Fill Your Life With These Four Things To Thrive In 2016

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall (Matthew 7:24-27).

When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me. All that belongs to the Father is Mine; this is why I said, 'The Spirit will tell you whatever He receives from Me.' (John 16:13-15- NLT).

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 -NLT).

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:7-NLT)

The times we live in are intense. Yet we live in the providence of God. God knew what we who live in this hour of history would face, and has made full provision for us to thrive! 2016 will be a year of increasing turbulence internationally, nationally, culturally, politically, financially, and spiritually. We need to fill our lives with at least four things to thrive this year.

First of all, we would be wise to make a choice to act on God’s Word in every circumstance this year. Jesus told us that those who act on the Word when trouble comes (the rain, the wind, the flood), would survive. God watches over His Word to bring it to pass wherever it is believed and acted upon (Jeremiah 1:12; Isaiah 55:11).

When challenges come mentally, cast your cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7) and act as though He is working out the mental challenge.  When challenges come financially, act as though He is honoring His word to supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). When physical challenges attack, rise up and act on His word that Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses (Matthew 8:17). When circumstances seek to pin you down this year, act on His Word that in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us (Romans 8:37).

Secondly, we would be wise to tune in to the Holy Spirit’s wisdom for every situation life brings this year. Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would be our life Helper and would tell us of things to come. THe Holy Spirit expects us to first of all act on the Word! So, in seeking His guidance, we must first honor the Father by listening to and acting like His word is true. Then, if we need to make life adjustments or change direction, He will speak to our spirit what He hears from Jesus. We can have confidence that if we put the Word first, He will make sure that we succeed in every endeavor He has planned for us each day in 2016.

Thirdly, we would be wise to develop close friendships this year. There is great strength gained when we choose to hang out with fellow believers. When we’re in a tough place, close friends can encourage and lend a hand. And likewise, when those we befriend are challenged, we can be there for them to motivate and help lift their load. Being alone is a bad option in 2016.

Fourthly and lastly, we would be wise to choose to walk in love in every situation that arises. When a relationship becomes challenging and demanding, ask yourself: what would love do. Don’t forget that God’s love has been poured out in our spirit by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5), and that God’s love within: is patient and kind; is not jealous, boastful, proud, or rude; it does not demand its own way;  it is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged; it does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out; it never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

We enter 2016 fully prepared by the Father for everything we will face. Let’s choose to commit every day to Him, fully trusting that He causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28-NLT)

The Day Of The Lord Is The Period Of The Wrath Of God That Will Follow The Rapture Of The Church

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (7) Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this (Isaiah 9:6-9 –NKJV).

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (23) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. (24)

Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power (1 Corinthians 15:22-24-NKJV).

Today I am continuing my teaching about the sequence of events in the return of Christ. My goal is to bring clarity to what I see in scripture concerning what is to come as the world is prepared for Christ’s return and reign.

The last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, is about Jesus Christ coming as rightful owner of the earth to defeat His enemies, to judge the unrepentant wickedness of men and nations, to judge Satan, and to reclaim the earth for the Kingdom of Heaven, cleanse it, and make it a beautiful place for God and man to have fellowship once again throughout eternity.

Jesus came almost 2000 years as a baby, in humility, taking upon Himself our suffering and sin, and providing a way for His Grace to purify us from our sin and restore our personal relationship and fellowship with God.

Notice John 1:17: For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Notice again that the law came through Moses. The Old Covenant, with its emphasis on the 10 commandments, showed us that we cannot please God with self-effort. The law revealed our sin. We call that era the dispensation of law.

During the last 2000 years we’ve been living in the church age, the dispensation of Grace. The long-suffering of God has been emphasized to show that He loves mankind, and wants all of us to have the opportunity to respond to His Grace.

Grace is God dealing lovingly and tenderly with us and with our sin. Grace is God opening up His love nature to willingly forgive and cleanse our disobedience, and to welcome us freely into relationship with Him through Christ.

But also notice that Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t come only to cleanse our sin, He also came to show us how to live a life that pleases God. That comes through truth. Jesus, within Himself and His sacrifice for us, wed Grace and Truth together.

To receive only Grace is to live a life of bondage to sin. But when you allow His Grace and Truth to flood your life, only then does true freedom manifests in you.

When Jesus returns in His Second Coming, He will be emphasizing Truth. He will come as a judge to His enemies, for they have spurned His Love, rejected His Grace, and have refused His Truth. The only thing left for those who refuse God’s dealings of Grace, Love, and Truth is Judgment. And that is what is coming next on the earth.

The Day of the Lord  is a period of time, not just a 24 hour day. The Day of the Lord starts after the Cosmic Disturbances I mentioned yesterday with the breaking of the 6th seal on the scroll in God’s right hand (see Revelation 6:12-17), and immediately after the rapture of the church to heaven (see Revelation 7:9-17).

The Day of the Lord is mentioned frequently in the Old Testament, and is mentioned by Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and the Apostle Peter. The Day of the Lord begins after God withdraws His  earth ambassadors (the church!) to heaven. The Day of the Lord is God declaring war on His enemies. The Day of the Lord encompasses the period of time after the rapture of the church where the 7 trumpet judgments and 7 bowl judgments occur in Revelation 8 through Revelation 19.

The scroll in God’s right hand that we’ve discussed in previous days (Revelation 5:1) contains the events of the Day of the Lord. Once the 7 seals on the scroll are broken open, the scroll can be unrolled, and then the events on the scroll come to pass.

Notice Revelation 8:1: When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Heaven became silent when Jesus broke the last seal on the scroll in God’s right hand. For half an hour, heaven paused, realizing that the prayers of the saints for God’s kingdom to come, and for His will to be accomplished on earth, were about to be answered. Heaven became silent for that half hour, knowing that the awesome judgment of the Holy God of the universe was about to explode on this evil, corrupt planet. Finally, all wrongs, all lies, all rebellion, all deceit, and all evil would receive its just rewards. The trumpet judgments and bowl judgments were about to unleash the fierce wrath of God against all of His enemies.

The church of the Lord Jesus will not be here to experience this time of the wrath of God. Jesus sacrifice on the cross delivered us from the wrath to come (Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:9). The first 3½ years of the 70th week of Daniel are the wrath ofman, the antiChrist. The time of great tribulation spoken of by Jesus, when the antiChrist breaks his 7 year covenant with Israel and martyrdom occurs with the breaking of the 65th seal on the scroll, is the wrath of man.

You and I as believer are immune from the wrath of God. We will not be here during this awful time when 1/3 of the vegetation will die, the fresh and salt waters become polluted, when over 2 billion people die from the effects of the intense wrath of God.

I close this article today with the scriptures that reveal this dark period of judgment coming to earth called The Day of the Lord. Praise God that Jesus has delivered us from the wrath to come…

Scriptures revealing The Day of the Lord…

The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty, for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled), (13) for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall and lofty, and all the oaks of Bashan, (14) for all the towering mountains and all the high hills, (15) for every lofty tower and every fortified wall, (16) for every trading ship   and every stately vessel. (17) The arrogance of man will be brought low and the pride of men humbled; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, (18) and the idols will totally disappear. (19) Men will flee to caves in the rocks and to holes in the ground from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. (20) In that day men will throw away to the rodents and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, which they made to worship. (21) They will flee to caverns in the rocks and to the overhanging crags from dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth (Isaiah 2:12-21 –NIV).

Hail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.

(7) Therefore all hands will be limp, every man's heart will melt, (8) And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; they will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; they will be amazed at one another; their faces will be like flames. (9) Behold, 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. (10) 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. (11) "I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. (12) I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, a man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. (13) Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the Lord of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger (Isaiah 13:6-13 –NKJV).

All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; all their host shall fall down as the leaf falls from the vine, and as fruit falling from a fig tree. (8) For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of recompense for the cause of Zion (Isaiah 34:4,8 –NKJV).

Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as destruction from the Almighty. (16) Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God? (17) The seed shrivels under the clods, storehouses are in shambles; Barns are broken down, for the grain has withered. (18) How the animals groan! The herds of cattle are restless, because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment. (19) O Lord, to You I cry out; for fire has devoured the open pastures, and a flame has burned all the trees of the field. (20) The beasts of the field also cry out to You, for the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the open pastures (Joel 1:15-20 –NKJV).

The earth quakes before them, the heavens tremble; The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness. (11) The Lord gives voice before His army, for His camp is very great; for strong is the One who executes His word. For the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; who can endure it? (Joel 2:10-11 –NKJV).

And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.  (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. (32) And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls (Joel 2:30-32 – NKJV).

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. (15) The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness.  (16) The Lord also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; but the Lord will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel (Joel 3:14-16 –NKJV).

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! For what good is the day of the Lord to you? It will be darkness, and not light. (19) It will be as though a man fled from a lion, And a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him! (20) Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it? (Amos 5:18-20 NKJV).

The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and hastens quickly. The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter; there the mighty men shall cry out. (15) That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of devastation and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, (16) a day of trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high towers. (17) "I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord; their blood shall be poured out like dust, and their flesh like refuse." (18) Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of His jealousy, for He will make speedy riddance of all those who dwell in the land. (2:1) Gather yourselves together, yes, gather together, O undesirable nation, (2) Before the decree is issued, or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon you! (3) Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger(Zephaniah 1:14-2:3 –NKJV).

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (11) Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, (12) looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? (13) Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:10-13 –NKJV).

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. (2) For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord So comes as a thief in the night.  (3) For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. (4) But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief (1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 – NKJV).

Cosmic Disturbances Will Be A Signal That The Rapture Of The Church Is About To Occur!

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. (30) Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew 24:29-31-NKJV).

I’m continuing here where I left off yesterday with our looking at the opening of 7 seals on a scroll in God’s right hand in Revelation 6. In Revelation 5, God, as Creator and owner of all that is, is seated on His Throne with a scroll in His right hand. That scroll is His title deed to earth, by which He is preparing to regain earth’s control from Satan and his emissaries.

The scroll contains the contents of the book of Revelation starting with the breaking of the 7th seal in Revelation chapter 8 and continuing through the rest of the book of Revelation. In the scroll are 7 trumpet judgments and 7 bowl judgments which occur sequentially after the scroll is opened, during what the Bible calls the Day of the Lord.

The Day of the Lord is a period of time when the wrath of God is displayed in full force against Satan, and the nations and men who are working with his scheme of darkness to completely overtake and rule this planet for good. it is important to note that the church will not be here during the Day of the Lord.

None of the events beginning with Revelation 8, which is the beginning of the Day of the Lord, can begin until the scroll is opened. In Revelation 6, Jesus, the resurrected Lamb, has taken the scroll from God’s right hand and is breaking each seal one at a time. As each seal is broken, events occur.

Yesterday we look at the first five seals. The first seal when broken revealed a rider on a white horse, which denoted false Christ’s appearing, most notably the anti-Christ.  The breaking of this seal begins the time period frequently called the tribulation, or better called Daniel’s 70th week (see Daniel 9:27), which lasts for 7 years.

The second seal when broken revealed a rider on a red horse, denoting war breaking out. The third seal when broken revealed a rider on a black horse which denoted famine and hyperinflation. The fourth seal when broken revealed a rider on a pale green horse which denoted disease spreading as a result of war.

The fifth seal when broken began a period of martyrdom of Jews and Christians under the reign of the anti-Christ.  This is three and a half years into the seven year peace treaty he oversees between Israel and their enemies. The breaking of this seal begins what Jesus termed the great tribulation : For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (22) And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:21-22-NKJV).

It looks as though believers will be here to see the rise of the anti-Christ and the breaking of the seals around the scroll. Believers will see the anti-Christ break His covenant with Israel and begin a massive campaign of killing Jews and Christians.

Then suddenly, sometime after the anti-Christ begin this mass slaughter three and one half years into his reign, the sixth seal is broken. 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. (13) 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. (14) Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. (15) 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, (16) and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! (17) For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"( Revelation 6:12-17-NKJV)

These cosmic disturbances occur with the breaking of the sixth seal, and are a sign to the world that Jesus Christ is returning to withdraw His ambassadors to heaven before the Day of the Lord begins. It looks as though we will be here to see this event.

When you get up one morning, and the sun is dark, and then at night the moon and stars don’t give light, you know then that Jesus is about to return to snatch you away from the hell that is about to take place!

In Revelation 7, between the breaking of the sixth and seventh seal around the scroll, two things happen. First, Jews that will actually go through the terrible judgments during the day of the Lord will be sealed so that they will be protected from harm during that terrible time (Revelation 7:1-8).

Then, in Revelation 7:9-17, we see a multitude which I believe are the raptured saints of God are found in heaven before God’s throne : After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, (10) and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"(Revelation 7:9-10-NKJV)

I’ll end this article with the scripture found at the beginning. Jesus also talks about what happens after the breaking of the sixth seal in Matthew 24. The sign of His return for us is these cosmic disturbances. The way the world events are rapidly transpiring, we could see the fulfillment of these scriptures in the not too distant future! Once the peace treaty between the antiChrist and Israel is signed, then figure 4 to 5 years (we just can’t know for sure the time length between anti-Christ breaking covenant and the rapture) of significant change and degrees of hardship before this cosmic disturbance event occurs. But, during that time, expect a tremendous moving of the Holy Spirit worldwide!

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. (30) Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (31) And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew 24:29-31-NKJV).

And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. (29) And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. (30) "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. (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. (32) And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls (Joel 2:28-32-NKJV).

The Second Coming Of Christ And The Opening Of The Seals On The Scroll In God's Right Hand

You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:11-NKJV).

And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals (Revelation 5:1-NKJV).

In yesterday’s blog, I begin talking about the sequence of events in the return of Christ. If you haven’t read yesterday’s blog, please do so, for I will continue today with that theme. Over the last year 18 months or so, the Lord has given me a new understanding of the sequence of events regarding the rapture of the church and the time period immediately following. I submit what the Lord has given me to you to consider and pray over, and for you to search the scriptures yourself to gain understanding of Jesus’ soon return.

In Revelation 4, God is shown as the Creator, owner and sustainer of all things. In Revelation 5, God is holding a scroll in His right hand as He is seated on His throne. The scroll is God’s title deed to planet earth. The scroll is sealed with seven seals, and can only be opened by a person with the authority and credentials to oversee the events that transpire when it is opened. Jesus Christ, depicted as the risen Lamb, is the only person in the universe found worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. He stands and takes the scroll out of God’s right hand.

In Revelation 6, Jesus begins the process of breaking the seven seals that keep the contents of the scroll from being known and coming to pass. As the title deed to planet earth, this scroll contains the sequence of events that will occur to purge the earth of rebellion, sin, and the contamination of the darkness brought on it by the Lucifer during his reign of stealing, killing, and destroying. It contains the plans God has to renovate this planet made for human life, so that it will once again be a place of purity, and a place where God and man can fellowship together eternally.

As I watched, the Lamb broke the first of the seven seals on the scroll. Then I heard one of the four living beings say with a voice like thunder, "Come!" (2) I looked up and saw a white horse standing there. Its rider carried a bow, and a crown was placed on his head. He rode out to win many battles and gain the victory (Revelation 6:1-2 –NLT).

The breaking of this first seal on the scroll brings forth a rider on a white horse. The rider represents false Christ’s. This rider depicts a warrior as he is carrying a bow and wearing a crown. This is none other than the anti-Christ, who is everything opposite of our Lord Jesus! He will come as a man of peace, but later his heart will be revealed and he will take peace away from the earth.

The breaking of this first seal sets in motion Daniel’s 70th week. We read in Daniel 9:27 - The ruler will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. And as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the fate decreed for this defiler is finally poured out on him."

Daniel 9 reveals 490 years of Israel’s history from the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the Jews’ captivity to Babylon until the second coming of Christ. 483 of those years have already come to pass, and 7 years of those 490 years remain to be fulfilled. We call this Daniel’s 70th week because each week is actually a week of years, or 7 years. There are 7 years of Jewish history yet in our future.

According to Daniel 9:27, this last 7 year period will begin with the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and their surrounding enemies. That’s the next current event we should look for. Once that treaty is signed, there will be 7 years before Jesus returns in His second coming!

I have believed for all of my Christian life that we believers would be raptured to heaven when this treaty is signed and the 7 years of Daniel 9:27 begin. But I have seen new light from the scriptures, as I will explain in detail as we move through this teaching. I hope we are raptured at that time, but if this treaty is signed and we are still here, I want to show you what the Bible clearly reveals that will transpire.

This first seal being opened begins the reign of the anti-Christ, who will be a political leaders hailed as finally bringing peace to the Middle East by bringing Israel into a peace agreement with its hostile Arab neighbors. This may or may not revolve around the creation of a Palestinian State. Time will tell. This peace agreement could be reached in the next few months or it may be a few years in the making.

When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, "Come!"

(4) Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere (Revelation 6:3-4).

The breaking of the second seal on the scroll reveals a rider on a red horse, which depicts war coming to the earth. Under the rule of this peace treaty creating leader we call anti-Christ, war will break out on earth. It may be contained to the Middle East, or it may spread to other continents. Keep in mind that the Bible is an Eastern book, and these events are dealing with Israel and the surrounding nations. It remains to be seen whether or not or how much these events affect the USA.

With the interconnectedness of the world in the 21st century, we in America could certainly be affected financially, politically, and militarily by the war that occurs.

When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, "Come!" I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.

(6) And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, "A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day's pay. And don't waste the olive oil and wine." (Revelation 6:5-6).

When Jesus breaks the 3rd seal, a rider on a black horse appears. This depicts famine and inflation due to scarcity of food. Olives and Grapes (olive oil and wine) are staple goods in the Middle East, so verse 6 reveals that staple goods will be available.

This famine and subsequent price inflation are a result of war breaking out under the rule of this leader called anti-Christ. This may be more prominent in the Middle East or it may spread to affect other areas of the world. Again, we may watch this play out in real time.

When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, "Come!"

(8) I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals (Revelation 6:7-8-NLT).

The breaking of the 4th seal reveals a rider on a pale green horse, which depicts disease and death spread due to war and the sepsis coming from dead bodies. Notice that this scripture says that these riders are given authority over ¼ of the earth. It doesn’t say that ¼ of the people on earth died. This ¼ of the earth could be the Middle East and surround area only. Again, we may see this play out in our lifetime.

When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. (10) They shouted to the Lord and said, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?" (11) Then a white robe was given to each of them. And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters—their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them (Revelation 6:9-11-NLT).

The breaking of the fifth seal is actually 3½ years into this 7 year period.  This is when the anti-Christ shows his true motives, turns against Israel, desecrates their rebuilt temple (Jesus calls this the Abomination of Desolation in Matthew 24), and begins to martyr Christians and Jews.

This could easily be linked to radical Islam and its Jihad – holy war against the infidel(unbeliever). Radical elements of Islam are gaining power in many Middle East and European nations today. Their Koran inspired mandate to kill those who refuse their religion and its Sharia law could easily be the fulfillment of this widespread martyrdom that occurs with the breaking of the fifth seal.

Don’t miss my blog tomorrow. There I will discuss the sixth seal on the scroll in God’s right hand and the major sign of the impending rapture of the church! These events should inspire us to pray and prepare for a drastically different world prior to Jesus’ return. He’s coming for a prepared people!