And greetings, brethren. Welcome to the Feast of Pentecost, 2007. And time marches on and we’re going right down through the Holy Day calendar, and now we’ve come to Pentecost—the 50^th day. Now, I’m not going to go through and start with the beginning of the wave sheaf offering and do the counting, because we did that in a sermon, which you already have, before the Feast of Pentecost. But what I want to do is come down here to verse 21 of Leviticus 23 and show that in the “self-same day” or the 50^th day—it says here, verse 21, Leviticus 23—let’s read that:

“And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day… [that could only refer back to the 50^th day—and that’s why Pentecost is called ‘Pentecost’ because it means the 50^th or to count 50.] …that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations” (Lev. 23:21, KJV).

And it says up here in verse 19—now we’re to bring special offerings. Now, we’ll talk about these special offerings a little later, but what I want to do is go back to verse 19: “Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits… [and we’ll look at the ‘bread of the firstfruits’ in just a minute] …for a wave offering before the LORD with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest” (vs 19-20).

Now here in Deuteronomy 16, we find about bringing an offering. And I know that a lot of people get all upset concerning money; but the thing is we live in a society that is based on money: paper, plastic and electronic transfers. So, it’s really not based on silver and gold—and what we’re dealing with is really not real money. But it represents certain increments of wealth. So, today we live with that.

So, let’s come over here to Deuteronomy 16:19—16:16 rather, not verse 19—Deuteronomy 16:16, KJV: Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose…”

Now, the place that He chooses today can be anywhere in the world; because we are ‘worship God in Spirit and in Truth,” and “where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst.” And so, God has chosen this versus the place in Jerusalem, as Jesus said to the woman at the well: “You don’t know what you’re worshipping.” And the day is going to come you’re not going to worship in the mountain nor yet at Jerusalem because the Father is seeking those who worship Him “in spirit and in truth.” Now, you combine that with the commandment to “go into all the world”; and you combine that with the fact that Paul stayed in Ephesus until Pentecost because he wanted to be there and preach on Pentecost, etc.

All of this shows that today, the place that God has chosen to place His name is wherever those who have the Holy Spirit are gathered in the name of Jesus Christ and God the Father—that’s where God is! And as we have seen, we also are a temple or tabernacle of God for His Holy Spirit to dwell in us.

So, all appear “…in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty… [And it says here:] …Every man [or everyone] shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which he hath given thee” (v 16-17).

So every time we come to a Holy Day we are to examine our lives and see the blessings that God has given us—not just in the physical things alone, because there are “thank offerings,” there are “peace offerings,” and all of those are not necessarily based on increase as you would have relating to a tithe. But these are based upon the blessings of God. So, in any offering that we take up, we also need to consider in our minds:

• the blessings of God;

• the blessings of His Spirit;

• the blessing of understanding His Word;

• the blessing of the freedom of assembly;

• the blessing of the freedom of speech;

• and all of those things that we have.

Now, let’s also understand that there is going to come a time in the future when the blessings of being able to assemble and the blessings of the freedom of speech will be abridged greatly and we will not be able to assemble and do the things that we do now in the way that we are doing. That’s why we have “church at home.” And “church at home” is not going to be church services recorded for at home. It’s going to be:

• How do you find God?

• Why do you study at home?

• Where is God?

• How can you search and find God?

• How do you study the Bible?

• In your home.

And it will be patterned just after the philosophy of home-schooling for children. And wherever people are gathered for that. Be they alone, with their family or two or three others, that’s where God will choose to place His name.

And so, when we take up the offering, which we’ll do here in just a minute, consider all of those things. And also realize this: That the thing which means the most to you in the physical sense of things is what? Money and wealth and possessions. And remember, all of those came out of the ground. And all of those reflect what God has given to you. So, you need to reflect back to God according to the blessings which He has given you: spiritually and physically.

So, at this time we’ll take a pause and take up the offering. And please put you name and address in the upper right hand corner on the envelope and that will help us greatly out here in little ole Hollister to take care of it properly. Thank you.

(break)

Now let’s look at some parallels in the Old Testament, especially beginning with the Passover with Israel and their journey to Mt. Sinai. Now, it took them seven weeks to come to Mt. Sinai, and then there was that three day period where they got ready to meet God at Mt. Sinai—and the law was given on Pentecost. So that’s quite a subject, quite a topic and so forth. So we need to understand we’ll go beyond that. Every year we try and vary things a little bit, yet bring the full message for each of the Holy Days.

Now let’s come here to, to Leviticus 23 again, and let’s look at an instruction that really becomes quite an interesting thing when we understand it. And we won’t answer the question concerning this until a little bit later. Now on the 50^th day here’s what they were, here’s what everyone was to do: “Ye shall bring out of your habitations… [wherever you lived and came to the temple you were to bring:] …two wave loaves of two tenth deals: [specific size]” (Lev. 23:17, KJV).

Now, remember on the day of the wave sheaf offering, the wave sheaf was waved. Now at the completion of the harvest, 50 days later, now you have the finished product. Now you bring “two loaves.” And these loaves were very unusual loaves as we will see. “…they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven…” (v 17).

Now, the only other offering that allowed leaven was the “peace offering.” But that was offered with unleaven and leaven. But here, these were, the loaves themselves were the offering. And it was to be the “wave offering.” Now just like the sheaf of the firstfruits, the premier sheaf symbolizing Christ and His resurrection waved before the Lord, likewise the waving of the two loaves also pictures the resurrection.

Why two loaves?

Why not one?

Why not three?

Why not, if it’s really good, why not a dozen?

Well, the symbolism is two, and we’ll see that this applies to those who are resurrected. And there are two portions of those who are resurrected:

1. Those who qualified for the first resurrection before Jesus came, whom Peter said “had the Spirit of Christ in them.” These were the prophets of old and the kings and so forth. And those like Abel and Enoch and Noah and the prophets, Elijah and Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and the kings such as David and those who really served God. They were the ones who qualified for the first resurrection.
2. Then you have the Church. That is the second loaf. All of those who are brought into the Kingdom of God through this means. So now, each household was to bring these loaves of bread and wave them before the Lord.

Now, what does it say here: “…they are the firstfruits unto the LORD” (v 17). Now, as we saw yesterday, those who are in the first resurrection are “the firstfruits unto the Lord.” So this has to do with those who are in the first resurrection.

Now, let’s jump ahead just a little bit and let’s come to Matthew 13. Now, we covered part of this yesterday, but let’s read it again: what leaven symbolizes here. Now, as we’re turning to Matthew 13, let’s understand something that is, that is really interesting when we put it together. If you put leaven into dough, and it rises, you are changing the nature of the dough—from flat bread into raised bread. And this is likened, as we will see, unto our changed nature.

Now, while it is true that leaven during the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a type of sin and vanity and puffing up, here it becomes a positive thing of changing the substance of the dough from one kind of bread into another kind of bread. From flat hard bread to raised beautiful bread. And so, let’s read it here, Matthew 13:33, FV: “Another parable He spoke to them: ‘The kingdom of heaven is compared to leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until all was leavened.’”

Now, what happens when it’s all leavened?’ Well now, if you’ve made bread, and very few people make bread today, so they really don’t understand the whole process. But what you do, you put in the yeast and the leavening and then you put it in a warm place and it rises. Then to get a better texture with the bread, you beat it down and you punch it down and you roll it again. And this gets out all of the large, unwanted air bubbles and makes it so that it is, it is more consistent. Then you let it rise again. And when it reaches a certain point, what you do is, you put it in the oven and you bake it. Now when you put it in the oven and bake it, it is, it is completely changed. It is absolutely new. And you can’t take the loaf out that has been baked and beat it down and make it into flat bread again.

So this is a permanent, one time thing. And this is very much like God calling us, giving us of the Holy Spirit and then our nature is changed—and at the resurrection it is like being baked so-to-speak. It is permanently changed forever. So that’s why the two loaves. One for all those who qualified for the Kingdom of God through Christ, before He came in the flesh. And the other loaf, or all of those afterwards.

So, that’s the meaning of the two loaves and why the leaven.

Now, let’s also see something else that is, that is concerning Pentecost. Let’s come here to Luke 24, and let’s see what Jesus taught them, told the disciples to do, and then we will see just as the nation of Israel came to Mt. Sinai and received the law. And they were told that they were going to be a nation of priests to the whole world for God, and of course, Israel failed in doing that.

Now we know, in the New Testament, that we are going be a nation of priests and kings under Christ. So we have the same proposition given to us. But now it’s gong to be spiritual and it’s going to be different from what it was under the Old Covenant. And the New Covenant is now going to be, instead of just structured in law, it’s going to be structured in spirit and the spirit of the law. And this takes a miracle to take place and it cannot happen until the wave sheaf offering, or Christ being resurrected, has been accepted.

Now, let’s come here to Luke 24, because this ties right in with the timing and leading up to Pentecost. Now, let’s come here to Luke 24, and after he walk to Emmuas with two of the disciples, and He concealed who He really was until they went into the inn and they broke the bread and gave thanks and then He disappeared out of their sight. And the two disciples ran back to Jerusalem. This was on the Wave Sheaf Offering Day, the day that Jesus ascended into heaven and was excepted by God the Father as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

So now they come back and they—let’s pick it up here in verse 33—Luke 24:33, FV: “And they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem… [and I bet they ran as fast as they could; because having seen someone risen from the dead, I bet their adrenalin glands went ----, and when they left, they ran all the way back to Jerusalem. And they came charging in:] …and they found the eleven and those with them assembled together. Saying, ‘In truth, the Lord has risen! And He has appeared to Simon.’ Then they related the things that had happened to them on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of the bread. Now as they were telling these things, Jesus Himself stood in their midst…” (vs 33-36).

See, because as a spirit being, though He can appear as flesh and bone (as a spirit being) He can go through matter. So He just walked right through the walls or through the door, whatever. Because it says there in John 20, that the disciples were assembled there for “fear of the Jews.” They were afraid; because the Jews were going to come after them. Because it was said what? They had ‘stolen the body of Jesus away.’ So they were afraid they would be arrested and interrogated and beaten to try and get the information out of them where they had hidden the body. And they didn’t know where it was!

“… Jesus Himself stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be to you.’ But they were terrified and filled with fear, thinking that they beheld a spirit [now, that means a demon]. Then He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled? And why do doubts come up in your hearts?” (vs 36-37).

And you know Thomas. He wasn’t there, but he told the other apostles, “Well, I won’t believe it until I can put my finger in the holes of His hands and my hand in His side. Then I’ll make sure that I know.” Well, you know what happened there. Jesus appeared again eight days later and He said, “Thomas, come here.” And he said, “Oh Lord, I believe.”

Then He said something very interesting: “Blessed are you that you have believed. But blessed are those who have not seen and do believe.” So that puts us in a separate category, because we haven’t seen. But, nevertheless, this was necessary to show Himself to the disciples and apostles and then we know He showed Himself for 40 days after that, didn’t He? Yes! So there was absolutely no doubt that they had seen the resurrected Christ. And as we know from the Wave Sheaf Offering day to the day of Pentecost is a straight 50-day count and all of it is connected by the seven weeks and the last day, which is the 50^th day, and it all has to do with the continuity right up to the first resurrection.

Now, verse 39_{[transcriber’s correction]}: Jesus continued speaking and said: “…‘See My hands and My feet, that it is I. Touch Me and see for yourselves… [that’s why John wrote in the First Epistle of John, ‘which our hands have handled.’] …for a spirit does not have flesh and bones… [now, that’s interesting, isn’t it? A demon does not have flesh and bones] …as you see Me having’” (vs 39).

But notice, Jesus didn’t say, “flesh and blood”—see because, He shed all of His blood. And as a spirit being now, with life eternal, He can appear as flesh and bones. That’s how He appeared to Adam and Eve. That’s how He appeared to Enoch; and that’s how He appeared to Noah; that’s how He appeared to those before the Flood. That’s how He appeared to Abraham and to Isaac—and Jacob didn’t have that blessing. God appeared to him in vision, with the exception as He came in the instance of wrestling.

So this was quite amazing wasn’t it?

“And after saying this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they were still disbelieving and wondering for joy… [they were all excited, ‘how could this be, this is the Lord!’ So He wanted to clam them down and:] …He said to them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’ Then they gave Him part of a broiled fish and a piece of honeycomb. And He took these and ate in their presence” (vs 40-43).

Then He began to instruct them. So they had 40 days of instruction. And we know that Paul said that of these instructions that He gave to them, He saw them on the mount in Galilee, and there were 50 brethren at once who saw Jesus after He had been resurrected from the dead, before He ascended into heaven for the final time.

So He began to instruct them, saying: “These are the words that I spoke to you, when I was yet with you, that all the things which were written concerning Me in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (vs 44-45).

This tells us another very important key. And this tells us why the New Testament is greater than the Old Testament, because the New Testament interprets the Old. And the New Testament gives the time-setting, which the Old Testament doesn’t give.

“And [He] said to them, ‘According as it is written, it was necessary for the Christ to suffer… [probably showed them Isaiah 53, Isaiah 52, Psalm 22, Psalm 16 and all of those, you see.] …and to rise from the dead the third day. [As He had told them repeatedly.] And in His name, repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. For you are witnesses of these things. And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but remain in the city of Jerusalem until you have been clothed with power from on high’” (vs 46-49).

And then after He said these things, He blessed them. And as we know, Acts, the first chapter, he ascended up into heaven and they were standing there gawking, wondering, “Well, you know, this is a strange thing that we have seen.” So an angel came and said, “You men of Galilee, why are to standing there looking up into the heavens. This same Jesus Whom you have seen rise up out of your sight is going to return in the same way.” And remember the connection between the first day and the fiftieth day.

Now, let’s come here to Acts, the second chapter; because this shows us when and on which day the New Testament Church began. And this also shows another thing in the plan of God: That God uses His Holy Days to teach about His plan and purpose for His Church and for the world and for all mankind.

That’s why we have the new book, God’s Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days. And I hope you’re enjoying the book. And I hope that you really use it. And I hope that it can be a tool to really help you learn and understand the things of God. Because you see, our human minds are such that we need to learn and be taught again, and be taught again, and again, and again. That’s why we have the Sabbath every week. And that’s why we just don’t keep the Sabbath, but through the Spirit of God and the Word of God and in studying the Word of God, and fellowshipping with each other, we fulfill the Sabbath. And Christ fulfills the Sabbath by being there with us with His Spirit.

So just to keep the Sabbath is not good enough. Just to rest from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday is not good enough. You need to fulfill it by using that day as a day of learning and teaching that comes from God and comes from His Word. That you can grow in grace and knowledge, that you can, you can progress to the point that you can be like that loaf that was offered on Pentecost, that now has a permanent change in character, and has been solidified in place just like the baking solidifies the bread in its new form.

Now, let’s come to Acts, the second chapter. And this is a really a very exciting chapter. Now, picture this: God gave the law on the day of Pentecost at Mt. Sinai. Now we have Him giving the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is given at Jerusalem where God put His name and God put His presence. And the disciples were assembled there and all the Jews that were there, and you can imagine how excited the Jews were, because the word that this Man had been resurrected had gotten out. And those who had been there for the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread saw this Man crucified. And now they wanted to come to Jerusalem to verify all these things and were anticipating that something great was going to happen on this day of Pentecost—and it surely did!

Now, the reason God gave the Holy Spirit the way He did at the temple in Jerusalem was to show that this was from God! Couldn’t have been done any other place because God had placed His name there. Now if it’s going to go out from Jerusalem then it has to begin at that point and go out. So that’s why He did it.

Now, Acts 2:1, FV: “And when the day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day, was being fulfilled, [not the day before, not the day after, but the 50^th day. And it was being fulfilled. So this is why I say we need to fulfill the Sabbath, we need to fulfill in our lives, every year, Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and then anticipate how God is going to fulfill the things through Trumpets and Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day.

But realize this: the Passover, the Sabbath, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and day of Pentecost directly apply to us and the fulfilling of our spiritual growth that God is going to give us and the finalizing of it. Pentecost pictures, as we will see, the finalization of our, of our new nature by the resurrection and it begins with Passover. And the reason that the whole Holy Day season begins with the Passover is this: in order to approach God you must have a sacrifice. And spiritually—literally and physically—that sacrifice is Jesus Christ. And you can’t receive the Holy Spirit until there’s repentance and baptism, as we will see a little later here in Acts, the second chapter.

So the day was being fulfilled. This was an unusual day. “…they were all with one accord in the same place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the rushing of a powerful wind…” (vs 1-2). Now compare that to what happened when they were children of Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai. There was a tempest, there was the blowing of the trumpet, etc.

Now also picture this: Right at the time this was happening, here are the Levites out there accepting the two loaves—the wave loaves that were to be given on the day of Pentecost—and here the whole temple area was filled with people bringing in their loaves, and keeping the day of Pentecost. And all of a sudden this event occurs—great sound from heaven. Everybody heard it! Like a roaring from on high.

“…and filled the whole house where they were sitting” (v 2). Others probably heard it, and heard that it went into the section of the temple area called “the house” or the meeting place where they were sitting. “And there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit; and they began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the words to proclaim. Now there were many Jews who were sojourning in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven” (vs 3-5).

Because God wanted everyone to know that now the Word of the New Covenant was going to proceed from the temple, from God, out to the whole world. So He inspired all of those devout Jews to come so that they would have this witness directly from God and the preaching from the apostles. So they “came together and were confounded, [verse 6] because each one heard them speaking in his own language.” Every one! Now, that would be an astounding thing, wouldn’t it?

And he said, “What is this? These are all Galileans. How could Galileans do this? That we can hear in our own language, and it lists all of them: Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and those who inhabit Mesopotamia, from all around where the Jews were in the Diaspora (vs 7-9 paraphrased).

And he said, “What does this mean?” (v 10). And I imagine all the waving of the wave loafs stopped, instantly! Because of this event taking place. And everyone was looking at the eleven who were speaking and some said, “Ah well, they’re just drunk” (v 13). Another said, “No, we hear them speaking the Words of God.”

So then, verse 14: “Then Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke out to them: ‘Men, Jews, and all those of you who inhabit Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. For these are not drunken as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day… [nine in the morning, when they started waving the wave-loaves]. …But this is that which was spoken by the prophets Joel” (vs 14-16).

Now, I want you to understand what is being said here because we need to realize that the events of Pentecost are going to happen before the final Day of the Lord—and they are connected together.

“‘And it shall come to pass in the last days,’ says God, ‘that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; And even upon My servants and upon My handmaids will I pour out My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy; And I will show [signs] wonders in the heaven above…’” (vs 17-19).

And there were, and this is a prophesy of what’s going to happen. And we’re going to see one of the greatest signs that is going to take place leading up to Pentecost—the final Pentecost and the resurrection is the rolling back of the heavens. “‘…heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and vapors of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord’” (v 19-20).

So this is Pentecost and all the things leading up to the Day of the Lord. And it says: “‘And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’” (v 21). Then Peter got up and said, “You delivered up Jesus Whom the rulers crucified and I know that you did this in ignorance. And I want you to also understand that David is dead and buried and his prophecy was about Jesus that His flesh would not see corruption. Him God has raised to be at the right hand of God.” And then he said to convict them, and remember God Spirit is there to help lead them to repentance, too. And he said. “You, with cruel and wicked hands, have killed the Holy One of God” (vs 22-33 paraphrased).

And I wonder how many of those who were there were also in the crowd saying, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” on the Passover day. Yet, God offered them repentance, didn’t He? And they were the first ones to receive the mercy and grace of God, weren’t they? And so this really got to them and “pricked” them in the hearts. And so, they asked Peter, after he told them—he told them this: Verse 36: “Therefore, let all the house of Israel know with full assurance that God has made this same Jesus, Whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now after hearing this, they were cut to the heart…” (vs 36-37).

You know, that’s what needs to happen to a lot of people today in the Church of God and also in the world. You need to be “cut to the heart” for your sins, for your wretchedness, for your politics, for your socializing, for your putting physical things ahead of spiritual things, and for falling back into the world, for committing adultery, committing fornication and knowing that all of these things have crucified Christ. So they were “cut to the heart.” [Then Peter and the apostles said to them]—“…‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’” (v 37). Now in light of this, what are we going to do.

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized each one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you yourselves shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit… [Powerful sermon that he gave.] …For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all those who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God may call’” (vs 38-39).

So God is the One Who does the calling. That’s why we’re here. Brethren, we’re not here because we’re great. We’re not here because we know more than other people. We are not here because, because we are any different than other people other than the fact that God has called us and led us to repentance. And everything we have comes from God: all the physical; all the spiritual; the Word of God. And we need to realize that!

“And with many other words he earnestly testified and exhorted, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation’” (v 40). And that’s why God has called us, so that we can be saved from this “perverse generation.” And Paul said of his generation, that we are to “shine as lights in a crooked and perverted generation.”

So, brethren, we have a lot that God wants us to do. So that’s how the Church started.

Now, let’s go back here to the book of Joel and let’s see some of the things that Peter was talking about—and that Pentecost must come and these events must take place before the Feast of Trumpets. But they are interlocked together. And the event that is going to happen before the Day of the Lord—and let’s just come here to the book of Joel and let’s see because this helps us leap-frog forward to also the events leading up to the Feast of Trumpets.

Now, let’s pick it up here in Joel 2:28, KJV: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh… [Now, this also goes into the millennium, too, doesn’t it? Yes!] …and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit…. [Now, he’s also going to do this again as we will see. Because this also has a prophetic reference to the 144,000 and the great and innumerable multitude.] … And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered…” (vs 28-32). And that’s what Peter was referring to.

So let’s see how all of these things are going to take place. Let’s see the events that come up to it. Let’s come here to the book of Revelation—and let’s come to Revelation, chapter six. Then we will see what’s going to happen. Now, this is quite an astounding chapter here in Revelation, the sixth chapter. Because we see that the first part of it begins the tribulation. And it begins in peace, with the false prophet, which is the first seal. And then after that, war takes place, which is the second seal, and the red horse. And after that then comes plague and famine, which is the third and the fourth horse. And then after that comes the martyrdom of the saints.

Now let’s understand something concerning the martyrdom of the saints: It is not a sign of disgrace. And it is not a sign of weakness. Because those who are going to be martyred have got to be strong in the spirit and strong in the Lord, so that regardless of the physical things that happen to them, they will remain faithful unto death.

• Now Christ was martyred wasn’t He? Yes.

• The apostles were martyred, weren’t they? Yes

• Many of the saints down through history have been martyred, haven’t they? Yes.

So let’s read the fifth seal here. And what actually happens here, when this takes place, when we come on down into the time of the tribulation and the false prophet and the beast are looking and under the guidance of Satan the devil for everyone who professes Christ, because they will be on an absolute vendetta to destroy everyone who professes the name of Jesus Christ. They are going to hunt them out. They are going to ferret them out. They are going to know where they are and they are going to bring them to judgment. And I believe they’re going to resurrect the guillotine and start loping off heads right and left.

Now, in order for the Church not to die out, because Satan is going to go after everyone that is left who are not able to go to a place of safety. And the only reason that there are a few in the place of safety—not the many, the few—is because Jesus promised that the Church would not die out. That’s why they’re there, not because they’re super-righteous. They just escaped part of the tribulation for a special witness of God. Now the rest who are left behind, this happens to them:

Verse 9, Revelation 6, FV: “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…” Now, what is the testimony that we have today? Every nation, every leader, every parliament, every government official are unfit to rule. And God is going to send Christ and the resurrected saints, and they are going to take over the rulership of this world. And the beast and the false prophet are going hate that! And the people of the world are going to hate that! And some of the hatred we see displayed in the politics today is only just a little inkling of the hatred that is going to rule and reign when the tribulation begins and they seek to ferret out every Christian to martyr them. Now, this is done in vision. This is not that there are souls in heaven, but the only way to show it is through this vision.

“…And 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… [That’s the promise of the resurrection.] …and they were told that they should rest a short time yet… [‘resting’ means what? They’re still in the graves.] …until it be fulfilled that both their fellow servants and their brethren also would be killed, just as they had been” (vs 10-11). This shows the final martyrdom.

Now then, when that is done and every living Christian that is not in a place of safety has been executed. And the beast and the false prophet are going to think, “Yes, boy, we finally have it made. Now, we can have, we can set things up, after these wars that we are fighting, we are going to bring in the full rule of the world government that we had before all of these wars began—and all of these trouble-making Christians were preaching against us and saying that Jesus is going to return.”

No! The beast is going to say, “I am the messiah.” The false prophet is going to say, “Yes, he is the messiah.” The beast is going to say, “I am god in the flesh on earth.” And to start the tribulation, he’s going to go into the temple of God—which the Jews are going to build in Jerusalem—and say that he is God! And the world’s going to follow after him and worship him and it is going to be something! And then the beginning of the tribulation. Now, they have finally gotten rid of all of those who have caused the problems—the Christians—and have martyred them.

Well, Christ is going to answer them in a great and powerful and dramatic way. And this is going to start the last year and four months before the earth is taken over by Christ and the resurrected saints. And it begins just before Pentecost.