Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Sixth Seal: Signs in the Sky Speak of Harvest and Outpouring

A. The shaking of the heavens in the sixth seal is related to the nations coming to Jesus.

6 Thus says the LORD of hosts… "I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire (Jesus) of all nations. (Hag. 2:6-7)

B. The sixth seal events were prophesied by Joel in context to the outpouring of the Spirit before Jesus returns. I honor, but do not agree with those who equate the sixth seal with Jesus’ Coming.

28 I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…31 The sun shall be turned into darkness…before the coming of the great…day of the Lord. (Joel 2:28-31)

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days (first five seals) the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall…30 Then…they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven (seventh trumpet) with power and great glory. (Mt. 24:29-30)

C. Summary: The sixth seal describes God’s glory being released in context to martyrdom resulting in the shaking of the nations, the outpouring of the Spirit and the great Harvest.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Response of Unbelievers to Seals

15 The kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (Rev. 6:15-17)
A. John describes those affected from seven categories of society. He emphasizes how leaders will respond. Kings (presidents); (world leaders); great menrich men (financial leaders); military commanders; mighty men (civil leaders); every slave and free man (common class majority).

B. Powerful world leaders are pictured as running for their lives in panic without regard for their dignity as they run to the mountains claiming to hide from a God they said did not exist. Later in the seventh bowl, they decide to fight against Jesus (Rev. 19:17-21).

C. Some asteroids can be detected years ahead of time so that nations will know they are coming.

D. Unbelievers will perceive God’s wrath in these signs as they cry to the mountains, "Fall on us and hide us from the wrath of the Lamb!” They run in panic understanding the cosmic disturbances as God’s judgment.

E. We are not told how they conclude this is God’s wrath. The forerunners have been proclaiming it since the opening of the first seal. This is not the Second Coming because at that time, the world leaders will fight Jesus instead of running to hide from Him in the mountains (Rev. 19:17-21).

F. The unbelievers will understand and even announce the coming of the Day of the Lord.

G. Jesus, Peter and Paul taught that the Day of the Lord would come as a thief surprising many (Mt. 24:37-44; 1 Thes. 5:2-4; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 3:3; 16:15).

H. Isaiah prophesied of people hiding in the caves (Isa. 2:10, 21, 19; Hos. 10:8; Lk. 23:30).

10 Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, from the terror of the LORD and the glory of His majesty…11 The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day…19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, from the terror of the Lord…when He arises to shake the earth mightily. (Isa. 2:10-19)

I. The saints will see and understand in this hour in which Nahum’s prophecy is fulfilled.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances and Fear

Earthquake: Is mentioned 7 times in Revelation (Rev. 6:12; 8:5; 11:13 [2x], 19; 16:18 [2x]). Four times they are prophesied with the qualifying word great (Rev. 6:12; 11:13; 16:18 [2x]).

Sun: The darkening of the sun cannot be for a long period or the earth would freeze. What causes this darkening? This will be Jesus’ supernatural work. Yet, it could also include natural events such as volcanic eruptions that leave particles in the air as ash, dust, debris, a nuclear fallout or even a full eclipse which occurs when something gets in between earth and the light of the sun.

The sun will be black as sackcloth. Sackcloth is the clothing of mourning and judgment (Isa. 33:9). The prophets wore black and sackcloth when calling for repentance (Mt. 11:21; Lk 10:13; Rev. 11:3). The sun will one day wear the garments of death and mourning.

Moon: This will be Jesus’ supernatural work. Yet, it could also include natural events as gases or a lunar eclipse that change the color of the moon's light to look red. A lunar eclipse occurs during a full moon when the earth gets in the way of the light of the sun. Blood red speaks of death.

Stars: Asteroids and meteor showers hitting the earth. The Greek word for stars used here is “aster” from which we get the word asteroid. An aster refers to any shining mass in the sky, including stars, comets, meteors, asteroids, or any flaming debris, etc.

The diameter of the earth is nearly 8,000 miles. Our sun is a small star which is over 800,000 miles in diameter (100 times larger than the earth). One star hitting the earth would destroy it, thus the kings would not need to flee to the mountains. Stars will still be in the sky in the fourth trumpet (Rev. 8:12). Isaiah prophesied of stars losing their light rather than falling (Isa. 13:10).

As God guided David’s stone to hit Goliath, so He will guide these stones (asteroids) to destroy the Antichrist’s infrastructure. Meteorites will bombard the earth as compared to a fig tree losing its figs when strong winds blow on it.

Sky: The sky will recede (split, divide, move back) as a scroll. God will cause the sky to roll back, thus opening a window to see into heaven so that worldwide leaders may witness it.

Mountains moved: Every mountain and island will be moved out of its place does not imply that they are all destroyed. No one would be able to hide in the mountains if they were all destroyed. There are five specific earthquakes prophesied in Revelation: At the sixth seal (Rev. 6:12), at the release of the trumpets (Rev. 8:5), at the seventh trumpet (Rev. 11:15, 19), when the Two Witnesses ascend to heaven (Rev. 11:13) and at the seventh bowl (Rev. 16:17-21) which is referred to as the most severe earthquake in history (Zech. 14:4-5; Isa. 2:19; 29:6; Hag. 2:6, 7).

Monday, September 7, 2009

Fifth Seal: Prayer Movement and Martyrs

9 When He (Jesus) opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God...10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and brethren, who would be killed…was completed. (Rev. 6:9-11)

A. Jesus will release the fifth seal judgment against the Antichrist in context to a significant increase of intercession. The prayer movement in heaven and on earth (Lk. 18:8) will increase at the fifth seal. The fifth seal judgment is against the Antichrist not against the martyred saints.

B. Jesus prophesied about the end-time prayer movement on earth crying out for vengeance against the great injustice of the Antichrist’s reign of terror. This occurs at the time of the fifth seal.

C. The fifth seal judgment is more severe than the four preceding it. The judgments increase in intensity as the seals unfold. The fourth seal resulted in the death of one fourth of the earth. The first four seals were the wicked acting against each other as God removed His restraining hand.

D. The blood of the martyrs crying out for justice in the fifth seal is powerful. It will release a new order of supernatural judgments seen in the sixth seal followed by the trumpets and bowls. There is a dramatic acceleration of judgment after the fifth seal. It is the turning point in Revelation.

E. The mistreatment of the righteous in the first four seals (Rev. 6:1-8) resulted in increased prayer by the saints (Rev. 6:10). The murdering of the saints will stir Jesus’ heart of vengeance.

F. Martyrdom sets into motion a domino affect in the spirit realm which intensifies prayer. Murder backfires on the Antichrist. The shedding of the saint’s blood fuels the prayer movement, purifies the church and releases the harvest. It will result in fearless dedication to Jesus and zeal in the prayer movement which releases judgment.

G. The Antichrist will be the greatest oppressor in history. God is raising up a justice movement to confront him. The end-time prayer movement is the ultimate justice movement. Jesus will confront oppressors and completely overpower them.

H. The wicked do not fear the prayer movement because they do not understand that the blood of martyrs fuels the prayer movement. Murder fills up the guilt of a nation.

I. The Spirit who inspires intercession in heaven in the fifth seal will inspire intercession in the Church on earth as Jesus prophesied in Lk. 18:7-8. The prayer ministry in heaven gives us great insight into the prayer ministry on earth. They will mirror each other.

J. Jesus will confront oppression to the degree that pray ascends. The end-time prayer movement is the greatest justice movement in history. The prayers of the saints (Lk. 18:7-8; Isa. 42:10-16; Rev. 5:8; 22:17), join with the prayers of the martyrs in heaven (Rev. 6:10) and with the prayers of the remnant of Israel (Zech. 12:10; Isa. 64:1-12; 30:18-33; Ps. 94:1-23; 98:1-9; 99:1-9, etc.).

K. Scripture prophesies the end-time prayer movement at the time of the fifth seal in heaven.

L. The prayer ministry is the governmental center of the universe. The end-time prayer movement affects the decrees in God’s court by releasing favor on the saints and judgment on the wicked.