By Julio Cesar Prado
The prophet Isaiah says that “The LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof” (Isaiah 24:1).
We cannot determine the year Jesus will return, but through the prophecies, we know that His second coming is very near. Since creation, six millennials have passed, and the seventh will begin with Christ’s return, who will establish a new order of things. The long reign of evil will then be broken. The kingdoms of the world will become the kingdoms of our Lord Jesus Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever.
The return of our Lord Jesus Christ is a most glorious truth and an event of the utmost importance, in which all children of God, since the beginning of the world, have centered their hope. Enoch, the seventh of the descendants of the first fathers, contemplated in prophetic vision that great day, and said: “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints (angels), to execute judgment upon all” (Jude 1:14, 15).
The prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ also contemplated this glorious day. Isaiah wrote: “Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him” (Isaiah 40:10). Paul said, “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Hebrews 9:28).
Many say no one knows the season of Jesus’ second coming. They claim that He could come back tomorrow or a thousand years from now, and that we can not determine anything.
But the truth is that Christ could not come at a time unknown by His followers, for “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7). God did not send the flood without first warning the people for 120 years through His servant. He did not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah without warning his faithful ones (Genesis 18:17).
In any case, God has never allowed an event to occur without first informing His servants or providing warning to the people through His servants. As a result, the coming of Christ into His kingdom, which is the end of the world (Revelation 14:14-19; Matthew 13:39), could not happen without God’s servants knowing about it and being able to warn the rest of the world.
For more than a century, the gospel of the kingdom of glory, which will be established at Christ’s return, has been preached all over the world. “And this Gospel of the kingdom,” said Jesus, “shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). The “end” will be determined by the coming of Christ. He will come to reap the earth (Revelation 14:15, 16). The harvest is the “end of the world” (Matthew 13:39).
“Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! … The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great … Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail” (Revelation 11:15, 18, 19).
God’s wrath will be consumed in the “last seven plagues” (Revelation 15:1). Having poured out the sixth plague, Christ has not yet come, for on that occasion He says, “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he who watcheth” (Revelation 16:12, 15). He will only come after the last plague is poured out. He will come to judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1).
When Christ returns, He will raise up all the righteous who are sleeping in the dust of the earth (John 5:28, 29; 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52), who will be caught up in the air with the living saints and taken away from here.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump 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.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17).
The righteous will be taken away from earth and to the mansions that Jesus went to prepare for them in His Father’s house in Heaven.
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father‘s house are many mansions: 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.” (John 14:1-3).
In Revelation chapter 7, the two classes of the saved—the transformed living and the resurrected dead—are described as being in Heaven praising God before His throne. They will reign with Christ “for a thousand years,” judging the wicked that are dead (Revelation 20:4; 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3).
Since all the ungodly will be destroyed at Christ’s coming, and all the saved will be taken to Heaven, there will be no living humans on this Earth for the millennium. The prophet Isaiah says that “Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof” (Isaiah 24:1). And the prophet Jeremiah, to whom he was given to observe the condition of the earth during the millennium, thus describes it: “I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.” (Jeremiah 4:23–26).
Christ will come “in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26). The seconds indicate the prophetic clock, contained in the Holy Scriptures, is not far off the day when the “Lord will come out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity” (Isaiah 26:21). “But who may abide the day of His coming?”, asked the prophet Malachi, “and who shall stand when He appeareth?” (Malachi 3:2).
“Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Psalm 24:3-5).
About: Julio Cesar Prado is a journalist.
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Phalm 77:13 “Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary”
The feasts of the Sanctuary are that “prophetic calendar” that encloses the date of the second coming.
“These types were fulfilled, not only as to the event, but as to the time.” … “In like manner the types which relate to the second advent must be fulfilled at the time pointed out in the symbolic service.” CIHS 122-123
15 of Tishri is the date indicated by this prophetic calendar.
Julio,
Your thoughts, comments and Gods word are to trully commended at this time in earth’s history. Thankyou very much for your message and may our God continue to bless you in your particular ministry.
Kind christian regards,
Neil
(Coffs Harbour, NSW, Australia)
“Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”
I believe He has already revealed what is to come through his prophets. In studying Revelation, it has become evident that the book was written (by inspiration, of course) in such a way that it may have significance to the church at John’s time, significance to the church during the dark ages, significance to the church at the time of and following the midnight cry, and most importantly, significance to the church at the present time as we stand upon the threshold of beholding the final events with our own eyes. The prophetic events shown to John delineate the chronology of the final events in the order which they were written. Chiastic structure is not intuitive and requires interpretive application of where to jump from one portion of the book to another portion of the book. Chronological structure is intuitive as it leads the reader through the events in the order which they are to occur. Ask yourself if an open book such as Revelation would be written in the secret code of chiastic structure or in the transparency of chronological order.
Once this point settles in, then it becomes a fascinating study of following along with the Lord’s plan through the last events of earth’s story.
Chapters 1-3
Intro and description of the condition of God’s church (his denominated people coming into the last days – SDA’s). We find in this description a church in various stages of apostacy or consecration. The overarching theme to the churches is of repentance and a call to overcome. There is a chronology found in the churches, but that becomes a longer discourse. Suffice it to say that this part of the ending timeline is dedicated to God’s SDA people and represents a time of relative peace (at least as compared with what is yet to come).
Chapters 4-5
The time of calling unto repentance to the SDA church is closing and we are shown a throne room scene (commencing with the opening of a door which indicates to us that a significant event is taking place in heaven). Here we are shown One – not three, not even two – sitting upon a throne. Then those who have been redeemed from the earth (see 5:9) such as Enoch, Elijah, Moses, and the prophets and judges which were raised from death at Christ’s resurrection, lift up their voices in praise and worship to the Lord God Almighty (4:8) because He created all things and He is worthy of praise (4:11). Notice, this is a sort of first angel’s message which is being given at the closing time of calling the church to repentance. Also notice that the One who the twenty-four elders and the four beasts worship is the Lord God Almighty. Who is this God that is referred to with the singular personal pronoun “He”? Is it a committee or group of co-eternals/co-equals that somehow are referred to in the singular? No. Such a notion could only be fathomed in this age of gender dysphoria and on this sinful earth, not from the lips of redeemed ones giving worshipful praise in heaven. This “He” is the same One that gave unto Jesus Christ the revelation (1:1) recorded by John. The Lord God Almighty is the Father of Jesus Christ and He is the God of Jesus Christ (1:6, 3:12). Never, is there identified that the Father has a God. Please don’t allow the significance and irony of this to pass you by… the very group that God commissioned 170+ years ago to give the three angels message, have forgotten where they came from and themselves need to be taught about the first angel’s message regarding the One that is to be worshipped. Next, we see a lamb (which possesses the spirit of God) standing (not seated) in the middle of the twenty four elders, the four beasts and the throne. These redeemed ones then fall down and worship the lamb because He is “worthy to take the book,” and “redeemed us to God by thy blood.” This description is repeated again to ensure that it is crystal clear that the lamb, standing next to the throne, upon which is seated the Lord God Almighty, is also worthy to be worshipped. This prophetic scene is demonstrating the last call being made to SDA’s to acknowledge who the true God is and to accept that He is truly a Father with a Son, and that his Son is worthy of worship by virtue of his Sonship and by virtue of his redemption of the fallen race. This is a call to forsake the idolatry of worshiping a false triune God which is nowhere defined in scripture. False worship or idolatry is the repeated condition described as the hallmark of God’s people when they are in a backslidden state. This is the present condition of the SDA church as so clearly and repeated pointed out by brother Andy Roman.
Ch 6-7
Jesus opens the seals one by one. The first four are all events that John is invited to “come and see,” thus it isn’t outside of reason that they are events taking place on the earth as Jesus opens the seals. Without going into specifics and supporting texts, the seals are indicating world powers which will rise up in quick succession one after the other, each with defining characteristics. The first has the appearance of purity (white), yet its purpose is to go forth conquering (nikaō which is to subdue). Yes, I’m aware this seal is typically attributed to Christ, yet, Christ is the one opening the seal… regardless, what we are doing is evaluating if this prophecy could be a narrative providing step by step events that are to take place in quick succession as we approach the end. Since Christ, as a lamb slain, is opening up the seal and then opens up the next seal, then it isn’t unreasonable to perceive that the white horse and the horseman represent another entity. In scripture, those that ride upon a horse are figuratively shown to be in a position of power or authority over others. Also, a horse is a symbol of speed and power. So we may understand that the horses and horsemen of the first four seals are men or earthly powers that arise in positions of authority or rule over the earth or a portion of the earth. After the first horseman subdues the earth, the red horse comes with a great weapon (sword) and takes peace from the earth. It appears that the supposed virtuous nature of the first horseman is short lived and is replaced by red (killing). The third seal reveals a black horse with a rider holding a balance. Remember, these are events taking place on the earth, thus the balance held by this horseman represents judgment, but not the judgment of God. Thus, we may understand that this will be an earthly power that will represent itself as dispensing justice upon the earth, yet we know it must be false since only God can truly give justice. The fact is that it is God that intervenes during this short period of supposed “justice” by commanding that the oil and the wine be not hurt, but also setting a price on the barley and the wheat (look these up in your Bible and the SOP for an interesting study). The fourth seal describes death in great numbers. Like the first 3 seals, it is an earthly event which is orchestrated by earthly powers as permitted by God.
In the fifth seal, we find the singular event of the termination of the investigative judgment of the dead. Remember, we are informed that the events being described will be rapid ones, so don’t let the chronology of what is taking place lull you into a sense of complacency thinking that there is much time left. As white robes are given to the righteous martyrs which have previously died, the statement is made that their number is yet to be completed. This indicates to us that as the investigative judgment of the living is taking place there will be many who will give their lives as a testimony.
The sixth seal represents an event that will take place within the “Christian” world, and I believe most specifically within the SDA church, or at least within the ranks of those (SDA or not) who had the opportunity to know the truth. This event will really SHAKE (maybe to be read as “the shaking”?) things up in that it is described as a great earthquake. Also, the sun, moon and stars will all be affected. In Chapter 12, the pure church of God is described as a woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars upon her head. But in this seal, the sun turns black, the moon turns to blood and the stars fall. Thus, at a minimum we are viewing a church with impure characteristics. Furthermore, a perusal of Scripture reveals that the sun moon and stars can also be representative of false forms of worship. Numerous times that heathen and ultimately even God’s people resort to the worship of the heavenly bodies. Either way, an event is being described symbolically that will shake up the church. I’m aware that we are frequently taught that the events described in the sixth seal are literal, yet everything that we have seen in the first five seals was symbolic, thus it would be inconsistent to suddenly shift gears and use literal interpretation of the event. Thus, what we have in the sixth seal is a shaking event.
Between the sixth seal and the seventh seal, or rather, as a part of the sixth seal following the shaking we find the identification of the 144,000. This is fascinating when you compare this chronology with what Ellen G. White wrote in the book Early Writings in the section titled “The Shaking.” Read if for yourself and see if the chronology we’re following in Revelation matches what she describes.
Chapters 8-9
To get right to the point, the trumpets are announcements from heaven which sound a warning to God’s people. The first six are warnings of acts of war that Satan will successively wage against the earth, but more specifically against God’s people. In each of these first six trumpets (except the 5th), we find a signature of “one third” which reveals to us what, or rather who is the source of the horrific events described in the symbolic language (see Rev. 12:4). It is the power of Satan that produces these fearful events. He is the one that drew a third part of the stars (angels) with his tail (deception). We will not go into detail on the trumpets, but suffice it to say that there are events described in them that VERY MUCH relate to us at this point in time in earth’s history. I’m not saying that we are presently experiencing the trumpets, but rather that the events symbolically depicted in the trumpets are aspects of life that we are all very aware of and very familiar with at this very time. This post is already too long to get into the level of detail needed to describe those events. If anyone actually has the stamina to have read this far, then let me know and I’ll be happy to share more.
Chapter 10
This chapter historically points us to the great disappointment of 1844. That was the event of great significance for the budding SDA church at that time, but now nearly 180 years later, is there significance for us as we study the final events that are to take place in their order? I believe the answer is a resounding yes. There is to be another disappointment. I don’t know the nature of it, but according to Sister White in the book Early Writings, it will include an aspect of the passing of a time in which Christ is expected to return. This event occurs in the time context of the fourth angel of Revelation 18 who descends to the earth to give power to the voice of the 3rd angel (see “Another Illustration starting on EW 245.2), thus it is a last-days event.
Chapter 11
This chapter opens with verses 1 and 2 which describe a judgement scene. John is given a reed with which to measure the temple, the altar and them that worship therein; but he is instructed to not measure the court because it is given to the Gentiles (those who have not had the opportunity to know the truth yet) for a period of forty-two months. This 42 months is literal time since prophetic time ceased in 1844. We previously beheld the closing of the investigative judgment of the righteous dead in the fifth seal of Revelation 6. The judgment of the living must then necessarily commence. The first among the living to be judged, and therefore sealed, are the 144,000 according to the chronology in which Revelation was written. It is interesting to read about this event in the book Early Writings, the section titled “The Shaking”. Paragraph 270.4 describes the transformation of the 144,000 from a group which is weeping (sighing and crying) and praying with agony of spirit, into a group that resemble a company of soldiers with full body armor. The paragraph finishes out revealing that this group recognizes that they have obtained the victory (note that this is well before the appearing of Christ in the clouds). This understanding calls “forth from them the deepest gratitude and holy, sacred joy.” The 144,000 will know who they are following the shaking. But here in chapter 11, we have a different judgment scene involving measurement. Measurement is a type of investigation, but it excludes an entire class of people who are simply called “Gentiles.” This judgement scene is the close of the investigative judgment of the living SDA’s, or more broadly, the close of the investigative judgment of those living persons who have had the opportunity to know the truth and the prophecies.
The forty-two-month period given in Revelation 11:2 is the same period of time given in Revelation 12:6, 12:14 and 13:5. This time marker reveals to us that the events described between Revelation 11:1 through 13:5 are all within the same time context. This means that they are either concurrently occurring events, or at a minimum, they are events that follow one after another in quick succession. This would agree with what we learn from the inspired pen (9T.11.1). Regardless, it is important to note that in the chronology of Revelation, just as given to John by the angel and Christ Himself, the investigative judgment of Seventh-Day Adventists in Revelation 11 takes place BEFORE the issuance of a national Sunday law in Revelation 13. How many sermons have been preached where SDA’s are directed to watch for a coming Sunday law? Yet the prophecy reveals to us that by that time, it will be too late for those of us who have received the truth.
Chapter 12
As already noted, chapter 12 occurs within the time context of the 42-months, but sequentially, it must occur after the time in which probation closes for SDA’s. This chapter reveals to us that this period of time will be fraught with severe persecution by Satan against God’s sealed people. More could be said of this chapter, so more study is encouraged.
Chapter 13
A beast arises out of the sea, followed by a beast rising out of the earth. We know these beasts to be Rome and the United Stated of America respectively. In the ending chronology, they are still very likely representing the same two powers. As previously noted, this is the time period of the forty-two months. Within this time, we may expect to witness the establishment of a national Sunday law, followed closely thereafter with an international Sunday law. At this time, the number of the martyrs for God is still to be completed (see 13:15), yet the martyrs will not come from the 144,000 which were the first living persons to pass through investigative judgment. They are the ones that will live through the entirety of the last days without tasting death, and will be the testimony to God’s vast creation that it is possible to live upon a sinful earth without sinning through the power of God and the faith of Jesus.
Chapter 14
Here the final giving of the three angels’ messages is described. These messages, but in particular the third angel’s message are given to the world at large by God’s people who have already been sealed. As the “Gentiles” (as so called in Rev 11:2) hear this message and are convicted, they will join the ranks of God’s people and unite with them in proclaiming this final warning to the earth. Finally, we come to verses 14 through 20 of chapter 14 where the general close of probation for the earth takes place. Now it is the close of probation for those who previously (in chapter 11) had not had the opportunity to know the truth. It is at this time that all the remaining cases are decided for life or for death. We are informed that at this time, there will be no more martyrs for God, because after the close of the investigative judgment/probation, there would be no glory to God in the death of one of his faithful servants. The spilling of blood can have no further effect upon the hearts of the unrepentant once their Mediator has ceased his work.
Chapters 15-16
The 7 last plagues. Enough said.
Chapter 17-18
Here we have the first break of two in the sequence of events. This break is signaled by the statement made by the angel to John, “Come hither; I will shew unto thee…” The second break in sequence is announced in exactly the same manner in Rev. 21:9. In this first break, we are shown the judgment of the great whore (Papal Rome). There is much detail in this judgement that reveals to us world events that will be taking place, thus it’s worth studying in detail. In this time context (again, the time is a flashback to a period prior to the falling of the seven plagues while the three angels’ messages are sounding) the earth is lightened with the glory of a fourth angel which is commissioned to give power to the message of the third angel (see EW 277.1 and Rev 18). This glory and power that lightens the whole earth is referred to as the loud cry. Since at that time the close of probation has already occurred for SDA’s, the message of the angel of Revelation 18 can only be fulfilled or at least aided by the small remnant that were judged to be justified and righteous from the body of believers possessing the truth (of which I believe SDA’s form a large part). The majority of that body, sadly, are found wanting and thus do not participate in the proclamation of this heaven-sent message.
Please read Early Writings pages 232 through 282 and see if you can now see how Sister White prophesied that the first and second angels’ messages are first directed to the Adventists. Those that reject the first message about the identity of the true God to whom we owe our worship in sincerity and truth, will not be able to hear the second message – Babylon is fallen, is fallen. Why? Because they have rejected the call from God to separate from false worship and instead have allowed the leadership and leading men to fasten the cords around them more firmly. This represents a hardening against the truth and instead a clinging to tradition and the social gospel so prevalent in most SDA circles. They cannot accept that the time has come to “come out from among them, and touch not the unclean” (EW 242.1). Yet even during the time of the second angel declaring to Adventists that Babylon has fallen, some will come out. Sister White says: “I saw individuals struggling for freedom, and at last they broke the cords that bound them. They resisted the efforts which were made to fasten the cords tighter and refused to heed the repeated assertions: ‘God is with us.’ ‘We have the truth with us.’” Please read these statements and understand them in their true end time significance and do not allow yourself to be blinded by the effort to force all these statements as a mere recounting of historical events. The time context in her writing is very clearly pointing to the end, the day of the Lord, etc.
Rev. 19-20
The chronology picks back up again after the completion of the flashback. Here we find the coming of Jesus to gather his people and the one thousand years.
Rev. 21:1-8
The end of the prophecy is found here with all things recreated new.
Rev 21:9-22
As previously mentioned, this is a flashback as signaled by the angel speaking to John. Here John sees the new Jerusalem, the bride of the lamb, and describes it to us in all it’s unfathomable glory and majesty.
“Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the saying of the prophecy of this book.”
What we have before us, laid out in plain sight, yet rarely, if ever spoken of is the sequential chronology of the last days. Please take it to heart that you may received the promised blessing, for He IS coming quickly.
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”