The Great Tribulation

(1) Great Tribulation

The word “tribulation” in Greek is thlipsis and “primarily means a pressing, pressure, anything which burdens the spirit” (VED). The KJV most often translates it affliction or tribulation, but other translations also use distress, misery, suffering, sorrow, or trouble. A good indication of its meaning is how it is used in the New Testament:

“Religion . . . is . . . to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (NIV)

“to visit orphans and widows in their trouble” (NKJ) (James 1:27)

The word is used with the same meaning in several verses, but an especially illuminating one says, “When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away” (Mark 4:17). So tribulation and persecution are not the same. This word does not typically refer to persecution, but to the trials and difficulties anyone could face in this life. Jesus also said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Every single day of this life, many people go through great tribulation. What could be worse than losing your family in a house fire along with everything you own, and you get burned? It happens to many people as a regular part of this life. People suffer from floods, tornados, and car wrecks. They may become paralyzed from the neck down in a sporting accident or their child overdoses on drugs– all of these things are great tribulation!

Do you think an Antichrist could be worse than Hitler who burned and gassed millions of Jews and Christians? Thousands of prisoners of war were tortured and starved. How about Stalin and Lenin who murdered tens of millions? Or the Cambodian holocaust in the 1970s and 80s? What about the millions who died from starvation in Ethiopia in the 1980s including Christians; where was the Rapture for all these people? Could anything be worse than these things? Nothing could be worse for the people involved.

The only thing that will make the GT the greatest tribulation in the history of the world is that billions of people throughout the planet will be experiencing the famine, natural disasters, distress, and warfare. God has never promised Christians that they will be totally protected from tribulation (thlipsis); no one has ever seen flood waters standing up around a Christian’s house. It floods on the just and the unjust.

The Christians who think that God has special blessings for them, to make them prosperous and successful, will suffer the most during the GT; because they will become disillusioned with preachers who teach these false doctrines and so will do nothing to prepare for the coming hardships.

What about the beast of Rev. 13? Christians are not new to persecution. What makes the Christians in America think they are above persecution? Many millions of Christians have died and are still dying for their faith in Christ. Supposedly more Christians have died for Christ since 1900 than the total number that died up to 1900! The GT will continue this persecution against Christians, but on a larger scale.

(2) Time of Testing

Only a limited number of Christians will not have to suffer during the tribulation. Jesus said,

“Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth.” (Rev. 3:10)

The Greek for “trial” is peirasmos, and means, “Trial, temptation, a putting to the test . . . for the purpose of proving someone, never for the purpose of causing him to fall” (CWD).

The GT is the time of testing for the world, during which it will be revealed whether a society is built using wood or straw (worthless beliefs and laws resulting in sin and an unjust society), or whether it is built using stones and metal (right beliefs and laws resulting in proper lives and a just, moral society) (1 Cor. 3:12). This also applies on the level of churches and individuals; all things in this world will be tested. William Barclay states:

God is the great saviour, the great deliverer of his people. And the deliverance which he gives is not the deliverance of escape but the deliverance of conquest. It is not a deliverance which saves a man from trouble but one which brings him triumphantly through trouble. It does not make life easy, but it makes life great. It is not part of the Christian hope to look for a life in which a man is saved from all trouble and distress; the Christian hope is that a man in Christ can endure any kind of trouble and distress, and remain erect all through them, and come out to glory on the other side. (The Revelation of John, Vol. 2, Revised Edition, page 27)

There is another passage that is very curious. Jesus gave a parable of seed falling on different types of ground:

“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. . . . Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.” (Luke 8:11, 13)

Either Jesus was saying that every person who believes the Gospel will be put through a time of testing, or he was referring to the time that will test the population of Earth, the Great Tribulation. It most likely refers to the GT. So this passage tells us that many people who now believe the Gospel will turn away from God during the GT:

“10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:10-13)

The literal translation says, “And then many will be offended, . . . And many false prophets will be raised, and will cause many to err” (LIT). The word “offended” (4624) means, “a trap, stumbling block. To cause to stumble and fall . . . to offend, vex, particularly to scandalize” (CWD). This tells us that many Christians will have cause to turn away from Christianity during the GT. But what could possibly cause that?

Christians today are being promised that they will be removed to heaven before any hardship comes upon the world; others are told the events of Revelation were fulfilled by 70 A.D. So when they are caught unprepared, they will know that they were not taught the truth and they will leave their churches and follow after many others who will lead them away from the essentials of the Gospel, “will cause many to err.” The word “err” means to “go astray.”

The pre-tribulation Rapture doctrine will cause millions of Christians to be unprepared for the GT. Christians will suffer in ways they do not need to suffer and should not suffer, but they like the ear-ticking doctrines; they like hearing that they will not suffer in the GT. Corrie Ten Boom, a survivor of a Nazis prison camp, said:

I have been in countries where the saints are already suffering terrible persecution. In China the Christians [were] told, “Don’t worry, before the tribulation comes, you will be translated–Raptured.” Then came the terrible persecution. Millions of Christians were tortured to death. Later I heard a Bishop from China say, sadly, “We have failed. We should have made the people strong for persecution rather than telling them Jesus would come first.” (Tramp for the Lord, 1974)

Even though the whole GT is a time of great distress, the greatest distress of all will be the final week or two. The time of testing will be very hard, but “he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13) (NKJ). Bible teacher, Derek Prince says, “the Greek is more precise: ‘He who has endured to the end will be saved.’ Enduring to the end is a requirement for salvation” (Prince, Prophetic Destinies, p. 82). So the word “saved” here refers to being alive and well at the return of Christ.

The Didache (and known as the Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) also refers to the Great Tribulation:

5 Then all created mankind shall come to the fire of testing, and many shall be offended and perish; but they that endure in their faith shall be saved by the Curse Himself. 6 And then shall the signs of the truth appear; first a sign of a rift in the heaven, then a sign of a voice of a trumpet, and thirdly a resurrection of the dead; 7 yet not of all, but as it was said The Lord shall come and all His saints with Him. 8 Then shall the world see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven. (16:5-8)

Notice that this short prophecy has many of the elements that has already been mentioned and is being discussed in this book: Some people will be offended at God because they are suffering and will turn away, but those who endure to the end will be saved, great signs will appear in the heavens and it mentions a specific one, “a rift” in the sky but could refer to the night sky; if so then it means it will occur among is the stars. Next is the Rapture, and Christ shall return in a sky is covered with clouds.

This early Christian book says the whole world will go through the time of testing, followed by the Rapture and return of Christ. This agrees with my interpretation of Bible prophecy. It is strange that theologians have developed an opposite doctrine, that God does not test people, and that the Rapture will take place first, followed by the GT. All you have to do is look in a concordance for the word “test.” For example, “I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions” (Exodus 16:4b). It is really amazing how self-deceived people are because they do not want the truth!

(3) Seventh Seal: Seven Trumpets

Revelation 8 describes the events of the Great Tribulation:

8:1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake. 6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. (8:1-6)

The seventh seal is not yet open and we will not know when it officially opens because the silence before the first trumpet represents an unknown length of time; could be a month or a year. We are not told anywhere in Revelation 7 or 8 or 9 about a length of time that will encompass all the end-time events. It could in fact take ten years for all 7 trumpets and 7 bowls of wrath to take place because the beast does not rise to power until the 5th trumpet, which is proven later in this chapter. However, it will likely last only 1335 days, based on Daniel 12, which will be discussed later along with the 1,260 days and 42 months.

One of the Early Church Fathers, Lactantius (A.D. 240-320), spoke about the GT in a manner that can only come from a vision or prophecy or from direct teaching passed down from the twelve Apostles:

Then, in truth, a detestable and abominable time shall come, in which life shall be pleasant to none of men. Cities shall be utterly overthrown, and shall perish; not only by fire and the sword, but also by continual earthquakes and floods, and by frequent diseases and repeated famines. For the atmosphere will be tainted, and become corrupt and pestilential — at one time by unseasonable rains, at another by barren drought, now by colds, and now by excessive heats. Nor will the earth give its fruit to man: no field, or tree, or vine will produce anything; but after they have given the greatest hope in the blossom, they will fail in the fruit. Fountains also shall be dried up, together with the rivers; so that there shall not be a sufficient supply for drinking; and waters shall be changed into blood or bitterness. On account of these things, beasts shall fail on the land, and birds in the air, and fishes in the sea.

Wonderful prodigies [signs, wonders] also in heaven shall confound the minds of men with the greatest terrors, and the trains of comets, and the darkness of the sun, and the color of the moon, and the gliding of the falling stars. Nor, however, will these things take place in the accustomed manner; but there will suddenly appear stars unknown and unseen by the eyes; the sun will be perpetually darkened, so that there will be scarcely any distinction between the night and the day; the moon will now fail, not for three hours only, but overspread with perpetual blood, will go through extraordinary movements, so that it will not be easy for man to ascertain the courses of the heavenly bodies or the system of the times; for there will either be summer in the winter, or winter in the summer.

Then the year will be shortened, and the month diminished, and the day contracted into a short space; and stars shall fall in great numbers, so that all the heaven will appear dark without any lights. The loftiest mountains also will fall, and be leveled with the plains; the sea will be rendered un-navigable.”

. . . For the human race will be so consumed, that scarcely the tenth part of men will be left; and from whence a thousand had gone forth, scarcely a hundred will go forth. Of the worshippers of God also, two parts will perish; and the third part, which shall have been proved, will remain. (The Divine Institutes, Book VII, chapter 16)

Notice that last statement, that Christians who survive the GT and wrath of God will have been “proven” which means they will have been tested and passed the test. The year being shortened may refer to changes in the seasons; but it may be factually true that the year will be shorter after the GT (what could cause this will not be discussed in this book, but my next book on Bible prophecy about the Great Tribulation and Wrath of God). The oceans becoming un-navigable agrees with what Jesus said about the tossing of the sea in Luke 21.

(4) First Trumpet: Global Climate Change?

The seven trumpets of Revelation contain the judgments of God upon the world, but they are not the full wrath of God that will be poured out at the end of the GT. The trumpet judgments only come upon different parts of the world, and not full strength:

The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. (Rev. 8:7)

There are several possible interpretations of this; one is a volcanic eruption that includes boiling water because of underground water that will enter the upper atmosphere and cool and return as rain or hail. The only problem with this is how do you burn up all the green grass and one-third of the trees? Even a Super Volcano will not literally burn up the grass and trees globally or even on a continent, it would only cover the grass and trees with ash.

Another possible cause is a global meteor shower with meteors large enough to still be burning hot when they land, which will burn all the grass. The only problem is, if there are enough meteors to burn up all the grass, wouldn’t it also burn up all the trees? And the inclusion of hail is a problem, since hail does not fall with meteors, and neither does blood. So it is likely that these things are not literal, but symbolic.

We previously saw an angel fill a censer with fire and throw it on the earth (Rev. 8:5); so the hail and fire are likely symbolic and refer to excessive cold and heat, and the blood symbolically refers to people dying in the weather extremes. Therefore, this passage most likely represents global climate change. We are already seeing extremes in weather; more hurricanes, more tornados; drought in one place and flooding in another. There seems to be less and less “normal” weather.

A major drought will cause all the green grass to die but only a third of the trees because many trees have roots deep enough to reach underground water, and grass dies much quicker without water than trees do. This is not simple global warming, it is major climate change which brings with it weather extremes such as drought one year, flooding the next; drought in one place, a flood in another; and excessive heat in one place, excessive cold in another, just as described by Lactantius.

Since this trumpet likely represents global climate change, we will not know at what point it sounds because all we will know is that we are having a drought and will not know for sure when we have reached this point in time. If a major meteor shower happens to take place it will only serve to signal that we have reached this point in time when the drought has killed all the green grass. A drought of this size will also bring famine, which is a major reason why we must be prepared for the GT.

(5) Second Trumpet: Burning Mountain

8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Rev. 8:8-9)

It is easy to see this as an asteroid impact; however, the next trumpet says a star falls from the sky, which is clearly an asteroid impact; so why would it not say a star falls here if it is also an asteroid? The wording suggests that part of a volcanic mountain will fall into the ocean during an eruption, creating huge tsunamis that will destroy the ships.

There are islands in the Pacific Ocean that were created by volcano eruptions. Any of these that have large mountain volcanoes on them could erupt and send a huge section of the mountain into the ocean. Scientists say that the Hawaiian Islands have sent huge masses of earth into the ocean many times in history:

These landslides are among the largest on Earth, attaining lengths of 125 miles (200 km) and volumes of 1,200 cubic miles (5,000 cubic km). (http://volcano.und.nodak.edu).

There is also at least one volcano in the Atlantic that could slide into the ocean, located in the Canary Islands.

A collapsing volcano in the Atlantic could unleash a giant wave of water that would swamp the Caribbean and much of the eastern seaboard of the United States, a scientist has claimed. Dr. Simon Day, of the Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre at University College London, UK, believes one flank of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma, in the Canaries archipelago, is unstable and could plunge into the ocean.

Swiss researchers who have modeled the landslide say half a trillion tons of rock falling into the water all at once would create a wave 650 metres high (2,130 feet) that would spread out and travel across the Atlantic at high speed. The wall of water would weaken as it crossed the ocean, but would still be 40-50 metres (130-160 feet) high by the time it hit land. The surge would create havoc in North America as much as 20 kilometres (12 miles) inland. (BBC News Online, 4 October, 2000, Giant wave could threaten US, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/ science/nature/ 956280.stm)

Why does it say the ocean is turned into blood? This does not refer to literal blood; it is symbolism. Blood in the Bible represents life, and the shedding of blood represents loss of life, “For the life of a creature is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11). Zondervan’s Pictorial Encyc. of the Bible says:

Because of its fundamental importance for individual existence, blood was frequently used as a synonym for life itself . . . blood indicates life given up in death, not life set free. (Vol. 1, p. 626-627)

When the ocean is turned into blood it will lose its life; the ocean itself will lose its life giving ability. Debris and sediment in the water cuts off the oxygen available in the water, thus killing most ocean life. It literally suffocates the fish because they are unable to obtain oxygen from the water. The Cousteau Almanac calls the oceans “the planetary blood system.” In addition to the sediment, ships with oil and other chemicals will be swamped by the waves and much sewage and other toxic debris will be washed into the water when the waves hit coastal areas.

Whether this is an asteroid or a volcano, something is going to be thrown into the ocean, and it is going to create several huge tsunamis. Wise persons will see that the world cannot long endure its present course and the end is therefore approaching and will move away from all coastal areas. Tsunamis such as this in ancient history did little damage in a world that was sparsely inhabited. The death and destruction and global chaos following such a tsunami today will be more than this world has ever experienced. This is still early in the GT.

(6) Third Trumpet: Asteroid Impact

10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water– 11 the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. (Rev. 8:10-11)

Wormwood is common in Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and the United States. When the Hebrews were wandering in the desert they were given bitter water to drink as a punishment from God; water that was made bitter by Wormwood. It symbolically refers to God’s judgment. In Jeremiah God threatens to give them Wormwood to drink (Jer. 9:15; 23:15). William Barclay in his commentary on Revelation states; “Wormwood always stood for the bitterness of the judgment of God on the disobedient” (Revelation, page 44).

Therefore, the name of this asteroid being Wormwood, signifies that it comes as God’s judgment upon those directly affected by the impact, but also the whole world because it will have global affects. But do not look for an asteroid named Wormwood, the name is symbolic. NASA is never going to name an asteroid Wormwood (more on this shortly).

However, it also may have a more literal interpretation. Since Wormwood means bitter and people will die from drinking the water, it may mean that the asteroid will impact in a city. If the asteroid impacts in a forest there won’t be any chemicals ejected into the atmosphere to fall into the water, but if it hits a city it will vaporize tons of man-made products that contain chemicals that will enter the lakes and rivers. It could even destroy a chemical or nuclear power plant. This is probably what will cause people to die from drinking the water. At this writing there are over 450 nuclear power plants worldwide and about 15,000 chemical plants.

When the two towers of the World Trade Center in New York City fell, huge clouds of dust filled the air and covered everything for blocks, like ash from a volcano. All kinds of products were crushed and mixed together, such as plastics, floor cleaner, burned jet fuel, brake fluid and gasoline in parked cars under the towers, and all the office equipment and furniture. All this created a toxic soup that people breathed and absorbed into their bodies. As a result, many of the people who worked to clean up the mess became sick, and several died.

The asteroid impact will create conditions far worse than 9-11; not only will it poison the water but also the air. The dust cloud it creates will bring death to many people who breath its foul air until it thins out.

Back in 1986 a stir was created when a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine had a meltdown. An Urban Legend spread that Chernobyl was Russian for “wormwood.” Actually, the name Chernobyl comes from chornobyl which is mugwort, one of over 160 species of wormwood, though sometimes thought of as “common wormwood.” So it is easy to see why Chernobyl was said to mean “wormwood,” (because it refers to mugwort, which is a type of wormwood); but the word does not literally mean “wormwood.” Literally translated, chornobyl means black grass (wikipedia.org).

Since the comet Shoemaker-Levy hit Jupiter in July 1994, scientists have spoken a lot about the threat Earth faces from an asteroid impact. Part of the change in scientists’ thinking is the size of the object needed to bring about global catastrophe. In a TV special called On A Collision Course With Earth, David Levy, one of the discoverers of the comet that hit Jupiter said, “For something that small to have created such havoc on Jupiter, that would mean the Earth faces a bigger danger than we thought.”

Several large impact craters have been found on Earth which is proof positive that Earth has been hit in the past and will be hit again. A 6-mile wide asteroid is believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs. In the late 90s, scientists discovered a chain of craters, named the Aorounga craters, in the central African country of Chad. “The Aorounga craters are only the second chain of large craters known on Earth,” said Adriana Ocampo, geologist with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, “and were apparently formed by the break-up of a large comet or asteroid prior to impact” (Final Frontier Magazine, p.41).

Dr. Eugene Shoemaker has found several impact craters; one in Germany has a town built inside the earthen ring of the crater. There are over 160 recognized impact sights throughout the world with more being identified on a regular bases. Among the largest are: Sudbury Ontario, Canada, 140 KM, 87 miles in diameter; Vredefort, South Africa, 140 KM, 87 miles; Manicouagan, Quebec, Canada, 100 KM, 62 miles; Popigai, Russia, 100 KM. The largest impact sight in the United States is about 18 miles wide in Manson, Iowa. Perhaps the most recognizable sight is Meteor Crater in Arizona that is a mile across and 600 feet deep. This evidence means that no rational person can argue against the likelihood of an asteroid impact; the facts are undeniable.

Though some scientists are taking the threat seriously, many still say the chances of an asteroid hitting Earth are very remote. They use terms and numbers like millions of years and a million to one. They also make the boast that if an asteroid were to head toward Earth that scientists will be able to save the planet by nudging it and changing its course, but they are wrong because the Bible tells us that this asteroid will impact.

Many asteroids now travel in wide-ranging and erratic paths through the solar system and cross paths with Earth on a regular basis. So it would not take much of an orbital change of an asteroid to send it on a collision course with Earth. A comet passing through the solar system could easily impact with several of these asteroids or change their course with gravitational pull. Scientists say it is just a matter of time until it happens, and this is the time. Comets were regarded throughout ancient history, even into the modern era, as messengers of god and omens of disaster. This asteroid is not a coincidental event, but it will impact when and where God wants it to impact. (Comets and asteroids are very similar, and some comets become asteroids after they burn off all their ice.)

This asteroid will not, I repeat, not be a global killer, it is not a dinosaur killer. More information on this asteroid is given in the sections below.

(7) Fourth Trumpet: Darkness

The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. (Rev. 8:12)

The wording of this passage is cryptic; while the sun is shining on one part of the globe, the moon is shining on another. If a third of the light from the sun, moon, and stars is darkened, it could mean there will be no light upon the whole planet for eight hours; or a third of the planet will be in complete darkness.

There are many possible causes for the darkness, but the most obvious is the dark clouds of dust and ash from the asteroid impact of the third trumpet. The dark cloud will cause colder temperatures. The cloud will eventually spread out thinner so that it covers the entire globe, thus dimming the sun with a haze and lowering average temperatures. As the cloud thins out across the globe the poisonous air it brings will become diluted. The clouds and lower temperatures will cause crop failures. Since we will likely already be in a famine because of the first trumpet, and there are few food reserves, the result will be war.

If the natural disasters of the first four trumpets are not bad enough, there will likely be many more smaller, more local disasters. The trumpet events mentioned here in Revelation do not mean that only these events will take place and no more, but these are the only ones that are singled out for special mention. The events of the trumpets are mentioned so we can know where we are on the time clock that is counting down to the rise of the beast and the start of World War III, and ultimately the wrath of God at the end of the age. Each of the trumpet events is a warning; God wants us to be repent before World War III and the wrath of God.

Therefore, there certainly will be many other natural disasters as described in the prophecies by Lactantius and included in this book. There will be volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, earthquakes, droughts, floods, tsunamis, and terrorist attacks. Be warned and be ready. Rev. 8 continues.

(8) Three Woes

As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe! To the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!” (Rev. 8:13)

Almost all translations have “eagle” rather than “angel” as the King James Version does. Adam Clarke’s commentary corrects the KJV:

Instead of ??????? ?????????, an angel flying, almost every MS [manuscript of the Bible] and version of note has ????? ?????????, an eagle flying.

William Barclay’s commentary agrees with Clarke. This passage tells us that the three woes are events that take place within the next three trumpet blasts. The eagle may refer to the United States warning the world of what is about to happen. It is also likely that the United States will suffer from the tsunami, so it makes sense that the U.S. is warning aggressive nations not to try to take advantage of the situation and attack the U.S. while we are thus wounded. But since the U.S. considers itself the global peacekeeper, it may be warning aggressive nations not to attack some other nation.

The tsunami of the second trumpet will sink one-third of the world’s ships, thus weakening the American and European militaries. The tsunamis will kill millions and create hundreds of millions of hungry, homeless refugees. Much of the world’s population, including that of America, lives on or near the coasts.

The asteroid impact will throw up smoke and dust causing respiratory problems and will also prevent civil and military aircraft from flying for a short time. Fires will rage for hundreds of miles around the impact sight; all governmental and public services will be strained beyond their capacity. Hospitals will be overloaded with suffering survivors and refugees, and communications will be interrupted by the dust and debris cloud. This is added on top of the tsunamis from the volcanic mountain, making human suffering at its highest level short of nuclear war.

Since there will never be a better time to conquer Europe and America, World War III will begin. Contrary to most teaching on the beast, the Antichrist will not bring global peace or rule the world. Its purpose is to “make war” (Rev. 13:4, 7). So it should be no surprise that the next trumpet signals the rise of the beast of Revelation 13 followed by the start of World War III that we are told will kill one-third of the world’s population (6th trumpet).

(9) Fifth Trumpet: The Abyss is Opened

Revelation itself tells us when the beast of Rev. chapter 13 will rise to power within the framework of the seals and trumpets, and it’s not Rev. 6:1 with the white horse. Notice what chapter 11 says about the beast:

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. (Rev. 11:7)

It says the beast will come up out of the Abyss. Coming up out of the Abyss is a way to describe its rise to power. This is also in Rev. 17:

The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. (Rev. 17:8)

Therefore, there can be no doubt that the beast will rise up out of the Abyss. At the present time the Abyss is closed and locked. Revelation tells us when the Abyss will be opened:

The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. (Rev. 9:1-2)

Because the Abyss is not opened until the fifth trumpet, this proves that the beast and Antichrist do not rise to power with the rider of the white horse of the first seal. This one point destroys one of the major points on which the pre-tribulation Rapture theory is built.

Some translations of this passage say that John saw a star fall from heaven, but the original Greek indicates that he saw a star that had already fallen. Roberts Word Pictures says, “Fallen (?????????). Perfect active participle of ?????, already down.” Young’s Literal Translation says, “I saw a star out of the heaven having fallen to the earth.” Therefore, it refers back to the asteroid of the third trumpet. The asteroid of the third trumpet is called a star, as this is called. The smoke of the fourth trumpet is doubtless the result of the third trumpet asteroid, and the smoke spoken of here is that same smoke, but is given symbolic meaning.

The Abyss is a figurative place and refers to hell, bottomless pit, or abode of darkness in the spirit world. This asteroid opens the Abyss, figuratively speaking. It means this asteroid will be responsible for evil being unleashed upon the world, such as the famine and war that will in fact follow the asteroid impact.

So the events that take place after the fifth trumpet, take place as a result of the asteroid impact and includes the rise of the beast with ten horns. Revelation 9 continues:

3 And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. 4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. (9:3-6)

The locusts would have to be giant in size to represent helicopters, as some interpreters have suggested; but no one is killed, so the locusts cannot represent warfare. Notice also that no Christians (or Jews) are stung. More interpretation will be given shortly, but pay careful attention to the next block of verses, as they are important to understand the meaning of the above passage. Rev. 9 continues:

7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle.

10 They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. 12 The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come. (9:7-12)

Abaddon and Apollyon mean “the Destroyer.” How could their king be called “the Destroyer” if they do not kill people? This is very puzzling. The locusts appear to describe an army of soldiers with breastplates and helmets, with “power to hurt people;” an army has power to hurt people. The key to understanding the passage is the statement that they are “prepared for battle.” This means the war has not yet started. These verses describe five months of preparation for war.

1 Kings says, “My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions” (12:11). The NIV Study Bible says scorpions refers to, “Metal-spiked leather lashes.” The main emphasis of the fifth trumpet is preparation for war; therefore the scorpion stings represent governments forcing people into their armies. Since the locusts will only sting people for five months, it means they will spend five months drafting men into the army and getting ready for war. So there will be five months between the 5th and 6th trumpets, the 6th being the start of World War III.

It does not say that all people without the seal of God are stung; it says the only people who are stung do not have the seal. The reason that those with the seal of God are not stung is because they are Christians who are not allowed in the armies of Islamic nations. The beast of Rev. 13 will be a revived Ottoman Empire that was wounded in the 1800s and given the death blow in World War I. It will likely be led by the Mahdi, which is a mythical future leader of the Muslims who is supposed to rise to power during a time of Chaos and confusion, as this certainly is.

It is possible that the ten horns will have already formed a commonwealth before this, if so, they will only be an association of ten independent nations. But at this point they will appoint a single leader who will call all Muslims to join in jihad. So even if a commonwealth exists before this, they do not actually form an empire until this point. This is the point in time when the beast rises out of the Abyss and not before.

Rev. 9 continues:

During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. (Rev. 9:6)

It helps to see the meaning of this by reading it in another translation:

And in those days men will be hoping for death, and it will not come to them; and they will have a great desire for death, and death will go in flight from them. (BBE)

Even though some Muslims will be forced to join the army, others will join eagerly. Do you know a group of people who desire to die and look forward to dying? Yes, we all know who they are, the Muslim Jihad warriors who believe if they die in war they are guaranteed a ticket to heaven where they will get 70 virgins each. But they are not able to die yet, because the war has not yet started.

On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. (Rev. 9:7)

Muslims have always worn various types of headdress, which they still wear. In addition, the Janissaries of the Ottoman Empire wore elaborate head covering that looked even more like crowns.

(The remainder of this chapter is not available online.)