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Why the rapture comes first, 3 of 4, Matthew 24

7/30/2022

Hi all,
We ended last week talking of 'birth pangs of Messiah', which describes the final process of 'labor pains' the earth must go through before Messiah is 'birthed' into the world - His 2nd coming.

Understanding Matthew 24:8-31
In His teaching of Matthew 24, remember Jesus was taught and believed all the Jewish things of the Feast of Trumpets I'm sharing here - this is ancient doctrine. He spoke of wars and famines and earthquakes on the earth, then said in v8-9: "All these are just the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you up to be afflicted, to be hated of all nations..."

To the Jewish ear, when Jesus used the term 'birth pangs', He shifted the focus of His teaching to address the last 7 years of the age, the time of wrath, the time of birth pangs in the earth for the coming of Messiah. Matthew was written for Jewish people and includes several 'Messianic' things throughout, just for the Jewish ear.

For instance, the term 'Son of David' which is a Jewish term for Messiah, is used 10 times in Matthew. In fact, chapter 1 verse 1 asserts Jesus is the Son of David, making that subject the topic throughout. (Used only 3x in Mark and 4x in Luke and 0x in John)

So when he quotes Jesus saying 'These are just the start of birth pangs', every Jewish person reading that in Matthew 24:8 knew Jesus was now talking about that final 7 year Time of Jacob's Trouble, or 70th week of Daniel: The birth pangs of Messiah.

Fortunately there will be millions who come to the Lord during the last 7 years. The 144,000 Jewish evangelists, the 2 witnesses, are all about showing Israel and the world the reality of Jesus as Messiah. Those who missed the rapture will also miss the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Remember from previous teachings about the Feast of Trumpets/rapture, the earth is divided in God's mind into the 3 groups at this time - the righteous, the wicked, the intermediates. There will be believers in the earth at that time; Revelation 6:9-11 shows martyrs before the Father asking how long until He take vengeance upon those who killed them.

But when Jesus used the term (the beginning of) 'birth pangs'
To the Jewish mind it started a 7 year context in Jesus' teaching. This would mean v8-14 is the first half of this time, for in v15 Jesus tells them that when they see the man of sin in the temple at the half way mark - It mentions reading Daniel 9 to understand), then get out of town for then will be 'great tribulation'.

Daniel's prophecy will happen as stated, which is at the 3.5 year mark the man of sin will defile the temple, and the remaining 3.5 years will be great tribulation. In fact, in v22 He said if those days aren't shortened mankind would succeed in destroying itself.

In verses 29-31 He concludes that 7 year period by saying: "Immediately AFTER the tribulation of those days the sun and moon will be darkened...and the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven...and He will gather His elect from one end of HEAVEN to the other..." (not gathering His elect from earth, but from heaven)

It is of this teaching of the last 7 years that Jesus said in v33-34: "The generation that sees these things will not pass until all is fulfilled." That understanding fits the Jewish teaching of the time, and of our NT. That at the end of the birth pangs of Messiah, He will appear to restore Israel to be the lead nation and establish the kingdom of God on earth, with Messiah as King.

A final thought in this segment:
The Feast of Trumpets is also called The Day of Remembrance or Yom HaZikkaron, by God in Leviticus 23:24: "...it will be a sabbath, a memorial (Zikkaron) of blowing of trumpets, a holy appointment."

In the Talmud and order of service for the day, it is taught the Feast of Trumpets or Day of Memorial (remembering) includes God bringing to His mind the deeds of mankind. It is taught many books are opened by God on that day, including the Book of Remembrance. (A reference is found in Malachi 3:6)

The teaching is that when believers in Messiah are raised from the dead to join Messiah, they are also judged right then. (Rosh Hashanah 16b) This is not a heaven or hell judgement for what are known as the nobles of God, but rather an accounting of what we have done in our lives since knowing Him.

Paul writes of this several times, including I Corinthians 3:3-15 where he says if we bring such things as envy, strife, divisions in our hearts to heaven, it will be burned away like wood, hay, and stubble, but we will be saved. He urges them to repent of strife and division and grow up in Christ, thus securing gold, silver, and precious stones built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ in their lives.

There is so much more, but next week I need to conclude the series with how the events of I & II Thessalonians describe exactly what we are talking about...until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]

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Why the rapture comes first, 2 of 4

7/23/2022

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Hi all,
Last week I gave a brief look at other rapture opinions, and the thing in common among them is that none consider that maybe God gave Moses the teaching on the rapture. In fact, He did, and that is what we will look at in these next 3 weeks.

Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets
It is also called Rosh Hashanah (the head of the year, the Jewish new year). It teaches about the coronation and wedding of Messiah, the resurrection of the righteous dead, the gathering of the nobles (you and me), the giving of rewards to His court (the nobles/kings/priests of His kingdom), the day of judgement, the start of Jacob's Trouble (the tribulation), and the anniversary of the start of the world.

The original instructions about the blowing of the trumpet are found in Leviticus 23:23-25, and mentioned later in places like Numbers 29:1 and Psalm 81:3 ("Blow the trumpet in the new moon". It is the only 1 of the 7 festivals that starts at the New Moon phase, when there is no moon, for the moon is hidden. The moon has long been a type of believers in Messiah, as it has no light source of its own, but relies on the sun - that's Judaism not Christianity making that symbolism. So at the rapture the believers are hidden from view in the heavens, like the moon at the new moon phase.

Paul would later write in Colossians 2:16-17 that the new moon is a 'shadow of things to come', alluding to the Feast of Trumpets and the resurrection of the dead.

If you look up Yom Teruah, the Hebrew Lexicon tells us the word 'teruah' means 'an awakening blast'. This 'awakening' or rising from the dead is found throughout rabbinical teachings on the Feast of Trumpets. What trumpet is used to awaken the righteous dead?

According to Pirke deR' Eliezer (Rabbi Eliezer's writings)
He says the left horn of the ram caught in the bush in Genesis 22 when Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac but found a substitute, is the 'first trump'. It was blown on Mt Sinai when Moses received the Law.

The right horn or 'last trump' will be blown to announce Messiah. It was blown by Abraham in connection with Isaac raised from the dead - he received him raised in a figure Hebrews 11:17-19, so he blew the horn in celebration. It has been used at the Feast of Trumpets since. (Though the original ram's horn is long gone)

There is also 'The Great Shofar' which is reserved for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, when Messiah comes and the end of the age is announced. That is blown as the final call to receive atonement for one's sin.

Paul wrote of this last trump in I Corinthians 15:51-53: "Behold, I show you a mystery. We won't all die, but we will all be changed. In a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible and we all will be changed."

If you are reading that and have never studied the Jewish teaching about the last trump, then all you read is some trumpet will sound and not know why it is called the 'last trumpet', that will cause the dead in Christ and those alive at that time to be changed to join the Lord. But if you know what Judaism teaches, then you realize Paul's great revelation that differs from Judaism, is that those alive will also be changed - that is the mystery, that is what is new and not taught in Judaism.

This is important because it shows Paul believed the traditional Jewish teaching about what we call the rapture; That it is a Jewish teaching from the Feast of Trumpets. The last trump will be blown at the New Moon phase, when the moon is hidden from view, as a type of believers being raised and changed to be hidden in Messiah.

This is from a teaching and (Jewish) temple prayer prayed during the Feast of Trumpets:
"Awake you sleepers from your sleep, arise from your sleep, examine your life and repent and remember your Creator. Forsake vanity, look into your souls and improve your ways, forsake your evil thoughts and your path..."

Paul paraphrased this same Feast of Trumpets temple prayer in Ephesians 5:14-17: "Therefore as he says; 'Awake you who sleep and rise from the dead, and Messiah will give you light. See then that you live rightly, not as fools, redeeming the time for the days are evil. Therefore don't be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.'"

Most readers of Ephesians have no idea Paul is paraphrasing the temple prayer about the rapture here in Ephesians 5:14, the raising of the righteous dead...they don't know who the 'he' is at the start of Paul's quote, that it would be the priest praying that prayer at the Feast of Trumpets in the temple. Now you know.

During this time in the Jewish festivals, even in our day, Psalm 27 is read daily. Verse 5 says this: "For in the time of trouble (time of Jacob's trouble, or the tribulation) He will hide me in His pavilion. In the secret of His tabernacle He will hide me. He will set me upon a Rock." Also v10: "When my father and mother reject me, the Lord will take me up." (receive me to Himself)

This confirms the Jewish belief that in the time of trouble, Jacobs's trouble or the Day of Wrath, He hides us in Him. Again, if you didn't know this Psalm is read in association with the Feast of Trumpets about the rapture, you'd just be reading an interesting Psalm.

This is why Paul wrote in I Thessalonians when teaching about the 'rapture', he told them in 1:10: "...to wait for Jesus who has delivered us from the wrath to come" and in 5:9-10: "For God the Father has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, for whether we have died or are awake, we will live together with Him."

If you are just reading the word 'wrath' without understanding in Judaism that refers to the tribulation or time of Jacob's trouble, then you wouldn't understand. But the use of 'wrath' in context, sets it to mean the days following the blowing of the last trumpet.

The days of wrath?
"...Three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah: One for the wholly righteous, one for the wholly wicked, and one for the intermediates. The wholly righteous are at once inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life; the wholly wicked are at once inscribed and sealed in the Book of Death; and the intermediates are held suspended from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). If they are found worthy, they are inscribed for life.; if found unworthy, they are inscribed for death." Rosh Hashanah 16b

The Intermediates are those undecided about the Lord and will have through the end of the Tribulation, or days of wrath, to decide for Him, or not.

Joel 2:1, 11 writes of the day of wrath, the wrath of the Lord to come. Also Zephaniah 1:14-17. Isaiah 13:6-9 and 34:1-8 talks of the time of indignation of the Lord, the wrath to come. Jeremiah 30:4-7 speaks of the time of Jacob's trouble. Revelation 6:14-17 says they wanted to hide from the 'wrath of the Lamb' for the great day of His wrath has come." The concept of the day of wrath, what we call the tribulation, is throughout the Old Testament. Paul told the Thessalonians to comfort one another, for God has not called us to (the day of) wrath.

Even with Noah, who went into the ark when he was 600 years old, escaped the flood waters of judgement. It's long been understood there will be 6,000 years of modern man in the earth, then Messiah the Ark will cause His people to enter into Him, will be sealed by the Spirit (the Lord shut the door on Noah's ark), thus hidden in Messiah/Ark, rise above the flood waters of wrath and judgment.

The tribulation or time of Jacob's trouble is also called the Days of Awe, the Day of Wrath, the Indignation, and the Birth pangs of Messiah. Those are the days Paul told the Thessalonians we are saved from. Those are the days Psalm 27 says we will be hidden with Him in His tabernacle.

Birth pangs of Messiah
"It was evidently expected these 'pangs' would be understood of the travail in which the new age (Millennial age with Messiah ruling the earth) would be born. The corresponding phrase in the Rabbinical text is 'the travail of Messiah', that is, not the sufferings of the Messiah Himself...but the throes of mother Zion which is in labor to bring forth the Messiah to the Jewish people." Judaism in the First Century Christian Era, George Foot-Moore.

This shows the earth will go through 'birth pangs' to 'birth' the Messiah into the earth - that is what we call the tribulation, the last and most violent 'birth pangs' before Messiah is revealed to mankind - when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.

Understanding the terms like 'wrath' and 'birth pangs', we can now understand Matthew 24 in its Jewish context, and that is for next week. Until then....blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected] or [email protected]

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Why the 'rapture' comes first 1 of 4: What does Judaism say?

7/16/2022

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Hi all,
The most popular end time theology going around today is called 'preterism'. From the Latin, praeter, which means 'past', preterism believes all prophetic words in the New Testament have already been fulfilled. This is based on the belief it was all fulfilled in the year 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed.

Preterism sees The Revelation as a historical document and full of symbolism of things that have already happened. The foundational verse for preterism is Matthew 24:34: "Truly I tell you, the generation that sees these things will not pass away until all these things have happened."

The error is that they read the verse as one reading it nearly 2000 years later rather than one listening to Jesus speak it live. If you put yourself into the conversation you see the context Jesus is talking about. He had just gotten through telling of anti-Christ in the temple at the mid point (3.5 years) of the treaty prophesied by Daniel, and then said THAT generation that sees that won't pass until all is fulfilled.

If someone fully believes preterism
They believe Jesus' return in The Revelation is merely a spiritual return, which is closely related to 'Dominion theology'. Dominion theology also believes end time prophecy is spiritual rather than actual. It believes that Christians will come to dominate the world in the '7 mountains' or 7 areas of worldly influence, bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth.

The 7 Mountains are:
Religion, education, family, media, business, government, arts & entertainment. It was started in 1975 by Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright and YWAM (Youth with a Mission) founder Loren Cunningham. It was later popularized by Peter Wagner in his 'New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) which taught there would be 'apostles and prophets' and the rest of the ministry gifts in each of the 7 areas, bringing them under the dominion of Christians.

Because preterism (and Dominion theology) believes everything in The Revelation is symbolic of events that have already happened, they view things we've covered in the previous series like the double asteroid hit, as having already happened - and not a literal asteroid hit that literally blots out the sunlight - but somehow, spiritual...I know, preterism falls apart rather quickly...

There are other end time beliefs making their case for no rapture, or perhaps a U-turn rapture in which the saints go up into the sky, meet Jesus, then turn around for His 2nd coming. Those who believe preterism or dominion theology may be forced to believe some of it and not the rest - which is what happens when someone believes error - not all of it fits so they have to believe part and not believe the rest. That should be a clue that what they believe is error, but for most, they don't recognize that.

None of these theories are based on the Jewish teaching of a catching away of the saints.
That's the error of all those other beliefs about end times - None of them consider the Jewish teaching about the Feast of Trumpets, which God gave to Moses. They haven't studied Judaism which is the context from which Jesus and Paul taught, so they build an incorrect foundation of beliefs about end times. In this part 1 I will briefly summarize what God gave Moses below, and in parts 2, 3, and 4 go into detail.

I will provide a lot of Jewish sources in this series including the Targum (translation and commentary), Torah (written law), Mishnah (oral law), Gemara (commentaries) and Midrash (Rabbinical study). I only do this because the Jewish belief in a pre-tribulation rapture as we would call it, is so strong, so well documented, I don't want people to think I'm making it up.

The 7 God-given festivals of Leviticus 23
The 7 are known in Judaism as 'rehearsals' and kept as 'divine appointments' on their day, looking to a future fulfillment. For that reason we find the 4 spring festivals were fulfilled exactly on their day. Unleavened Bread and Passover were fulfilled on their day by Jesus' sinless sacrifice on the cross. Jesus was resurrected that Sunday which was also the Feast of First Fruits (of the barley harvest). Jesus is the first born from the dead, we believers are the first fruits of the earth offered to God as they waved a sheaf of grain to Him in thankfulness.

Fifty days later is Pentecost (Pente, or 50) which celebrates the 50th day after passing through the Sea, when God gave Moses His law (Exodus 19). Judaism teaches on that day the Spirit of God went into the 70 known languages on the earth and gave all mankind the 10 Commandments in their own language. (Which is why man is born with the inner knowledge it is wrong to lie, to steal, to murder, to commit adultery, and that there is a God who created them/purpose to their life.)

This is why tongues is an ongoing fulfillment of God giving His Word to mankind, for in tongues we speak God's Word in the languages of earth, and heaven. That is why tongues continues to this day - as long as God's Word is spoken among the nations, so is Pentecost in a state of ongoing fulfillment. Just like Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is continually in effect, and His resurrection on the Feast of First Fruits is ongoing and in effect.

The 4 spring festivals were fulfilled on their exact day. The 3 fall festivals have yet to be fulfilled. They are Rosh Hashanah/Feast of Trumpets (which includes the rapture), Yom Kippur - the day of atonement (Jesus' return), and the Feast of Tabernacles (God living with man, to be celebrated annually in the Millennial age with Jesus, according to Zechariah 14:9-16).

This means 4 of the 7 were fulfilled on their day, and the 5th, Tabernacles, will be. That leaves only Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah (the rapture) and Yom Kippur (Jesus' return) in question. It seems reasonable that some September the rapture will happen on the appointed feast day...

A summary of the Jewish teaching of 'the rapture'; to be covered in detail starting next week
The Feast of Trumpets is the only festival that starts on the New Moon phase, which is when there is no moon, it is hidden out of view. The moon stands for believers, who get their light from the sun. They will be hidden at the blowing of the Last Trump. Paul taught the new moon is a shadow of something to come.

The Last Trump is a very specific trumpet blown only at the Feast of Trumpets; to bring the righteous dead to life to be gathered together with Messiah. The Last Trump is the right horn of the ram caught in the bush which Abraham blew to celebrate Isaac raised from the dead in a figure, that he did not have to sacrifice him. Judaism teaches at the blowing of the Last Trump the righteous will be judged, followed by a celebratory feast in heaven with Messiah.

Judaism teaches the blowing of the Last Trump raises the righteous dead to go to Messiah, while the earth enters into a 7 year period of Daniel's 70th week, known as the Time of Jacob's Trouble. Also known as the Day of Wrath. Paul wrote in I Thessalonians 1:10 and 5:9 God has not called us to wrath - if you do't know the Jewish teaching you don't realize its significance in Judaism and tie to the Feast of Trumpets.

All these things God gave Moses and they are written about extensively in numerous rabbinical works. There is much more, and these details will be outlined over the next 3 weeks, so stay tuned! Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at [email protected] or [email protected]

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Are we in the Tribulation? 4 of 4

7/9/2022

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Hi all,
Let's wrap this up by picking up with the double asteroid hit.

We can speculate where these 2 asteroids will hit - but it is just speculation.
Let's take the one that falls into an ocean and poisons the sea. In the apostle's time 'the sea' meant the Mediterranean Sea, which will be poisoned and ships will be destroyed. However, if an asteroid landed in the Mediterranean Sea then the pressure wave and ocean wave it would cause would destroy cities near the coasts of all nations bordering the Sea, so this seems unlikely because these nations must be in place during the end time.

If this first asteroid were to fall in the Pacific it would kill millions in Asia and render the kings of the east devastated, which would hinder the 200 million person army coming to fight Israel at Armageddon, so that doesn't seem to fit - which is why an Atlantic landing seems plausible to me. It would send huge waves to all nations bordering the Atlantic, but have a lesser affect on those in the Mediterranean. A landing in the Atlantic would send tsunamis along the eastern coasts of the Americas, and the west coasts of Africa, the UK and Europe. But who knows?

What about the one that lands on land?
The dust cloud blots out one third of the sunlight. Revelation 9:2 says it will blot out the sunlight but doesn't say to what extent. Previous verses say it will blot out 1/3 of the sunlight (8:12). We know that the 'kings of the east' will come from Asia at Armageddon to invade Israel, so they cannot be affected. It is assumed there is an alignment with anti-Christ's rule in Europe, so Europe wouldn't receive a direct hit.

So if the land hit doesn't happen in Asia, it cannot happen in Europe, Africa, or the Middle East as any hit there would disrupt what we are told will happen before the Lord returns. That makes a hit in North America plausible, hopefully in the far north. The impact and dust cloud would destroy much of North America, and the dust cloud would be carried world wide, but leaving the players of the end of the age intact: Europe, Middle East, Asia. But who knows?

So do you still think we are currently in the Tribulation?
The vials or bowls are found in chapter 16, with the first 5 detailed in verses 1-11: They reinforce what has already been happening: Bowl 1 is v1; sores on unbelievers (who have the mark of the beast), bowl 2 is v2; the sea becoming poisoned, bowl 3 is v3; fresh water is poisoned, bowl 4 in v8-9 is what we would call solar flares causing people to be burned and the earth to be scorched.

This mirrors something the Lord told me in a visitation a few years ago but I only told Barb - He said the magnetic poles are shifting which would in part lead to climate changes and even earthquakes. With the 4th bowl we see the magnetic field of the earth no longer in place protecting the earth from solar flares - evidently the double asteroid hit and natural forces already at work conspire to allow solar flares to break through the atmosphere during that time, and burn people. Think what it would do to our modern electronic world.

That is the world the Lord comes back to.
I started this series talking about Daniel's 70 weeks, with the 70th week being that 7 year period we call the Tribulation, which Judaism calls the Time of Jacob's Trouble leading to the 'Day of the Lord'.

The last 7 years of the age is focused on Israel. Next week I'll start the series 'Why the Rapture comes first', which is actually a Jewish teaching which Paul was raised with. But for now we need to know that 70's week is focused on Israel coming to know their Messiah.

That is why there are 144,000 male evangelists in Israel preaching Jesus. It is why chapter 11 focuses on the '2 witnesses', who are Moses and Elijah. Why them and not Enoch? Because Enosh was before Abraham, before the covenant.

Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the Prophets) have been used by the risen Lord to prove His case to the men on the way to Emmaus, as seen in Luke 24:27: "And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He began explaining to them all the scriptures concerning Himself."

Later that evening, after the 2 from Emmaus had told the disciples the Lord was indeed risen, He appeared to them at that moment. Verse 44 tells us Jesus followed the same pattern: "...these are the words I spoke to you when I was still with you, that all things would be fulfilled; From Moses and the prophets and Psalms concerning me."

The 2 witnesses we are told, have the power to turn water to blood and hit the earth with plagues at will, and the other can shut off rain at will - Moses and Elijah.

The whole point of those last 7 years is for Israel to know Jesus as their Messiah, and for the governments of man therefore, to become subject to the kingdom of God, administered from a believing nation of Israel.

Because the focus then will be on Israel, we are now in the time called 'the time of the Gentiles'. When the Father is done with focusing on the Gentiles, He will remove us from the earth - the salt will be removed so the earth can 'go bad', the man of sin may then be revealed.

And that is what we will talk about next week. until then, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected] or [email protected]

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Are we in the Tribulation? 3 of 4

7/2/2022

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Hi all,
Having last week established the 6th seal, trumpet, and bowl are the return of Jesus, and the 7th of each are the end of this age, let us now focus on seals, trumpets, and bowls 1-5.

As I said previously, the most common email on this subject that I receive is usually someone telling me we are in the time of seal #3, or the pandemic was seal 6, or asking me something similar.

Seal, trumpet, bowl #1, 2, 3
In Revelation 6:2 the apostle sees the first seal opened; A white horse, and the rider has a bow, a crown, and he goes forth conquering. The observation has been made and widely speculated, that this is a false messiah, a false peace, false righteousness as noted by the white horse. That he has a bow but no arrows are mentioned, yet conquers, suggests his first efforts are diplomatic, conquering by decree and political means, and taking possession, and at least at the first, not so much by military power.

In 6:3-4 he sees the 2nd seal opened: A red horse, red standing for blood. He takes peace from the earth and men begin fighting among themselves. This rider has a large sword, in other words a large military force. We can speculate that when the initial attempts of political gain by the rider of the white horse have gone as far as they can go, he resorts to outright war.

In 6:5-6 he sees the 3rd seal opened: A black horse which means distress, calamity, things turning very bad, and he sees hyperinflation coming to grains. The measure of wheat and 3 measures of barley for a penny, while not touching wine and oil, are cereal grains or bread grains being most affected.

In the Greek 'penny' is denarius
It is a day's wage in the time of the apostle John. The word 'measure' in the first century was a little less than 2 pints dry measure, or a little less than a liter. The prophecy therefore says inflation will become so high it will take a day's wage to buy just about 2 handfuls of wheat. Of course that will mean many will starve, as seen in the next seal:

In 6:7-8 he sees the 4th seal opened: It is a pale horse, which stands for death, and indeed it says one fourth of mankind will die by sword (war), hunger (starvation), death (diseases), and even wild animals (cities break down).

As you can see, one follows the other - war produces economic chaos, disruption of food production and distribution, and disease.

In 6:9-11 the scene switches from earthly events to a scene in heaven where a multitude of people having been martyred, are before the Father's throne crying out for justice. They ask that He take vengeance on those who murdered them - this scene is specifically about martyrs during this time of war and starvation. It isn't the rapture as the text clearly shows they want vengeance for their murders. The Father gives them white robes of righteousness and tells them it isn't over yet on the earth, but be patient.

As we've seen, what follows is the 6th seal which is the return of Jesus - so all these events of the first 5 seals occur in the 7 year time frame called 'the tribulation' by Christians, or 'the time of Jacob's trouble' in Judaism.

Because this 5th seal is a scene in heaven and not on earth, we gain information of what is happening at the same time on earth by looking at the 5th trumpet and bowl. So let's take them in order once again: The 1st seal is a white horse. What is the 1st trumpet and 1st bowl?

Chapter 7 is an informational chapter, about the 144,000 male Jewish evangelists who will preach in Israel during this time. Chapter 8 resumes with the blowing of the trumpets.

In 8:7 the first trumpet is blown and fire, hail, and 'blood' fall to earth, and one third (1/3rd) of trees and grass are burned up. This follows the 1st seal with the white horse, which suggests earth-shattering natural disasters will strike the earth at this time, and a man of sin will take advantage of the situation to conquer and take control.

We get a clearer vision of the events related to the 4 horsemen of seals 1-4 by reading about the trumpets 1-4:

In 8: 8-9 we are told trumpet 2 brings a 'flaming mountain' that falls into the sea and poisons 1/3rd of the sea, and destroys many ships.

In 8:10-11 we see trumpet 3 bring another comet or asteroid, described as a star like a burning lamp falls onto rivers (earth) and poisons 1/3rd of fresh water lakes and rivers.

So now we have in the time of political upheaval and war, a double asteroid/comet hit on earth. One will fall in an ocean, and one will fall on land, with the results of 1/3 of all water, sea, and plants killed or rendered unusable.

What follows is exactly what science predicts if such a things were to happen:
In 8:12 the 4th trumpet says (as a result) 1/3rd of sunlight and moonlight are obscured.

Putting seals 1-4 and trumpets 1-4 together we see a horrible time on earth of natural disaster and political and economic chaos, war, and persecution for believers who will live in that time. As Jesus said in Matthew 24:21, it will be the worst time ever seen on the planet.

Chapter 9:1-12 picks up with the 5th trumpet, and v2 tells us a huge column of smoke/dust will arise, obviously from the previous asteroid hits on land and sea, and block out the sun. The resulting skin diseases will plague mankind for 5 months, and those afflicted will seek death because of the pain, but it won't be lethal - but very painful as they recover.

This is logical
If we take off the 'religious' glasses to see this in modern terms, the seals, trumpets and bowls follow a logical course in terms of political and events in nature. In the midst of political turmoil the earth will receive 2 direct hits from asteroids/comets which will affect the whole earth. What the apostles sees about 1/3 of sunlight being blocked lines up with scientific theories of 'what if'. Economic crisis follows war and political upheaval, and additionally, the earth will deal with natural disasters of a scale not seen in man's history.

Next week we will pick it up with what Revelation 9:1-11 describes as a column of dust rising to blot the sun, and from that painful skin diseases will hit many people for a period of 5 months - which again is what scientists today say will happen if an asteroid hits the earth. Diseases like anthrax and more which lie dormant in the soil will be thrown into the air and circle the globe by the winds, causing widespread disease for a time.

And on that happy note we will close out this series next week, lol - glad the series following this one is entitled 'Why the rapture is pre-tribulation', lol. Be in peace, until next week, blessings,
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected] or [email protected]

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