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There is a story of Dr. Chalmers. A lady came to him and said:
"Doctor, I cannot bring my child to Christ. I've talked, and talked, but it's of no use."
The doctor thought she had not much skill, and said, "Now you be quiet, and I will talk to her alone."
When he got the girl alone he said to her, "They are bothering you a good deal about this question; now suppose I just tell your mother you don't want to be talked to any more upon this subject for a year. How will that do?"
Well, the Scotch lassie hesitated a little, and then said she "didn't think it would be safe to wait for a year. Something might turn up. She might die before then."
"That's so," replied the doctor; "but suppose we say six months."
She didn't think even this would be safe.
"Well, let us say three months," was the doctor's reply.
After a little hesitation, the girl finally said, "I don't think it would be safe to put it off for three months—I don't think it would be safe to put it off at all," and they went down on their knees and she found Christ. Anecdotes, Incidents and Illustrations.
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The Great Deception: The First Seal (6:1-2)
"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."
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The person: Is the Antichrist. He is phony and will put up a false image that will deceive many. Do not be fooled or surprised when this happens. 2 Corinthians 11:14 "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. (15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." We see the foreshadowing of this today with some of our political leaders. When they have liberal globalist and politically correct agenda's they are praised by the media. They also cover up their mistakes as much as possible.
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His heritage: The antichrist will be Jewish. Daniel 11:37 "Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all." Some say this could apply to a religious man that rejected his upbringing not necessarily a Jew. Of course you could say that generally, but we must take this verse in context and see what the phrase "God of his fathers" means in scripture and apply it properly. This phrase occurs five times in scripture other than Daniel 11:37. The other verses are: 2 King 21:22 "And he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD." 2 Chronicles 21:10 "So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand; because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers." II Chronicles 28:25 "And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers." II Chronicles 30:19 "That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary." II Chronicles 33:12 "And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers," What did all these verses have in common:
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Their religion: They were all Jewish. There is nothing in Daniel 11:37 that indicates that this could be a Gentile. If you take the phrase "God of his fathers" in context of how it is used in scripture than he will be Jewish. It does not mean he will be an orthodox Jew, but of Jewish descent. Most likely he will arise from Western Europe.
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They were all rulers: Everyone of them was a king. The antichrist will be a ruler and will have a kingdom for a short period of time.
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They all reacted: To reject or accept the God of their fathers. The antichrist will reject the God of his fathers and will go in a totally different direction.
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His homosexuality: In Daniel 11:37 it states that he shall regard God "nor the desire of women" in the text. Some state that it could refer to him being a virgin not wanting to bring the promise seed into the world. He would certainly be delusional as well as evil to think he could have that honor. Of course the messiah has already come, but will claim to be God not to bring forth the promised seed. He is the opposite of God and for him to practice a sin which would mean he would have a reprobate mind would be very fitting of him. Romans 1:28 "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;" Sadly the world today is embracing this sin as normal and attacking those who stand against it.
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His hedonism: He does not have regard for any god, only what pleases him. Daniel 11:37 "nor regard any god:" His focus is on what he wants and how he can get it. Though he will be seen as a wise and brilliant leader he is a fool according to the Bible. Proverbs 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise." You can see he is under total satanic influence.
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His heresy: He will exalt himself above all and proclaim that he is god. Daniel 11:37 "for he shall magnify himself above all." Isaiah 14:12-14 (12) "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (13) For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: (14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High." Just like this first rebellion was dealt with by God so will this one. The outcome will be the same and Jesus will be victorious.
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The power: The power of the antichrist will be incredible. He will have a vast array of weapons at his disposal.
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His arsenal: He will have nuclear and chemical weapons. He will have the most advanced weapons available to mankind. A bow would represent weapons that can launch. Remember John had a first century vocabulary that he used to describe end time weapons.
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His army: He will have a large army that will be trained in deadly force and will not show mercy to the enemy. This group will enforce his mandates and carry out his desires. They will be pawns in his chess game.
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His assembly: I believe he will have the technology to use drones and also a robotic type solider as well. Molecular manufacturing is a relatively new technology that has the potential to change things in our world in a dramatic way. A recent article from Yahoo news By Denise Chow, Staff Writer October 21, 2013 6:56 PM had this as the first line in the story. " American soldiers may soon be joined on the battlefield by machine gun-toting robots on wheels, according to U.S. Army officials." Consider these quotes from Britt Gillete in a series of articles found on Rapture Ready website. "The world is on the verge of a monumental breakthrough that will literally change the world geopolitical landscape overnight. This imminent technological discovery is known as molecular manufacturing (MM), the ability to precisely position reactive molecules via mechanochemical synthesis. Molecular manufacturing will turn the world upside down. Its development will amplify the current march toward smaller, more precise, and efficient weapons. Instead of killing its enemies, a nation could simply disarm them. Even a nation-state as small as Singapore or Monaco could very quickly build a military force far more powerful than all the current world militaries combined."
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His authority: Will ultimately be from Satan himself. I believe the antichrist literally sold his soul to get this power. He should have done like Jesus did and reject the offer from the devil. Matthew 4:8-9 (8) "Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; (9) And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." Sadly today mankind is so blinded by power and greed that they will do anything to achieve fame and wealth. When Satan is done using someone he does not care about them when they are destroyed. Matthew 27:5 "And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself."
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The position: That he had a crown and had authority.
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His rule: He had a country that he was ruling over. He will seek to expand his influence and power base. He will be the new "shining star" of the revived Roman Empire.
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His reign: As antichrist will last for seven years. Then he will be defeated by the Lord Jesus. Briefly he will seem invincible, but he is no match for the King of Kings.
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His revealing: Will be when he confirms the covenant treaty to protect Israel. Most likely he will be confirming or strengthening an agreement that was already in place. Daniel 9:27 "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." This will be the start of the tribulation period. I believe this will be simultaneous with the rapture. The possibility does exist a short time can take place between the rapture and the start of the tribulation. However for the reasons listed below I do not believe that will be the case. Let give here a few reasons why I believe they will happen at the same time. Luke 17:26-37 give us some insights concerning this.
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The righteous: Are on earth and we see Noah serving the Lord in a wicked world. We also see Lot who is a righteous man in a very wicked city that God did not want to destroy. Noah found grace with God. Genesis 6:8 "But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." God always looks out for the righteous. Genesis 7:1 "And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation."
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The restraint: God was withholding judgment until those that were his were taken out of danger from the place that judgment was going to occur. Thankfully the Lord is patient and merciful. Consider Lot in Genesis 19:22 "Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou become thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar." Notice the restraint until Lot was taken out of danger.
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The removal: God took his own out of the terrible judgment to come and brought them to safety before the punishment would be begin. Once the righteous were gone judgment came immediately. Luke 17:29 "But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all."
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The retribution: I believe that peace agreement of Daniel 9:27 and the rapture of the church will happen on the same day. Then the great judgments will begin. Consider Noah and his day as the scripture tells us in Luke 17:27 "They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all." Judgment did not start until he was gone and it started as soon as he was gone. The tribulation period will be far worse any period in the history of the world. Lift your voice today and warn everyone you can while we are still here.
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The plan: To conquer. Make no mistake about his motive is to rule the world and he will temporarily accomplish that goal. In the Old Testament, horsemen were symbols of war and judgment. In Proverbs 21:31 we get a very important truth, "The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord. Some things the antichrist will have access to:
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Money: He will have great wealth at his disposal. I believe one of the reasons he will defend Israel is because they will be at this time one of the richest nations in the world. It may be the USA becomes a part of this Western European Empire and they are the new reserve currency. Which would allow them to print money endlessly to build up his army. That cannot last forever as our country is currently beginning to see and one day will ultimately understand when our economy totally collapses.
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Manpower: He will have scientists, economic advisors and the brightest minds in every field working for him. I believe when he sees anyone with talent that can help him further his cause he will be recruited just like Saul did. 1 Samuel 14:52 "And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him."
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Military might: He will have a well organized and equipped army. He will have short term success and it will look good for awhile. We must remember it will not last and every promise and prophecy will come true exactly as God said it would. Psalm 37:1-2 (1) "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. (2) For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
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The Great Destruction: The Second Seal (6:3-4)
"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."
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A time of fear: There will be no peace on earth. This will be the most horrible time in human history, there is no time period that will even come close to it. It will be the closest thing to hell on earth men ever experience. The majority of mankind has totally rejected Jesus and embraced the antichrist and his lies. Let's look at some of the causes of this loss of peace.
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Their sin: They have chosen the way of this wicked world over the God of the Bible. The choice revealed the desires of their heart. Isaiah 48:22 "There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked."
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Their seduction: There will be people who are suppose to "spiritual leaders" that are respected in the religious community of this world who will lead people astray. Ezekiel 13:10 "Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace;" These types of false prophets have always existed since sin entered into the world and this time will be no exception. They will look good on the outside because they will be in the majority and there will be a vast spiritual ignorance.
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Their Satanism: They have totally rejected the God of the Bible for the God of this world. Satan will be ruling through his man the antichrist. Sad to say the occult and the things of darkness are gaining more of a foothold in the hearts of people today. When you look at the goal of the globalists today, it is exactly what is going to happen in the tribulation period. The closer you get to the top of the global empire the more Satan worship you see. Except there is one thing they did not count on and that was the Bible being true and being defeated by Jesus. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. Isaiah 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."
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A time of fighting: There would be much bloodshed and the battles will be vicious. This will be the worst fighting in the history of mankind. There will never be anything that even comes close to the havoc that will occur.
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Internal conflict: The devil's children do not get along, they only have unity in what they hate. They hate God and those that identify with him. Their souls are filled with darkness and they only love themselves. They seek to get ahead no matter how they can or who they hurt in the process. 2 Kings 3:23 "And they said, This is blood: the kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another: now therefore, Moab, to the spoil." Prejudice and hatred within the same ethnic groups happens all the time in our present world and the pride of man blinds his heart to the truth.
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International combat: The antichrist came by promising peace, but he cannot deliver that. The only one who can will bring lasting peace is the Lord Jesus Christ. The antichrist will seek to subdue by force all those who will not submit to him. He will be a European leader and he will not be embraced by those in Asia or Africa. It took them along time to shed European domination over them and they will not want a repeat performance here.
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The Great Dearth: The Third Seal (6:5-6)
"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."
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The food crisis: War always brings great difficulties and this will be no different. Food will be scare and very expensive. It will cost a day's wages just to buy enough to eat for one person. When you measure (ration) food it is a sign of hardship.
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The financial crisis: Because food will so expensive one will not be able to provide for his family. Especially if one has a large family and there is only one income. Other necessities of life, mortgage, rent, gas and others will not get paid. These events will cause great hardship. Crime will be rampant and there will probably be declared martial law.
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The favored condition: The rich will not be affected yet. They will still enjoy their luxuries for a little while, but that will not last forever. At some point it there money will run out and they will feel the pain like everyone else.
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The Great Death: The Fourth Seal (6:7-8)
"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 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."
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The statistics: Twenty-five percent of the population will be destroyed. Based on current figures of 7 billion plus, that would be 1.75 billion people. With the rate the population is growing and if the Lord tarries a few years the population could reach 8 billion, meaning 2 million people would be killed. Experts predict the world will reach 8 billion by or before 2025. To try to picture this in your mind it would mean every person in America, Canada and Mexico would die 4 to 5 times. It would be more than double the population of countries in North, South and Central America. This is just one of the wars.
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The suffering: There will no doubt be nuclear and possibly chemical weapons used to cause this much death. Conventional war alone could not do this much damage so fast. Then when you consider the starvation, and a society out of control it will be a horrible time.
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The sadness: The vast majority of these people will die and go to hell. Isaiah 5:14 "Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it." To see the end of those who reject God is a very sad thing. Matthew 24:8 "All these are the beginning of sorrows."
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The Great Desire: The Fifth Seal (6:9-11)
"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 fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
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Their sacrifice: Is implied by the mention of the altar. Dr. Glen Spencer in his excellent work on Revelation points out the following from verse nine. "The place mentioned here is under the altar. In the Old Testament when the priest presented an animal sacrifice, the blood was poured out at the base of the brazen altar. (Exodus 29:12; Leviticus 4:7, 5, 9, 18, 25, 30) The imagery indicates that their lives were given sacrificially to the glory of God."
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Their salvation: These where believers who were saved during the tribulation period. Saints who were part of the New Testament Church were taken during the rapture.
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Their supplication: They were seeking God for justice. They wanted God to punish those who had committed this evil against them.
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Their satisfaction: That God would take care of it in his time as he said. Romans 12:19 "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." God in his mercy was still seeking the souls of mankind. 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Praise God they have a place of rest.
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The Great Dilemma: The Sixth Seal (6:12-17)
"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: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"
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The terror: The worst earthquake in history will happen after all these other monumental judgments. The founder of Creation Research Institute Henry Morris said: "While the inhabitants of the earth are still suffering under the famines, plagues and violence of the earlier seal judgments, a great physical cataclysm will suddenly strike. For the first time in history, a global earthquake will convulse the earth, accompanied by tremendous volcanic eruptions, spewing vast quantities of dust particles into the upper atmosphere, turning the appearance of the sun into darkness and the moon blood-red."
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The affect in the sky: The sun will be blackened. Just like in Egypt when they rejected all of God's warning. The kingdom of darkness will get a foretaste of the horror to come. The stars also will fall fulfilling more prophecy. Isaiah 13:10-11 (10) "For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (11) And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible."
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The affect on solid ground: Every mountain and island will be moved out of place. This will be the anger of the Lord turned loose on this unbelieving world.
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The tragedy: People will think that death will end their suffering. However it will only take them to greater suffering in an eternal hell than they experienced on earth. Revelation 21:7-8 (7) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (8) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." This will affect everyone, what a sad future for them. To reject Jesus is the worst decision anyone will ever make and to accept him is the greatest and most important. Where do stand in your relationship with God today?
Lesson Four The Battlefield of Souls
Text: II Peter 3:9
(9) "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
Introduction: God has always had a great desire to see people saved. From Genesis to Revelation we see God proclaiming his truth about the savior and the necessity to put our faith in him for salvation. God only has one plan of salvation for the lost sinner. Though the tribulation is a time of great judgment we still see hope for those that will respond to one of the groups/individuals who will be preaching the gospel during this time.
Illustration: Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn't able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner's home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector's emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It's yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it." Our Daily Bread, February 4, 1994.
Proclaiming the Gospel During the Tribulation
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The attesters: The Two Witnesses who will play a major role during the first three and half years of the tribulation. Revelation 11:3-13
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The army: The 144,000 Jewish men that are converted during the tribulation. They will be responsible for bringing many to Christ. Revelation 7:1-17
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The angel: will proclaim the gospel in the end of the tribulation period. The two witnesses will be gone and many if not all of the 144,000 will have been martyred. Revelation 14:6-7
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The Attesters (Revelation 11:3-13)
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The men: There will be two literal men who will fill this role. This is not figurative or symbolic in anyway. Two witnesses now appear on the scene. We see the importance of at least two witnesses in the bible. "One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established." Deuteronomy 19:15
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The nature of these men: Let's examine the characteristics these men have from the Bible.
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Men of consecration: (v.3) These are humble men shown by them being clothed in sackcloth. He never blesses pride. He trusts these men with his power because they are spiritual and spend time with God.
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Men of closeness: (v.4) They are very close to God and are people that walk with God. These two witnesses will be close to God. Zechariah 4:14 "Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth." Great men are men of prayer who love and depend deeply upon him. E.M. Bounds has said wisely in his classic books on prayer "man is looking for better methods, but God is looking for better men."
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Men of courage: (v.5) They stand up against evil and proclaim the truth. When they are attacked because of their stand they must deal scripturally with these men. The Bible makes it clear that these attackers will be killed and the manner in which it will happen. This is not for the faint of heart, but men of real courage.
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Men of conviction: (v.6) They will preach the truth and have the ability to send plagues as often as they would like to. They cannot compromise truth and look the other way at sin. They will condemn it and show the consequences of disobedience through the plagues. They will be men of compassion for preaching the truth and men of conviction for not compromising the truth. They will have a godly balance. This is what we need from our preachers today in our modern society. We need a revival in the pulpits of America today more than ever.
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Men of character: (v.7) They will do everything God wants them to do in their ministry. They will not back down, not even from the antichrist. They will be faithful in life and in death. They will be a man's man who will be faithful unto the end. Daniel 3:18 "But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." These words were spoken by young men who were being threatened by the most powerful man politically in the world at that time.
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Men of confidence: (v.11-12) They believe God will reward their faithfulness and that he will right every wrong in the end. In the face of death they still will exercise faith. Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
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The names of these men: Whoever they are they will fit the description given under the nature of these men. Their message and ministry are important and I believe they will play a key role in the first half of the tribulation.
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The speculation: Who they actually are. It is not crystal clear who they are but there are some possible clues. The main thing is their ministry and message and we should not lose sight of that fact as we try to "figure out" who they are going to be. The names that get mentioned the most are Elijah, Moses, and Enoch.
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The scripture: Elijah seems to be definitely one of the witnesses as indicated by scripture in Malachi. Malachi 4:5 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:"
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The specifics: I think the strongest possibilities are Elijah and Enoch. Let's consider some of the reasons why I believe it will be these two.
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Their lifestyle: I believe they both fit the profile of what the two witnesses exemplify that we examined in this lesson.
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Their link: Both are associated with the second coming. Jude 1:14 "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints," Elijah in Malachi 4:5 is also linked with the second coming of Jesus.
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Their life: Both of these men did not die physically. 2 Kings 2:11 "And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. Hebrews 11:5 "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." Enoch was taken before the flood and escaped judgment what a beautiful picture of the rapture.
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The logic: Based on Hebrews 9:27 "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Some say this is faulty because what about all the people go up in the rapture will never see physical death and that is a fair point. However I believe the two witnesses will start day one of the tribulation period and if the church goes up and there ministry begins at the same time, then we are talking about only two people until the rapture that have not experienced physical death.
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Their lineage: One is a Jew and the other a Gentile. God wants to see everyone saved and both Jews and Gentiles. Even if both were Jews the Gentiles can still be saved by their preaching. Just as the apostles had different callings, it would not surprise me if this was the case here. Galatians 2:9 "And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision."
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Testimony from literature: The only certainty to build doctrine on is scripture. Though this item is not scripture and cannot be held on the same level, it does give insight to what some early Christians believed. This quote is from the gospel of Nicodemus. "I am Enoch who pleased God, and was translated by him. And this is Elijah the Tishbite. We are also to live to the end of the age; but then we are about to be sent by God to resist Antichrist, and be slain by him, and to rise after three days, and to be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord." Dr David Reagan (Lamb and Lion ministries) points out that " I think it is interesting that this was the unanimous opinion of the Church Fathers during the first three hundred years of the Church. All of them identified the two witnesses in their writings as Enoch and Elijah." I believe that it will be these two men and they will play a major role in the first half of the tribulation.
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