Chapter 16 **Revelation Chapter 16** In Revelation 11:14-18, we find…

Chapter 16

**Revelation Chapter 16**

In Revelation 11:14-18, we find these words, “The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of Yahuwah and of His Messiah; and He shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before Elohim on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped Elohim, saying, We give Thee thanks, O Yahuwah Elohim Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and *Thy wrath is come*, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou should give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Thy name, small and great; and should destroy them which destroy the earth” (emphasis added).

The “third woe” is the seventh trumpet (Revelation 8:13, 11:14). The second woe, which is the sixth trumpet, is pictured beginning in Revelation 9:13-21 and concludes with the killing of the 144,000 and their ascension into heaven as seen in Revelation 11:5-13 and now “the second woe is past” (Revelation 11:14). The seventh trumpet or third woe is when the “*wrath of Elohim*. . . is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation” (Revelation 14:10, emphasis added).

“And the nations were angry, and *Thy wrath* is come” (Revelation 11:18, emphasis added). “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the *vials of the wrath* *of Elohim *upon the earth” (Revelation 16:1, emphasis added).

Elohim’s wrath is not poured out until the seventh trumpet. Even though tremendous and terrible catastrophes have occurred during the first six trumpets, it is apparent that the Bible tells us that Elohim’s wrath is not poured out until the seventh trumpet. Elohim’s wrath is poured out during the seven plagues, and please note: humanity will have been given adequate warning to avoid receiving those seven plagues. How many of us as parents have warned and warned our children until finally there is no other warning to be given and our wrath (punishment) is poured out on our children, and they receive their justifiable punishment. And now Elohim begins to do “His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act” (Isaiah 28:21) and this is not done in a mean and malicious manner but is done with the intent to turn man around and help him to make his decision to let Elohim save him before it is too late. It is not to cause humanity to despair that Elohim’s wrath is poured out but are His final attempts to “turn us” (Psalm 80:3, 7, 19) to Him. Elohim, by this time, has exhausted every other means to reach man, and now His final attempts (the first six plagues) to bring man to his senses begin before it is forever too late.

If by this time you have made “the Most High, thy habitation; there shall no evil befall thee, *neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling*” (Psalm 91:9-10, emphasis added). If you have not, you will be receiving the wrath of Elohim.

I repeat this because it is so vital that we understand what is going on. Parents can relate to what Elohim is about to do; they warn their children what will happen if they continue misbehaving. When their children exceed their parent’s level of toleration, punishment is administered. When we stop and consider all that Elohim has been tolerating for six thousand years, we see Elohim’s longsuffering, patience and gentleness unmatched by any earthly parent, but there is a limit to what even Elohim will tolerate.

As brought out in previous chapters, the first six trumpets reveal to us what Elohim has been preventing from happening since the fall of Adam and Eve. In the seventh trumpet, we will see what else Elohim has been keeping under control. He has not allowed His anger to dictate His behavior in response to the horrendous evils being done on this earth, due to His self-control! If you have ever become angry over what you have seen or heard, imagine what it has been like for Elohim, Who knows, witnesses, and hears everything that occurs on the earth. We cannot imagine what would happen if not for His self-control. He has interposed His mercy to prevent these calamities that the earth and its inhabitants have gone through during the time of the sounding of the first six trumpets as shown in Daniel and Revelation from previously occurring! How thankful we should be for His great love and mercy which is extended to humanity! But He is not going to allow what has been happening in this world to continue forever. He will put an end to the reign of sin, terror, suffering, sorrow and evil that Satan has brought to this world and the first six of the seven last plagues are His final attempts to bring man to his senses.

If Elohim is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving, as the Bible says He is, why has He allowed what is happening on this earth to continue? Elohim created beings with intelligence and a free will that is not to be under His control, nor is it to be controlled by others. When one is hypnotized or mesmerized that individual no longer has his free will and is under the control of another. What is taking place during the time of trouble is the means that He will be using to convince us of His love for us, and to expose Satan for what he has become, and to turn us back to Himself. The Psalmist cried three times to Elohim to “turn us” (Psalm 80:3, 7, 19). Sometimes it takes drastic measures before we are willing to turn back to Elohim.

Satan uses those who are controlled by his spirit to gain his desired results. Satan is the great puppet master. The seven plagues will fall upon those who chose to remain in rebellion to Elohim’s rightful authority. The first four plagues fall on all humanity who have received the mark of the beast or worshipped his image. The fifth plague falls on Satan and his followers. The sixth plague falls on the New World Order (Babylon). The seventh plague is when probation for humanity comes to an end, and there is nothing more that can be done for the salvation of the inhabitants of this earth. Elohim will have given humanity adequate warning (Revelation 14:9-11), and those who have rejected His warnings will be left to understand that Elohim means what He says. Satan deceived Eve by telling her Elohim did not mean what He said, and most of humanity has continued to believe Satan instead of Elohim ever since! Sin began over six thousand years ago when Satan accused Elohim that His government was faulty and questioned His authority, but Elohim chose to allow him to continue to exist to show what would be the results of setting aside Elohim’s order and authority. When Satan was cast out of heaven, he came to this earth and tempted Adam and Eve into questioning Elohim, for which they fell. Most of Adam and Eve’s offspring have joined Satan in his rebellion against Elohim’s authority.

What has happened on this earth was not what Elohim had intended for us. He stated that what He had made “was very good” (Genesis 1:31). About fifteen hundred years later, Elohim’s assessment of what was happening at that time was very different. “And Elohim saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that *every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually*. And it repented Yahuwah that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart” (Genesis 6:5-6, emphasis added). “And Yahuwah said, My spirit shall not always strive with man” (Genesis 6:3). There is a limit to how much Elohim will permit. If Lot was vexed by what he saw and heard in Sodom (2 Peter 2:7-8), think of how Elohim is affected by what He sees and hears? We are told that as it was during the time of the flood, so will it be just before Yahushua returns. “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Matthew 24:37-39).

We read in the Old Testament of the ten plagues that Elohim brought upon Egypt. Elohim will bring the seven plagues upon this earth in the last days before His people are set free from the tyranny of Satan and those controlled by him. Elohim will send His prophets, the 144,000, to warn the world of what is coming. Those who fail to heed the warning to turn from their wicked ways will have Elohim’s seven plagues poured upon them without mercy (Revelation 14:10). Mercy is what happens when we do not receive what we deserve.

**THE FIRST PLAGUE**

“And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of Elohim upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image” (Revelation 16:1-2).

We are never told what that “image” is. Many have speculated as to what it is, but we are not shown in the Bible as to what it is. We will know when it occurs. We are not told the specific time that the plagues will begin to fall on humanity, but shortly after the 144,000 have been killed, brought back to life, and are taken to heaven the plagues will begin. The 144,000 are killed on the 1,260th day after the first global earthquake, and the fifth plague is poured out after Satan sets up his throne in Jerusalem which is on the 1,290th day after the first global earthquake which gives us a time frame of when the first five plagues will be occurring. It appears that the sixth plague occurs at the same time the fifth plague occurs for the New World Order is in power for 42 months or 1,260 days which ends on the 1,290th day after the first global earthquake.

Humanity has been warned of what would happen if they “worshipped the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim, which is poured out without mixture [undiluted with mercy] into the cup of His indignation” (Revelation 14:9-10).

Many will be surprised that they are receiving this first plague for Satan has thoroughly deceived them, but it is just the first taste of what is coming. They had ample evidence and opportunity to avoid this and the following plagues, just as Pharaoh and the people of Egypt had sufficient warning, but they would not listen to Elohim’s messengers, the 144,000. The people in the last days will be much like the Egyptians were. Many will be saying to themselves in that day, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jeremiah 8:20). Despair has taken hold of them! But the door of mercy and salvation remains open for those who will call upon Yahuwah. “Call upon Me (Elohim) in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and thou shalt glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15). The door of humanity’s probation has not been shut yet (Matthew 25:10).

I wish I could write with the pathos worthy of what this will mean to those who come to this point in time and are not sealed! Elohim, who wants all men to be saved, must put an end to sin and sinners, but mercy still lingers. This first plague will be but the beginning when Elohim is doing “His work, His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act” (Isaiah 28:21).

Throughout the Bible, we read how punishment has fallen upon the inhabitants of the earth. In most cases, Elohim removes His protection and leaves man to suffer the results of what he has sown; Elohim does not arbitrarily dish out punishment! “For whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). When we do not experience the just results of our actions, we may be ever so grateful that Elohim has intervened with His love and mercy preventing what we justly deserved because of our behavior! “Remember, O Yahuwah, Thy tender mercies and Thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old” (Psalm 25:6). Not so with the seven last plagues! It will be Elohim Who will be bringing these plagues upon the world’s inhabitants.

Satan has painted a false picture of Elohim as a cruel tyrant which truly suits what he is. Those who are alive during the last days before Yahushua returns will experience Satan’s sadistic tyranny in its fullness. But many have come to view Elohim in a different light and see Him as this loving Being Who would never hurt nor harm, much less destroy any of His creatures. They believe in a theory called “Universal Salvation,” and in their minds, Elohim has unconditional love for all humanity; where all humanity is to be saved. Either view is equally fatal. Can you imagine having the evilest person you can think of living next door to you throughout eternity? Even though Elohim is described as merciful, He is also described as just (Isaiah 48:21).

The Bible is clear that Elohim does get angry. See Psalm 7:11, Isaiah 12:1, and Psalm 85:5 for examples of this. But fortunately for us, Elohim follows what is written in Ephesians 4:26: “Be you angry, and sin not.” Elohim does not allow His anger to control His actions, for if He did, we would all perish. How much do we owe to the tender mercies of our Elohim? “Yahuwah is merciful and gracious, *slow to anger*, and plenteous in mercy.” But “He will not always chide [reprove or rebuke]: neither will He keep [back] His anger forever” (Psalm 103:8-9, emphasis added). He punishes not to cause humanity to lose hope and cause them to despair, but to turn them back to Himself, just as a good earthly parent does for their children when they discipline them. The Psalmist cried out to Yahuwah: “O Yahuwah, rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure” (Psalm 6:1). He saw how terrible it would be if Elohim were to chasten people in His “hot displeasure,” and cried out to Elohim “Oh save me for Thy mercies’ sake” (Psalm 6:4). Elohim is merciful, and it is in mercy that He brings these plagues on those who still are refusing His salvation in the hope that they will yet turn to Him. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19). The last thing Elohim wants to do is destroy the wicked, and it will be seen in eternity that He did everything He possibly could have done to save as many as possible!

**THE SECOND PLAGUE**

“And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and *every living soul died in the sea*” (Revelation 16:3, emphasis added). As the blood of a dead man does not support life, so all the sea creatures will die. During the second trumpet, we saw how that a third of all sea creatures died (Revelation 8:8-9). There will be no intervening mercy during the outpouring of Elohim’s wrath during the seven last plagues! All the sea creatures will die in all the oceans.

**THE THIRD PLAGUE**

“And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood” (Revelation 16:4).

The reason for the third plague is given in the following verses. “And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Yahuwah, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because Thou hast judged thus. *For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy*. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Yahuwah Elohim Almighty, *true and righteous are Thy judgments*” (Revelation 16:5-7, emphasis added). “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, saith Yahuwah” (Romans 12:19). Elohim will repay those who have persecuted His children, and we must leave it with Him. Yahushua said, “Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me” (Matthew 25:40). He has an accurate account of all the wrongs His children have suffered and by whom. This is the time when Elohim will answer the cries of His martyrs. “And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Yahuwah, holy and true, dost Thou not avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10).

When Lucifer and his angels were cast out of heaven, they were not immediately destroyed. What was said by the angel in Revelation 16:7 could not have been said at that time because the inhabitants of heaven and the Universe could not have foreseen what were to be the results of Satan’s rebellion. Evil will come to maturity, and when it is eradicated, all will see that it (the eradication of sin and sinners) will be “true and righteous.”

We have nothing to do with the judgment of our fellowman as to their guilt or innocence. That is left with Elohim, Who reads the heart and its intents of all humanity. It should be our purpose to work with Elohim for the salvation and uplifting of our fellowman. Elohim would have all men saved even though all will not. When this is our attitude, we know that we are in harmony with Elohim. When we love the world the way Elohim loves the world, then His work for us is complete. “And all things are of Elohim, Who hath reconciled us to Himself by Yahushua Messiah, and *hath given us the ministry of reconciliation*; to wit, that Elohim was in Messiah, *reconciling the world unto Himself* . . . and *hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation*” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19, emphasis added).

Elohim wants to use us as His instruments for the reconciling of man unto Himself. And there still remains time for reconciliation to occur for the probation of humanity has not yet closed, but mercy and forgiveness are still held out to the sinner even at this late hour. When the ten plagues fell on Egypt, some of the Egyptians were recipients of those plagues who eventually left Egypt with the Jewish slaves that were freed. So it will be at the end of time. Some of those who have received the first plagues will turn to Elohim and call upon Him to save them and just as the thief on the cross who was about to die received salvation, so there will be some who will turn to Elohim and will be saved at the very end.

And how much does Elohim love the world? “When we were enemies, we were reconciled to Elohim by the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10). And the one verse of Scripture which nearly every follower of Yahushua Messiah has memorized: “For Elohim so loved the world [you and I and all who live in this world], that He gave His only begotten Son [to pay the price for our redemption], that whosoever believeth in Him *should not perish*, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, emphasis added). Elohim gave His Son to this world with the possibility that Yahushua could fail and be lost forever. Selah! Think about that for a moment. The only Being in the Universe that shared a more intimate relationship with His Father than any other created being was offered as our Sacrifice for us to be reconciled back to Elohim! The only Two Beings that existed before the Universe was created allowed that relationship to be severed to reconcile us back to Elohim. We cannot understand that love which sacrificed so much for our salvation.

We will either perish or have everlasting life. There will be no one suffering throughout eternity because they did not make it to heaven. We do not understand that kind of love, but we can and must experience it in our own lives right now, and we will contemplate that love throughout eternity. It is not wise to wait until the last moment to make your decision, but as the saying goes, “it is better late than never!” There is another saying which goes “the sooner, the better!” The longer a person waits, the more difficult it will be, and the less likely a person will be to make such a decision.

**THE FOURTH PLAGUE**

“And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of Elohim, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory” (Revelation 16:8-9).

Whether knowingly or unknowingly, humanity has been giving glory to the sun rather than to its Creator. The inhabitants of this earth have turned from worshipping the Creator to worshipping the creation. Some of the plagues which came upon Egypt came upon those objects the Egyptians had made into gods and had worshipped. So it is with this plague. Humanity has even set up a day specifically for the worship of the “sun” – Sunday. Another day humanity has set up for worshiping the creation is Saturday. Saturday is Saturn’s day or Satyr’s day. The entire weekly pagan Gregorian Calendar is dedicated to the worship of certain gods on each of those days so named in their honor.

Elohim forbade Israel from worshipping the sun, the moon, and the hosts of heaven, and the Gregorian Calendar used by the world today does the very thing which Elohim had forbidden. The calendar Elohim set up and pictured in the Bible uses the heavenly bodies (sun and moon [Genesis 1:14, Leviticus 23, and Psalm 104:19]) to fix His times of worship and cannot be controlled by man! In the Gregorian Calendar, pagan deities and the “hosts of heaven” are used in the names of the months and days of the week.

**THE FIFTH PLAGUE**

“And the fifth angel poured out his vial *upon the seat of the beast*; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the Elohim of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds” (Revelation 16:10-11, emphasis added).

We cannot take in the scope of what we see in this chapter. When the seven plagues are poured out, Elohim’s patience with humanity and Satan has reached its limit. In the darkness, the pain one is going through is heightened and intensified.

When Satan “shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain” (Daniel 11:45) and will say, “I am a god . . . in the midst of the seas” (Ezekiel 28:2), Elohim will pour the fifth plague “upon the seat of the beast” (Revelation 16:10). The word “god” when not used in reference to Elohim, the Supreme Being, means “a mighty one.” The setting up of Satan’s throne in Jerusalem will be “the abomination of desolation” spoken of in Daniel 12:11. It will be the 1,290th day since the first global earthquake occurred. The 144,000 were killed on the 1,260th day after the first global earthquake, so the first five plagues occur during those thirty days. When Satan sets up his throne in Jerusalem, the fifth plague will be poured out specifically on the “seat of the beast.”

As was brought out in chapter 14, Satan has been setting up humanity for this great deception when he will set up his tabernacles in Jerusalem and accepts the worship of humanity. The fifth plague is directed explicitly against Satan and those who come to worship him at Jerusalem. When Satan declares “peace and safety” and that this is the beginning of the millennium of peace, and then this plague comes down on him and his followers, it may open up many eyes of those who have been deceived. They will have ten days before the probation of humanity ends. Hopefully, many will see at this time that Satan is not invincible and is undoubtedly not Elohim. Satan may indeed be a “god,” which means a mighty one, but he is not Elohim. They will have only ten days to make their decision for life or for death. It is still not too late to call upon Elohim to save you if you have not called upon Him yet when this plague is poured out! “Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Elohim is not trying to keep people out of heaven and from being saved for eternity. He is trying to save as many as will accept the salvation that He has provided for all humanity. “And He (Yahushua) is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). It is left with each individual to take advantage of Elohim’s offer of mercy and forgiveness even at this late hour. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

**THE SIXTH PLAGUE**

“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates: and the water thereof was dried up” (Revelation 16:12). When King Cyrus of Persia overthrew the city of Babylon, the Euphrates River was “dried up” when its waters were diverted to go around the city, and the armies of the Medes and Persians entered the city through the dry river bed and overthrew the city Babylon, which had been deemed impregnable.

Modern-day Babylon (New World Order) during the last days will be overthrown when its life source is “dried up.” And who or what is it that gives Babylon its power? Babylon is seen in Revelation 13:1-2, and who gives it its power? “And the dragon [Satan] gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority” (Revelation 13:2). It is Satan that gives Babylon its power. This plague will be discussed more in Revelation 17.

Modern-day Babylon is deemed invincible when it comes on the scene just as ancient Babylon was considered to be impregnable. “And all the world wondered after the beast [New World Order]. And they worshipped the dragon [Satan] which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast [NWO], saying, *Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him*?” (Revelation 13:3-4, emphasis added).

When it comes on the scene, this beast looks invincible, but by the time of the sixth plague, it will not look as invincible as it did when it first took control of the earth, and its support from Satan is dried up like the Euphrates River was by Cyrus! When Satan sets up his throne, he takes down the New World Order from their throne. Babylon (NWO) is in for a huge surprise! More on this when we get to Revelation 17 and 18.

“That the way of the kings of the east might be prepared” (Revelation 16:12). Who are these “kings of the east?” Recall Daniel 11:44, “But tidings out of the east . . . shall trouble him [Satan].”

Revelation 1:6 tells us, “And hath made us kings . . . unto Elohim and His Father.” When Yahushua returns, we are told, “Behold, the Master [Yahushua] cometh with ten thousands of His saints [who have been made kings (the 144,000)]” (Jude 14, Deuteronomy 33:2, Revelation 1:6).

As we saw in our study of Revelation 10, 11, and 15, the 144,000 are taken to heaven before the seven plagues are poured out. They will accompany their “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16) to the rescue of the remnant who are still alive and will see the resurrection of the righteous who have been sleeping in their graves waiting for that glorious day! “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: *and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see Elohim*: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another: though my reigns [essential organs] be consumed within me” (Job 19:25-27, emphasis added). The 144,000 are those being described in Revelation 17:14. “And they (144,000) that are with Him (Yahushua) are called, chosen and faithful.” Elohim has called them and chosen them, and they have proven themselves faithful.

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. *For they are spirits of devils*, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of Elohim Almighty” (Revelation 16:13-14).

These three unclean spirits (“for they are spirits of devils”) are gathering the inhabitants of the earth to the battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). The actual battle of Armageddon is described in Revelation 19, which will be discussed later. These three unclean spirits (or “spirits of devils”) can perform miracles just as Satan did which was pictured for us in Revelation 13:13-14. We will discuss the three unclean spirits when we come to Revelation 19 and 20, and what takes place during the battle of Armageddon and the battle of Gog and Magog. There has been much discussion over the battles of Armageddon and of Gog and Magog, which have been misplaced by the false prophets of our times, and will be the most lopsided battles ever fought! The combatants are the wicked people of this earth, together with Satan and his angels against Yahushua. Who do you think is going to win? Hopefully by this time many who were a part of the New World Order have seen that they too have been deceived and turn to Elohim for salvation. Salvation, with forgiveness and cleansing, is still available until the seventh plague occurs.

**THE SEVENTH PLAGUE**

“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, *It is done*” (Revelation 16:17, emphasis added). What “is done?” Many have thought that when Yahushua died on Calvary and cried, “It is finished,” the plan of salvation was completed. “Thy way, O Elohim, is in the sanctuary” (Psalm 77:13). The entire plan of salvation for humanity was illustrated in the sanctuary and its services in the Old Testament. The sacrifice was only the beginning of the redemption of humanity! The sacrifice had been “finished” at the crucifixion, and what had existed only by the promises of Elohim was then confirmed by Yahushua’s blood.

The plan of salvation for humanity involves much more than having a sacrifice made for our sins and transgressions. It includes the transformation of sinners into saints and their being kept from the power of sin through the indwelling Spirit of Elohim. It also provides for the removal of Elohim’s people to heaven before bringing them back to the earth and repopulating the earth. Three separate experiences which are referred to in the Bible as justification (the penalty for sin was paid), sanctification (the power of sin is overcome), and glorification (the saints are removed from the presence of sin). Elohim, in and for His people, accomplishes all three phases of the plan of salvation. It is Elohim’s good pleasure to work for the cleansing of His people from the disease of sin.

When Yahushua was washing His disciples’ feet, Peter protested, saying, “Thou shalt never wash my feet. Yahushua answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me” (John 13:8). Only Elohim can cleanse the heart or mind of man where sin exists.

Yahushua told the religious people of His day, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also” (Matthew 23:25-26). Nothing that man can do can remedy where the disease of sin exists, which is within the very being of humanity. We can clean up our behavior (outside of the cup), but that is not where the problem of sin exists. “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:21-23). We cannot change what we are inside that we have inherited from Adam (Genesis 5:3). We must be born again (John 3:3-8).

We can make ourselves look pretty good in the sight of men, but what takes place in the heart of man cannot be hidden from Elohim Who alone can change what we are like on the inside. When sin came into this world, we contracted this contagious disease, and nothing we can do can eliminate it from our lives. Only Elohim can take us and re-create us back into His likeness. He is the Great Physician. “But we all . . . are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of Yahuwah” (2 Corinthians 3:18). “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to *cleanse us from all unrighteousness*” (1 John 1:9, emphasis added). “Elohim is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent [change His mind]: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).

When Elohim’s people are rescued from the earth and from the sadistic tyrant who is in charge here to the extent permitted by Elohim; when Satan and all of his followers are destroyed; and when this earth is re-created and made the eternal home of the righteous, then can it truly and finally be said, “It is done!” (Revelation 21:6). When the words “it is done” are pronounced in Revelation 16:17, it is marking the end of probation for mankind. The event described under the seventh plague is the same as the scene pictured in Revelation 11:19 which, as we have seen in a previous study, occurs when the sanctuary is cleansed on the 1,300th day after the first global earthquake when the words of Revelation 22:11 are pronounced: “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” There is no more opportunity to repent and turn to Elohim for salvation. “It is done” (Revelation 16:17).

“And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great” (Revelation 16:18). It appears that this earthquake will be of such a great magnitude that islands will sink as well as mountains. “And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found” (Revelation 16:20).

There are four earthquakes foretold in Revelation. This is the granddaddy of them all and is mentioned twice! A hail storm, unlike humanity has ever experienced, will accompany this great earthquake. “And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed Elohim because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great” (Revelation 16:21). A talent is approximately seventy pounds. I experienced hail the size of grapefruit in Texas that went through roofs. We can only imagine what this hail storm will be like because there has never been anything with which to compare it!

“Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? Or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail, *which I have reserved against the time of trouble*, against the day of battle and war?” (Job 38:22-23, emphasis added). The “time of trouble” began 1,300 days prior to this plague occurring.

This earthquake, accompanied by *hail*, voices, lightnings, and thunderings, is also mentioned in Revelation 11:19. “*And the temple of Elohim was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament*: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and*great hail*” (emphasis added). The only time that “the ark of His testament” which was in the Holy of Holies could be seen was when the sanctuary was cleansed on the Day of Atonement, which occurs on the tenth day of the seventh month of the Lunar–solar calendar and was discussed in chapter 15 on Daniel 12. Some believe that the Day of Atonement took place in 1844, but this earthquake with its accompanying hail is the same as is described in Revelation 16:17-21, the seventh plague. Some hold onto their opinions no matter how much evidence which contradicts those opinions is provided. There have been many applications of the Scriptures, but there is only one fulfillment where every specification of the prophecy is met.

Luke 5:36-39, and especially verse 39 applies to those who have this mindset. “No man also having drunk old wine straightway desires new: for he saith the old is better.” Satan has blinded humanity from seeing the truth (2 Corinthians 4:4), and only the truth can set humanity free from the deceptions which Satan has sown in this world. We must have the “eyesalve” of the Holy Spirit of Elohim to see the truth for the times in which we are living (Revelation 3:18).

When the warning comes to us not to receive the mark of the beast or worship the image of the beast, how should we respond? “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice [everyone is going to hear], If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall [not might] drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim, which is poured out without mixture [no mercy is shown] into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb” (Revelation 14:9-10).

Whatever the Devil threatens you with, whether starvation, imprisonment, or death, it cannot be compared to what will happen to those who receive the mark of the beast. We have the witness of millions during the Dark Ages of papal supremacy who were burnt at the stake, or slowly tortured on the rack until life gave way to death, or buried alive rather than give up their faith in Yahushua as the Redeemer of humanity.

As was brought out in the study of Daniel 12, a special resurrection (Daniel 12:2) will be given to those who are killed during the time of the warning of the third angel of Revelation 14. On the 1,305th day after the first global earthquake, those who were killed under the third angel’s message will be resurrected. They will be alive to see the return of Yahushua in the clouds of glory accompanied by tens of thousands (144,000 = 14.4 x 10,000) of His saints, who were killed by Satan but brought back to life by Elohim as was discussed in chapter 13 on Revelation 10, 11, and 15. *Go, Tell the World of Their Danger!*