October 22, 2026: Isaiah 2:12 - The Day of the Lord
“For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low…” - Isaiah 2:12
The event or series of events that the Bible refers to as “The day of the LORD” is used often in the Bible. But what does it mean, what does it represent? Gotquestions.org has two articles as to what many believe this phrase means (Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/day-of-the-Lord.html, https://www.gotquestions.org/great-and-dreadful-day.html). Based on my understanding of reading the Bible for myself under the leading of the Holy Spirit, I believe the day of the Lord includes the last seven years in history that the world will be ruled by human beings, during which the nation of Israel will go through a time called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7), which I believe occurs during the second half of Israel’s seventieth week (Daniel 9:27) Afterwards, Jesus returns at His second coming and will destroy everyone who will reject Jesus’ free gift of salvation and instead will choose to follow Satan and remain in their wickedness and sin. It is at that time when Jesus returns that He will restore the remnant of Israel that survives their time of trouble and who finally believe in Him as their Messiah. Jesus will gather them all back in the land of Israel, the land He gave them long ago. I believe the Day of the Lord also includes the 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth. Now, let us do a deep-dive into the Day of the Lord.
The prophet Daniel wrote about a time period of seventy weeks for Israel. According to Daniel, this time period began “… from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem,” as written in Daniel 9:25. Let us read what he wrote about the first sixty-nine weeks of this prophecy:
“Seventy weeks [seventy sevens] are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks [sevens], and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off [suffer the death penalty], but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” (Daniel 9:24-26)
Thus, based on what Daniel wrote, it gives us a timeline for when Jerusalem would be restored and rebuilt after it was conquered and burned by Babylon, and after the Jews who had been held in captivity for seventy years would return to Jerusalem. It also provides a timeline for when Messiah - Jesus the Christ - would come, and that He would be killed, but not for Himself, meaning He died so that we would be offered the free gift of salvation through His sinless blood. Seventy weeks represents a period of time where a “week” is seven years. Thus 70 x 7 years = 490 years. After the commandment was decreed to rebuild Jerusalem, it took 7 weeks or 49 years to rebuild it. After that, there were 62 more weeks, or 434 years, before Messiah would come, and that is exactly what happened. Gotquestions.org provides a good explanation of Israel’s seventy weeks. (Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/seventy-weeks.html) As Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24:1-2 before He was crucified on a cross and gave up His life, the Temple was destroyed, with no stone left unturned. We know that it was Rome that conquered Jerusalem and burned it and the Temple to the ground in 70 AD.
That leaves one week left in Israel’s seventy weeks prophecy, and that is the seventieth week. There are some who believe this week was already fulfilled, and some who believe it is yet to be fulfilled, and that there is a long gap between its fulfillment and the fulfillment of the previous 69 weeks. I believe it is yet to be fulfilled because of what it says in Daniel 9:24. Let us read it again:
“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy [Holy of Holies].” (Daniel 9:24)
Remember, this prophecy is for the children of Israel and Jerusalem, the holy city. To me, it is quite obvious that this has not happened. Sin still exists, and we definitely have not seen everlasting righteousness brought in. The majority of the children of Israel continue in their rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah. The fulfillment of the prophecy above will only happen when Jesus returns at His second coming and when the remnant of Israel finally turn to Him in belief.
In addition, in Hebrew it says “and to seal up vision and prophecy.” Thus, there is no “the” before “vision” and I believe it means that at the end of the seventy weeks, there will be no more visions and prophecies. However, visions and prophecies were still made after the writing of the book of Daniel, and the book of Revelation is a perfect example. John wrote about his visions and prophesied of the events that will happen before Jesus’ second coming, and thereafter. The reason that vision and prophecy will be sealed up at the end of Israel’s seventy weeks is because when Jesus returns at His second coming, there will be no further need of them. It is Jesus who will be anointed, as He is the Holy of Holies. He will dwell among us, and reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The 70th week is the last period of seven years before Jesus Christ returns at His second coming. Let us read what the Bible tells us will happen in the 70th week:
“And he [the antichrist; the prince that shall come] shall confirm the covenant [or treaty] with many for one week: and in the midst [middle] of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation [offering] to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate [the one bringing desolation; desolator].” (Daniel 9:27)
The Scriptures above tell us that the antichrist “shall confirm the covenant with many for one week.” The Hebrew Scriptures do not use the word “confirm” but “he will make strong,” which is defined by the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance as: (Source: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1396.htm)
“exceed, confirm, be great, be mighty, prevail, put to more strength, strengthen, be stronger”
This implies that it is the strengthening of or adding to an already existing covenant or treaty. There are some who suspect that this could be the strengthening/expansion of the existing Abraham Accords that Donald Trump implemented in his first administration. I think this is a likely possibility.
Notice also that in Daniel 9:27 it says that he, meaning the antichrist, will confirm the covenant “with many for one week.” I do not know with certainty that this will include Israel; however, I suspect it will because in Isaiah 28:18 it says:
“And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.” (Isaiah 28:18)
I believe that Israel will be strong-armed into confirming the covenant. I say this because there is growing tension between Israel and America, between Netanyahu and Trump, as the Trump administration is trying to end the war between the USA, Israel, and Iran. Trump purposely excluded Israel from all negotiations, much to the chagrin of many in Israel and some in the USA. This happened because of Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon during the “peace” talks to end the war with Iran. Subsequently, there were open discussions of how Donald Trump has turned against Israel. On June 18, 2026, The New York Times reported the following: (Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/world/middleeast/israel-iran-deal-reaction-netanyahu.html)
“On Wednesday at the Group of 7 summit in France, the president had again spoken of Mr. Netanyahu with disdain, suggesting he was excitable and prone to overreacting to Hezbollah’s attacks. He belittled him publicly as the ‘very small partner’ in the relationship and said that Israel would have been annihilated if it had not been for him.
“Mr. Trump suggested that Syria could do a better job than Israel of cracking down on Hezbollah in Lebanon without killing as many civilians. And he minimized the ballistic-missile threat from Iran — which forced millions of Israelis to run in and out of shelters throughout the war. He said it was only fair for Iran to have missiles because other countries in the region did as well.
“The reactions in Israel evoked a bad divorce.”
“Ben-Dror Yemini, a columnist at Yediot Ahronot, Israel’s largest newspaper, wrote that Mr. Netanyahu had led Israel into ‘the most severe collapse in its history.’
“‘Trump reneged on every promise, turned Iran into a power, strengthened Hezbollah, and as a final flourish, gave Israel a kick and humiliation,’ he wrote.”
On June 16, 2026, Trump made a very bold statement and said that Israel would not exist as a nation if it wasn’t for him. (Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5925864-trump-netanyahu-lebanon-conflict/) How many times does Donald Trump have to act like he is God before Israel wakes up and sees who he really is? Further, at the September 26, 2026 United Nations General Assembly meeting, Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to New York City was limited to only six hours and he did not meet with President Trump, likely signaling continued strains between Netanyahu and Trump. (Source: https://allisraelnews.com/who-made-netanyahus-un-schedule-and-what-it-says-about-israels-diplomacy)
The wording in Daniel 9:27 also refers to the antichrist causing the sacrifice and oblation (offering) to cease during the midpoint of the covenant’s 7-year duration, and that he will commit the abomination of desolation. This implies that a Third Jewish Temple must exist because that is where the Jews offer their sacrifices and oblations. I believe that sometime soon before the covenant is confirmed or not long afterwards, the Third Temple in Jerusalem will be allowed to be built, and Israel will resume their sacrifices and offerings in the Temple.
There has been much discussion in the news in the past several years regarding the Jews obtaining a red heifer that possibly meets the requirement to have only red hairs and no other color and whose blood will be used to cleanse the Temple. The red heifer must be between 3-4 years old. On June 15, 2026, Israel365News reported that a calf had recently been born on a dairy farm in Galilee that was all red. Time will tell if this heifer continues to meet the red hair requirement. (Source: https://israel365news.com/418860/the-tenth-heifer-a-red-calf-born-in-the-galilee-brings-israel-one-step-closer-to-purification-and-redemption/)
Halfway through the seven years, the antichrist, the one in whom many in Israel have put their faith and trust in to save them, will commit the abomination of desolation that Jesus referred to (Matthew 24:15). This is when the antichrist will desecrate the temple. It is at that time that Israel will see that they have made a deal with the Devil once he reveals his true colors, and they will flee to the mountains to escape him.
As I discussed earlier, the last seven years of human history before Jesus returns is referred to as “the time of Jacob’s trouble” and also as Israel’s “70th week,” the time when God turns His attention back to Israel. There are many who believe that this 7-year period is referred to as the “tribulation period,” with the last 3-1/2 years being the time period that Jesus referred to as the “great tribulation.” The last 3-1/2 years occur after the antichrist commits the abomination of desolation at the midpoint of the 7-year covenant period. They also believe that all of the 21 judgments written about in the book of Revelation will occur in that same 7-year tribulation period. Those events are 21 judgments of God: seven seal judgments, seven trumpet judgments, and seven bowl or vial judgments. I used to believe this as well because that is always what I have heard taught by American pastors. However, after having read the Bible myself under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, I have recently started to consider that at least part of these judgments represent what Jesus called “the beginning of sorrows,” and that we are currently living in that time period. Let us read what Jesus told His disciples regarding the signs that would indicate the timing of His second coming and the end of the age, and which He referred to as “the beginning of sorrows”:
“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world [age]? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers [various] places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:3-8)
“Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Mark 13:4-8)
“And they asked him, saying, Master [Teacher], but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by [is not coming immediately]. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and great earthquakes shall be in divers [various] places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” (Luke 21:7-11)
Before I continue, I want to emphasize that the first thing Jesus said to His disciples regarding the signs of His return was to take heed, to be careful, not to let any man deceive them. This is because a deceiver does not come as one of “them” but one of “us,” pretending that his intentions are good and well-meaning and that he is here to save us. We will read more about this deceiver when we read about the opening of the first seal judgment.
Now, let us compare them to what I believe are the corresponding first four judgments of God, which are the first four of seven seal judgments. The seal judgments are written on the outside and inside of a rolled-up scroll that is sealed with seven seals. We are told by the apostle John, to whom the revelation of Jesus Christ was given for John to write, that it is Jesus alone who is found worthy to open the scroll and to loosen the seven seals:
“And I [John] saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book [scroll] written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book [scroll], neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed [overcome] to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts [living creatures: a lion, calf, face of a man, and an eagle], and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he [Jesus] came and took the book out of the right hand of him [God the Father] that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials [bowls] full of odours [incense], which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts [living creatures] and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts [living creatures] said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” (Revelation 5)
Heaven rejoices because it is Jesus alone who is worthy to open the seven seals, and the elders and the four living creatures sing a new song of praise to Jesus, as millions of angels declare “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” John also heard every living creature in heaven, on and under the earth, and in the sea blessing Jesus, while the elders and living creatures fall at the feet of Jesus and worship Him.
Now, let us read the first four seal judgments from the book of Revelation chapter 6, which are often referred to by the secular phrase “the four horsemen of the apocalypse.” Let us read about them:
“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise [sound] of thunder, one of the four beasts [living creatures] saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances [scales] in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny [denarius], and three measures of barley for a penny [denarius]; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power [authority] was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts [wild animals] of the earth.” (Revelation 6:1-8)
Let us discuss each of these seals, beginning with the rider on the first horse, a white horse. I believe the man riding on the white horse is an imitator of Christ, with many false Christians praising him and laying hands on him, acting as if he is God’s anointed, the Messiah. It isn’t just Christians that are praising him; no, it is also many of the Jews, both in Israel and America, acting as if he is their Messiah. In a way, it was as if they were giving him a crown as the god - a false god, antichrist - whom they worship. I believe it is none other than Donald J. Trump. Trump has not missed an opportunity to compare himself to Jesus during his first and second administrations. This is why when Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world [age]?” that Jesus said to them:
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:4-5)
Donald Trump has deceived many people all around the world, and I would say especially in Israel and in apostate American churches. In the Bible, the color white represents purity, holiness, and righteousness. However, the rider of the white horse is anything but holy because it says, “he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” Why does it say the word “conquer” twice? I believe it is because the rider of this horse comes twice, and I believe the rider is the great deceiver, Donald J. Trump, who rose to power and became the 45th President of the USA, then lost the next election to Joe Biden, and regained power by defeating Kamala Harris in the subsequent election, becoming the 47th President.
I believe it was Trump who was given a crown in another way, and that crown was in the form of the coronavirus, where “corona” means “crown.” (Source: https://www.etymonline.com/word/corona) I believe he went forth conquering the first time when his administration locked down nearly the entire world for the first time in history because of what I believe was a pre-planned virus and planned vaccines that have caused much harm to many who took them. One source of these documented harms is the US government’s own website called Open VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System), where it is estimated that only 1% of adverse events that have resulted from all vaccines, including coronavirus, are reported. (Source: https://openvaers.com) Per their own site, it reports that as of May 29, 2026, there have been 39,166 deaths, 74,762 permanently disabled, and 29,232 myocarditis/pericarditis adverse events after receiving COVID injections, just to name a few. (Source: https://openvaers.com/covid-data) I know of no other vaccine that continued to be on the market and administered with rates of adverse events such as we see for COVID.
When we look at the Greek for the word “bow” that the rider of the white horse has, it is “toxon” (Source: https://biblehub.com/strongs/greek/5115.htm). This is the word from which the word “toxic” is derived. I do not believe this is merely coincidence: (Source: https://www.etymonline.com/word/toxic)
“1660s, ‘of or pertaining to poisons, poisonous,’ from French toxique and directly from Late Latin toxicus ‘poisoned,’ from Latin toxicum ‘poison,’ from Greek toxikon (pharmakon) ‘(poison) for use on arrows,’ from toxikon, neuter of toxikos"pertaining to arrows or archery,’ and thus to a bow, from toxon ‘bow,’ which has been regarded as a loan-word from Scythian.”
The fact that the rider of the white horse only has a bow and not both a bow and arrow seems to imply some sort of hidden intent to harm because one could say, “he only had a bow and what harm could come upon a person from that?” I believe this was carried out during his first administration with the creation of the COVID “vaccines” at a pace which Trump himself ascribed the term “Operation Warp Speed.” (Source: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-319) Where were the clinical trials that were previously done on prospective vaccines, which, depending on the source, takes between 5-10 years? They did not happen. For coronavirus, it was declared that “new technologies” tremendously expedited the process, per an article from All Clinical Trials dated May 29, 2024 stated: (Source: https://www.allclinicaltrials.com/blog/how-long-are-vaccine-clinical-trials)
“On average, this process takes between three to six years. However, new technologies are enabling scientists to understand the genetics of certain viruses and share this knowledge on a global scale much faster. In the case of the COVID-19 virus, this took just weeks.”
With new technologies, you still need to ensure the vaccines are safe, and that takes time, something which was not given during COVID-19. Whether you believe that the COVID vaccines caused severe harm and injury to many people worldwide is up to you, but I present it here because I believe it was the test case for future “vaccines” that will become mandatory for every single person.
In Trump’s second term, he definitely has continued his pursuit of conquering the world, acting more like a world dictator than the US President. Having already invaded and removed Venezuela’s president, in an alliance with Israel, Trump led American forces to attack Iran in a costly, ongoing war with it. Trump has also threatened many other countries, including Greenland, Mexico, and Canada. (Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/27/politics/oman-trump-threat-attack-countries) Just recently, on September 8, 2026 over the Labor Day weekend, he posted a meme of America, Mexico, Canada, and Greenland wrapped in the American flag. (Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/donald-trump-north-america-flag-map-truth-social-posts-canada-greenland-mexico-article-156115799) How ironic is it that on February 24, 2026, whitehouse.gov referred to him as the “President of Peace?” (Source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/02/president-trumps-peace-through-strength-renewed-american-leadership-and-global-security/) Does this sound like the behavior of someone who wants peace? No, it is quite the opposite. It is the behavior of a mad man bent on conquest, and elevating himself to a godlike figure, with all of his servants serving and bowing down to him.
The second seal that is opened reveals a rider on a red horse that takes peace from the earth, and people killing each other. Let us read it again:
“And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast [living creature] say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.” (Revelation 6:3-4)
I believe this seal has also been opened. The great sword indicate war, and I believe occurring in multiple places around the world. Notice it says that the sword was “given unto him,” just as the first seal said that “a crown was given unto him.” I believe this means that there is some authority above the riders on the white and red horses that is empowering them. I believe that the seals are not opened at the same time but there is a period of time in between them, and that the riders on the horse are the same person but seen at different points in time, as the seals are opened. I believe the authority of the rider to be Satan. Satan is an imitator of Christ. Whereas Jesus Christ will return at His second coming wearing many crowns, riding on a white horse and coming with His armies in heaven clothed in fine white linen, with a sword that goes out of His mouth to strike the nations that are gathered together in rebellion and war against Him (Revelation 19:15), Satan uses the man on the white horse to conquer not through war but through deception, whereas the rider on the red horse causes people all over the earth to war against each other.
I do not think it is just coincidence that on September 5, 2025, Donald Trump “signed an Executive Order to restore the historic name “Department of War” as a secondary title for the Department of Defense. This was the 200th Executive Order the President had signed since taking office”: (Source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/09/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-restores-the-united-states-department-of-war/)
“PROJECTING STRENGTH AND RESOLVE: The United States military is the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world, and the President believes this Department should have a name that reflects its unmatched power and readiness to protect national interests.”
“The name “Department of War” conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to “Department of Defense,” which emphasizes only defensive capabilities.
“Restoring the name “Department of War” will sharpen the focus of this Department on our national interest and signal to adversaries America’s readiness to wage war to secure its interests.”
Does this sound like a man of peace? No, he is the complete opposite. Truly, peace has been taken from the world. The World Now has a website that shows active wars and conflicts all around the world. Per the site, there are 13 active wars and 183 conflicts. On June 27, 2026, the date I checked the site, it gave an overall threat level of 78 out of 100, which it showed as Extreme. It takes into account wars, natural disasters, infrastructure disruption, and two other components. For the first three components, it gave a score of 100 out of 100. (Source: https://www.the-world-now.com/current-wars) It also shows a map of all the world’s wars and conflicts. (Source: https://www.the-world-now.com/war-map) To say that peace has been taken from the earth is without question. Add to that the usage of technology such as artificial intelligence, drones, and now humanoid robots entering the battlefield in test trials, the world will continue to grow even more dangerous, with more killing and more wounding, just as Satan wants it to happen. (Sources: https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/aerospace-news/2026/u-s-army-selects-ballistic-protected-humanoid-robot-for-high-risk-battlefield-mission-experiments, https://interestingengineering.com/military/humanoid-soldier-robots-arrive-in-ukraine)
Let us read the third seal judgment again:
“And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast [living creature] say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances [scales] in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts [living creatures] say, A measure of wheat for a penny [denarius], and three measures of barley for a penny [denarius]; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” (Revelation 6:5-6)
The Scriptures above are referring to the cost of food rising significantly. It is understood that the translation from Greek means it will take a day’s work to receive a measure of wheat, which is a more expensive and more nutritious grain and can be used to make flour, or three measures of barley, a less expensive and less nutritious grain. Gotquestions.org has a good article regarding the third seal. (Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/pair-of-scales.html) The rising food costs are a direct result of war. Are we not seeing this happening now in our world today? During the ongoing US/Israeli war with Iran and the resulting shutting down of the Strait of Hormuz, critical items did not pass through and are still passing through only at a limited rate, including fertilizer.This resulted in farmers either not being able to grow crops or producing less. While we are not seeing the impact of this yet, because of the food that was already grown and sent to stores, I believe we will see it in the near future. An April 15, 2026 article from global-architecture.com wrote: (Source: https://www.global-agriculture.com/crop-nutrition/understanding-how-the-strait-of-hormuz-conflict-is-disrupting-global-fertilizer-supply-chains/#google_vignette)
“FAO notes that Gulf countries are among the world’s top exporters of nitrogen fertilizers such as urea and ammonia, as well as phosphate fertilizers. Up to 30 percent of globally traded fertilizer products, or around 16 million tonnes annually of nitrogenous, phosphates, and sulphur products, transit through the Strait of Hormuz.”
“FAO says the conflict has created not only an energy crisis, but also a fertilizer supply crisis, increasing the risk of lower agricultural yields and food price spikes in the months ahead if disruptions continue.”
Farmers are also having to pay significantly more for fuel, particularly diesel, just as everyone else is. On September 4, 2026, USA Today reported that diesel prices reached a record high of $5.820 per gallon. (Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/economy/2026/09/04/us-diesel-prices-hit-record-high/91607235007/) The record price jumped again on September 16, 2026 to $6.31 per gallon (Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/17/diesel-gas-prices-oil-us-economy.html)
In the meantime, the back-and-forth of ceasefires between the US and Iran continue, with no clear end in sight of the permanent reopening of the Strait. The longer this war goes on, the more insecure the world’s food supply becomes. When you add to that the increasing rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and its replacing of human beings as workers in companies worldwide, I believe we are galloping toward the time of the rider on the black horse in Revelation 6.
The increasing temperatures and droughts in the US, and seemingly in many parts of the world, will also negatively affect crop output, which likely will also affect livestock. I do believe there is a link to the recent heat waves all over the USA and the drastic increase in the number of data centers all over the USA. Many data centers are very large and require massive amounts of water and power, with many having millions of square footage on thousands of acres of land. (Source: https://info.siteselectiongroup.com/blog/where-are-the-largest-data-centers-in-the-u.s) I do not think it takes a genius to figure out that it has to be negatively disrupting the environment because of its drainage of resources and the constant humming sound they produce. (Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2026-04-28/living-in-hell-data-center-neighbors-grapple-with-noise-air-pollution)
Apparently no one in the Trump Administration is concerned about this. No, it is quite the opposite. The USA currently has 4,438 data centers, and that number continues to increase. This is because Donald Trump’s Stargate project allocated at least $500 Billion to create new data centers all over the US. (Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heres-whats-in-stargate-the-usd500-billion-trump-endorsed-plan-to-power-u-s/) The article basically stated that Trump said we need to keep technology within the USA and we need to keep up with China. However, when it comes to data centers, per statista.com, America has 4,423 data centers whereas China has 369. (Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1228433/data-centers-worldwide-by-country/) When you consider the drastic difference in population, with China having approximately 1.4 billion people and the USA approximately 342 million, why does the USA need so many data centers? I believe it is because the USA is setting up the infrastructure for the mark of the beast system, right before our very eyes, where data centers will store all the data on every person alive and will use AI to process it. One day in the not too distant future, it will require every person to take the mark/name/number of the beast on their right hand or forehead and to worship the beast, meaning the antichrist, that will be enforced by AI.
Before moving on to the fourth seal, I want to address the last part of what is written about the third seal that says, “and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” I do not know what this means, but I have heard some say that it indicates that the wealthy people of the world will still be able to buy their luxury items, such as wine and oil, while the rest of the world struggles just to buy the bare basics for survival. I think that is true, and we see that all over the world today, including a rising trend in the USA, where the gap between the rich and the poor widens and the middle class is disappearing. However, I also find it interesting that the items listed, i.e., the grains of wheat and barley, the oil, and the wine were all used by the Jews for their offerings to the Lord.
Now, let us read the fourth seal judgment again:
“And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power [authority] was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts [wild animals] of the earth.” (Revelation 6:7-8)
The rider of this horse represents Death and Hell. The color of the horse is used to show us what the people of the world will look like. The word “pale” in Greek is “chlóros,” and it means green or pale. (Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/5515.htm) This is the root of the word “chlorine.” (Source: https://www.etymonline.com/word/chlorine) You have likely seen that the color of chlorine is a pale green. This color is used in Revelation 6:8 to represent dead people, and a lot of them. They will be killed by the sword, meaning war; famine; and death, where in the Greek, “death” is represented by “thanatos,” which can also mean “pestilence,” which is disease or plague. (Source: https://biblehub.com/strongs/greek/2288.htm)
Finally, we read that the wild animals of the earth will also kill people. This is what happens when sin is out of control: nations war against each other, this cause disruptions to the supply chain, which causes food shortages, then people get sick because they are not eating enough and their immune system is weak, then they either die or in some cases, when the famine is extreme and it affects wild animals as well, the animals resort to killing people. In my own small community, I have seen a drastic increase in the amount of dogs dumped by people, likely because they can no longer afford to feed them. How long will it be before the dogs start joining each other in packs and actively go hunting for food? I have read reports from people in my community of dogs attacking chickens and cats. How long will it be until they start attacking people, which sadly, may include the weak and children? Another possibility is that the beasts of the earth that the apostle John saw were actually robots that appeared like wild beasts. Years ago, this would be laughable, but with today’s technology, including AI, it is not.
I want to return to the events Jesus named that will take place during “the beginning of sorrows,” written in Matthew 24:4-8. Another event is pestilences. As I mentioned above, the word “death” in Revelation 6:8 can mean “pestilence.” Per merriamwebster.com, “Pestilence” is defined as “a contagious or infectious epidemic disease that is virulent and devastating.” (Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pestilence). How many diseases have the governments warned and panicked people about just in the past six years? Several recent ones I can think of include COVID-19, Avian flu, measles, ebola, and hantavirus. As I am editing this devotional, something new has just made news headlines, and that is the threat of pneumonic plague after a 28-year old researcher died in Siberia after a laboratory accident. Rumors are abounding, and people are wondering if this is the “big one.”. Time will tell: (Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/04/europe/russia-laboratory-plague-accident-intl)
“Russian authorities are responding to an incident in which a suspected dangerous infection was released as a result of a laboratory accident in Siberia and a researcher died.”
“It is unclear exactly what was released, according to the state agency that handles infectious disease, Rospotrebnadzor. One person – a laboratory worker – is said to have died in the incident after being diagnosed with a pneumonia of “unknown” origin.”
The other event Jesus warned His disciples that would be a sign of His return and of the end of the age is earthquakes in various or diverse places. In Luke 21:11, it further described the earthquakes as “great earthquakes shall be in divers places.” I do believe that the US Geological Survey is doing everything it can to hide the truth about the rise of earthquake activity all over the world. Just on June 24, 2026, Venezuela was hit with a devastating earthquake of 7.2, followed by a 7.5 magnitude, just 39 seconds later. This is being referred to as a “doublet earthquake,” and it is very rare. In addition, these two earthquakes were from two separate faults: (Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2026/06/25/what-cause-earthquakes-venezuela/90690110007/)
“Doublet earthquakes are rare. There is a 5% chance of having two large quakes in a sequence be within 0.2 units of magnitude, according to the USGS. Doublets can greatly increase damage with prolonged or repeated shaking.”
I could be wrong, but I think that there is significant evidence that we are currently living in the time Jesus referred to as “the beginning of sorrows,” and I believe that it is represented or corresponds to the first four seals being opened by Jesus in the book of Revelation. After Jesus told His disciples about the events that would occur during the beginning of sorrows, He spoke the words below to them. As we read them, let us remember that He was talking to His disciples, who were primarily Jews who believed in Him as the Christ, as their Messiah:
“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted [tribulation], and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity [lawlessness] shall abound, the love of many shall wax [grow] cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 24:9-14)
I believe this corresponds to the fifth seal being opened:
“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season [while], until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” (Revelation 6:9-11)
I believe that with the first four seals being opened, it puts great stress upon the earth, and that will lead to increased persecution of Christians. Those who reject Jesus Christ as their Savior will need someone to blame for all of the sorrows that are upon the earth, and they will blame the true believers in Jesus Christ. I believe those blaming the true believers in Jesus Christ this will include professing Christians, who are not truly saved, but are following a false Messiah.
As we read above in Revelation 6:9-11, those in heaven who were already killed for their faith in Jesus cry out, asking God when will He avenge their blood on those who killed them. They were told to rest a little longer until the rest of the believers in Jesus are killed for their faith. This statement was difficult for me to read because I want God to avenge them now, and I don’t want to be killed for my faith. I suspect that many believers do not want to killed for our faith. However, we know that persecution of Christians has been happening ever since Jesus came the first time, and will continue until He returns at His second coming. We must remember what Jesus said to His disciples:
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they knew not him that sent me.” (Jesus Christ; John 15:18-21)
As most of the world rejected, and continues to reject, Jesus’ free gift of salvation and hated Him, so too, does the unbelieving world hate us who are followers of Jesus. As Jesus was killed, crucified on a cross, so too, may some of us be killed for our faith in Him. I pray that if I am ever in a situation where I will have to die because of my faith, that I will be like Stephen, who was bold in his faith until the end and did not turn from Jesus just to save his own life. Stephen spoke these words before he died, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.” (Acts 7:60) We must also remind ourselves that there is coming a time when Jesus will judge and avenge the blood of His servants on the wicked, Christ-rejecting world, and I believe we are coming very near to that time. We must continue to warn others that they do not want to experience the wrath of God, for there is no escape from it, and tell them about the saving power of Jesus Christ.
As we move from the first four seals of the four horsemen and the fifth seal of the cry of the martyrs, to the sixth seal, I believe we see a difference in the remaining judgments of God. I believe that difference is supernatural. Now, let us read about the sixth seal judgment:
“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs [drops its late figs], when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed [sky split apart] as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman [slave], and every free man, hid themselves in the dens [caves] and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able [who is able] to stand?” (Revelation 6:12-17)
There is a lot to unpack in this sixth seal judgment. First, we are told there will be a great earthquake, and that the sun became black and the moon as blood, meaning red. We know that the sun can appear as black during a solar eclipse, and that the moon can appear as red during a lunar eclipse. I have also read how some consideration is given that a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipses can cause earthquakes, with the earthquakes happening before or after the eclipse., (Sources: https://sciencenotes.org/can-a-solar-eclipse-trigger-an-earthquake/; https://news24online.com/trending/do-earthquakes-occur-due-to-lunar-eclipse-here-is-what-research-say-mkir/58150/).
Before continuing in Revelation, I want to tell you about something that happened to me that I believe might be related to what is coming with the sixth seal. On June 7, 2026, right before I woke up in the morning, I dreamt of the words “high mantle eclipse.” I wrote them down so I would remember them. I have never heard that phrase or that term before, and I started researching it online. I believe it might be referring to the earth’s high or upper mantle being affected by an eclipse. Wikipedia states this about the upper mantle of the earth: (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_mantle)
“The upper mantle of Earth is a very thick layer of rock inside the planet, which begins just beneath the crust (at about 10 km (6.2 mi) under the oceans, and about 35 km (22 mi) under the continents) and ends at the top of the lower mantle, at about 670 km (420 mi).”
I do not know this with certainty, but I believe the words that I dreamt of “high mantle eclipse” have something to do with what is written in the sixth seal of the book of Revelation, and I believe that to be a great earthquake that will originate in the upper mantle, and which is triggered by a solar and a lunar eclipse. As I further researched this, apparently, it wasn’t until just recently that scientists discovered that earthquakes originating not from the earth’s crust but from the mantle have happened, as written in a February 14, 2026 article from Live Science: (Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/earthquakes/impossible-mantle-earthquakes-actually-occur-all-over-the-world-study-finds)
“A new map of these mysterious deep earthquakes shows that they occur all around the world and that they may have a variety of causes. That's interesting, said study senior author Simon Klemperer, a geophysicist at Stanford University, because mantle earthquakes were once thought to be impossible, or at least rare.”
Another article from Science Daily on February 20, 2026 states: (Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/02/260219040818.htm)
“Over the past decade, growing evidence has convinced many researchers that rare earthquakes do originate in the mantle, though they may occur about 100 times less frequently than crustal earthquakes. Even so, confirming them has been difficult because of limited data.”
A very recent article from June 3, 2026 from Science Daily wrote: (Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260602021636.htm)
“Scientists have confirmed that a mysterious Utah earthquake first detected in 1979 really did occur nearly 90 kilometers underground—far deeper than anyone thought earthquakes could happen beneath a continent. By reanalyzing decades of seismic data, researchers identified a rare class of "continental mantle earthquakes" occurring deep in Earth’s upper mantle, where rock is expected to slowly flow rather than suddenly break.”
Another article wrote about this same earthquake that occurred in 1979 agrees with the sign that Jesus said, “and earthquakes, in divers places.” (Matthew 24:7) Earthquakes are definitely occurring in diverse or various places, including the one in Utah, and not just in places where they often occur:
“‘The deep depth explained why it wasn’t felt by people at the surface,’ said Zandt, who later spent much of his career on the geology faculty at the University of Arizona. ‘I did some other analysis that convinced me of the reality of the deep depth, but it was hard to convince others of the highly anomalous mantle earthquake occurring in a region where none should exist.’”
The discovery of these mantle earthquakes is new, with the following announcement made on February 5, 2026 by Stanford University: (Source: https://phys.org/news/2026-02-global-rare-continental-mantle-earthquakes.html)
“Stanford researchers have created the first-ever global map of a rare earthquake type that occurs not in Earth's crust but in our planet's mantle, the layer sandwiched between the thin crust and Earth's molten core. The new map will help scientists learn more about the mechanics of mantle earthquakes, in turn opening a window into the complexities and triggers for all earthquakes.”
Sciencefacts.net has a good illustration that shows the different layers of the earth. (Source: https://www.sciencefacts.net/layers-of-the-earth.html) This is what is states for the Upper Mantle:
“It is the largest and thickest layer of earth. The upper mantle, along with the crust, makes up the lithosphere of earth, which is physically distinct from the layers lying below due to its low temperature high thickness. Below the lithosphere is found a much hotter and malleable portion of the upper mantle called the asthenosphere layer that begins at the bottom of the lithosphere and extends up to 450 miles (700 km) deep inside. The composition of the upper mantle is not found to be in a steady-state but always in constant motion. The upper mantle moves large areas of crust, called tectonic plates, resulting in the formation of volcanoes, mountains, or earthquakes.”
I believe that the “great earthquake” that is mentioned in Revelation 6:12 will originate in the earth’s upper mantle and will occur either sometime soon before or after a solar eclipse, during which the sun will turn black, followed by a lunar eclipse, when the moon will turn blood red. I also believe that deep within the earth’s mantle, both the lower and upper mantles, Almighty God is preparing the earth for what is coming, and that a series of volcanoes will simultaneously erupt, causing the mountains and islands to be no more. Again, I believe it will originate from the earth’s mantles. While I do not know this will in fact happen, I have learned to trust when I believe the Holy Spirit has impressed something upon me, and I am 100% convinced that is in fact what happened the morning of June 7, 2026.
The next event we read about that happens when the sixth seal is opened regards the stars in heaven. In the book of Luke, Jesus told His disciples about something else that would be a sign of His second coming and which represents the beginning of sorrows:
“And great earthquakes shall be in divers places [various] places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.” (Jesus Christ; Luke 21:11)
These fearful sights and great signs in heaven that Jesus spoke of may be referring to the sixth seal that is written about in Revelation 6:12-14. Again, these are the signs Jesus told us that we should be looking for as indicators of when His return to earth draws near. He does not want us to be ignorant of the time of His second coming, and He specifically told us to watch for the signs that indicate His return is near. Let us read the verses in Revelation 6 again that seem to correspond to what Jesus said above regarding fearful signs and great signs in heaven:
“And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs [drops its late figs], when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman [slave], and every free man, hid themselves in the dens [caves] and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able [is able] to stand?” (Revelation 6:13-17)
In the original Greek, in which the New Testament is written, the word “stars” in the first sentence above is “astér,” from which we get the word “asteroid.” (Sources: https://biblehub.com/greek/792.htm, https://www.etymonline.com/word/asteroid) Thus, we might understand this to mean that asteroids are falling from the sky to the earth. It could also be meteoroids, which result when two asteroids collide together. To the apostle John, these would look as though the stars of heaven were falling to the earth. In March of this year, 2026, many people in the USA noticed an increase in the amount of fireballs, or meteoroids, falling from the sky. One article from USA Today reported: (Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2026/03/28/march-meteors-2026-fireball-sightings-data/89331223007/)
“The American Meteor Society says that there was a notable increase in fireball activity in early 2026, with ten incidents until mid-March producing more than 100 witness reports apiece. Despite the fact that small space objects are constantly crashing into the Earth's atmosphere, the amount of fireballs reported in 2026 is more than usual.”
NASA Space News reported about this on April 1, 2026 and concluded the following: (Source: https://nasaspacenews.com/2026/03/fireball-sightings-are-surging-across/)
“Current evidence indicates that fireball sightings are surging across our planet due to a real increase in substantial meteoroid material. While technology amplifies awareness, the physical echoes of these events remain a fascinating celestial phenomenon.”
I propose that it is because we are nearing the loosening of the sixth seal. Notice that in the description of the stars falling from heaving, it compared it to a fig tree that casteth, meaning dropped, its untimely figs, “when it is shaken of a mighty wind.” The word “untimely” in the Greek is “olunthos,” and it is defined as an unripe fig. (Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/3653.htm) I am a little familiar with figs because we have a fairly large fig tree in our yard. The figs ripen during the summer, and when they are ripe, they are easy to take off of the tree. Some figs fall off the tree when they are ripe if we haven’t picked them soon enough. However, unripe figs are not easy to pull off the tree. I understand this analogy that the apostle John used to mean that the stars that falling from heaven is because of a very strong force will cause them to fall, and I believe that force is of God. It is not by anything that a human man or woman could cause; no, this is of God.
Next, we read about heaven or the sky departing, and John compares it to a scroll when it is rolled together. The Greek word is “helissó,” which means to “To roll up, to coil, to wrap.” (Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/1667.htm) About twelve years ago, I had a dream about this event happening. I was driving with two people who were going with me to look at my deceased mother’s house that was for sale. I remember looking up at the sky and seeing it being rolled up as a scroll, and I knew exactly then what was happening because I had read about it in the book of Revelation. I also lived near some mountains at that time, and I remember seeing them but I do not remember if they were shaking. I then quickly asked the two people riding with me if they were saved. I told them that they should turn to Jesus and be saved from their sins while there was still time, and then I woke up. Looking back, I wished I had written my dream down and the date that I dreamt it so that I could see if there was any other details about the dream. I have since started to write down information about my dreams so I don’t forget the details.
Notice in Revelation 6:14 that it does not say that the mountains fell down and the islands weren’t found but that “they were moved out of their places.” Let us read about the original Greek for “were moved”: (Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/2795.htm)
“kineó: To move, to stir, to set in motion”
This seems to be something that happens that is in preparation for what comes next, which I believe is the wrath of God that will be poured out upon mankind, full strength. I may be wrong, but I do not believe this is the same event that is written about in Revelation 16:20. In that verse it says, “And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.” I believe the sixth seal written in Revelation 6:12-14 is a severe warning from God for mankind to repent, to turn to Him, before things get really bad. I believe the great earthquake written about in Revelation 6:12 is going to be a very deep earthquake that will occur in the high/upper mantle of the earth, either before or after a solar and lunar eclipse, that will be felt all over the earth and will result in every mountain and island being moved out of place. To add what may be further proof of this concept, as we previously read about seismologists recently discovering that earthquakes are in fact originating from the upper mantle, on July 6, 2026 it was reported that upper mantle earthquakes are now being detected in Antarctica by using AI technology when they were previously missed. I believe we are witnessing the literal foreshocks of the sixth seal of Revelation as a warning from God: (Source: https://en.as.com/latest_news/new-study-reveals-hundreds-of-hidden-earthquakes-are-happening-beneath-antarctica-f202607-n/)
“Such was the case for a group of researchers looking at data collected over the past two decades from nearly 50 seismic stations. The machines found roughly 1,000 earthquakes magnitude 1.6 to 3.5 that had happened beneath the David Glacier on Antarctica and previously been missed.
“But perhaps more interesting was the location of the events, half of them occurred at depths between 60 and 90 miles below the surface and away from active plate boundaries, instead happening in the middle of the tectonic plate. The scientists observed in their study published in the journal Science that ‘they seemed tied to flexure and stress gradients around a boundary between the warm and cold lithosphere beneath West and East Antarctica, respectively.’”
“‘The earthquakes occur where the cold, rigid crust and upper mantle beneath East Antarctica meets warmer, softer rock beneath West Antarctica,’ University of Alabama geologist and lead author of the study, Long Ho, explained to Live Science. ‘This contrast creates an abrupt change in tectonic strength.’”
“Ho [Long Ho, the author of the study] told Live Science that the team’s findings of so many earthquakes away from plate edges and at the boundary between the lithosphere and upper mantel may indicate that this is happening unnoticed around the world. If that were the case, it could have an impact on our current theories on plate tectonics.”
Let us return to Revelation 6 and read verses 15-17 again:
“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens [caves] and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come: and who shall be able [is able] to stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17)
This is describing a great terror that comes upon every single person on the earth, whether they be rich or poor, free or slave, and they are literally running for their lives to what they think is a safe place. It reminds me of the various movies that Hollywood has portrayed with meteors, asteroids, and comets hitting the earth. It also brings to mind the various billionaires we have heard of late who are spending lots of money having underground bunkers built for them. On July 2, 2026, yahoo.com posted an article titled “The 'architect of the apocalypse' is building underground worlds for billionaires to outlast the end.” The article states: (Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/architect-apocalypse-building-underground-worlds-190400765.html)
“According to the Daily Mail, the ‘architect of the apocalypse’ is working on elaborate underground compounds for government, military, and wealthy clients, intended to keep people alive below the surface for years.”
Obviously, they believe something catastrophic is coming upon the earth to the extent where it will not be safe for them to live aboveground. However, I do not believe it is because they believe in the word of God, for if they did, they would know that they are wasting their money, for nothing will be able to save them except Almighty God. I read a few of the comments on the aforementioned article and agree with one posted by Amy, who said, “they can’t escape God.” She is correct. What do the people building these bunkers know? I believe they are followers of Satan, and Satan knows what is coming, and he believes that he can defeat or escape God. He is wrong.
In Revelation 6:15-16, notice it does not say that when these people are filled with terror and running for their lives that they repent and turn to God. They will know this was from God because we read in verse 17 that they will tell the mountains and the rocks to fall on them, meaning to kill them, because they will know that it is the wrath of the Lamb, the wrath of Jesus Christ, and they will want to die. This will include people like these ultra-rich billionaires who are building their bunkers that will not be able to save them.
Again, while I do not know this for a fact, I believe that these judgments correspond to the beginning of sorrows that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24. Next, let us read what will happen next, before the opening of the seventh seal:
“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children [sons] of Israel.” (Revelation 7:1-4)
We are told there are four angels holding back the next judgments that will hurt the earth, the sea, and the trees, but before that happens, 144,000 sons of Israel, who are also referred to as “servants of our God,” will be sealed in their foreheads. Verses 5-8 tell us that 12,000 sons from each of the twelve tribes will be sealed. I have put the names of the tribes as they appear in Greek and, when they are different, as they also appear in the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament: 1) Juda/Judah, the tribe from which Jesus came, 2) Reuben, 3) Gad, 4) Aser/Asher, 5) Nephthalim/Naphtali, 6) Manasses/Manasseh, 7) Simeon, 8) Levi, 9) Issachar, 10) Zabulon/Zebulun, 11) Joseph, and 12) Benjamin. This same number of 144,000 sealed sons is also mentioned in Revelation 14. While it does not say it is referring to the same group of people, I believe it is. Revelation 14:1-5 states:
“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. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts [living creatures], and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile [deceit] for they are without fault before the throne of God.” (Revelation 14:1-5)
Based on what we read above, these 144,000 sons of Israel are in heaven singing a new song, a song that no other man could know, to God before His throne. We are also told that they follow Jesus, referred to as the Lamb, wherever He goes. We are told that they are “the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” Per biblehub.com, “firstfruits” is defined as: (Source: https://biblehub.com/topical/f/firstfruits.htm)
“Firstfruits, in biblical terms, refers to the initial yield of a harvest that is offered to God as an act of worship and gratitude. This concept is deeply rooted in the agricultural practices of ancient Israel and holds significant theological and spiritual implications throughout the Scriptures.”
I believe these 144,000 sons of Israel written about in Revelation 7:4-8 are the firstfruits seen by John in Revelation 14:1-5, that they are the initial yield of the larger harvest, which includes the remnant of Israel and the Gentiles who will turn to Christ and be saved from their sins during the second half of the time of Jacob’s trouble, known as the “great tribulation.”. Doing so may likely cost them their lives. Let us continue reading in Revelation 7, which discusses this larger harvest of souls who turn to Christ and are saved:
“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds [tribes], and people, and tongues [languages], stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms [palm branches] in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts [living creatures], and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What [Who] are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on [strike] them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed [shepherd] them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:9-17)
It says in the above Scriptures that the ones dressed in white robes had come “out of great tribulation.” Is it looking forward through the trumpet and bowl judgments? I think it is because the usage of “firstfruits” in Revelation 14:4 that referred to the 144,000 sons of Israel is used in the context of a larger, forthcoming harvest, which I believe is represented in the Scriptures above. I believe this is the fulfillment of what we previously read about in Revelation 6:9 when John was shown the souls of people who had been martyred for their faith in God and they asked how long must they wait until God avenges their blood, and they were told until their fellow brethren would be martyred.
To summarize, John is shown the fifth seal, which was those who had been martyred for their faith, asking how long until God avenges them (Revelation 6:9-11); the 144,000 sons of Israel whom God sealed on the forehead (Revelation 7:3-8), whom I believe are the same as the 144,000 who are sealed and who represent the firstfruits of God (Revelation 14:1-5); and the great multitude of those who come out of the great tribulation, likely being martyred for their faith in God (Revelation 7:9-17).
Now, let us read the seventh seal judgment that is revealed to John:
“And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into [to] the earth: and there were voices [noises], and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” (Revelation 8:1-6)
This seventh seal seems to be a period of mourning that is placed between the end of the seal judgments and the beginning of the trumpet judgments, and it lasts for half an hour. You may have seen on TV or in some public event where if something bad had happened, things are paused for a brief moment of silence, such as just happened on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in America. However, this silence in heaven is not for 30 seconds or even a minute, but a full half hour. We are also told that the prayers of all saints, which means all believers in Jesus Christ, were offered, along with a golden censer filled with much incense, on the golden altar before the throne. Perhaps the saints’ prayers were for their loved ones who had not turned to Jesus Christ, praying that they would, before it’s too late. For anyone who believes that God does not hear our prayers, this is proof that He absolutely does. Next, in preparation for the start of the trumpet judgments, an angel takes fire from the altar and casts it to the earth, followed by noises, thunder, lightning, and an earthquake. To me it seems that this is a warning from God for what is about to come upon the entire earth.
Before continuing, I want us to consider the meaning of the three different types of judgments from God:
Seal Judgments: What is the purpose of a seal? In this context, where the seals are on a scroll, it is a signet, which is defined as: “a seal used officially to give personal authority to a document in lieu of signature.” (Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/signet). God is letting us know that these judgments are from Him, by His authority. The judgments are not from the antichrist or Satan, but from Almighty God. A seal is also used to hide something that is written that is sealed and to ensure that it will only be opened by the person who has the authority to open the document, in this case it is only Jesus who is found worthy to open the seven seals on the scroll. What does a seal do when it is opened? It reveals something that is written on the scroll, something that would not be known until the scroll was opened fully. As each seal is opened, more information is given. As I stated before, I believe we are already in the seal judgments. I think for the first four seals, as each one is opened, it causes the events to happen that are written in the subsequent seal; one causes another. I believe we are in the early stages of the third seal being opened, and that we will see worldwide famine in the next year or so. I believe the USA/Israel/Iran war was the trigger for this to happen.
Trumpet Judgments: What does a trumpet do? It makes a loud sound or a noise, to proclaim, to make something known, such as a warning. In the book of Ezekiel, chapter 33, it describes a watchman who will watch for terror coming upon a city, and when he sees it coming, he will blow his trumpet to warn the people. If the people do not heed his warning, their blood will be on their own head, but if the watchman does not blow the trumpet to warn them and they are killed, their blood will be on his head, and God will hold him accountable.
Trumpets are also used to announce the start of war, especially in the Old Testament. Seven trumpets were used in Israel’s war against Jericho. When Israel sounded the trumpets, the wall of Jericho came down. (Source: https://biblehub.com/topical/naves/t/trumpet_used_in_war.htm) Trumpets are not hidden, but are put on full display with loud and thunderous noises. In the context of the book of Revelation, they are proclaiming God’s judgment is coming. It is a warning from God that war on earth is about to come. If unbelievers do not heed God’s warning, their blood will be on their own heads.
Bowl/Vial Judgments: What do bowls/vials do? They contain something that is poured out of them. In this case, it is pouring out God’s judgment, God’s wrath, in full and undiluted strength on a wicked and vile world. As we will read later in Revelation chapter 15, the bowls, which are golden, contain “the seven last plagues.” There are many parallels between the seven bowl judgments and the plagues that happened during the Exodus. Again, we are given a clue that these judgments are from God because of the type of metal used for the bowls/vials, which is gold. Let is read how gold is used in the Bible: (Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/5552.htm)
“Symbol of Divine Glory and Purity”
“Gold resists corrosion and retains brilliance; Scripture consistently harnesses these traits to signify holiness, worth, and permanence. Revelation repeatedly places ‘golden’ items in close proximity to the throne of God:
• ‘Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders, dressed in white and wearing golden crowns on their heads.’ (Revelation 4:4)
• ‘When He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.’ (Revelation 5:8)
“The adjective does more than describe color; it marks an object as set apart for the worship of the Almighty.”
Bowls in the Bible are normally used to present offerings and to burn incense to God. However, in this case, it seems that God is saying to the world that if it chooses not to worship Him and instead worship false gods and idols, the bowls will be used to pour out His wrath upon them.
I also want to point out that the word “golden” has been used a lot lately by the US President. Here are just several examples: repeatedly telling Americans that we will see the “golden age” of America; praising a 22-foot golden statue representing his image that was dedicated to him at his Miami golf club; placing gold architectural details in the Oval Office; creating a golden ballroom in the east wing of the White House, and most recently, on July 15, 2026, it was announced that the US Treasury would mint a solid gold $1 coin, supposedly commemorating the 250th anniversary of the USA, with, of course, his image on the front of the coin.
Several articles have been written about Trump’s obsession with gold, including one from Slate.com on June 11, 2026, which states: (Source: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/06/trump-gold-white-house-ballroom-statue.html)
“As far as design fetishes go, gold is a logical one. In ancient civilizations as in ours, it was status made manifest. Societies across the world valued gold as a symbol of divinity, immortality, and authority; its rarity made it a special privilege to behold and possess. In recent eras, as power became increasingly synonymous with wealth, gold turned into shorthand for prosperity itself. A frenzied grab for easy money is a ‘gold rush,’ recalling the drive for riches that instigated a genocide of Indigenous people and shaped the U.S. as we know it.
“In this context, like many of Trump’s cultural fixations, his love of gold is painfully on the nose. He thirsts for the kind of ultimate supremacy and luxury enjoyed by monarchical figures of the past, who built the likes of Egyptian temples and Versailles, leaving lasting marks on their national landscapes. This chafes against the restraint demanded by his current role, which has historically been carried out in humbler fashion.”
I believe Trump, in his own mind, is portraying himself as divine. Again, I warn you not to be deceived by him, as Jesus warned His disciples as a sign of His return, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” (Matthew 24:4) There is only one God, there is only one Messiah, and it is not Donald Trump.
As we will see when we read about the trumpet and bowl/vial judgments, each set of judgments of God results in harsher events happening upon the earth. Not only will the judgments affect Israel but the entire unbelieving world, which is every single person who will choose to remain in their sin rather than turning to Jesus Christ to be saved from their sins. As we will see, God is still restraining His wrath in these trumpet judgments, still giving mankind time to repent and turn to Him. Now, let us read about the first four trumpet judgments that are sounded by four angels:
“The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp [torch], and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains [springs] of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten [struck], and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not [had no light] for a third part of it, and the night likewise.” (Revelation 8:7-12)
Notice the pattern of the first four trumpet judgments affecting only one-third of the trees, the sea and the creatures that live in it, the ships on the sea, the rivers, springs, and all freshwater/drinking water, the sun, moon, and stars, and the length of daylight and nighttime. God could have let all of these judgments affect everything 100%, but that would have resulted in everything dying off, with all unbelievers spending their eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone. No, God is still restraining, still giving mankind time to repent, to turn to Him and be saved.
Truly, the first four trumpet judgments are cosmic in nature, with hail and fire being cast down to the earth, something like a great mountain burning with fire cast into the sea, a great burning star called Wormwood crashing down from heaven to the fresh waters, and a dimming of the sun, moon, and stars, causing the number of hours of daylight and the number of hours of nighttime to be reduced by a third.
On July 15, 2026, the following was reported: (Source: https://endtimeheadlines.org/2026/07/astronomers-horrified-by-enormous-mirror-satellite-that-reflects-sunlight-back-down-to-earth-at-night/)
“According to a report from Futurism, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has granted approval for the construction and launch of a massive orbital mirror satellite designed to reflect sunlight back to Earth after dark.
“The decision, issued on July 9, has sparked intense concern among scientists who warn that the technology represents a significant new form of interference with astronomical observations and natural ecosystems.”
Mankind is acting like it is God. In the cosmic trumpet judgments, it seems that God is saying to them, you don’t want to have the sun, moon, and stars operate as I designed them? Then here, I will take one third of them away from you, and you can see the disastrous results of it.
Consider what it says about a great mountain burning with fire that is cast into the sea. What is a mountain made of? It is made of rock. Asteroids are mostly rocks. If this was a large enough asteroid, it could appear as a mountain coming out of the sky and heading toward the sea. Regarding what it says about “a great burning star called Wormwood,” it is very interesting to me that on Friday, April 13, 2029, there is an asteroid that has been named Apophis, which will come within 20,000 miles of earth, closer than many satellites. This is not just any ordinary asteroid, but one that is being called “an infamous giant asteroid.” An April 16, 2026 article from USA Today states: (Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/04/16/apophis-asteroid-2029-earth-nasa/89639026007/)
“As of April 13, an infamous giant asteroid known as Apophis is now three years away from becoming the first space rock of its size to come near Earth in recorded human history.”
“Apophis is the Greek name for Apep, the ancient Egyptian god of evil and destruction.”
“NASA compares the size of Apophis, which is about a quarter of a mile long, to the Eiffel Tower in France.”
“While the exact shape of Apophis remains a mystery, radar observations suggest it is an elongated peanut shape.”
It is interesting to me that there is a type of wormwood plant called Dragon Wormwood, and if you look at its fruit, it seems to match the description of the suggested shape of Apophis. (Source: https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/artemisia/dracunculus/) Could Apophis be what the Bible calls “Wormwood” in Revelation 8:10-11? I think it is a possibility.
Before the Bible discusses the rest of the trumpet judgments, a warning is proclaimed to the inhabitants of the earth:
“And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices [remaining blasts] of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet [about] to sound.” (Revelation 8:13)
In the Scriptures above, though the King James Version of the Bible uses the word “angel” as the one flying in the middle of heaven pronouncing the three woes to the earth’s inhabitants, the word in Greek is “aetos,” and it means an eagle. (Source: https://biblehub.com/strongs/greek/105.htm) This eagle is warning the world’s inhabitants of what is to come, and that things are about to get really bad. As I read Revelation, I wonder how people can completely ignore the warnings of God and refuse to repent and turn to Him. Sadly, I know most will ignore them because people in the times we live in now are doing the exact same thing. Now, let us read about the sounding of the fifth trumpet:
“And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall [which had fallen] from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit [shaft of the abyss]. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they [the locusts] should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power [authority] was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon [Destruction], but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon [Destroyer]. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.” (Revelation 9:1-12)
Consider the star that had fallen from heaven to earth and to whom it was given the key to the bottomless pit. I do not know with certainty but I believe this to be Satan, also called Lucifer, as written about by the prophet Isaiah:
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer [Day Star], son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (Isaiah 14:12)
Jesus told His disciples that He had seen Satan fall from heaven:
“And he [Jesus] said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” (Luke 10:18)
Revelation chapter 12 also describes Satan’s fall from heaven:
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into [to] the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I [John the apostle] heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. (Revelation 12:9-10)
It makes sense to me that Satan would have the key to the bottomless pit, also called the abyss, because of what is also written in Isaiah 14 about Satan:
“For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides [lowest depths, lit. recesses] of the pit.” (Isaiah 14:13-15)
We are told the reason for Satan’s fall, and that it was his pride, and where he will go when he falls, and that is to the lowest depths of the pit. The abyss is also referenced again in Revelation chapter 20, when an angel has the keys to the bottomless pit and casts Satan into it during the entire 1,000-year reign of Christ that happens after His second coming. This bottomless pit appears to be different than the eternal lake of fire and brimstone, which is where Satan will be sent after the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. Call me crazy but I believe this bottomless pit exists on earth and goes all the way down to earth’s outer and inner cores.
There are some people who believe that CERN is trying to open this pit with the large hadron collider (LHC) near Geneva, Switzerland. CERN just shut down the LHC for the third time in its history so that it can undergo significant upgrades which will not be completed unto sometime in 2030. After the upgrades, it will no longer be called the LHC but the “High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC).” (Source: https://phys.org/news/2026-07-large-hadron-collider-secrets-higgs.html) I do not know if there is any connection between the bottomless pit and CERN. What I do know is that the Bible tells us that when the bottomless pit is opened, the smoke of a great furnace will come out of it, so much so that the sun and moon were darkened by it.
Next, we are told that locusts come out of the smoke, and that power is given to them to hurt only people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They are commanded not to kill them but to torment them for five months. The torment will be so bad that the people being tormented will want to die but won’t be able to. The locusts are also commanded not to hurt the grass or any green thing or tree. Remember that we previously read in Revelation 8:7 that when the first trumpet sounded, all of the green grass was burned up. So where did this grass come from in Revelation 9:4? One answer may be that we do not know how much time will elapse between these two judgments. In areas where conditions are favorable, such as in the south, grass grows relatively quickly. Thus, it is possible that some of the grass will grow back after the first trumpet judgment. Notice that the Bible tells us that the locusts are commanded not to harm the grass, trees, or any green thing. However, that is what locusts normally attack, and they can cause severe damage to crops. Have you ever seen a locust swarm and noticed just how many locusts there are in the swarm? Per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations frequently asked questions about locusts, it states the following regarding the size of locust swarms and the approximate number of locusts in the swarm: (Source: https://www.fao.org/locust-watch/resources/frequently-asked-questions-(faqs)-about-locusts/en)
“Locust swarms can vary from less than one square kilometre to several hundred square kilometres. There can be at least 40 million and sometimes as many as 80 million locust adults in each square kilometre of swarm.”
Have you noticed that there seems to be an increase in worldwide locust swarms lately? The Bible includes a plague of locusts in Egypt, as written in the book of Exodus chapter 10. The book of Joel chapter 1 also describes locusts that devastate the southern kingdom of Judah. However, the locust judgment in Revelation 9 is not a normal locust swarm that devours crops, such as is written about in Exodus and Joel. Because of the description of the locust trumpet judgment in Revelation chapter 9, there are some people who believe that they are not literal locusts but something else, such as helicopters or drones. Let us read the description of them again:
“And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power [authority] was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon [Destruction], but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon [Destroyer]. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.” (Revelation 9:7-12)
If these were ordinary locusts, they would attack and devour the crops, trees, and grass and would not sting people. The Old Testament’s book of Joel describes exactly that: locusts attacking and devouring crops in the land of Judah. The descriptions of the locusts in Joel (Joel 2:4-5) are also very similar to those in Revelation. While the book of Joel speaks of an actual locust plague that did come upon the land, I believe it also is speaking a prophecy of the coming day of the Lord that will include the plague of locusts written in Revelation 9:1-11, where the locusts are demonic locusts and will torment all unsaved people on the earth for five months. It is interesting to me that Joel 2:10 states something happens during this time that is very similar to what is written in Revelation with the seal and trumpet judgments. I have compared the Scriptures below:
Joel 2:10 - “The earth shall quake before them;”; Revelation 6:12 (sixth seal) - “and, lo, there was a great earthquake…”
Joel 2:10 - “the heavens shall tremble:”; Revelation 6:13-14 (sixth seal) - “And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together…”
Joel 2:10 - “the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:”; Revelation 6:12 (sixth seal) - “and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;” Revelation 8:12 (fourth trumpet) - “and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.”
In the book of Joel, the prophet Joel tells the people to turn to the Lord with their heart, fasting, weeping, and with mourning. Joel tells them to rend, meaning to tear, their heart and not their garments so that the Lord will change his mind and bless His people once again. I believe the prophet was giving us a preview, where at that time, the judgments of God were not as severe as what they will be like in the coming day of the Lord. Whether we choose to be cursed by God because of our sins against Him, or to be blessed by Him is our choice to make, just as it was for the people to whom Joel gave his message.
Returning to our discussion of the locusts written about in Revelation, those locusts are different than regular locusts as we know them, which is pests that devour crops. No, I believe these are supernatural in nature and are demonic. I find it interesting that the US Army has a LOCUST Laser Weapon System that is a directed energy weapon (DEW) developed by AeroVironment to be used against drone threats. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locust_Laser_Weapon_System) The US Military also has an Active Denial System that is also a directed energy weapon that was designed primarily for crowd control. Per Wikipedia, a test subject from the Air Force Research Laboratory described the feeling of being hit with the system: (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Denial_System)
“For the first millisecond, it just felt like the skin was warming up. Then it got warmer and warmer and you felt like it was on fire … As soon as you’re away from that beam your skin returns to normal and there is no pain.”
What if the locusts in Revelation chapter 9 were scaled-down miniature drone versions of these two weapon systems, where the “tail” is the LOCUST laser and the “sting” is as described above? That might explain the breastplates of iron and the noise they make that sounds like many horses and chariots. While I do not know how they would have hair as of women, teeth as of lions, and faces like men, war as we know it is rapidly changing with the advent of drone technology and artificial intelligence. Perhaps as the military painted images on the nose of its aircraft (Source: https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/us-military-plane-nose-art.html), it will have images imprinted on drone technology and it will be as is described in Revelation chapter 9. Or, perhaps, it will be the drones themselves that create the images through something known as “drone art.” (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drone_art)
Because the locusts described in Revelation 9 will be able to distinguish between the people on earth who do not have the seal of God from those who do, I believe this clearly is something supernatural and that it is demonic. I believe that artificial intelligence is given by Satan and his fallen angels to rich and powerful earthly men who follow him, and that it may be used in this case. One could argue, but why would Satan use something like this to torture people who reject God? If they reject God, doesn’t that mean they follow Satan? The answer is yes, from the Bible’s perspective, but from a human’s perspective, there are plenty of people who don’t believe in God or Satan. There are also people who believe that they can save themselves by being “good” and who also reject Jesus’ gift of salvation. These people, and everyone else alive on earth at that time who do not have the seal of God on or in their foreheads will be tormented for five months and will want to die but won’t be able to.
Regarding the commandment that the locusts are not to hurt the people that have the seal of God on their foreheads, I am confident that this absolutely includes the 144,000 virgin men of Israel who were sealed by God on their foreheads (Revelation 7:3). I think it also includes all believers in Jesus Christ who are alive at that time because they too are sealed by the Holy Spirit, as we read in Ephesians 1:13-14 below. While I do not know where we, believers in Christ, are sealed, I suspect it is on the forehead:
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest [down payment or deposit] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)
In Revelation 9:11, we previously read about a king that rules over the locusts. Let us read it again:
“And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.” (Revelation 9:11)
I do not know with certainty that this king is Satan, but I suspect that it is. One reason that it might be Satan is because of the title of “king” instead of something like “prince” or “ruler.” We also know that Satan was an angel. As I previously discussed and as evidenced by Scripture, I believe the reference to the star that fell from heaven, and the one to whom the key to the bottomless pit is given, is Satan. It is Satan who opens it and releases the locusts. Satan is also known as the one who only seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10). Thus, a title of Abaddon, which means Destruction, and Apollyon, which means Destroyer, would be fitting for Satan.
Now, let us continue reading from Revelation chapter 9, as we move to the second and third woes, with the sounding of the sixth and seventh trumpets:
“One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose [Release] the four angels which are bound in [at] the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an [the] hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.” (Revelation 9:12-15)
Before continuing with the description of the sixth trumpet judgment, I want to point out that it states above that one-third of men will be slain. This is one-third of all people on the earth. This is one-third of all the people who will still be alive after having gone through all of the seal judgements and after the first five trumpet judgments.
Let us remember that in chapter 7, verses 1-3, we previously read that the four angels could not hurt the earth, the sea, nor any tree until the foreheads of 144,000 virgin men from the twelve tribes of Israel were sealed. I believe this is to protect them from harm, including from the judgment described above. The sixth trumpet judgment above reminded me of something I previously read in the book of Ezekiel, when God caused six men with destroying weapons in their hands to slaughter the people in Jerusalem because of their sins and abominations they committed against Him and had shed much blood. Let us read what happened:
“He cried also in mine ears [hearing] with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying [deadly] weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house [The temple]. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; and the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set [put] a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for [over] all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing [my ears], Go ye after him through the city, and smite [kill]: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: slay utterly [to destruction] old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary [The temple]. Then they began at the ancient [elders] men which were before the house [temple].” (Ezekiel 9:1-6)
When we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ to save us, we are sealed by His Holy Spirit and will be protected from His judgment, just as the men in Jerusalem that sighed and cried because of the perverse sins of their fellow men and women in the city they had committed against God. This is a picture of God’s judgment against those who reject Him, and of God’s protection for those who trust in Him, which will happen in the Day of the Lord. Notice that God’s judgment happened first with the elders in the temple, who should have been leading the people to God but instead had led them to idolatry.
Regarding God’s command to slay the little children, that is difficult to read. Some people believe that children under a certain age will be with Jesus when they die. I do not know if that is correct or not, but I do know that God is only good and that I can trust Him in all things, even when I do not understand it.
Let us continue reading about the sixth trumpet judgment:
“And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand [200 million]: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire [fiery red], and of jacinth [hyacinth blue], and brimstone [sulphur yellow]: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone [burning sulphur]. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. And the rest of them which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils [demons], and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.” (Revelation 9:16-21)
There is a 200 million-man army that is clothed in the colors of red, blue, and sulfur yellow and who ride horses. However, these are no ordinary horses, for they have heads like lions and their mouths send forth fire, smoke and brimstone, which is burning sulfur. It seems to me that the colors of the breastplates of fiery red, jacinth, which can be dark blue, deep purple, or dark red in color, and brimstone, which is sulphur yellow, seem to correspond to the colors of the three plagues that come out of the horses’ mouths, which is fire, smoke, and brimstone. We are told that the horses’ tails are like serpents and that the tails have heads that hurt. It is by the power of these horses that one-third of mankind is killed. I do not know if these are in fact horses or something else that the apostle John could not describe at the time he wrote it. It could very well be something else, such as some sort of military technology, such as drones or robots.
We are also told that this happens when the four angels that are bound at the Euphrates River are loosed at what seems to be an appointed, or “prepared” time; a specific hour, day, month, and year. Because God knows all things, He knows exactly when this event will take place.
We see here that once again, God is restraining His wrath by not killing all of mankind but one third of it. Yet, how do those who are not killed respond? Did they fall down to their knees and ask God to forgive them of their sins against Him and acknowledge that He is God? No, they continued in their sin, and worshipped demons and idols.
As we continue in the book of Revelation, there is once again a sort of intermission between the sixth and seventh trumpet blasts:
“And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth [land], and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time [delay] no longer: but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” (Revelation 10)
The description of this mighty angel sounds very similar to descriptions of Jesus. However, I do not believe it is Jesus because Jesus is not an angel. Also, it says the mighty angel lifted up his hand to heaven and swore by him that lives forever and who created all things. The one to whom the angel swore is Jesus.
We are told in Revelation 10:7 that when the seventh angel sounds the seventh trumpet, that “the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” Let us jump ahead and read what Revelation 11:15 says when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet:
“And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:15-18)
I will write more about Revelation chapter 11, but I wanted to include it here to say that the blowing of the seventh trumpet announces that God’s wrath has come, meaning that with these last seven judgments, the vial or bowl judgments, God’s wrath will be poured out full strength upon the earth. God’s judgment upon the earth during the great tribulation will culminate with the Lord Jesus Christ taking His righteous reign upon the earth. No longer will the world be ruled by Satan. I personally cannot wait until this happens because the world is growing darker and more evil by the day.
The Bible tells us that the mystery of God is Jesus Christ, and that salvation is found in Him alone, and because Israel as a nation rejected Jesus, Jesus then turned His attention to the Gentiles, offering them salvation, in order to provoke Israel to jealousy. The apostle Paul, a Jew and a Pharisee and who was a former persecutor of Christians, wrote of this mystery of God:
“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation [stewardship] of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery [hidden truth]; (as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: whereof I was made [became] a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual [effective] working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: to the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold [many-sided] wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of [faith in] him.” (Ephesians 3:1-12)
In the Scriptures above, I believe the mystery of God that was not made known to the “sons of men” reference is referring to the manifestation of God in the flesh, and that is Jesus the Christ. He came not only to save the Jews but also the Gentiles, as written by God’s prophets in Israel, including the prophet Isaiah:
“And he [God the Father] said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)
The apostle Paul, having been chosen by Jesus to preach salvation to the Gentiles, confirmed in his words from Ephesians above what the prophet Isaiah wrote many years before: The offer of salvation is freely given to every single person, not just to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles. Paul wrote about this in 1 Timothy:
“And without controversy great is the mystery [hidden truth] of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16)
Gotquestions.org has a good article regarding the mystery of God and when it will reach its fulfillment, as stated by the mighty angel in Revelation 10. (Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/mystery-of-God.html) I encourage you to read the article. I have included part of it below:
“The mystery of God’s will is that ‘which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ’ (Ephesians 1:9–10; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:7; Revelation 10:7). The mystery of God is the consummation of God’s plan in bringing His kingdom in Christ to fulfillment. The kingdom had long been prophesied, but the how and the when and the by whom was not clear until the time of Christ. It is in Christ that God has been manifested to all of mankind. As Jesus said, ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father’ (John 14:9).
“Paul said that he had been commissioned to preach “the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people” (Colossians 1:25–26). That is, it is through the apostles that we have been given the capstone of Scripture; their writings, all of which point to Christ—represent the final disclosure of God’s Word to mankind.”
The other thing that I noticed is how the Scriptures in Revelation 10 say that this mighty angel that holds the little book puts his right foot on the sea and his left on the earth. I had not thought about this before but, perhaps, is this to show us that he has power over the coming beast of the sea, the antichrist, and the beast of the earth, the false prophet, of whom we will read in Revelation chapter 13, and of those who follow them.
There is an Old Testament occurrence of a similar scenario where a prophet is given a scroll or a book to eat, and that is in the book of Ezekiel. However, I believe the prophet was given the scroll by Jesus Christ because it describes a man sitting on a throne. The description of Jesus matches other descriptions of Him in the Bible:
“And above the firmament [expanse] that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it [high above it]. And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of that spake. And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me. And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.” (Ezekiel 1:26-2:3)
While the description in Ezekiel is similar to that of the one we previously read in Revelation 10, the description in Revelation 10 states that it is a mighty angel who gave the book to the apostle John. Jesus is not referred to as an angel but of many other titles. Some believe that the angel mentioned in Revelation 10 is the archangel, Michael. In the Scriptures above from Ezekiel, we are told in verse 2:4, “…Thus saith the Lord GOD.” Therefore, we know for a fact that it is not an angel that spoke to Ezekiel.
As John was told, Ezekiel is also told to take a scroll and eat it, which he did. In Ezekiel 3:14, which I have also included below, he wrote how he went in bitterness after having eaten the scroll that pronounced woe upon the children of Israel:
“But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee. And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me [stretched out to me]; and, lo, a roll [scroll] of a book was therein; and he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe. Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll [scroll], and go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat [feed thy belly], and fill thy bowels [stomach] with this roll [scroll] that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.” (Ezekiel 2:8-3:3)
“So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit [or anger]; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.” (Ezekiel 3:14)
When we compare the Scriptures from Revelation and Ezekiel, we see there is a distinct difference between the two, and that is that the apostle John was told to prophesy to many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings. However, Ezekiel is told to speak only to the house of Israel. Thus, whatever judgment that would cause “lamentations, and mourning, and woe” would be directed at Israel and not to the entire world.
Notice that both John and Ezekiel’s reaction to eating the scroll was the same: it tasted sweet in their mouths but left them feeling bitter because the message it contains pronounces woe.
I also want to point out that Revelation 10:3 says that when the mighty angel cried out with a loud voice that it sounded like a roaring lion. It also says that at the same time, something else happened. Let us read it again:
“…and when he had cried, seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.” (Revelation 10:3-4)
Thus, there are things that will happen during this time period on earth that we do not know about and cannot read about them in the Bible, for they are sealed. Nowhere in the Bible does it say they are unsealed or where it reveals what was said by the seven thunders. Now, let us move on to Revelation chapter 11:
“And there was given me a reed [measuring rod] like unto a rod [staff]: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without [outside] the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophecy a thousand two hundred and threescore [sixty] days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks [lampstands] standing before the God of the earth.” (Revelation 11:1-4)
There are many who believe, myself included, that the temple that is referred to in the Scriptures above is the Jewish Third Temple that is yet to be built, but which must exist. It must exist because Jesus referred to the abomination of desolation being committed in it by the antichrist, as spoken about by Daniel the prophet:
“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:)…” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 24:15)
“And he [antichrist] shall confirm the covenant [Or a treaty] with many for one week: and in the midst [middle] of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and oblation [offering] to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate [Or desolator].” (Daniel 9:27)
We know this is a physical temple because the Scriptures above state that sacrifices and offerings will be offered in it until the antichrist causes them to cease. We also know that the antichrist will stand in the holy place, which according to Jewish Law is reserved entry to priests only, and the antichrist will make it desolate. The apostle Paul also wrote of this in 2 Thessalonians:
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand [had come]. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)
I do not believe it is just by chance that there are Jews in Israel today that are wanting to built their Third Temple. As I discussed earlier in this devotional, they are trying to breed the spotless red heifer that will be used to cleanse the Temple after it is built. On July 29, 2026, the following was reported by Israel 365 News: (Source: https://israel365news.com/420045/sanhedrin-rules-it-will-formally-petition-heaven-to-reveal-mashiach-and-rebuild-the-temple/)
“The nascent Sanhedrin issued a formal ruling this week, asking the Holy One, Blessed be He, to remove hostile forces from the Jewish people and the Land of Israel, reveal the Mashiach (Messiah), rebuild the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple), and restore prophecy to Israel. The written ruling, dated 6 Menachem Av, 5786, follows a session the court’s members described as several hours long, during which two of the judges argued against moving forward before ultimately joining the majority.”
“‘The court asks that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, remove and erase every obstacle so that we may build the Beit HaMikdash.’”
On June 22, 2026, Israel 365 News also reported that Israeli support for the building of the Third Temple has increased now to 55%, a sharp increase from 30% in 2013. (Source: https://israel365news.com/419041/after-october-7-majority-of-israelis-support-rebuilding-the-temple-up-from-30-in-2013/)
I do believe that the Third Temple will be built sometime in the near future. However, because the Muslim Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque sit on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, where the first two Jewish Temples once stood, something significant will need to happen that will enable the Jews to build their Temple. Many believe an agreement will be made that is part of the confirming of the covenant in Daniel 9:27 that will permit the Jews to build the Temple. All I can say is that time will tell.
Returning to Revelation 11:2, the apostle John is told not to measure the outside of the Temple because it has been given to the Gentiles, and that they will “tread under foot,” meaning to trample it, for forty and two months. A Jewish month is 30 days, so that means 30 x 42 months = 1,260 days. I do not know why in verse 2 it uses months instead of days like it does in verse 3, where it says that God’s two witnesses will have power to prophesy for “a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” These two timeframes are mentioned two times each. Let’s read the second time they are mentioned.
“And the woman [Israel] fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” (Revelation 12:7)
“And there was given unto him [antichrist] a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.” (Revelation 13:5)
I could be wrong but I think there may be something significant to the distinction between “months” and “days” that is not yet known but may be revealed in the future.
God’s two witnesses will prophesy during the time that Jerusalem is being trampled upon by the Gentiles. I believe this to be the last 3-1/2 years of the time of Jacob’s trouble. We do not know who these two witnesses are because the Bible does not give us that information. However, they must be very important to God because we are told in verse 4, “These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks [lampstands] standing before the God of the earth.” It says the two witnesses will prophesy, and I believe that means they will be warning people what is going to come upon them if they continue in their sin and rejection of Jesus Christ.
Many people will likely try to hurt or kill God’s two witnesses because they will not want to hear what they will say. When they do, fire will come out of the two witnesses’ mouths and will kill those trying to harm or kill them. The two witnesses will be able to withhold rain while they prophesy and turn water to blood and cause other plagues to happen to the earth. Because of their powers, some people believe the two witnesses will be Moses and Elijah, who also brought similar plagues and withheld rain.
Something I just re-read in Revelation 10 makes me wonder if one of these two witnesses is the apostle John, the one to whom God gave the Revelation of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 10, after John was given the little book to eat, and after he did, it made his stomach bitter but it tasted sweet in his mouth. The angel said this to John: “…Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” (Revelation 10:11) Thus, I believe it is a possibility that he is one of the two witnesses.
We are told that when the two witnesses have finished their testimony, the beast that comes out of the bottomless pit will kill them. I used to believe this beast is the antichrist, but he is referred to as the beast of the sea in Revelation 13:1. I believe this beast is referring to Satan and his Satanic world system, who, as described in Revelation 17:8, ascends from the bottomless pit.
We are told the two witnesses’ bodies will lie in the street of the great city where Jesus was crucified, which is just outside Jerusalem, which is also called Sodom and Egypt, because the people will not allow them to be buried. People from many nations, languages, and tribes will see their dead bodies for three and a half days. They will rejoice and give gifts to each other because the two men that tormented them are dead. However, after three and a half days, God’s Spirit of life will enter them, and they will stand upon their feet. Great fear will fill the people. Next, a voice from heaven will call up the two witnesses, and they will ascend up to heaven in the clouds, while those who hate and despise them watch it all happen. All of this is followed by a great earthquake in Jerusalem, where 10% of it falls and 7,000 men are killed. Revelation 11 verse 13 says, “… and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.” The Greek word for “remnant” is “loipos” and it means “remaining, rest, other.” (Source; https://biblehub.com/greek/3062.htm) I do not know with certainty if this means these remaining Jews will turn to Jesus at this point, but it seems like that is what it means. Remember, this happens at the end of the second half of the time of Jacob’s trouble/great tribulation, after the two witnesses prophesy for 1,260 days. We do know that a remnant of the Jews will be saved when they finally turn to Jesus Christ in belief as their Messiah.
Next, we are told that the second woe is past and the third is coming quickly. It is at this time that the seventh angel sounds the trumpet and voices in heaven proclaim what many believers in Christ have been waiting to hear for many years:
“… The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)
Jesus is not currently ruling this world, but Satan is; however, as we read above, there is coming a day when Jesus Christ will return to earth and take His rightful reign over the entire world. When this happens, the twenty four elders in heaven will rejoice and fall to their knees and worship God. Verse 18 then states that it is time for the dead to be judged and to destroy those who destroy the earth. Let us read that Scripture again:
“And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.” (Revelation 11:18)
I do not know exactly when this will happen, but we are told in 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18:
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep [are dead] in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede] them which are asleep [dead]. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump [trumpet] of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:14-18)
We read in Revelation 20 about the first resurrection of the dead, which happens after Jesus returns and after Satan is locked in the bottomless pit for the entire 1,000-year reign of Christ. At the beginning of Christ’s reign we are told:
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4-6)
The first resurrection of the dead as written above in Revelation 20:4-6 seems to be limited to those believers in Christ who will die for their faith, being beheaded, during the great tribulation and who will not take the mark of the beast/antichrist and who did not worship him. However, we also previously read in Revelation 11 verse 18 about rewards being given to them that fear God and it seems to include all who have put their faith and trust in God. Let us read that verse again:
“… and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou should give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great…” (Revelation 11:18)
The judgment described above seems to include everyone who died and who had put their faith and trust in God to save them. I believe this includes what some call “Old Testament saints,” as well as New Testament saints. The Old Testament saints are those who believed in God to save them from their sins, prior to Jesus coming to earth. After Jesus came to earth offering salvation to all who put their faith and trust in Him to save them. Jesus is God, manifest in the flesh, of whom the Old Testament prophets spoke about long before His first coming. These prophets are mentioned in the Scriptures above. While I do not know the timing of when they will be judged, we know it will not be a judgment of condemnation but a giving of rewards for their faith in Him.
The rest of the dead will not be resurrected and judged until after the 1,000-year reign of Christ, and that is called the great white throne judgment. Because they did not put their faith and trust in God to save them, they will be judged by their works. Because no work we could ever do could save us from our sins, and no matter how “good: they might believe they are, they will be found guilty because their names will not be written in the Lamb’s book of life. Thus, they will be cast into the lake of fire, for eternity, as written about in Revelation 20:11-15.
Returning to Revelation 11, let us read the final verse in that chapter:
“And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament [covenant]: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” (Revelation 11:19)
The apostle John is shown the temple of God in heaven and the ark of the covenant, both of which must be absolutely beautiful, far beyond anything we can imagine being built by men here on earth. Once again, John saw and heard things that preceded the next seven judgments, which are the seven vial or bowl judgments. The things were lightnings, voices, thunderings, and an earthquake, but this time John also saw great hail.
Before John the apostle writes about the first vial, or bowl, judgment, he describes in detail in chapters 12 and 13 about a dragon, a woman, her child, a war in heaven, the antichrist, and the false prophet. Initially when I wrote the first draft of this devotional, I was not going to include the Scriptures from those chapters because I have written about them in prior devotionals, but as I was going through my editing process before posting this devotional, I was led by the Holy Spirit to include them. Let us read Revelation chapter 12:
“And there appeared a great wonder [sign] in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth [being in labour], and pained to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered [give birth], for to devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man [male] child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found [a place found for them] any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into [to] the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast [spewed] out of his mouth water as a flood [a river of water] after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth [enraged] with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed [rest of her offspring], which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12)
I have written about all of this in previous devotionals, particularly one dated March 13, 2026 titled “Similarities Between the Falls of Babylon, Tyrus, Babylon the Great, and America.” Consequently, I won’t go into a lot of detail but I do want to mention a few things that are based on my understanding of the Bible.
The sign or wonder that is seen in verse 1 is referring to Israel, who is called the “woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars…” We are given a foreshadow of this in the book of Genesis by one of the twelve sons of Jacob, who was named Joseph. Joseph had dreamt that he and his brothers were in a field binding sheaves, which is a stalk-like plant material, and the sheaves of all of his family members bowed down to the sheaves that he, Joseph, had bound. He dreamt another dream where the sun, moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to him. (Genesis 37:5-11) Joseph and his 11 brothers represent the twelve tribes of Israel as the crown of twelve stars in Revelation 12:1. The sun is Jacob, his father, whom God would later change his name to “Israel,” and the moon is his mother.
Revelation 12:2 states that the woman is in labor, ready to give birth and that a great red dragon is standing by to devour the child as soon as it was born. This in fact did happen after Jesus was born, but the dragon, who is the Devil, also called Satan, did not succeed in killing the child. Herod was the king of Judaea when Jesus was born, and Matthew 2:1-2 tells us that wise men from the east had come to Jerusalem inquiring of the one who had been born:
“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men [majoi] from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard all these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” (Matthew 2:1-3)
King Herod asked the chief priests and scribes as to where this Christ would be born, and they told him “In Bethlehem of Judaea” as was written by the prophet Micah. The king then privately asked the wise men what time they had seen the star. The king then sent the wise men to Bethlehem to find the child. Herod lied to them by saying he wanted to worship the child, but the truth was he wanted to kill the child, for Herod wanted to remain as King of the Jews. The wise men did as they were commanded, and they found where Jesus had been born and presented great gifts to Jesus. However, they did not return to Herod because they were warned in a dream by God not to return. Instead, they returned to their own country via a different way.
Mary’s husband, Joseph, was warned by the angel of the Lord in a dream that Herod sought to kill the child Jesus and that he must take Mary and Jesus to Egypt. Joseph obeyed, and they left that night for Egypt. Next, we read:
“Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked [deceived] of the wise men, was exceeding wroth [angry], and sent forth, and slew all the children [male children] that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.” (Matthew 2:16)
Thus, this represents the sign in Revelation 12:4 of Satan the dragon trying to kill Jesus as soon as He was born, but God saved Jesus because it is through Him alone that mankind can be saved from our sins, through faith in Him. Jesus was rejected by the people He came to save first, the Jews, who had Him crucified on a cross at the hand of the Romans. Jesus gave up His life on the cross, died, and was resurrected, and forty days later ascended to the heavens to sit at the right hand of God the Father, where He is now. This is what is represented in Revelation 12:5, and it is Jesus who one day will rule all of the nations on earth with a rod of iron when He returns at His second coming. Hallelujah!!!
We are told twice in Revelation 12, in verses 6 and 14, that the woman, meaning Israel, flees into the wilderness, where she is protected by God for 1,260 days. We are also told that there is a war in heaven, with Michael and his angels fighting against Satan and his angels. Satan did not prevail and is cast out of heaven, along with the angels that follow him, and they are cast down to earth. When this happens, there is rejoicing in heaven because Satan will no longer be in heaven accusing the believers in Jesus Christ who died for their faith in Him. When Satan and his angels are cast to the earth, they persecute the woman, meaning the children of Israel. In verse 17, we are told that Satan also persecutes believers in Jesus Christ. These are believers in Jesus Christ who are alive during this 3-1/2 years of the great tribulation.
In Revelation chapter 13, we are introduced to the two men who will lead all unbelievers into hell and persecute believers in Christ during the great tribulation. The first is the antichrist, who is also called the beast of the sea, and the second is the beast of the earth, also called the false prophet. Let us read about the first beast, the beast of the sea:
“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as it were [if it had been] wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power [authority] unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue [to act] forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. 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 13:1-10)
The prophet Daniel wrote about four beasts that looked like a lion, bear, leopard, and a fourth that was unlike the three other beasts that had great iron teeth and was exceedingly dreadful and terrible in its strength. Daniel is told in 7:17 that the four beasts he saw represented four kings. We know from history that those four kings were from Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome.
I have written previously that I believe the beast of the sea described in Revelation 13:1-10 above represents the entire Satanic system that has been leading the world since the fall of man. I believe the seven heads on the beast are the following kingdoms in world history: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and the last empire, which I believe to be an amalgamation of America, whose roots are from the Roman Empire, and unrepentant Israel. I believe the seventh head is ruled by the antichrist, and he currently is ruling America.
Now, let us read about the other beast, the beast of the earth:
“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power [authority] of the first beast before him [in his presence], and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders [signs], so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life [breath] 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. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond [slave], to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save [except] he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 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.” (Revelation 13:11-18)
I believe that Elon Musk may be the false prophet. With all of his money, power, and connections to Donald Trump, I do not believe it is a stretch that he would create the image of the beast, give breath to it through AI technology, and cause everyone alive to take the mark/name/number of the beast and worship his image or be killed. We are already seeing Musk creating signs and wonders in the sky with his Starlink satellite system, which was launched in 2019 and has launched 10,413 satellites thus far as of June 2026. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink) Just a quick internet search of some of the Starlink launch photos has me wondering if this could be the “great wonders” that the apostle John saw when he was given the revelation of Jesus Christ to write. MSN.com reported on October 13, 2026 that residents in Greenville, SC had taken photos and videos of the recent SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. (Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/spacex-launch-spotted-in-upstate-skies-early-tuesday/ar-AA2e81Cc) People are responding with awe and wonder.
One interesting video a family caught while watching a launch of a SpaceX rocket while vacationing on Grand Turk island showed fire falling from the sky, from the heavens, as the rocket exploded approximately eight minutes from launch, and fell to the earth. (Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/watch-spacex-rocket-explode-over-grand-turk-island-in-dramatic-stream-of-fire-and-smoke) I believe there is a deeper, evil purpose behind the launching of these satellites, and it will be used as part of the beast system.
I don’t think it is just coincidence that one of the three primary segments that SpaceX operates is named “Dragon,” a type of spacecraft. In addition, it is noted that SpaceX proposed the name “Red Dragon” for Mars exploration, which was cancelled. I do not believe there is any doubt that this work is being done under the authority of the red dragon, Satan. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX_Dragon) I believe Elon Musk has openly shown us whom he worships, and it is Satan, even dressing up in a halloween costume in 2022 as the “Devil’s Champion.” (Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elon-musk-twitter-halloween-party-b2215334.html) Time will tell us who is the beast of the earth, the false prophet.
Returning to our study in the book of Revelation, I previously discussed the 144,000 male virgins who have the seal of God that are described in Revelation 14:1-5 and how I believe these are the same men who were discussed in Revelation chapter 7. Now, let us continue in Revelation chapter 14:
“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 [tribe], and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains [springs] of waters.” (Revelation 14:6-7)
In addition to the two witnesses who will prophesy to the world for 3-1/2 years, there will be an angel flying in heaven, preaching the everlasting gospel and warning them to fear God and worship Him. The angel is warning them that the hour of God’s judgment has come. This is in stark contrast to the antichrist’s false prophet, who will make everyone take the mark/name/number of the beast and worship him or die. On the one hand, I can’t imagine how prideful and stubborn people must be to refuse to worship God and yet will worship the antichrist, but on the other hand, I believe I am seeing this in our world today, with many worshipping Donald Trump as though he is God, including many in Israel.
Let us read what happens next, with two more angels proclaiming judgment:
“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture [full strength] into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:8-11)
As I have written about in the March 13, 2026 devotional, I believe that Babylon, also called “Mystery, Babylon the Great,” is an amalgamation of America, specifically New York City, and unrepentant Israel. In 2021, New York City had the second largest population of Jews in the world, with 2.1 million, with Tel Aviv ranking number one, nearly 3.9 million. As I have written about in prior devotionals, the Jewish population has greatly influenced not only New York City but other cities including Los Angeles. I believe America and Israel are represented in the image that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon dreamt about, where the image’s feet and toes are made partly of iron and potters clay, as written in Daniel 2:33, 40-43. I believe New York City and America are the iron and Israel is the potter’s clay.
During this time period in history that is called the great tribulation, there will be two kinds of people alive on earth: 1) those who have taken the name/number/mark of the beast/antichrist on their forehead or their right hand and who worship the beast/antichrist, and 2) those who have not done so and many of these will be believers in Jesus Christ. Of them, the the third angel writes:
“Here is the patience [steadfastness] of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” (Revelation 14:8-13)
The Greek word for “patience” above is “hupomoné,” and it means “Endurance, perseverance, patience, steadfastness.” (Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/5281.htm) These saints, meaning believers in Jesus Christ, have kept going, kept enduring, no matter how difficult the circumstances. Remember that these saints will have to refuse to take the mark/name/number of the beast and refuse to worship him. In the Scriptures above, the angel says that those who die in their faith from that time forward are blessed. Why? Because unlike unbelievers who will follow the beast/antichrist and continue in their rejection of Jesus Christ, and will spend their eternity in the lake of fire with “no rest day nor night,” believers will be able to rest from their labor and will be rewarded for the good and godly things they did while they were alive on earth.
Just as we know that in the first book of the Bible, the book of Genesis, God created all that exists in six days and rested on the seventh day, I believe it gives us a pattern for the timeline. That pattern, I believe, is that the end of the time of the Gentiles’ ruling the earth under the influence of Satan will come to an end. That will be at the end of the 6,000th year and will culminate with the return to Christ, when He finally puts an end to all wickedness on the earth. He will then rule the earth with a rod of iron for 1,000 years in what is often referred to as the “millennial kingdom.” I believe the start of His rule will begin at the 7,000th year of mankind. I say that because I believe that Genesis provides us with a pattern and a timeline and because the Bible tells us “…that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8)
I believe there is another clue of the timing of Jesus’ return and that is in the book of Hosea:
“Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten [stricken], and he will bind [bandage] us up. After two days will he revive us; in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.” (Hosea 6:1-2)
I believe the two days being discussed above are the 2,000 years after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. I believe that the time of Jacob’s trouble will begin soon, and that is what is being referred to above when it says “he hath smitten” or stricken Israel because of their rejection of Jesus Christ as their Messiah. I believe that this last seven years on earth during the time of Jacob’s trouble will end the time known as the time of the Gentiles, and Jesus will return to earth and save the remnant of Israel, who will have finally turned to Him and mourned for Him as their only son. Just as Jesus was resurrected on the third day after He was buried in a tomb, so will the nation of Israel be resurrected to life, being given new life in Jesus Christ as believers in Him. Jesus will live and reign from Jerusalem, and He will live with His people, the nation of Israel. Many people believe Jesus died sometime between 30-34 AD. If they are correct, that would mean that He would return sometime between 2030-2034.
Next, let us read the rest of Revelation 14, which I believe speaks of two harvests, with the first being a harvest of believers in Him who will die for their faith in Him, and these believers are represented as a grain or wheat harvest:
“And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 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. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. (Revelation 14:14-16)
I believe this harvest is a grain, likely a wheat, harvest. In verse 15, it says “…for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” The Greek translation uses “has ripened,” and the Greek word is “xérainó,” which means “To dry up, wither.” (Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/3583.htm) We read about wheat that “When wheat is ready for harvest, the stalks become dry and brittle.” (Source: https://garvillo.com/when-is-wheat-harvested/) In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus spoke to His disciples in a parable that compared believers in Him to wheat, that grew alongside unbelievers, that are called the tares. I have heard it said that when tares grow alongside wheat, they can look very similar. However, when it is time for harvesting, the wheat bows down but the tares stand straight. This is a good analogy of the difference between believers and unbelievers, where the believers willingly bow down in obedience to Jesus, but unbelievers stand in their pride and rebellion against Him.
As we consider the verses above, let us also remember what we read immediately prior to them, and that is that those who die in their faith in Jesus Christ from that point forward will be blessed. I believe this gives us another clue as to who is being referred to, and I believe that is the believers in Jesus Christ who will still be alive during the great tribulation. Remember when we read in Revelation 14:4 about the 144,00 sealed virgins who are the firstfruits of God and how it represented a greater harvest? Well, Revelation 14:14-16 IS that greater harvest, and Jesus Christ Himself, not an angel, is the harvester. I don’t think it is just coincidence that the Greek word for “sickle” is “drepanon” and it means “a gathering hook (especially for harvesting)” or “to pluck.” (Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/1407.htm) Think about this for a moment: this is all the believers in Jesus Christ who will die for their faith in Him, and He is gathering them to Himself. I don’t think there will be anyone left on earth who will be a believer in Jesus Christ after that point. The harvest will have reached its full maturity. We don’t know how long this will take, but it may be at the end of the 3-1/2 year great tribulation.
Now, let us read the rest of Revelation chapter 14 that describes the other harvest:
“And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 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. And the winepress was trodden [trampled] without [outside] the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” (Revelation 14:17-20)
I believe this second harvest is for unbelievers. There are some who believe that this is still speaking of the gathering of the harvest of believers, but I disagree. I disagree because it says that this harvest is thrown or cast “into the great winepress of the wrath of God,” and I do not believe that believers in Christ would be subject to God’s wrath. Notice also that while the angel thrusts in his sickle, gathers the grapes, and casts them into the winepress, it says afterward, “And the winepress was trodden…” We are told in other Scriptures that it is none other than Jesus who treads the winepress of the wrath of God:
“And out of his [Jesus’] mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite [strike] the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture [robe] and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:15-16)
The book of Isaiah contains a prophecy of Jesus treading the winepress, and it tells us that He treads it alone. Notice in Revelation 14:17-20 above that it says “And the winepress was trodden without [outside] the city…” I believe the city that is referred to is Jerusalem. I do not believe it is the “that great city” referred to in Revelation 14:8, which is Babylon, also called “Mystery, Babylon the Great” in Revelation 17:5 and again referred to as “that great city” in Revelation 17:18. Thus, I believe the trampling of the winepress will happen somewhere outside of Jerusalem, and it may be in Bozrah, Edom, which is modern day Jordan. I say this because of what we read in Isaiah 63:1-6:
“Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling 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 [winepress]? 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)
I also want to mention that in Revelation 14:19, it speaks of gathering “the vine of the earth.” As I stated previously, I believe this is referring to all unbelievers, including unbelieving Jews, who will reject Christ and instead will choose to worship the antichrist. The vine of the earth is contrasted with Jesus Christ, who is the true vine:
“I am the true [genuine] vine, and my Father is the husbandman [vinedresser].” (Jesus Christ; John 15:1)
“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.’ (Jesus Christ; John 15:5-6)
Now, let us read about the last seven judgments of God, which are the vial or bowl judgments. John opens Revelation chapter 15 by telling us he saw another sign in heaven that was “great and marvelous” and he saw seven angels having the seven last plagues that complete the wrath of God. He also a sea of glass mixed with fire and the martyrs who had died for their faith in Jesus Christ because they had not taken the mark/name/number of the beast and had not worshipped the beast. They were on the sea of glass and had harps of God with them:
“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 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 15:3-4)
Next, John saw the seven angels, dressed in pure, white linen, come out of the temple:
“And one of the four beasts [living creatures]gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” (Revelation 15:7-8)
Revelation chapter 16 opens with a command to the seven angels holding the seven vials of God’s wrath:
“And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.” (Revelation 16:1)
I do not just want to summarize the seven vial judgments, but read them in their entirety. Let us read about the first three:
“And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous [foul and loathsome] sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured his vial upon the sea; and it became as blood of a dead man: and every living soul [creature] died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became 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 [it is their just due]. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.” (Revelation 16:2-7)
Everyone who will take the mark/name/number of the beast and who will worship him will have some sort of sore or ulcer. The original Greek does not use the word “noisome” to describe the sore as the King James Version translation but uses the word “kakos,” which means “Bad, evil, wicked, harmful.” (Source: https://biblehub.com/bsb/exodus/7.htm) The Greek word for “grievous” is “ponéros” and it means “Evil, wicked, bad, malicious.” (Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/4190.htm) The Greek translation more aptly describe this plague than the King James Version. It is almost as God is saying to the unbelieving, Christ-rejecting world that if it wants to worship evil, He will give them evil with the first vial judgment. With the second and third judgments, God is no longer restraining His wrath, but He is pouring it out full strength by causing not just one-third of the sea and one-third of the fresh waters to be turned to blood but all of the waters. It seems that God is saying to them, since you love to shed the blood of the saints and prophets, I will give you blood to drink. Without fresh water to drink and without water from the sea to be run through de-salinization plants to make it drinkable, humanity will die in a short time period. Thus, I believe that all seven vial judgments will occur either at the same time or within a very short period of time of each other. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a need for the remaining vial judgments. Let us continue reading about the vial judgments:
“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.” (Revelation 16:8-9)
With many places in the world in 2026 experiencing record-high temperatures, particularly in Europe, and America experiencing multiple “heat domes” and severe drought, with many blaming climate change and the El Nino effect, I can honestly say, ”You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” Mankind does not want to believe that what we are seeing may be warning signs from God, but they like to blame it on humans and cows in pastures. They ignore the massive impact that the proliferation of data centers, especially in the USA, has on the environment because it doesn’t suit their agenda. This plague seems to be a preview of what hell will be like for those who reject Christ; they will spend their eternity in the lake of fire and brimstone. One would think they would fall to their knees and cry out to God and repent and worship Him, but no, they dig in their heels further and blaspheme His name. Let us read the fifth vial judgment:
“And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat [throne] of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.” (Revelation 16:10-11)
There is a significant amount of information as to what happens to humans when they are exposed to darkness for an extended period of time. One article from factofstates.com dated March 24, 2026 writes: (Source: https://www.factofstates.com/2026/03/what-happens-to-your-body-in-darkness-too-long.html)
“According to research from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) , light exposure is essential for regulating circadian rhythm, hormonal balance, and mental health. Without it, the body’s internal coordination begins to weaken.
“This explains what happens to your body in prolonged darkness at a deeper level — it is not just about feeling tired or disoriented, but about the breakdown of systems that normally work in perfect synchronization.
“Expert Insight: Scientific studies suggest that prolonged absence of natural light can disrupt gene expression linked to circadian rhythms, showing that darkness can influence the body at a cellular level.”
God created a perfect system when He created the heavens, the earth, and the sea and all that is in them. He knew exactly what was needed for everything that exists, including human beings, to survive, and light exposure is essential. Without it, we see a breakdown in society. For those who will follow and worship the beast/antichrist and reject Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, with this fifth vial judgment, it is as if God is giving them what they want: full darkness. God is giving them a preview of what their eternity will look like. Jesus spoke about this in a parable about a king who invited his servants to a wedding for his son. However, the servants did not want to come to the wedding. The king then invited anyone that could be found to the wedding, both bad and good people. One person came to the wedding but one of them was a man who was not dressed in a wedding garment, which is symbolic of being unrighteous because of his lack of faith in God. When we put our faith and trust in God to save us, we are washed clean of our sins and will wear clean and white linen at the wedding supper,, where Jesus is our bridegroom and we are His bride. Jesus said this about the man in the parable:
“Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Jesus Christ; Matthew 22:13-14)
Just as people in our world today have a choice to be invited to a wedding that will one day take place between Jesus Christ and His bride, who represents all believers in Him, if they choose to reject the invitation, just as the servants in the parable above were invited but chose not to come, and the man who did come but did not wear the wedding garment, they will spend their eternity in darkness.
Let us read the sixth vial judgment:
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon [Satan], and out of the mouth of the beast [antichrist], and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils [demons], working miracles [performing signs], which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon [Mount Megiddo].” (Revelation 16:12-16)
There are some who believe these kings of the east are referring to the Asian countries, and that very well could be. However, I believe that when the Bible speaks of directions, it is always in reference to Jerusalem. If you look at the countries east of Jerusalem, you have many Muslim countries in the Middle East, some of which are at war with Israel as we speak, including Iran and Lebanon, as well as Asian countries including China, India, and Pakistan, and parts of Russia. The Scriptures above tell us that these three unclean spirits that come out of the mouths of the unholy trinity of Satan, the antichrist, and the false prophet, go out not only to the kings of the earth but of the whole world, to gather them in this location known as Armageddon. Many believe this is located in Megiddo, which is a site where many wars have occurred. This may be a staging place for Satan and his wicked forces from all nations who are allied with him to attack Jerusalem, as prophesied in the book of Zechariah:
“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil [plunder] shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled [plundered], and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue [remnant] of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” (Zechariah 14:1-2)
The book of Joel also discusses a gathering of nations:
“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity [captives] of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead [enter into judgment] with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted [divided up] my land.” (Joel 3:1-2)
“Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles [nations]; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen [nations], and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.. Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press [winepress] is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” (Joel 3:9-14)
I do not know exactly how all of this will play out. We have what appears to be three different locations where the nations are gathered: 1) Armageddon or Mount Megiddo, as written in Revelation 16:16; 2) Jerusalem, as written in Zechariah 14:2, and 3) the valley of Jehoshaphat in Joel 3:2, 12. It occurred to me that perhaps the gathering of all nations in Zechariah 14:1-2 occurs shortly after the abomination of desolation by the antichrist, which happens 3-1/2 years after the covenant with many is confirmed. This is when Israel finally sees that it has been deceived by the antichrist. One reason I propose this is because in Zechariah 14:2, it says that half of Jerusalem’s population will be taken into captivity. Thus, there has to be an amount of time that elapses before Jesus returns and brings back the captives of Israel, as discussed in Joel 3:1-2. I propose that the gathering of the nations in Joel 3 and Revelation 16:16 are speaking of the same gathering of nations, and that is at the end of the time of Jacob’s trouble, and when Jesus returns at His second coming.
The last place in the Bible we read about this gathering of nations is in Revelation 19:19, which discusses the second coming of Jesus Christ, who descends from heaven on a white horse, along with His armies in heaven, who also ride on white horses and are dressed in white:
“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.” (Revelation 19:19)
Before we read what will happen to Satan, the beast, the false prophet, and all who will willingly choose to follow them instead Christ, I want us to read about the seventh and final vial/bowl judgment:
“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices [noises], and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” (Revelation 16:17-21)
Earthquakes in diverse or various places are one of the signs Jesus told His disciples to look for as a sign of His return. Earthquakes around the world are definitely increasing, and so is their magnitude. As of the day I checked this website, which was August 21, 2026, there have been 92 earthquakes 6.0 or above just in 2026 alone, with 11 at a magnitude of 7.0+. When I checked it again on October 16, 2026, there have been 111 earthquakes 6.0 or above in 2026. (Source: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/browse/m6-world.php) According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the largest earthquake in recorded history occurred in 1960 in Biobío, Chile at a magnitude of 9.5. The second largest occurred in Alaska in 1964 at a magnitude of 9.2. The most recent of the top 10 earthquakes in magnitude occurred in 2025 in Kamchatka, Russia, with a magnitude of 8.2. (Source: https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/10-largest-earthquakes-ever-recorded) In fact, 4 out of the top 10 largest magnitude earthquakes have occurred since 2004.
Just recently, a simulation was done that showed the potential damage from a tsunami that could be triggered from a 9.2 earthquake in Alaska. (Source: https://washingtonstategeology.wordpress.com/2026/08/13/new-publication-how-would-a-tsunami-from-an-alaska-earthquake-impact-the-washington-coast/) While I am not a scientist, I do believe that the underground of the earth, deep in the upper and lower mantles, is “coming alive,” if you will, with lots of movement, and it is causing more and larger earthquakes, and in places where you typically do not see earthquakes happen, in addition to increased volcanic activity..
There are many things of the earth that we do not know about. For years, scientists did not know that were fountains of water in the deep of the earth, as written about in Genesis when God sent the great flood upon the earth:
“In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” (Genesis 7:11-12)
However, scientists recently discovered potentially vast amounts of water that is locked in a mineral named “Ringwoodite” deep in the earth’s mantle. One article from August 29, 2024 writes of this discovery: (Source: https://www.earth.com/news/ringwoodite-mineral-confirms-vast-ocean-exists-400-miles-under-earths-crust/)
“Aided by a mineral called ringwoodite, researchers found evidence suggesting the presence of several oceans worth of water trapped deep beneath the United States.”
“The researchers found strong evidence that huge amounts of water — comparable to several oceans — are hidden deep within the Earth’s mantle beneath the United States.”
“‘Geological processes on the Earth’s surface, such as earthquakes or erupting volcanoes, are an expression of what is going on inside the Earth, out of our sight,’ explained Jacobsen, a co-author of the paper.”
“‘I think we are finally seeing evidence for a whole-Earth water cycle, which may help explain the vast amount of liquid water on the surface of our habitable planet. Scientists have been looking for this missing deep water for decades,’ Jacobsen continued.”
“The water discovered in the mantle is not in a form familiar to us – it is not liquid, ice, or vapor. Instead, it is trapped inside the molecular structure of the minerals in the mantle rock.”
I have heard this expression before that scientists are catching up to what is already stated in the Bible; in this case, there are fountains of water deep in the earth. It is also very interesting that the article stated that what we see on the earth’s surface, including earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, “are an expression of what is going on inside the earth.” It is interesting to me because I believe, as the Bible says, the whole creation is groaning:
“Because the creature [creation] itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption [decay] into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain [suffers birth pangs] together until now.” (Romans 8:21-22)
As Jesus described to His disciples the beginning of sorrows, meaning birth pangs/pains, one of those signs was great earthquakes in various places (Luke 21:11), I believe we are seeing this sign, and it may be related to what is going on underneath the surface of the earth that we cannot see. God is preparing all of creation for a birth.
With this seventh and final bowl judgment written about in Revelation 16:17-21, there will be a great earthquake unlike any we have ever seen before. I suspect there will be no way to measure the magnitude of it because it will far exceed any measurement system, including the Richter Scale and the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. The earthquake that is described in Revelation 16:18-19 will have a significant impact on the great city, which I believe is Mystery, Babylon the Great, that is described in detail in Revelation chapters 17-18. As I stated previously, I believe it to be an amalgamation of New York City and the Jewish influence on it. We are told that this great earthquake will divide the city into three parts. Perhaps God is saying to Mystery, Babylon, “Divide My land, and I will divide you.” We are also told that the cities of the nations will fall. I believe this falling of the nations will be two-fold: 1) because of the great earthquake, and 2) because New York City is critical to the world economies, and the fall of it will cause the fall of other cities around the world.
Before reading more about Mystery, Babylon, let us finish Revelation chapter 16. After the great earthquake, we are told in verse 20, “And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.” As I mentioned previously regarding a similar verse in Revelation 6:14 that states “…and every mountain and island were moved out of their places,” I commented that the Greek word for “were moved” means to “set in motion” but it did not say they could no longer be found. However, now in Revelation 16:20, it says something different: the islands fled away, likely meaning they could no longer be seen, and the mountains are no longer found. Can you imagine not even seeing Mt. Everest, at 29,032 feet high?! Revelation chapter 16 ends with the last part of the seventh bowl judgment, and that is great hail that comes from heaven. This is no ordinary hail; no, it is hail of a great size, with some estimating a single hailstone weighing between 75-100 pounds. Even with this final bowl judgment, the people who are still alive refuse to repent and turn to God but blaspheme Him once again.
I want to briefly discuss this “Mystery, Babylon the Great.” Let us read again what Revelation 16:19 states about Babylon the great, “And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.” I encourage you to read Revelation chapters 17 and 18 that discuss Mystery, Babylon, whom God refers to as:
“…the great whore that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” (Revelation 17:1-2)
“MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:5)
I have written extensively about the fall of Babylon the Great in my devotional from March 13, 2026 titled “Similarities Between the Falls of Babylon, Tyrus, Babylon the Great, and America.” Thus, I am not going to address it here. But I will say that the Bible tells us that she will be destroyed in one hour by fire by ten kings who will receive authority for one hour from the antichrist. (Revelation 17:12-13, 16-17, 18:8-10, 17-18). Further, I believe that God will cause a mighty angel to send a tsunami and completely destroy it:
“And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power [authority] as kings one hour with the beast. These shall have one mind, and shall give their power and strength [authority] unto the beast.” (Revelation 17:12-13)
“And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree [be of one mind], and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:16-18)
“Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously [luxuriously] with her, shall bewail [weep for] her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.” (Revelation 18:8-10)
“For in one hour so great riches is come to nought [nothing]. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness [wealth]! for in one hour is she made desolate [a wasteland].” (Revelation 18:17-19)
“And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.” (Revelation 18:21)
As the world laments over the fall of Mystery, Babylon the Great because her inhabitants won’t be able to purchase their wares anymore, there is rejoicing in heaven:
“Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.” (Revelation 18:20)
For everyone who ever thought that God won’t bring judgment upon a wicked and evil world, they will be sorely mistaken. God is patient, and the Bible tells us that He doesn’t want any to perish but for all to turn to Him and be saved. However, He will not let the wicked go on forever. Even though to us, it has been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended to heaven, and we want to see justice in this depraved world, to God, it seems as though it has only been two days:
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9)
Let us read more of this rejoicing in heaven:
“And after these things I heard a great voice of much people [a great multitude] in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand [shed by her]. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts [living creatures] fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice [sound] of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour [glory] to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:1-9)
Thus, it appears that the judgment of Mystery, Babylon the Great happens at the end of this period of time, which the 3-1/2 year period known as the Great Tribulation. Heaven rejoices as the bride of Christ, whom I believe is every believer in Jesus Christ, is married to her husband, Jesus the Christ, and celebrates at the wedding supper of the Lamb. This is followed by the return of Jesus Christ. Before we read about that, I want us to read what the prophet Jeremiah wrote about the time of Jacob’s trouble, in Jeremiah chapter 30. Let us read Jeremiah chapter 30 in its entirety:
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book. For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my [back from captivity my] people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall posses it. And these are the words that the LORD spake concerning Israel and concerning Judah. For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear [dread], and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child [male can give birth]? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail [childbirth], and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him [enslave them]: but they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure [justice], and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. For thus saith the LORD, thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous. There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines. All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased. Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee. Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured; and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that spoil [plunder] thee shall be a spoil [become plunder], and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey. For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after. Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again [back] the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap [ruins], and the palace shall remain after [according to] the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them. And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach me: for who is this that engaged [pledged] his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD. And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing [or sweeping] whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon [violently on] the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it.” (Jeremiah 30)
Note that this is not like the other times when Israel has been taken into captivity because there has always been a time when a nation made Israel afraid, and Israel has never been in rest. That will only happen at the second coming of Jesus when a remnant of Israel turns to Him, finally believing that He IS their Messiah, and is saved by Him, and He will gather Israel back into land He gave them. Notice also that Gods says He will make a full end of the nations to which Israel was scattered.
Now, let us return to the book of Revelation and read of the return of Jesus Christ:
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture [robe] dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite [strike] the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:11-16)
Notice this time, when Jesus returns to earth, the heavens are opened, and He is riding on a white horse, not on a donkey, on which He rode when He came into Jerusalem, offering salvation from sins. No, this time, He is riding on a white horse, and He is wearing many crowns and a robe that is dipped in blood. His garments designate who He is: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. Also coming down from heaven with Jesus are the armies, who are clothed in clean, white linen, also riding white horses. I believe this is all believers in Jesus Christ who died prior to His second coming.
Let us read again several verses from Revelation 19 and compare them to verses in the book of Isaiah that were prophesied long ago:
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.” (Revelation 19:11)
“And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:13)
“And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19:15)
“But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity [decide with uprightness] for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle [belt] of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins [belt of his waist].” (Isaiah 11:4-5)
“Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat [winepress]? 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.” (Isaiah 63:2-3)
Let us read the rest of Revelation chapter 19:
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond [slave], both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken [captured], and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles [worked signs] before him [in his presence], with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant [rest] were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:17-21)
Thus, there will be two types of suppers, one for those who have been saved by Jesus Christ by believing in Him alone for their salvation, and another for all who rejected His free gift of salvation and who will choose to follow and worship the antichrist. The supper for believers will be a wedding supper, when Jesus our bridegroom, marries His bride. It seems that this happens before Jesus returns to earth at His second coming, with the armies in heaven. The attendees of the other supper, who are the unsaved, won’t eat the supper, but they themselves will be the food for all the birds who will eat the flesh of everyone who will die when Jesus returns and kills them with the sword of His mouth. This is quite graphic. Have you ever seen a vulture on a road or the side of a road eating something that has died? The birds are nature’s cleanup crew that will clean up the mess. Imagine the horror if you saw it eating the body of a person, and not just one but many, perhaps millions of bodies! Sadly, it will also include bodies of horses which carried the wicked men on their backs in rebellion against God Himself. I do not think it is surprising that we read that the wicked will be gathered together and riding horses because it very well may be that by the time of the second coming of Christ, all modern technology has been destroyed by God during His 21 judgments.
It is interesting to note that though the antichrist and false prophet will be gathered with all the wicked to fight against Jesus, the antichrist and false prophet won’t be killed by the sword of His mouth but will be cast alive into the lake of fire and brimstone.
I want us to return to the book of Zechariah, chapter 14. As I said previously, I do not know exactly when these events will occur, i.e., the timeline of them, but I do know that they will occur. I believe this gathering of nations against Jerusalem may happen after the abomination of desolation, that results in half of the city’s inhabitants fleeing for their lives and going into captivity. However, at the return of Jesus Christ, we read this in Zechariah chapter 14:
“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 [split in two] 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. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah the king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee [Him]. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear [there will be no light] nor dark [the lights will diminish]: but it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.” (Zechariah 14:3-7)
Thus, we read about Jesus returning to Jerusalem to fight against the nations that surrounded Jerusalem, and when He returns, He will split the mount of Olives in two.
I want to note that the Hebrew Scriptures are quite different from the King James Version of what it says in verse 6. Let us compare the two: (Source: https://biblehub.com/text/zechariah/14-6.htm)
Hebrew: “And it will come to pass on the day that will there be not light, cold, or frost.” (Zechariah 14:6)
King James Version: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark…” (Zechariah 14:6)
Zechariah 14:7 is also a little different in the Hebrew than in the King James Version:
Hebrew: “And it will be a unique day, it [being] known [only] to YHWH with no day and no night and it will be [that] at time of evening there will be light.” (Zechariah 14:7)
King James Version: “But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.” (Zechariah 14:7)
This echoes what Jesus told His disciples regarding the timing of His second coming:
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)
Because this day is a one-of-a-kind day, no one will be able to determine exactly when Jesus will return to earth, except for God the Father. Let us read what else happens after Jesus returns to the Mount of Olives:
“And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea [eastern, the Dead Sea], and half of them toward the hinder sea [western, the Mediterranean Sea]: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. All the land shall be turned as [turned into] a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it [Jerusalem] shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepress. And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away [decay] while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult [panic] from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold [seize] every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour. And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance. And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents [camps], as this plague.” (Zechariah 14:8-15)
Thus, after Jesus’ return, I believe this is saying that all the land of Jerusalem will be turned into a plain. It also says that Jerusalem will be “lifted up” or “raised up.” The Hebrew word used is “raam,” and it means “To thunder, to roar.” (Source: https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7213.htm) It is not by chance that this Hebrew word is used in this context, because Jesus the Christ, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, will roar from Zion, from Jerusalem. I find this simply amazing!
“The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope [a shelter] of his people, and the strength [a strong hold] of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.” (Joel 3:16-17)
“The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. And he said, The LORD will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the habitations [pastures] of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither.” (Amos 1:1-2)
Jerusalem will be safely inhabited by the children of Israel, which will be the remnant that is saved through the time of Jacob’s trouble, the remnant that will go through the refiner’s fire. Jesus will reign as KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS over all the earth. Jesus will reign on earth for 1,000 years, in a period referred to as the Millennial Kingdom. I believe that this 1,000-year period is included in the day of the Lord.
At the end of this time period, Satan, who will be locked away in the bottomless pit during the entire 1,000 years so that he cannot deceive anyone, “shall be loosed out of his prison.” Many people wonder why God doesn’t just cast Satan into the lake of fire at the beginning of His millennial reign, but I believe the purpose of this is to show mankind that even when Satan is not on earth influencing people, people will still sin, because that is why Jesus will reign with a “rod of iron.” We must remember that those believers in Jesus Christ who are alive and on earth at the time of His second coming will still be in their earthy, fleshly bodies and will still sin. This is different than those who come with Jesus at His second coming, who will be in their glorified bodies and will not sin.
In addition, after Satan is released, there are people who will be deceived by him and will choose to ally with him against the saints and Jerusalem. This is what we read will happen after Satan is released:
“And when the thousand years are expired [completed], Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed [surrounded] the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of the heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:7-10)
No more will Satan have any influence on mankind, ever again. God then resurrects from the dead every single person who died in their sins, having rejected faith in God, and I believe this includes everyone who lived and died prior to Jesus coming to earth the first time, who had to decide to trust in God alone for their salvation or reject Him. All of the people will be judged based on their works, what they did while they were alive. However, because no good work can save anyone, their names will not be found in the book of life and they will be found guilty and cast into the lake of fire. This will conclude life on earth as we know it, and it will be the beginning of something completely new. I believe this completes the Day of the Lord, and the 7,000th year of mankind, and the beginning of the 8,000th year. Before ending, I want us to read what will happen next, as I believe that is the best part of all.
God will then destroy the current heavens and earth by fire, and He will create a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. This was prophesied in Isaiah, long before the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation. It was also prophesied by the apostle Peter:
“For, behold, I create a new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.” (Isaiah 65:17-19)
“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against [until] the day of judgment and perdition [destruction] of ungodly men.” (2 Peter 3:7)
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10)
The only people who will live on earth and new Jerusalem are those who put their faith and trust in God to save them, both Old and New Testament saints, meaning those who were saved before and after Jesus came to earth the first time. We will live forever with God, as He intended it to be when He created Adam and Eve, without sin and death, in a perfect world that is not corrupted by man’s sinful nature. New Jerusalem will be a physical place that comes down from heaven, and Revelation chapter 21 describes it in detail. It is also described as a bride that is made ready for her husband. I believe that when Jesus said the words below to His disciples, that He will “go to prepare a place for you,” I believe He was speaking about new Jerusalem:
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions [dwellings]: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” (Jesus Christ; John 14:1-4)
Let us read several descriptions of what John saw regarding the new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem:
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first hearth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:1-3)
The prophecy from long ago about God dwelling with us will be fulfilled:
“And I will set my tabernacle [dwelling] among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people.” (Leviticus 26:11-12)
“Moreover I will make [cut] a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place [establish] them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle [dwelling place] also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the LORD do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.” (Ezekiel 37:26-28)
No longer will mankind be physically separated from God, but He will dwell among us, as Jesus did before at His first coming. However, this time it will be different, for everyone will have been saved by their faith in Him, in God, and the death of sin will no longer exist:
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” (Revelation 21:4-7)
The Bible is clear that no unbelievers, the unsaved, will spend their eternity in this place but will spend it in the lake of fire, as we previously read about in Revelation 20:13-15, and also in the Scripture below:
“But the fearful [cowardly], and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers [sexually immoral], and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
The holy city, new Jerusalem, will be nothing like we have ever seen before. Let us read some of how the apostle John described it in Revelation 21 after an angel showed it to him, through the Spirit:
“And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God and her light was like unto a stone most precious, clear as crystal; and had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: on the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in [on] them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare [is laid out as a square], and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. ” (Revelation 21:9-14)
Thus, we read that not only will new Jerusalem be a physical place that possibly will be shaped as a cube, that will be enormous in size, with its height, length, and depth being approximately 1,500 miles high, but that it is also described as “a bride adorned for her husband” and“the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” As any bride would want, this bride, the Lamb’s wife, new Jerusalem, will be adorned with beautiful colors of precious stones that comprise the twelve foundations for the great wall that surrounds the city, with the city itself and its street being made of pure gold. Like pearls on a bride’s necklace, the city will have twelve gates, with each gate being a single pearl. We are also told that the city will not have a need for the sun or the moon because the light of God and the Lamb will be its light, and there will also be no night. There will be a river that runs out from the throne of God and of the Lamb that is the pure water of life, with the tree of life on either side of the river that will bear twelve types of fruit, each month of the year, and that the tree’s leaves are “for the healing of the nations.” This city will be indescribably beautiful, and I cannot wait to see it!
There is also something very interesting, and that is that there will be no temple in new Jerusalem:
“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (Revelation 22:22)
Thus, I believe this refutes the idea that the temple described by the prophet Ezekiel beginning in chapter 40 will be the temple for the eternal state. I believe the temple described by Ezekiel will be built sometime after Jesus returns at His second coming, and people will go and present their offerings there to honor Christ during His 1,000-year reign on earth.
Before I close, I want to say that I may not have everything correct, with the timing of all the events of the day of the Lord. I have done my best to study these Scriptures and not rush through them, and it has taken me four months to write this devotional message. I have done my best not to be swayed by what pastors, teachers, and YouTube channels say, but to write based on what I have read through the leading of the Holy Spirit. That is all I can do. I believe that as time goes on, more information will be revealed to us, and my current understanding may change as events unfold in our world. Please know that I do not write these devotionals to bring any attention to myself but only to bring praise, honor, and glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and hopefully, share information with an unbeliever who will decide to turn to Jesus and be saved.
Let us end this devotional by reading these truths, and may we remember them as we try to live our lives the best we can, as believers in Jesus Christ, during these perilous times. May we remind ourselves that our lives on the earth are not the end, but just the beginning. After we leave this earth, we will be with Jesus Christ for 1,000 years. Then we will see Him replace the current heavens and earth with a new new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem. We will spend our eternity there with Him, in a perfect place, a place with no more sin, no more sorrow, no more pain, no more death; only pure eternal joy with our Savior and our brothers and sisters in Christ, the way God always meant it to be, to God’s glory:
“And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh [causes an] abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:24-27)
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:3-4)
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without [outside] are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers [sexually immoral], and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh [practises] a lie.” (Revelation 22:14-15)
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst [thirsts] come. And whosoever will [desires] let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)