FAITH – Part 1: O ye of little faith

As true believers and faithful Christians, the Lord commands us to have faith and to walk by faith. But what is faith? The Bible defines faith as this:
   
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
 
The Greek words used here are defined as follows:
Faith = "Psitis" = noun = belief; strong conviction of the truth of something

Substance = "Hupostasis" = noun = real; has a firm foundation; firm trust; confidence; assurance
 
of things hoped for = "Elpizo" = verb = to hope for; to wait for with full confidence

the evidence = "Eledchos" = noun = proof; that by which a thing is proved or tested; conviction

In other words, because faith is a noun and not a verb, it is something that we possess, not something that we do. According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the "hoping" is the verb in this sentence. Therefore, we could say that faith is a belief, or a stong conviction, in something that what we confidently trust in, and that it is a true reality, and that we confidently hope for it, or wait for it, even though we cannot see it.

But there are degrees of faith; we can have a little faith, or we can have a great amount of faith. In the New Testament we find a few instances of when the Lord Jesus accused those around Him of having “little faith”, as we read in Matthew 6 in its full context.
   
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed ? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
 
God does not want us to worry. As it is a sin to serve the world, it is also a sin to worry about our lives. “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.” And in verse 30 we read; “O ye of little faith”.  In other words, we could say that if we did have a lot of faith, we would never worry about our lives; what we will eat, what we will drink, what we will wear, and what will happen tomorrow. Every second and every minute that we spend worrying about our lives and about worldly things is precious time that the Lord wants us to devote to seeking the kingdom of God. If we truly have faith that God loves us because we are His child, then we should never doubt that He is always there to watch over us and take care of us.

Imagine a person that had a young son or daughter that would constantly worry about their life, as in, what would they have to eat, or drink, or what clothes would they have to wear. It would be as if that young son or daughter had no trust whatsoever that their parent was able to provide and care for them. It would actually be an insult and an embarrassment. This is the same principle that Jesus is teaching us in Matthew 25. We serve a God of miracles; we serve a God of love that provides for all the fowls of the air and the lilies of the field and who wants to care for us and provide us with what we need. Just as we would always want to provide for our own children and wish for their comfort and happiness. The principle remains the same and when we do not have the faith that God wants to care and provide for us, we insult God.  In our minds and in this way, we reduce the power of God and what His will is for us because it is God who works in us "in both to will and to do of His good pleasure."

Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Therefore when we forget this principle, Jesus makes the charge, "O ye of little faith."

Matthew 6:30-34 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
    
This does not mean there won't be times when we must endure a testing period, such as times when we might suffer great loss or sickness. Just as Job was tested by God, Job knew that we are to receive both good and evil gracefully as Job said to his wife, "Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?"
   
Job 2:6-10 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh . What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

However, in the end, God rewarded Job with twice as much as he had before.

Job 42: 9-12 The LORD also accepted Job and the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Then came there unto him all his brethren, and all his sisters, and all they that had been of his acquaintance before, and did eat bread with him in his house: and they bemoaned him, and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him: every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold. So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.

The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet – Part 4: The False Prophet  

The book that has the most to say about false prophets is the book of Jeremiah. Jehovah God ordained Jeremiah to preach to the Israelites and to urge them to repent and become faithful again because God was preparing to bring fierce judgment upon them as Jehovah was preparing to end His covenant with the Old Testament Jews.

Jeremiah 1:4-10 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.  But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.  Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.  See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
   
Jeremiah 1:16-17 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands. Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.
    
The destruction of the 12 tribes of Israel around 587 B.C. was executed by the Babylonian armies who mercilessly slaughtered the Israelites. 4 passages in the book of Jeremiah describes the carnage left behind "as dung upon the face of the earth".
 
Jeremiah 8:2 And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshipped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried; they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.
    
Jeremiah 9:22 Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.
    
Jeremiah 16:4 They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
  
Jeremiah 25:33 And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
  
Despite all the effort the prophet Jeremiah exerted in warning the Israelistes by bringing God's Word to them, the Jewish priests and false prophets were bringing their own messages; messages of "peace and safety" and messages that the people wanted to hear (which is similar to what many Christian leaders of our day are also doing).
     
Jeremiah 6:31 A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
      
Jeremiah 2:7-9 And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. The priests said not, Where is Jehovah? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith Jehovah, and with your children's children will I plead.
  
Jeremiah 2:26-27 As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests and their prophets;  Saying to a stock, Thou art my father; and to a stone, Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.
 
Jeremiah 4:8-9 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of Jehovah is not turned back from us. And it shall come to pass at that day, saith Jehovah, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
 
Jeremiah 5:11-14 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith Jehovah. They have belied Jehovah, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them. Wherefore thus saith Jehovah God of hosts; Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

Jeremiah 5:26-31 For among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
 
In the light that Jehovah is warning that He will bring judgment against Israel for rebelling and will destroy them, God brings charges against the priests and prophets for bringing messages of “Peace and safety”.
          
Jeremiah 6:10-15 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of Jehovah is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. Therefore I am full of the fury of Jehovah; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith Jehovah. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith Jehovah.
 
This charge is also declared in the New Testament in 1 Thessalonians 5 in regard to the return of Christ on the Last Day.
     
1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
                   
Because the Isaraelites did not want to hear Jeremiah's message, they devised a plan to put him in prison in order to silence him.
   
Jeremiah 18:15-18 Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up; To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head. I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity. Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
   
The 23rd chapter of Jeremiah has a lot say about how Jehovah felt about the Jewish priest and false prophets.
 
Jeremiah 23: 1 Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith Jehovah. 2 Therefore thus saith Jehovah God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith Jehovah. 3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. 4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith Jehovah. 5 Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. 7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that they shall no more say, Jehovah liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; 8 But, Jehovah liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. 9 Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of Jehovah, and because of the words of his holiness. 10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right. 11 For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith Jehovah. 12 Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith Jehovah. 13 And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err. 14 I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. 15 Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. 16 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Jehovah. 17 They say still unto them that despise me, Jehovah hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. 18 For who hath stood in the counsel of Jehovah, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? 19 Behold, a whirlwind of Jehovah is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. 20 The anger of Jehovah shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly. 21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied . 22 But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
   
God places a great deal of responsibility on those that are in place to teach and lead God’s people and bring them His Word faithfully, even if it is not always a pleasant message. Yes, God loves his Elect dearly, but God also promises that there will be a day of reckoning on the Last Day, which will be Judgment Day. This is why the third member of the Satanic Trinity, the false prophet, is severely judged by God on that day.
  
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet – Part 2: The dragon

In Part 1 of this study I had shown from the Bible that the dragon is Satan, and the book of Revelation has much to say about the dragon. But first I would like to show how God uses Satan to test a true believer by looking at the account of Job.
  
Job 1:6-12  Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

Job 2:1-7 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job.

As the story goes, Job passed God’s testing program and was rewarded for his faithfulness. The testing program that God will perform on His Elect near the end of God's Salvation Plan for the world will be similar to the testing program that was performed on Job and will begin when God looses Satan from the bottomless pit. But why was Satan cast into the bottomless pit to begin with? This is explained

Rev 20:7-8  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Scripture explains that God bound Satan in order for the Gospel to be able to spread out into the world without less impedance from Satan. In Mark 3:27, the Lord Jesus refers to Satan as “the strong man” and Rev 20:1-3 explains that Satan was bound in order to prevent him from deceiving the nations for set period of time.
  
Mark 3:27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
  
Rev 20:1-3 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
    
While Scripture tells us that Satan becomes bound in the bottomless pit for a period of time, God still allows Satan a certain amount of power in the world in order to accomplish God’s divine Will such as for the purpose of chastening His Elect, as seen in the following passages.
  
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
   
1 Timothy 1:18-20 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck; Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.
  
Near the end of God’s Salvation plan for the world, however, God looses Satan from the bottomless pit to prepare the world for Judgment Day. Rev 20 explains that this is done in order to prepare the world for battle and Rev 16 explains that this battle will occur on “that great day of God Almighty”, in a place called Armageddon.
 
Rev 20:7-8  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

Rev 16:13-16 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
   
As Rev 6:13-16 makes a reference to the Satanic Trinity, it declares to us that it will be out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet that the spirit of devils will go forth into the world for the sole purpose of deceiving the kings of the earth in order to prepare them for a battle that will occur on Judgment Day, in a place called Armageddon. But why would it be the will of a good God of love to loose Satan and send forth devils in order to deceive people? The answer to that question is found in 1 Thessalonians.
  
2 Thess 2: 1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
   
2 Thess 2:1-11 explains in very clear language, that God will allow Satan to go forth with "all power and signs and lying miracles" in order to send a strong delusion to those who "received not the love of the truth", which is the Gospel of Salvation. And God will do this for the sole purpose of damning the unsaved on Judgment Day.

The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet – Part 1: The Satanic Trinity

In the book of Revelation, the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet are grouped together into one group. These three entities are what I call the “Satanic Trinity”, and this study is going to focus on the aspects and characteristics of each of these three entities.

The Serpent in the Garden of Eden     
  
When looking at what occured in the garden of Eden, one can see that this Satanic Trinity was directly responsible for the fall of man. The first fact to consider is that it was not the serpent that deceived Adam, but rather another human being, Eve; however, it all began with the serpent's ability to communicate with and thus able to influence her.
                 
Genesis 3:1 "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made."
 
The word that was translated into the word "crafty" is the Hebrew adjective "`aruwm". It means "shrewd" or "sly". The book of Revelation makes it clear that the serpent is the dragon, and that he is Satan.
                 
Rev 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
   
Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.
   
This serpent possessed a great deal of intelligence; enough intelligence to be able to communicate with Eve as well as devise a scheme that would be successful in leading them into disobeying God's Word to them. Let's look at the conversation that took place in the Garden.
  
Genesis 1:  1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die; 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Verse 1 shows how skilled the serpent was at deception when the serpent asked, "Did God say you cannot eat of every tree in the Garden?" Eve replied saying that they could eat of every tree in the Garden, but not of the tree that was "in the midst of the Garden"; there is a clear distinction made between "the trees of the Garden" and "the tree in the midst of the Garden". When Eve told the serpent that they would die if they ate from the tree that was in the midst of the Garden, the serpent replied that they would surely not die, but rather that their "eyes shall be opened", and that they would be "as gods", knowing good and evil."
 
When God created Adam and Eve, God gave them instructions, His Word, regarding what they could eat and what they could not eat. This was God's Gospel truth that would have guaranteed them eternal life. When God told them that they would die, this meant that eternal life would be taken away from them; this is what God meant when he said that they "would surely die". However, the serpent, who is the father of all lies, was able to convince Eve that they would not physically die, and that their eyes would become opened, and that they would become "as gods". This was in essence the initiating and creation of the first false gospel of the world. Once the serpent was able to propagate this false gospel into Eve's mind and convince her to believe in it, she then also propagated it into Adam's mind and was able to convince him to also believe in it.
 
From this short account of Adam and Eve in Eden, it is evident that the Satanic Trinity of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet began to establish its perpetual presence on Earth as far back as the early days of Creation. When Eve succeeded in convincing Adam to believe in this newly created false gospel, she in essence became the first false prophet of the world as she succeeded in leading them into complete rebellion against God's Word.
      
As the Satanic Trinity of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet began working together in the world of mankind, it would evolve into a fierce and perpetual battle against the kindgdom of God and His Elect.  In God's plan to become victorious in this battle with the Satanic Trinic and the forces of Evil would be the sole reason why the Lord Jesus would have to be born into the world and then die on the cross at Calvary. This Satanic Trinity is such a powerful entity, that on Judgment Day, it will be acredited with leading the cause for the destruction of billions of human souls, along with their own desturcion in the lake of fire.
  
Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
  
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

The Apocalypse of the Last Day - Part 5: “And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.”

The concept of the shaking the heavens and the earth is found throughout the Bible, as in the following passages.   

Isaiah 2:19-21 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
   
Isaiah 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger.

Joel 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

Haggai 2:6-7 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

Haggai 2:21-23 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.

Matthew 24:29-31 Immediately [and with] the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Hebrews 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; For our God is a consuming fire.

Notice that in each of the passages above, the shaking of the heavens and the earth occurs simultaneously with the day of the Lord, or Judgment Day.

Isaiah 2:19-21 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

Isaiah 2:19-21 describes people trying to hide from God by going into the caves of the rocks. This is the same scenario found in Revelation 6 that is to occur on "the great day of God's wrath". Notice that Rev 6:12-17 also makes a reference to the darkening of the sun and moon as well as the shaking of the heavens and the earth.

Revelation 6:12-17 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath has come; and who shall be able to stand?

Isaiah 13:13 also states that the shaking of the heavens and the earth will occur “in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger.”

Isaiah 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of His fierce anger.

Reading Joel 3:16 in its context, the shaking of the heavens and the earth is also seen to be occuring simultaneously with the reaping of the earth in the day of the Lord, in the valley of decision, when the sun and the moon will be darkened.

Joel 3:12-17 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.

In the language of Haggai 2, the shaking of the heavens and the earth is also shown to be associated with Judgment Day and the battle of Armageddon; as it refers to the overthrowing of the thrones and kingdoms of the heathen, the overthrowing of chariots, horses, and their riders, and a reference to the use of swords. The expression “in that day” is always a Biblical reference to Judgment Day.

Haggai 2:21-23 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth; And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.

Matthew 24:29-31 describes events that will occur at Christ's return on the Last Day. As I had explained in a previous study, the verse of Matt 24:29 is more accurately translated as, “Immediately and with the tribulation of those days”; it also shows that the darkening of the sun and moon will occur simultaneously with the shaking of the powers of the heavens and the appearance of the Lord Jesus in the clouds of glory.

Matthew 24:29-31 Immediately [and with] the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

This event could only occur after the passing away of the heavens and the earth, the Rapture, and the resurrection of the dead because the passage states that “they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven.” First of all, Scriptures makes it clear that no human living in their earthly body is able to see God; secondly, 1 John 3 explains that we believers (who are alive on Earth) are not able to understand what we will be like after we have translated into our heavenly glorified bodies, but when Christ appears (at His Coming on the Last Day), we will be able to see Him only because we have already been translated into our heavenly glorified bodies because, as it states, "we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is."

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

Hebrews 12:25 quotes Haggai 2 which says: Haggai 2:6-7 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

Hebrews 12:25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; For our God is a consuming fire.

The fact that Hebrews 12:25 associates the shaking of the heavens and the earth with God being a consuming fire clearly indicates that this event is directly associated with God coming as a consuming fire on the Last Day (Judgment Day), as we read in 2 Thessalonians 1.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.

Hebrews 12 explains why God must shake the heavens and the earth on the Last Day. Verse 27 explains that the shaking of the heavens and the earth will result in the removing of those things which can be shaken so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Hebrews 12:25-27 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

The concept of the removing of those things which can be shaken while those things which cannot be shaken can remain is also taught in 1 Corinthians 8 while using different language. 1 Corinth 8 explains that God will come as a consuming fire and that if any man’s work remain, he shall be rewarded, but if any man builds his foundation with wood, hay, and stubble, it will not remain after it has been “tried by fire".

1 Corinthians 8:10-15 But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
  
This concept is also found in Matthew 3 while again using different language. Here John the Baptist is teaching that the Lord Jesus would one day come to cut down every tree that does not bring forth good fruit and cast it into the fire. He also described the Lord as having a “fan in His hand” and that the He will “thoroughly purge His floor” and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Matthew 3:10-12 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
     
The reference made to the “floor” here is a reference to the threshing floor of a building where wheat is thrashed. Interesting enough, I found a passage in Isaiah 21 that also makes a reference to a threshing floor as associated with the fall of Babylon and her graven images.

Isaiah 21:9-10 And behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.     

The outer husks from grains of wheat are called chaff. In order to separate the chaff from the grains of wheat, the wheat plants must be first thrashed. In ancient times, wheat plants that were harvested from the filed would be placed on the floor of a wheat barn where they would be thrashed, or beat, in order to loosen and separate the grains of wheat from the rest of the plant. However, once the stalks and course parts of the plants are removed from the threshing floor, what still reamins are the grains of wheat mixed together with the chaff. The process used to remove the chaff from the grains of wheat is called “winnowing” and a fan is commonly used to blow away the chaff. The definition of the verb “winnow” is: “to blow upon”; or “to fan”. Another interesting thought when looking at Matthew 3:10-12 is the fact that one can also use a fan to feed a fire and cause it to burn hotter. I am not sure if this is ever implied in Matthew 3 or not, but it is merely an interesting thought.

Another passage that teaches us about the separation between the Elect of God and the unsaved is seen in the parables of Matthew 13.

Matthew 13:38-50 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear… Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

As evidenced from the passages quoted above, the Bible uses the concept of the shaking of the heavens and the earth to convey not only the concept of the passing away of the heavens and the Earth, but also the events that will ensue as God begins to throw down all the thrones and kingdoms of the heathen. Even as Matthew 3:10-12 describes the Lord as having a fan in His hand in the process of the thrashing and winnowing of wheat in order to gather in His Elect, the passage of Rev 6:13-14 also conveys a parallel concept with the picture of untimely fruit that are being separated from their tree.

Rev 6:13-14 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together.
     
When the Lord Jesus returns on the Last Day to shake the heavens and the earth, He will also come as a consuming fire to burn away the chaff and to judge every man's work through a fiery trial. This will be Judgment Day; the day when people will be trying to hide from the face of God in “caves” because “the great day of His wrath has come”. It will be the day when the Son of Man will send forth His angels with a great sound of a trumpet to sever the wicked from among just and gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other, into His garner. And it will be the glorious day when God will set up all His elect as signets in Heaven for all of eternity.

The Apocalypse of the Last Day - Part 4: "The hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world".

In Revelation chapter 3, we read about an “hour of temptation” that will somehow affect everyone that is dwelling on the earth:

Rev 3:10 “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”

The coming of the Lord Jesus on the Last Day, the Rapture, and the resurrection of the dead are also associated with the concept of an “hour”, as in the following passages.

Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Rev 3:3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Matthew 24: 40-44 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

John 5:28-29 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

When I first published this study several months ago, I taught that this “hour of temptation” was an event that would occur during one literal hour just prior to the Rapture, however I am now fully convinced that this event will occur just after the Rapture, in a place called Armageddon, as mentioned in Revelation 16:

Rev 16:15-16 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

We know that the Bible teaches that life on Earth is to continue in a “business as usual” manner until the coming of the Lord Jesus on the Last Day. In the following passage, the passing away of heaven and earth and the coming of the Lord are both mentioned.

Matthew 24:35-39 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

This passage clearly states that as it was in the days of Noah, people will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage; in other words, people will be continuing their daily lives in a relaxed way, and in celebration, and will not know that the end is coming until they are all taken away. This passage is so clear that there will not be an advance warning, there is no way to dispute it. In fact, the New Testament tells us over and over again; that the Lord will come as a thief in the night, and that no one will know at what hour God will come to end heaven and earth. That further supports what I am showing in this study; that this “hour of temptation”, as mentioned in Rev 3:10, is an event that will occur after the Rapture and the resurrection of the dead, and that it will occur in a place called Armageddon.

The Greek word that was translated as the word “temptation” in Rev 3:10 is the Greek noun “Peirasmos”[G3986]. It is almost always translated as the word “temptation” as in the following passages. (Note that "Peirasmos”[G3986] is the noun form and that "Peirazo”[G3985] is the verb form.)

Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation[G3986], which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations[G3986]; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 1:12-14 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation[G3986]; for when he is fulfilled, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted[G3985], I am tempted[G3985] of God; for God cannot be evil, neither tempteth[G3985] He any man; But every man is tempted[G3985], when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed

Rev 3:10 explains that the purpose of this “hour of temptation” of the Last Day, is to try[G3985] them that dwell upon the earth.

Rev 3:10 I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try[G3985] them that dwell upon the earth.

The Greek word translated from the word “try” in Rev 3:10, is the Greek verb “Peirazo”[G3985]. It is also a word that is used to mean the “trying”, or “proving”, or “examining” of one’s faith, such as in the following passages.

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[G3985] of the devil.

John 6:5-6 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat ? And this he said to prove[G3986] him; for he himself knew what he would do.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine[G3985] yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Now we can better understand that the Greek verb “Peirazo”[G3985] that was translated as the word “try” in Rev 3:10 means that this “hour of temptation” will be a period of time in which the faith of all those that are gathered together in a place called Armageddon will be "tried" or "tested" or “examined”. But then what does the expression "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation" as stated in Rev 3:10 exactly mean?

Rev 3:10 I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try[G3985] them that dwell upon the earth.

The Greek word that was translated as the word "keep" in Rev 3:10 is the Greek verb "Tereo"[G5083]. This is the same word that is used in the expression of being “preserved in Jesus Christ" as stated in Jude 1, 1 Thessalonians 5, and John 17.

Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved[G5083] in Jesus Christ, and called.

1Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved [G5083] blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep[G5083] through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

John 17:12 While I was with them in the world, I kept[G5083] them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept , and none of them is lost , but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep[G5083] them from the evil.

What else does the Bible tell us about this “hour of temptation” in which everyone’s faith will be examined by God in a place called Armageddon? We find the following passages in the book of Revelation that described events that are to occur in an “hour” during the Apocalypse of the Last Day.

Rev 11:13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Rev 14:7 Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

Rev 18:10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come.

Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought.

Rev 18:19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried , weeping and wailing , saying , Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! For in one hour is she made desolate.

From reading the 6 passages above, we can see that it is also during this “hour of temptation” when the kingdom of Satan will come under God's full judgment and be destroyed. This is all language of Judgment Day, and of the Apocalypse of the Last Day, and it is an event that will take place in a place called Armageddon.

The Apocalypse of the Last Day - Part 3

In Revelation chapter 6 we read about the opening of the sixth seal:

        

Rev 6:  12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair; and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens 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 that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
  
The passage above is describing a series of events that are to occur on the Last Day, which is Judgment Day; and verse 17 is the verse which confirms it is the Judgment Day: “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”  These series of events begin with a great earthquake, followed by signs in the sun, moon, and stars. In researching what the signs in the sun, moon, and stars could be, I went back to Genesis 1 to read about how God created them. God created the sun, moon, and stars during the fourth day of creation as time keepers and also for the purpose of providing us with seasons. Before the fourth day of creation, there was no division between daytime and nighttime as we know it here on planet Earth because it was during the fourth day of creation when the Earth's first sunset and sunrise occured.
Genesis 1:14-19  And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:  And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.  And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
   
Genesis 1:14 states that one of the purposes for the creation of the lights in the firmaments was for signs; "and let them be for signs". The Hebrew word that was translated into the word “signs” is a very interesting word, ‘oweth [H226].  It is a noun which means that God has set aside, or distinguished, that particular object for a special purpose. For example, H226 is used in Genesis 4 when God set a “mark”[H226] on Cain after Cain killed his brother Abel.

Genesis 4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark[H226] upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

Strong’s H226 is the same word used in Genesis 9:12 when God created the rainbow after the flood of Noah’s day and then declared that it was created as a “token”[H226] of the covenant between God and every living creature for the remainder of history.

Genesis 9:12   And God said, This is the token[H226] of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations.

Strong’s H226 is the same word used in Genesis 17:11 as the distinguishing “sign” of God’s covenant with the Old Testament Jews.

Genesis 17:11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token[H226] of the covenant betwixt me and you.

Strong’s H226 is the same word used in Exodus 4 when God was instructing Moses to go to Pharaoh and plead for the release of the Jews after Moses had stated his concern that no one would believe him.

Exodus 4:1  And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.

The LORD responded to Moses saying that He would create a sign[H226] for him.  In our current modern language, instead of using the word “sign”, we might instead use the word “omen”, or “miracle”.
   
Exodus 4:7-9  And [the LORD] said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign[H226], that they will believe the voice of the latter sign[H226]. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs[H226], neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

Now getting back to Rev 6:12-13, we see that something is happening regarding the sun, moon, and the stars.
   
Rev. 6:12-13  ...the sun became black as sackcloth of hair; and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
    
The passage above can be linked to Matthew 24:29 and Luke chapter 21:25-26, where Christ is teaching the disciples about the “signs” of His coming and of the end of the world.

Matthew 24:29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
   
Luke 21:25-26  And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
   
Jesus used the same Greek word translated as the word “heaven” in the 2 passages above (Strong’s G3772), in referring to our physical atmosphere in the following passage.

Matthew 8:20  And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air[G3772] have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Getting back to Rev 6:12, I would like to focus on the expression, “black as sackcloth of hair” - Rev 6:12 The sun became black as sackcloth of hair.   In ancient Biblical history, it was customary for a person in mourning, (and also those who went into deep repentance), to put on sackcloth and sprinkle ashes. In those days, bags were commonly made of sackcloth material, but it was also used as clothing for mourners. This sackcloth material was often made of coarse black goat’s hair; thus the expression, “black as sackcloth of hair”.   The wearing of black sackcloth was a way of conveying deep sadness and humility; in fact, the wearing of black clothing at funerals in our modern day culture is still a  common practice.  In Isaiah chapter 50, when Jehovah is conveying His feelings of great sadness, He also refers to the covering of the heavens with blackness and sackcloth.

Isaiah 50:2-3 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst. I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.
       
In Amos chapter 8, God again links together the darkening of the sun and the wearing of sackcloth with the Day of Judgment.

Amos 8:7-10  Surely I will never forget any of their works. Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned , as by the flood of Egypt. And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord GOD, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day: And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.

The darkening of the sun during the day is a clear indication that God has ended His covenant with mankind. This covenant is declared in several places in the Bible, for example in Genesis Chapter 8.

Genesis 8:18-22 And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Genesis 8:22 is a promise made to us that as long as the earth remaineth, day and night shall not cease. This is one of the reasons that I do not believe that the darkening of the sun of Rev 6, Matthew 24, and Luke 21, are to be taken spiritually. There are several passage that refer to the covenant God made regarding day and night. In Psalms 118, God's salvation plan through the Lord Jesus is "the day which the LORD hath made".

Pslams 118:22-24 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

In Joshua 1, God commands us that we are to meditate on his Word "day and night".
 
Joshua 1:7-9 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success .

In Jeremiah 33, the word "covenant" is used.
 
Jeremiah 33:19-21 And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.

God’s covenant with day and night is also closely knit with God’s ordinances of heaven and earth.

Jeremiah 33:25-26 Thus saith the LORD; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth; 26 Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.

In the following passage describing Judgment Day, day and night are no longer doing what God has ordained.

Zachariah 14:5-7 …and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.

Not only does Rev 6 declare to us that day and night has ceased, but it also describes the departing of the heavens as a scroll that is being rolled together. Rev 6:14 “the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together.”  In ancient history, when someone was finished reading a scroll, the scroll would be rolled up (and mostly likely tied up with a string), much the same way as we close a book when we are finished reading it.  The picture here of the departing of heaven as a scroll that is rolled up is a picture of the passing away of the universe. This concept is also described in the following passages.

Psalm 102:25-26  Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.
     
Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.

In Rev 6:15 we see that everyone is trying to hide themselves; and in verse 16 it tells us who they are trying to hide from; “hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.”   In verse 17 we are given a time reference; “For the great day of his wrath is come.” 

I am fully convinced that the events of Rev 6:12-13 and of Rev 6:14-17 will occur after the Rapture, (which will occur simultaneously with the resurection of the dead - of both the saved and the unsaved; when everyone's physical bodies will be raised up and translated into their spiritual bodies). The end of daytime and nighttime, and the rolling up of the heavens like a scroll, can also be tied to the following passage of Rev 20; which also describes the passing away of our present world from the face of God as the Judge.

Rev 20:11-13  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

In the passage above, the earth and the heaven have fled away and there was no place found for them. This is clearly the same event as that described in Psalms 102 and Isaiah 51; the perishing of the earth and heavens. In Rev 20:11, it is plain to see that the judgment of the unsaved will occur after the universe as we know it has perished. This is one of many passages found in the Bible that absolutely will not support the doctrine that hell is the grave.
 
Moving on to the next verses of Rev 6:

Rev 6: 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens 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 that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The reference to the kings of the earth in verse 15 is a reference to all the magnates of our world; the rich and powerful, and the billionaires of the world, celebraties, etc. The chief captains and mighty men is a reference to great leaders, for example, the presidents and leaders of the countries of the world, the dictators, Royalty, the military leaders and generals of the world, the corporate CEOs, etc. Then the passage mentions “every bondman, and every free man”.  A bondman is another word for slave; and a free man is someone who is not a slave. There are many people in this world who are enslaved to other people. For example, the way that prostitutes are enslaved to their pimps; the sex slave market of the world has reached unimaginable proportions. There are many children under the age of 18 as well as grown women that are sold or kidnapped into becoming sex slaves and who are either prostituted or used to create pornography; and most of them do not know how to escape what becomes their only guaranteed source of food and shelter.  In the news recently we have been hearing of a guerrilla group leader in Africa named Kony who has ordered the abduction of an estimated 66,000 children to become child-sex slaves and child soldiers.

But getting back to Rev 6:15-17

Rev 6: 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens 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 that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath[G3709] of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath[G3709] is come; and who shall be able to stand?

The great day of the wrath of God has come; it is Judgment Day. The sun has been darkened and the stars have been removed from heaven; the heavens have been rolled up as a scroll. Every mountain and every island has been removed from their places because the world as everyone has always known it is no more. The Greek word that was translated as the word wrath in verse 16, is the Greek noun, “Orge”[G3709]; it is a word that is closely associated with the anger and vengeance of God.

Rev 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath[G2372] of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation[G3709]; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.

Romans 3:5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance[G3709]?

Rev 6:17 states: “For the great day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be able to stand?”

If the Biblical expression “to stand” signifies being safe and secure, then Rev 6:17 could be rephrased as, “For the day of God’s vengeance has come, and who shall be able to stand safe and secure?”

We know the Bible promises repeatedly that God will deliver His people on that day.
  
Malachi 4:1-3 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.  And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.
   
Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.