Month: June 2022 Page 1 of 2

Revelation at a Glance – Day 31

On June 29, 2022

Rev 13:11-18 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. (12) And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. (13) And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, (14) And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. (15) And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (16) And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: (17) And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (18) Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

I’m happy to see that you have come back 😀 This series has stirred my heart and rekindled the fire in my spirit for the end times! As you’ve read before, this is the very topic that led me to Jesus and I have always had a desire to learn anything about this topic. It is easy for me to write about this because this is my testimony. The Lord revealed Himself to me through the Scriptures that revolved around the Rapture and the end times. Whatever your testimony is, reach out to the lost and let that testimony prick their hearts through the Holy Spirit. Tell them your story because no one knows it better than you!

Today, we are introduced to the second beast (Revelation 13:11). We see here that this beast comes up out of the earth having two horns like a lamb but yet spoke as a dragon. This beast rises out of humanity and appears to be like a lamb indicating he will have the appearance of the one true Lamb, Jesus Christ. However, this lamb may look like the Messiah but will speak like a dragon. His words will be from the pits of Hell and he will promote the Antichrist – he will be the False Prophet.

The False Prophet will have an agenda like no other religious leader before! His sole purpose will be to convince the world that his religion (and that of the Antichrist) is what people need. Furthermore, his religion will be the only one allowed, a religious dictatorship if you will. If one doesn’t follow after this Tribulation religion, he will be martyred. Let’s take a look at what this False Prophet will be all about:

His purpose: His purpose is to promote the Antichrist and to cause all of earth’s inhabitants to worship him. (Revelation 13:12) Furthermore, it says that it will be done in the sight of men. In no time in history has this ever been possible until now. With internet availability practically world-wide, these events can be seen by everyone. His whole purpose will be to draw attention away from God and righteous living to the Antichrist and his sinful ways. To top it off, the False Prophet will encourage people to believe that the Antichrist is actually the Messiah and Saviour of the world! He will promote this with ways you and I could think up.
His power: He performs miracles and gives life to the beast after he is mortally wounded. This mimics Elijah, so this will fool the whole world, but especially the Jews. The Jews have been long awaiting their Messiah so when they start seeing miracles and signs, they will most certainly be deceived. The Apostle Paul said: 1Co 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:. Of course, these will be counterfeit signs and wonders and they will deceive the entire world except for the Tribulation Saints. Remember, the devil is known as the angel of light so everything he will do will “mimic” God and people will believe that the Antichrist is God! (2Corinthians 7:14).
His plan: He will make earth’s inhabitants take the mark of the Beast on their right hand or forehead so that they cannot buy or sell without that mark. Just as the Lord seals on the foreheads of the 144,000 and those who get saved during the Tribulation, so will the Antichrist try to imitate this by having a number given on the forehead or the right hand. Why do you think the devil imitates God? Just as he deceived Adam and Eve, he will deceive those on earth. So at some point during the Tribulation, the ability to imprint the Antichrist’s number or code will go worldwide. I find it interesting that the Antichrist’s mark might go on the right hand. Man has always strived to “work” for their salvation, but it is not so with God (Ephesians 2:8-9). It would be like the Antichrist to want mankind to take his mark so they can’t work, buy or sell without it. Sweden already provides bionic banking on a chip which contains ID’s, wallets and keys! I couldn’t believe that we were actually at that point – take a look at this video here. As you can see, this technology has already arrived! When I was first saved in 1980, I could not imagine how the Antichrist would accomplish this. But I can now totally see how he will be using some form of it during the Tribulation.
His number: The Antichrist’s number is 666 but we cannot know for sure how that number will be used. Man was created on the sixth day, so it is known that the number six is the number for man. In the Antichrist’s case, it’s in triplicate which may be to signify Satan / Antichrist / False Prophet. For example, once the world is under a one-world government, I wonder if each person’s identifying numbers (like Social Security numbers) will begin with 666. How will that number be incorporated into tracking each person? We can see this ability has already entered as we read this article. Please take a few minutes to read the article and watch the video. It is mind boggling what has happened behind the scenes while the world is being distracted by pandemics, wars and rumors of wars! The Scriptures say that this is his number (666) so we can be sure that there will be some kind of number assigned to each human being which will track them. Christians won’t accept this mark and will either starve and/or be martyred for it. They will have to go underground and barter with other Christians in order to get what they need. But we don’t plan to be here for all of this, amen? The Scriptures encourage believers with these words:

1Th 5:4-11 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (5) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (7) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. (8) But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. (9) For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, (10) Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (11) Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 30

By Kate Plourde

On June 27, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 13:1-10 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (2) And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (3) And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. (4) And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? (5) And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. (6) And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. (7) And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. (8) And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (9) If any man have an ear, let him hear. (10) He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Welcome back! Our study is coming along and we are currently smack dab in the middle of the Tribulation period. You know, reader, my heart is conflicted: I’m excited to be with the Lord but I am also grieved. I grieve because I still have lost family and friends who think that I am a religious nut. I would rather be known as a religious nut than the person who did not give them the gospel of Jesus Christ! If you want to get an idea of what will happen once you die, this little booklet is a minute read and is right on point!

As we move on, this chapter introduces the diabolical duo. The first beast rises out of the sea and is known as the Antichrist, who is the devil incarnate. Just as Satan entered Judas to betray Jesus, Satan will enter the Antichrist and the Antichrist will do his bidding. He will be a global dictator and will work in concert with the second beast, who is the false prophet. The false prophet will be in charge of the one world religion and its religious leaders. They will team up to achieve Satan’s demonic agenda for the earth. Are you able to see that this one world religion is in its formative years? I surely can. By the time these two come on the scene, people will be ready – their hearts will be so entrapped in sin that makind will not want to hear about their sin or that they need to repent!

This Beast is none other than the man of sin and son of perdition referenced in 2Thessalonians 2:3. Zechariah prophesied of him in Zechariah 11:15-17 and says he is the idol shepherd. Daniel prophesied of him in Daniel 11:36-39. Wow … just wow! This timeframe is in the second half of the Tribulation because we see in Revelation 13:5 that the Beast “continues” for forty and two months. If you recall, the Antichrist comes into power with peace at the beginning of the Tribulation when he signs a peace treaty with Israel. In the middle of the Tribulation, he breaks that peace treaty. He continues to wage war and raises up two imposing figures. It isn’t till this second half of the Tribulation that they impose their power upon the earth. If you think Hitler was bad, history records that Stalin killed 30 million of his own people! The Antichrist will be even worse. He will have this type of evil power until the end of the Tribulation and King Jesus will put an end to that power.

Daniel prophesied (Daniel 11:36-39) that the Antichrist will speak blasphemies against God. This prophecy comes true in Revelation 13:6. Also, Daniel says (Daniel 11:37) the Antichrist will not “regard the God of his fathers” which leads us to believe he may be Jewish but won’t be following Judaism since he blasphemes “his tabernacle.” If he were a Gentile, he would have no need to blaspheme the tabernacle. The Antichrist’s reign will revolve around the following characteristics:

Wickedness – Revelation 13:1 – the definition for blasphemy reveals to us just how wicked he is. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines it as: vilification (especially against God): – blasphemy, evil speaking, railing.
Wounding – Revelation 13:3 – The injury sustained will result in healing and all will worship him because of it. He will be raised from the dead or will be healed which reveals that the Antichrist will be able to do counterfeit miracles. Remember, Zechariah 11:15-17 calls him an “idol shepherd,” which is a good choice of words!
Words of – Revelation 13:5-6 – He will speak great things. It reminds me of today’s preachers who don’t preach the Word of God but preach what people want to hear; words that will tickle their ears. (2Timothy 4:3) Just what is this tickling of the ears? Preaching sin does not tickle the ears, so it will be the total opposite! Today’s popular preachers are great orators and “life coaches,” but they do not preach from the Word of God; they love to speak of prosperity and the “love” gospel. Yes, God is love and He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us. But God doesn’t stop there. Those who do not love His Son, Jesus, and are not born again will receive His judgment. These preachers do not talk about sin and God’s judgment for that sin. Be leary, reader, of whose teachings you sit under. The Antichrist will speak blasphemies and deceive earth’s inhabitants, so much so, they will be led to believe that he is God.
Warfare – Revelation 13:7 – We see war against the saints in this verse. But notice a very important word here: he overcomes them. This is yet more proof that today’s Church is not going through the Tribulation because these saints are martyred. We are not to go through God’s wrath: 1Thessalonians 1:10, 1Thessalonians 5:9, Romans 5:9.
Worship of – Revelation 13:4, Revelation 13:8 and Revelation 13:12 all speak of this first Beast, the Antichrist, receiving worship. Think about this for one moment: can you picture yourself bowing down and actually worshipping this being? It may seem farfetched but it won’t be during the Tribulation. Everyone will worship this Beast, except for the Tribulation saints. Their payment for denying to worship him will be death.

As you can see, the first Beast will be a furious and evil one. Don’t let the distractions of this world sidetrack you, reader. There is a judgment coming and you do not want to be a part of it. Settle this matter once and for all. Don’t delay as the Rapture can happen at any moment. (Matthew 24:36-42) It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 29

By Kate Plourde

On June 24, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 12:1-17 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: (2) And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. (3) And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. (4) And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. (5) And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. (6) And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. (7) And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, (8) And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. (9) And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (10) And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (11) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. (12) Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. (13) And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. (14) And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. (15) And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. (16) And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. (17) And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Good morning, dear reader! I pray that this series is blessing you. I would love to hear from you to let me know what you are gaining from it. My prayer is that it stirs the Christian heart to tell others about these days before it’s too late for them. My prayer also is that those who do not know Christ as their Saviour would come to a saving knowledge of Him and to grow in His grace!

What we will see in these next three chapters is a pause between the trumpet judgments and the plague judgments. Chapter 12 explains God’s redemptive plan through a woman and a child. Chapter 13 covers the opposition to that plan by the dragon, the beast out of the sea, and the beast out of the earth. Chapter 14 is a proclamation of that plan by three angels and is a wonderful chapter for redemption!

Today, we will look at three main figures: a woman, a dragon and a male child. Let’s take a look at these verses and see what’s in store for those who will be going through the Tribulation. We’ll look at the woman first. The Roman Catholic Church believes this woman is Mary. However, there’s a problem with that. Revelation 12:1 says it’s not a literal woman but a “great wonder.” The next verse refers to a woman giving birth. Any time a woman is mentioned in Revelation, it refers to the Church; she is the Bride of Christ, not a woman giving birth. God gave birth to the Church, not the other way around. We must let Scripture define itself. This woman is symbolic and reveals that she is clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet and wears a crown of twelve stars. Does this sound a tad familiar to you? It did to me. (Genesis 37:3-11) In these verses we see that Joseph had a dream. The product of that dream was that the sun referenced Jacob, the moon referenced Rachel, and the stars referenced his eleven brothers. Altogether we see a wonderful representation of Israel. Israel is also referred to as a woman, as we see in Isaiah 54:6, Jeremiah 3:1, Ezekiel 16:30, Hosea 2:2.

Next we see the dragon in Revelation 12:3. He is depicted as a great red dragon. Who is this red dragon? As I said earlier, let the Scriptures define Scripture. We see in Revelation 12:9, that this red dragon is indeed Satan. I find the description “red” interesting; it is symbolic of sinfulness (Isaiah 1:18) which leads to death (Romans 6:23). This is and always has been Satan’s ambition. He hates God and all of His creation, but especially mankind (1Peter 5:8). Not only does he hate you, but he hates your family! So now we come upon who and where Satan’s power and hatred will be cast upon. This serpent has seven heads (world powers), ten horns and seven crowns (world kingdoms) (Revelation 12:3). Satan has been and is behind all the evil world powers and world kingdoms. Do you see how his tail swept one third of the stars? This may be referring to the angels who rebelled along with him as we will see in Revelation 12:7-17.

Did you know that there hasn’t been a world empire since the Roman empire? But that is about to come to an end. The “powers that be” are hard at work attempting to lead the world into a one world government. We see here that Satan will have authority over all the governments. He is bound and determined to win. His pride never ceases to amaze me, and not in a good way. Revelation 12:7-12 give us a good description of that evil devil, Satan:

Old serpent: This deceiver has been around a long time
The devil: Diabolos in the Greek – he is our accuser
Satan: He’s the adversary and enemy (1Peter 5:8 – he hunts for us)
He deceives the whole world (2Corinthians 4:4 – blinds people so they don’t get saved)
The accuser of our brethren (verse 10) – he’s relentless; he loves to accuse me to me so that I don’t “feel” forgiven. He hates you because you look like, and are related to, and loved by your Father in Heaven. He hates your life; he hates your children; he hates everything about you!

John wants us to get the full picture about him by going back to when he was actually thrown out of Heaven and cast to earth by Michael the Archangel and his angels! In fact, Ezekiel 28:12-19 describes Satan as well. (also Luke 10:18) From that point, there was no place found in Heaven for them and earth became their playground in the unseen realm. Satan and his minions influence people and bring evil into their hearts. (Ephesians 6:11-13)

Revelation, for the most part, is sequential. But this chapter us a background of events that happened even before Adam and Eve were created. As we discussed on Day 11, the Eastern way of thinking is circular, not sequential like Westerners. It’s difficult for Westerners to understand the Eastern mind and how they view events. So don’t be confused when we leave the sequence of the Trumpet Judgments and go back in time. Think of it as a term paper where you insert footnotes: you jump from the main text to the footnote and read what that footnote says, then you jump back to the main story, LOL! 😁

Now let’s look at the reference for the man child in Revelation 12:5. This is referencing Jesus Christ’s future birth on earth to redeem mankind with His death, burial and resurrection. Furthermore, we are able to see His millennial Kingdom! All will bow down to him. This child will:

Rule with a rod of iron (or scepter): Rulers possess this scepter (Psalm 2:8-9). This Messianic verse can also be found in Revelation 19:15.
Child will be caught up unto God and to his throne: Jesus’ Ascension, where He is currently and waiting to come again to rule in the Millennial Kingdom.

God’s redemptive plan was always for both the Jews and Gentiles. Abraham was called out of a Gentile nation, Iraq, to be the father of all nations. Jesus would come from Abraham’s lineage, which began as a Gentile, and became the birth of Israel. Jesus Christ was born from that same lineage, reader! Doesn’t that excite you? Jesus’ precious blood was shed for all, Jews and Gentiles alike! Praise Him!!! Satan has always stood in opposition to God’s redemptive plan. We see that in verse 4! He was waiting to devour this child as soon as He was born. He worked through Haman (in Esther 3), Herod the Great, Hitler, and radical Islam, to name a few. All of these attempted to eliminate the Jews so they could thwart God’s redemptive work. But Satan’s attempts can’t outweigh God’s power, amen?

When one looks at the whole picture, it’s easy to see the devil in the midst of it all. One can see his role and his influence over mankind. We are seeing it today; those who are not raptured, will most certainly see it more than ever before during the Tribulation. Please, dear reader, if you do not know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you will go to Heaven when you die, I beg you to please get saved now! 2Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Don’t delay! You do not know if you will ever be given another opportunity to be saved. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 28

By Kate Plourde

On June 22, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 11:15-19 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. (16) And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, (17) Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. (18) And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. (19) And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Good morning, Reader! The deeper we dive into the Book of Revelation, the more grieved my heart becomes. I can’t imagine mankind being so stubborn that they reject the Lord Jesus Christ in order to continue living in sin despite the judgments that have occurred till now! It shows the lack of conscience. It makes me think of (Isa 5:21) Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (See also Judges 17:6, Proverbs 3:7, Proverbs 16:2, Proverbs 30:12) These attitudes speak loudly today and will be much more prevalent during the Tribulation. The disturbing thing for me is that they remain that way despite the judgments thus far! There is no conscience at all! (Isaiah 56:11)

Today, we’ll be covering that Seventh Trumpet. Notice that John writes about a pause where an announcement is to be made. This trumpet announces that God is about to take over the earth as its Judge and King! It’s exciting for the believer to read this but not so much for those who have not given their lives over to Jesus Christ. Take note that the 24 elders come into John’s view once again. The elders that were sitting before God fall on their faces and worship Him. We know that the 24 elders are symbolic of the Church in Heaven. This is mentioned six times in Scripture and only in the Book of Revelation (Rev 4:4, Rev 4:10, Rev 5:8, Rev 5:14, Rev 11:16 and Rev 19:4).

I love that the church is sitting with the Lord (as a Bride never leaves the proximity of her Spouse: 1 Thess 4:16-17). She is clothed in white, which is the righteousness of the saints as we see in Rev 7:9 and Rev 19:8; just as a typical bride gives her dowry to her spouse, this Bride casts the crowns of gold (given to her by the Lord for the work she has done for Him here on earth) at the feet of her Spouse!!! (1Cor 9:25, Phil 4:1, 1Thess 2:19, 2Tim 4:8, James 1:12, 1Pet 5:4, Rev 4:4, Rev 4:10) After all that Jesus went through to provide us salvation through Him, the least we should want to do is to give something back to Him. Although we can never possiby repay the Lord for His horrible death for our sin, we can give Him the crowns He promised us for our work for the Kingdom’s cause. My heart is overwhelmed when I think about this event, dear friend! Truly there is nothing I can give Him that would even come close to paying Him back… but the one thing that Jesus wants the most is my heart. Just as in the Christmas hymn titled, “A Christmas Carol” by Christina Rossetti: … what can I give Him, give him my heart.” (Romans 10:8-10) Amen and amen!

While all of this is happening in Heaven, those dwelling on earth are not happy at all. Revelation 11:18-19 tells us that the nations are angry. If they are angry at this point, just think of how they will react at the upcoming judgments! But before all that, God is going to give us a history lesson on just how the “god of this world” came into power. (2Cor 4:3-4) I truly believe that the Lord put this in His Word at this very spot so that we could see just what kind of evil force Satan truly is.

If you are not born again, reader, please don’t let another day go by without Christ! (2Cor 6:2) He is the only way to Heaven. No religion on earth will get you to Heaven, no matter what you’ve been taught in your current “church.” (Joh 14:6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Friend, if your religion doesn’t preach salvation through Jesus Christ, you are being misled. You cannot do enough good things to get on God’s good side. No amount of donations or philanthropic deeds will gain you entrance. Eph 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Use this pause to reflect on your eternal soul. It will live in one of two places: Heaven or Hell. Both are very real. Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 27

By Kate Plourde

On June 20, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 11:1-14 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. (2) But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. (3) And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. (4) These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. (5) And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. (6) These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. (7) And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. (8) And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. (9) And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. (10) And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. (11) And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. (12) And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. (13) And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. (14) The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

How has your day been going so far, Reader? Are you excited about what is to come? I have found the Book of Revelation to be more of a blessing in my life than it has ever been in my 42 years of salvation! I don’t know if it’s because I don’t have anything to worry about as far as where I will spend eternity or if it’s due to the fact that we are actually witnessing and living in the end times. We are literally seeing Bible prophecy unfold and come to light. (2Timothy 3:1-7 and 2Peter 3:3-7) Either way, it excites me to know that I won’t be here to experience the most horrific events this earth has ever experienced! It also presses on my heart that Christians do not have much time left to lead the lost to Jesus Christ and His salvation. (John 14:6) Can you imagine not sharing something of this magnitude with someone who is on his way to Hell?

Today’s topic sounds like something right out of a science fiction movie. It revolves around two men who will have such an effect on the world that the world will absolutely hate them. They won’t be despised because of their political party – nor will they be despised because they are murderers. They will be despised for their testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and preaching repentance to a lost, sinful and dying world. Can you imagine hating someone so much that you rejoice and have a party when they die? Stay tuned, and buckle up! We are about to witness such things in this chapter!

Just who are these two men and what is their purpose? They are referred to as the “Two Witnesses” who will be preaching in the streets of Jerusalem, where the Temple is located (Revelation 11:1) and where their Lord was crucified (Revelation 11:8). Since the Temple is mentioned here, it stands to reason that the Jewish Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem at some point prior to this. It was destroyed in 70 AD and at some point between now and the Tribulation, it will be rebuilt. We haven’t seen that yet, but when God’s Word says it will happen, that means it will happen and you can take that to the bank. (Ezekiel 12:25)

The Two Witnesses’ main purpose is to preach repentance (Revelation 11:3). We know this to be so because they wore sackcloth. Why is sackcloth linked to repentance? Jesus said in Matthew 11:21 that sackcloth and ashes were a part of repentance. Sackcloth was often made of camel’s hair as we see in Matthew 3:4 in John the Baptist’s clothing. As John the Baptist preached for a period of time on the topic of repentance and the coming of Messiah, these two witnesses will preach the same topics for 1,260 days, or three and a half years. That’s a long time for two people to preach in the streets of Jerusalem! Some believe this will occur during the first three and a half years of the Tribulation while others believe it will be during the second half. I believe they come in the first half because Revelation 11:7 says that once they have “finished their testimony,” the beast makes war against them. As you will see below, the Two Witnesses’ powers have the same outcome as in the eighth chapter during the Trumpet Judgments. Chapter 12 reveals how this beast will come to power so it stands to reason, for me at least, that they will be preaching during the first half of the Tribulation. Either way, people will not want to hear what they have to say because their hearts are evil.

Here’s where the Two Witnesses’ power comes into play. They will be protected by the Lord Himself and will be kept from any harm as we see in Revelation 11:5. Can you just imagine what people will think when they see that these men have fire proceeding out of their mouths when enemies attack them?? Wow! Fire is symbolic of judgment and damnation. I can just imagine what those who witness such events will think! Take note of the powers that are given to these two:

Verse 6 – the power to shut heaven so it does not rain. Who else did this? Elijah did in 1Kings 17:1, 1Kings 18:22-39, James 5:17-18
Verse 6 – the power to turn water into blood. Who else did this? Moses did this in Exodus 7:19

So it could be possible that the two witnesses are Elijah and Moses but that’s not 100% certain. Both appeared with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-38). Because of their Old Testament miracles being repeated here, I believe that they will be Elijah and Moses. Some believe that it is Elijah (2Kings 2:11) and Enoch (Genesis 5:24) because neither one died, but were taken up to Heaven. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 that it is appointed unto men once to die, but after death is the judgment. Since neither died, their death could be a fulfillment here. Either view, these two witnesses will preach repentance to its fullest; so much so, their message will make people angry, much like Stephen’s message angered the people of his day to the point of martyrdom (Acts 7:54-60).

In Revelation 11:7-10, we read that our Two Witnesses will be assassinated by the Beast (the Antichrist) for their testimony. Although the Word says there’s nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9), the death of these two men will be like none other! The hatred for these two is so great that the people will leave their bodies in the streets for all the world to see. How cold must a heart be to rejoice, not only for their deaths but to watch the celebration as their bodies lay dead on the streets of Jerusalem!!!

Why is it important for us to know where these things will happen? Remember, the whole purpose of the Tribulation is for Israel to return to their God and Messiah. We know it’s Jerusalem because this verse specifies that our Lord was crucified there (Revelation 11:8). Also, did you notice the symbolic names John gives for Jerusalem? He calls Jerusalem, “Sodom and Egypt.” Why do you think the Lord chose those two specific words? The Bible says that Sodom’s destruction was due to the sin of sodomy (homosexuality) running rampant. As well, it is common knowledge that Egypt is a “type” of the world (Exodus 13:14); the world and its bondage to sin entraps us and we must “come out of the world (Egypt)” of sin into salvation through Jesus Christ. So I believe that worldliness and all its sins, especially homosexuality (for which Sodom was destroyed), will dominate Jerusalem (and the world for that matter) during the Tribulation. When I was first saved in 1980, this particular sin was not spoken of so openly as it is now. Today, however, “gay pride” is everywhere and the television is promoting it in any way they can! Once must realize that the first sin ever committed was the sin of pride committed by Lucifer when he wanted to be as God. For this reason, he was cast out of Heaven! The sin of pride is not only committed by homosexuals, it is revealed in the hearts of earth’s inhabitants as they take selfies and record their every movement in social media for all the world to see. 😡 Can you imagine how much worse it will be during the Tribulation??

Due to Internet, cell phones and social media, people all over the world will be able to see the dead bodies of our Two Witnesses lying in the street. Modern-day technology has allowed the fulfillment of these prophecies. If some people on earth do not have these technologies, they at least know someone who does. You can be sure if the Bible says all will see, then you can believe that all will see. There will be a global celebration of their deaths and they will even give gifts to one other for this horrifying event, much like Christmas! They are so sick and tired of hearing the preaching of repentance from these Two Witnesses for a solid three and a half years that they celebrate their deaths! The Scriptures say they were tormenting all that dwell on the earth so no wonder a celebration ensues! Wow! What cold, unrepentant and wicked hearts are within them!

I absolutely love what happens next though! Just as Jesus arose from the dead after three days, the Two Witnesses will as well! The Holy Spirit breathes them life into them again and they stand up! I don’t know about you, but if I were to witness this event, I would fall to my knees in fear and repent! The verse states that fear overcomes those who witness this event and as they are watching, a voice from Heaven calls out for the Two Witnesses to “Come up hither” and up they ascend in a cloud!! To top it all, everyone on earth will see this happening (Revelation 11:12). In the next verse we see that at that very hour, a great earthquake occurs and a tenth of Jerusalem falls and 7,000 men die as a result! As with the feeding of the 5,000, we know that Scripture only accounts for just the men. But there were women and children there during that miracle as well. So the 7,000 men could double or even triple when you add women and children. It also tells us that the survivors gave glory to God in Heaven! What a contribution and impact the Two Witnesses had, amen?!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 26

By Kate Plourde

On June 17, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 10:1-11 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: (2) And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, (3) And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. (4) And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. (5) And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, (6) And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: (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. (8) And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. (9) And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. (10) And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. (11) And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

it’s a new day, Reader, and despite the horrible things going on around the world, I am excited to live each day because I know I am one day closer to seeing my Saviour face-to-face. I do not fear what is about to happen because I won’t be here; and neither will you, if you are born again. 😀 But if you’re not, there is no joy to look forward to for you. Granted, you may have a nice day here and there, but in the deepest parts of your heart, you will not have joy. There is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is attached to people and things in your life. But joy is in the deepest part of the heart. Every human being has a “God-shaped” hole in his heart that can only be filled by your Creator and God. Until that hole is filled with Him, joy cannot live there. (John 15:11)

As we continue our series on the Tribulation, we find that half of the world’s population is gone at this point. What are people thinking? Will they be afraid? Will they repent? This post is written in 2022 and we are already wondering what in the world is going on! Abortions are legal, gay marriages are allowed, television has drag queens (even drag queens reading stories to children!!!), just to name a few. Just think of how much worse it will be during the Tribulation!

The vision in today’s Scriptures is considered an interlude between judgments and is John’s longest vision through Revelation 13:1. Between the sixth and seventh trumpets, there is a long pause. It’s as though God is asking, “Have you had enough yet”? By the end of chapter 9, we see that the world still does not repent! Well, that can’t be good!!! This will only result in even more intense judgments.

We now read that John sees a mighty angel but he is not “like” the other angels we’ve seen thus far. We know this is an angel because the Greek word for angel is “aggelos,” which is translated angel. Some believe this is Michael the Archangel, which makes sense because John says he sees a “mighty angel.” This angel is mightier than the other angels – he’s in a different class than they are. This particular angel has the following characteristics:

clothed with a cloud – similar to the coming of Jesus in Revelation 1:7
has a rainbow on his head – similar to the one around the throne of God in Revelation 4:3
his face is like the sun – similar to the countenance of Jesus in Revelation 1:16
feet like pillars of fire – similar to description of Jesus with feet like bronze “as if they burned in a furnace.” Revelation 1:15

Some scholars claim that this is Jesus, but I don’t believe that. Throughout the Book of Revelation, angels are used by the Lord to mete out the judgments; the judgments are not cast out by Jesus Himself. As well, Jesus is not called an angel in the entire book of Revelation. I, too, believe it may be Michael the Archangel (Jude 1:9). Furthermore, the definition for Michael is “who is like God.” We see in the above characteristics that he represents the power of God. In Revelation 10:6, this angel takes an oath by the Lord Jesus that “there should be time no longer.” Why would Jesus take an oath to Himself?

We also see that this mighty angel is given complete authority over land and sea. The moment he cries out, seven thunders are heard. We know that the number seven represents God’s completeness and perfection. So this may be God’s voice (also see Psalm 29:3) indicating God’s perfect divine wrath to follow. He will order John not to write these things down at this point (Revelation 10:4). Wow! I wonder what the seven thunders uttered!?? Since John could not write it down, we will have to wait to find out.

God’s plan for the ages will be unfolded. Psalm 119:103 reveals to us that the Bible is sweet to our souls. But we find that the reality of judgment is not sweet but holy and bitter as well. The same results occurred when John is told to take the little book and eat it. It was sweet to the taste but bitter in his stomach! As we read God’s Word, we find its content sweet and enlightening. But when there is sin in the believer’s heart, God’s Word judges that sin and makes it bitter in our heart of hearts so we confess and forsake it. (Hebrews 4:12)

Friend, there is coming a day of reckoning for all those who do not believe. God’s Word leads to salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ and Him only. (John 14:6) Where does the bitterness lead? It is bitter to anyone who does not accept God’s Word. People who do not want to repent get angry when someone tries to tell them about salvation. They get puffed up in their hearts and call you judgmental. Don’t fret when this happens. They are not rejecting you, they are rejecting God Almighty. If you reject salvation, your bitter end is eternity in Hell. John is told to prophesy again to all possible and he surely did that through Revelation.

Friend, don’t wait for the day of reckoning! Take care of your salvation before it is too late. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 25

By Kate Plourde

On June 15, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 9:12-21 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. (13) And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, (14) Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. (15) And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. (16) And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. (17) And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. (18) By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. (19) For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. (20) And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: (21) Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

It’s a beautiful new day and the warmth of summer feels so good. We had a harsh winter in our area and the sunlight is welcomed! It is easier to get chores done or simply enjoy nature when the sun is shining brightly, don’t you think? When dark clouds come, people tend to go indoors and try to comfort themselves with a hot beverage or curl up with a good book. It’s a known medical fact that a lack of sunshine can cause SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) in some people. They become depressed and have a hard time to cope. A light source or daylight lamps can help them to overcome this disorder. Not only does the lack of sun affect their mood, it also affects their health. The sun provides vitamin D and is needed to prevent breast cancer and many other illnesses. But think for a moment about the Light of the world, Jesus Christ. When His light shines in our hearts and we are born again, we receive eternal life (John 3:16).

I wonder what it will be like for people living in the Tribulation period? Will some live in comfort while the judgments are occurring? I don’t think so. Revelation 3:10 tells us that these judgments will come to all the world. This particular judgment is going to deplete the number of people on earth like nothing we’ve ever seen. The Illuminati’s goal has been to decrease the population so the earth can last longer to sustain those who remain. They will rejoice at this decrease.

The demons (four fallen angels) depicted here come from the Euphrates River. This is located in modern day Iraq. For a little bit of background on this river:

Genesis 2:10-14, there were four rivers coming out of the Garden of Eden. The Euphrates was one of those rivers.
Babylon was the dwelling place of demons and was located in modern day Iraq.
The Tower of Babel was a place for worshipping the stars, moon and heavenly hosts.
All occult worship of today began their history in Babylon and its effects are very much still present there and all over the world.

Let’s focus on the population for a bit. One third of mankind dies from the demons’ actions in this judgment. Let’s take into account the number of those who are raptured prior to the Tribulation; then one fourth of the population is destroyed in the Fourth Seal, which is approximately two billion people taken out. The Fifth Seal reveals deaths of believers but there is no exact number specified in Scripture. That leaves a little under six billion people at this point. Next comes the Sixth Trumpet which will destroy a third of what’s left of earth’s population. Friend, that means that from the Rapture to this point, the earth will lose half of its population! That leaves four billion people and we are only mid way through the Tribulation! 😥 Those who were not killed still do not repent of their murders, sorceries, fornication or theft!

Revelation 9:16 reveals that an army of 200 million comes to the scene. To put this number into perspective, all of Word War II consisted of 70 million men in all world-wide forces combined! China boasted of having an army of 200,million in 1965. Was that boast prophecy? Who knows! But these 200 million could also be demons, or people possessed by demonic principles.

Moving on to Revelation 9:20-21, we see that those who have not been killed by the judgments thus far, were unrepentant people! If you search for the words “repent and repented,” you will find that they are found more times here in the Book of Revelation than any other book in the Bible. God in His mercy keeps reaching out to them giving them every opportunity to repent. In these verses, the people would not repent of worshiping devils and idols, murder, sorcery, fornication or theft. It’s interesting to note, the word sorceries occurs three times in the New Testament: twice in Revelation and once in Acts 8:11. The two times it is used in Revelation, it refers to “pharmakeia.” (Revelation 9:21, Revelation 18:23) This is where we get our English term “pharmacy.”

Sorceries in Greek is:

pharmakeia
far-mak-i’-ah
From G5332; medication (“pharmacy”), that is, (by extension) magic (literal or figurative): – sorcery, witchcraft.
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance

But when it is used in Acts 8:11, it refers to magic:

mageia
mag-i’-ah
From G3096; “magic”: – sorcery.
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance

The word”mageia” would have been used in Revelation if it was referring to simply sorcery or magic. However, the word “pharmakeia” is used for those verses during the Tribulation. It stands to reason that drugs of some kind will be a big part of the world, whether that is for recreational use, medicinal purposes, or even vaccinations to “contain” the people. But because it is used in conjunction with these other sins (idol worship, murders, fornication and theft), I believe drugs are used to enhance these sins. We see the legalization of “lesser” drugs (like marijuana) occurring in our country. Oregon has legalized harder substances in small amounts, for example heroin! I won’t get into how dangerous this is because that’s a whole other subject. But think of all the chemically dependent addicts that will come out of this! Government programs will be formed to aid these addicts and the end result will be government dependent citizens: enter the one world government! We can see how all these things put together for the platform for the Antichrist.

No matter how we view this Sixth Trumpet, it will be a time like no other. People are dying with this judgment and the surface population will fall to half of the population that we currently claim! But in three and a half years, the King of Kings will come to earth and put an end to Satan’s forces, and his Illuminati, once and for all. What began in Babylon will be destroyed by the Lord Jesus Christ! Amen and Amen!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 24

By Kate Plourde

On June 13, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 9:1-12 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. (2) And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. (3) And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. (4) And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. (5) And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. (6) And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. (7) And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. (8) And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. (9) And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. (10) And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. (11) And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. (12) One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

Good morning from beautiful Virginia, not too far from the Blue Ridge Mountains. I feel so blessed to live close to the Lord’s creation! We can visit any time we want and behold all its beauty. But there is coming a day when this beauty will either be destroyed or the ability to travel where and when we want to will no longer be a privilege. We saw what happened when Covid struck. Our freedoms to travel where we wanted were restricted. Even our religious freedoms were attacked.

Satan and his demonic forces will be coming into play in the next two judgments. There are references made to:

stars,
locusts,
scorpions,
Abaddon/Apollyon,
angels who are bound, and
an army

All these terms describe the evil powers which will be released from the pits of Hell during the Tribulation. We know the star mentioned in verse 1 is not referring to an actual star in the heavens because John uses the personal pronoun here to describe that keys to the bottomless pit will be given to “him”! This is a reference to Satan.

Torment is coming during this trumpet judgment and it will be allowed by God in an attempt to snap people into reality of Who He really is. As I’ve written in prior posts, sometimes it takes a harsher reprimand (chastisement or spanking) from the Lord to get our attention. During the Tribulation, mankind’s hearts are going to be a lot more cold and evil. This type of judgment is what God must allow in order to prick their hearts so they can realize their need for repentance from their sins. The torment to be imparted will take place for five months, but they will not result in death. In fact, people will seek death but death will evade them.

Scripture says that a star will fall from heaven to earth and this star will have the keys to the “bottomless pit.” (Revelation 9:1, Revelation 9:2, Revelation 9:11, Revelation 11:7, Revelation 17:8, Revelation 17:8, Revelation 20:1, Revelation 20:3) Isn’t it interesting that these words are found only seven times in the King James Version of the Bible and they are all in the Book of Revelation?! The bottomless pit actually defines itself; it means without depth. So imagine yourself free-falling into this bottomless pit. You would never reach the end!

We can also see that the bottomless pit is associated with demonic forces. (Revelation 11:7, Revelation 17:8) It’s clear that whatever enters or leaves this pit is absolutely grotesque and evil. Take note that the first thing that happens when the pit is opened is that smoke arises like a great furnace. As a result, the sun and the air are darkened. What can this represent? I really don’t know but I can use my imagination. Maybe some will think a storm is on the horizon. Yes, it will be a storm alright. This is a storm consisting of locusts but not like any locusts we’ve ever seen at any time in history! These locusts will be given supernatural powers from Satan and will be more like scorpions, as we see in Revelation 9:7-10. It also says that these Tribulation locusts have a king – real locusts do not have a leader. So they can’t be locusts as we know them.

These locusts will be different because locusts normally eat grass and trees; but these won’t. Their goal will be to inflict pain on unbelieving mankind, not the planet. However, just as it was during the first Passover of the Old Testament, those who have the seal of God won’t be affected (the 144,000 Jews and Tribulation Saints). These 144,000 are the Messianic Jews (12,000 from each tribe of Israel – see Revelation 7:4) who will preach to the world. According to the Mayo Clinic, it is rare that adults die from scorpion stings; children seem to have the more severe reactions. However, these locusts have scorpion abilities but not those that have ever been seen before. These locusts are from the pits of Hell and their power is from Satan; much different from what we are accustomed to today.

This power will be so great that when people are stung, they will want to die but won’t be able to. Because Revelation 9:7-10 reads like something out of a futuristic war movie, many believe that this represents a war and possibly helicopters shooting. One can only imagine but I don’t think this will be the case because these locusts have the following characteristics:

like horses prepared for battle
what appears to be crowns like gold on their heads
they have faces like those of men
they have hair like women
they have teeth like those of lions
they wear breastplates like iron
their wings make a sound like chariots of many horses going to battle

I don’t know about you, but this does not sound like war-type machinery. But let’s remember where these locusts are coming from – the very pits of Hell. These demons could possibly have these characteristics! Just because we’ve never seen anything like this doesn’t mean that they won’t exist. Think about it – the world could possibly claim that they are aliens from another planet??? I know this may seem out of character for me to write, but we must remember that this is the Book of Revelation and it characterizes events which will occur in the future. We need to trust the Word of God and leave the future to Him. For right now, we believers are looking forward to the Rapture and not these events. The reason I write about these events is to give the believers information so they can reach the lost. I write about these events so if by chance someone who is not saved reads these posts, they will be alerted.

This trumpet’s horrors are brought to you by the king of these demons, the king of the bottomless pit. What is his name? We are told that his name in Hebrew is Abaddon and Apollyon in Greek. Both refer to Satan, the destroyer. If you are skeptical of this series on Revelation and really can’t wrap your head around getting saved before the Tribulation, let’s take a look at how the Bible describes Satan. This list is certainly not all of the descriptions for the devil. Once you see these references about him and his character, you can presume he will be doing the same in your life unless you are saved and have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you.

Abaddon	Destroying Angel	Rev 9:11
Accuser of the Brethren	Legal Opponent in Court of Law	Rev 12:10
Adversary	The Opponent to the Church in a Lawsuit	1 Peter 5:8
Angel of Light	Impersonator, Actor, Stage Performer; Masquerader	2 Cor 11:14
Angel of the Bottomless Pit	Ruler of the Darkness	Rev 9:11
Anointed cherub that coverth	The Winged Angelic Defender	Ezekiel 28:14
Antichrist	Opponent of the Messiah	1 John 4:3
Appolyon	Greek Name of Hebrew Abaddon; Destroyer	Rev 9:11
Baal	False God of the O.T. Type of Satan	Rom 11:4;
Beelzebub	Lord of the Flies; A god of Babylon	Mat 12:24-27; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15, Luke 11:18-19
Belial	Worthless One	2 Cor 6:15
Blasphemer	Name of the One Who Vilifies God	Rev 13:1
Chief of Demons	Prince of demonic gods	Luke 11:15
Cherub	Winged Anointed of God	Ezekiel 28:14
Deceiver	The One Who Deceives	Rev 12:9
Devil	False Accuser; Slanderer	Mat 4:1-11, Matt 9:33, Matt 11:18, Matt 12:22, Matt 13:29, Matt 15:22, Matt 17:18, Matt 25:41; Mk 5:15-18, Mk 7:26-30; Luke 4:2-13, Luke 4:33-35, Luke 7:33, Luke 8:12, Luke 8:29, Luke 9:42, Luke 11:14; John 6:70, John 7:20, John 8:44-52, John 10:20-21, John 13:2; Acts 10:38 Acts 13:10; Eph 4:27, Eph 6:11; 1Ti 3:6-7; 2Ti 2:26; Heb 2:14; James 4:7; 1Pet 5:8; 1 John 3:8-10; Jud 1:9; Rev 2:10, Rev 12:9, Rev 12:12, Rev 20:2, Rev 20:10;
Dragon	Fabulous Serpent	Rev 12:7
Dragon, Great	Powerful Fabulous Serpent	Rev 12:9
Enemy	Adversary	Mat 13:39
Evil One	Malicious; Wicked One	John 17:15
Father of Lies	Fabricator of truth	John 8:44
God of this World	Ruler of the Night	2 Cor 4:4
Great Red Dragon	Serpent of Increased Power	Rev 12:3
King of the Bottomless Pit	Ruler of the Darkness	Rev 9:11
Liar	Falsifier; Deceiver	John 8:44
Lucifer	Morning Star	Isaiah 14:12-14
Man of Sin	Man faced Trespasser	2 Thes 2:3-4
Murderer	Man Killer	John 8:44
Oppressor	He Who Makes Sick	Acts 10:38
Perdition	The Destroyer	2 Thes 2:3;
Power of Darkness	Superhuman Ruler of the Night	Col 1:13-14
Prince of the Devils	Ruler of Evil Spirits	Mat 9:34, Mat 12:24; Mark 3:22
Prince of the Power of the Air	Ruler of the Authority of Spoken Words	Eph 2:1-2
Prince of this World	Ruler of the Evil Darkness	John 12:31-32; John 14:30; John 16:11; 1 Cor 2:6-8;
Roaring Lion	Powerful Sounding King of the Beasts	1 Peter 5:8
Ruler of the Darkness	Moon who Rules the Night	Ephesians 6:12
Satan	The Accuser, the Opponent; Adversary	1 Chron 21:1; Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-7; Ps 109:6; Zec 1:3; Mat 4:10, Mat 12:26, Mat 16:23; Mark 1:13, Mark 3:23-26, Mark 4:15, Mark 8:33; Luke 4:8, Luke 10:18, Luke 11:18, Luke 13:16, Luke 22:3, Luke 22:31; John 13:27; Act 5:3, Act 26:18; Rom 16:20; 1Cor 5:5, 1Cor 7:5; 2Cor 2:11, 2Cor 11:14; 1Thes 2:18; 2Thes 2:9; 1Tim 1:20, 1Tim 5:15; Rev 2:9, Rev 2:13, Rev 2:24, Rev 3:9; Rev 12:9, Rev 20:2, Rev 20:7;
Seducing Spirit	Imposter; Deceiver	1Tim 4:1
Serpent	Symbolic Name for Satan	Gen 3:1; Rev 12:15
Serpent, Old	Symbolic Name for Satan; First Ruler of the earth	Rev 12:9; Rev 20:2
Son of Perdition	Destruction’s Child	2Thes 2:3
Son of the Morning	Satan a son of God’s First or Early Light	Isaiah 14:12-14
Tempter	He Who Proves and Tests	Mat 4:3
Thief	Robber; Burglar	Mat 24:43; Luke 12:39; John 10:10

Lastly, dear reader, this is just the first of the three woes. (Revelation 9:12) Stay tuned for more to come.

Revelation at a Glance – Day 23

By Kate Plourde

On June 10, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

Rev 8:12-13 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. (13) And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

Good morning! As you look out your window today, is it daylight? If yes, whether it is cloudy or not, the sun is actually shining and you know that it is daytime. But imagine if you lived in Alaska! Below is a picture of the sun’s position in the sky from sunrise to sunset on December 21 (Alaska’s short day of the year). Even though the sun peaks at noon, it still appears to be sunset. This is a glimpse of what the fourth trumpet’s effects on planet earth, not just Alaska.

But the sun won’t be on the horizon, but it will be in its normal position wherever you are located on earth. The results of this trumpet will be similar to the amount of daylight Alaska reflects above. The Scriptures say that a third of the sun will taken; as a result, naturally it will also affect the moon and the stars. Will this be a decrease in the sun’s energy? Will it be due to cloud coverage or some other type of phenomenon that will filter the sun’s rays? We don’t know but it is clear in Scriptures that this will happen. Let’s take a look.

Jesus says in Luke 21:25-26 that there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. We see in this judgment a fulfillment of Jesus’ words. This will reduce temperatures on earth and that will cause a domino effect on our natural resources. Foremost, the waters will be affected because the oxygen production levels will decrease as a result. Not only will it be colder, this will make it more difficult to breathe! If you recall from Day 21, plankton is responsible for 50-80% of oxygen on earth! Therefore, if the waters get colder and the sun doesn’t shine as long, plankton will die.

The amount of oxygen at different ocean depths can vary widely according to temperature; producers that add oxygen; and consumers and aerobic decomposers that remove oxygen.
The producers are the photosynthetic organisms such as algae and plankton. Aerobic decomposers are usually bacteria. Consumers are nonphotosynthetic herbivores that feed on phytoplankton.
Fish and other aquatic organisms will die without the appropriate level of oxygen such as levels below three to five parts per million (ppm). Decreasing levels of oxygen are due to the lack of photosynthesis caused by the decreasing filtering of sunlight in the middle and lower depths.
http://www.actforlibraries.org/how-sunlight-oxygen-and-temperature-contribute-to-aquatic-life/

This trumpet, according to Jesus, will cause the nations to be in distress! I can just imagine! The whole world is currently trying to “go green”! After all the global efforts to achieve this, the nations’ leaders will be wondering why their efforts are not producing the results they desired. They will still deny that the God of Heaven and earth is trying to wake them up using these judgments. In the first four trumpets, these judgments have affected the earth. But the worse is yet to come, if we can think it possible! The next judgments will unleash pain and suffering on human beings that are unimaginable.

Please, dear reader! Share this series with friends and family in your circle. If this is the only Bible they will ever read, then they will at least have received the Scriptures. Each post is packed with the Word of God and they will have no excuse. It scares me to think that some of my own family and extended family members going through these judgments! It should scare you as well.

For those readers who are not born again and you want to live your life whatever way you wish, know that the judgment you receive when you die will be far worse. Just because you don’t believe in Heaven and Hell, or choose not to think about it, they still exists nonetheless. We don’t think about needing air to breathe, but we need it nonetheless.

Each one of us will spend eternity in one of two places … for … all … eternity (Daniel 12:2-3, Matthew 25:46, John 5:28 and Revelation 20:14-15). Hell is a place of punishment for those who reject Jesus Christ. (Matthew 13:41, Matthew 13:50, Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:8). This last verse, Revelation 21:8, mentioned some of the sins that warrant Hell. Having been raised Catholic, lying was considered a venial sin and murder is a mortal sin. Notice that lying is judged equally with the same outcome as murder; both will send you to Hell!

No matter what you think, those who die without Christ will suffer torment (Matthew 13:50, Mark 9:48, Revelation 14:10). Mark 9:48 is interesting. It says “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Noah Webster defines the word “worm” here as:

Remorse; that which incessantly gnaws the conscience; that which torments.

This verse proves that Hell will be for eternity. Not only will you burn and be in darkness, but you will be incessantly and eternally experiencing that guilty conscience for each of those sins in your life. You will wish you had accepted Christ as your Saviour. I’m sure you have experienced some form of a guilty conscience and how it “ate” at you. This will be over and over for each sin for all eternity. Not only that, this will torment you because there is no way out at this point. There will be no escape… none!

Once you die, that’s it. There aren’t any second chances (Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 14:11, Revelation 20:14-15). If you’re wondering why a loving God would mete out such punishments, you must remember that sin cannot be allowed to enter Heaven for God is holy. Adam and Eve’s one sin of disobedience had them banished from the Garden of Eden; all the more will sin be kept out of Heaven. God has given every man a chance to hear the Gospel and to be saved. Once a person rejects that Gospel and dies without Christ, he is sentenced to eternal punishment in Hell. The world has gotten progressively more evil and, therefore, needs harsher punishments for their sin.

God does not hold one person better or over another (Romans 2:11). It won’t matter if you’ve done more good works than bad ones (Ephesians 2:8-9). He bases His judgment on whether you accept Christ as your Saviour … period (John 3:16-17, 2Corinthians 5:14-15, 1Timothy 2:6, 1Timothy 4:10, Titus 2:11, 2Peter 3:9). God doesn’t choose to send you to Hell. This is a choice you have to make (Romans 1:18, Romans 1:21, Romans 1:25).

You may say that it’s not fair for God to send you to Hell when you haven’t been “that bad.” What’s unfair is that Christ came to earth to take your punishment for your sin – each and every one of them; what’s unfair is that you reject that love. He loves you so much that He died for those sins and has left you with an opportunity to be saved (John 3:16-17, Romans 2:4, Romans 3:22-24, Romans 4:7-8, Romans 5:8-9). That is what’s not fair! Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, didn’t have to die for our sins. He did so because He loves us.

You cannot say that you haven’t read (or heard) because I have laid it out here plainly. The choice remains with you. You can believe in your heart that you are free to live your life in sin while you’re on earth and leave your eternal destiny “to chance.” But, friend, why take the chance? Would you drive a car knowing the brakes don’t work? It’s the same reasoning. I’ve told you that you can be saved from an eternity in Hell … will you choose to ignore it? What if there is just the tiniest grain of truth in the Scriptures given to you above? If you choose to continue in your sin, this life on earth will be the only Heaven you will ever know. Hell will be your destination and it won’t be the party you and your friends joked about.

Where will you be during this period, reader? Will you be safe in Heaven with our Groom or will you be on earth, serving Satan and his beast? Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Revelation at a Glance – Day 22

By Kate Plourde

On June 8, 2022

In Devotionals, Revelation at a Glance

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

Good morning, reader! I pray you are receiving a blessing as you read this series. It is not to scare the believer but to give you a glimpse of what will happen to those who remain on earth after the Rapture. It is intended to motivate the believer to share the Gospel before it is too late to do so. Once the Rapture occurs, our work here on earth is finished and the chance to lead someone to salvation through Christ is over. For the unbelieving reader, I pray that this series will shake you into reality and that your heart is unsettled when you read these posts. If it is, that’s the Holy Spirit of God pricking your heart and trying to get your attention (Revelation 3:20).

Today’s post covers the Third Trumpet judgment. This judgment is set to affect the world’s fresh water supply, which in turn affects the drinking water. One third of fresh water will become bitter due to what appears to be a falling star named Wormwood. Is this the actual name of it or is it referring to its effects? We can’t know for sure but one thing is for sure, fresh water will be affected.

This could be an asteroid or comet. The word is defined as bitterness as we see here in Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary:

WORMWOOD, n. [G.] A plant, the artemisia. It has a bitter nauseous taste; but it is stomachic and corroborant.

It is referenced in these verses: Deuteronomy 29:18, Proverbs 5:4, Jeremiah 9:15, Jeremiah 23:15, Lamentations 3:15, Lamentations 3:19, Amos 5:7 and here in Revelation 8:11. Each of these verses reflect the “bitter” definition. It is a bitter plant used literally for medicinal purposes and figuratively as God’s judgment upon the earth. Here’s an interesting fact: the word “Wormwood” in the Ukrainian language is “Chornobyl”! If you recall, this disaster in 1986 released 8 tons of radioactive material into our atmosphere and 8,000+ deaths and many illnesses occurred as a result. This is a small sample of what is about to occur. How do I know it will be worse? Because Jesus said: Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Can you imagine the outcome of one third of fresh water being lost? Think of the food we receive from fresh water. Drinking water is what keeps us alive. The average adult is comprised of about 50-65% water! We absolutely need fresh water to stay alive. I drink approximately 80-90 ounces of water daily. Now multiply that for each person alive. I can only imagine the extreme struggle for those who live in dry and barren lands who don’t have access to bottled water! According to National Geographic:

Freshwater is vital for life, supporting ecosystems and human civilizations. We use freshwater in many aspects of daily life including food production, power generation, manufacturing, and sanitation. However, it is becoming increasingly threatened. Although the Earth’s surface is two-thirds water, less than three percent is fresh.
National Geographic’s Teaching Resources

So stop for just one moment and think about this. If earth’s entire fresh water is less than 3% of all water, now imagine it with 1/3 less! That leaves us with 1% fresh water… globally! It stands to reason that many will die due to lack of it. This judgment won’t only just affect the water we consume. Fresh water is needed for agriculture; plants and trees need uncontaminated rain water; animals need drinking water just as humans. If the waters are contaminated, the evaporated contaminated water will turn to contaminated rain. Contaminated rain will kill plant life, etc. Planet earth cannot exist without fresh water to sustain life.

Do you really want to go through the Tribulation and suffer through these types of judgments? Never has human kind, nor the planet, experienced judgments of this magnitude! If I were not born again, I would want to be sure that I settled that matter before the Rapture calls Christians Home! Christian, it is your Christian duty to tell others in your circle what is about to befall upon them. Jesus said that the Gospel shall be preached to all the world before His Second Coming. (Matthew 24:14)

Where will you be during this period, reader? Will you be safe in Heaven with our Groom or will you be on earth, experiencing the worst time in history? Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!