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The Revelation of Yeshua to Yochanan

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The Opening of the Seventh Sealed Scroll

Revelation 8:1 And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

Our text says this silence lasts for "about a half hour." Some commentators find this fascinating and look for deeper meanings. One popular method is to divide the 1,260 days (the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation Period: Revelation 11:3) into hours and half hours to determine the length of this silence. It will probably be longer than a literal half hour however for our purposes here, the meaning is simply that the universe is "holding its collective breath" for God's response, much as a disobedient child awaits his father's reaction when he knows he has been caught and will he held accountable.

The Sounding of the Seven Trumpets of Judgment

Revelation 8:2 And I saw the seven angels that stand before God; and there were given unto them seven trumpets.
3 And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.

Think of the Seven Sealed Scrolls as computer files. Within each file are various documents or prophetic events. The Sounding of the Seven trumpets are located within the Seventh Sealed Scroll or file. Until Mashiach ben David opens these files their contents will remain unknown, other than through the prophecies.

At this point on the timeline, the most sadistic despot in history will be ruling the earth. Were his reign not shortened by divine intervention no flesh would survive (Matthew 24:22)! By this point in Yeshua's prophectic timeline "the New World Order" (or novus ordo mundi) will have established their planetary fascism (through the novus ordo seclorum or "New Order of the Ages") and enslaved the world. Paraphrasing Revelation 4:10, at this point the twenty-four elders who represent life on Earth now prostrate themselves before HaShem, throwing their crowns or authority to rule at his feet in resignation, demonstrating their acknowledgment of our collective inability and our need for God's rule. We will be careening towards complete genocie.

Revelation 8:5 And the angel took the censer; and filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there followed thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

Note this combination carefully! According to the prophet, HaShem is not happy with the Earth! His is a holy fire of righteous indignation! He has seen the abuses of the poor, the weak, the helpless. He has watched as greed, hypocrisy and warfare has destroyed the peace and decimated everything He given to the earth. Now His righteous anger is being added in measure to the prayers of the human tzadikim (saints) and loyal celestial denizens. He will come to their defence. These prayers confirm the righteousness of His indignation of what He will now cause to happen.

This combination of incense, prayers and divine wrath is now cast ("ballo": hurled or thrown with great force) onto the Earth! With devastating results the rebels will now be held accountability for what they have done!

As previously discussed, the first six of the seven sealed scrolls were all opened during the first three and half year Tribulation Period. They were opened in preparation for this Seventh and Final Sealed Scroll and the Sounding of the Seven Trumpets it heralds. These Soundings will occur in chronological order with the beginning of the second three and half year period, known as the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). The Seventh or "Last Trumpet" (I Corinthians 15:52) will announce the establishment of the Earthly Kingdom of Olam Haba as we will see later. The opening of the Seventh Sealed Scroll therefore covers the period from its opening near the "middle of the week" to the establishment of the Kingdom at its conclusion.

As we discussed earlier, one reason we know the Rapture theory is incorrect is that whatever Paul is taking about at I Corinthians 15:52 does not happen until this "last tumpet" is sounded. This trumpet will not be sounded until Mashiach, as King, takes to the Throne of David at the conclusion of the War of Magog or Armageddon. This rules out the pre-trib, mid-trip and post-trib rapture theories.

As the seven trumpets are sounded we will be moving farther and farther into the Seven Years Tribulation period. While we know the basic time line of these events, we can not establish exact dates for any of them. As explained before, many of these events overlap.

Later Yochanan will return to this same time period in order to share more information about the rapidly unfolding events of the final seven years of the age. The sounding of these trumpets mark the passage of events along the prophetic timeline but are not definitive for our purposes.

It is important to remember that these soundings reference human desecration and warfare, not just nature gone awry! But the weapons used are not only planes and tanks, but the powers of the Earth itself! It is HaShem Who is unleashing these massive forces upon the Earth in dafamation and denial of the claims of Rex Mundi! He will use whatever means He chooses for His purposes. The angelic forces will be fighting Lucifer and his minions in the open for all to see! Mashiach ben Yosef wil be casting out the Globalists from Israel in battle after battle. Devout men and women everywhere will be resisting as they can. And Rex Mundi's wrath and irritation levels will be going through the roof. Currently such battles are raging in both the celestial and terrestrial realms, but HaShem mercifully usually shields our eyes from these things by His Presence. Once that Protective Shield is removed (II Thessalonians 2:7) and the world becomes ichabod, the naked realities of the Rebellion will be experienced by one and all. Both sides will be empowering their agents with abilities beyond anything the world has ever known!

This seven year period is not something we will merely be trying to survive. The 144,000 Israelites and the Great Multitude of Noahidim who serve with them will be theocratic soldiers working together for HaShem's glory or will be martyrs to His glory! Either is fine (Philippians 1:21)!

HaShem can and will empower His servants to stand according to His role for them! Some of His servants, like the Two Witnesses, will be granted the ability to call forth fire from the sky and so on. All that matters is that we willingly obey His Orders that will be revealed within our consciousness. During this period the world will be utterly enmeshed in a war unlike any it has before experienced and everyone on the planet will be a participant!

There is a common misconception that the People of HaShem who are alive during the Tribulation Period will be huddled in fear, focussed merely on survival. This belief detracts from our real assignments. The Earth is our Home and HaShem will empower us to take it back (Joel 2:28)! As the Torah, which is the Mind of God, is revealed to us, humanity will stand and fight, each as HaShem leads. HaShem will lead ben Yosef. He will lead the 144,000 Jews and the Great Multitude of Noahidim. He will guide the celestial armies, and He will direct Mashiach ben David, the one who will open the Scrolls at the very beginning of the Seven Years and will direct the final war effort.

Revelation 8:6 And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
8:7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the eareh. One third of the eareh was burnt up, and one third of the trees were burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

As I have noted a few times now, if the prophecies make sense literally we do well to take them that way! This is literal war and the forces of God are already fighting the forces of the Great Re-set Globalism. HaShem is already demonstrating the deceptions of the Rex Mundi and showing that once awakened a significant percentage of humanity will choose His rule and fight back. The Satanic New World Order will not succeed! Much can be learned and inferred from these events, however it's important to first and foremost accept them as they are presented. These battles are coming as written our prophetic works. The attacks and counterattacks will have literal as well as symbolic realizations as they play out.

Recall this verse from before: Revelation 6:8 And behold, a pale horse. He who sat on it was named Death and Hades [Sheol: the grave] followed him. Authority was given to him over one fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, with famine, with death, and by the wild animals of the earth.

The attacks and counter-attacks now being described follow the appearence of this rider. The percentages cited here and elsewhere are best understood as percentages remaining from previous events, not of the initial total. This "third" is a third of the remaining three quarters. The numbers indicate the vastness of devastation rather than numerical certitude. Such vast numbers of death, in part, cause many people to seek shelter in the caves. Uncertainty and fear abounds everywhere. The world has now entered its most chaotic period in its history, the Great Tribulation. Its like a Mad Max movie of complete barbarism. Of this period Yeshua warned:

Matthew 24:21 "then will be great tribulation, like has never been seen from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.
22 If those days are not shortened no flesh will survive: but for the sake of the Jews [the elect] those days will be shortened. (Matt 24:22).

Those living in areas where the majority of people embrace the Rex Mundi will probably suffer more natural destruction than those living in areas where the majority side with HaMashiach, but the later will doubtless suffer more human-caused violence. This global war and chaos will be worldwide and no area will be safe. It is likely that those who heed the Voice of God may receive warnings to take cover etc. but this is suposition. In war, calataral damage is unavoidable. To be clear, there are no guarantees and most people are not going to survive these Seven Years. When the global War of Magog ends, over 3/4 of the human population that entered into the Seven Years will have perished, regardless of sides. However, those who side with HaShem and survive will dwell within His blessings and enter into the Olam Haba. They will be a blessed minority. While nothing is certain, material and spiritual preparation for these events is wise.

The Second Trumpet

Revelation 8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
8:9 and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea died, those that had life; and the third part of the ships was destroyed.

There is every reason to take these prophecies literally as witten. Throughout history humankind has demonstrated its lack of regard for the Earth. Humans were placed here to be caretakers of the planet (Gen. 2:15) but instead they chose to exploit and abuse it. Now the Earth is being devastated for the third time so that the Kingdom of HaShem can be established on purified ground. Much of what the Kingdom inhabitants will be doing during the early period will be cleaning up after this devastation and recreating the planetary Gan Eden. These coming devastations will be vast and almost beyond comprehension. We have seen death and destruction on a wide scale before, but this will be beyond anything we have ever known. Scripture says, The Earth is HaShem's and the fulness thereof, (Psalm 24:1) but we have destroyed much of Earth's splendor. Under the theocratic administration of the Olam Haba the inhabitants of Earth will rebuild human civilization upon godly principles with justice. The Earth will be cleansed and become like Gan Eden. What is happening in these verses is the destruction of the old world and the laying of the foundation of the new.

The Third Trumpet

Revelation 8:10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell from heaven a great star, burning as a torch, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of the waters;
11 and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

The English word wormwood is used to refer to various plants. Here the word is apsinthos and almost certainly refers to absinthe, an anise-flavored herb extracted from the flowers and leaves of the areemisia absinthium plant. When this herb is distilled it's sometimes known as "la fée verte" (the Green Fairy). Drinking small amounts will give one a nice "high" and acts to quench thirst, however more than that and one becomes quite sick and may even die. Those who crave intoxication may find stopping at the medicinal level most difficult.

Humanity has abused diverse drugs throughout its history. Now a third of the fresh water sources on the planet will become a highly intoxicating beverage in punishment and testing! Some will drink but a bit to quench their thirst or seek out uncontaminated water sources, but others, seeking an escape from the many woes or enjoying the intoxication for its own sake, will gorge themselves on the drug and become quite drunk and then violently ill. Recall the situation of those living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the United States dropped nuclear bombs on civilian targets there. Many of the survivors spoke of their almost uncontrollable thirst. Countless people who had survived the initial U.S. bombing rushed into the rivers and streams drinking deeply of the radioactive waters and died. Those who were wise suffered from their intense thirst but only drank enough to survive. History repeats. Many will go further insane under its influence and many more will die from the absinthe-tainted waters.

The Fourth Trumpet

Revelatiion 8:12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; that the third part of them should be darkened, and the day should not shine for the third part of it, and the night in like manner.
13 And I saw, and I heard an eagle, flying in mid-heaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, who are yet to sound.

What is coming is beyond the minds of even our greatest science fiction and horror writers. But these things are real and they are going to take place, likely in this generation.

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