Earth becomes the red planet, when the Second Vial Judgment is poured out upon the earth. “And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea” (Revelation 16:3 KJV). Unlike Moses turning the Nile River of Egypt to blood (Exodus 7:17-18) or the Second Seal Judgment turning only a third of the seas into blood (Revelation 8:8), this transforms the oceans and seas of the world into the “blood of a dead man” (16:3). Our beautiful planet, when viewed from space, is 70.8 percent covered by oceans and marginal seas, encompassing 139.4 million square miles (361.1 million square kilometers), holding a volume of 329 million cubic miles (1.37 billion cubic kilometers) of seawater, at an average depth of 12,450 feet (3,795 meters), and appearing in rich shades of blue under patches, bands, and swirls of clouds. All of that turns to blood. The only thing worse would be all of the fresh water sources also turning to blood, and this happens directly next, when the Third Vial Judgment is poured out. “And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood” (16:4). Why all of the blood? “And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because Thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy” (16:5-6). If all this sounds unimaginably extreme, then we can begin to comprehend God’s estimation of humanity’s conduct.
Book of Revelation: Story Meant To Be Understood
Thy Judgments Are Made Manifest (Revelation 15:4)
A dramatic pause before the final battle climax, where already victorious Tribulation Saints extol the Almighty for His judgment upon the Antichrist, even as the concluding Seven Vial Judgments are prepared for outpouring. “Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? for Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest” (Revelation 15:4 KJV). By this time, the Church has shed all reluctance to see God’s judgments poured out upon the earth, realizing what the Psalmist always knew. “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether” (Psalm 19:9). Judgment alone has never been the real enemy, but unrighteous judgment (John 7:24) is always to be hated. All differences among brothers and sisters about the rightness of judging one another would have been melted away by the Holy Spirit, as we sanction the Lord God Almighty to judge the Earth. “O our God, wilt Thou not judge them?” (2Chronicles 20:12). The “wrath of God” (Revelation 15:1) readies itself to be poured out as the Translated Saints stand upon the “sea of glass mingled with fire” (15:2), signifying the judgment of God. Lord God Almighty, cause us not to judge according to man’s judgment by outward appearance, but to judge righteous judgment. LORD, especially open the eyes of Your Church that they may not receive the testimony of anyone, who claims to know You, while walking in disobedience. May all our objections to judge be already melted away, as we sanction and call upon You to judge the god of this world, his Antichrist, the False Prophet, and all the minions of little gods, who plague this earth, even now. Return quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen and amen.
Final Harvest of the Earth (Revelation 14:14-20)
Harvesting means saving to the uttermost those who come to God by Christ Jesus (Hebrews 7:25), but the opposite must also be true in the judgment of the wicked. “And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in Thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe” (Revelation 14:15 KJV). No more the rejection of Christ and His truth can be tolerated. This is what the adversary has always feared would happen. “The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him” (Proverbs 10:24). The utter irrationality of sin must be paid for to the uttermost. Christ has the diadem and sickle (Revelation 14:14) to fulfill His role as the Harvester of the Earth. No more will evil seemingly triumph unopposed and unchallenged. “And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God” (14:19).
“And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs [Greek, stadion]” (Revelation 14:20).
If a stadium is a Greek measurement equivalent to 606 feet 9 inches, then 1,600 furlongs would be 183.86 miles (Easton’s Bible Dictionary, 1897).
What is the manner of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Second Coming?
First, Christ will descend to the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem, as promised by the angel at Christ’s Ascension (Acts 1:11-12), which was prophesied by Zechariah. “Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south” (Zechariah 14:3-4).
Second, Christ will pursue His enemies slaying them with blood “unto the horse bridles” Revelation 14:20) down to Bozrah, which is approximately 58 miles southeast of the Mount of Olives. “The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams: for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea. And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness” (Isaiah 34:6-7).
Third, Christ will then continue His pursuit and slaying of His enemies from Bozrah to Megiddo, which is the ancient city close by the final conflict at Armageddon — approximately another 128 miles. “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in His apparel, travelling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art Thou red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like Him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with Me: for I will tread them in Mine anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me; and My fury, it upheld Me. And I will tread down the people in Mine anger, and make them drunk in My fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth” (Isaiah 63:1-6).
Fourth, Combining the distances from the Mount of Olives to Bozrah of 58 miles with the distance from Bozrah to Megiddo of 128 miles, is a distance of 186 miles, which is approximately 1,600 furlongs (Revelation 14:20).
LORD, our calculations and approximations lack the precision of Your Word. If You say the distance is 1,600 furlongs, then You would know best. If You say the blood will be “unto the horse bridles,” then we can only say, Amen. Even as You have faithfully saved to the uttermost, may You be justified in judging altogether as You have prophesied. Magnify Yourself in holiness and judgment. Let not one jot or tittle of Your Word fall to the ground unfulfilled unto 1,600 furlongs. Return quickly, deliver Your people, and judge the impenitent. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
Messages From Three Angels (Revelation 14:6-13)
The Gospel, judgment for Babylon, and personal judgment are the messages of the three angels from God to the world. With the removal of the 144,000 and the Two Witnesses at the Pre-Wrath Rapture, no other outward testimony for the LORD exists on planet earth, but these three angels, before the handfuls of days left for the completion of the Seven Vial Judgments at the end of the Tribulation Week. “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6 KJV). The Gospel is the Greek euaggelionor good news, but it is only good news, if you repent. The second angel announces, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (14:8). This warns of the soon and sudden demise — “in one hour” (18:17) — of the Beast’s religious and economic systems detailed in Revelation 17 and 18. And finally, the third Angel warns of the “wrath of God” (14:10) for all worshippers of the Antichrist, and blessing for those who “die in the Lord from henceforth” (14:13). The stage is now set for the final judgment of the earth. LORD, we can barely imagine the scope of what You have set for Your program of dealing with humanity. How You have wisely designed all these interactions and prophesied their fulfillment, knowing that You will bring them to pass contrary to the best efforts of the Devil, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. Glory to Your name. We magnify You for Your mercy and grace in salvation. And, we praise and extol You for Your righteousness and judgment of the earth. Fulfill all Your prophecies and keep all Your promises. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
144,000 Israelites Safe in Heaven (Revelation 14:1)
Safe in Heaven, 144,000 Tribulation Saints, who are Israelites, have made it through the Tribulation Week without suffering martyrdom and have been Pre-Wrath Raptured before the final Seven Vial Judgments (Revelation 16) are poured out at the end of the Seventieth Week of Daniel. “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads” (Revelation 14:1 KJV). Roughly speaking, this would be akin to the head of state (Christ the Lamb) greeting hostages, who have returned from captivity from an enemy country. These are the same 144,000 sealed in Revelation 7. All of this indicates that there will be an enormous number of Israelis saved immediately after the Pre-Tribulational Rapture, which means evangelistic efforts in Israel must be effectively reaching out to Israelis prior to the Tribulation. Support and pray for those ministries. The faithfulness of God to preserve all of His Saints presently from temptation, is also able to do so during the Tribulation. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1Corinthians 10:13). Remember, the 144,000 are the “firstfruits” (Revelation 14:4) of the nation of Israel, who will “be born at once” (Isaiah 66:8) at Messiah Jesus’ Second Coming. LORD, You are the same God now and forever. Demonstrate Yourself strong on behalf of Your people now and Your 144,000 later. In Jesus’ name, return quickly. Amen and amen.
False Prophet: Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:16)
The Mark of the Beast is a loyalty oath with survival benefits. Worship or die. Receive the mark or not survive. Death by beheading (Revelation 20:4) appears to be the execution. “And he [the False Prophet] causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads” (Revelation 13:16 KJV). Either you worship and live, or you refuse and die. You receive the mark and eat, or you refuse and die. “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” (Revelation 13:17). Antichrist purposely makes the choice obvious, for the devil knows his time is short. It is now easy to say; but, “Isn’t this the best example of sacrificing the eternal on the altar of the immediate?” May God give His martyrs the conviction and power to make the right choice! Speculation of the meaning of 6-6-6 is endless, but, since man was created on the sixth day, perhaps it means, “Antichrist is only a man-man-man?” “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” (13:18).
False Prophet: Worship the Image of the Beast (Revelation 13:15)
An image of the Antichrist will be made, brought to life, and worshipped by all earth dwellers, as demanded by the False Prophet. “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” (Revelation 13:15 KJV). No one can remain neutral about worshipping the “image of the beast” (13:25). Worship or die. Before the events of the Tribulation Week, one might proceed to the end of their natural life before a decision might be made. Now, “the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (12:12). Rationality is not the question. Do you value your present physical life more than your eternal life? Even the young in Christ can understand the choice. God can give His people the power to persevere a martyr’s death. “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (2:10). LORD, You alone can make us faithful to bear a martyr’s death. Make us faithful and cause us to hang on, when we have no one else but You to grasp. Bless Your Name and all those, who hold fast to You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
False Prophet: Directs the Worship of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:13)
Worship director for the Great World Leader is an esteemed role, except the Antichrist is that leader, who blasphemes Almighty God (Revelation 13:6), because he receives his power from the dragon (13:4). How does the world go so horribly wrong? Why does the LORD God allow this affront on such global display? “And he [the False Prophet] doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men” (Revelation 13:13 KJV). Toleration of the smallest wickedness in ourselves is the camel’s nose in the tent that brings down the house. “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1Thessalonians 5:22). If we could not tolerate such sin in ourselves now, then would not such wholesale wickedness be condoned so easily later? “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth” (James 3:5).
Yahweh is carefully teaching the world, directing our hearts back to Him. It has not been apparent to the Church that the Judge of All the Earth has been teaching His people, we must submit our case before the Courts of Heaven, before He can act. He will not unilaterally perform His will in judging the earth until He gets our agreement or sanction. He created us to walk in agreement with Him, not to function as an independent tool. “O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon Thee” (2Chronicles 20:12). When sanctioned by the Courts of Heaven, Jehovah will do what He did for Jehoshaphat and Judah. “And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped” (20:24). The world will need to know the god of the World Leader and his Prophet is not the True God, and we, His people, call upon the LORD to judge the dragon, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet.
LORD, we know it is Your desire that all should repent and none should perish, but Your Spirit will not always strive with man. You alone know, when humanity’s iniquity is full. Save such as should be saved. Honor Your holiness, love, and perfection. Fulfill all righteousness. Use the devil, the Antichrist, and False Prophet, then judge them. Save Israel. Return quickly, in Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
False Prophet: Beast Out of the Earth (Revelation 13:11)
Appearing with the religious character of a lamb, the False Prophet (Revelation 19:20) speaks like the devil, and he is no different from the Antichrist. “And I beheld another [Greek, allos, another of the same kind] beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon” (Revelation 13:11 KJV). He purposely directs the worship toward the Antichrist (13:12), who the world knows is empowered by the dragon (13:4). How could religion be used so zealously against the righteous? Christianity began with the martyrdom of Jesus at the hands of the unbelieving Jews. Yet, Judaism continues to be the root of the tree. “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:15). Typically, a prophet comes before in order to introduce the one appointed to receive the attention, just as John the Baptist came before Jesus of Nazareth. It should not surprise us to find a religious figure prior to the Tribulation with deep ties to historic anti-christianity, which especially depicts the adulteress character of the Thyatiran Church Age (representative of the center and bulk of Church History), who could answer to the description, the False Prophet (Revelation 16:13). This False Prophet would be active long before the Antichrist ascends to the throne of the World Temple in the middle of the Tribulation Week. Father, Your Son taught us to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Cause us to be those doves, as we advocate for Your Son. Cause the sting of the enemy’s objection to be thwarted by the power of Your Spirit blessing the message, preserving the messenger, but, most of all, justifying You. Return quickly, in Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
Antichrist: Response to the Rapture (Revelation 13:10)
The sudden disappearance of people worldwide will not only be noticed by all, but must be explained by world leadership, especially by the one Christians identify as the Antichrist. “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1Corinthians 15:52 KJV). If we recall the words of Jesus, “Surely I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20), we should understand the “dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [Greek, harpazō] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (1Thessalonians 4:17). The Second Coming of Christ combines the Resurrection of the Saints “first,” then accompanies the harpazō of the living saints “together with them” (4:17). The nature of our translation is called a “mystery,” because much takes place in the Unseen Realm, before His return, then “every eye shall see Him” (Revelation 1:7). “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed” (1Corinthians 15:51). This is for our encouragement, not just theological slight of hand.
The “mystery of iniquity” (2Thessalonians 2:7) has been conspiring against the Almighty, since the original rebellion. Answering the Removal of Saints worldwide would be the goal of the devil, certainly by the time of the modern rapture theory discussions, but anciently speculated due to the examples of the raptures of Enoch and Elijah.
What will be the response of the Antichrist to the Rapture?
First, the sudden removal of all the godly influence of Spirit Indwelt Saints would leave not just a moral vacuum, but a disruption of the peace due to the absence of all the godly, who have departed this world (Jeremiah 29:7). Second, Antichrist must offer himself as a leader, actively promoting and attempting to replace the world’s missing peace, requiring the cooperation of the world’s leaders. This would be in connection with the peaceful-conquering-by-displaying-power diplomacy of the First Seal Judgment (Revelation 6:2). A “king of fierce countenance” (Daniel 8:23), shall promote the demonic “craft [witchcraft] to prosper in his hand” (8:24), and will eventually proclaim his divinity, when “he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many” (8:25). Third, Antichrist will do like the New Age literature prophecies of a coming alien visitor Avatar, seeking to aid us in our evolution, overcoming poverty, disease, famine, war, political, cultural, religious, and economic division, while promoting unity through “globalism, ecumenism, personal immortality (reincarnation), pantheism (‘you will be like gods,’ Genesis 3: 15), moral relativism, and the notion that the Bible is not the word of God” (from Alien Encounters, Ch. 13 “The Cosmic Deception” by Chuck Missler).
Fourth, malcontents have been removed, i.e., by the Rapture, and are being removed, i.e., the Fifth Seal Judgment of martyrdom of post-Rapture, born-into-the-Kingdom-during-the-Tribulation Saints (Revelation 6:9-11). Fifth, global unity will be promoted through the construction of a World Temple at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. If Solomon built the Temple in seven years, Oppenheimer built the atomic bomb in less than three years, couldn’t the Antichrist complete the Tribulation Temple with all the resources of the world, in less than 3 1/2 years? “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains” (Matthew 24:15-16).
Sixth, miracles and “powers and signs and lying wonders” (2Thessalonians 2:9) will be used by the Antichrist to persuade the religious and the scientific to trust the Antichrist, and to unreasonably fight the LORD God Almighty. The inexplicability of UFOs defying the laws of physics, the paranormal activities of demon possessed individuals, all of these will increase. “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2:10-12). Seventh, it is extermination by Antichrist for any found godly, but of more significance, God’s patience has finally come to an end in finishing His Final Harvest, so He can now complete a thorough cleansing of the ungodly from the earth. “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” (Revelation 13:10).
LORD, cause the Sleeping Church to awaken to the battle against the enemy. May we be praying for the success of Your Gospel, the unstoppability of Your Gospel, obedience to the Gospel, showing us who must next receive Your Message, the boldness to explain Your plan, the preparation of their hearts to repent and receive the Gospel, education of Your children, the sustenance of Your family, the overcoming of our ignorance, the hastening of Your return, the defeat of the forces of Antichrist, and the judgment of the devil and his little gods. Make us willing to witness a good confession laying down our lives, if need be. May the ideas put forth by this writer prosper, even as it is understood, if Your Spirit is making me think these thoughts, there are others thinking them, as well. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.
We Need A Miracle 
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