Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Three Numbered Judgment Series

The 3 numbered judgment series are the 3 sets of God’s judgments that are numbered in the Book of Revelation i.e., 7 seals (Rev. 6), 7 trumpets (Rev. 8-9), 7 bowls of wrath (Rev. 15-16). They describe 21 judgments to be released against the Antichrist’s empire in the Tribulation.

The book of Revelation is called the revelation of Jesus because it reveals His heart, power and leadership in preparing the nations for God’s glory. The Father’s purpose in giving us this book is to reveal the majesty of Jesus. It is secondarily a book about events in the End Times. If we read Revelation with the right perspective, it causes us to adore Jesus and to trust His leadership.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants--things which must shortly take place… (Rev. 1:1)

The events prophesied in Revelation are so significant. They include Jesus returning to earth to establish His Kingdom as He releases His judgments, and casts Satan into prison.

We must teach and meditate on these themes regularly so that the “fog of unbelief” lifts off of our mind concerning these unprecedented historic events. We do not see these events with clarity until we get familiar with what Scripture says about them.

The primary theme of the Book of Revelation is Jesus coming back to earth in context to judging the Antichrist’s empire in the Great Tribulation for 3½ years. The secondary theme is tribulation against the saints from the Antichrist (Rev. 12:12; 13:4, 8).

Revelation is the end-time Book of Acts. It is the acts of the Spirit through the end-time Church. As Moses released God’s plagues on Egypt through prayer, and as the apostles released His power in the Book of Acts through prayer, so the Tribulation will be released by the praying Church. The miracles of Exodus and Acts will be combined and multiplied on a global level.

The Book of Revelation is a canonized prayer manual that equips the Church to partner with Jesus in confronting Satan’s authority. Nothing like this has ever happened in history where hundreds of millions are unified with an infallible prayer guide revealing Jesus’ battle plan.

The end-time prayer movement under Jesus’ leadership will release His judgments through prayer (Rev. 5:8; 6:9–11; 8:3–5; 9:13; 10:6; 14:18; 16:7; 19:2). We need not fear the Great Tribulation as powerless victims. We stand boldly as Jesus’ Bride who releases it by prayer.

Monday, May 18, 2009

First Five Bowls of Wrath

First Bowl (Sores): Painful sores on those who worship the Antichrist (Rev. 16:2)

1. These sores will be foul with a terrible odor as foul meat is rotten or putrid. They will be loathsome in being so painful that men will loath them.

2. Only during the seals and trumpets does John mention believers having a divine seal of protection (Rev. 7:3; 9:4). The saints were raptured at the 7th Trumpet.

3. The sixth plague of Egypt was sores or boils (Ex. 9:8-11). Moses warned that rebellion toward God would bring God’s judgment of severe boils (Deut. 28:35).

Second Bowl (Food Supply): Destroying the sea with blood killing all sea life (Rev. 16:3). In my opinion, this is focused on the Mediterranean Sea from Dan. 7. The sea will become like the congealed blood of a dead man with unimaginable stench. There will be complete destruction of marine life not just 1/3 destruction as in the second trumpet.

Third Bowl (Water Supply): Poisoning the earth’s fresh water with blood (Rev. 16:4-7). The third trumpet (Rev. 8:10) is similar to the third bowl in defiling the drinking water. The first plague of Egypt struck the Nile with a similar impact as this (Ex. 7:19-21).

Fourth Bowl (Torment): Scorching heat and fire from the sun (Rev. 16:8-9) is a supernatural act, not merely a natural one. Men blaspheme God (v. 11, 21). This bowl will intensify the heat of the sun. The fourth trumpet affected the sun in the opposite way by making it less intense.

Fifth Bowl (Destruction): Darkness on the Antichrist's global empire (Rev. 16:10-11)

Monday, May 4, 2009

Coming into Agreement with Jesus on End Times

Shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night… Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith (agreement) on the earth? (Lk. 18:7-8)

Be a Berean by having a receptive heart and a searching mind. Be eager but cautious. Boldly challenge and refuse all ideas that you do not clearly see in Scripture for yourself.

They (Bereans) received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:11)

Eschatological (pertaining to the End Times): teachings or activities related to the unique events that will occur on earth in the End Times that will shift human history to the age-to-come. The coming eschatological revolution will be the most comprehensive revolution in human history. This revolution ends when Jesus comes back to earth to replace all the evil leadership on earth.

The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord… (Rev. 11:15)

The governments of all nations will be replaced in a short period of time. Try to envision what secular news agencies would say and how you would describe these events to a friend.

The kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered to make war against Him (Jesus)… The Beast was captured, and with him the False Prophet…these two were cast alive into the lake of fire…21 The rest were killed with the sword…I saw thrones, and they (the saints) sat on them…Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus…and they lived and reigned with Christ for 1000 years… (Rev. 19:19-20:1-4)