That great day of God Almighty - Part 6: The hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world.

The New Testament makes several references to an “hour”, which is related to the Lord's return, such as in the following passages.

#1) 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."

#2) 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.”

#3) 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.”

#4) 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.”

#5) 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.”

#6) 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.”

#7) Rev 18:17 “For in one hour so great riches is come to nought."

#8) 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.”

I began by first looking at Rev 3:3; “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."

The “hour” in Rev 3:3, is the hour of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Last Day and it will also be the day in which the Rapture will occur, as we read in Mathew chapter 24.

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.”

I next looked at 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.”

The word that was translated as “hour” here is the Greek noun “Hora”[G5610]. It means hour, such as the third hour found in Matt 20:3, or the ninth hour found in Matt 20:5. I have heard people teach that this word could represent "years", but it does mean "hour".  Rev 3:10 is telling us that there will come an “hour” in which all the people that are living in the world will be “tempted” by “temptation”. 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 2 verses. (Note that G3986 is the noun form and G3985 is the verb form).

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 is telling us there will come a time of testing, the “hour of temptation”, in which all who dwell upon the earth will be “tried” or "tested". 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 verb Peirazo” [G3985] can aslo mean the "trying", or "proving", or even "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 that we understand that the Greek verb “Peirazo”[G3985] can be used to convey an action that God does to "test", or "prove", or "examine" our faith, then we can also better understand this “hour of temptation" that will occur on the Last Day. It is an "hour" in which the faith of every person that has ever been conceived in the world will be "tried" or "tested". But then does the phrase "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation" mean that the true believers will not be tried or tested? 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 phrase "to keep God's commandments" and it is also used to express how God "keeps" His elect, as we read in the following passages.

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."

The hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world is an integral part of the Apocalypse of the Last Day, which is the “revealing” of the “revelation”, the "Apokalypto [G601]” of the "Apokalypsis [G602]”. 1Thessalonians 5:23 tells us that God will "keep" our " whole spirit and soul and body" on the Last Day..

1 Thessalonians 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."
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In the next part of this study I would like to study the following verses.

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 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.”

That great day of God Almighty – Part 5: And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together.

It has been widely taught that at the end of the world (also known as the Last Day, Judgment Day, the Second Coming, and the day of the Lord), the heavens, or the cosmos as we know it, will also pass away. There are many passages in Scripture that teach about the departing of the heavens as well as the creation of new heavens and a new earth, as in the following.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

We can know that the passing away of the heavens will occur on the same day as the return of Christ because of what we read in 2 peter 3.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

We can also know that the passing away of the heavens and the earth will occur just before God judges the unsaved from what we read in Rev 20.

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.

There is no question from reading Rev 20:11-13 that the judgment of the unsaved will occur after the passing away of the heavens and the earth. Because this passage tells us these “dead” are “standing before God”, we can know that they are experiencing a conscious existence after the passing away of the earth and the heavens.

And in the books of Isaiah and Revelation we find the following passages.

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.

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.

Isaiah 65:17 For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

Isaiah 66:22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.

In the following passages, there are several links that connect the passages to each other.

Isaiah 34:4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

Rev 6: 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.

Matt 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.
   
In the 3 passages above, the links that are made go as follows:

Link #1 - The passing away of the heavens is described as a scroll that is being rolled up together.

Link #2 – The removal of the stars from heaven is described as stars that fall down (to the earth) just as figs that fall from a tree (to the earth) when the tree is shaken by a mighty wind.

Link #3 – The stars fall from heaven because of a shaking that is taking place.

As we read further into the passage of Rev 6, it continues to describe this scenario, and I will verses to show it in its context.

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?

This scenario is also described in the books of Isaiah and Joel.

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.

Joel 2:10-11 The earth shall quakebefore them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

Joel 3:14-16 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.

I used to believe for 25 years that the scenario of Rev 6:12-17 was describing events that would occur before the Rapture, but now I am fully convinced that all the passages that I have quoted above are describing the scenario that will take place after the Rapture and the resurrection of the dead, and that this is also where and when the battle of Armageddon will take place, as we read in the following passage.

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.

The place called Armageddon is where the judgment upon the unsaved will take place. It is where they will be seen standing before God while the books are being opened, and they are judged "out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." And it will take place after the passing away of the heavens.

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.

That great day of God Almighty – Part 4: Behold, I come quickly. 

The Parousia

In the book of Revelation, we read 6 times that the Lord will “come quickly”.

1. Rev 2:5 I will come unto thee quickly.
2. Rev 2:16 I will come unto thee quickly.
3. Rev 3:11 Behold, I come quickly.
4. Rev 22:7 Behold, I come quickly.
5. Rev 22:12 Behold, I come quickly.
6. Rev 22:20 Surely, I come quickly.
  
In Matthew chapter 24 the Lord Jesus describes that His coming will be “as lightning”.

Matt 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
 
Because we know that a visible flash of lightning travels at the speed of light, we can deduct from reading Matthew 24:27 that the Lord’s coming will occur at the speed of light. The Greek word that was translated as the word “coming” Matt 24:27 is the Greek noun “Parousia” (Strong’s 3952).  The word “Parousia” is used 16 times in the New Testament when speaking of the return of Christ. In Corinthians 15:52, we are also given a time clue in regard to the Parousia; that it will occur “in the twinkling of an eye”. This time clue harmonizes with Matt 24:27 in regard to the Parousia occurring at the speed of light. We know that light travels at the speed of 186,000 miles per second, or 700 million miles in per hour. We also know that our planet Earth has a circumference of 24,901 miles, therefore, we can know that light can travel around the world 7.49 times in one second, and if you divide one second by 7.5 times you get .133 seconds. Therefore, we can say that if the Parousia were to start at one end of our planet, it could travel around the world in .133 seconds, which is about one tenth of a second.

Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Both passages of Matt 24:27 and Corinth 15:52 describing the Parousia as occurring in a fraction of a second harmonizes with the 6 instances found in the book of Revelation telling us the Lord will “come quickly.”  With that said, the next question is, “Will the world experience some type of warning sign that the Parousia is about to occur?”  As I searched the Bible for an answer to this, I compiled a list of 4 scenarios regarding the Rapture and Last Day.
  
#1.  Luke 17:34-36 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
  
#2. Matthew 24:38-39 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.

#3. Luke 17:28-30 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

#4. 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.

In scenario #1 we see that two people are in bed, two people are working, and two people are in the field when the Rapture occurs, and no advance warning is indicated in that scenario. In scenarios 2 and 3 we see that the world is going on "business as usual" until the Last Day and no advance warning is indicated there. In scenario #4 we are told that Christ comes as "a thief in the night" when people are proclaiming "peace and safety", and no advanced warning is indicated there as well. When a thief comes to rob someone in the middle of the night, the plan is always that noone should be aware that the thief is coming to rob them, and the thief will come in as "quietly" as possible so as not to bring attention to himself. In other words, the thief is never going to give you an advanced warning that he is going to come to rob you. The scenario of the thief coming at night as well as the other 3 scenarios listed above do not mention any type of advanced warning signal prior to the Parousia. On the contrary, these scenarios give us a picture that everything will be continuing “business as usual” while the world is proclaiming "peace and safety" until Christ comes suddenly as a thief in the night. 2 Peter 3 also tells us that the coming of Christ as a thief in the night is also the day in which the heavens, or the cosmos, will be destroyed by fire.

2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
   
Could this really be the truth? Could it be that we will not get an advanced warning signal and that the Parousia and the destruction of the cosmos (the passing away of the heavens) will occur suddenly in a split second? That would be truly merciful of God to do this in order to spare the suffering of billions of innocent lifeforms that exist in the world. Our planet Earth contains billions of human babies and children as well as trillions of innocent animal lifeforms that would be spared much agony if the Parousia were to occur suddenly, in a split second. But what about that age old belief that we will see the Lord coming in the clouds of glory? In Matthew 24:30 we read:
  
Matt 24:30 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.
   
Let’s take another careful look at the sequence of events found in Matthew chapter 24:
   
Verse 27 - For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Verse 28 - For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
 
We can know for sure that the event described in verse 28 will occur immediately after the Parousia because this is also backed up by a passage found in Luke 17.

Luke 17:  34 I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. 35 Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 36 Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
 
In Luke 17:37 the disciples ask the Lord Jesus where these people are being taken to and few people would argue that this passage is describing the Rapture of the true believers that will occur in the Parousia. We must not forget, that at the Parousia, not only will the true believers be Raptured, but the resurrection of the dead will also occur simultaneously. This is a doctrine that has been widely misunderstood by many Christians who teach about those being left behind. It is widely taught by many denominations that when the Rapture occurs, the unsaved will be left behind in their human existence, and it is also widely taught by Premillenniasts that the world will continue for another 1000 years after the Rapture occurs. However, the Lord Jesus has very clearly taught us in John 5 that there will be a resurrection of the dead on the Last Day, of both the saved and the unsaved, and that when it occurs it will produce 2 very different circumstances.

John 5: 25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; 27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 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.
    
We also see this separation described in Matthew 13.

Matt 13: 47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
   
You can see from reading Matt 13:50 that the unsaved that are severed from the just are cast into hell where they experience a conscious existence there. The Lord Jesus clearly tells us in verse 50 that there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth there. The wailing describes the audible cries that will be heard and the gnashing of teeth is an expression that describe the great anger that will be displayed by the unsaved there. I truly believe that all the doctrines that teach that the unsaved will not be cast into a place of torment and punishment are doctrines that have been created in order to spare us from the horrible truth and reality of hell and that it is coming for billions of people on Judgment Day.

The Bible clearly teaches that at the Parousia, everyone will be translated into their celestials bodies. In 1 Corinthians we read about celestial bodies.

1 Corinth 15: 39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
  
Then in Matthew verses 28 and 29 we read:

Verse 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.

Verse 30-  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.  

I believe that verses 29 and 30 are speaking of events that will occur after the Rapture and resurrection of the dead, and I will be discussing this topic in Part 5 of this study, but for now, since the Lord has taught us that His coming will be as lightning, I would like to end this study with some interesting facts (both scientific and Biblical) concerning lightning.
     
#1 - A bolt of lightning can reach temperatures of 54,000 degrees °F in a split second.
 
#2 - Because the temperature of our Sun is only 10,000 °F and the temperature of lightning 54,000 °F, that makes lightning 5.4 times hotter than the surface of the Sun.

#3 – Lightning rapidly heats the air in its immediate vicinity to about 36,000 °F, which is 3.6 times hotter than the surface of the sun.

#4 – A large lightning bolt (as long as 5 miles in length), can contain 1,000,000,000 Volts of electricity. This is enough electricity to power a 100 Watt light bulb for 2 months.
      
#5 - The average peak power output of a single lightning stroke is about one trillion watts — one terawatt (1012 W), and the stroke lasts for about 30 millionths of a second (or 30 microseconds).
   
#6 – Thunder and lightning are often used in Scripture to describe God’s wrath against rebellious people.

#7 - Lighning is use in Scripture to describe God. Matt 28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.  Rev 4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.  Rev 11:19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
     
The Bible states in 2 Thessalonians that the unsaved will be destroyed with the brightness of God’s coming.
       
2 Thess 2:8 And then shall the transgressor be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming.
  

That great day of God Almighty – Part 3: Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God.

In Revelation 19:17 we read about of a command given to the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven to gather themselves together unto the supper of the great God.

Rev 19:17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God.
   
To best understand Rev 19:17 in its context, I will begin by first quoting the entire chapter, and then work my way through it.
  
Rev 19: 1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying , Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: 2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up forever and ever. 4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. 5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying , Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come , and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew , but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
  
All the events of Rev chapter 19 are occurring on Judgment Day, which is the Last Day, that great day of God Almighty.  Notice that verse Rev 19:2 is written in the past tense; "for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand." When Judgment Day arrives, it will also be the Last Day of God's salvation plan for mankind and the destiny of all those who are the Elect of God, as well as the destiny of all the unsaved, will be irrevocably determined forever.

"The great whore" of Rev 19:2 is Babylon and represents the spiritual dwelling place for all the unsaved; just as the city of Jerusalem represents the spiritual dwelling place for all the true believers.
        
Galatians 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
  
Rev 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.     
  
The expression “and her smoke rose up forever and ever”  of Rev 19:3 is telling us that God has completed His judgment upon the dwelling place of all of the unsaved of the world. God only recognizes 2 kingdoms and 2 dwelling places: the kingdom of God and the spiritual dwelling place for its inhabitants, which is the city of Jerusalem, and the kingdom of Satan and the spiritual dwelling place for its inhabitants, the city of Babylon, the great whore.

Rev 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up forever and ever.

The smoke that rose up from the destruction of the great whore of Rev 19:3 can be linked to the smoke that rose up from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Genesis 19:28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

Moving forward to verse 7 we read: Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

There is only one day in God's entire salvaton plan for mankind when the marriage between the Lamb of God and His bride will take place; and that is on Judgment Day; that great day of God Almighty. Even though God is from everlasting to everlasting, the "Son of Man", Jesus Christ the Lamb of God, was born only once, crucified only once, risen from the dead only once, and likewise will celebrate his wedding day only once. This wedding day, this magnificent union between Christ and His bride, is an event that may be beyond the ability of our human minds to truly imagine.
       
In verses 11 we read: Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
  
We can know that the rider of the white horse is the Lord Jesus, and this is confirmed by what we read in verse 16.

Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
 
Notice what verse 11 is declaring; "in righteousness he doth judge and make war."  We know that all the events of this chapter are taking place on Judgment Day and we also know from reading Rev 19:7 that this is the Lord's wedding day. The declaration in Rev 19:11 that the Lord Jesus is riding forth on a white horse to judge and make war is declaring that on this day, judgment and war will also take place. In verse 15 we read that the Lord Jesus "will smite the nations" with a sharp sword that proceeds from His mouth.
    
Rev 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
 
We know that the sharp sword that proceeds from the Lord's mouth is the Word of God. (Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword...) The Greek word that was translated into the verb "smite" in verse 15 is Strong's G3960, and it means "to afflict" or "to cut down", and is the same word used in  Matthew 26:51.

Matt 26:51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck [G3960] a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.

Not only is Judgment Day the wedding date between Christ and His bride, it is also the day in which a great battle will occur between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. In verse 7 we are told that the marriage of the Lamb is come, and in verses 11 through 16 we can see Christ riding upon a white horse, followed by the armies that are in heaven, going forth in battle to "smite the nations" and "tread the winepress of the fiercenes of the wrath of God."

Rev 19: 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.     

We can know that the armies following the Lord Jesus are the true believers because they are clothed in fine linen, white and clean. This vision of God coming with all His saints can also be found in Zechariah 14.
       
Zechariah 14:5 And Jehovah my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
 
Next, in Rev 19:17 we read; And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God.
   
The expression of being "gathered together" is often seen in passages dealing with the Last Day, as in the following passages.
 
Matt 24:30-31 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.
       
Rev 16:14-16 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.

Likewise, the gathering together of the fowls in Rev 19:17 is occuring on the Last Day. The angel standing in the sun is the Lord Jesus and He is commanding all the fowls flying in the midst of heaven to "Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God." The picture here of God commanding the saints to "come" and be gathered together can be linked to the Lord's command to "come forth" in John 5:28-29.
   
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.
   
Matt 13:49-50 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.
  
Our day-to-day lives will proceed normally up until the Last Day without any type of great "gathering together". True believers now are scattered throughout the entire world living very separate lives from each other; but on the Last Day, all this will change, and God will command the true believers to "Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God." 
  
In Rev 19:18 we see that the purpose of the gathering together of the saints unto the supper of God is to eat the flesh of men and horses.
        
Rev 19:17-18 And he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
  
There are a couple of passages in the New Testament that pertain to the eating of human flesh. 
 
Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
    
In Matthew 24, we read about fowls that will be gathered together around a "dead body” just after the Rapture occurs.
 
Matt 24:27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Matt 24:28 is a direct link to Rev 19:18 because we know that Rev 19:18 is occuring on the Last Day and we know that Matt 24:28 is also occuring on the Last Day. The following passage from Isaiah shows that true believers are also referred to as eagles.
   
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
 
I think it would be somewhat difficult for us to fully understand the concept of the eating of human flesh as declared in Rev 19:18, but the parable of Lazarus and the rich man could shed some light on this.  Because this is a story of a man that has died and been buried, he can be considered a corpse. In this parable, after the rich man has died and been buried, he "lifts up his eyes" and sees Lazarus in Abraham's bosom and a long conversation takes place between the "corpse" and God, which is represented by "Father Abraham". Because the rich man is able to "see" Lazarus in "Abraham's bosom", we could safely say that after the resurrection of the Last Day, the unsaved will be able to "see" the true believers, or "folws", "in the midst of heaven".

Luke 16: 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23 And in hell he lifts up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
          
There are several lnks that can be made between the Esther chapter 9 and Revelation chapter 19. In Esther 9, we read of a decree ordered by king Ahasuerus in which the Jews were allowed to kill 75,000 of their enemies on the thirteenth and fourteenth day of Adar, which would become known as the Feast of Purim. It was during this feast when the Jews rested from their enemies and made it a day of feasting and gladness. The assembling together of all the Jews that were in Shushan the palace, which is a representation of the dwelling place of the kingdom of God, the killing of the 75,000 of the Jews' enemies, which is a representation of the destrucion of the all the unsaved that will occur on the Last Day, the resting from the Jews' enemies, which is a representation of the smoke that rises up after the judgment is made upon the great whore, the feasting and gladness that ensues the destruction of the Jews' enemies, which is a representation of the great supper of the marriage of the Lamb of God, is what links Rev 19 and Esther 9.
        
Esther 9: 15 For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand. 16 But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey, 17 On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.
   
This passage from the book of Esther is a dramatic picture of the battle of Armageddon and the marriage supper of the Lamb. As I had previously discussed in the second part of this study, from reading Rev 16:14-16, we can know that the battle of Armageddon will occur on the Last Day, which is that great day of God Almighty; Judgment Day. And from reading Rev Chapter 19, we also came to find out that the marriage supper of the Lamb also occurs on the Last Day. This ties in perfectly with what we see happen in the story of Esther. The Jews kill 75,000 of their enemies on the fourteenth day of Adar, which is safe to assume occurs in the form of a great battle, and then also on the same day, the fourteenth day of Adar, they rest from their enemies and celebrate their victory by making it a day of feasting and gladness.
  
Conclusion: The sequence of events as I have discussed them go as follows:

• The Rapture and resurrection of the dead on the Last Day
• The battle which will occur between the kindgom of God and the kingdom of Satan
• The feasting on the carcases of the unsaved

This sequence of events cannot be understood by those who teach that Hell is the grave. Those who believe in that doctrine teach that when a person dies, nothing else will ever happen to them. That doctrine is not supported by hundreds of verses in the Bible that teach of the resurrection of the unsaved, the smiting of the nations on the Last Day, the teachings of the battle of Armageddon, the feasting on the flesh of men and horses as taught in Revelation chapter 19, and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. I do not teach that the unsaved will live forever in Hell, but rather that they will be destroyed there in a great battle that will occur between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan and the unsaved.

That Great Day of God Almighty – Part 2: The Battle of Armageddon

In Revelation Chapter 16 we read about a battle that is to take place on Judgment Day:
    
Rev 16:14 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.
  
The great day of God Almighty is Judgment Day and is also referred to as “the last day”.  Almost every Christian church in the world for the past 2,000 years has taught the doctrine that Judgment Day is that great day of God Almighty that will take place at the end of the world, or “the last day”. This battle of Rev 16:14 has also been commonly referred to as “the battle of Armageddon”.  The passage of Revelation chapter 16 is the only place in the Bible where the name "Armageddon" is found.  In the Old Testament however, the names Megiddo and Megiddon are mentioned but will be discussed later on into this study, but in Rev chapter 16, we read:

Rev 16: 14 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. 15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

In searching the New Testament for anything related to this battle, I only found 3 relevant passages; the first one was quoted above in Rev 16, and the second one is found in Revelation chapter 19.
  
Rev 19:   11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew , but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.   
  
There is a lot of information given us in the passage above; first, there is the concept of Christ riding upon a white horse.  This concept is mentioned several times in the book of Revelation, such as the following.
   
Rev 6:2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
 
In Rev 6:2, Christ is seen holding a bow and riding upon a white horse as He goes forth conquering and to conquer. It is not possible “to conquer” without either acquiring or overcoming by force or effort, subduing something, (for example, subduing an enemy), or mastering and gaining victory over something. In other words, the concept of going forth with a bow “conquering, and to conquer” requires that one is engaged in some type of warfare or battle; and verse 11 of Rev 19 does refer to “war”; Rev 16:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.  Verse 14 of Rev 16 also refers to the concept of a battle with reference to the armies which are following the rider on the white horse; Rev 16:14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  In Scripture, the horse is often directly connected with a battle, as in the following passages.
  
Proverbs 21:31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.
  
Zechariah 10:3 Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the goats: for the LORD of hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah, and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battle.
  
Zechariah 12: 4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
  
In fact, the entire chapter of Zechariah 12 is speaking of a battle that will occur “in that day”, and it also makes a reference to a valley named "Megiddon"; therefore we can know that this is a reference to the battle of Armageddon.
       
Zechariah 12:2-3 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
          
Zechariah 12:8-11 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the LORD before them.  And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.  And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.  In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.
 
The name “Megiddon” is a name that means “place of crowds”. The reference to the mourning of Hadradrimmon, is a reference to the national lamentation that occured upon the death of King Josiah, which took place in the valley of Megiddo. Both the names Megiddo and Megiddon, come from the same Hebrew word “Mediddown”[Strong’s H4023]. King Josiah was the last good king of the Israelites before their final destruction in the year 587 B.C.  The third New Testament reference made to the battle of Armageddon is found in the book of Revelation chapter 20, where we read about the loosing of Satan.
 
Rev 20:  7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8 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.  9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 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.

In the passage above, it is evident that this battle is occuring on Judgment Day because of the following: a battle is first mentioned in verse 8, then in verse 9 fire is seen coming down from heaven and devouring those that have compassed the camp of the saints, and in verse 10 the devil is cast into the lake of fire where he is to be tormented day and night forever. 
  
The Old Testament however, has much more to say about this great battle, and much of it is written in very complex language. It could be possible that God wanted to protect mysteries surrounding this great battle by keeping its information secretly hidden from mankind to a certain degree. We know that God does this from reading the following passage found in Mark chapter 4.
  
Mark 4:9-12 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.  And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.  And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.
  
Joel chapter 2 also makes reference to a great battle.
       
Joel 2:  1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. 4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. 5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. 6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. 7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: 8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. 9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. 10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: 11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?  
     
The passage above of Joel 2 can be linked with several passages of the New Testament that deal with coming of Christ, as in the following:
 
The blowing of the trumpet - Matthew 24:30-31 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.
 
The shaking of the heavens and the darkening of the sun, moon, and stars - Matthew 24: 29-30 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: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven.
 
The great and terrible day of God - 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?
             
In the book of Haggai, we also find a passage regarding a great battle that is to occur on 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, everyone 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.

The shaking of the heavens and the earth can be linked to the following passage of Matthew 24.
   
Matt 24:27-30 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 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: 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.
  
In Haggai 2:23, we see a reference to God setting, or making, Zerbbabel as a signet.  Haggai 2:23 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.
   
The name “Zerubbabel” means "sown in Babylon". Zerubbabel was the grandson of king Jehoiachin who was the king over the first group of returning exiles from Babylon. In the Bible, true believers are also labeled as “signets”. A signet is a type of seal that, for example, one would use when sealing a letter with melted wax. That seal has a special image engraved into it which, when sealing a letter with that seal, the recipient of that letter will recognize the image, and know that the seal used to stamp the melted wax in sealing that letter, does indeed belong to the person who sealed the letter with it.
 
In conclusion, when looking at all the passages discussed above, we can see a picture that is being painted of some of the events that are to occur on Judgment Day.  1. The shaking of the powers of heaven and earth 2. The “feasting” on human flesh 3. The great mourning that will occur 4. The great battle 5. The final victory the kingdom of God will achieve over the kingdom of Satan and all the unsaved.
 
In this study, I did not discuss the "feasting" that occurs in some of the passages above, but in the next part of this study I will be discussing this concept further. 

That Great Day of God Almighty – Part 1: The Resurrection of the Last Day

In Revelation 16:14 we read about "that great day of God Almighty."

Rev 16:14 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 battle of that great day of God Almighty."

That great day of God Almighty is Judgment Day, and it is also referred to as "the last day."

John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.   

John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.   

John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.   

John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

John 12:48 tells us that anyone who rejects the Lord Jesus and does not receive His words has One that will judge him on the last day.  John 12:48 contradicts the doctrine that hell is the grave because that doctrine teaches that when an unsaved person dies, that is the end for them and nothing else will ever happen to them. If that would be true, then how could John 12:48 also be true? But because John 12:48 is the Word of God, then we can know that the truth is that all the unsaved will stand for judgment on the last day. The other passages quoted above also tell us that it is on the last day when the resurrection will occur; thus we can know that the Rapture will occur simultaneiously with the ressurection of the dead. In John 11:24, Martha is speaking of the resurrection of her brother Lazarus who had died.

John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

In the following 2 passages we also read about the resurrection of the last day.

1 Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

By looking at the passages quoted above, we can derive 3 Biblical truths; 1. the Rapture of the true believers who are still alive will occur on the last day;  2. the resurrection of the true believers who have died will occur on the last day; and  3. the unsaved will be judged on the last day.  Not only does the Bible teach that the unsaved will be judged on the the last day, but it also teaches that they will be consciously alive at this judgment.

The Conscious Resurrection of the unsaved on the Last Day

Those of you who are familiar with me know that I have been a student of Harold Camping since 1987. I know that up until a few years ago, Mr. Camping used to always teach about hell and eternal damnation, and then a few years ago began to teach that hell is the grave, and that there is no conscious resurrection of the unsaved after death. I, however, disagree with this teaching and will show that the Bible will absolutely not support this doctrine.  The first passage I will refer to is John 5:28-29.

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.

John 5:28-29 is not a passage shrouded in mystery and it is not written in difficult to understand language; but rather it is written in very plain and clear language and it states that, “all that are in the graves shall come forth;” and “they that have done evil will come forth unto the resurrection of damnation.”   In order to teach that hell is the grave and that there is no conscious resurrection of the unsaved on Judgment Day, one would need to have an alternative explanation for what John 5:28-29 is teaching.  Another passage that will not support that hell is the grave is found in Mark 9.

Mark 9:43-48 And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.  And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:  Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

In order to teach that hell is the grave and that there will never be any type of judgment upon the unsaved after death, one would need to have an alternative explanation for what the Lord Jesus is teaching in the passage above. If it were true that when an unsaved person dies and that is the final end for them, why is the Lord Jesus speaking about “being cast into hell”? And why is He speaking about a worm that never dies? And why is He speaking about a fire that is never quenched? Then there is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus of Luke 16.

Luke 16:20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

How do those who teach that hell is the grave explain this parable of Luke 16? In this parable, Jesus teaches of a rich man who dies and finds himself being tormented in hell. If hell were the grave, why would Jesus teach a parable such a this?  In this parable, Jesus teaches about a man who has not only died, but has also been burried; and yet he is very much consciously alive. If there is no conscious resurrection of the unsaved after they have died, why would the Lord Jesus teach us this parable? In John 5:28, Jesus stated: "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."  If we link John 5:28 with the parable of the rich man and Lazarus of Luke 16, we could say, "Marvel not" at the fact that the hour will come when all those who have died will come forth; and those who are unsaved will find themselves tormented in hell. Then there is the passage of Revelation 20.

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 forever and ever.  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.

What do those who teach that hell is the grave do with the passage above of Rev 20? We see that in this passage heaven and earth have fled away from the face of the One who sits on a great white throne.  Clearly this is a picture of the passing away of the cosmos on the last day and "the dead" who are standing before God are the unsaved who will stand for judgment before God on Judgment Day. This is a doctrine that has been taught in almost all of the Christian churches in the world during the past 2,000 years. It is a doctrine that Mr. Camping believed in and taught up until only a few years ago when he was in his 80's. If the doctrine that hell is the grave were true and there is no conscious existence for the unsaved after death, who are these dead souls standing before God while the books are opened and the dead are judged? Since we are told in this passage that heaven and earth have fled away from the face of the One sitting on the great white throne, in order to teach that hell is the grave one would have to have an alternative explanation for who these dead souls are that are standing before God. In Luke Chapter 12, we read about the punishment that will be dealt out on the unsaved on the last day.

Luke 12:43-48 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall findso doing .Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him rulerover all that he hath. But and if that servant sayin his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eatand drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will comein a day when he lookethnot for him, and at an hour when he isnot aware, and will cuthim in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. And that servant, which knewhis lord's will, and preparednot himself, neither didaccording to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knewnot, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committedmuch, of him they will ask the more.

In conclusion, in order to teach that hell is the grave and that there is no conscious resurrection of the unsaved on the last day, (which is Judgment Day), one would need to have an alternative explanation for each and every one of the passages that I have quoted above.  And I only chose a few sample passages; because there are many more passages in the Bible that speak about hell and damnation for the unsaved. I remember Mr. Camping teaching a few months ago that the end would come like a “quiet whisper”; and what I am saying is, "No!" That it will not come like a “quiet whisper.” Read how the Bible describes the end in the following passages.

Thessalonians 5:3 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.

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.
 
I am writing to say that hell is a true reality and that it is coming for the unsaved on the last day.  And this reminds me of the times when the prophet Jeremiah said:

Jeremiah 8:11 For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

Jeremiah 12:12 The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace.

Jeremiah 14:13 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place.

Jeremiah 23:17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD 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.

The Battle of Armageddon - Part 4: "But Gather the Wheat into My Barn."

by Patricia Jones, February 11, 2012

    

This study will be focusing mainly on the Greek word “Synago”, which is Strong’s G4863.  It is a Greek verb that is used to describe the “gathering together” of the Elect of God in general, but is specifically used in referrence to the gathering of the Elect just prior to the end of the world in preparation for the Battle of Armageddon. The first passage I want to look at is the parable of the wheat and the tares found in Matthew 13.  In this parable, a man sows good seeds of wheat in his field but while men slept, his enemy comes and sows seeds of tares, or weeds, among the seeds of wheat. Later when the blades of wheat begin to spring up and bring forth fruit, they see that weeds are also growing together amongst the wheat. The servants of the man come to him to inquire about the weeds and ask him if he will be pulling out the weeds. If you have any experience pulling out weeds from your lawn as I have, you will have noticed that when weeds grown among the good grass, the roots of the weeds will intertwine themselves with the roots of your good grass so that when you do pull out the weeds, the good grass will get pulled out with the weeds. What I do when that happens is that I will find myself pulling apart the weeds from the grass and then I will replant the grass back into the ground. But now here we are speaking about real people, not weeds, and God cannot just remove the tares and plant the wheat back in; it would ruin peoples lives. The Elect of the world depend on the unsaved just as much as the unsaved depend on the Elect.
        
Let's take a look at the conversation that takes place between the owner of the field in this parable of Matthew 13, and his servants.

Matthew 13:27-30 "So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this . The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first[G4412] the tares, and bind[G1210] them in bundles to burn them; but gather[G4863] the wheat into my barn."

In the last sentence of this passage we see Strong’s G4863, the Greek word, Sunago. Notice the expression, “Gather ye together[G4816] first[G4412] the tares, and bind[G1210] them in bundles[G1197]”;  there are three words here that I would like to focus on; [G4816], [G4412], and [G1210].  The Greek verb Syllego [G4816] that was translated into the word “gather” in the context of this passage is a verb that means the gathering together, or separating, for the purpose of carrying it away; sort of like pulling it away. The Greek adverb Proton[G4412] that was translated into the word “first” is describing the verb Syllego, therefore, giving it the meaning of “first pull it away, or first carry it away”.  The Greek verb Deo[G1210] has a very interesting meaning. It can mean “to bind up, fasten with chains, or throw into chains, it is a verb that means to restrict the freedom of something. That is why it can have the meaning of fastening with chains. For example, as a woman is “bound to her husband”; this verb restricts the freedom of whatever is being bound.

So now looking at this passage again, we can see it is telling us that it is the owner of the field’s wish to allow both the wheat and the tares to grow together until the time of the final harvest (which when we read further into the passage in verse 39, Jesus explains that this final harvest takes place at the end of the world). Then it will be at that time, the time for the final harvest near the end of the world, that the tares are to first be separated away and bound up, or restricted, and then the wheat will be gathered into his barn.

“Gather ye together[G4816] first[G4412] the tares, and bind[G1210] them in bundles[G1197]; but gather[G4863] the wheat into my barn.”

The Greek verb Synago[G4863], that is used in the expression, “but gather[G4863] the wheat into my barn”, has a different meaning from Greek verb Syllego [G4816], which means the gathering together of the weeds that were to be carried away and bound up. The main difference is that the meaning of Synago[G4863], is not a gathering together to be carried away. In fact, we will even see that the word Synago is directly related to the sharing of the Gospel in order to bring Salvation to the Elect. Following, are passages where the verb Synago[G4863] is found.

Matthew 24:31 "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather[G4863] together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."

Mathew 3:12 Whose fan [is] in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather[G4863]  his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Matthew 12:30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth[G4863]  not with me scattereth abroad."

Matthew 13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered[G4863] of every kind."

Matthew 22:10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together[G4863] all as many as they found , both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests .

Mathew 24:28 “For wheresoever the carcase is, there will[G4863] the eagles be gathered together[G4863].

Luke 17:37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will[G4863] the eagles be gathered together[G4863].”

Matthew 25:24 “Then he which had received the one talent came and said , Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering[G4863]  where thou hast not strawed.”

Matthew 25:32 “And before him shall be gathered[G4863] all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.”

Matthew 25:35 “For I was hungry , and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink : I was a stranger, and ye took4863 me in[G4863].”

Matthew 25:43 “I was a stranger, and ye took[G4863] me not in[G4863]; naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.”

Rev 16:14 “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[G4863]  them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

Rev 16:16 “And he gathered[G4863] them together[G4863]  into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”

Rev 19:17 “And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together[G4863]  unto the supper of the great God.”

Rev 19:19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together[G4863]   to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

Rev 20:8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather[G4863]   them together[G4863]  to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

In conclusion, I want to first refer again to Rev 16:14.

Rev 16:14 “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[G4863] them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”

In Rev 16:14, the verb Synago[G4863] is used to covey the gathering together of the Elect just prior to the Rapture of the Last Day at the end of the world. In the parable of Matthew 13, we also see the verb Synago[G4863] to convey the gathering together of the Elect that occurs just prior to the final harvest at the end of the world. The most curious message of Rev 16:14, is that when the sixth vial is poured out, (which I believe will occur when God unlocks the bottomless pit to release Satan and the locusts), the spirits of devils working miracles are actually used of God to help to gather[G4863] together the Elect of God, the wheat into the barn, in preparation for the Battle of Armageddon which will begin at the resurrection of the Last Day.