In this post I wish to dwell on Revelation 4,5,6, which lead into the seals.

Mark pointed us to the chapter by EGW on the "The Shaking".
A Question -- that chapter begins with agonizing and many falling away, but ends with the remnant moving forward with great strength. What made them so strong?

Answer -- they prayed for, and received a fuller outpouring of the Holy Spirit -- the latter rain.

What is Revelation 4 and 6 about?

These chapters cover the Christian experience -- beginning with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit when the Christian church was first born.

Following the blueprint of salvation portrayed by the feasts --these chapters show the “first fruit sheaf” accepted before the Lord, followed by the outpouring at Pentecost.

Christ is declared "WORTHY" and is inaugurated into his royal priesthood.

A magnificent picture of the sanctuary in heaven emerges in these chapters. "After these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven". . .and John saw "seven lamps of fire burning before the throne." There are also golden bowls full of incense.

A door in heaven is open. (Rev. 4:1) What door is this?

The word "door" "thura," in Revelation 4:1 appears many times in the Septuagint in direct reference to the door into the sanctuary. Leviticus 3:1 tells us the sacrifice is killed at the "thura" of the tabernacle.

And here in heaven we see the Lamb that has already been slain! The sacrifice was offered, and now the door into the heavenly sanctuary is open. The work of Christ's heavenly priesthood is to begin.

In Leviticus we read:
“And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you.” Lev. 23:11 The single sheaf, presented to the Lord here, during the Jewish feasts, speaks of the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the sheaf of first fruits
(1 Corinthians 15:20-23) “For now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.


Christ’s first work is to light the lampstands! Notice again the seven lampstands in Revelation 4, this time they are referred to as seven spirits. "Seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God." Remember the consternation - is anyone worthy? Before His ascension Jesus told the disciples to wait for the Promise of the Holy Spirit which would come upon them. And they would be witnesses "to the end of the earth". (Acts 1:4-8)

When Christ was accepted as the "ONE" worthy to begin the work in the sanctuary, He sent out His Holy Spirit to His messengers on earth.

Compare this with Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost when the followers of Christ were filled with the Holy Spirit:
Acts 2.32-33 "This Jesus has God raised up, and has now exalted by His right hand, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he has shed forth this, which ye now see and hear."

Revelation 4 and 5 show Christ being exalted in heaven, His sacrifice declared worthy and acceptable, the work of the sanctuary begun, and THE HOLY SPIRIT given to the church upon earth. The day of Pentecost marked the opening of Christ's work in the heavenly sanctuary. The first phase of His Priestly ministry had begun in the Holy Place.



We are, in these chapters, primarily with Christ’s work in the Holy Place, fulfilling the Pentecost “festival” by pouring out the early rain of the Holy Spirit.

That "early rain" was not just a one time experience -- that early rain is available for the church throughout all Christiandom to those who seek it and cherish it and follow the Spirit's leading in surrender and obedience.



Yes, we are expecting the "latter rain" --
But are we rejecting the "early rain" or are we seeking it?

The seals show a progressive rejection of the "early Rain" and descent into Babylon -- the counterfeit self exalting religion that clothes itself in the trimmings of Christianity.

Every horse that rides forth continues to ride until the end.
1. The gospel empowered by the holy spirit.
2. A false gospel empowered by the sword.
3. A false religion in which the gospel is scarce.
4. A deadly religion of deception and death.

The problem with many is they see these things as "one time events". No -- they are the story of Christianity, they cover the history of the Christian church.

We should NOT reject the established prophecies, to do so is rejecting the Testimonies. We simply realize that these things continue until the end. The forces of history both good and bad are still in force.

The Holy Spirit was given to the young church in powerful measure and we too need to be immersed-baptized in the Holy Spirit on a daily bases. Then we can ride with white horse, even though the other horses are also galloping throughout the society.

Are there more than one time of trouble?

Are the trumpets associated with the time of trouble? Which one?

What does "proclaiming the Sabbath more fully mean"? Some claim it means keeping it on another day than the 7th.

Well, I do believe there is a little time of trouble and the main time of trouble. These are basically separated by the close of probation.

I would also call the 1260 years a time of trouble in its own right.

I guess there could be more.

My study of Daniel and Revelation confirm that President Obama is the last American President identified in Bible prophecy.

As I understand it, President Trump will not be in office past 3/28/2017. Babylon was a religio-political power. I have understood that there would be 3 popes (Francis, Benedict & Satan as John-Paul II for a brief time) to fulfill the prophecy of religious Babylon. But I did not understand that the political Babylon would end with (Bush II, Obama, and Trump for a brief time).

I do not expect Christ to come by 28 March 2017 because the Time of Trouble has not escalated to that point yet.

And I have learned some marvelous things in my absence from this forum with it's too many doubting Thomases

Habakkuk says wait the vision will come at the appointed time. God is dividing those who go by faith in the sure word of prophecy from those who go by sight.

The word of God is sure. We know in part and we prophecy in part, but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part will be done away!

Mark,
Here is a brief comment...
Revelation had chapters inserted after it was written

Chapter 6 is part of chapter 5.

The white horse: King Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon, President Reagan

Red horse: King Evil-Meridoch, Medo-Persia, Presiednt Bush I

Black horse: King Neglesser, Greece, President Clinton

sick horse: Kings Nabonidus & Belshazzar, Pagan & papal Rome, Presidents Bush I (death) & Obama (hell)

As Ancient Babylon had Daniel as it's third ruler...briefly, We have Donald John Trump.

Rev 6:10 " How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"

Judgment Hours of dead and living have ended...how long to dispence judgment?

6:15 rich men= Laodiceans who think they need nothing

6:17 Great day has come

Keep it short sanints

A thought occurred to me-

If the judgement of both the living and the dead has ended, then logically there can be no more judging as we would have moved to the final phase of this world's history, which culminates in the dispensing of judgement.

Yet, people are still being born, and these new people "being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil" while judgement was proceeding could not have been included in the judgement. (Rom 9:11) Yet still, when judgement is finally closed, then it is truly and forever closed for all beings and for all eternity. Therefor, judgement must not have closed.


My expectation is that either the events prior to the close of judgement will be such as to prevent children from being conceived or God will simply prevent it as was done with Abimelech's household when Abraham was there.

If The judgment is like that, you conclusion would be correct.

I believe that the Judgment is more like an audit. Everyone has been audited (judged) and their accounts are up to date and open. And every account will remain open during the sealing time until Jesus declares "It is done" Then the books will close.

Compare it to taking tax deductions. You can give to charities until midnight, but after that your deductions cannot be posted that year. They have to go on the next year's return. Between now and the declaration (It is done), we are being sealed by the Holy Spirit in preparation for the time when Christ will finish His work in Heaven's Sanctuary.

And OBAMA is president?

Yeah. But, don't we still have to wait until March 28th or something like that?

I've been thinking about this today, and while I think I understand how you've presented it, it seems to me that the books still being open would equate with judgement having not actually ended. After all, if changes can still be made in our accounts, then Jesus would still be interceding in the temple in Heaven and therefor judging us. The sealing time began when the investigative judgement began, as Ellen White referred to it in present tense saying "just now in this sealing time" when describing the activities of Satan. ( Early Writings pg.44)

I agree that the books will close when the sealing is finished, but the declaration "It is done" is in the seventh plague. In Revelation 7:3 there is an angel saying to the four holding the winds of heavens "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." From this it appears that the time of trouble and the execution of judgement, the plagues, cannot precede the sealing. It then seems that by the time the declaration "It is done" is made in the seventh plague it must be some time after the sealing has already finished. Further, we see in the sixth plague a very sudden declaration "Behold, I come as a thief." At this point Jesus is announcing His return, and must have already ceased the intercessory ministry in the temple.