Now let’s come to Revelation 2 and 3. We’ve already covered that yesterday. So now we want to pick up on it and go beyond and show what happens. Because in the harvest there are fifty days. The harvest of the church is represented by the seven churches. And the harvest of the church represents the seven weeks of the harvest. But remember, it was to the morrow after the seventh Sabbath. So there is one more day of harvest. This is the sole harvest of God. And He is going to do it at a particular and a set time. And that in itself is going to be quite spectacular. This is not going to have anything to do with the church, except that maybe the churches help spread the seed a little bit. But by the time it comes down to the fiftieth day harvest that God is going to do, and those whom He is going to convert at that time, it’s going to be an entirely different situation than what we’re facing today. Because He is going to save them from the destruction of the world. So it will seem to them.

Now when we come to Revelation 5, this is where we see that it begins because Christ is the one Who is worthy to open the seven seals. Now let’s understand this: there is coming a time when this event is going to start taking place, when these things are going to happen. Now let’s come and instead of chapter 5, let’s come to chapter 6, because then what we’re going to do is lead up to the events of the resurrection. And let’s understand something, that chapter 6 and 7 end the meaning of Pentecost in prophecy. Chapter 8, 9, and 10 show the trumpet plagues. Chapter 11 then shows when the first resurrection - including those of the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude - will all be resurrected at the last trump, which then will be the last Pentecost. So let’s put this all together. Because what we are going to do now is come back to Revelation 6 and we’re going to lead up to the next to the last Pentecost. Let’s see the events that will take place.

Let’s begin right here in Revelation 6:1. “And I looked when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures say, like the sound of thunder, ‘Come and see.’ And I looked, and behold, there was a white horse; and the one who was sitting on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him; and he went out conquering, and to conquer.” This is the false Christ. This is the false messiah. And what we are going to see beginning with “The Passion” by Mel Gibson, we’re going to see a flood of movies which Satan is going to put out there, which is going to help give the mindset of millions and millions and millions of people to accept the false Christ, to accept the antichrist. And that’s what this is preparing the way for. Now the false Christ is going to come and be spectacular. And when that occurs, all those who have the Spirit of God will understand it.

Now right after that, shortly after that - now, could it be that the false messiah is going to be here? Because we see in Revelation 13 that he is going to be here for quite awhile, and then the last three and half years is when the tribulation begins. So could it be that in the seven year period we have the false Christ, and he’s going out and doing all of these things, bringing everybody into the one world government, bringing everybody in with the false prophet to the one world religion? And then all of those who are not a part of that, as Revelation 13 shows, those who have the name of God written in their hearts and their minds and their foreheads, they then are going to be killed by the beast; with the exception of the few that go to a place of safety to fulfill the Word of God, that the gates of the grave would never prevail against the church. Now I need to give some sermons on the deception of the rapture. And millions of people believe those things. Here’s a good thing to understand: not only do we know if it’s not according to the Word of God, it’s not from God. But when the majority of the people in the world do it, then it is not from God. It’s just that simple. Let’s go on.

“And when He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, ‘Come and see.’ And another horse went out that was red; and power was given to the one sitting on it to take peace from the earth, and to cause them to kill one another; and a great sword was given to him.” Now this is when the tribulation breaks out with all fury. Now I’m not going to bring in all the scriptures, but this is talked about in Daniel 11, Daniel 12, Revelation 13, and so forth. And this is when world war breaks out. Now it’s not going to be everywhere in the world all at once. It will be in different places and different locations. And as we will see here a little later on in just a few verses, all of this encompasses one-fourth of the part of the earth. So three-fourths of the earth have not been affected in the same way yet. But it will be affected later. Now let’s look at the third living creature. The seal is opened. Now notice, Christ is the one Who is doing the opening of all of these seals. Everything in prophecy is in control by God. Nothing is going to take place except He makes it happen. And so all these things that are taking place today are building up, building up, building up, building up so that it will eventually come to this point.

So then right after war, what do you have? You have famine, you have rationing, and that’s what we find in verse 5 and verse 6. Then in verse 7-8, “And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘Come and see.’ And I looked, and behold, there was a pale horse; and the name of the one sitting on it was Death, and the grave followed him; and authority was given to them over one fourth of the earth,...” Not the whole earth yet. That will all take place a little later. Just one fourth of the earth, “...to kill with the sword and with famine and with death, and by the beasts of the earth.” Now then, when that happens they’re going to be looking for scapegoats. And the scapegoats are going to be all of those whose names are written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. And they’re going to come and here will be a great and awesome martyrdom.

Now people say, “I wonder why God would have saints killed?” Just realize this - God even had Himself killed by His own creation. So those that He has called will have to die for Him. And besides, as far as the flesh is concerned, and sin is concerned, we are already dead through baptism. We’re alive through Christ. So when this martyrdom of the saints comes, which is the fifth seal, verse 9, “And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony that they held;...” That’s why it’s so important, brethren, that now that we have things where we can study, we can grow, we can overcome, we can do the things that we can do while there is still enough time, and peace, we need to be about it in a very zealous and profound way. Because the time is coming when it won’t be able to be done. The time will come when the preaching won’t be able to get out. And that’s why God has to intervene and do what He is going to do. And that’s why He has the harvest of the fiftieth day which is His and His alone.

So, “...they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ And white robes were given to each of them; and they were told that they should rest a short time yet, until it be fulfilled that both their fellow servants and their brethren also would be killed, just as they had been.” And so then there is going to come a time when, with the exception of those few who are in the place of safety - and as I have said many times, if you know where the place is and don’t get there, your knowledge isn’t going to do any good; and if you don’t know where it is and you get there, you will know when you arrive. So let’s not worry about the place of safety. God is going to choose them and take them Himself, and undoubtedly by the hand of an angel, just as it happened with Lot and his family when God bought them out of Sodom. And at that time there will be no brethren left except those who are in the place of safety. All will have been martyred. That ends the church harvest. The martyrdom of the saints here ends the church harvest.

Now then, since God’s interest is that He increase His family, He is not going to stop there. He is going to show His own harvest, as beginning right here in Revelation 6:12. And when we come down in a prophetic setting we are down just before what would be called the next to last Pentecost. “And when He opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as the hair of sackcloth, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its untimely figs...” Now you compare that what went on there at Mount Sinai when God gave the Ten Commandments, and now here we have God intervening and showing that He is going to declare and save the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude. And He is making it absolutely irrefutable that He is the one Who was doing this. “Then the heaven departed like a scroll that is being rolled up,...” Imagine the spectacular thing that will take place.

By the way, I need to mention that there is a defense plan that is being circulated among the major nations of the world to fight an invasion from outer space. And so when they see this take place, and the heavens roll back as a scroll, guess what they’re going to say? “The aliens are coming.” And that will be a true statement. Because God is alien to them. And when the saints are resurrected and they are coming with Him, we’re going to be all counted as aliens. So Satan is getting things set up. We’re getting close at hand. Now notice, “...and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the powerful men, and every bondman, and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains;...” Because when God fulfills the prophecy like He said that He is going to rise and shake the heavens and shake the earth and shake the sea, and all things that are therein. And as we go through the rest of the book of Revelation, as we come down through the holy days, there are going to be many great earthquakes. But this is really a tremendous one - God announcing His direct personal intervention in the world.

“And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him Who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb because the day of His wrath has come, and who has the power to stand?’” (Rev. 6:1-4, 7-17, FV). Now as soon as that is done, God is going to perform a great act of grace and mercy. And the world isn’t going to know what’s taking place. Because after all of this upheaval of the earth and the sign of the Son of man in heaven - because that’s what it is. Here, hold your place and let’s come to Matthew 24. When the heavens roll back as a scroll, there’s going to be the sign of the Son of man in heaven. And it’s going to be like the light of day, like a new star suddenly bursting on the scene, and will start coming closer and closer to the earth. Now Van Ambrose with the help of a mathematician wanted to figure out how far out that this sign of the Son of man would have to be for all the earth to see it. I don’t have all the figures with me, but it was really quite a wonderful paper that he did. And then He showed how it would be as it comes down closer and closer and closer to Jerusalem. So that was quite a tremendous study. I’ll see if I can give a sermon on that one of these days here.

Now let’s come to Matthew 24:29-30 (FV). “But immediately after the tribulation of those days,…” Now we’re talking about the sixth seal here, so the tribulation which kills all the saints who have the Spirit of God, that ends the tribulation against the church; and as we will see, against Israel. But it doesn’t end-the end time events. Because it’s going to go on with greater than the tribulation through Revelation 8, 9, and 10, and then finally the return of Christ as we see there in Revelation 19. “...The sun shall be darkened [just like it said back there in Revelation 6], and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Now we’ll come back to verse 31 here in a minute, because it talks about the resurrection. Because between verse 30 and verse 31 we have quite a few other events that take place.

Now let’s come back to Revelation 7, and let’s see what that great event is going to be. So with all this upheaval, the sign of the Son of man appearing, then there will be a great calm for a little bit. Revelation 7:1, and we will get into the 144,000. “And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that the wind might not blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God;...” Now the “seal of the living God” means that they are going to be sealed with the Holy Spirit. Today we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God. We find that in Ephesians 1:13. We are sealed with the Spirit of God. So when we talk about the 144,000 and great innumerable multitude, please understand that doesn’t include any of us because we have already been sealed. However at this time, according to the prophecies that we see in the Old Testament, Israel and Judah, all the twelve tribes are going to be in captivity. And so there aren’t any ministers around to baptize them. So God is going to do a supernatural and profound thing in His day of harvest. And this is His fiftieth day right here.

“...And he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to damage the earth and the sea, saying, ‘Do not damage the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.’ And I heard the number of those who were sealed: one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel.” And that’s who this 144,000 is. Now we know from the book of Hosea that they are in captivity. And we also know that this event - the saving of the 144,000 - begins when the prophecy is fulfilled in Hosea 5, that in the third day, that is, the third year, He will raise up the children of Israel and they shall live. This is it right here, of all of the tribes of Israel. Now since it is to the Jew - or Israel - first, then it is also to the Gentile. Because with all of these events that are transpiring, there are going to be a lot of people knowing that this is the hand of God. There will be people falling on their knees and crying out to God in mercy and forgiveness and asking God to spare them. So God will look down and He will spare them.

Verse 9, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one was able to number, out of every nation and tribe and people and language, was standing before the throne and before the Lamb,...” This shows that they’re going to be in the resurrection. So here is the great innumerable multitude. Now it tells us very clearly here who they are. Verse 14, “Then I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ [when he said ‘Who are these?’] And he said to me, ‘They are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation; and they have washed their robes, and they have made their robes of white in the blood of the Lamb.’” So here, go back and see what we covered in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost, how the blood of Christ, then, covered the sins of even those who slayed Him. Even those who cried out, “Crucify Him!”

Now here we have those coming out. And this is on the day of Pentecost, then, which will be fulfilled for one year. Because the resurrection does not take place for another year, because there are many other events that have to take place. Now we will cover those as we get down toward the time of the Feast of Trumpets. “For this reason, they are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple; and the one Who sits on the throne shall dwell among them” (Rev. 7:1-4, 9, 14-15, FV). The same promise. Now you tie this in together with Revelation 21 and you see the parallels there when salvation is granted to those people.

Now then, let’s understand something about this fiftieth day harvest. This is the fiftieth day harvest of God, which is done unilaterally by God the Father, and Jesus Christ and the angels, and is not done by the church, and includes no one yet in the church. These are all people to be saved during the great tribulation. So now if you are one of the 144,000 and the great innumerable multitude, that is when you will be harvested. God is going to make the decision. Now then there many, many other things that are going to take place in that. But let’s go on and see some more things concerning the resurrection. So all of these things will come down. Let’s come to Revelation 11 and let’s see something here. Let’s see when the resurrection actually takes place. Because you have all the trumpet plagues coming down leading from that time, leading up to the literal return of Christ to the earth. But first we have on the next to the last Pentecost the sign of the Son of man in heaven. Now it appears for a whole year, and keeps coming closer, and closer, and closer, and closer, and closer, and closer to the earth.

Now then, let’s come to Revelation 11. And we have to bring you up to speed as to what’s happening. All during this time in Jerusalem you have the two witnesses, and you have the beast and the false prophet. And the two witnesses begin their ministry in such a way that it ends at the resurrection. So the only way to know, if you put it out on a calendar, which we have done, to know when the two witnesses begin their ministry is to know when it ends. And since the resurrection is on Pentecost, and they are the first ones to be raised, then that’s when their ministry ends, and you go back 1,260 days. Now then, let’s see what it says here about the two witnesses and what they are able to do. It falls right in with what God has said. And if you need to have some information on the two witnesses, we have “The Two Witnesses And Elijah In Prophecy.” So they prophesy 1,260 days; which, by the way, is different than forty and two months. And that’s the key to understanding, where people put the forty and two months and the 1,260 days as equal, that’s where they get off in understanding prophecy. And that’s where they get off in understanding when the resurrection is.

Now verse 4, “These are the two olive trees, and the two lampstands that stand before the God of the earth. And if anyone attempts to harm them, fire will go out of their mouths and devour their enemies. For if anyone attempts to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. These have authority to shut heaven so that no rain may fall in the days of their prophecy; and they have authority over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to smite the earth with every plague, as often as they will.” Now the trumpet plagues accomplish a lot of these things too. And then the two witnesses have this ability. That’s why it is such a thing that nobody better appoint themselves as one of the two witnesses. Or as one man did, the two witnesses. Now you figure that out. Anyway, they are so close to God that they have this authority and they use it in this way.

Now God is going to let the enemy be trapped. Just like God let Pharaoh go into the Red Sea, because he thought, “Now all is safe, and now I can go get them.” So likewise, God is going to let the two witnesses be killed, and everyone is going to say, “Hurray, it’s over with! Now we need to start fighting this enemy that’s coming that we see out here in outer space. We better do something about this.” Verse 7, “And when they have completed their testimony, the beast who ascends out of the abyss will make war against them, and will overcome them, and will kill them. And their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, were also our Lord was crucified. Then those of the peoples and tribes and languages and nations shall see their bodies three and a half days, for they will not allow their bodies to be put into tombs.” Very interesting, isn’t it? Could it be that by that time everyone is going to have a portable phone that is able to have portable TV, either on their wrist or in the hand, and everyone will be able to see, and everyone is going to be so happy, they’re going to have a three day party like there was never any party before. That’s what it says here.

It says, “And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, and will make merry, and will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets had tormented those who dwell on the earth. Then after three and a half days,...” Just when the enemy is rejoicing and thinking, “Man, we’ve got it made!” God intervenes with the final coup. Here it is. “...The spirit of life from God entered into them and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a great voice from heaven, say, ‘Come up here!’ And they ascended into heaven in a cloud; and their enemies saw them rise.” Now what a thing that is going to be. Now here is a literal fulfillment of “the last shall be first.” The two last who were killed, the two witnesses, will be the first who are resurrected. Because if they are ascending up into heaven, if that’s not a resurrection, I don’t know what it is. Do you? They were dead, weren’t they? They came alive and they ascend up into heaven.

“And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; and seven thousand men were killed in the earthquake. And the rest were filled with fear, and gave glory to the God of heaven. The second woe is passed. Behold, the third woe is coming immediately. Then...” So right after they are raised, while they’re ascending into heaven, that ends the second woe. The third woe is coming quickly. And right while that is taking place the seventh angel sounded his trumpet. This is the seventh trump. This is the last trump. This is when the resurrection takes place. Now we will see that in just a bit here. “...And there were great voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ, and He shall reign into the ages of eternity. And the twenty-four elders, who sit before God on their thrones, fell on their faces and worship God, saying, ‘We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come; for You have taken to Yourself Your great power, and have reigned. For the nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and to give reward to Your servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to all those who fear Your name, the small and the great; and to destroy those who destroy the earth’” (Rev. 11:4-18, FV). Now that tells us an awful lot what’s going to happen right after the resurrection occurs.

Now then, let’s come back to Matthew 24, and let’s see how this parallels with what we read earlier after the sign of the Son of man in heaven. It has to be coming closer and closer to the earth all during this time, because as we are going to see, when the saints are raised, they have to go somewhere. And we’re going to see that is going to be a sea of glass. Now then, Matthew 24:31 (FV). So when the seventh trumpet sounds, the dead are going to be raised. That’s what we read earlier in 1 Corinthians 15. The trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised. Now let’s see how God is going to accomplish this. “And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet; and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” In other words, the angels are coming down and they are going to be gathering the people that God is resurrecting. They’re going to then take them.

Now where are they going to take them? We will see. Hold on. Let’s come to 1 Thessalonians 4, and let’s see how the apostle Paul explained it and the resurrection here to the Thessalonians. And then we will put this together with some other scriptures in the book of Revelation and see exactly how this is going to take place. Now let’s pick it up here in verse 13. “But I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that you be not grieved, even as others, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, in exactly the same way also, those who have fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.” So they are going to be brought with Him, and they are resurrected from the earth. Before they’re resurrected, they are not with Him. So when they’re resurrected they then become with Him, and then they’re going to come back to the earth.

Now let’s see. “For this we say to you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall in no wise precede those who have fallen asleep...” The dead in Christ shall rise first. And that’s what we read. Then we which are alive, as it says here, will be caught up with Him. “Because the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds for the meeting with the Lord in the air; and so shall we always be with the Lord” (1 Thes. 4:13-17, FV). Well, the Lord is coming to the earth. The saints are coming to the earth. So that’s where we will be. There we have it.

Let’s come to Revelation 14, and let’s see the harvest, and let’s see where everybody is going to be. Because, brethren, when we are raised - and I am looking forward to the time when we are going to be talking to the angels as they take us up to the sea of glass. Because all the saints through all ages are going to be raised, and they are going to meet Christ in the air. And we will see this described in Revelation 15 in just a minute. Let’s come here to Revelation 14:14. “And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and one like the Son of man sitting on the cloud, having a golden crown on His head; and in His hand was a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him Who was sitting on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap, because the time has come for You to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’” So at the set time the resurrection is going to take place. And that is the Feast of Pentecost, the firstfruits, because we are the firstfruits of God as we have seen. So here is the harvest. “And He Who was sitting on the cloud thrust forth His sickle upon the earth, and the earth was reaped” (Rev. 14:14-16, FV).

Now then, after the resurrection takes place, then what’s going to happen? There is going to be the judgment of the wicked, as depicted from verses 17 through 20. Now let’s come to Revelation 15:1. “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and awesome: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is filled up. And I saw a sea of glass mingled with fire,...” Now wherever God is, there is a sea of glass. You go back and read Revelation 4, and when John saw the throne of God it was in the middle of a great sea of glass. Now here it talks about a sea of glass. And it says it’s mingled with fire. In other words, it was sparkling and shimmering. “...And those who had gotten the victory over the beast,…” This is the resurrection. And the beast has been there ever since what? Ever since Satan has been here. “...And over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and awesome are Your works, Lord God Almighty; righteous and true are Your ways, King of the saints’” (Rev. 15:1-3, FV). So here we are on the sea of glass.

Now one of the first things that’s going to happen while on the sea of glass, we’re going to see Jesus Christ, all the saints, and undoubtedly God the Father is going to come down there because He is going to have to perform the marriage of Lamb and the bride. We’re all going to get our rewards, as we saw there in Revelation 2 and 3. We are all going to get our new name; we are all going to get the righteous garments, which is talked about. We are going to be given our assignments; we are going to be given our horses, so that when we come back with Christ that we are going to be able to fight. We are going to know exactly what we’re going to do. It’s going to take all the time from that Pentecost until Trumpets, about four months. And as we come to Trumpets we will fill in the missing blanks as we get to it, in order for all of these things to transpire. And part of that time is going to be the seven last plagues, which are poured out. That takes part of the four months. And then when it’s finally over, and the marriage of the Lamb has taken place, and God the Father tells Jesus Christ, “Now is the time – go!” we will all come back to this earth on the Feast of Trumpets, as we find in Revelation 19.

So all of the feast days of God are connected: Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost relate to the church and the plan that God has now for the firstfruits and that harvest. Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day relates to the plan of God for the world. And we have a part in carrying it out as the sons and daughters of God. So brethren, look forward to the great resurrection that is going to take place. Because we will be glorified, and be spirit beings, and this will be the greatest event to take place since the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and you are a part of it.

---