Before I delve into the subject of the four horsemen of end-time Bible prophecy, I must deal with some wrong thinking. Some ministers and Christians proclaim that we (Christians) will NOT be able to discern the times and seasons leading up to the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. They often quote verses like these out of context:
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36) or “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2).
However, in failing to give the proper context of these verses, they are teaching the exact opposite of what the Lord Jesus and His prophets taught in the Scriptures. For instance, in the very chapter where Jesus said no man will know the DAY or HOUR of His return, He had just given them many SIGNS TO LOOK FOR! So, it is ridiculous to say that Jesus did not want us to recognize the season when His return was drawing near. And in the passage of 1 Thessalonians 5, the Apostle Paul goes on to say in verse 4, “But ye, BRETHREN, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” In other words, true believers who know the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word will NOT be taken by surprise in the end time!
Furthermore, the Lord Jesus gave us clear teachings about watching and being ready for His return (Luke 12:35-48; Matthew 24:36-52; 25:1-1-13). But some have argued that Christians have been saying the coming of Jesus Christ was near for centuries and it hasn’t happened. These same people go on to say that it could be another 50 or 100 hundred years or even longer before we enter the last days and the see the second coming of Jesus Christ. Others add to those statements saying, “No one really knows. Just live your life and don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter that much anyway. Just be ready” But the Holy Spirit warned us through the Apostle Peter that this would be the attitude of people who would choose to be “willingly ignorant” in the very days (see 2 Peter 3).
Part of the problem stems from Christians who do not understand that Jesus CAN NOT come at “any moment.” The Bible has never taught that His return could happen at “any moment.” The Apostle Paul addressed this issue in 2 Thessalonians 2 when he wrote, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by OUR gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon SHAKEN IN MIND, or BE TROUBLED, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man DECEIVE you by any means: FOR THAT DAY SHALL NOT COME EXCEPT there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed (The Final Antichrist), the son of perdition, Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5).
In other words, “Do not let anyone disturb or agitate your mind, will, understanding and emotions or DECEIVE you about the coming of the Lord Jesus and OUR GATHERING (the rapture) being at HAND or NEAR because there are things that have to happen FIRST! There will be an end-time apostasy or departure from the truth of God’s Word and loyalty to Jesus as the ONLY Lord and Savior and THE MAN OF SIN (the final Antichrist world leader foretold in Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation) must be fully revealed which will happen when he stands in the temple of God and declares himself to be God.” When you put this together with what Jesus said in Matthew 24, what Daniel and the Apostle John wrote about the final Antichrist and other Bible prophecies that have to happen FIRST then Christian leaders and pastors for centuries should have understood that the second coming of Christ and the rapture would not be imminent until those events happened.
When you put the end-time teachings of Jesus into context with what Paul taught in 2 Thessalonians 2, then it is obvious that God wanted the LAST GENERATION to recognize the signs of the times and be aware of what would be happening. God wants this last generation to see where we are and prepare to stand against the onslaught of Satan’s end-time deceptions and persecution.
This brings us to a very important point about end-time Bible prophecy and particularly the book of Revelation. Most people have believed the lies of Satan and deceived preachers that the book of Revelation is just too hard to understand and we will never be able to be sure about this mysterious book of end-time Bible prophecy. But, as we will see, God wants us to understand the book of Revelation. It was not meant to be an unknowable mystery forever for those who continued to read and study it over and over. He even promises a blessing for those who read and study until they understand it:
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that READETH, and they that HEAR the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (Revelation 1:1-3).
The definition of the word HEAR in this passage from the Greek Dictionary is UNDERSTAND. Also, the Greek verb tense of the words “readeth,” hear, and keep are all the same. They are Present Tense Greek verbs and that is defined as an “ongoing, continuous action that is taking place in the present.” So, what the Lord is saying in Revelation 1:3 is that there is a blessing for those who read and keep reading the prophecy of Revelation until they understand it. And I can testify that God has honored that in my own life as I have continued to read and study the book of Revelation since the 1980s.
I also want to add that I have gleaned a lot of truth about Bible prophecy from other ministers over the years. I mention this because we do have to be open to receive from others who have studied the Bible. It is a manifestation of pride to believe that we don’t need other members of the body of Christ. The flip-side of that coin is that I have had to throw out some popular end-time theories once it became clear that the Bible did not teach those doctrines. The process is about being teachable and asking the Holy Spirit to confirm things to you. Don’t cling to ideas and teachings if they are built upon assumptions or traditions. If the Bible doesn’t say it clearly, then we cannot assert it as a dogmatic truth.
Because of these assumptions and traditions there are many different interpretations of the Four Horsemen that Jesus revealed to John in Revelation Six. And over the last 30 years, I have read about and/or studied most of them. However, when I was a young man, I believe that God began to give me some understanding about these four horses and their riders. Since then, I have learned more about history, Bible prophecy, and the current forces, institutions, and ideologies that are influencing our world. I have also had the Holy Spirit bring more revelation and confirmation in the last few years. Thus, I am confident that we can know EXACTLY what these Four Horsemen represent in our world today. All we have to do is let the Bible interpret the Bible and compare that to what has been happening in our world for the last 2000 years (and especially since the beginning of the 20th Century).
“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. And I heard, but I understood not….then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:4, 8-10).
The Key to the Timeline of Revelation
As we look at the first four seals that Jesus opened which are called the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, there are some things that we need to understand about the book of Revelation and interpreting symbolic writings in the Bible:
The Book of Revelation includes…
7 Seals
7 Trumpets
7 Vials of Wrath
It is important to understand that the 7 Seals and the 7 Trumpets DO NOT ALL HAPPEN IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS (contrary to the traditional teachings in the church world). That assumption sounds nice, but there is not one passage in the Bible that says ALL of the Seals and the Trumpets will happen in the last seven years which is called the Tribulation or the 70th Week of Daniel. Therefore, this traditional belief cannot be held to as a dogmatic truth about end-time prophecy. On the other hand, we do know from Scripture that the 7 Vials of God’s wrath are poured out in the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation. We know this because Revelation 16:1-2 says that the FIRST VIAL OF WRATH will be poured out on those who have taken the mark of the Beast. And Revelation 13 says that the Antichrist does not issue or force the mark until he has “42 months to continue” or 3 ½ year left.
“And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image” (Revelation 16:1-2).
Another wrong idea about the 7 Seals, 7 Trumpets, and 7 Vials is that they happen consecutively in the last seven years. What I mean by this is that some people believe that at the beginning of the last seven years the Seals are opened from one to seven. They believe that all of the Seals must be opened prior to any of the 7 Trumpets being blown. And once the 7 Trumpets are blown they are followed by the 7 Vials of Wrath. Again, this belief is based on an assumption! The Bible NEVER says it happens this way. In fact, when we look at each set of sevens in the book of Revelation, we discover that they overlap each other. They all END at the same time but they do not START at the same time. The 6th and 7th of each set reveal this:
Between the 6th and 7th Seals, we are told that the sun and moon go dark, the stars fall, the Lord Jesus returns, the rich men and captains see Jesus and want to flee from Him. That is the end. Jesus gives us the same picture about His second coming in Matthew 24:29-32 —the sun and moon go dark, the stars fall, He appears and the wicked mourn and flee.
Then, at the 7th Trumpet we see this stated in Revelation 10:7, “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, THE MYSTERY OF GOD SHOULD BE FINISHED, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” In other words, everything the prophets have said about the end and the return of the Messiah Jesus Christ is FINISHED and fully revealed! No more mystery. So, the 7th Trumpet is the second coming of Jesus Christ and the rapture at the LAST TRUMP just like the Apostle Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 15.
Then, we see that the 6th and 7th Vials are also referred to as the end or the second coming of Jesus Christ at Armageddon, “And the SIXTH ANGEL poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue ARMAGEDDON. 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” (Revelation 16:12-17).
So, the 7 Seals are the long story of the last days that start in the first century and END at Armageddon and the second coming of Jesus Christ. The Seven Trumpets are the shorter story beginning in 1914 and ending at Armageddon and the second coming of Jesus. And the Seven Vials are the very short story of the last days, starting in the last 3 ½ years but also ending at Armageddon or the second coming of Jesus Christ.
***This is very important to understand***
Having established the foundation, lets look at the first four seals or the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Here’s the passage:
“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 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. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale (green) horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:1-8).
Let the Bible Interpret the Bible
In the vision, the Lord Jesus shows John these four horses and their riders. Each horse is a different color: one white, one red, one black, and one pale or chlōros which means green. If we let the Bible interpret the Bible instead of men's private interpretations, then the Bible will tell us what these first four seals/horsemen REALLY are.
The prophet Zechariah had a very similar vision recorded in chapter 6 of his book. Zechariah saw four groups of horses pulling chariots 1) white 2) red 3) black 4) griseled and bay. And when he asked the angel what they were "…the angel answered and said unto me, These are the FOUR SPIRITS OF THE HEAVENS, which go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth" (Zech. 6:5). So, with help from this passage and the fact that the Apostle John stated that the spirit of antichrist was already in the world in the first century, we have to conclude that the four horsemen of Revelation 6 are FOUR EVIL SPIRITS that were released on the earth to influence people with certain ideologies and beliefs that would result in the death of many people. "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world" (1 John 4:3).
The First Seal: The White Horse - The Quest for a One-World Government
The traditional view of the first seal or the white horse and his rider is that this is the actual man who will be the final antichrist. They believe this because they assume that he is trying to mimic Christ's return on a white horse at the end of this age. And though this sounds plausible, the Word of God does not state anywhere that this white horse and its rider is the actual man who will be the final Antichrist. This assumption has caused a lot of people to see this passage incorrectly. I contend (based on Zechariah’s vision) that this white horse is the evil spirit of antichrist and deception that has been riding the earth for centuries. Its’ deception is to set up the worldly system that would bring about the one-world government of Satan in the last days. That is why the rider of the white horse has a bow and no arrows yet he is seen as going forth to conquer. This “white” evil spirit is the spirit that manifests itself through organizations that try to appear good and as if they are working for peace when they are really serving Satan’s plan for world domination.
You can see that this “white” evil spirit of Antichrist has been working for years through the Roman Catholic Church, the United Nations, and groups like the Council on Foreign Relations to bring about Satan’s end-time world government. We see the color white in each of these satanic organizations. For instance, the Pope wears white and rides in a white car, a white plane, and a white helicopter. The UN vehicles and tanks are all white. And the Council on Foreign Relations has a logo of a white horse with a rider on it. Sadly, these organizations will soon accomplish their goals to conquer the world states and bring them into Lucifer’s world government. Then, the Man of Sin, the Antichrist will take his place as the leader of this world government by promising peace, but later, he will massacre Christians, Jews, and all that resist his New World Order. Amazingly, thousands of white UN vehicles have been spotted on US military bases and on tractor trailers being transported on US highways. They are going forth to conquer America in the near future.
The Second Seal: The Red Horse - Communism, Facism & War
The red horse is easy to understand. In fact, I saw this as a very young man. The red horse with the great sword who takes peace from the earth is and has been the evil spirit of communism, socialism, and fascism. We have seen this “red” evil spirit manifest itself through the old Soviet empire, Hitler, and Mao and Communist China. Even the flags of those countries were mainly the color red. We also see this “red” spirit at work through the resurgence of Russia, Communist North Korea’s threats to use nuclear weapons, and China’s rise into a global economic and military power. The “red” communists and socialist have started many wars in these last days and are responsible for killing hundreds of millions in the 20th century. This evil spirit will manifest as the red beast with seven heads and ten horns in Revelation 17. The image of the “red beast” reveals that the coming UN world government beast will be communist in its ideology and murderous anti-Christian actions.
The Third Seal: The Black Horse - Economic Collapse & Food Shortages
The rider on the black horse has a pair of balances in its hand and speaks of wheat and barley shortages and economic trouble to the point that a meal will cost a day’s wages. This evil “black” spirit is told not to hurt the oil and wine. The Lord recently showed me that the oil and wine here represent the ministry of the true church in the earth. In other words, there will be anointed (the oil) ministers who preach about the blood of Jesus as the ONLY way to heaven (the wine) who will be protected and provided for during this famine and economic collapse. This is not to say that the saints will not suffer or be killed for their faith in Jesus and the Bible, but Jesus said that the “…gates of hell will not prevail against the church” (Matthew 16). The church will have a remnant that survives the attempts of Satan and his Antichrist to totally wipe out the true church before Jesus returns.
This evil spirit is currently manifesting itself in a new fungus that is threatening the world’s wheat crop. A June 14, 2009 LA Times article stated, "The Ug99 fungus, called stem rust, could wipe out more than 80% of the world’s wheat crops as it spreads from Africa, scientists fear. The race is on to breed resistant plants before it reaches the US.” In 2010, top scientists gathered in St. Petersburg, Russia for an emergency session to deal with this threat to the world’s wheat crop. The world's top wheat experts report progress toward replacing 5 percent of vulnerable fields in nations at risk; this effort is called vital for preventing hunger!
"ST. PETERSBURG (26 May 2010)—Four new mutations of Ug99, a strain of a deadly wheat pathogen known as stem rust, have overcome existing sources of genetic resistance developed to safeguard the world's wheat crop. Leading wheat experts from Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, who are in St. Petersburg, Russia for a global wheat event organized by the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative, said the evolving pathogen may pose an even greater threat to global wheat production than the original Ug99" (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100526134146.htm).
So, with this threat to the world’s wheat crop and the instability in the Middle East that will hinder the flow of oil, we must be prepared to see the full force of this evil black horse. It is necessary for Satan to collapse the world economy so he can bring in the mark of the Beast that will control who can buy or sell (see Revelation 13).
The Fourth Seal: The Green Horse - Islam & ISIS
And this brings us to the pale or green horse with its rider—DEATH. I say green because the Greek word that is translated pale in many translations is the word chloros. Here is the definition of the Greek word chloros from the Strong’s Greek Dictionary:
“Pale” - Greek 5515 (Χλωρός) chlōros pronounced khlo-ros‘ - From the same as G5514; greenish, that is, verdant, dun-colored: - green, pale.
So, the fourth horse is green and his rider is death!
In 2010, I learned from prophecy teacher Irvin Baxter that the sacred color of Islam is green. I guess I had always seen Muslims use the color green when I saw them on the news, but it never clicked. After I heard Rev. Baxter make the connection between Islam and the color green, I researched it for myself and found it to be true. I suggest that you check it out for yourself. You will find Hamas and Hezbollah soldiers with green bandannas. The color green is incorporated into almost all of the flags of Islamic countries. In fact, Saudi Arabia's flag (where Mecca, the most sacred place in Islam, is located) is completely green with a sword on it. Many mosques across the world have green tops or green trim. When Islamic mystics called Sufi's die their coffins are always shrouded in green. All of this is primarily because Muslim tradition says that Muhammad wore a green turban and a green cape.
The connection between the color green and Islam was confirmed by Middle East expert and former State Department employee Daniel Pipes in the introduction of his book, "Militant Islam Reaches America." He stated, "The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 prompted loose talk about Islam replacing Marxism-Leninism as the West's necessary enemy. In symbolic terms, it was said that green (Islam's color) had replaced red (communism's color) in the West's rogues' gallery."
Revelation 6:8 says that power or authority is given to this "green horse" over 1/4 of the people of the earth. The current world population is 7 billion and the number of Muslims presently in world is around 1.8 billion or almost exactly 1/4 of the world. This was confirmed by a CNN World article on October 7, 2009 entitled, “Nearly 1 in 4 People Worldwide Is Muslim.”
2015 Statistics
World Population--7 Billion
1.8 Billion Muslims
That comes to .25 or ¼ of the people in the world
The Bible says that power was given to them to "kill with the sword." The legal system of Islam is Sharia law. Sharia is known for using the sword to cut off the hands of thieves and behead people for various reasons. Scripture also says they have power to kill with "hunger." Presently over 90% of those living in famine are located in Muslim countries. This condition is NOT because they don't have the money to feed their people as most of these countries are filthy rich from oil. The leaders of these Muslim countries choose to keep most of their people poor, uneducated and dying in order to control them.
When Revelation 6:8 says they will kill with "the beasts of the earth" it is referring to nations (see Rev. 13). This means that the religion of Islam (the green horse spirit) will control "nations" and use their political power and armies to kill people. That is exactly what groups like Hamas, al Nusra, ISIS, and Boko Haram are doing in Israel, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and throughout Africa. They are also going to force the world into World War III by joining forces and attacking Israel in the days ahead.
This explains why "Death" is the rider on the green Islamic horse, not to mention that they are the religion of suicide bombers, "honor" killings, and the foremost murderer of Christians worldwide. They love death and murder and thus HELL follows after this green horse. Muslims believe they will gain entrance to heaven and paradise by killing for Allah, but in reality the True God of the Bible Yahweh, Jehovah, the LORD Jesus Christ says that they will go to hell fire for their hatred and murder of Jews, Christians, and even their own Muslim people! But, the good news of the gospel is that even murderous Muslims can be forgiven of their sins IF they repent (turn away from Allah and their evil ways) and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation!
Sadly, some of us will join our other brothers and sisters as martyrs for Jesus in this end-time persecution. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that we will see our God do some acts of supernatural/miraculous deliverance for His people in the midst of these perilous times. However, the Bible tells us that there will be many Christian martyrs in these last days. So, whether we face the sword of Islam or the demands of UN forces to worship the Beast and take the mark, we must be faithful to the LORD JESUS unto death!
As He said to the church in Smyrna, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death” (Revelation 2:10-11).
The 5th Seal: Two Waves of End-Time Martyrdom
There is no coincidence that the opening of the 5th Seal reveals those who have been killed for their faith in the Bible and their testimony of Jesus Christ. The green horse of Islam and its' rider DEATH preceded this revelation of end-time martyrs at the 5th Seal. Sadly, this passage also mentions that there will be a second wave of Christians killed for their faith:
“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled” (Revelation 6:9-11).
The martyrs mentioned in this passage asked the question, “How long O Lord before you judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell or live on the earth?” That means that at least some of the murderers of these particular martyrs will still be alive when Jesus comes to bring His vengeance. God's answer to the martyrs' question tells us that there is only a SHORT time between this wave of martyrs, the second wave of Christian martyrs and the final judgments of God when He will avenge their blood at the sixth Seal.
I believe that we are seeing the 5th Seal fulfilled right now! The murderous rampage over the last few years by Islamic groups like ISIS, Boko Haram, and other Muslim factions in Egypt and Pakistan have slaughtered tens of thousands of Christians in the Middle East, North Africa and other parts of the world. And the increase of Christian persecution by the green horse of Islam has exploded since 2013. However, the Bible tells us there will be another wave of Christian martyrs before God's final judgment comes. This puts us in the middle of the 5th Seal and very close to the second coming of Jesus. The next big wave of Christian martyrdom will come at the point that the Antichrist (a moderate Muslim leader) comes to power over the new world government and the mark of the Beast is mandated (see Revelation 13-14).
Another interesting clue that Islam will produce the Antichrist and be intricately involved in the UN and all aspects of the end-time scenario are the colors found in the flags many Muslim countries:
Jordan Iraq Palestine Syria Sudan
Do the colors white, red, black and green sound familiar?
The Sixth Seal: The Second Coming of Jesus
The 6th Seal is the second coming of Jesus Christ and the rapture of the church just prior to the battle of Armageddon. We can identify this when we compare the 6th Seal with the 6th and 7th Vial of Wrath in Revelation 16 and what Jesus taught in Matthew 24. Let’s compare these passages:
“And I beheld when he had opened the SIXTH SEAL, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb (Jesus Christ): For the great DAY OF HIS WRATH is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17).
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 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. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great” (Revelation 16:12-21).
“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. 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” (Matthew 24:29-31).
There is no doubt that these passages are describing the same events during the same time at the end of the Great Tribulation. So, we are currently in the middle of the 5th Seal and the 5th Trumpet happened in 2008. We are waiting for the 6th Trumpet war to break out in the Middle East, followed by the 7 Vials of Wrath being poured out in the last 3 ½ years on those who take the mark of the Beast and on the seat of the Antichrist’s kingdom. In other words, we are in the throes of the beginning of sorrows and the final years of mankind as we know it.
The real questions are these: Are you really ready? Are you truly born again and walking with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Have you confessed your sins and asked God to wash them away with the blood of Jesus shed on the cross? Are reading the Bible and obeying God’s commands? Are you prepared to resist the world government and the mandatory implant that will determine your ability to buy and sell? Will you remain faithful to Jesus and His Word unto death or facing prison for your faith in Jesus Christ? Are you ready to stand before the judgment seat of God Almighty? Will you find yourself in heaven or in hell for all eternity? I hope you get ready if you are not!
The Seventh Seal: 30 Minutes of Silence in Heaven
The Sixth Seal is the second coming of Jesus and His judgments on this wicked world. It coincides with the 6th and 7th Vials and the LAST or 7th Trumpet and the rapture of the church. I believe this "moment of silence" that occurs with the 7th Seal is a moment that all heaven (including the saints who were just resurrected) stand in awe of that final great day of God's wrath. It may also be a moment of silence to mourn the dead and those who did not make it to heaven. Some would say that there will not be tears in heaven, but the Bible does not say that. It says that, "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which CAME OUT OF GREAT TRIBULATION, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Revelation 7:13-17).
Make sure that you are part of that group that stands before the Lord in white robes that were washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. It will be there in heaven AFTER the tribulation of those days that God will wipe away the tears of His people. It will be the day that all sorrow and suffering will pass away forever for those that loved the Lord Jesus Christ more than sin and even their own temporary lives on earth.
(c) 2015 Dean Odle Ministries