Difference between revisions of "The Closing Days of the Church Age"

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The Closing Days of the Church Age

The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:26,27)

I do not intend to be dogmatic about my interpretation of the Book of Revelation. I will say this, though: I believe the various "pictures" are not in chronological order. Rather they are different aspects of the events of the closing days of the Church Age.

Notice, as we go through these chapters of the Book of Revelation, that in the end both the religious and secular governments will be cast down and the Lamb of God will be exalted as King of kings and Lord of lords.

It seems to me that Chapter Six is a general portrayal of the events of history from the beginning of the Church Age until the Day of Wrath.

For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it? (Revelation 6:17)

Chapter Seven begins with the sealing of the Jews who are servants of God.

Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. (Revelation 7:4)

It may be true that the sealing means they will not be harmed by the Great Tribulation. This show us that God does not deliver His servants from tribulation by carrying them to Heaven but by sealing them.

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. (Revelation 9:4)

The tribe of Dan and the clan of Ephraim are not listed. It may be true that by the time of the Apostle John, the lineages of Dan and Ephraim had been obscured or reduced in importance in some manner. Not being acquainted with Jewish history, I cannot give a good explanation for the omission of Dan and Ephraim.

However I am certain that the Apostle John, who wrote the Book of Revelation was being instructed by the Lord Jesus.

As we continue in Chapter Seven we come to the multitude who came out of the Great Tribulation. It may be noted that these are not a militant army but ordinary people whom God has seen fit to bring into His Presence after their death.

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." (Revelation 7:14)

I would venture that Chapters Eight and Nine are describing the Great Tribulation. We noticed in the preceding chapter the people who had been saved out of the Great Tribulation.

The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. (Revelation 8:7)

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. (Revelation 9:3)

Such is the tribulation that is coming. Perhaps it is the Great Tribulation.

The Day of Wrath is described in a future chapter, I believe. Wrath and tribulation are not at all the same condition. Wrath is not redemptive. Tribulation may be thought of as chastening, in many instances, and as such can be redemptive.

The chaos in the world of today makes me believe that the current catastrophic events are leading up to the Great Tribulation. However, first must come the worldwide witness of the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.

Today it appears that the earth is vomiting out its inhabitants because of the prevalence of sin, particularly that of abortion on demand. I believe the closing days of the Church Age are going to be filled with every sort of trouble and confusion. We do well if we draw close to the Lord Jesus and seek to live by His Life.

Chapters Ten and Eleven could be considered as one chapter. They speak of the events leading up to the great worldwide witness of the Kingdom of God.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)

I believe we can see the beginning of these events in our day.

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. (Revelation 10:1)

I am writing this essay in May of 2013. I have been a Christian for more than 65 years. It seems to me that the spiritual atmosphere is changing.

The powerful angel has a rainbow, the sign of God's Throne, above his head. His face like the sun speaks of righteousness. His fiery legs portray Divine judgment.

In 1948 the Lord told me that He was moving past the Pentecostal experience to the final three feasts of Israel. He impressed on me that He was ready to judge His Church. I still am testifying of what God has shown me since those days in Bible school.

I can feel the power of the mighty angel, can you? I am pleased at the increasing emphasis in our day on the Father. This is long overdue. After all, Christ came to bring us to the Father, not to Heaven as such!

There is in our day an emphasis on actual righteousness of behavior, not merely imputed righteousness but actual righteousness. Naturally this emphasis is accompanied by Divine judgment on our behavior.

The fullness of God's power, the seven thunders, cannot be revealed as yet. The reason is, the believers at Pentecost are attempting to establish the Kingdom of God while preserving their own life. The fullness of power will not be unleashed until there are those who are living, as did the Apostle Paul, by the Life of the Lord Jesus.

"There will be no more delay," meaning that the mystery of the Gospel, which is Christ in us, will be brought to the forefront in Gospel preaching. The importance of Christ being in us now and seeking to express Himself, is not always presented. Rather we have various programs by which we hope to save the world.

We are told of the prophecy that must be given to every nation to prepare the world for the coming of Christ in His Kingdom.

Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings." (Revelation 10:11)

I refer to this as the "again prophecy." We are being prepared for this end-time prophecy now by learning how to subjugate our self-will and live by the Life of the Lord Jesus.

So much for Chapter Ten . Chapter Eleven continues with the discussion of the last great testimony:

I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers." (Revelation 11:2)

Measuring the temple of God refers to judging the saints who will bear the "again prophecy." Before the saints can give the Divine testimony, they first must be judged. All sin and self-seeking must be removed from them.

"And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." (Revelation 11:3)

Notice that the two witnesses did not come from somewhere, they were "appointed." They already were present on the earth but needed to be ordained for the ministry of witnessing.

The two witnesses are Christ and His Body. Christ will not be visible; only the saints bearing the witness can be seen by people. But it actually will be Christ who is bearing witness of His Kingdom. This is why the saints who bear this responsibility must learn to live by the Life of Christ and not by their own thinking, planning, speaking, and acting.

The olive trees tell us of the double portion of the anointing of the Spirit that will rest on Christ and the members of His Body. The two lampstands refer to Christ and the victorious saints of the churches.

The witnesses perform destructive works because they are bearing witness of the soon coming of the Kingdom of God to enforce God's will on the nations of the earth. This heavenly attack will cause great destruction to the institutions of the world.

In the middle of the week God will permit Antichrist to overcome the witness. As I understand it, the last half of the week, the time Antichrist is permitted to vaunt his power, will be the period of the Great Tribulation.

The witness is overcome by Sodom, the lusts of the flesh; Egypt, the love of the world; and Jerusalem, the pride of self-will; religious pride.

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. (Revelation 11:7-9)

It appears that some of the above passage is symbolic. However, it probably means that the Christian testimony will be brought into disrepute during the last half of the week, the time of the rule of Antichrist and the Great Tribulation.

After the week has been completed the witnesses will be revived and be caught up to Heaven in a cloud. Whether the actual bodies of the witnesses will be brought back to life, or the witnesses gathered from where they have been scattered, and then caught up to Heaven, I do not know.

In the fourth chapter of the Book of First Thessalonians, the saints are resurrected and then caught up in the clouds to meet Christ in the air along with those saints who have returned with Christ.

There are two Greek terms that must be considered. There is the term that can mean the spiritual Heaven, or the sky.

There is another term that means the air.

In Revelation 11, the witnesses are caught up to the spiritual "Heaven," or to the "sky". Same term in the Greek text.

In I Thessalonians we are caught up to meet Christ in the "air."

So it may mean that the witnesses are caught up into the sky, or into the air, where people can see them. This would account for the "terror" of the people of the world.

But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven (or to the heaven or to the sky) in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. (Revelation 11:11,12)

The next verse tells us about the great earthquake that killed seven thousand people. This agrees with the Scripture that states when Lot went out of Sodom, destruction followed.

At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. (Revelation 11:13)

I never did figure out what the "third woe" is, unless it is referring to the Day of Wrath. "The third woe is coming soon." (Revelation 11:14)

The preparation of the two witnesses, and the ministry of the two witnesses, will occur during the period when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet. Now that the final witness has been removed from the earth, it is time for the seventh trumpet to be blown.

The seventh trumpet announces the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth. God has taken to Himself His great power and commences His reign over the earth. This is the answer to the familiar "Lord's Prayer."

The Day of Divine Wrath is now at hand.

Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm. (Revelation 11:19)

Chapter Twelve of the Book of Revelation is filled with events of the highest significance.

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. (Revelation 12:1)

First we see the travail of the Church to bring forth Christ. There shall be no more delay, as the Scripture states. This will take place concurrently with the events of the preceding two chapters, according to my understanding.

Both the Church and Satan are seen in Heaven, or perhaps in the sky. Satan's tail "drew the third of the stars of the heaven and flung them to the earth."

It grew until it reached the host of the heavens, and it threw some of the starry host down to the earth and trampled on them. (Daniel 8:10)

We see this taking place in our own day, don't we? Many Christians who had been secure in Mount Zion have fallen through sexual lust and have become as those with no spiritual life.

One of the greatest lies ever told in Christian circles is that of "once saved always saved." Can you grasp the destruction this has caused? The warning in Revelation about the danger of someone taking our crown is often disregarded. "Let him who stands take heed lest he fall"!

If we are sensitive to the Lord we can tell there is a travail among church people. We are being admonished to lay aside our own plans and ambitions that the Life of the Lord Jesus might come to maturity in us. When He does, He is caught up spiritually to God and to His Throne. The Christ being formed in us is destined to govern the nations of the earth.

First we bear witness of the coming of the Kingdom. Then we are the Kingdom that appears with Christ.

The Church who bore the male Son apparently will have to go into hiding for a season. God will take care of her there.

There will be war in Heaven. Michael shall cast the devil and his angels to the earth. Michael was able to do this because of the "brothers" who had overcome Satan in the sight of God.

They overcame by the blood of the Lamb; by their testimony of the truth of God's Word; and by loving not their own life to the death. I believe this process is taking place in our day.

The period of time between the catching up of the witnesses and the return of Christ with His army of saints and angels will be a dreadful time for those living on the earth. Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet will be here on the earth along with the wicked people of the nations. Also, the vials of Divine wrath will be poured out at this time, if I am correct.

There will be numerous people remaining on the earth after the Royal Priesthood goes to meet the Lord in the air, it must be true that the vials of wrath are poured out quickly—perhaps simultaneously. Otherwise there would be no one left on the earth for the Christ and His saints to govern.

The casting of Satan to the earth resulted in great exultation in Heaven, and the coming of the Kingdom of God.

The Church had to flee to a prepared place. The Church was helped during the last half of the week, the period when Antichrist was governing.

Satan then proceeded to wage war against the victorious saints, perhaps those who had been bearing witness of the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth, including those in whom Christ had been born.

Chapter Thirteen gives us a closer look at Antichrist. Antichrist comes out of the "sea," that is out of the mass of people of the world. Antichrist sponsors what we Christians refer to as "worldliness."

Notice that God gives Antichrist power to overcome the saints. This seems strange to us, but it is part of the way God works.

It was given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (Revelation 13:7)

The saints will have to employ great patience and faithfulness if they are to stand in the midst of such evil. In fact, the Bible tells us, the love of many will grow cold at this time because of the wickedness.

Then another beast appears. This is the False Prophet. He does not come from the mass of mankind but "out of the earth," that is, out of the soul of people.

The False Prophet is the spirit of religious delusion. He is increasing greatly in our day. Since the advent of the Pentecostal experience, numerous believers have fallen through deception, mistaking that which is soulish for that which is spiritual. It may be that we are more open to spirits than has been true of past movements.

Whenever we try to make this world heavenly, not being willing to bear our cross patiently, we fall into deception. The recent "prosperity" and "name it and claim it" doctrines are examples of the work of the False Prophet.

There is so much silliness in the Charismatic movement, people barking like dogs and other foolishness, that one wonders at the blindness of those who name the name of Christ. If I am not mistaken, more deception is yet to follow.

It is the spirit of religious deception that supports Antichrist by miraculous signs. It is this spirit of deception that ordered people to set up an image in honor of Antichrist.

The False Prophet has two horns of the Lamb (the double portion of supposed Christian power) but it speaks with the voice of the dragon. Do you know what that voice is? "I will. I will. I will. I will."

It is the voice of Satan. It is the voice of human beings as they attempt to build the Kingdom of God by their own wisdom and strength; as they seek to control the spirit world by mental effort—directing angels, working miracles, and so forth.

Such human-controlled phenomena is well known to Eastern practitioners of their religion.

The False Prophet will perform mighty miracles in support of Antichrist.

It is the False Prophet who will force all people to receive the mark of Antichrist on their right hands or their foreheads.

Let's stand back for a moment and look at what we are stating.

The spirit of Antichrist is that of man being his own god; choosing his own way. His power is money—buying and selling. This spirit already has entered the Charismatic movement, and perhaps other religious persuasions also.

I am saying that in the closing days of the Church Age, Christian people will support the world spirit of buying and selling, believing that wealth is godliness. We have seen the beginning of this as Christians perceive Capitalism to be associated with godliness. In my opinion, this attempt to gain riches will mount in the churches until they will work alongside the world in the area of finance.

When we see the Christian churches supporting the world governments in economic ventures, crying economic peace and safety, we had better draw close to Christ!

Chapter Fourteen of the Book of Revelation tells us about God's Firstfruits. It is a marvel to me that God's pastors and teachers do not place a greater emphasis on this portion of the Scriptures. I believe if they would, many believers would aspire to be a part of the Firstfruits. I know it is one of my goals!

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. (Revelation 14:1)

Notice that the Lamb is standing on Mount Zion, Mount Zion being the Christian Church, as I noted previously. Up to this point the Lamb has been sitting at God's right hand.

The Lamb is ready to go to war against His enemies. This means that the Holy Spirit will be pointing out to us the sin in our personality. Sin absolutely must be confessed and turned away from. Up to this point the emphasis has been upon Jesus forgiving us and taking us to Heaven. This emphasis now is changing. Jesus is seen as the Deliverer who is preparing us for the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.

The sound of rushing water and of thunder is telling us that God is preparing to issue the power of the seven thunders, as soon as He can find people who will turn from their own planning and thinking and invite the Lord Jesus into every aspect of their life.

They do not permit anyone or any thing to come between them and the Lord Jesus. They are "virgins," in this sense.

They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. As it says in First Thessalonians, the fourth chapter, "so shall we ever be with the Lord."

When I think of the awesome maturity and power of these who will return with the Lord Jesus and establish the Kingdom of God upon the earth, I realize that these Firstfruits may be the only ones who will be raised from the dead, or changed, and then caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

When we consider the multitude of believers who are not disciples, who do not deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus, we perceive how far short they are of returning with Christ and crushing the will of the nations of the earth.

Whether or not these Firstfruits are the only ones who will be ready when Jesus appears, I think each of us should press forward into Christ to a far, far greater extent than is true of the average professing Christian in the United States. It certainly is a possibility that the Christians mentioned here in Chapter Fourteen are the ones who will be ready for the Lord.

The angel flying in midair proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom to all those on the earth. The Gospel of the Kingdom has been lost, it appears, for two thousand years. It is being restored in our day. For a long time it has been the "gospel of Heaven."

The announcement is made that Babylon is fallen. Babylon refers to the Christian organizations, and possibly other religious groups, that are driven by human thinking and energy.

This is followed, in Chapter Fourteen , by an extremely severe warning to those who accept the Antichrist world system; who make money their god.

The severe warning is followed by our means of survival and salvation:

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them." (Revelation 14:13)

From our day on forward, the only manner by which we are going to survive, and help our loved ones to survive, is by "dying in the Lord." We absolutely must turn from our own thinking, planning, speaking, and working, and look to the Lord Jesus to live His Life in us. There is no other way in which to survive in the days of judgment that are ahead of us.

We are approaching the time when Christ will reap the fruit of the earth. Perhaps these are the ones who come out of the Great Tribulation.

Then there was a reaping of the wicked. They were thrown into the winepress of God's wrath.

Moving ahead to Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen of the Book of Revelation:

We have come now to a clearer description of the Day of Wrath.

As I said, the Great Tribulation, as I understand it, occurs during the last half of the prophetic week, during the rule of Antichrist.

The Day of Wrath, on the other hand, will take place as soon as the victorious saints have been caught up to meet the Lord.

During World War Two, when the Japanese islands were being invaded, the guns of the battleships would first "soften up" the Japanese positions. Then the Marines would go to the beaches in their landing crafts.

It may be like that before the Lord comes. The Day of Wrath may soften up the positions of the enemy. Then Christ and His army of saints and army of angels will descend and attack the enemy at Har Magedon . After that the invasion by Joel's army will judge the inhabitants of the earth. This is my understanding at the present time.

You can understand from these terrible events in the future—maybe the near future—how utterly important it is that we practice today living by the Life of Jesus. Human efforts in the coming days will have no wisdom, power, or spiritual authority.

First we see the "sea of glass." Perhaps this is the same sea of glass that John saw earlier.

Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. (Revelation 4:6)

But now the sea of glass is "glowing with fire." This is because God finally is judging Satan and all his works.

Standing by the burning sea are those who have emerged victoriously from the Antichrist world spirit and have kept themselves pure before Christ.

They sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb. Thus we see that the Church of Christ includes all the saints of the Old and New Testaments. There is only one song, and it is sung by all true saints. You and I can sing it today if we will keep focused on Christ!

And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. (Revelation 14:3)

Now seven angels appear, holding the vials of God's wrath.

There are golden sashes around their chests, reminding us of Christ in the first chapter of Revelation. Perhaps these seven are saints. The term "angel" (messenger) may refer to a spirit or a human being. It is given to the saints to exercise judgment.

May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them— this is the glory of all his faithful people. (Psalms 149:6-9)

Chapter Sixteen :

The description of the bowls of wrath indeed is terrible to consider; but then, God has withheld His wrath for centuries as Satan and his angels have striven to destroy the image of God in mankind.

"Ugly and festering sores" on those who had participated in the Antichrist spirit of the world.

All the bodies of water on the earth, from the sea to the springs of water, are turned to blood.

"The sun is allowed to scorch people with fire."

Antichrist's kingdom is "plunged into darkness."

We know we are part of the kingdom of Antichrist when we place money ahead of principle.

The sixth angel (messenger) dried up the Euphrates River. This is necessary because the kings from the East, that is, the Lord Jesus and His army of saints and angels, are on horses and need a staging area. The bed of the Euphrates curves to the north. This permits the army of Christ to launch a frontal attack and also to cut off Antichrist on the north.

Demon spirits came out of the mouth of Satan, out of the mouth of Antichrist, and out of the mouth of the False Prophet. The task of these demon spirits is to gather an army of soldiers from the nations.

The Lord Jesus warns everyone to stay awake spiritually because the conflict of the ages is at hand:

"Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed." (Revelation 16:15)

The armies of the earth took up their position at the site of Har Magedon, north of Jerusalem.

Then they gathered the kings together to the mound (Tell—a layered hill with ruins of ancient cities) that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. (Revelation 16:16)

As I said previously, the time of God's wrath must be short. Otherwise there would be no one left on the earth for Christ and His saints to govern.

The time of wrath will occur, as I understand it, between the time the Royal Priesthood has been caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and the return of the Lord with His saints and holy angels.

When the seventh angel pours out his bowl, the wrath of God has reached its climax. The earth was devastated with an earthquake of unprecedented magnitude; the cities of the nations collapsed; hundred-pound hailstones fell from the sky.

The response of the people on the earth will be to curse God, so great is the wickedness of human beings.

From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible. (Revelation 16:21)

When the Lord returns, the wrath will have been accomplished. The plagues will be lifted. Then, according to my understanding, Christ and His saints and angels will destroy the power of Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet.

As soon as the victory at Har Magedon has been fully accomplished, Christ and His future rulers will go through the earth to cleanse it of demons and wicked people . This invasion is described in the second chapter of the Book of Joel.

Now Christ will sit on His Throne in Jerusalem. He will establish new national boundaries, creating nations small enough to be governed successfully, and then send out His victorious saints to govern these new nations.

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— that one 'will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery'—just as I have received authority from my Father. (Revelation 2:26,27)

Chapters Seventeen and Eighteen deal mainly with Babylon. Babylon represents organized religion.

There are some who believe that "Babylon" represents the Roman Catholic Church. If we were living when the Catholic Church was at the heights of its power, the description given in Chapters 17 and 18 might reinforce this belief.

It is my own point of view that Babylon represents all attempts to organize the salvation that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am not suggesting that we all should rush out of the denominations. I myself am an ordained minister in a Pentecostal denomination.

Nevertheless, I see the problem. God is moving forward today past, but including, the Pentecostal experience; and it may be true that the Pentecostal organizations are not aware of what God is doing. This is understandable given the large investment that an organization has in the present order.

Of course, all Christian individuals, whether or not he or she is deeply entrenched in an organization, is more than welcome to march on with the Spirit of God.

People desire to organize, systematize, to make situations predictable–in short, the natural man aspires to be in control. The idea that we should just keep looking to Jesus is not what our adamic nature wants.

I am aware of the need for the management of money, for the appropriate conduct of business with the government, and the involvement of the church with the local city or town management concerning church property.

I am speaking primarily of the relationship of the believer with the Lord Jesus, of the interaction between the two persons.

This goes back to the original Tower of Babel, doesn't it. "Let us make a name for ourselves lest we be scattered."

But God did not approve of their plans.

Rather than emphasizing the operation of an organizational structure, perhaps we as individual believers should set aside our own plans and thoughts, wisdom, strength and talents, and look to Jesus moment by moment, whether or not we are part of a Christian organization.

This is difficult for the natural man. However, the difference in the approach to Christian discipleship is the difference between Babylon and genuine Christ-filled salvation.

The Spirit of God is calling to us to obey Him and move past the Pentecostal experience in the spiritual fulfillment of the final three festivals of the seven Levitical observances. There are treasures of understanding available to anyone who will listen to the Spirit.

There are so many thoroughly scriptural doctrines that often are not emphasized in Christian teaching and preaching, for example: the rest of God; the translation of imputed righteousness into actual righteousness of conduct; the need to attain to the first resurrection; the need to confess and turn away from our sins; eternal judgment; the effect of our daily decisions on the kind of resurrection we will have; and many, many more that seldom are mentioned.

Because we do not know what comes after the Pentecostal experience, weird excessively emotional experiences are being practiced as well as pseudo revivals. Stanley Frodsham warned us about these saying there would come "revivals" that were eighty percent biblical but contained that which is false. How accurate has been his prediction!

Several years ago, Audrey and were prayed over by a distinguished presbytery. Prophetic utterance occurred. I remember one statement: people will come to you saying look at this, look at that; but it will be "empty crackers" (an unusual phrase). But it has proven to be true. The several "excitements" that have occurred over the last forty years indeed have been "empty crackers."

Sad to say, the religious people who have the spirit of Babylon will always persecute, despise, and murder those who simply want to trust in Jesus and follow Him at all times.

I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God's holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. (Revelation 17:6)

They will say they are trusting Jesus, and they will pray mightily that Jesus' will be done. But in back of this fervor is a human being who is seeking to do that which is in accordance with his own will.

Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet will help the self-directed religious person carry out his desires. (How many fervent believers have been killed because they did not submit to the discipline of the Roman Catholic prelates?)

He will hate anyone who really is dancing with Jesus in the dance of Mahanaim .

He wants to be in control of his own life, and Jesus wants to be in control of his life. One or the other must prevail.

Antichrist is man making himself God, depending on money to enforce his will.

Whether the most ornate cathedral, or a humble church of impoverished believers, either Babylon will prevail or Jesus will prevail.

One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries."

Such is the spirit of organized religion, of all organized religion whether or not it is Christian. My personal opinion is that in the future all major religions will unite and establish their headquarters at the site of ancient Babylon in Iraq.

"Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel who was speaking to me. He replied, "To the country of Babylonia to build a house for it. When the house is ready, the basket will be set there in its place." (Zechariah 5:10,11)

There will come a time in the future when the massive religious organization will share the rulership of the world with the Antichrist government. However, as could be predicted, the Antichrist government finally will turn on the religious organization and destroy it.

The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. (Revelation 17:16)

Chapter Eighteen:

All man-directed religion will come to an end before Jesus returns.

After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!' She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal." (Revelation 18:1,2)

The evil dwelling in religion that has been organized by human beings will be revealed in the closing days of the Church Age. The hidden nature of that which on the surface appears so beautiful and pure will be shown for what it truly is.

I believe I read somewhere that the large American businesses depend upon Christmas sales in order to remain solvent. The celebration of Christmas in America often is thoroughly materialistic, not honoring Christ at all.

"For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries." (Revelation 18:3)

Before the Lord returns, Christian people will forsake the organizations that have kept them apart and will portray their Divine origin. Then the world will recognize that indeed it is the God of Heaven who has sent Christ into the world.

Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people," so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues. (Revelation 18:4)

I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:23)

I realize there are believers today who are urging us to "come out of Babylon." For myself, I am not certain the time has come as yet. If we come out of the current churches and call ourselves the "come-outers," or whatever, we will just have built another Babylon.

Nevertheless the time will come in the future, when the religions have joined together, that we will have to leave the great religious organization of the closing days of the Church Age.

It is the Glory of God that will bring forth the true Body of Christ. The following passage portrays the time when Christ brings His Body together. We will not have to make a decision about becoming one with all true Christians, the Spirit of God will do it for us, to a certain extent anyway.

The tremendous Glory of God will overwhelm us so we are carried out of ourselves, just as the priests could not minister at the inauguration of the Temple of Solomon because of the tremendous Presence of the Lord.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isaiah 60:1-3)

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. (John 17:22,23)

As far as I know, these are the people who will be changed, when the Lord appears, and join with those who have returned with the Lord and have been resurrected. Then together with them they will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.

Now back to the spirit of religion:

Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, "I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn." (Revelation 18:7)

"I sit enthroned as a queen." That statement is significant.

The Bride of the Lamb is not referred to, in the New Testament, as a "queen." She is the "body" of Christ. She is not separate from Him in any manner. As Eve was constructed from Adam, so the Bride of the Lamb is constructed from the body and blood of the Lamb.

"Queens" are independent people. They have their own will. The Christian organizations often are like that. They refer continually to the progress they are making in expanding their organization. But in the process they do not always glorify Christ.

I mentioned previously that it will be the False Prophet, which is composed of religious people who are self-directed, who will sponsor the Antichrist spirit of buying and selling. So it is that the secular world benefits greatly from the Christian churches.

What then will be true when the secular governments destroy the great religious conglomerate?

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore—cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves. (Revelation 18:11-13)

Notice that God will no longer permit the voice of the Lamb and His Bride to be heard in an organized religious setting. This is why there are no churches in Heaven and will not be on the new earth.

The new Jerusalem itself will be the eternal dwelling place of God placed among saved mankind. It is composed of God, the Lamb, and the Royal Priesthood. There will be no hierarchal structure within the Royal Priesthood. All will be equal. All will have the heart of a servant. The Lamb will be the Head.

The light of a lamp will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again. Your merchants were the world's important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. (Revelation 18:23)

Such is the end of that to which we have been accustomed; to the Christian churches, which always appeared to be seeking the good of people.

We understand that there have been numerous pastors and missionaries who have spent their lives improving the circumstances of other people.

Nevertheless, the splendor of the Roman Catholic Church and her Protestant daughters have sometimes revealed in themselves the reason that two chapters of the Book of Revelation are devoted to her abominations and her final destruction.

It may be true, as I have mentioned previously, that in the last days the evils of secular and religious governments will evolve until it is clear that any structure that is not built by the Life of the Lord Jesus Christ is unclean at its core. This is equally true of Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and all other religious organizations.

While there are some fine people in all of these groups, in the end it will be shown clearly that the adamic nature is corrupt and only the Life and Person of Jesus Christ will survive the Divine judgment of Satan and his works.

The spirit that motivates Christian organizations will be revealed when the true saints come out of the religious systems. Then the murderous heart of religion will be seen clearly.

Chapter Nineteen commences with great jubilation because of the destruction of the religious systems. It seems like all of Heaven will rejoice over this event.

After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God." (Revelation 19:1)

All of this jubilation because of the end of the rulership of the religious system of the last days!

This is because of the oppression brought about by religious rule. I don't think this is true of the Christian churches of our day to any significant extent. But we are being told here that the religious systems had grown to the place where they, as was true of the Pharisees of old, were putting burdens on people that were found to be grievous.

Something else is true. It happens sometimes that the Christian religious organizations tend to obscure the fellowship we can have with Jesus, pointing to their own ecclesiastical accomplishments instead.

Now we come to the second and last to the first part of the marriage of the Lamb. This will occur at the next appearing of Christ. Then the thousand-year Kingdom Age will take place. At the end of the Kingdom Age, the second part of the marriage of the Lamb will come to pass as the Bride, the new Jerusalem, descends to the new earth.

The first part of the marriage, when the Lord Jesus appears, is set forth below:

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.) ( Revelation 19:7,8)

We are reminded that not everyone will be invited to the marriage when Jesus appears, by the fact that the successful candidates are those who are clothed in the righteous behavior that proceeds from Christ. This idea is reinforced in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. The bride has to make herself ready.

Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God." (Revelation 19:9)

There will be a period of time while the vials of wrath are poured out. After this the firstfruits of the Royal Priesthood, along with the army of angels, will descend to the earth in order to install the Kingdom of God. Then the greatest cavalry charge of all history shall occur.

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. (Revelation 19:11)

The awesome power of the Father will enable Christ and His two armies, the saints and the angels, to smash totally the principal forces of evil. Antichrist and the False Prophet were "thrown alive" into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The armies of wicked people were slain.

Revelation, Chapter Twenty sets forth the closing of the Church Age, including the first and second resurrections.

We see that Satan is not thrown into the Lake of Fire to be with Antichrist and the False Prophet, because he yet has a task to perform. He is confined temporarily in the Abyss.

I don't believe I ever have heard a sermon about the first resurrection. But it certainly is scriptural.

I preach quite a bit about the first resurrection. It is the resurrection that will take place when Jesus appears. It has to be attained to by diligent discipleship. I think this is the resurrection the Apostle Paul was striving to attain to.

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. (Revelation 20:6)

The passage above tells us about those who will go with Christ when He next appears. It is not a description of most Christians in the world today. Nevertheless, only these shall go to meet Christ!

The trumpet needs to be sounded in the Christian churches. We are teaching that all professing Christians are going to be resurrected (or changed) and caught up to meet Christ in the air.

I do not believe this is true at all. The ones who will be able to receive the Lord when He appears are a firstfruits to God and the Lamb. They are qualified and competent to govern the nations with the Lord. This assuredly is not true of the rank and file of the members of the Christian churches in America.

The second death, the Lake of Fire, has no power over the Firstfruits. This is because through Christ they have overcome the behaviors over which the Father has given the Lake of Fire authority. They are victorious saints, every one of them. They are not the lukewarm believers of the Christian churches.

I am sounding the trumpet in Zion, because I do not believe numerous Christian believers are ready to be caught up to the Lord when He appears, and then to descend with Him in the power of the Father to establish the rule of Christ over the nations of the earth. As far as I can determine, those believers who, because of serving Antichrist and the False prophet, will be on the earth when the vials of God's wrath are poured out.

A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name." This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus. (Revelation 14:9-12)

The passage above well may be one of the most fearful warnings in the entire Scriptures. Those who will experience the Divine fury are ordinary people who are living comfortably in the Antichrist world spirit, looking to acquiring money as the purpose of life. They are not seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Right here we can see where the current teaching of "grace" has wrought its destruction of Christian thinking.

The proponents of grace will read Revelation 149:9-12, and conclude that they need not worry because they are "saved by grace." They will not be able to perceive the admonition: "This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus."

They will rejoice in their belief that "grace" keeps them safe from all such scriptural warnings. Can you see from this why I have spent much of my adult life attempting to warn God's people of the dangers of the "grace" teaching?

To worship the beast and its image means merely to live comfortably in the Antichrist world system, in which money plays a predominant role. Is this true of numerous professing Christians of today who are waiting to be saved from Antichrist by an unscriptural "rapture"?

Only saints who are pursuing the life of victory in the Lord Jesus will be resurrected and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. The rest of the believers will be here with Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet. The vials of wrath will be poured out before Christ and His saints and angels descend through the sky and attack the evil lords of darkness.

The purpose of the thousand-year Kingdom Age, which will follow the next coming of Christ, is to give the members of the Bride of the Lamb, who were not prepared to receive Christ at His appearing, an opportunity to grow to maturity so they will be competent to descend as the Royal Priesthood, whose home is the new Jerusalem.

I am speaking now of the weak, ignorant members of God's elect. Christ and the firstfruits of the Royal Priesthood will help the "bruised reeds." During the thousand-year Kingdom Age they will be ministered to by more mature saints.

But there is no "second chance" for the lazy, careless believers who have wasted their Kingdom gifts. They never will be part of the Glory to which they have been called. The crown of anointing they had been given will be entrusted to another more diligent believer, and they themselves will be led away into the outer darkness.

At the end of the Kingdom Age, Satan will be released from the Abyss and go forth to turn the hearts of the nations of the earth against God, Christ, and the saints. Fire will come down from God and destroy the rebels. It is amazing that after the Great Tribulation, the Day of Wrath, and a thousand-years of the rulership of Christ and His saints, numerous peoples of the earth will be willing to rebel against Christ and those who are governing with Him!

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. (Revelation 20:7-9)

As far as I can tell, this marks the end of flesh and blood humanity. The new humanity, the saved people who will inherit the new earth, will be alive by the Spirit of God rather than by blood.

Now it is time for Satan, whom God has used to accomplish God's purpose in bringing forth the Royal Priesthood, to join Antichrist and the False Prophet in the Lake of Fire. Satan's evil works in the earth have served to give the leaders of the future ages an opportunity to recognize evil, and through Christ to overcome the evil. Satan's usefulness then will be finished.

Next we come to the second and last resurrection. Everyone who did not participate in the first resurrection will be here, as far as I know.

No books were opened at the first resurrection because the believers had gone through the Judgment Seat of Christ during their lifetime. They had confessed and turned away from their sins when they were pointed out.

I think this must be true also of those in the spirit world who did not have a chance to confess and turn away from their sins while living on the earth, for any number of reasons.

For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. (I Peter 4:6)

It may be difficult for us to picture in our mind how someone deceased and in the spirit world could have sin in his or her personality that must be confessed and renounced. But if you think about it, dying physically does not deliver us from our sins. Sin is spiritually based, so it must accompany us until it is dealt with.

We know Abraham is in the Kingdom of God. Yet an individual cannot be in the Kingdom until he is born again, and it was not possible to be born again until Christ was raised from the dead. So we conclude that a long time after he was deceased, and after Christ was raised from the dead, Abraham had an opportunity to receive Christ and be born again.

I am not implying that we can reject Christ now and then receive Him after we die. To the best of my knowledge, that is not true. Christ comes to a person at that person's appointed time, whether on earth or in the spirit world. If the individual at that time rejects the Lordship of Christ, he will never have another chance after he dies and is in the spirit world.

If a person never has heard the Gospel, or when he did hear received Christ and then died a week later, as happens sometimes, there must be some provision so he could have an opportunity to be in God's Firstfruits. At least, I hope that the individual will have that opportunity.

It probably is true that most works of redemption occur after people die. But if they had an opportunity to receive Christ while living on the earth, and refused to do so, I seriously doubt the person will have an opportunity in the spirit world. But then, God reserves to Himself the decisions concerning each individual.

Those whose names were not found in the Book of Life were thrown into the Lake of Fire, to be with Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet, along with whatever other wicked personages are there.

The Bible does not say what happens to those whose names were found in the Book of Life. Perhaps we can assume they will be brought over to citizenship on the new earth.

Chapters Twenty-one and Twenty-two show us what God has had in mind all along. God finished the history of mankind, including the new sky and earth, at the very beginning. Then He rested from His work. His Word is working at all times, bringing to pass what God envisioned from the first.

We are called to enter that rest and not attempt to create our own Heaven and earth!

This present world is not "life," as God intends life to be. Rather it is the valley of the shadow of death. Its primary purpose is to prepare a royal priesthood who will govern the works of God's hands throughout the eternal ages that will begin with the coming to earth of the new Jerusalem.

Unlike the first part of the Bride, that we noticed in Chapter 19, the entire Bride of the Lamb now is prepared to assume her role as the Royal Priesthood. She has been prepared by stronger saints who had participated in the first resurrection, as I understand it.

There are no churches on the new earth. The Bride herself is the Tabernacle of God now present on the earth and available to all saved people. The Presence and Throne of God are on the earth, living in the personalities of the priesthood.

There is no more "sea" of people who do not know God and who can be swayed by demagogues.

We may wish to note that God is not making all new things but all things new. This means that life as we know it, including our environment, will be more familiar than strange. The difference will be that all will reflect the Lord Jesus Christ. He will become the Center of all persons and things.

The water of the Life of the Spirit of God will be available to all who desire it. It will proceed from the Throne of God then be located in the saints. The saints will bring forth God's life with the greatest joy.

With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3)

The believers who have found victory through Christ will inherit all that God is making new, and will be counted as God's sons.

Unfortunately there will be some who did not take advantage of the Divine redemption. The fiery lake of burning sulfur will claim them for its own.

Considerable emphasis is placed on the wall. The huge wall surrounding the new Jerusalem reminds us that as long as angels and people have a will they can exercise, sin and rebellion always are a possibility. The wall of the new Jerusalem will keep spiritual darkness away from the presence of God and His saints.

One concept not always presented by the Christian churches is the fact that saved people are in two groups. There is the Church, that is called out from the world. Then there are the saved people from the nations of the earth.

The Royal Priesthood, the Church, has been fashioned by God to serve the saved people of the nations. Through the Church the Presence, rule, and blessing of God are brought to people.

We can observe in the following passage the difference between the new Jerusalem, which is the Royal Priesthood, and the nations of saved people.

The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. (Revelation 21:24-26)

The following verse could be interpreted to mean that some inhabitants of the new earth might fall into sin on occasion. If this is true, it means they could not enter through the gates of the new Jerusalem and drink of the Water of Life or eat from the Tree of Life.

Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. (Revelation 21:27)

It is my opinion that Christ always will have an army of saints and angels who will deal with any person who chooses to sin. The Kingdom of Christ is to expand forever, meaning that somehow people will continue to be born and grow into adulthood. If this is true, there always will be a need for officials who will be qualified to deal with those who choose to sin.

Chapter Twenty-two

Sermons WOR