THE CLOSE OF PROBATION
Lesson 21
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Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the Ark of the Covenant.  And there came flashes of lightening, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.”  Revelation 11:15-19 These verses point out five important issues:

1. At the time of the 7^th trumpet, Jesus is promoted again!  At this time the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of Jesus.  He has finished His priestly work of atonement.  He now begins to rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Just before taking His great power to rule, Jesus makes a final proclamation,  “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.”  Revelation 22:11
2. Jesus is angry because, for the most part, the world has rejected His invitation to life eternal, and even worse, they killed many who carried the invitation to the great wedding banquet!  John says, “I saw the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.”  Revelation 17:6  (Compare this with the wedding parable in Matthew 22:1-14).
3. The nations are angry (remember, this is a time of wrath).  They are angry because of the outcome of the 6^th trumpet.  This trumpet describes the Great War that Satan conducts to forcibly gain control of the world.  What he can’t get through deceit, he takes by sheer force.
4. The 24 elders who have observed the great work of Jesus since 1844, agree that time has come to do these things.  They say:
5. 1. “Time has come to judge the dead.”  The word, “judge, in this phrase means to avenge.  In this scene the elders are saying that the time has come to avenge the death of God’s people who died when the 5^th seal is opened!  Jesus avenges the shed blood of His children by sending the seven last plagues.  After pouring out the third plague, the angel with the vial says, “You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”  Revelation 16:5,6
   2.  “Time has come to reward your servants and the prophets.”  When probation closes, the death and destruction of God’s people ends!  Daniel 12:1 says,  “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.  There will be a time of distress such as such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then.  But at that time your people – everyone whose name is found written in the book – will be delivered.”  The saints, whose names are written in the book of life, will be delivered from death!  Since probation is closed, the death of God’s people would have no redemptive value, so King Jesus says, “Enough.”
   3. “The time has come to destroy those who destroy the earth.”  Satan, at this time of the 7^th trumpet, has fully established his headquarters and operations on earth.  Those refusing to cooperate with the evil government are to be destroyed.  Such is the purpose of the 6^th trumpet war.  The use of nuclear arms during this war not only destroys the target area, it renders much of the earth uninhabitable. This entire world will be convulsed with misery and agony.  Even though Babylon finally rules the world, she will fall.  Jesus personally undertakes the destruction of Babylon the Great – for she is the one destroying the earth.  This destruction is fully described in Revelation 18!

                  5.   The last point that we learn from the 7^th trumpet is that God’s temple in

                         Heaven is opened and the Ark of the Covenant is seen.  The temple is

                         is opened or vacated because the court is over.  There is no more mercy.

                         The gospel has gone to every nation, kindred, tongue and people.  The

                         gospel invitation is withdrawn.  Every decision has been made.

  It is my opinion that the people of earth will actually see the Ark of the Covenant that contains the Ten Commandments.  Moses in the wilderness constructed this very ark and Jesus himself, wrote the Ten Commandments that rest inside the ark.  When the King of Babylon overtook Jerusalem in 600 B.C. Jeremiah hid the ark in a cave and it remains safe until the time of its discovery.  It will be brought forth as a witness to the world that God’s great law, has not – and cannot be changed.  When the 7^th trumpet sounds, then the ark in heaven is seen too!  The world will behold that indeed, the one on earth is a copy of the one in heaven.

The effect of both arks appearing during this time is ominous.  First, everyone has heard the gospel call to “worship God” according to His law.  Every person has made a decision, - whether to obey or disobey.  The remnant has faith enough to obey the fourth commandment.  The rest of the world put their faith in Satan and receive the mark of the “lamb-like” beast.  Secondly, when the wicked see the ark from heaven containing the Ten Commandments they will be terrified at the condemnation they have brought upon themselves by enforcing laws of worship contrary to the Great Lawgiver.  John says, “ There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.”  Revelation 14:11 Yet, in a rebellion that is unexplainable, the wicked only set their hearts and minds to destroy the people of God.  Under Satan’s cruel leadership, they agree to destroy all of God’s people at a set time.

The final abomination

To rid the earth of God’s people, Babylon will issue a universal death decree.  This decree will grant immunity to everyone wishing to kill the remnant at a certain point in time!

The wicked don’t know that God’s people can’t be killed.  And to frustrate their plan, Jesus distracts their rage with the 7 last plagues.  The wicked receive the suffering they brought to the children of God.  The Lord says,    “Vengeance is mine.  I will repay.”  Hebrews 10:30 read Ester 3-9 in your Bible and see how Satan was able to bring about a universal death decree against God’s people.  Also note the captivity of God’s people was turned.  Ester’s story is a close parallel of what will occur at the very end.

Daniel saw the universal death decree and even told when it would occur!  The angel said,  “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.  Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.”  Daniel 12:11,12

A proper understanding of these verses brings comfort.  We already know that the throwing down of the censer in heaven at the beginning of the trumpets marks the conclusion of the daily service of corporate mediation in heaven.  This verse says the universal death decree will be 1,290 days later.  (About 43 months.)  The final abominable act of Satan will be to desolate the earth of God’s people.  Thus it will be called the abomination that makes or causes desolation.

But verse 12 says, “Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.”  The entire time-period from the throwing down of the censer unto the second coming of Jesus is 1,335 days.  From the throwing down of the censer until the death decree is 1,290 days.  Daniel was told that those who wait for and reach the 1,335 days will be blessed!  These are especially blessed because they have endured the great tribulation and will hear the words of Jesus, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world!”  Matthew 25:34

May God prepare each of us with the experience we need to receive this glorious blessing!

Quiz: 

1. How will the gospel go to the far ends of the earth?

2. What is the Spirit of Prophecy?

3. Name the three groups that make up the remnant.

4. List four steps each person takes before his probation is closed.

5. What event does the 7th trumpet mark?

6.  The day and hour of what event is unknown to man, angels and even the Son of God?

Memory Verse:  Revelation 22:11  “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.”

Notes:

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