Lesson #29

REVELATION AND THE SECOND COMING
LESSON #29
THE FALLEN STAR AND THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 9:6

• REVIEW OF EVENTS OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD:
• A PEACE TREATY OF 7 YEARS BEGINS THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• THE JEWS WORSHIP GOD WITH ANIMAL SACRIFICE IN A REBUILT TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM.
• THE JEWS ACCEPT THE ANTI-CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH.
• THE GREAT RUSSIAN WAR TESTS MIDDLE EAST PEACE.
• RUSSIA IS DESTROYED BY GOD.
• EGYPT IS DESTROYED AND CONTROLLED BY THE ANTI-CHRIST.
• THE ANTI-CHRIST WHO HEADS A REVIVED ROMAN EMPIRE GAINS POWER ALLIED WITH A ONE-WORLD RELIGION LED BY THE FALSE PROPHET.
• THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION (3 ½ YEARS AFTER THE TRIBULATION BEGINS)
• THE ANTI-CHRIST BREAKS HIS OWN PEACE TREATY WITH THE JEWS.
• JEWS ARE PERSECUTED, HUNTED, CAPTURED AND PLACED IN A PENAL COLONY IN EGYPT.

• READ REV 9:1-12 THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD
• THE FIFTH TRUMPET JUDGMENT, THE FIRST WOE, BEGINS THE “GREAT” TRIBULATION:
• JESUS CALLED THE LAST 3 ½ YEARS OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, “THE GREAT TRIBULATION”. (MAT 24:21)
• “…A STAR FALL FROM HEAVEN UNTO THE EARTH…” (1)
• THE IDENTITY OF THE STAR.(1) AND THE IDENTITY OF THE KING. (11)
• READ REV 1:20 ISA 14:12-17 AND EZE 28:11-19
• NOTICE THAT THE STAR IS A PERSONALITY BECAUSE “TO HIM” WAS GIVEN A KEY. WHO IS HE?
• BOTH THE STAR IN VERSE 1 AND THE KING IN VERSE 11 ARE SATAN.
• FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF LUCIFER’S FALL TO EARTH TO BECOME SATAN, HE HAS ALWAYS CONTINUED TO HAVE ACCESS TO HEAVEN. (JOB 1:6-12 REV 12:10) WHY? WHAT DOES HE DO IN HEAVEN?
• GOD HAS PERMITTED SATAN’S ACCESS TO HEAVEN IN ORDER TO USE HIM TO COMPLETE AND FULFILL GOD’S PLAN.
• SATAN HAS ACCESS TO HEAVEN AND ACCUSES BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST BEFORE GOD.
• SATAN’S ACCESS TO HEAVEN ENDS AT THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD WHEN HE IS AGAIN CAST OUT OF HEAVEN TO THE EARTH AND THIS TIME PERMANENTLY.
• REMEMBER THAT PROPHECY IS FULFILLED TWICE (DOUBLE FULFILLMENT).
• THE FIRST FULFILLMENT WAS WHEN LUCIFER REBELLED AGAINST GOD AND GOD CAST HIM OUT OF HEAVEN TO THE EARTH.
• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT IS THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD WHEN GOD CASTS HIM OUT HEAVEN TO THE EARTH IN ORDER TO INDWELL THE ANTI-CHRIST.
• SATAN’S POWER AND AUTHORITY ARE INDICATED BY TWO STATEMENTS IN REV 9:
• HE HAS THE KEY TO THE BOTTOMLESS PIT.
• HE IS THE KING OF THE LOCUSTS.
• WHAT IS THE BOTTOMLESS PIT (THE ABYSS)?
• THE ABYSS IS DESCRIBED AS A PLACE OF TORMENT.
• READ 2PET 2:4 LUK 8:31 AND JUDE 1:6
• THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE FALLEN ANGELS WERE SENT AND CHAINED WHEN THEY FELL WITH SATAN AT THE BEGINNING BEFORE GOD CREATED THE WORLD.
• THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE DEMONS DWELL.
• TODAY DEMONS OPERATE UNDER DIVINE PERMISSION AND RESTRICTION
• AT THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION SATAN IS GIVEN THE KEY (POWER AND AUTHORITY) TO LOSE THESE DEMONS ON THE EARTH TO DO THE WILL OF SATAN.
• THE PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS OF THE 5TH TRUMPET JUDGMENT:
• SMOKE OUT OF THE PIT = A SPREADING OF DEMONIC OPPRESSION.
• EXACTLY WHAT ARE THESE LOCUSTS?
• THERE ARE SEVERAL INTERPRETATIONS:
• =1= SOME KIND OF INSECT PLAGUE
• THIS INTERPRETATION IS UNLIKELY BECAUSE THEY DO NOT LOOK LIKE OR OPERATE LIKE NORMAL INSECTS.
• =2= SOME KIND OF UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT (UFO)
• THIS INTERPRETATION IS UNLIKELY IN THAT THEY DO NOT COME FROM OUTER SPACE OR FROM ANOTHER PLANET.
• =3= HELICOPTERS
• =4= STRICTLY A SPIRITUAL DEMONIC OPPRESSION.
• THE CONTEXT OF SCRIPTURE:
• THEY COME OUT OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT WHERE DEMON ANGELS WERE KEPT.
• THE ANTI-CHRIST IS SAID TO COME OUT OF THE BOTTOMLESS PIT AS WELL IN REV 11:7 WHICH INDICATES THAT HE IS DEMON POSSESSED AND HAS SOME RELATIONSHIP TO THESE LOCUSTS.
• IT COULD BE THAT THESE LOCUSTS ARE THE ARMY OF THE ANTI-CHRIST.
• THE EXTENT OF THEIR AUTHORITY DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD IS LIMITED TO 5 MONTHS. (10) FIVE MONTHS IS THE ACTUAL LIFE SPAN OF A LOCUST.
• THEY CANNOT KILL, BUT ONLY TORMENT LIKE THAT OF A SCORPION.(5) THE TORMENT OF A SCORPION STING IS USUALLY NOT FATAL FOR AN ADULT.
• THESE LOCUSTS IN REV 9 CAN ONLY TORMENT NON-BELIEVERS (4)
• LOCUSTS USUALLY EAT PLANT LIFE, BUT THESE LOCUSTS CANNOT HURT PLANT LIFE (4)
• THE RESULTS OF THIS PLAGUE OF DEMONIC LOCUSTS.
• PEOPLE WILL WANT TO DIE. (6) THEREFORE, THEIR TORMENT IS VERY PAINFUL PHYSICALLY AS WELL AS MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL TORMENT.
• THEIR APPEARANCE IS NOT LIKE ORDINARY LOCUST:
• THE WORD “LIKE” (5) INDICATES THAT THIS IS A COMPARISON AND NOT TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY.
• READ JOEL 2:4-7
• SPECIFIC DESCRIPTIONS:
• THEY ARE SHAPED LIKE HORSES = THEY HAVE A MILITARY APPEARANCE OF PREPAREDNESS FOR BATTLE.
• HEADS WITH CROWNS LIKE GOLD = THEY HAVE POLITICAL POWER AND AUTHORITY.
• THE LOCUST HEAD LOOKS LIKE A HORSE’S HEAD IN MINIATURE.
• FACES LIKE MEN = THEY HAVE INTELLIGENCE.
• HAIR LIKE WOMEN = THEY ARE EFFEMINATE.
• TEETH LIKE LIONS = THEY ARE FIERCE.
• BREASTPLATES OF IRON = THEY ARE WARLIKE AND INVINCIBLE WITH NO PITY.
• WINGS WITH THE SOUND OF HORSES RUNNING = THEY MOVE SWIFTLY WITH A LOUD NOISE.
• TAILS LIKE SCORPIONS THAT STING = LOCUSTS DO NOT STING WITH THE TAIL. THESE LOCUSTS CONTAIN A PAINFUL WEAPON THAT DOES NOT KILL…PERHAPS LIKE A PARALYZING RAY.
• CONCLUSION AND PERSONAL OPINION OF THE TEACHER: BECAUSE THESE ARE NOT ORDINARY LOCUSTS, AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP TO SATAN AND THE ANTI-CHRIST, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE ANTI-CHRIST’S PERSONAL ARMY WHO POSSIBLY USE HELICOPTERS OR SOMETHING SIMILAR.
• NAMES OF SATAN IN THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE:
• THE STAR (1)
• THE KING (11)
• ABADDON (HEBREW) (11) WHICH MEANS = DESTROYER.
• APOLLYON (GREEK) (11) WHICH MEANS = DESTROYER.
• THE FIFTH TRUMPET PLAGUE DOES NOT HURT THOSE WHO HAVE THE SEAL OF GOD IN THEIR FOREHEADS. (4)
• NOTICE THIS SEAL IS IN THE FOREHEAD WHICH IS IN CONTRAST TO THE MARK OF THE ANTI-CHRIST THAT WILL BE GIVEN TO NON-BELIEVERS IN THE FOREHEAD OR ON THE HAND.
• WHAT IS THIS SEAL OF GOD?
• READ 2TIM 2:19
• READ 2COR 1:22
• IN THE CHURCH AGE, THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST IS SEALED BY GOD. 2COR 1:22 TELLS US EXACTLY WHAT THIS SEAL IS. IT IS THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT INSIDE THE BELIEVER.
• HOWEVER, IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL BE DIFFERENT THAN THAT OF THE CHURCH AGE. WHEN THE “RESTRAINER” IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH, THE ANTI-CHRIST IS FREE TO DO HIS EVIL WORK. (2THE 2:7) THE “RESTRAINER” IS THE CHURCH OF BELIEVERS WHO HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THEM. THEY ARE REMOVED FROM THE EARTH IN THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH.
• THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD MAY BE LIKE THAT OF OLD TESTAMENT TIMES WHERE THE HOLY SPIRIT DID NOT PERMANENTLY INDWELL THE BELIEVER. THE HOLY SPIRIT ONLY CAME UPON A BELIEVER TO ANOINT AND EMPOWER A PERSON TO PERFORM A SPECIFIC DEED OR ROLE.
• THEREFORE, THE SEALING OF TRIBULATION BELIEVERS MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN THE SEALING OF CHURCH AGE BELIEVERS. IT WILL BE A SPIRITUAL SEAL OF SOME KIND THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE VISIBLE TO OTHER BELIEVERS.
• READ REV 9:13-21 SIXTH TRUMPET JUDGMENT, THE SECOND WOE — JUDGMENT ON MAN
• THE STAGE SETTING FOR THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
• THE FOUR HORNS OF THE GOLDEN ALTAR (13) = MERCY WITH JUSTICE.
• THERE’S AN ORIGINAL ALTAR IN HEAVEN OF WHICH MOSES WAS TO MAKE A REPLICA AND PUT IT IN THE TABERNACLE.(HEB 8:1-5)
• THE ALTAR HAD A HORN AT EACH CORNER. IF A PERSON WAS GUILTY OF A CRIME AND MADE HIS WAY INTO THE TEMPLE WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT, HE COULD GRAB HOLD OF ONE OF THE HORNS OF THE ALTAR AND BEG FOR MERCY. IT REPRESENTS THE TEMPERANCE OF JUSTICE WITH MERCY. BUT MERCY IS SUSPENDED HERE FOR MORE JUDGMENT IS YET TO BE PRONOUNCED UPON THE WORLD.
• THE FOUR ANGELS BOUND IN THE RIVER EUPHRATES (14):
• NOTICE THE USE OF THE NUMBER 4 WHICH REFERS TO THE 4 DIRECTIONS INDICATING THE WORLD-WIDE NATURE OF THIS PLAGUE.
• WHO ARE THESE ANGELS?
• GOD’S ANGELS ARE NEVER SPOKEN OF AS BEING BOUND. ONLY FALLEN ANGELS ARE BOUND, SO THESE MUST BE EVIL ANGELS.
• HOWEVER, THEY ARE CONTROLLED BY A SOVEREIGN GOD.
• THE RIVER EUPHRATES
• THIS IS EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE LAND GIVEN TO ABRAHAM AS WELL AS THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE–GENERALLY THIS RIVER IS CONSIDERED THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN EAST AND WEST.
• THE RIVER IS ASSOCIATED WITH BABYLON, A CITY OF EVERY KIND OF EVIL IN THE TRIBULATION CONNECTED WITH THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION AND THE FALSE PROPHET WHICH WE HAVE YET TO STUDY.
• AN HOUR, A DAY, AND A MONTH (15) = AT GOD’S PERFECT TIMING
• 1/3 OF EARTH’S INHABITANTS IS KILLED BY THESE EVIL ANGELS AND ITS ARMY AT THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.
• THE 200,000,000 MAN ARMY (16)
• THIS VAST NUMBER IN AN ARMY IS ONLY POSSIBLE FROM CHINA.
• CHINA HAS BUILT A HIGHWAY ACROSS SOUTHERN CHINA TO THE MIDDLE EAST. IT IS CALLED THE KARAKORAM HIGHWAY FROM WEST CHINA THROUGH TO THE ARABIAN SEA. IT WAS COMPLETED IN 1978. IT FOLLOWS FROM SINKIANG ACROSS THE HIMALAYAN MOUNTAINS TO PAKISTAN AND FOLLOWS THE OLD SILK ROUTE OF MARCO POLO.
• FOREIGNERS ARE FORBIDDEN TO VISIT IT OR PHOTOGRAPH IT. THERE IS NO KNOWN COMMERCIAL REASON FOR ITS EXISTENCE. SECRECY INDICATES THAT IT HAS A MILITARY PURPOSE.
• BREASTPLATES OF FIRE, JACINTH, BRIMSTONE = RED, BLUE, YELLOW
• THESE ARE THE COLORS OF MODERN WARFARE, SPECIFICALLY NAPALM
• HEADS OF THE HORSES LIKE LION’S HEADS = FIERCE AUTHORITY
• THIS ARMY KILLS 1/3 OF THE WORLD’S INHABITANTS (ABOUT 1 BILLION 250 MILLION PEOPLE CONSIDERING THE WORLD’S POPULATION TODAY.)
• POWER IN THEIR MOUTH AND IN THEIR TAILS = A VERY UNUSUAL POWERFUL WEAPON.
• MEN DID NOT REPENT OF THE WORKS OF THEIR HANDS (20-21) = THE WORSHIP OF DEMONS AND THE MAKING OF IDOLS. THIS SEEMS TO BE THE END OF THE TRIBULATION AND ONLY INDIVIDUAL JUDGMENT AND ETERNAL HELL REMAIN FOR THEM.
• NOTICE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMMORALITY AND IDOLATRY THAT WILL BOTH RUN RAMPANT DURING THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• “SORCERIES” = “Pharmachia” IS THE GREEK WORD FROM WHICH WE GET THE WORD PHARMACY. THIS INDICATES A DRUG CENTERED SOCIETY.

HOMEWORK
REVELATION 10
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF REV 9
• EXAMINE THE LIST OF EVILS MEN WILL NOT REPENT OF IN THE TRIBULATION IN VERSES 20-21. ARE YOU KEEPING SHORT ACCOUNTS WITH GOD AND REPENTING OF YOUR SINS WHEN THEY OCCUR? LIST THOSE THINGS THAT NEED FORGIVENESS FROM GOD TODAY?

• READ 1JOHN 1:9 AND THANK GOD FOR THIS DAY WHEN HIS MERCY IS STILL BEING POURED OUT ON MANKIND.

• PREPARATION FOR REV 10
• READ REV 10:1-11
• THIS IS ANOTHER BREAK OR PARENTHESIS IN THE ROUND OF JUDGMENTS TO COME ON THE EARTH

• WHO IS THE “MIGHTY ANGEL” IN VERSE 1 AND WHY DO YOU THINK SO?

• REFRESH YOUR MEMORY AS TO THE LITTLE SCROLL BY LOOKING BACK IN YOUR NOTES UNDER REVELATION 5:1-6:1 (LESSON #20)

• FOR THE SEVEN-FOLD VOICE OF GOD MENTIONED IN REV 10:3, READ PSALM 29:3-9

• MEMORY VERSE: REV 10:2