Revelation’s Only Great and Wonderful Sign! Events #8 thru #10

Published Senior Experience, First Baptist Church, Norfolk, Va. Nov/Dec., 05

Published to Lastday, 11/26/05. Email #583

This Sign is important as it holds a distinction of being the only Great and Wonderful Sign, at verse #250, of Revelation’s 404 verses. Why is it so important? When does it occur? What are its implications as all the Martyrs suddenly appear in God’s Presence?

The Sign reveals 7 Angels with 7 Last Plagues had exhausted the patience of God with wicked men whose intent is the total destruction of Israel and all who support God’s people. John uses an Aorist Indicative to reveal God’s anger *was* completed in the 7 Last Plagues: In them “God’s anger was finished"; (not God’s wrath was finished). The outcome points to imminent destruction of the wicked by His undiluted anger mixed in the “Cup of Wrath”. With the last Martyr killed, vengeance is pending. Rev.6:11; Rev.14:10.

The purpose of the Sign is to show the critical turning point from God’s patient anger to His punitive wrath toward the wicked. Plagues reveal His impatience; but the vision of all the Martyrs in God’s presence, with Him seated on a Throne ablaze with fire and with them standing on a glassy river/sea mixed with fire, portends the turning point in history and prophecy has arrived.

The Day of the Lord comes “suddenly, like a thief, on all of the inhabitants on all the face of all the earth. Who can escape”?  I Thess.5:1-3; Luke 21:35.

The Day of God’s wrath has come. The Hour of Judgment has come. The Hour to Reap has come. The G & W Sign appears as warnings of imminent doom flash across the sky. The wicked will perish as soon as the Court sits in judgment during heaven’s Three-Act Open Temple Drama. The G & W Sign occurs just before the Temple opens for events of the Middle Concentric Path. The Hour of Trial on earth will follow when Christ appears.

Announcing that God’s wrath “has come” awaits the third Act of the Temple Drama. The Creator’s patience has reached a critical stage of explosive action with the wicked armies literally gathered to Armageddon and symbolically reaped to the “Winepress of God’s Great Anger.” Rev.14:19.

Satan’s sons, the tares, have been harvested, “reaped and bound for the burning at the End of the Age” (Event #7). Jesus refers to this binding in Matt.13:30 before the wheat can be harvested, i.e., “the wheat is gathered by the Son of Man from earth to heaven and then by the angels sent at His Presence to complete the gathering of the Saints from all four extremities of the heavens”. This occurs on “one of the (3½) days immediately after the great tribulation”. Mark 13:24-27; Matt.24:29-31; 2 Thess.2:1.

The Great and Wonderful Sign indicates “the Great Day of God’s and the Lamb’s Wrath; the Great Day of God Almighty has come”. We will see that, with all the Martyrs coming out from under the Altar for Events 8-15, the time for the 7^th Trumpet Angel to announce God’s Wrath upon the wicked “has come”. Plagues complete God’s anger and anticipate His wrath after the Court sits in Seal Seven and Dan.7:22. This is the critical stage reached by the Martyrs at the G & W Sign. Rev.15:1-4. What happens at this Sign belongs to “one of the days after the Great Tribulation ends, to one of the (3½) days in which the Two Witnesses rise up and the 7^th Trumpet is about to sound”. Matt.24:29; Mark 13:24; Rev.10:6-7; Rev.11:7-12.

God’s wrath is about to be announced as having come” (7^th Trumpet). The Great Day of His Wrath “has come” in which “men cannot escape” unless they “beg to escape and prevail when they see these things beginning to happen and continuing to happen” even when the Son of Man appears. The Jews will mourn and beg unceasingly as they would for a long-lost son. Rev.6:17; I Thess 5:3; Zech.12:10; Luke 21:28,31,36; Matt.24:30; Rev.1:7.

The Last Day is unknown. The half-day allows the sun to shine until noon when it turns dark. Amos 8:9. In the same hour the Two Witnesses arise a great quake kills 7000 VIP’s in Jerusalem. The Two rise up in event #11. Rev.11:11-12. Upon being resurrected, they join the Martyrs in praise and at the Court of Seal 7. Rev.7:9 to Rev.8:5. During the G & W Sign, events 8-9, they stand on a glassy sea mixed with fire to sing the song of Moses; and 144,000 Jews sing the song of the Lamb. They present the Son of Man to the Ancient of Days as worthy to take the Kingdom and give it to the Saints. Dan.7:13-27; Rev.15:2-4.

Until the great quake in Jerusalem kills 7000 and the Two Prophets rise up and the sun turns dark at Noon on the Lastday, mankind will celebrate for 2 or 3 days by sending gifts to one another with their tormentors left dead on a street in Jerusalem! Rev.11:10.

The triumphant armies of 200 million, having killed two billion people in the 6^th Trumpet, gather across the plains of Armageddon to rid the world of Jews. God already has decreed the End “has come”. Rev.16:17. Hiding in the hills, men cry out in despair at the signs and great quake. Knowing there is no escape, they concede the “Great Day of God’s and the Lamb’s Wrath has come”. This is the context of Rev.16:12-17 for the great Day of God's wrath and of Rev.6:12-17 for the great Day of God Almighty.

The Signs of the Day of the Lord continue for six hours…until light returns at twilight. Amos 8:9; Zech.14:7. Warnings by 3 angels flash across the darkened sky and the Son of Man reaps the grain harvest and grapes of wrath. Rev.14:14-19. Reaping in great anger, He anticipates the treading of the winepress and the cup of anger and wrath” in Events 20-21.

Then at Seal Seven the Angel of Fire renders the Court’s Verdict (Rev.8:5) and the 7^th Angel trumpets: “God’s Wrath has come; the time to judge the dead (requiring the resurrection) and to reward the prophets and saints (requiring the rapture) and to destroy the destroyers of earth”…the time Christ "comes as a thief and treads the wicked at Armageddon". Rev.16:15; Rev.11:18. Only the rejoicing in heaven separates the 7th Trumpet and the Hour of Trial coming upon all mankind

The Hour “has come” to destroy Babylon the Great and to annihilate the wicked destined to banishment from God and from the Lamb’s presence forever. Rev.14:7-11. Rejoicing in heaven will follow the 7^th Trumpet Angel’s proclamation that God’s wrath “has come”. Just before He descends from heaven, in Events 17-18, Saints in heaven will rejoice and exult because the 7^th thing on that day “has come…the Lamb’s wedding”. Rev.19:1-7.

The Hour of Judgment and Wrath “has come”. Plagues had demonstrated God’s deeds are holy and true and that wicked men refuse to repent. Rev.15:4; Rev.16:5; Rev.9:20-21; Rev.16:9-11.

On the last countdown day of “Chronos Time” (day #1260), about 3½ days prior to the last day, the Beast had killed the Two Prophets. Now, under Plagues #6 and #7, the apex of mankind’s rebellion against God (Rev.16:12-16), it is time for the Drama to indict and convict the wicked and impose God’s wrath…the only “Kairos (appointed) Time” in Revelation!

The G & W Sign anticipates the “appointed Kairos time” for the Temple Drama that fills the Middle Concentric Path. The songs of the Martyrs and 144,000 Jews have climaxed Outer Path events. The Two Prophets have joined the Martyrs for 2 or 3 days beneath the Altar. That ends as the Martyrs stand before God on the river/sea of fire. Dan.7: 9-10; Rev.15:2-4.

These great quakes signal the end of God’s patience; just as the G & W Sign signals the appointed time for the Temple Drama and God’s wrath has come! Martyrs and 144,000 Jews make their presentation in Event #9. The Temple opens at Event #10. Then the Two Prophets arise to launch five Middle Path Events. It’s time to bring all the witnesses from the “river of fire” into the Presence of God and the Lamb for the great arraignment!

The 144,000 Jews are Firstfruit of the living harvest of Believers as well as the Firstfruit of a Jewish remnant of at least five million Jews. A third of all of Israel will survive the final Holocaust. Zech.13:8-9. These millions will remain in mortal bodies during the Millennial Kingdom to fulfill the New Covenant that “all mankind will know the Lord”. Heb.8:8-13.

How do we know, for certain, that the action moves, retroactively, from Rev.15:5 to Rev.7:9? First, because the Chronos (countdown) time of 1260 days ends with the death of the Two Prophets. That is when the "mystery of God was finished" in the (3½) days before the 7^th Trumpet sounds”. During these few days the Martyrs remain under the altar until the last one is killed who must be killed. Rev.10:6-7; Rev.11:6-7; Rev.6:9-11. Then they stand before God. Rev.15:2-4.

Second. The key phrase: “After these things I looked and behold…” introduces the open “Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony”…the Three-Act Drama which begins at Rev.15:5 and Rev.7:9 where the same phrase occurs. Only then do all the Martyrs praise God and the Lamb for the first time in history or prophecy. Third, “no one may enter the Temple until the last plague empties in the air and the smoke of God’s glory and power clears the Temple.” Rev.15:8. The Plagues must first “manifest God’s righteous deeds”.

Four, God’s patience ends with the last Plague being suspended in the air until the Court sits in judgment after all the earth is reaped and the Son of Man has been presented to the Ancient of Days. Before God’s anger fills the Cup of Wrath, the Son of Man must receive His Father’s blessing and approval to be crowned King of kings, to take the kingdom and give it to the Saints. That is, after also raising up all Believers and coming with them to destroy the wicked and to rule all nations with an iron rod. Dan.7:18-27; Rev.11:15-18; Rev.2:27; Rev.19:15. All this was “about to occur” since His first ascension. Rev.12:5.

Five, the song of Moses by countless Martyrs stresses the need for God’s vengeance. It is the song of victory over the Beast, over his image, over his mark and over the number of his name. The song of the Lamb by 144,000 Jews redeemed from earth reveals they are the Firstfruit of His Bride. They are also the Firstfruits unto God as the restored nation of Israel being redeemed by God. They all have just sung their songs with harps, standing on the river/sea of fire.

Six, the action is retroactive from Rev.15:5 to Rev.7:9 because Jehovah’s wife will be restored to her destined place at the head of nations. “All nations will come to worship God.” Rev.15:4. The remnant of five million Jews, nucleus of countless numbers who inherit the eternal Kingdom of sheep nations on earth, will be “kept alive”. They will be God’s channel of blessing to all nations including the descendants of Ishmael who know not Israel’s God; but are blessed as He “shows mercy to all”. Luke 17:32-34; Rom.11:32-34; Matt.25:32-34. God has an eternal plan for the nations that inherit the earth.

Seven, the G & W Sign ends 10 Outer Path Events and launches 5 Middle Path Events of the open Temple Drama. The Drama will conclude with a 2^nd and 3^rd burst of the Storm Theophany in which great voices initiate flashes of lightning and peals of thunder and a quake that quickly segues into global quakes…without delay as the 7^th Trumpet decrees: “God’s wrath has come”.

The wicked must be tried in heaven, at Seal 7, before mankind faces the Hour of Trial on earth in the presence of Christ and all the Saints! Luke 21:35.

Events 8-10 complete 40 verses in the Outer Concentric Path. The G & W Sign includes the songs of the Martyrs and the 144,000 Jews as they “present” the Son of Man to the Ancient of Days in anticipation of God sitting in judgment on the wicked. Now the “Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony” opens in heaven! Rev.15.5.This climactic verse transitions to the Middle Concentric Path of 5 events in 22 verses starting with Rev.7:9.

Next we will show that what Daniel saw in Dan.7:9-13 is followed by what John sees in Rev.7:9-13 when the elder asks rhetorically: “Who are these arrayed in white robes? From whence have they come”? The scene had just changed FROM one of countless singers standing before God on a crystal river/sea, mixed with fire, TO the Middle Path Temple’s Three-Act Drama wherein the great multitude stands before God and the Lamb in praise just before the Court sits in Seal Seven (Dan.7:22) to judge the wicked. The fruit of the vine has already been cast into the winepress of God's great anger.

In this retroactive transition from Rev.15:5 to Rev.7:9, provoked by the phrase that occurs twice on that day, “After these things, I looked and behold”, John sees all the Martyrs and the 144,000 Jews and the Two Witnesses suddenly standing before God AND the Lamb. The eschatological section of Revelation begins at Rev.6:1, but only at Seal 6 reveals the Lastday “has come”. The Hour of Judgment, Hour to Reap and Day and Hour of Wrath “have come”. Plague #7 remains suspended during the 15 events of the Outer Path and Temple Drama of Testimony, Tribunal and the 7^th Trumpet’s Triumph!

It is logical that the “presentation” of the Son of Man to God in Rev.15 should precede the Temple Drama of Rev.7:9 to Rev.8:5 and Rev.11:11-18. Why? “The smoke of God’s glory and power fill the Temple until the Plagues exhaust His patience”. And the wicked, having been incarcerated at the Hour to Reap, have yet to face the evidence from six trumpets in which they have killed two billion people and refuse to repent of their evil deeds. The Two Witnesses do not rise up from death and ascend to heaven until the last martyr has been killed. Their personal witness will be vital at the Trial of Seal Seven.

As a result of the Trial in the 7^th Seal, the 7^th Angel will blow his trumpet applauding the worthiness of Christ to be crowned King of kings and to take the kingdoms of earth. The 7^th Trump and Dan.7:14 declare Christ will take these kingdoms when “God’s wrath has come and the time for the saints to possess the kingdom”. It cannot proclaim these things until the Verdict of Seal 7’s Court. Only at the 7^th Trump, the Last Trump, has “the time come to judge the dead (requires the Resurrection) and reward the prophets and saints, small and great (requires the Rapture) and to destroy earth’s destroyers (requires judgment of the wicked after being gathered to Armageddon for the “treading of the winepress of God’s anger and wrath”). Rev.14:20; Rev.19:15.

Remember, these studies deal only with events that occur during the 12-Hour-Day Christ returns. Events of the Outer Concentric Path occur on earth except for the signs in heaven and the two songs sung before God prior to the opening of the Temple. The Middle Path events take place in the Temple of heaven with the Martyrs and the 144,000 Jews and Two Witnesses in attendance for its Three-Act Drama. The Inner Concentric Path’s seven events involve transition FROM the proclamations of the 7^th Trumpet and final rejoicing in heaven over Babylon’s fall TO Christ’s descent to gather all the Saints to Himself, to destroy His enemies and to begin His 1000-Year-Rule over all nations.

SUMMARY OF OUTER CONCENTRIC PATH’S TEN EVENTS

1. Armies gathered to Armageddon. Last Plague suspends. Decree from Throne - Rev.16:16-17

2. Seal 6’s Great Quake. Signs in Heaven. Day of God’s Wrath has come - Rev.6:12-17

3. Firstfruits’ additional seal of the Lamb's name - 144,000 Jews of 12 Tribes - Rev.7:1-8

4. Firstfruit rescued. Taken to Heaven to present Son of Man - Rev.14:1-5; Dan.7:13

5. Final Warnings of impending doom by 3 angels across the sky - Rev.14:6-11

6. Patience of Saints. Last Martyr; Rewards to follow immediately - Rev.14:12-13

7. “Earth reaped in great anger”; Grain Harvest and Fruit Harvest - Rev.14:14-19

8. “Great and Wonderful Sign”; God’s Patience exhausted - Dan.7:9-14

9. Songs of Martyrs and Firstfruit before God standing on crystal river of Fire - Rev.15:2-4

10. Heaven’s Temple of Testimony Opens for five Events - Rev.15:5.