve as bodyguards of the Lamb (the Lord Jesus Christ) and His bride (the Church) – see chapter 14, verse 4.

(3) The Gentiles saved during the Tribulation will be Temple servants, waiting on Christ and His bride. They serve in the glorious Temple described in Ezekiel chapters 40 through 48.

Man’s wickedness, rebellion, and sin produce these judgments. “They that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same” (Job 4:8). God, in love, creates a lull before the storm to call men to salvation and revival.

Now, Chapter 8 and the subsequent and final seal judgment.

January 25, 2024 Posted by | Bible, Last Days, Life, Religion | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book of Revelation – Chapter 6

Jesus Christ has the right to judge and rule the world. Under the seal judgments, we see man ruin the world. Meanwhile, on earth, evil men are growing worse and worse. With the denial of all authority, wicked things invented, with the destruction of the globe at stake, it is time for God to intervene in human affairs. With seals broken one by one, we see any restraint increasingly removed from the earth. Events recorded under these seals are extensions of things that are very evident in today’s world. The chief difference is that the Church will be gone.

First Seal

Release of the rider on the white horse believed to be the Antichrist. He has a crown, a bow without arrows, and goes to conquer. He is all-victorious and wins his victories relatively peacefully through deception. This rider represents the blasphemous philosophies of the last days, those anti-Christian ideologies that prepare men’s minds for the devil’s gospel and the ultimate reception of the strong delusion, the great lie of 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12. (John Phillips commentary, page 96). By the hand of the Antichrist, misery occurs during the four seal judgments. Those coming afterward are not. The one on the red horse breaks any peace that the Antichrist previously brokered. Keep in mind that coming events always cast their shadows before them. The white horse rider is not yet abroad, for the great Restrainer is still here, the book (scroll) is still sealed, and the Church is still on earth.

Second Seal

The second rider is released. He has the power to take peace from the earth, rides a red horse, and carries a great sword. The rider symbolizes the belligerent policies of the last days. He personifies world war on a scale never before known on earth, a war that will make the conflicts of this century seem like scenes in a stilted (unnaturally formal) play. Until the Lord Jesus Christ comes back in power, war must go on and on until at last war itself is personified, mounted on a blood-red horse, and sent forth with a great sword to summon men to the Apocalypse terrible battles. There is a belief that at this time, RUSSIA will attack Israel before Armageddon in Ezekiel 38 and 39. This war of Ezekiel occurs close to or during the Tribulation hour because the facts presented in Revelation tie in harmoniously with Ezekiel’s prophecy.

Third Seal

With the third seal opened, a black horse appears. The rider carries a pair of balances in his hand, symbolizing the blighted prosperity of the last days. After the war of Revelation chapter 6, verses 3 and 4 will come famine and inflation, which usually follow any conflict. Ezekiel 4:10, 11, 16 refer to this. The oil and the wine are luxuries of the rich. Untouchable, the black horse rider proceeds to the staples of the poor, the wheat and barley. These are to be measured out a pinch at a time. This rider symbolizes the blighted prosperity of the last days. We hear the price for wheat and barley. A single loaf of bread will cost an entire day’s wages. Yet hunger will not be satisfied. People will spend everything they have just for the necessities of life. As the Tribulation continues, precious metals will become worthless. A digital system implemented by the Antichrist will replace gold, silver, paper money, and crypto-currencies. Today, the average American dog has a higher protein diet than most people worldwide. Another shortage is firewood along the fringes of the world’s deserts as people search for something to heat what little food they find. This dreaded rider is not yet abroad, but we see his shadow.

Fourth Seal

Now a pale horse appears. The name of the rider is DEATH, and HELL follows with him. This rider is the deadliest. Death destroys the body then Hell swallows up the souls and spirits of those he kills. He has power over a fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, hunger, death, and pestilence or beasts. As this rider moves forth, war and famine continue to plague humanity. Pestilence rise as war and famine move through an area. Epidemics rage the world’s population. Rats carry as many as thirty-five different diseases. A quarter of the world’s population dies through this fourth rider’s brutality taking nearly 1.98 billion people.

Fifth Seal

With our attention drawn to the brazen (or brass) altar, we see the souls of those slain for the Word of God. In verses 9 and 10, they cried loudly, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Those crying with a loud voice are Tribulation saints composed of elected Israelites and Gentiles converted by the preaching of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. These persecuted saints and martyrs are not part of the Church, already in heaven. You will notice that souls are saved during the Tribulation hour the same way souls are saved today – through the precious shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because the believers of the Tribulation hour proclaim Christ crucified, they lose their lives. These Tribulation saints cry for vengeance because they are not under grace, which will be appropriate once the age of grace is over and conditions revert to a pre-Christian era. Instead, they want blood. Seeing fulfilled prophecy, this group of saints wonders how much longer their loved ones, still alive, must suffer. The Lord speaks to them about having a little more patience. There will be one more wave of persecution in chapter 20, verse 4. Here is only a preview of the terrible persecutions that will engulf the globe in the coming days of the Tribulation hour. 

Sixth Seal

What follows next is a blind panic and chaos on earth. Why? With the opening of the sixth seal comes a great earthquake. Is this a “great earthquake” Yellowstone or some combination of volcanic eruptions? This earthquake is so vast and destructive that mountains and islands move out of their usual places, a very tectonic movement. So much ash rises, there is a reduction of sunlight, temperatures plunge, and boulders and rocks from the explosion thrown high into the atmosphere now fall back to earth. The earthquake shakes everything stable, including society. With damaged infrastructure, travel stops and utilities quit working. It is so wide-ranging that there is complete panic. Men lose all hope and can find no place to hide from the anarchy that grips the globe. Notice there are four earthquakes in the Book of Revelation:

  1. Here in chapter 6, verse 12
  2. chapter 8, verse 5
  3. chapter 11, verse 3
  4. chapter 16, verses 18 and 19

The first four seals have been under the administration of the Antichrist. The 6th seal begins the judgments from heaven. But we remember that the Church is in heaven during this hour! No wonder half of the world’s population dies through the manifold (many & various) catastrophes that bombard the earth thus far.

The above is a lot to absorb as the scenes of punishment occur. Yet humanity continues to blame God and refuses to repent. If you are willing, join me next in Chapter 7, a parenthesis or pause about the seals.

January 18, 2024 Posted by | Last Days, Life, Religion | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The End of a Superpower Nation

Two thousand three hundred years ago, a man named Ezekiel was given a prophecy about a future enemy of Israel. The story details would play out on the mountains and plains of that country. In 2022, we are still waiting.

Who are the players in this story? 

A mysterious country lies to the uttermost north of Israel called Magog. For us, this is the land of Russia. Many biblical scholars agree. The Lord God Almighty is the author of this prophecy given to the Old Testament prophet, Ezekiel. The details are in chapters 38 and 39 of his book. I would encourage you to read them thoroughly.

An enemy is coming against Israel in the future. When Ezekiel wrote this prophecy, Russia did not exist, but God knew everything beforehand. This enemy will gather forces from other nations to join him to create a vast military task force. The invasion happens sometime in the first year or so of the Tribulation period. The Western leader, known as the Antichrist, will have made a peace treaty agreement with Israel to protect them against any invading force. Israel believes this to be true and experiences peace for the first time in a very long time. Its defenses are down, and times are good in Israel. 

In the book of Revelation 9:14, we are told about an angel who carries the 6th trumpet. He is told by God to release the four fallen angels bound in the great river Euphrates. Why is this important? Because these angels quickly gather 200,000,000 troops to invade Israel. The resulting conflict will eventually kill about one-third of mankind (Revelation 9:15). The Russian army, with its allies, will lead this holocaust and position itself against the nation of Israel.

200 million troops

In the writings of Ezekiel, this enemy is mentioned as Gog in the land of Magog. Gog is a word for ruler, which means “the man on top.” This man is a dictator regardless of what he calls himself. Magog means “head” and is the Hebrew word for Rosh. This word should be Russia. 

Its leader is a self-confident, arrogant man who is full of pride. He considers himself and his nation to be nearly invincible. But for all his greatness, grandeur, and power as a modern military superpower, none of that will protect him from the vengeance God has planned. After all, God said, “I’m against you.” This is a country whose basic philosophy is atheism. Their political economy rests upon the premise that there is no God. No other government has ever assumed its dominant position of atheism. 

Concerning Russia, men in high positions have warned, “You cannot negotiate with them (Russians).” Mr. Churchill said of Russia, “A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” Rube Goldberg, who drew one of those crazy cartoons years ago, called Joe Stalin “The Great Upside-down Philosopher.” That cartoon had a message: “Top is bottom, black is white, far is near, and the day is night. Big is little, high is low, cold is hot, and yes is no.” Sounds unreasonable or insane? This is the basic philosophy of Russia even today.

Russia does not come alone in this invasion. Persia (Iran), Libya, and Beth Togarmah (Turkey) join in their hatred of Israel. Keep in mind that these countries are predominantly Muslim. Other nations mentioned are Gomer (Germany) and Ethiopia. They join Russia for their own reasons. But the primary invader is Russia, which comes from the “uttermost part of the north.”

So why invade such a small country as Israel? God tells us, “I will turn him around, put hooks in his jaws, and drag him and his troops away.” Something grabs Gog’s attention to look at Israel. His hand will be forced to move quickly into the Middle East to plunder the nation of Israel. Neither Russia nor its leader realizes that none of them are coming out of Israel alive.

What “hooks” could be used to draw Russia to the Middle East?

  1. Russia needs a warm-water entrance into the world’s waterways for its navy and shipping. Israel sets on the east side of the Mediterranean Sea. 
  2. Oil could be another hook. He who controls the oil controls the world. We all know that oil is essential for the survival of all modern nations. Despite strained relationships between the Arabs and Jews, a great deal of oil goes through the land of Israel via pipelines. When ships can’t go through the Suez Canal, oil is pumped through the pipelines to a port on Israel’s coast. 
  3. Then there is the Dead Sea. The mineral deposits there are very significant. An estimated 2 billion tons of potassium chloride (potash) is available. It is a mineral used in fertilizers to sweeten and enrich depleted soils worldwide. In addition, there are deposits of magnesium chloride (24 billion tons), sodium chloride (12 billion tons), and calcium chloride (6 billion tons). The Dead Sea is rich in various minerals, even gold. 

Much of these items are being depleted worldwide. Still, they are abundant in Israel, as suggested by Dr. J. Vernon McGee in his study of Ezekiel.

But these are the days of the seven-year peace agreement concocted by the Antichrist. Israel signed that agreement and lowered its defenses, believing that the Antichrist would come to their rescue if invaded. After all, there was a guarantee. However, the false peace is broken with Russia’s invasion, and the Great Tribulation is ushered in.

The Russian army and the many nations with him attack Israel like a storm. It will be sudden, rage violently, spread quickly, and alarm greatly. The invading forces will number 200 million troops. You may remember that the book of Revelation speaks to two instances of a 200 million-man army entering the Middle East. One is at the Battle of Armageddon with armed forces from the Far East (Revelation 16). The other is this situation with Russian troops in Revelation 9:16. Acting out of anger more than military planning, these troops seem driven by demons. There will be much killing, plundering, raping, and severe and extensive damage. The troops swoop in and take whatever they wish. Their quick deployment catches the Antichrist and his alliance off-guard. No one comes to Israel’s defense. A few Western nations question why Russian forces are there and what they are up to. Still, only questions are asked – no military response. This vast army covers the land of Israel like a cloud. But like a storm, it doesn’t continue. Their coalition falls apart as various members of their alliance turn against each other. Clouds spread gloom and fear but ultimately break up, which will be what happens to this vast army of Russia. Is everything Gog wanted slipping through his fingers or being ripped away by a stronger force?

The prophet Ezekiel assures Russia of four things, which they would do to consider:

  1. Their attack will occur before Jesus Christ comes back to set up His millennium kingdom on earth;
  2. Russia’s plans and movements are being observed with the permission and direction of Almighty God;
  3. Russian troops’ presence in Israel will flare God’s anger into a fiery blaze;
  4. God intends to glorify Himself in Gog’s (Russia’s) destruction. 

But no one is listening in Moscow or in their military. They have prepared to march to their doom; every last one of them.

As this invasion sweeps the Middle East and especially Israel, all types of calamities befall the invading forces in God’s unchanging justice. Every part of creation shall bear its share of this judgment on Russia as if in a convulsion (a violent upheaval) of the whole framework of nature itself. The different segments of GOd’s judgment are happening simultaneously. There is no advanced military prepared for such an onslaught that God is about to release. Its magnitude is tremendous.

  1. First, there will be a great earthquake. Mountain sides crumble, resulting in landslides that block valleys, cutting off routes for troops to advance or retreat.
  2. Second, every man’s weapon, knife or gun, will be used against his brother-in-arms (comrades). Many deep-seated quarrels that have existed for over 14 centuries will flare up among the troops. This strife starts a furious in-fighting with thousands dead.
  3. Third, God sends an overflowing or torrential rain (think downpour) to stop the troops in the mud. This rain lasts long enough to accomplish what God has in mind; hours, days, or weeks. Thunder and lightning will streak across the sky everywhere and recurring. All satellite communications with command centers will be disrupted. Being outside of a protective shelter will mean death.
  4. Fourth, hail falls in this rainstorm. This area of the Middle East is no stranger to large hailstones of the size of 1/2 to 1 pound each. Sizable hailstones can damage or kill anything in their strike zone without shelter. They should expect this storm to produce hail of greater weight and hardness.
  5. Finally, pestilences or plagues hound the invading troops. Sickness breaks out and spreads rapidly. The troops begin to scatter and run for their lives. If the earthquake, rain, lightning, hail, or disease doesn’t kill them, they still have to contend with the fire and brimstone (sulfur) that quickly comes next.
Torrential Rain brings movement to a halt!

So we see that Russia has a destiny in the mountains and plains of Israel. Its whole army and the other troops will be destroyed, and none will be left alive. 

In preparation for this invasion, Gog (the Russian leader) drafts 5/6 of the country’s population into the armed forces. Only a sixth of its population is left behind. Five-sixths could equal over 120 million Russian troops.

Imagine looking at the troops getting ready to ship out. There would be experienced soldiers, inexperienced youth, elderly men still able to march and serve, and many female soldiers. Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible emphasizes this picture. With Russia eventually out of the way as a dominant world superpower, an enormous geopolitical vacuum will be created. The Antichrist will use this opportunity to grab more power, and God will allow this to happen. Whatever God does is right. His glory is shown in judgment. His grace is known in redemption. 

You might ask, “Why will God destroy Russia?” He does so because Russia and her hordes came up against His people of Israel. They came like a cloud over the land. Russia’s destruction will testify to the world’s unbelieving nations that God does exist and that His judgment is faithful and just. “What is God going to do?” He is going to destroy Russia to the very last man. “Do you mean God will actually do such a thing?” Indeed, He will. 

What happens next when the smoke clears, the rain ends, and the clouds part? The weapons of the Russian forces will be left in the fields, probably abandoned as they try to flee God’s wrath of sickness, fear, weather, fatigue, etc. Next, God will invite all the hungry birds of the air to feast on the dead bodies of the soldiers. There will be no regard for rank or prestige among the dead. Even the wild beasts will join in this feast. These weapons will be burned as firewood by the poorest of Israel. This burning process will take 7-years to complete. Also, a cleansing of the land of Israel will take place as a testimony that God was their safety and defense and not the Antichrist. 

As a final assault, God will send a fire on Magog (Russia’s homeland, where 1/6 of her population resides) and among those who dwell securely (carelessly) in the coastlands. Russia is somewhat unique and guilty of more anti-Semitism than any other nation. There is very little fear of God anywhere as you look around today. In time, God will judge, and when He does, there will be respect and reverence for God in this world.

Finally, the dead bodies must be dealt with. The number is staggering, with at least 200,000,000 bodies or more. Russian forces are going to be buried in Israel. Though the exact location is disputed, the Scriptures tell us that they will be buried in a valley east of the Dead Sea. This massive grave is possibly near the town of Dhiban in Jordan. The site will be referred to as Travelers’ Valley, perhaps the Valley of Hamon-Gog, or simply as The Multitude of Gog. As you can imagine, this will be a challenging and gruesome task. Many men will be hired to bury the dead. The initial gathering and burial process will take about 7-months. After this initial stage, the gravediggers will scour the land of Israel for any remains or bone fragments. A sign or flag will be used to identify the fragment’s location. Only the burial team will be authorized to pick up those fragments and take them to the Vally of Hamon-Gog for interment.

Lessons we can learn from this story:

  1. Sin is an enemy that every man should strive against.
  2. God loves His people of Israel and will protect them in His own way and timing.
  3. God sees all that we do and permits us to make free-will decisions. Sometimes those decisions are good and sometimes bad.
  4. God holds final judgment in His hands. Let’s not be an enemy of God as Gog and Magog are.

August 29, 2022 Posted by | Bible, Ezekiel, Last Days, Revelation | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Unavoidable War?

You might want to listen to Edwin Starr’s lyrics from “War” as you read this post. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv5BYEOQYLo

Tensions rise and fall in all parts of the world. But the tumultuous Middle East has seldom seen much peace. Now prideful boasting is heard in the streets, on the airwaves, and in the halls of governments. The main players in the drama on center stage are Iran and Israel. Side players wanting a larger role are the United States and Russia along with their allies.  http://www.geographicguide.com/pictures/maps/israel-map.jpg

Many around the globe are wondering if this coming conflict is the one prophesied in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 & 39. Though reluctant to rush in with men, Russia is drawn into a growing conflict supporting Iran. At some time in the near future, those in power in Iran (the old Persia) will see this as their time to act. War will be started with a confederation of nations composed of Iran and Russia along with others in the Middle East; their common purpose: to eliminate Israel and plunder it and all of its inhabitants. The size of this confederation will be immense; causing others nations to stand aside out of fear basically leaving Israel alone. Russia already has a naval base in the Syrian port of Tartus. Assad of Syria would eagerly join Russia in an invasion of Israel; if for no other reason but to change the focus from internal conflicts at home in Homs to wiping out the Jewish homeland.

However, the Jews have one ally, GOD. He uses this invasion to show all of mankind that He is holy before the eyes of an astonished world. What happens next has not been seen before in modern times or in the history of modern warfare.

a) A great earthquake occurs in the land of Israel. This is a country familiar with earthquakes. Running through this area is the African Rift, which cuts through the Red Sea, Dead Sea, and into the Jordan River valley. The last major quake to hit Israel was in 1927. On average, a major tremor occurs every 80 to 100 years which indicates to us that a major earthquake is now overdue. The damage from this event will be unprecedented and immense to the extent that mountains move, cliffs crumble and every wall falls to the ground. So great is this earthquake that every creature and all people will tremble in fear.

b) In the panic that ensues from the earth shaking and splitting open, these invading armies will turn on each other in the confusion. These armies will misinterpret the situation they are in and start killing each other by the tens of thousands, but not Israel. Somehow they are protected by the hand of GOD.

c) A vast number of the great horde will be cut down. Some type of a rapidly spreading plague or sickness will weaken the remaining numbers as ongoing bloodshed continues. Of all the gases that could be released from a powerful earthquake & exposure to escaping magma is hydrogen sulfide (H2S).  http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hazards/gas/index.php. It’s a colorless, flammable gas with a strong offensive odor. It can act as a depressant; causing among other things headaches, dizziness, excitement, bronchitis and a diminished functional mental activity. Whether this is the plague referred to or not, this type of environment will disrupt all of the plans of the invading armies. They will probably have only one thing on their mind and that is how to get out of there as quickly as possible.

d) The remaining forces of that once invading army will then face torrents of rain and flash floods in the land with huge hailstones. Some of the largest hailstones on record were less than 6” in diameter and weighed about 2 lbs. When the Bible speaks of “hailstones”, we generally understand chunks of ice weighing up to 100 pounds. One of these hailstones could be hitting the ground in excess of 370 mph depending how long it takes to descend. Not much survives that type of destruction.

e) To eliminate any remaining opposition, GOD sends a burning sulfur to wipe them all out. One wondering if this is related to the massive earthquake and potential lava flows mentioned earlier or as others have speculated this is an indication of atomic weapons being used, but we are simply not sure. A fire will burn even to the cities of the invading armies in the far North.

But Israel survives it all and will plunder what is left by the invading forces in the fields and land. Russia and their hordes will be buried there and will not see their homelands again. The aftermath will take Israel 7 months to clean up. The wood or combustible materials left will provide enough fuel for 7 years. The sheer size of this invasion of troops and equipment will be nearly incalculable. They all perish and are buried in a tiny nation called Israel only a mere 8,000 sq. miles or less than the size of New Jersey.

This subject have already been debated for years.  When we get there, we will know the right approach, but will we have the will to do what is right?  That remains to be seen.

Bill Wyler

March 22, 2012 Posted by | Security & Safety | , , , , , | 1 Comment