THE BOOK OF REVELATION

                   The book of Revelation is often considered to be 
              one of the most difficult books of the Bible to 
              understand.  Its strange images, peculiar visions and 
              complicated language make it difficult to understand for 
              laymen and scholars alike.  And yet the book is intended 
              to be a revelation, not an obscuring.  It was given by 
              Jesus Christ to John so that the Church could understand 
              the events that were to take place between their time 
              (1st century) and the return of Christ to the earth to 
              establish the kingdom of God.

                   The prophecies of the book of Revelation are 
              revealed at last.  The heretofore closed and sealed 
              prophecies are open.  In it are vividly pictured the 
              terrifying world catastrophes, bringing death and 
              destruction to this world, that will soon bring the end 
              of this age.  It is also the story of a living God, who 
              will soon intervene to save humanity from itself.  
              Finally it reveals a future wonderful world of peace, of 
              plenty, of happiness and joy.  
              
                                 Purpose of the Book
              
                   Revelation portrays and contrasts two opposite 
              views of life.  This present world with its man created 
              government and its corrupt false religious systems, is 
              far from what God intended for man.  Ever since Adam and 
              Eve, man has followed his own ways and the evil ways of 
              Satan.  Satan dominates this present world.  When one 
              looks at the book of Revelation as a whole, it is clear 
              that an all-powerful but loving God has always been in 
              charge of events on earth.  He has allowed evil to occur 
              for the purpose of teaching man that such ways only lead 
              to strife, war, unhappiness, pain, and suffering.  God 
              has been methodically working out his purpose, which in 
              the end will triumph over evil and Satan the devil.  The 
              book of Revelation portrays the last days of God's plan.  
              The final outcome is one in which the perfect government 
              of God is established over man, and man lives in peace, 
              joy and happiness. 

                           Symbols a Key to Understanding

                   The book of Revelation has fascinated the world 
              more than any part of the Bible.  You will probably 
              recognize many familiar expressions from Revelation: 
              The Four Horsemen, the bottomless pit, the mark of the 
              beast, the lake of fire, the Millennium, Babylon the 
              Great.  The book of Revelation is full of symbols and 
              many have found it hard to understand what it means.  
              Take a look at any map and you will see a key or legend 
              printed on the map that explains what the symbols on the 
              map mean.  Obviously, you can't decide for yourself what 
              these symbols mean or the map becomes useless.  Yet, 
              unfortunately that's the way some people interpret 
              prophecy.  It's not surprising then that they come up 
              with some bizarre ideas, and end up hopelessly confused.  
              Like the road map, you have to let the Bible interpret 
              its own symbols.  Once you do, you'll have a reliable 
              guide to understand where we are now, and where we are 
              going.  We will introduce you to those symbols and point 
              out their meaning as we explain the prophecies in the 
              book.  
  
                             Revelation Of Jesus Christ

                   Before we look at the book of Revelation let us 
              understand an important point.  Some older versions of 
              the Bible title this book the "Revelation of St. John."
              It isn't and this has been corrected in most modern 
              translations.  It is the revelation of  Jesus Christ .  
              And God, gave this prophecy to Christ.  The first three 
              verses form the introduction.  Let us read them:  "The 
               Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him , to 
              shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to 
              pass; and  he sent and signified it by his angel unto his 
               servant John : who bare record of the word of God, and of 
              the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all thing that he 
              saw.   Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the 
               words of this prophecy , and keep those things which are 
              written therein:  for the time is at hand " (Rev. 1:1-3).

                   This book of prophecy came from God and Christ is 
              the REVEALER.  It is Christ who does the explaining and 
              revealing to John.  John simply recorded what he saw and 
              heard.  Most of the actual prophecy of the book is 
              contained in the things that John saw in vision, or, as 
              it is worded, in spirit, and most of these things are 
              symbols.  In the third verse a blessing is pronounced on 
              you for reading these words, provided you are submissive 
              and obedient to keep those things which are written 
              therein.  Finally notice that "the time is at hand" for 
              these things to happen.  Terrible events are soon to 
              occur on this earth.  Revelation admonishes the reader 
              to heed the book's insistent warning, and to place their 
              trust in God for protection.

                                Keys to Understanding

                   The actual framwork or superstructure of all the 
              prophecies found in Bible is found in the books of 
              Daniel and Revelation.  And in the book of Revelation, 
              alone, do we find events ot the various other prophecies 
              correlated in order of TIME SEQUENCE.  While the book of 
              Revelation, itself, is a vital KEY to a large portion of 
              the other prophecies, there are centain KEYS which open 
              up the book to understanding.  One important KEY in the 
              book of Revelation is a STORY FLOW, relating one future 
              event to another in time order, with occasional insets  
              injected into the continuous story-thread.

              (CHART)
              ________________________________________________________
              

                            CHAPTER OUTLINE OF REVELATION

                  1   John's introduction. Christ glorified as head of  
                      his Church
                2-3   Messages to the seven churches.
                  4   The throne room of heaven.
                  5   Jesus as the revelator
                  6   The first six seals.
                  7   God's people protected from his wrath.
                  8   The first four trumpet plagues of the seventh 
                      seal.
                  9   The fifth and sixth trumpet plagues.
                 10   Prelude to God's wrath.
                 11   The work of the two witnesses and seventh 
                      trumpet proclaimed.
                 12   History of God's persecuted Chruch.
                 13   The two beasts.
                 14   Preliminary messages announcing God's wrath.
              15-16   The seven last plagues.
                 17   The woman and the beast she rides.
                 18   The fall of the world's political-economic
                      system, Babylon the Great.
                 19   The second coming of Christ
                 20   The Millennium and beyond.
              21-22   The new heavens and new earth, new Jerusalem and 
                      conclusion to Revelation.
              _______________________________________________________

              (chart)
              ________________________________________________________
             

                            THE STORY FLOW OF REVELATION
                        

              THE SEVEN SEALS  (Chapter 6)

              1st - False Prophets
              2nd - War
              3rd - Famine
              4th - Pestilence
              5th - Tribulation
              6th - Heavenly Signs

              DAY OF THE LORD BEGINS

                                   {      1st {  (Chap. 8)
                                   {      2nd {  Injure the earth,
                                   {      3rd {  seas, tree, and
                                   {      4th {  rivers.
                                   {
              7th - The 7 Trumpets {      5th    First Woe  (Chap. 9)
                     (Chap. 8-11,  {      6th    Second Woe  (Chap. 9:13)
                       and 14-16)  {
                                   {          {  Third Woe or The
                                   {      7th {  Seven Last Plagues  
                                   {          {  (Chap. 15-16)


                   (ARMAGEDDON)
              SECOND COMING OF CHRIST   (Chapter 19)
              
              THE MILLENNIUM   (Chapter 20)

              THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW EARTH   (Chapter 21-22)

              ________________________________________________________
             
              
                                The Theme of the Book              

                   The dominate keynote of the book, its subject, its 
              theme, is found in the 10th or middle verse of the first 
              chapter.  This is the THEME of the whole Revelation!  It 
              is here that most people begin to stumble, and to 
              misunderstand.  The theme is "The Day of the Lord."  Let 
              us read it: "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and 
              heard behind me a great voice, as a trumpet" (Rev. 
              1:10).  John is not referring to some day of the week, 
              such as Sunday.  This is referring to that prophetic 
              period referred to in more than 30 prophecies as "The 
              great and terrible DAY of the Lord."  

                   The "Day of the Lord" is described by the prophet 
              Joel as a time when God will send DESTRUCTION upon the 
              unrighteous and sinning nations of the world.  It is 
              described by Zephaniah as the day of GOD'S WRATH.  It is 
              described all through Revelation as the time when God 
              will soon, now, step in and supernaturally INTERVENE in 
              this hellish strife and friction and destruction among 
              men, and send PLAGUES upon the sinners of the earth.  It 
              is the time which FOLLOWS the GREAT TRIBULATION, and 
              leads up to and climaxes in the glorious SECOND COMING 
              OF CHRIST.

                   The book of Isaiah tells us "The day of the Lord 
              comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay 
              the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from 
              it" (Isaiah 13:9).  It is a time of frightening 
              atmospheric and celestial distrubances. "For the stars 
              of heaven and their constellations will not give their 
              light; the sun will be darkened in its going forth, and 
              the moon will not cause its light to shine" (Isaiah 
              13:10).  The Lord's day is the time when God intervenes 
              in the affairs of mankind.  Christ's dramatic arrival on 
              earth is the central event of this period.  In Spirit, 
              in VISION, John was carried forward some 1900 years, 
              projected into the day of the Lord, a time just ahead of 
              us, to occur in this present generation.

                   These events are already now beginning to take 
              place on earth, and  you shall live to actually see them! 
              This book will show you the coming world-shaking events 
              of the Day of the Lord, the time of God's judgements at 
              this age-end leading up to and climaxing in the second 
              coming of Christ, and the happy peaceful world tomorrow.  

                                 A Vision of Christ

                    The first chapter contains a vision of the risen 
              and glorified Christ.  He is pictured as dwelling among 
              seven candlesticks.  These represent the seven churches  
              to whom the the chapter is addressed.  Christ also holds 
              seven stars, representing the angles of the seven 
              churches, in his right hand.  Christ also walks among 
              the candlesticks.  This is to show that Christ is 
              present in the midst of the Church and is aware of its 
              activities.

                            Message to the Seven Churches

                   The first real message of the Book is contained in 
              the second and third chapters, the message to the Seven 
              Churches.  These messages come directly from Christ. 
              They contain the direct testimony of Jesus Christ.  Here 
              Jesus takes the actual spiritual condition and 
              functioning of these seven churches, then existing in 
              Asia Minor, as a prophecy of the spiritual condition and 
              the works of the TRUE CHURCH of God during the seven 
              successive time periods up until the end of this age and 
              the second coming of Christ.   

                   These are not messages to the great, visible 
              PROFESSING churches in all their various divisions and 
              denominations.  They are messages from Christ to his 
              own TRUE Church in its successive eras of time from 
              about 100 A.D. until a period yet in the future.  Christ 
              is the living head of that Church.  The message of 
              Revelation is primarily directed to God's people who 
              have "ears to hear."  The letters written to each of the 
              seven churches of God discuss their major spiritual 
              characteristics.  (See chart that follows.)  A promise 
              is made to each of the churches.  If its members can 
              overcome their spiritual problems they will have a part 
              in the coming Kingdom of God.  The promise is eternal 
              life and rulership with Jesus over the nations.  The 
              warnings applies to all of God's peoples in whichever 
              era they might be in.  The book implores God's people to 
              watch their spiritual condition.  By being spiritually 
              strong they will be prepared for what is to come.  
              
              (chart)
              ________________________________________________________
              

                          THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF REVELATION

                        THEIR MAJOR SPIRITUAL CHARACTERISTICS

              The Church of God Begins - Pentecost 31 A.D.

              EPHESUS -      Losing fervent sjpritiual love but not 
                             following false apostles.

              SMYRNA -       Physically poor and persucuted but rich 
                             in spiritual works.

              PERGAMOS -     Keeping the faith in persecution but 
                             becoming morally weak.

              THYATIRA -     Improving in spiritual works but 
                             listening to immoral teaching.

              SARDIS -       Spiritually dead except for a few 
                             faithful individuals.

              PHILADELPHIA - Keeping God's word and not denying the
                             faith of Jesus.

              LAODICEA -     Lukewarm in performing works of faith
                             and spiritually proud.
              
              The Second Coming of Christ
              ________________________________________________________
              


                               Vision of God's Throne        
                                         
                   The fourth and fifth chapters are a prelude to the 
              book and set the stage for the main prophecies of the 
              book.  John actually was on the Isle of Patmos, in the 
              Mediterranean, but in his vision in chapter four he 
              appeared to be taken up to heaven, to the very throne of 
              God.  The scene of John's vision is the throne room of 
              heaven.  In the vision he saw God the Father sitting on 
              His throne.  Before the throne were the four living 
              creatures and the 24 elders sitting around it.  The 24 
              elders we can relate to I Chronicles 24, which describes 
              the Aaronic priesthood's 24 divisions, each serving the 
              temple during a set time.  The apostle Paul wrote that 
              the temple and its service were an earthly copy of the 
              heavenly reality (Hebrews 8:5).  What John sees in 
              vision, then is nothing short of the seat of government 
              of the entire universe.  It significes God's absolute 
              authority over creation.  

                          Who is Worthy to Open the Scroll?

                   Now we come to the vital fifth chapter of the book 
              of Revelation.  Notice: "And I saw in the right hand of 
              him that sat on the throne a scroll written within and on 
              the backside, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a 
              strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is 
              worthy to open the scroll and to loose it seals?" (Rev. 
              5:1-2).  Here is the real book or scroll of prophecy.  
              It is significant that this scroll was sealed with seven 
              seals.  Seven is God's number denoting completeness.  
              This scroll of prophecy was then completely sealed or 
              closed up so it could not be seen or read, much less 
              understood.  Now notice verse 3: "And no one in heaven 
              or on the earth or under the earth was found worthy to 
              open and read the scroll, or to look at it."  Notice 
              that!  This prophecy is sealed!  No man is worthy or 
              able to open up this prophecy, to read its real and true 
              meaning.  

                   But notice, here comes the key to unlock the doors 
              of understanding. "And one of the elders said to me, Do 
              not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the 
              Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to 
              loose its seven seals (verse 5).  There is the key.  The 
              Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root of David, is Jesus 
              Christ.  The Revelation also identifies this someone as 
              "a Lamb as though it had been slain" in verse 6.  In 
              John's vision, the Lamb takes "the scroll out of the 
              right hand of Him who sat on the throne" (Rev. 5:7).  
              Jesus Christ alone, here standing before the throne of 
              God the Father, is able to open these seals and reveal 
              to us the meaning.  This is not the revelation of any 
              man, some modern church leader, or any religious 
              organization, sect, or denomination.  No man can reveal 
              the meaning.  This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ.  
              He alone can open up the the meaning of this greatest of 
              all prophecies.

                   John then hears many voices praising and glorifying 
              Jesus: "And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy 
              to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were 
              slain, and have redemned us to God by your blood out of 
              every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have 
              made us kings and priests to our God; and  we shall reign  
               on the earth " (Rev. 5:9-10).  Jesus is worthy because of 
              what he did, giving his life for sinning humans.  The 
              risen Jesus has the central role in God's plan in 
              bringing God's perfect government to earth.  Further 
              notice, that even though the vision appears in heaven, 
              it  portrays events to happen here on earth.   They sang a 
              glorious song, saying that those whom Christ has 
              redeemed are to RULE, they are to REIGN with Him as 
              kings and priests.  Where?  Up in Heaven?  No!  Observe 
              this carefully, "THEY SHALL REIGN ON THE EARTH!"  Yes, 
              Jesus is coming again to rule all the earth as the King 
              of kings, and the Lord of lords!  And those who have 
              obeyed and followed God will be ruling with Christ as 
              kings and priests.

                   And now we come to the sixth chapter of Revelation, 
              the Revelation proper.  As we shall see the information 
              on the scroll sealed by seven seals makes up the major 
              portion of Revelation.  John then sees the Lamb (Jesus) 
              unrolling the scroll and breaking each of its seven 
              seals.  

                                   THE SEVEN SEALS
              
                   One by one, Jesus opens these seals.  Six of the 
              entire seven seals are opened in this sixth chapter 
              alone.  Only one chapter is devoted to the first six 
              seals.  The remaining 16 chapters cover the events of 
              the seventh seal alone.  As Jesus is opening each seal, 
              John is invited to see its contents pictured in a 
              vision.  John writes at the beginning of chapter six: "I 
              saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals [the first] 
              and I heard on of the four living creatures saying with 
              a voice like thunder, Come and see." (Rev. 6:1).  

                           The Four Horsemen of Revelation

                   Now here is what John saw:  "And I looked, and 
              behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a 
              crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and 
              to conquer.  When He opened the second seal, I heard the 
              second living creature saying, Come and see.  Another 
              horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the 
              one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that 
              people should kill one another; and ther was given to 
              him a great sword.  When He opened the third seal, I 
              heard the third living creature say, Come and see. So I 
              looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it 
              had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in 
              the midst of the four living creatures saying, A quart 
              of wheat for a denarious and three quarts of barley for 
              a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine. When 
              he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the 
              fourth living creature saying, "Come and see. So I 
              looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him 
              who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him.  
              And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, 
              to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the 
              beasts of the earth" Rev. 6:2-8).

                   And these are the well known Four Horsemen Of The 
              Apocalypse.  The Greek word "apocalypse" simply means 
              "revelation" or "revealing."  Notice, each of the four 
              horsemen are riding a different colored horse.  They are 
              a white horse, a red horse, a black horse, and a pale 
              horse.  The horse colors take on special symbolic 
              meanings.  However, symbols are susceptible of many 
              different interpretations.  For generations men have 
              been putting their own  human interpretations  on these 
              symbols.  But waht are these mystic four horsemen?  What 
              do these symbols represent?  Who has the right 
              interpretation?  The answer is that no man, or religious
              organization of men has any power or ability to reveal 
              this meaning.  Only Jesus Christ was found worthy and is 
              able to make this meaning known.  Notice that Christ 
              does not at this time and place open up the meaning.  He 
              has merely revealed the writing in symbolic form, but 
              did not give the meaning here.  Understand that God uses 
              symbols to  hide  the meaning from men, until that meaning 
              is revealed by Jesus Christ Himself.
              
                         The Key To Understanding Revelation

                   Since Jesus did not reveal the meaning in this 
              particular passage of scripture, we must look elsewhere 
              to find when and where Jesus does explain the meaning of 
              these symbols.  This is the paramount key to the Book of 
              Revelation!  That ought to explain why this world's 
              religious leaders have not been able to explain the true 
              meaning of these four horsemen. 

                   Consider this.  Haven't you supposed that Jesus 
              spoke in parables in order to make His meaning clearer, 
              as a sort of illustration, so that people would better 
              understand His meaning.  Well, you have supposed wrong.  
              On the contrary, Jesus spoke in parables to cover up or 
               hide the true meaning  from the crowds that constantly 
              followed Him.  Notice the parable of the sower and the 
              seed: "And when he was alone, they that were about him 
              with the twelve asked of him the parable.  And he said 
              unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of 
              the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all 
              these things are done in parables: that seeing they may 
              see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and 
              not understand; lest at any time they should be 
              converted, and their sins should be forgiven them" (Mark 
              4:10-12).  And then Jesus did explain in plain language 
              the true meaning to His disciples.
   
                   And in the same manner, we find in this sixth 
              chapter of Revelation a prophecy cloaked mysteriously in 
              symbols which have hidden the true meaning from men.  
              So if we want to really understand, we must go to Jesus, 
              who alone is the true revelator, and look to see where 
              in His written Word, this same Jesus explains to us, in 
              plain language the identical events which are 
              represented by these symbols.

                               Jesus' Olivet Prophecy

                   Jesus did explain these same events of this world 
              crisis at the close of this age in Jesus' Olivet 
              Prophecy, recorded in Matthew 24, Mark13, and Luke 21.  
              The disciples of Jesus had asked Him "Tell us, when will 
              these things be?  And what will be the sign of Your 
              coming, and of the end of the age?" (Matt. 24:3).  Jesus 
              then outlined the events to occur before and lead up to 
              the return of Christ.  As does Revelation, the Olivet 
              prophecy contains a story flow relating one event to 
              another in general time order.  Jesus outlined exactly 
              seven things to occur.  Here Jesus reveals the true 
              meaning of the seven seals of the prophecy of 
              Revelation.  And now, from Matthew's account, let us 
              read the first four stages of events Jesus foretold:

                   "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed 
              that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My 
              name, saying  I am the Christ ; and will deceive many.  
              And you will hear of  wars and rumors of wars : see that 
              you are not troubled; for all these things must come to 
              pass, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise 
              against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. and there 
              will be  famines, pestilences,  and earthquakes in varous 
              places.  All these are the  beginning of sorrows " (Matt. 
              24:3-8).  

                               What Do the Seals Mean?

                   Notice that Jesus said there would be 1st, false 
              teaching, 2nd, wars, 3rd, famine, and 4th, pestilence.  
              Notice this principle:  Once a condition which Jesus 
              predicts sets in, it remains continuous up until His 
              very second coming.  

                   The very first condition Jesus foretells is that of 
              false preachers, misleading and deceiving, not the few, 
              but the many!  This condition set in almost immediately. 
              The Apostle Paul wrote of it, and said this spirit of 
              iniquity was already working.  (See II Cor. 11:13-15).  
              And it has never ceased, but has increased in intensity, 
              until the whole world has become deceived and misled as 
              to these Bible truths of God, as distintly prophesied.  
              The first horse mentioned was a white horse.  Many have 
              confused this white horse with the one in Revelation 19, 
              where we find the description of the glorious return of 
              Christ pictured as coming on a white horse.  And they 
              have made the great error of deciding that this first 
              seal, then, since it is a white horse, pictures the 
              second coming of Christ.  But Christ's own revealing of 
              the meaning is that this white horse of the first seal 
              pictures exacly the opposite, those preaching a false 
              Christ.  And thus the first horseman on the white horse 
              with the bow and crown correspond to the counterfeit 
              Christs and religious deceptions.  These imposters seek 
              to conquer and destroy those who disagree with them.  
              
                   And so the next thing Jesus said would occur was 
              wars and rumors of wars.  So the second seal pictures a 
              red horse, the color of blood, and this horseman is a 
              symbol of war.  And in his wake, people kill one 
              another.  Two world wars have occurred.  Rumors of wars 
              continue.  World War III looms on the horizon.  Now we 
              face the question of whether human life can survive the 
              next atomic and hydrogen bomb war!  

                   The third thing Jesus said would occur is famine.  
              The black horse has a rider with a pair of scales in his 
              hand.  We can see that this rider represents hunger and 
              famine.  He carries a scale to measure and carefully 
              dole out food.  Anciently, wheat and barley, wine and 
              oil were basic food commodities.  The denarius was a 
              Roman silver coin and was equal in value to the daily 
              wage of a working man.  So there is a scarcity of food 
              and it takes a days wage just to buy the basic foods to 
              eat.  

                   The fourth thing Jesus said would occur was 
              disease epidemics which follow in the wake of great 
              famines and wars.  The fourth horesman is a pale horse.  
              The pale horse represents the sickly look of death due 
              to disease.  The rider is called death and hades [the 
              grave] follows with him.  One might recall that the 
              Black Death killed nearly one third of the people in 
              Europe in the 14th century.  The worldwide influenza 
              epidemic of 1918 killed nearly 20 million people.  These 
              are nothing compared to what we can expect in the end 
              times just prior to Jesus' second coming.

                   The Four Horsemen bring immense suffering to the 
              human race.  John tells us in Rev. 6:8 that over a 
              fourth of the earth will die from these horsemen.  And 
              this is just the beginning of the colossal world events 
              prophesied for our times.  The first two world wars have 
              occurred.  Next to strike the earth are World War III, 
              famine, and disease epidemics, all of such a magnitude 
              as this world has never seen!

                   There is  Christ's own explanation  of the four 
              horsemen.  This brings us to the fearful present.  This 
              is only the beginning of the prophecy.  Now let us come 
              to the very next prophesied event that will rock this 
              world to its foundations. 

                              The Fifth and Sixth Seals

                   Now we come to the fifth and sixth seals of the 
              book of Revelation.  These are also in the sixth 
              chapter.  John writes, "When He opened the  fifth seal , I 
              saw under the altar the souls of those who had been 
              slain for the word of God and for the testimony which 
              they held.  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, 
              How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and 
              avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?  Then 
              a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said 
              to them that they should rest a little while longer, 
              until both the number of their fellow servants and their 
              brethren, who would be killed as they were, was 
              completed" (Rev. 6:9-11).

                                The Great Tribulation

                   The fifth seal is speaking of the coming Great 
              Tribulation.  Literally dozens of prophecies in both the 
              Old and New Testaments describe this colossal world 
              event.  We have already discussed the great tribulation 
              in connection with the events to befall the United 
              States and Britain, as well as in connection with the 
              rapture.  Remember, we are now at the intermission of 
              world war.  There continues to be an increasing number 
              of small wars all over the world.  Famines and disease 
              epidemics have increased in magnitude in recent years, 
              but the final great worldwide famine and disease 
              epidemic has not struck.  We are already into these 
              events, but we haven't reached the final fury of them.  
              So notice, now, what is said of these things: "All these 
              are the  beginning  of sorrows" (Matt. 24:8).  Yes, these 
              things are only the beginning of sorrows, or more 
              properly translated, of travail, or  tribulation.   When 
              we come to the full fury of the famine and disease 
              epidemics, and what undoubtly will be the continuance of 
              world war, that will be the very beginning of the much-
              prophesied Great Tribulation.  And that is the next 
              event that God Almighty warns this world is coming.

                   Jesus also referred to this same event in the 
              Olivet prophecy.  He mentioned it immediately after 
              detailing the events of "the beginning of sorrows."  
              Jesus told his disciples: "They will deliver  you  up to 
               tribulation  and kill  you , and  you  will be hated by all 
              nations for My name's sake...For then there will be 
               great tribulation , such as has not been since the 
              beginning of tthe world until this time, no, nor ever 
              shall be" (Matt 24:9, 21).  Remember, in the New 
              Testament the pronoun "you", unless otherwise clearly 
              defined refers either to truly converted Christians if 
              speaking spiritually, or to flesh born Israelites as 
              nations if speaking nationally.  In this particular 
              case, comparison with Mark 13 and Luke 21 makes it very 
              evident that Jesus used this pronoun in the dual sense, 
              including both spirit begotten Christians and flesh born 
              Israelites as nations. 

                                 Duality in Prophecy

                   Right here we have to explain another  key  to nearly 
              all prophecies.  There is a  duality  in nearly 
              everything in God's plan in working out His purpose here 
              below.  There was the first Adam and Christ the second 
              Adam.  There was the Old Covenant and there is the new.  
              There is usually a former, typical, and then a final 
              fulfillment of many prophecies.  
              
                   This tribulation did actually occur, in the former 
              typical sense, to the nation Judah, in 70 A.D.  But that 
              was merely the early type, and forerunner of  the great 
               national invasion and captivity yet to occur.   This is 
              described more plainly in Luke 21:23-24: "...For there 
              will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this 
              people.  And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, 
              and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem 
              will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the 
              Gentiles are fulfilled."  That is speaking of war, of 
              national invasion and captivity of modern Israel, the 
              United States and Britain.  Jerusalem will be taken over 
              by Gentiles.  The climatic major event of this prophecy 
              is yet to occur, just shortly before the coming of 
              Christ.  
                   
                                Religious Persecution

                   The fifth seal pictures a time of great 
              tribulation, including a martyrdom for religious 
              beliefs.  The cry of the martyrs represent God' people 
              who have been "slain for the word of God" throughout the 
              ages (Rev. 6:9).  Notice they were slain in a former and 
              a typical tribulation and they are asking how long God, 
              till you avenge our blood on the powers that martyred 
              us.  They knew that God said "Vengence is mine."  They 
              knew that in the terrible DAY OF THE LORD, God is going 
              to take vengence by sending His plagues on the 
              persecuting powers!  Notice these martyrs are asking 
              how long before the second coming of Christ and the end 
              of this age.  And here is the answer.  It shall not 
              occur until another Great Tribulation, another martyrdom 
              of saints, until their fellow servants and brethren are 
              killed as they were.  And that is speaking of the Great 
              Tribulation.  Notice this Tribulation must occur and be 
              completed before God pours out the vials of His Wrath, 
              His Plagues, at the second coming of Christ.
              
                   Matthew 24 speaks of many false prophets deceiving 
              many people.  "And because lawlessness will abound, the 
              love of many will grow cold" (verse 12). "For false 
              christs, and false prophets will rise and show great 
              signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the 
              elect" (verse 24).  Only those "who endure to the end 
              shall be saved" (verse 13).  This is also speaking 
              individually of truly spirit begotten Christians who 
              have become so lukewarm, (the Laodicea Church) so out of 
              prayerful contact with God, that they will not be 
              accounted worthy to escape all these things.  Yes, the 
              fifth seal pictures a  martyrdom of saints,  of truly, 
              begotten children of God.  The saints won't be taken 
              away in a secret rapture.  The church will be on earth 
              during the Great Tribulation.  
 
                         The Sixth Seal - Astronomical Signs
                    
                   Immediately after the great tribulation come cosmic 
              disturbances.  John writes: "I looked when He opened the 
              sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and 
              the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon 
              became like blood.  And the stars of heaven fell to the 
              earth" (Rev. 6:12-13).

                   Compare this description of the sixth seal with 
              what Jesus said will follow the great tribulation in the 
              Olivet prophecy.  "Immediately after the tribulation of 
              those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon 
              will not give its light; the stars will fall from 
              heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken" 
              (Matt.  24:9).  Both in Revelation and in Matthew 24, 
              these heavenly signs  follow  the great tribulation.  

                   In the 6th chapter of Revelation, as these six 
              seals are opened, we have 1st, false preachers; 2nd wars 
              climaxing in world wars; 3rd, famines; 4th, disease 
              epidemics; 5th, Great Tribulation, martyrdom of saints; 
              6th, the heavenly signs, in the sun, moom, and stars.  
              So far, these events parallel those Jesus cited in the 
              Olivet prophecy.  The first five seals represented the 
              calamitous events breaking out in the world at large.  
              They showed humanity facing the consequences of  its own 
               sinful actions.   The sixth seal marks the impending 
              judgement of God.

                         After Heavenly Signs - God's Wrath

                   What follows the heavenly signs according to the 
              book of Revelation?  The last verse of chapter six tells 
              us, "The great day of His wrath has come, and who is 
              able to stand?"  The great day of God's Wrath is the 
              great Day of the Lord.  Notice Joel 2:31: "The sun shall 
              be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood,  before  
              the great and terrible  day of the Lord  come."  There did 
              you catch it, the Day of God's Wrath is the Day of the 
              Lord!  Also notice here in Joel that the heavenly signs 
              in the sun and moon must occur  before  the great and 
              terrible Day of the Lord!   So the heavenly signs occur 
              immediately after the great tribulation and before the 
              Day of the Lord.

                       Tribulation is Not the Day of the Lord
              
                   You have probably heard a great deal about the 
              Great Tribulation, but you have probably heard very 
              little about the Day of the Lord.  Yet the Day of the 
              Lord is described in more than 30 different prophecies 
              scattered through both the Old and New Testaments.  Yet 
              the Great Tribulation is spoken of by this term "the 
              Great Tribulation, only in Matthew 24:21,29!  Why?  
              Religious leaders have supposed that all these 
              prophecies about the Day of the Lord, the time of God's 
              Wrath, are identical with the Great Tribulation.  They 
              have supposed that the Great Tribulation is God's Wrath, 
              God's plagues upon the sinners of the world.  This just 
              isn't so.
                   
                    The Great Tribulation is not the wrath of God  but 
              just the opposite.  The Bible reveals that the 
               tribulation is the wrath of Satan , the wicked spirit 
              ruler of this present age.  The devil knows he has but a 
              short time.  When God intervenes, when God's plaques 
              fall, and when Christ returns to rule this earth, Satan 
              knows full well that he will be through.  We read that 
              in Revelation 12.  Notice, the devil is angry.  He is 
              responsible for the persecution of the Christians who 
              are not accounted worthy to escape.  Satan hates God's 
              way and so does this world.  He knows he has little time 
              left before Christ comes to establish the Kingdom of God 
              on this earth.  So there is a great persecution and 
              martydom of Christians.  

                   The Day of the Lord is the time of God's wrath.  
              This is the time of God's plagues sent upon the sinners 
              of the world.  God says he will bring this distress upon 
              defiant and sinful men who hate truth and peace, and 
              love evil.  This day does not come until after the 
              heavenly signs in the sun and moon following the Great 
              Tribulation.  The "Day of the Lord" is the time God 
              steps into world affairs directly.  It is the time of 
              God's wrath against the nations!  The "day of the Lord 
              will come like a thief in the night," wrote Paul in I 
              Thessalonians 5:2.  God's intervention followed by 
              Christ's return will surprise the world as does a thief 
              in the night.  
                   
                                 The Day of the Lord

                   The coming of the Day of the Lord is described in 
              Revelation 6:14-17: "Then the shy receded as a scroll 
              when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was 
              moved out of its place.  And the kings of the earth, the 
              great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, 
              every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the 
              caves and in the rocks of the mountains.  And said to 
              the mountains and rocks, `Fall upon us, and hide us from 
              the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the 
              wrath of the Lamb.  For the great day of His wrath is 
              come; and who is able to stand?'"  
               
                   This is the Day of the Lord, bringing us, at last, 
              the RETURN OF CHRIST to earth in all power and glory, to 
              rule the peoples of the earth and to bring us peace.

                   You need not live in fear or worry over these 
              things.  In the same prophecy of Jesus as reported by 
              Luke, regarding the world disturbances now ahead, 
              regarding the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, 
              Jesus ended His Olivet prophecy with these assuring 
              words: "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be 
              counted worthy to escape all these things that will come 
              to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.  May God 
              help you to be one of those accounted worthy to escape 
              all these things and to stand before Christ at His 
              Second Coming.

                                 Why These Plagues?

                   God revealed His Law and His Way of life that would 
              lead to everything good and desirable to our first 
              parents, Adam and Eve.  But they rejected God's way and 
              for 6000 years man has been going his own way.  God has 
              sent all his prophets and even his own Son, with His 
              message revealing to mankind the way to peace and 
              happiness but man has refused to listen.  God has warned 
              the world where its own ways and devices will finally 
              lead and that is to the total annihilation of human life 
              from off this planet. 
              
                   Now God is about to step in and speak to this 
              rebellious and hell-bent world in the only language the 
              world will heed.  God will now punish this world for its 
              evil.  As any loving parent punishes his child who will 
              not listen to kind and loving admonition, so now God is 
              going to punish this world with just judgments,  with 
               plagues so terrible that the world will at last be 
               forced to turn from its wicked ways and to seek God and 
               His ways  that lead to peace and everything good.  God 
              will prevent the suicide of humanity.  He will save this 
              evil world from itself.  And that is the period coming 
              that is described as the Day of the Lord, which shall 
              lead directly into the second coming of Christ, to bring 
              us world peace at last.  
                  
                         God's Wrath Temporarily Restrained

                   The sixth chapter of Revelation takes us right up 
              to the time when God will intervene in the affairs of 
              mankind during the last days.  God will do this by 
              sending plagues and destruction of increasing severity 
              to our planet.  However, God cannot send the full fury 
              of his wrath on the earth before he provides protection 
              for his people.  The scene temporarily switches in 
              chapter 7 of Revelation to show us what us happening to 
              God's people.  

                   As the seventh chapter of Revelation begins, we 
              find that the wrath of God, the Day of the Lord, is 
              temporarily held up.  John sees "four angels atanding at 
              the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of 
              the earth that the wind should not blow on the earth, on 
              the sea, or on any tree" (Rev. 7:1).   Then John hears 
              another angel say, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or 
              the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on 
              their foreheads (Rev. 7:3).  This seal leaves "His 
              Father's name written on their foreheads" (Rev. 14:1).  
              Jesus' last prayer for His Church was that they would be 
              kept in the Father's name.  Today we find the churches 
              of this world under every possible name, many named 
              after men.  But 12 times in the New Testament, God's own 
              Church is called the Church of God.

                   The prophet Ezekiel experienced a similar vision.  
              He saw human figures in Jerusalem, standing as a symbol 
              of Israel, and they were disturbed over the sins being 
              committed there (Ezek. 8).  And those who were God's 
              people and appalled at the abominations being committed 
              received "a mark on the forehead" (Ezek. (9:4).  The 
              rest of the people were slain.  What does it mean to 
              receive such a "mark" on the forehead or be "sealed"?

                   The be "sealed" is a symbolic way of saying that 
              these people are identified as belonging to God.  They 
              are "marked" for protection from the afflictions to come.
              This mark is contrasted with the "mark of the beast" 
              seen later in Revelation 14:11; 16:2; and 19:20.  Those 
              with the mark of the beast are labeled as enemies of 
              God.

                                 Who Are The 144,000

                   The 144,000 is the first group to be sealed and 
              protected.  Continuing with Revelation 7, verse 4:  "And 
              I heard the number of those who were sealed.  One 
              hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the 
              children of Israel were sealed."  This prophecy is 
              plain, and means just what it says, 144,000 are sealed 
              of the 12 tribes of Israel with 12,000 of each tribe 
              being sealed.  (We explain where the 10 lost tribes of 
              Israel are today in another portion of this book.)  
              Revelation 14:4 says "These were redeemed from among 
              men, being first fruits to God and to the Lamb."  In 
              this context the 144,000 are those who are true to God 
              and to his way.  That means they obey God.  They would 
              be the people of God, and members of His Church.  The 
              144,000 comprise the faithful believers who will be 
              supernaturally protected from the trials and 
              tribulations of God's wrath to came at the end times 
              (Rev. 9:4).

                                 The Great Multitude

                   Next John sees a much larger group of people, "a 
              great multitude which no one could number."  They come 
              from "all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues" and they 
              are all "clothed with white robes" (Rev. 7:9).  This 
              innumerable multitude is made up of individuals "who 
              have come out of the Great Tribulation" (Rev. 7:14).  If 
              they come "out of" the Great Tribulation, they must have 
              come through the Great Tribulation.  While some of God's 
              people must suffer through the Great Tribulation, God 
              protects those who have been sealed from his earth-
              shattering wrath.  
              
                   Understand that God will not send His frightful 
              plagues to punish the world until he has first sent a 
              great supernatural warning.  God has warned the world 
              through all his prophets and through his Son Jesus 
              Christ.  He is warning the world right now through this 
              book.  He will warn the world once again by supernatual 
              signs, in the sun, the moon, and the stars.  God will 
              leave men no excuse.  And after the Great Tribulation, 
              when men are seized with stark terror at these 
              supernatural heavenly signs, multiplied thousands will 
              at last recognize that it is really God warning them!  
              Yet, those who now hear this warning from God will not 
              heed it now.  They are deceived.  They still believe and 
              follow their various human leaders.  Their minds are not 
              open to recognize this as God's last warning to this 
              world!  But when they see these things actually occur, 
              when they have seen how the world was deceived and 
              mislead about the Great Tribulation, and they have gone 
              through it, when they see these terrifying sign in the 
              heavens, then, at last, hundreds of thousands of them 
              will at last recognize the truth, and at last turn to 
              God in repentance and complete submission.  
              
                               The Seventh Seal Opened
                                 God's Wrath Begins

                   We now come to the eighth chapter of Revelation and 
              the opening of the seventh and final seal.  Remember, as 
              each seal was opened, John recorded what he saw in 
              vision.  In every case, the things he saw were symbols, 
              but these symbols represent  actual world events  
               occurring in a definite time order.   So notice what John 
              saw when this seventh seal was opened.  "When He opened 
              the seventh sea, there was a silence in heaven for about 
              half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand 
              before God, and to them were given seven trumpets" (Rev. 
              8:1-2).

                   John sees the  seven trumpets . Here is a third vital 
              key to the book of Revelation.  The seven trumpets are 
              symbols, representing real world events to come.  These 
              "trumpets" are not, as so many believed, contemporanious 
              with the seven seals.  Neither do they follow the 
              closing of the seventh seal.  They are and they 
               constitute the seventh seal.   Understand that this 
              seventh seal  occurs in seven successive stages .  Each of 
              these seven stages or parts, of the seventh seal is 
              called a  trumpet .  These trumpets are  plagues  which God 
              will send in physical punishment of the forces of evil 
              in this world.  They are plainly called plagues in 
              Revelation 9:20.

                           What do the Trumpets Symbolize?

                   Trumpets played a prominent part in events recorded 
              in the Bible.  They were used to call people together, 
              to move the tribes and to celebrate the festivals.  
              Trumpets were also used to sound the alarm in time of 
              war.  The trumpets were always blown as a warning of 
              war, or approaching armies.  It signifies war and 
              destruction.  These seven trumpets follow immediately 
              after the sixth seal.  At the time of the sixth seal it 
              was announced that "the Great Day of God's Wrath" was 
              come.  These symbolic trumpets then portray the Day of 
              the Lord, the day of God's Wrath!  The day God 
              intervenes in world affairs to punish this world for its 
              evil, the day God pleads with all flesh in the physical 
              language it can understand.  Yes, God is going to step 
              in and punish all nations for their evil, which is 
              destroying them and bringing such suffering and 
              unhappiness on all their peoples.
              
                   The earlier seal depicted the inevitable 
               consequences of human sinfulness.   God now directs the 
              trumpet plagues against a world unyielding in its 
              hostility toward him.  These punishments are intended to 
              lead the human race to repentance.  Tragically, most of 
              humanity refuses to heed (Rev. 9:20)  The plagues God 
              sent on Egypt in the days of Moses were a direct type of 
              these plagues that shall now be poured out on the whole 
              world (modern Babylon).  The movie  The Ten Commandments  
              dramitized these events well.  Pharoah would not release 
              the ancient Israelites from captivity until God's 
              plagues devastated Egypt.  These horrifying events will 
              result in the release of God's people form the 
              oppressive "beast" which dominates the world.  And just 
              as God protected the children of Israel when He poured 
              out the plagues on ancient Israel, so He will protect 
              all His children who rely on Him from these plagues now 
              about to come on modern Babylon.  We have already 
              mentioned the sealing of the 144,000 and the great 
              innumerable multitude that came out of the Great 
              Tribulation before these plagues are to strike.  Those 
              saved from these plagues will be taken by Christ into 
              the Kingdom of God, to be set up on earth with 
              headquarters in Jerusalem. 
              
                   The Day of God's Wrath will be a time of great 
              distress and confusion and horrible destruction.  As 
              Zephaniah says: "The great day of the Lord is near, it 
              comes with speed...That day is a day of wrath, a day of 
              anguish and affliction, a day of destruction and 
              devastation...A day of the  trumpet  and alarm againt the 
              fenced [fortified] cities, and against the lofty 
              battlements  [that is military fortifications]" (Zeph. 
              1:14-16).  

                             First Four Trumpet Plagues
                                                        
                   The first four trumpet plagues strike the earth 
              itself, creating an ecological catastrophe of global 
              proportions.  The visions represent stylized scenes in 
              which one-third of whatever is struck is destroyed.  As 
              the first four angels sounds their trumpet one after 
              another we find the following events occurring:
                   1st trumpet - hail and fire destroy one third of 
                                 the trees and all the green grass
                                 (verse 7).
                   2nd trumpet - "something like a great mountain 
                                 burning with fire was thrown into the 
                                 sea" and one third of all ocean life 
                                 dies and a third of all ships are 
                                 destoyed (vs. 8-9).  
                   3rd trumpet - "a great star", perhaps a meteor, 
                                 falls from heaven and poisons one
                                 third of the world's water supply
                                 (vs. 10-11).  
                   4th trumpet - great distrubances block out one-
                                 third of the light of the sun, moon,
                                 and stars (v. 12).

                      The Three Woes - The Last Three Trumpets

                   Remember there are seven trumpets, three remain to 
              be sounded.  The final three angelic trumpet soundings 
              have become known as the "three woes", because of the 
              terrible woe that will befall the forces of evil on 
              earth.  John looks and hears "an angel flying through 
              the midst of heaven."  He cries out, "Woe, woe, woe to 
              the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining 
              blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about 
              to sound" (Rev. 8:13).  

                              First Woe - Fifth Trumpet

                   The "first woe," or the fifth trumpet, is described 
              in Revelation 9:1-11.  The power that causes the 
              destruction, this time to men, comes out of the symbolic 
              "bottomless pit."  We see this later interpreted in 
              Revelation 17:8-14.  There we learn that the power that 
              emerges out of the "bottomless pit" is a rebirth of the 
              ancient Roman Empire.  This force takes political and 
              military control of a large part of the world.  It is 
              described in prophecy as a power to the north of the 
              Holy Land, because prophecies always speak from the 
              focal point of the Holy Land, to the north, and west.
              The fifth trumpet portrays a vast military-political 
              power exacting punishment on other nations in war.  
              This army torments those who do not have the seal of 
              God on their foreheads for five months (Rev. 9:4-5).  
              And their torment was so bad that "men will seek death" 
              (verse 6) and not be able to die.  This superpower's 
              military forces are led by "the angel of the bottomless 
              pit" (Rev. 9:11).  This is a reference to Satan, the 
              devil, the unseen ruler of this world.  

                             Second Woe - Sixth Trumpet

                   The second woe, announced in Revelation 9:13, with 
              its symbols of horses and horsemen, is interpreted by 
              Ezekiel 38:4, 15, and is also referred to as an event in 
              the Day of the Lord in Joel 2:4.  The 200 million strong 
              army of horsemen portrayed here in Revelation depicts a 
              major invasion from the north, due north.  One third of 
              the humans alive are killed (vs. 15, 18).  Apparently 
              what John witnessed is the second stage of a total world 
              war in proportions not known even to the present.  Think 
              of it, an army of 200 million!  World events are now 
              moving rapidly to make the creation of such a Communist 
              Eurasian army of that unbelievable manpower.  Yes, its 
              time to wake up to what's taking place today and where 
              it is leading!  

                   Even with every thing that's happened through these 
              first six trumpets, mankind still refuses to repent.  
              Look at the ending verses of chapter nine: "But the rest 
              of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did 
              not repent of the works of their hands, that they should 
              not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, 
              stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor 
              walk.  And they did not repent of their murders or their 
              sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts" 
              (Rev. 9:20-21).  Yes, even after the heavenly signs, 
              even after a third of the world is destroyed by the 
              first four trumpet plagues, even after being tormented 
              for five months so bad that they wanted to die, and even 
              after a third of the world is killed by this army of 200 
              million, the rest of mankind would not repent.  Their 
              sins are listed as worshiping demons, worshiping idols, 
              murder, sorcery, theft, and sexual immorality.  

                                  The Two Witnesses
              
                   Before the third woe, the last trumpet, we find the 
              two witnesses described.  These two witnesses give out 
              God's last warning to the evil people and nations of the 
              world.  Notice the time element.  They end their mission 
              at the time of the end of the second woe (Rev. 11:14).  
              They are given power to "prophesy one thousand two 
              hundred and sixty days" (Rev. 11:3).  If we allow a 
              prophetic year to have 12 months of 30 days then their 
              mission lasts only 3 1/2 years.  During their witness 
              the city of Jerusalem is under the sway of foreign 
              armies for 42 months (Rev. 11:2 see also 13:5).  This 
              also is 3 1/2 years.  The supernatural power of God 
              accompanies the preaching of the two witnesses: "These 
              have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the 
              days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters 
              to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all 
              plagues, as oft

                   The two witnesses are to be killed by the "beast" 
              (verse 7).  This beast is the symbol of power described 
              in Revelation 13 and 17, and identified in Daniel 2 and 
              7 as the resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire.  The 
              bodies of the two witnesses that are killed lie for 3 
              1/2 days in the streets of Jerusalem, and the nations 
              rejoice over their death.  The two witnesses are then 
              resurrected by God, an event heralding the resurrection 
              of the righteous dead.  (Rev. 11:10-12).  Now comes the 
              third woe, the seventh and last trumpet.  

                            The Seventh and Last Trumpet
                            
                   The preaching of the gospel by the two witnesses 
              ends just 3 1/2 days before the seventh trumpet sounds.  
              It announces the pouring out of the final plagues on 
              mankind and the coming of the Messiah.  Jesus referred 
              to this event also: "This gospel of the kingdom will be 
              preached in all the world as a witness to all the 
              nations, and then the end will come" (Matt. 24:14).  
              Chapter 11 of Revelation ends with the coming of Christ: 
              "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud 
              voices in heaven, saying, ` The kindoms of this world 
               have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ , 
              and He shall reign forever and ever!'" (Rev. 11:15).  
              This is the time when the existing age of man's 
              government comes crashing down.  
                                                         
                   In many other prophecies it is recorded that the 
              second coming of Jesus Christ to this earth shall occur 
              at the time of the last trump.  It is a time of Christ's 
               literal bodily return  to this earth.  And His coming 
              shall occur at the last trump.  You will find that in I 
              Corinthians 15:52; I Thessalonians 4:16; and Matthew 
              24:31.  We know from these prophecies that this last 
              trumpet is the time for the actual appearing of Christ 
              as world ruler.  The world rule of Jesus Christ over all 
              nations has arrived.  But men have never wanted God's 
              rule, even though it is the only way to peace, happiness 
              and joy, and so the rulers of human governments over 
              mankind are found angry.  They shall have been deceived 
              by the false teaching about a secret rapture theory into 
              believing that this is the Anti-Christ.  They will  fight  
               against Christ  and His rule over the earth.

                   Notice Revelation 11:18, "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, and should destroy those who 
              destroy the earth."  Yes, when the seventh trumpet is 
              sounded the nations are going to be angry.  The Messiah 
              takes over political and religious power.  The 
              resurrection of the righteous dead occurs.  The servants 
              of Christ will be given their rewards to reign and rule 
              with Christ.  Once again it is proclaimed, "Your wrath 
              has come."  The only thing described under the opening 
              of this seventh trumpet that could possibly be the third 
              woe is the Wrath of God!  But all the trumpets have been 
              plagues, pouring out the Wrath of God, His punishments 
              to bring this hell-bent world to its senses and to a 
              happy peace!  The seventh trumpet consumates, fill up, 
              and completes the Wrath of God.  

                   So the seventh trumpet, like the seventh seal, is 
              divided into seven parts, the seven last plagues.  The 
              seven last plagues constitute the seventh trump, just as 
              the seven trumpets constitute the seventh seal.  The 
              seven seal cover the whole prophecy.  This sequence and 
              sevenfold arrangement of events is the one great key to 
              the long-closed book of Revelation.
              
                               The Seven Last Plagues
              
                   We have now come to the seven last plagues which 
              make up the seventh trumpet.  John writes: "Then I saw 
              another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven 
              angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the 
              wrath of God  is complete " (Rev. 15:1).  One of the four 
              living creatures gives them seven bowls.  These contain 
              the seven last plagues.  A voice commands the angels, 
              "Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the 
              earth" (Rev. 16:1).   The entire 16th chapter describes 
              a horrendous series of events from the hand of God, 
              constituting these seven last plagues.  The end time 
              plagues fall on those who refuse to acknowledge the 
              rulership of God.

                   These seven last plagues are listed below:

              First Plague  - Horrible sores strikes those who have the
                              beast's mark (Rev. 16:2). 
              Second Plague - The sea truns into blood and every 
                              living creature in it dies (Rev. 16:3).
              Third Plague  - The rivers and springs of water become 
                              blood.  God's judgments, though fearsome, 
                              are said to be "true and righteous." 
                              (Rev. 16:4-7).
              Fourth Plague - Increased solar radiation horribly 
                              scorches humans (Rev. 16:8-9).
              Fifth Plague  - Total darkness covers the headquarters 
                              of the world ruling beast power. (Rev. 
                              16:10-11).  
              Sixth Plague  - The water of the Euphrates River dry up 
                              so "that the way of the kings from the 
                              east might be prepared."  Demons gather 
                              the armies of the world to Armageddon 
                              for the battle of that great day of God 
                              Almighty.  (Rev. 16:12-16).  
              Seventh Plague- An immense earthquake shakes the planet.
                              Islands disappear beneath the sea, 
                              mountains are leveled.  An exceedingly 
                              great hail falls from heaven upon men, 
                              with each hailstone weighing a talent or 
                              about 66 pounds.  

                       Trumpet and Seven Last Plagues Compared

                   You may have noticed some similarity between the 
              seven last plagues and the first six trumpet plagues of 
              Revelation chapters 8 and 9.  Some assume that 
              Revelation 16 is just a restatement of what happened 
              earlier.  This just isn't so.  In both series the first 
              four destructions are visited upon the earth, sea, 
              inland waters and heavenly bodies respectively.  However 
              there are distinct differences. For example, in the 
              trumpet plagues series, only one third of the affected 
              part of the earth is destroyed.  While the events of the 
              seven last plagues affect the whole earth.  For example, 
              the destruction of the sea is complete as a result of 
              the second plague.  The fifth trumpet plague is the 
              vision of the locust armies emerging from the bottomless 
              pit (Rev. 9:1-11).  However the fifth of the seven last 
              plagues shows darkness and painful affliction thrown 
              upon the seat of the beast power (Rev. 16:10-11).  

                   The first six trumpet plagues are entirely 
              different than the last seven plagues of Revelation 16.  
              Apparently the trumpet plagues of Revelation 8 are meant 
              as a warning.  They are a warning or sample of the 
              destruction yet to fall on those who refuse to repent of 
              their evil deeds.  This final destruction is pictured by 
              the seven last plagues of the 16th chapter.

                        The Remaining Chapters of Revelation       
                   
                   Chapter 12 is an inset chapter, injected into the 
              main story thread.  Often a writer will stop his 
              narrative at a certain point to go back and sketch a 
              different scene involving different characters and 
              events, and then bring them up to, and connect them with, 
              his story thread at the juncture.  So here John pictures 
              the true Church as "a woman clothed with the sun, with 
              the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of 
              twelve stars" (Rev. 12:1).  Joseph dreamed a similar 
              scene.  He told his brothers: "I have dreamed another 
              dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven 
              stars bowed down to me" (Gensis 37:9).  The context 
              explains these figures.  They are Joseph's father 
              Israel (the sun), his mother Rachel (moon), and his 
              eleven brothers (the stars).  Joseph would be the 12th 
              brother or star.  Thus we have a reference to the 
              physical family of Israel.  Israel grew into a nation 
              and became God's own special people.  Revelation 12 
              pictures God's TRUE CHURCH, from the time prior to 
              Christ's birth (verse 4), through His birth, 
              resurrection and ascension (verse 5), and the 1260 years 
              of persecution (verse 6) when the true Church was forced 
              to flee the Roman government persecution.   The true 
              Church has always existed down to this day.  

                            Satan Attacks the True Church
              
                   John now carries us to the "end times." Satan wages 
      
              cast down to the earth (verses 9-10).  Revelation 12 
              brings the story of the true Church to the present, when 
              the devil, knowing he has just a short time persecutes 
              the true Church, pictured as a remnant or small in 
              number, and keeping the Commandments of God (verse 17).  
              Satan now begins his final offensive.  The devil turns 
              his full attention toward gaining control of the entire 
              human race.  Satans goal is a complete martyrdowm of 
              God's people.  Satan is responsible for creating the 
              final time of Great Tribulation.  John hears a loud 
              voice saying: "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and 
              the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having 
              great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time" 
              (Rev. 12:12). 
              
                   God rescues those of his people who show faith, 
              love and obedience to him.  The symbol of the woman 
              stand's for God's Church.  John says, The woman was 
              given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly 
              into the wilderness to her place...from the presence of 
              the serpent" (Rev. 12:14).  This is a symbolic act of 
              Godly protection, portraying devine deliverance.  Satan 
              attempts to kill God's people before they can escape and 
              sends a "flood" after the Church (verse 15).  The flood 
              is a metaphor for overwhelming evil or armies (Daniel 
              11:22).  Satan's attempt fails.  God prevents harm from 
              coming to those he is protecting (verse 16).  Not all 
              are protected, however.  Some of the faithful are 
              persecuted and martyred as a testimony to their 
              tormentors.  
                   
                             The Beasts of Revelation 13

                   The 13th chapter is another inset, picturing the 
              symbolic "beast" and the second two-horned "beast."
              John sees a repulsive monster in his next vision. " I 
              saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads 
              and ten horn, and on his horns ten crowns" (Rev. 13:1).  
              This symbol of Satan's earthly power, the beast, is a 
              political power shaped in Satan's image given in 
              Revelation 12:3 as a "fiery red dragon having seven 
              heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads."
              This beast is given authority "over every tribe, tongue 
              and nation.  And all who dwell on the earth will worship 
              him" (Rev. 13:7-8).  This is the earthly foe of the 
              Church, the political military agent through which Satan 
              carries out his war against believers.  The power and 
              authority of the beast comes directly from Satan the 
              devil.

                   The second beast has two horns like a lamb and 
              speaks like a dragon.  This beast represents a false 
              religious power and is associated with the first beast.  
              It is discussed in more detail elsewhere.  

                                The Last Six Chapters
               
                   Chapters 17 and 18 picture the revived Roman 
              Empire and the great false church with her daughter 
              churches deceiving all nations.  Modern Israel (the 
              American and British peoples) is today in Babylon, 
              deceived into believing that the professing christian 
              churches are the true Chruch of God.  We are God's 
              people, Israel, in Babylon today, as Israel was in Egypt 
              when God's plagues were in Egypt!  And God is calling us 
              out of this modern Babylon (Rev. 18:4) and tells us to 
              keep His Commandments!  

                   The 19th chapter shows the second coming of Christ, 
              and the 20th, the 1000 year reign on earth and the Great 
              White Throne Judgement.  The 21st and 22nd chapters show 
              the new heaven and new earth through eternity.

                   Now that we have finished the main story flow of 
              Revelation let's look at a few misunderstood topics of 
              Revelation and give you the plain truth direct from your 
              Bible.

                                   The Antichrist
                  
                   The "Antichrist" is one of the most misunderstood 
              topics of all.  The "Antichrist is supposed to be a 
              single political or religious leader to arise in the 
              last days before the coming of Christ.  Here is an eye-
              opening explanation of the real meaning of "Antichrist." 

                   In their days, Nero, Mohammed, Stalin, Mussolini, 
              Pope John Paul XXII, Martin Luther, and Hitler, were all 
              branded with the odious title, fear-inspiring title of 
              ANTICHRIST!  Many others have equally shared this 
              dubious distinction.  They cannot all be the Antichrist.  
              Or can they?  Who, or what is the Antichrist?  Why do so
              many ministers warn of Antichrist, yet misunderstand who 
              or what this personage is?  What does the Bible say 
              about this mysterious figure?

                   You may be surprised to lear what the Bible really 
              says about the Antichrist.  To begin with, the Bible 
              never once speaks of the Antichrist.  However, the word 
              "antichrist" does appear in Scripture.  The greek word 
              for "antichrist" means "against the Messiah."  It is 
              used exclusively in John's epistles.  

                               What the Bible Reveals

                   Let's notice the four scriptures where the word is 
              found: 
                   I John 2:18 "...as ye have heard that antichrist 
              shall come, even now there are many antichrists..."
                   I John 2:22 "Who is a liar but he that denieth that 
              Jesus is the Christ?  He is antichrist, that denieth the 
              Father and the Son."
                   I John 4:3 "And every spirit that confesseth not 
              that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: 
              and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have 
              heard that it should come; and  even now already it is in  
               the world ."
                   II John 7 "For many deceivers are entered into the 
              world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the 
              flesh.  This is a deceiver and an antichrist."

                   These scriptures were written near the end of the 
              first century A.D.  Even at that time, John writes there 
              were "many antichrists."  Some 1900 years ago, he could 
              say that the spirit of antichrist " even now already  is 
              in the world."

                   In Biblical usage, therefore, the term "antichrist" 
              does not refer exculsively to a single political or 
              religious leader yet to arise in our day.

                   The four scriptures cited above clearly show that 
              an antichrist is a deceiver and one who in some way 
              denies that Jesus is the Christ.  How does one deny 
              Christ?  By evil works!  Jesus prophesied "For many will 
              come in My name, saying, `I am the Christ,' and will 
              deceive many (Matt. 24:5).  These, as Paul wrote to 
              Titus, "profess that they know God; but in works they 
              deny him..." (Titus 1:16).  They outwardly claim to be 
              Christians, but they refuse to obey Him.  The works of 
              their lives are evil!  This is antichrist!  

                   Further, John notes, an antichrist denies that 
              Jesus Christ, through His Spirit, comes into the flesh 
              of His people, living His life in them and enabling them 
              to obey the law of God (I John 3:24; Gal. 2:20).  This 
              is the spirit of antichrist, a spirit of lawlessness, 
              standing in opposition to God's law and way of life.

                             The Beast and False Prophet

                   Many use the term  Antichrist  to designate an end-
              time personality who will embody the spirit of 
              opposition to Christ.  This unbiblical usuage is 
              unfortunate.  The Bible nowhere speaks of an end-time 
              Antichrist.  But the spirit of antichrist will blanket 
              the earth, holding nations and kingdoms in its grip in 
              this generation.  Various individuals will personify 
              that spirit in a powerful way.  In national distress, 
              men will turn to other men who appear to offer 
              solutions.

                   The Bible specifically mentions two such 
              individuals who will come to be virtually deified by 
              mankind.  One is called the "Beast" and the other the 
              "False Prophet."  The term antichrist is often applied 
              to one or the other of these prophesied personalities.  
              Often preachers confuse the two and impute to one some 
              of the attributes of the other.  Some even blend the two 
              into one.  Let's briefly take at look at these two 
              satanic personalities, and discover what the Bible 
              really says about them.  

                                      The Beast

                   The Beast is a great dictator of the book of 
              Revelation who is to rule over 10 nations or groups of 
              nations just before Christ's return (Rev. 17:12-13).  In 
              the Bible, a beast is the symbol for a political system 
              or its leader.  In the Bible the Beast is symbolic of 
              the political system we call the Roman Empire.  
              Throughout the centuries since the fall of the Roman 
              Empire in 476 A.D. [the deadly wound of Rev. 13:3], 
              numerous revivals of the beast, the Roman poliical 
              system, arose in Europe.  In Revelation 17, the revivals 
              are represented symbolically by the seven heads of a 
              beast.  Six have already occurred from Justinian to 
              Mussolini.  One last restortation is yet to arise.  The 
              end-time Beast will rule over this final restoration of
              the Roman Empire.  In the book of Daniel, where he is 
              called the "king of the north," we learn that the Beast 
              will untimately conquer portions of the Middle East 
              (Dan.  11:40-41).  
              
                   The Beast will achieve great power and authority.  
              The ten leader of the 10 nations will "give their power 
              and strenght unto the beast" (Rev. 17:13).  He will be a 
              sly manipulator, cunning in the art of political 
              maneuvering (Dan. 8:23).   In the end the Beast will 
              confront Jesus Christ at His Second Coming.  

                                  The False Prophet

                   It will not be political craftiness alone that will 
              propel the Beast to the top.  His rise to power will be 
              supported and encouraged by the False Prophet (Rev. 
              16:13; 19:20).  The False Prophet is a great miracle-
              working religious figure.  Working hand in hand with the 
              Beast, the False Prophet will command the obedience of 
              millions with lying wonders and false miracles (Rev. 
              13:13-14).  
              
                  The apostle Paul wrote of the False Prophet in II 
              Thessalonians 2:3, calling him the "man of sin," and the 
              "son of perdition."  This miracle working great 
              religious figure will declare himself to be God (II 
              Thess. 2:4).  Many will believe him to be Christ in the 
              flesh!

                  The False Prophet presides over a great, 
              centuries old religious system called "Babylon the 
              Great" in revelation 17:5.  This religious power is also 
              personified as a fallen woman and a scarlet woman (Rev. 
              17:1,3).  In Bible symbolism, a woman is representative 
              of a church.  A fallen woman thus represents an apostate 
              church.

                   In Revelation 17:3, we read that this scarlet woman 
              sits "upon a scarlet coloured beast...having seven heads 
              and ten horns."  In other words, this religious power 
              has historically presided over the restorations of the 
              Roman political system, symbolized by the heads, as is 
              yet to be associated with the final restroration, made 
              up of 10 powers, represented by the 10 horns.  The Beast 
              will be supported in his rise to power by the False 
              Prophet.  And in turn, the Beast will use his political 
              might to enforce religious uniformity.

                              The Battle of Armageddon?
                
                   What will be the ultimate fate of this satanic-
              religious-political union?  The Bible provides a graphic 
              description.  

                   Almost every one has heard of Armageddon, yet few 
              know what Armageddon really is.  Now the commonly 
              accepted idea is that Armageddon is the last battle 
              between the Western democracies and Communism.  It 
              supposedly will be a battle between atheistic Communism
              on one side, attacking Jerusalem, with the British and 
              American armies on the other side defending it.  But is 
              this really what biblical prophecy fortells.  You may be 
              surprised at who will be fighting whom at Christ's 
              coming and where.  Make no mistake.  World War III is on 
              the way.  This time will be so hellish, only the Second 
              Coming of Christ will be able to save manking from 
              extinction. 
              
                   Did you know that nowhere in the Bible is there any 
              mention of a future "Battle of Armageddon"?  The word 
               Armageddon  is found only once in the Bible, here in 
              Revelation 16:16.  "And they [the demons] gathered them 
              [the kings and their armies] together to the place 
              called in Hebrew, Armageddon."  Armageddon refers to the 
              "hill of Megiddo."   Megiddo lies about 55 miles north 
              of Jerusalem, and about 15 miles inland from the 
              Mediterranean Sea.  Megiddo itself is a huge mound with 
              a commanding view of the long fertile valley of Jezreel.
              
                   Earlier the beast will have conquered portions of 
              the Middle East and established a foothold there 
              (Dan. 11:40-43).   Daniel refers to the beast as the 
              "king of the north."  Daniel continues, "But tidings out 
              of the east and out of the north shall trouble him [the 
              beast]..." (Dan. 11:44).  The beast will be challenged 
              by the might of the communist East.  The beast and his 
              allies will move to confront the oncoming armies of the 
              "kings of the east."  
              
                   The Bible reveals that demons will stir up 
              the nations of the world to go to war (Rev. 16:14).  The 
              God of heaven will allow these seducing demons to 
              marshall the armies of the kings of the east and the 
              whole world at Armageddon (Rev. 16:16).  The Beast and 
              the False Prophet will together muster armies to fight 
              the kings of the east. (Dan. 11:44).  But the battle   will 
              not be fought at Armadeddon!   

                  The stage is set for the battle to determine who 
              will rule the world.  The world will stand at the brink 
              of global annihilation.  But instead of fighting 
              each other in a battle that would end in the nuclear 
              extinction of all life (Matt. 24:22), they will, 
              ironically unite their forces and march southward toward 
              Jerusalem in an attempt to destroy their common enemy, 
              Jesus Christ (Rev. 16:13-16; Rev. 17:13-14).  They will 
              undoubtly have convinced much of the world that Christ 
              is really the Antichrist.  Because of this deception, 
              many will refuse to repent and submit to Christ at His 
              return (Rev. 16:9).

                     The Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty

                   From the mustering area of Armageddon the world's 
              armies will move to confront Jesus Christ himself.  
              Where will this battle be fought?  The prophet Joel 
              provides the aswer.  Read it is Joel 3:1-2 and 9-14.  
              The battle involving all nations will take place in the 
              valley of Jehoshaphat!  This deep valley borders 
              Jerusalem on the east between the city and the Mount of 
              Olives.  Today it is known as the Kidron Valley.  
              Jehoshaphat means "judgment of the Eternal."  The 
              rebellious and unrepentant nations of this world will be 
              judged there by God for their disobedience.  This final 
              climactic battle is incorrectly referred to as 
              Armageddon, and is referred to in the Bible as "the 
              battle of that great day of God Almighty" (Rev. 16:14).  
              It is not the "battle of Armageddon" simply because it 
              will not take place at Armageddon.

                   Zechariah 14:12-13 graphically describes this 
              supernatural confrontation at Jerusalem with the world's 
              armies.  They will turn against each other in mistrust 
              and fear as their flesh decomposes and their eyes cease 
              to see.  "And this shall be the plague with which the 
              Lord will strike all the people who fought against 
              Jerusalem: their flesh shall dissolve while they stand 
              on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their 
              sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their 
              mouths."  Jesus Christ will decisively overthrow the 
              Beast and the False Prophet.  Finally in Revelation 
              19:20 we see what happens to the Beast and the False 
              Prophet. "And the beast was taken, and with him the 
              false prophet that wrought miracles before him with 
              which he deceived them that had received the mark of the 
              beast, and them that worshipped the beast, and them that 
              worshiped his image.  These both were cast alive into a 
              lake of fire burning with brimstone."  There they were 
              simply burned up and destroyed.  Read Revelation 
              19:11-21 for a further description of the climactic 
              events to occur on that day.  The rebellious armies of 
              the world will be utterly vanquished.  Satan's rule over 
              the nations is now forever ended.

                                   Then, Good News

                   Jesus Christ has now returned in power and glory as 
              King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16).  Having 
              now put down this rebellion, Jesus Christ will establish 
              his Kingdom on this earth, a millenial kingdom of peace 
              and prosperity for all peoples!


     (chart)

                      MAJOR EVENTS IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION
                          CORRELATED TO OTHER PROPHECIES    

     Using the book of Revelation as an outline of the events to happen in 
     the "last days", we can see how scriptures in other parts of the Bible 
     fill in details concerning the many events yet to take place.  A few 
     such scriptures are given for each event listed below.


                    EVENTS OF THE LAST DAYS TO CHRIST'S RETURN


     The Suffering of the      Heavenly Signs and      Seventh Trumpet and
     `Great Tribulation'       Cosmic Disturbances     the Return of Christ
                                         
     Revelation 6:9-11         Revelation 6:12-17      Revelation 11:15-17
     Jeremiah 30:5-7           Joel 2:30-31            Isaiah 27:13
     Ezekiel 5:1-17            Matthew 24:29-39        Daniel 7:13-14
     Daniel 7:21; 12:1                                 Zechariah 14:3-4
     Matthew 24:21-22                                  II Thessalonians 2:8


     Seventh Trumpet and       The Messiah and         Man's Civilization 
     the Resurrection of       Armies of the Nations   `Babylon the Great'
     the Saints                Gather to Fight         Destroyed

     Revelation 11:18          Revelation 16:12-16     Revelation 16:17-21
   
     I Corinthians 15:50-51    Jeremiah 25:30-33        24:1-23; 28:16-22
     I Thessalonians 4:15-17   Zechariah 12:9; 14:1-3   47:1-15
     Jude 14                                           Jeremiah 51:1-58
                                                       Daniel 2:44


                            THE MILLENNIUM AND BEYOND

     Messiah's                 Saints of God           Satan Incites
     1000-Year Reign           Rule World              Rebellion, Cast 
     Satan Chained             With Christ             Into Lake of Fire

     Revelation 20:1-5         Revelation 20:6         Revelation 20:7-10
     Psalms 93, 97, 98, 99     Psalm 149:4-9           Jude 13
     Isaiah 2:1-4; 11:6-9;     Daniel 7:22, 27         II Peter 2:4
       35:1-10                 Matthew 19:28
     Micah 4:1-5               Luke 19:12-19


     The Judgment of           Unrepentant Dead        Glorious `New 
     the `Great White          Rise in Ressurrection   Heavens and
     Throne'                   of Condemnation         New Earth'

     Revelation 20:11-13       Revelation 20:13-14     Revelation 21:1-5
     Ezekiel 37:1-14;          Daniel 12:2             Isaiah 65:17-18
       16:2, 53-55             Luke 16:23              II Peter 3:13
     Matthew 11:20-24          John 5:29
       12:41-42                II Peter 3:7-12
     Luke 10:12-14