PLACE OF SAFETY

For many years, I have bought into the wrong theology of a pre-tribulation rapture. The rapturists believe that all Christians who are living at the time of Christ Return will be hauled out of earth into heaven before tribulation begins 'to enjoy an eternal life of bliss forever'. But the Bible teaches no such thing, these are purely the invention of man, thought out by a Jesuit priest named Ribera in the sixteen century and later popularised by an Anglican preacher named John Nelson Darby in the nineteen century.

The truth as recorded in Scriptures is that only true disciples of Christ will be provided a way of escape to a place of safety before the Great Tribulation begins. Most who are Laodiceans (the seventh and last era of the church age) will go into the Great Tribulations and the Day of the Lord to experience the cataclysmic events prophesied to occur as never before in the history of mankind. But for the sake of God's chosen ones, the time of suffering will be cut short (Matt 24: 22).

According to the rapturists, the rapture will create great confusion as aircrafts, trains and vehicles will crash out of control as the pilots and drivers are raptured out of sight. Many vital institutions will come to a grinding halt as Christian doctors, nurses, teachers and law enforcement officers are being raptured away. But God is not an author of confusion but of peace as in all the churches of the saints(1 Cor 14:33).

Truth is, heaven is not the rewards for the saints - earth is. Jesus Christ said it plainly in Matthew 5:5, 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth'.  The same truth is reiterated all over Psalm 37 penned by king David (verses 9, 11, 22, 29, 34) - see also Psalm 22:28 and 67:4. The man whom the Lord Jesus Christ loves wrote in Revelation 2:26 for all saints who are overcomers,' And he who overcomes and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations'.

The Tribulation will come upon the whole earth as a snare  (Luke 21:35) and billions of people are caught off guard, totally ignorant and unaware. That is why the Work of God for His true church in this end-time is to warn the inhabitants of planet earth, especially the lukewarm Laodiceans. For billions of lives are at stake! Those who scoff at bible prophecy are in grave spiritual danger. The warnings from the Word of God cannot be sidelined, 'His watchmen are blind, they are ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yes, they are greedy dogs which never have enough. And they are shepherds who cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his own gain, from his own territory' (Isaiah 56:10-11).

The destruction of Jerusalem coincides with the abomination of desolation (Daniel 12:11; Matt 24:15) which had happened twice before. The first occurence was in 167 B.C. when the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes offered a pig on the temple altar in Jerusalem. The second took place in 70 A.D. when the Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem and the true church fled to Pella. There will be a third attempt to invade Jerusalem and the true church is warned to flee to a place of safety when that occurs (Matt 24: 16-22; Luke 21:20-27; Rev 12: 14). The sad truth is that most people would rather listen to man (especially those who are powerful and influential) than to the very Word of God delivered by Christ and His prophets - that is why the world will plunge into unprecedented sufferings during the coming Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord!

Revelation 12:17 records that even some who are Christ's disciples will not be immuned from Satan's attack. This goes to show the high standard God is expecting from His saints who are called to be spirit born as eternal immortal being in His Family to rule and reign with Christ in His coming kingdom to be established on earth (Daniel 7:18, 22, 27; Rev 3:21,11:15). To be counted worthy to escape all these things (the Great Tribulation), the true disiples must learn to watch and pray (Luke 21:36). One must be watchful of events leading to Christ Second Coming as prophesied in Scriptures and to pray meaningfully, not selfishly and regurgitatively (Matt 6:7).

Most people simply do not have the faith to believe what Christ said in His Olivet prophecy about the events leading to His Second Coming (Matthew 25, Mark 13 and Luke 21). Little wonder the Lord warns in Luke 18:8, 'When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?' Do you have the faith to believe Christ at His Word and count yourself worthy to escape to a Place of Safety that God will supernaturally provide for His special treasures (Psalm 91:1-3)?

THE SEVEN TRUMPETS

The seventh seal is all the seven trumpets (Rev 8:1-2) and not the seven trumpets follow the seventh seal. The first four trumpets were events that caused great destruction on the earth, the trees, the rivers and the seas. It caused havoc on the climate as a third of the sun, a third of the moon and a third of the stars were darkened. The next three trumpets - the fifth, sixth and seventh trumpets - are the three woes (Rev 8:13), with the fifth and sixth trumpets depicting war in two stages. Together these seven trumpet plagues are punishment from God for those who are unrepentant in refusing to submit to the laws and government of God!

Revelation 9:11 describes the first woe (fifth trumpet) as some great power that comes out of the bottomless pit. This beast power (Rev 17:8) that came forth is the seventh and last revival of the Roman Empire system led by Satan himself. This final revival of the Roman system will occur just prior to the Return of Jesus Christ to set up God's government over all the earth. The second woe (sixth trumpet) describes the 200 million strong army coming from the eastern hordes (9:16) that will triumph over the dictator beast propagating the Babylonian System (Rev 17:5).

The third woe (seventh trumpet) is synonymous with the seven last plagues (Rev 11:15-19). In verse 15 it reads, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever'. Bible verses from Matthew 24:31, 1Cor 15:52 and 1 Thess 4:16 all speak of this last and seventh trumpet sound. This will be the greatest moment in all of man's history when all the earthly kingdoms will be crushed and blown away as prophesied by prophet Daniel in Daniel 2 verses 35 and 44 to become the kingdom of God which will stand forever. The unrepentant Laodiceans who refuse to accept God's plan and purpose for His creation (lukewarm - without power and Christ as the Head since outside of God's laws and government and hence not doing the Work of God) will be spew out of His mouth (without God's protection - Rev 3:16) and into the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord (unimaginable sufferings)!

Revelation 16 describes the seven last plagues, some of them mirrored those suffered by the Egyptians during the time of Moses like the sea turned to blood (second last plague). The last generation before Christ's Return will be so evil like in the days before the Flood (Matthew 24:37-39). The sixth of these last plagues set the stage for the forces of the king of the north and the king of the east to do battle with the Lord Christ. The charismatic False Prophet has Satanic power backing him and he will perform miracles to deceive the masses. Most who are ignorant will be deceived as they are already indoctrinated with false teachings and lies and align themselves with the beast power thinking they are on God's side to prepare for war against the true Christ! They are a huge bunch of confused people who cannot distinguish truth from falsehood  and are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6; Isaiah 5:13)(The word 'Babylon' means confusion). 2 Thessalonians 2 warns of the son of perdition (verse 3)  and the mystery of lawlessness (verse 7) as these are in high position of power and influence right within the church!

The seventh of the seven last plagues is often referred as the Battle of Armageddon. However, Armageddon is the name of the place where armies are gathered. The correct name should be 'the battle of that great day of God Almighty '(Rev 16:14).  Most of those who are deceived thinking that the true Christ is the anti-christ and will unite with the forces from the opposing camp to fight the Lord Jesus Christ and His resurrected saints, but they will be totally routed and destroyed!

God had to send the Archangels Michael and Gabriel to battle Satan (who tried to block it) for the prophetic truths to be delivered to Daniel. The fiery furnace and the lions had no power over Daniel because God wanted His faithful servant to record His words which are closed up and sealed till the time of the end (Dan 12:9) - the times we are living in right now. Make no mistake, the spiritual warfare now is the battle for God's truth! If the church fails to do the Work of God in delivering these prophetic truth, Daniel would have lived his life in vain and many will end up in the fiery furnace (lake of fire). Satan wants them in but God wants to keep them out of the fire. The moral of all these prophecies is to warn the church and wake the members out of their stupor!

THE DAY OF THE LORD

The Day of the Lord, or the Day of God's wrath, follows the sixth seal. Many people mistaken that the Day of the Lord is Sunday or the day of worship.This cataclysmic period of one year (one day as one year in prophetic term - Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6) known as the Day of the Lord follows after the two-and-half year of Tribulation of Satan's fury unleashed on mankind. It is the time when the awesome power of God is revealed on planet earth with astronomical signs, '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, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. (Rev 6:12-13).

The Lord Christ Himself affirmed this in Matthew 24:29 in His Olivet Prophecy. It is to occur immediately after the Tribulation. The Old Testament prophet Joel spoke of the similar event in Joel 2:31, 'The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord'. Isaiah 34:8 refers to it as 'the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion'. Jeremiah 11:23 refers to it as the 'year of their punishment' - for those who turned against God by seeking the life of Jeremiah  and asking him to prophesy not the Word of God (Jeremiah 11:21-23). Since prophecy is dual (former and latter fulfilment), this is already happening in this church age and will intensify as it draws to its close - hence the justification for God's wrath and punishment!

The great earthquake to occur (Rev 6:12) after the military invasion of Jerusalem and nations descended from the lost ten tribes of Israel will be so violent that 'every mountain and island was moved out of its place' (6:14). Luke 21: 25-26 describes the seas and waves roaring (tsunamis?) and men's hearts failing from fear of the events unfolding! Those who are counted worthy to escape all these things (Luke 21:36) are the God's true elect who do the Work of God under the Lordship of Christ, including the work to 'prophecy again' the Word of God as a warning for all who would heed (Rev 3:20; Rev 10:11; Amos 3:7). Those who are in the inner court of God's temple (modern day usage - church) are God's elect (potential sons of God) who will be measured by God (judgment begin with the house of God - 1 Peter 4:17) - Rev 11:1. Those who are in the outer court of God's temple (the lukewarm Laodiceans) will not be measured by God in this age and will undergo the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord (Rev 11:2).

The Heavenly Father  has not being honoured by most within the church who claimed to be His people(Malachi 1:6). They have trampled His gospel message of the kingdom of God underfoot - the gospel (good news) that Jesus Christ was sent to earth to proclaim for all mankind (Luke 4:43) - the blessed hope for all eternity when God will supernaturally intervene in the affairs of man by establishing His government on earth with Christ as the King of kings! Man has been commanded by God to hear Him (the Prophet) but they refused. Instead, man has throughout the centuries schemed up all kinds of traditions, dogma and counterfeit movements  (Mark 7:7) under the leadership of Satan and his appointed agents (2 Cor 11: 13-15) to deceive mankind (Rev 12:9). All these are but different variations of the Mystery Babylon Religion - the mother of all harlots (Rev 17:5). God's Judgment is now standing at the door!

God's true church has always beeen the minority -  the few (Matt 7:14; 20:16; 22:14), the persecuted or misunderstoood (John 15:20; 2 Tim 3:12), the 'little flock' (Luke 12:32) and the those with 'little strength' (Rev 3:8)- that will ultimately rule with Christ as the King of kings (the resurrected saints as god-beings in the Heavenly Father's divine Family) when He returns to rule the earth. The true church will be protected from all the sufferings of the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord (Rev 12: 14). To be counted worthy to escape all these things (Luke 21:36), one has to abide in Christ - which means to BELIEVE HIM
including all His teachings (John 8:31) and the gospel He preached (Matthew 4:17). Only then can the Laodiceans be truly set free from the clutches of the great deceiver (John 8:32). Believing in God and in Christ is good and necessary but does not go far enough, for even the demons do and tremble (James 2:19)! On which side of the divide you would choose is the choice only you can make. However, between life and death, choose (eternal) life, for that is the wisest decision of your life!

THE GREAT TRIBULATION

I have said in my earlier blog that the correct method to understand the bible where signs and symbols are used is to let the bible interprets the bible - for the bible indeed interprets itself. The prophetic book of Daniel and the Lord Christ's explanation of the Olivet Prophecy in  Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 explains much of the frightening spectre which will follow in the final stages of this church age before His Return to rule the world together with the resurrected saints who are members of the true church of God.

The opening of the fifth seal gives an overview of the coming Great Tribulation - a period of two-and-half-years of suffering in all of human history, when Satan unleashed his fury on mankind one last time before giving up his throne to the Lord Christ. Such cataclysmic events have been prophecied in many books of the Old and New Testaments. The Apostle John was in the spirit (Rev 4:2) when he witnessed all these heavenly previews of future events, much like he saw the vision of events of the close of this age as all the seven seals were opened one after another.

When the fifth seal was opened, John saw the souls of those who were slain cried for justice (Rev 6:9). This is a symbol of all the martyrs who were slain right through the dark period of the Middle Ages and of the future martyrs yet to come during the Great Tribulation (Rev 6:11). Symbolically, they were to wait in their sleep (rest) till the prophecied number of martyrs of lukewarm Christians who later repented are fulfilled! The Lord Christ prophecied this in Matthew 24:9-10.

The large majority of Christians in this end-time are Laodiceans, luke-warm Christians who are busy doing their own things, including many churches busy with their 'churchy stuff ', but all done in the name of God! Many are deceived and fallen into wrong doctrines and practices. Only the sufferings and persecutions of the Great Tribulation will awaken them towards repentance. Even then, only half will truly repent (Matthew 25: 1-12) and pay a heavy price with the cost of their lives (Rev 3:18).

The Great Tribulation will also be a time of war - probably World War III - famine and diseases together with great deception as symbolised by the Four Horsemen of the Apolycapse (Rev 6:2-8). The world is so deceived that they will see the false Christ as the true Messiah and the real Christ as the false Messiah, ultimately fighting Christ at His Return! Most clergymen are so confused that they cannot see and understand the true gospel of the kingdom of God that Christ was sent by the Heavenly Father to preach to the world (Matthew 4:17; Mark1:14-15; 16:15; Luke 4:43). The merciful God has commanded the true church to 'prophecy again'  in this end-time (Rev 10:11) of all the truth because only the truth will set the people free from the clutches of the great deceiver. Many wrongly presume that the true gospel is only Christ death on the cross, when in reality it is the one and only way to the kingdom of God (salvation and eternal inheritance) which all true believers must first seek and find (Matthew 6:33).

 Christ sacrificial death on the cross is a means to an end - the end goal is the reconciliation of all human beings to God the Father through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with the cancellation of the death penalty for all those who believe in Christ and believe Him, including the gospel He came to preach! The end of it all is to enter the kingdom of God  (John 3:3-7) as a son of the Heavenly Father. This can only happen through resurrection by being born again in the first resurrection (the better resurrection - Hebrews 11:35) to immortality at the last trumpet (1 Cor 15: 50-55) to become a divine member of God's Royal Family for all eternity! (Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:2,9). There has to be a new creation (supernatural birth) because flesh and blood CANNOT enter the kingdom of God. Sadly, most people simply don't get it because the counterfeit movement (part of the Babylonian Mystery - Rev 17:5) of this world has so blinded the masses (2 Cor 4:4; Rev 12:9). Many are sincere but they are sincerely wrong!

The people of the largely English speaking world in USA, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are modern day descendants of the 'lost ten tribes' of Israel. The Great Tribualtion will also have a major impact upon them as well as the Jews of Israel and elsewhere who are descendants primarily from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Since bible prophecy is often dual, the A.D.70 destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman army is a fore-runner of another similar event to occur as stated by the Lord Christ in Luke 21:23-24 , 'And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled'.  Much of the prophecies in the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations are in reference to the later fulfilment of the Great Tribulation.

In the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus Christ told His close disciples as recorded in Matthew 24:14, 'And 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.' Since the first century AD, the true gospel has not being preached in earnest as it was largely hidden to be mistaken as the church and saying the sinner's prayer in the hearts of men. But the time has come for all the truth to be revealed in this end-time as the period of time the prophecies were sealed is now over (Daniel 12:9). All who have ears, let them hear and be wise so as to understand (Daniel 12:10).

THE FOURTH SEAL OF REVELATION

The rider on the pale horse, unveiling the Fourth Seal of Revelation, is a prophecy about the pestilences and diseases that will strike the earth with greater intensity as the prophectic clocks ticks closer to the Second Coming of Christ. In Matthew 24:7, Christ stated that pestilences and diseases will be a sign of His Return and of the end of the age.

Reports are emerging that mankind is fighting a no-win battle against diseases and epidemics. Not only are new diseases emerging, but old diseases like tuberculosis and malaria are mutating into antibiotic-resistant forms. Poverty, war and poor sanitation are spawning epidemics in many parts of the world. It used to be that the third world countries are at risk. But no longer so as globalisation brings people and super germ closer home to even the developed countries!

The stark reality is that many people die without even knowing what really hits them. New and more potent drugs developed are trailing behind the proliferation of super germ that baffles even the best medical minds. Diseases like tuberculosis, yellow fever and cholera which once taught being eradicated are making a come-back in more potent form. Some of the fatal diseases are able to transmit from birds and cattles to humans.

Revelation 6:8 states, 'And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword and with hunger, and with death, and the beasts of the earth.' Frightening as it may seem, these are God's word of prophecy that will come at the appointed time. The sense of hopelessness and helplessness engulfing much of the undeveloped nations will descend upon even the developed world - unless they turn to the true living God!

All these deadly diseases happen primarily because man has failed to abide by God's laws of health and right living. As warned in Leviticus 26:15-17 and Deuteronomy 28:58-62, when man failed to obey God's commandments, plagues and sicknesses will follow. Those who obey will have no fear of life threatening diseases to come. Psalms 91:5-10 spell it out clearly, 'You shall not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flies by day; nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness; nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, which is my refuge even the most High, your habitation; there shall no evil befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.' Such is the promise of God to those who obey Him. The question is, will you believe and abide?

THE THIRD SEAL OF REVELATION

The first horseman (white horse) represents religious deception and the second horseman (red horse) represents war. The third horseman (black horse) represents famine (Rev 6:5), one that follows directly after a bitter war that is prophesied to happen just before the return of Jesus Christ. Some sixty years prior to the Apostle John penned Revelation, the Lord Jesus Christ gave a similar reply to His disciples when asked when the end of the age would come. 'For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various places.' (Matthew 24:7).

There are numerous biblical accounts of famines from the time of Abraham (Genesis 12:10) to Joseph (Genesis 41:56) to the famines caused by warfare, corrupt leadership and sins (2 Samuel 21:1; 2 Kings 25; Jeremiah 16:4; Isaiah 14:30). After the city of Jerusalem was ravaged by the Roman army in 70 A.D., the famine was so severe that according to Jewish historian Josephus, many people resorted to cannibalism!
During the first several centuries after the first millennium A.D., also known as the Dark Ages, wars and diseases took their toil on soldiers and civilians alike. Some whole cities were struck by famine that famished people did resort to cannibalism.

The famine of modern times is usually structural in nature due to poverty and neglect. Images of drought, famine and hunger in Third World countries are all too familiar scenes splashed over the mass media. Inspite of massive aids given to many of these countries, the problems seem to stay. Some of the main reasons are due to war and corruption that allow funds and resources to be channelled to the wrong causes.

In places where war and corruption are not so rampant, land and water pollutions have done irreparable damage to crops and their yield. The biblical law of land sabbath (Leviticus 25:2-5) by allowing the land to rest every seventh year to replenish its nutrients has been ignored. The result is poor crops and poor harvest. Many people today, especially the young, are malnurished. This is because the foods are no longer providing the required nutrients due to over-cultivation of the land. Popping of vitamins and minerals may help to some extent, but they are not feasible for the masses, especailly for those living in the Third World.

Man has not only ignored the land sabbath, but has continually contribute to destruction of the eco-system that God has created. All the greed and selfishness of man has brought the problems of this world to its knee. Just like the 'Parable of the Prodigal Son' (Luke 15:11-32), it took 'severe famine in that land' (verse 14) for him to come to his senses. It looks like it may take the next big one to wake many from their slumber.

The Good News to follow after the calamity is that in the coming kingdom of God, all His laws and statutes will be obeyed. The result is abundance, fruitfulness, peace and blessings like never before. The prophet Amos put it succinctly in Amos 9:13-15 thus, 'Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, When the plowman shall overtake the reaper, And the treader of grapes him who sows seed; The mountain shall drip with sweet wine, And all the hills shall flow with it. I will bring back the captives of my people Israel; They shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, And no longer shall they be pulled up from the land I have given them - says the Lord your God'.

In the age to come after Christ's return, the world will be taught the whole truth and counsel of God. The people who survived the Great Tribulation will then hunger and thirst after righteousness. That will be the time when deception, war, famine and pestilence will be eradicated  (Revelation 7:16-17). Are you praying for it ?-Your kingdom come (Matthew 6:10).

THE SECOND SEAL OF REVELATION

The white horseman of the four horsemen of the apocalypse is perhaps the most insidious because it produces universal religious deception. His followers go forth conquering and to conquer based on the false belief that the white horseman is Christ Himself, when in reallity it is Satan in disguise! Their minds and doctrines are so warped that they are preaching 'another gospel' (Gal 1:6-9) and following 'another Christ' (2 Cor 11:4) without even knowing it. They will buy into the lies of the false prophet and false Christ (always looking for signs and wonders) and ignore the warnings of the true prophets. Instead, they will be busy looking for signs and wonders (spiritual toys) and compromise the truth with the nations (such as joining the ecumenical Charismatic Movements) to fight the true Christ when He returns (Rev 19: 15). They are unable to distinguish the truth from falsehood. The Lord Christ will then say to these people, 'I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness (those churches that are outside the Governmental Authority of Christ - Luke 19:27)!' All who refused to be ruled by Christ in the church age will be disqualified to rule in His coming kingdom.

The second seal opens with the red horseman waging religious wars on mankind all in the name of religion! The six thousand years of human history is plagued by conflicts and wars with sufferings and destructions beyond imagination. Was Christ referring to wars in general or any specific war? The answer is both. Mankind has undergone alternating periods of war and peace. But the red horseman refers to a very serious war (probably a nuclear WW III) that could wipe out all humans on earth if not for the divine intervention of Christ Himself (Matt 24:22)!

The key to understanding bible prophecy is to let the bible interprets itself. The Olivet prophecy spoken of by the Lord Christ in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 interprets the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in Revelation 6 penned by the Apostle John. Only those who are under the Government and rule of Christ can understands because only the Lord Christ can open the seal. In Matthew 24:6-7, Christ taught His disciples, '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.' In A.D. 70, the city of Jerusalem was ravished by the Roman army with the Jewish population almost decimated and the temple destroyed. Duality of bible prophecy tells us that the anti-type of this will happen again during the Great Tribulation just before Chrust returns!

Many politicians had hoped that World War II was the war to end all wars. But that was not to be. Today the hydrogen bomb can be a thousand times more deadlly and destructive than the atomic bomb.  What Christ warned in Matthew 24:22 and in Revelation 6 could not be fulfilled at any other period in human's history. Satan is the mastermind behind all human conflicts when he took away peace at the Garden of Eden. He knew his days are numbered (Rev 12:12) and he is unleashing disasters during the Great Tribulation to do maximum damage before he surrendered the throne to Christ. The damage will be so devastating that even cities will be laid waste, without inhabitant (Jeremiah 4:7).

The first 10 verses of Joel chapter 2 and Revelation 9:17-18 paint a gruesome picture of what lays ahead. The very elect of God who are not taken in by deception will be provided a place of safety (Rev 3:10 ;12:14). The rest will suffer immeasurably worse than Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined in August 1945! The very thought of this made prophet Habakkuk sick (Habakkuk 3:16). God in His mercy will intervene at the last minute to prevent total annihilation of mankind. This will happen at the blast of the seventh and final trumpet by the seventh angel  with a loud voice declaring, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!' (Revelation 11:15). Jesus Christ will then become the King and Ruler over all nations of the world.

The Good News that follow after the cataclysmic events was the gospel that Jesus Christ came to preach (Luke 4:43- initiated by the Heavenly Father) and expect all His true disciples to do likewise (Mark 1:14-15;16:15). All implements of war will be destroyed (Isaiah 2: 2-4) and converted to useful tools for unimagined productivity. Even the cruel nature of the animal kingdom will be changed (Isaiah 11: 6-9). Deserts and wastland will blossom (Isaiah 35: 1-2) and the weak, the blind, the lame and the deaf will be healed (Isaiah 35:3-6) and much more! The true saints will be in the First Resurrection to minister and preach the whole truth to all the human beings that survived the cataclysmic events ('The people who survived the sword' -Jeremiah 31:2). What a wonderful world that would be.