Jesus is coming. . .soon! Are you ready?

1. Jesus is coming. . .soon! Are you ready?

2. The history of God’s church through time, beginning with the time of the Apostle John and ending with the church at the time of Jesus’ second coming in clouds of glory. This history spans two millennia, from A.D. 31 until the present day.

3. Protestant View • We learned that the Protestant view is the Historicist position • Ephesus – apostolic age • Smyrna – period of pagan persecution • Pergamos – from Constantine’s time to the great apostasy

4. Protestant View 4. Thyatira – period of papal persecution 5. Sardis – Protestant Reformation period 6. Philadelphia – the church of revival 7. Laodicea – church of the “last age” preceding the second coming of Christ

5. Pergamos Constantine signed into law the first national Sunday law in A.D. 321

6. Thyatira Church of the Dark Ages During this period of church history we find the full development of the counterfeit system that challenged Christ’s authority

7. Sardis Protestant Reformation The letter to Sardis pictures the inauguration, development, unfortunate corruption, and judgment of the Protestant Reformation

8. Philadelphia Missionary efforts expanded around the globe • 1793 – William Carey to India• 1797 – first missionaries to Tahiti and South Seas• 1804 – first Bible society was formed in England• 1807 – Robert Morrison went to China• 1816 – first Bible society in America• 1817 – Robert Moffat went to Africa• 1840 – David Livingstone to Africa Bible translation into many languages was an essential part of the work during this time of world-wide evangelism

9. Philadelphia The work of the 1830s to 1840s in America under the preaching William Miller led to the searching of the prophecies and a desire be ready when Jesus returned

10. Philadelphia Lisbon Earthquake Nov. 1, 1755

11. Philadelphia The dark day was followed by a night illuminated with a full moon that had the color of pure blood

12. Review of the Seals • White horse—early church; correlates with Ephesus church (A.D. 34 – 100) • Red horse—church under persecution; Smyrna (A.D. 100 – 313) • Black horse—church of the apostasy; Pergamos (A.D. 313 – 538) • Pale horse—church of the Dark Ages; Thyatira (A.D. 538 – 1300s)

13. Review of the Seals • Fifth seal—church of the Reformation; correlates with Sardis (1350 – 1798) • Sixth seal—church of the “time of the end”; Philadelphia (1798 – 1844) • Seventh seal—cleansing of the sanctuary; Laodicea (1844 – second coming)

14. In 6:17 the question was asked— “Who shall be able to stand?” when God’s day of wrath is come upon the earth

15. “Who shall beable to stand?” Chapter 7 gives the answer

16. Who ARE the “144,000” who are sealed??

17. “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”Rev. 7:14

18. Review of the OT Trumpets Trumpets in the Bible — • Symbolize war • Announce judgment against enemies • Call God’s people to prepare spiritually for His final day of reckoning

19. Review of the Falling Away Pergamos Church (A.D. 313-538) • Compromise with paganism • Great “falling away” 2 Thess. 2:1-12 • Gnostic philosophy exalted • Traditions replace the Bible

20. Review of the Falling Away Thyatira Church(A.D. 538-1789) • Papacy established • Doctrines were developed contrary to Bible truth • Persecution of God’s people by the church

21. John’s Vision of the Trumpets The vision of the trumpetsREPEATSthe time frame of the history of the seven churches and the seven seals, but here the prophecy tells ofpolitical historysurrounding the Church; of wars,andpending judgmentsagainst the Church.

22. Overview of the Trumpets • First trumpet — Alaric and the Goths (395 to 410 A.D.) • Second trumpet — Genseric and the Vandals (440 – 455 A.D.) • Third trumpet — Attila and the Huns (434 – 452 A.D.) • Fourth trumpet — Odoacer and fall of the Western Roman empire (476 A.D.)

23. Overview of the Trumpets • Darkness in the religious and political worlds (A.D. 538 - 1798) • Fifth trumpet — rise of Islam (first woe; A.D. 622 to 732) • Sixth trumpet — spread and collapse of Islam (second woe, 1299 to 1840)

24. Prophecy of Daniel 2 “And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so shall the kingdom be partly strong, and partly broken.” Daniel 2:42.

25. Prophecy is Accurate Prophecy of Daniel’s ten horns was that three would be replaced by a “little horn” which came up among the ten. History proves this prophecy true. Papal Rome rose to power while destroying three tribes which opposed its purpose. Those three tribes “plucked up” were the Vandals, the Heruli, and the Ostrogoths.

26. Review of Revelation Prophecy

27. Fifth Trumpet = First Woe Swarming of the Muslims from the depths of the “bottomless pit” of the Arabian Desert

28. Fifth Trumpet Sounds “ . . . 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. 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.”Revelation 9:1-4

29. We find a striking fulfillment of the prophecy of Revelation 9:4 in the command of ABU BEKR,who was Mohammed’s uncle

30. “When you fight your battles of the Lord, acquit yourselves like men, without turning your backs; let not your victory be stained with the blood of women or children. Destroy no palm trees, nor burn any fields of corn. Cut down no fruit trees, nor do any mischief to cattle, only such as you kill to eat.” Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

31. “As you advance into the enemy’s country, you will find a sort of men who belong to the synagogue of Satan, and who have shaven crowns. Cleave their skulls. Give them no quarter till they embrace our faith or pay tribute.” Israel Smith Clare, The Standard History of the World , vol. 4, p. 1814

32. Fifth Trumpet Sounds “ . . . 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. 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.”Revelation 9:1-4

33. Sixth Trumpet = Second Woe Swarming of the sixth trumpet to “slay” the remaining 1/3 of the old Roman empire, now called the Byzantine empire

34. “Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 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.” Revelation 9:14 and 15

35. Sixth Trumpet Sounds Hour = 15 days Day = 1 year Month = 30 years Year = 360 years 391 years and 15 days

36. The “five months” or 150 years of torment began July 27, 1299 and ended July 27, 1449. Adding 391 years and 15 days to July 27, 1449 we arrive at August 11, 1840.

37. This particular prophecy in Revelation 9:13-21 had a profound impact on the religious world of the 19th century. It firmly established the truth of the prophetic chronology of the Bible.

38. Trumpets in the Old Testament • Announce the coming of the Day of Atonement • Declare the Day of Jubilee and freedom • Call to remember the Commandments of God • Declare war • Declare the day of final judgment of the world • Proclaim the new king’s coronation

39. Summary of Trumpets • Announce the coming of the Day of Atonement • Declare the Day of Jubilee and freedom • Call to remember the Commandments of God • Declare war • Declare the day of final judgment of the world • Proclaim the new king’s coronation

40. Trumpets in the Old Testament Primary use of trumpets in the Old Testament was to warn of coming judgment against apostasy on the typical Day of Atonement Judgment is coming!

42. Last Day of Earth’s History For the righteous it is a day of deliverance For the wicked it is a day of destruction