Circumstances
and Consequences
Seminar 216-04
June 3-6, 2009
Seminar Topic:
The Two Witnesses
– Part IV
Larry Wilson
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There is something
that could cause all of God’s
saints to pray for the same thing at
the same time.
Answer: Nuclear war.
Here is a possible
scenario.
One day, simmering
hostilities between certain nations
could erupt and quickly escalate into
a nuclear exchange.
Tens of millions could
die in a single hour. This exchange
would demolish the global economy and
immediately affect the distribution
of oil, food, clothing, building
materials, technology, communication
and commerce of all kinds.
If other nations
joined in this war because of
economic or military allegiance, this
war could quickly become a fearful
event for everyone on Earth.
The consequences of
nuclear war will be far reachi8ng
– the whole world would cry out
(demand) “peace and
safety.”
In other words, a
nuclear exchange could bring all of
the saints to the point of praying
for God’s intervention.
Paul wrote:
“While people are saying,
‘Peace and safety,’
destruction [from God] will come on
them suddenly, as labor pains on a
pregnant woman, and they will not
escape,
But you, brothers, are
not in darkness so that this day
should surprise you like a
thief.”
(1 Thessalonians
5:3,4)
There is no reason to
be surprised about sudden destruction
coming from God if we allow
Revelation 8 to speak. We can be sure
of two things:
First, it’s only
a matter of time until there is a
nuclear exchange.
Second, when a nuclear
exchange occurs, human efforts will
be made to stop the war for the sake
of global “peace and
safety.”
The problem is that
the speed of intercontinental
missiles is measured in seconds, but
getting nations to negotiate peace
can take years.
Besides, once a
nation’s sovereignty and
survival is threatened by nuclear
bombs, what would be the point of any
nation using restraint?
The maxim for nuclear
was is simple: “Annihilate or be
annihilated.”
Suppose, that when
this war breaks out, an angel rushes
to the Altar of Incense and together
with the petitions of all the saints,
he puts much incense on the coals of
the altar and a sweet fragrance
ascends before the throne.
As Almighty God, Jesus
favorably responds to the prayers of
His saints by stepping into the din
of war with overwhelming power and
authority. Jesus sends a series of
five physical manifestations that are
so magnificent and awesome that the
war actually stops!
“Then the angel
took the censer, filled it with fire
from the altar, and hurled it on the
earth; and there came (1) peals of
thunder [heavy darkness and violent
winds], (2) rumblings [supernatural
voices speaking], (3) flashes of
lightening [crackling as it lights up
the sky with great glory] and (4) an
earthquake [that breaks the world
into 144 thousand geographic cells].
He who clamed the
storm on Galilee can calm a war. I
believe these four phenomenons will
get everyone’s attention, but
the fifth phenomenon will stop the
war.
Shortly after the
first four signs, the first trumpet
sounds and the fifth phenomenon
occurs: A hailstorm of burning
meteors burns up a third of Earth.
When the wrath of God
begins, the nations of Earth will
suddenly discover that man’s
nuclear bombs are no match for the
“wrath of the Lion from the
tribe of Judah.”
Sudden destruction
from God will miniaturize man’s
nuclear exchanges.
The destructive powers
of Jesus will dwarf anything that
mankind has to offer.
Suddenly, man’s
biggest problem is not one nation
against nation it is a whole world
facing the wrath of Almighty God!
Matthew 24:44
So you also must be ready, because
the Son of Man will come at an hour
when you do not expect him.
Many people read this
verse and they conclude that Jesus is
talking about the day of the Second
Coming.
Actually, the Second
Coming of Jesus lasts 1,335 days.
“The Great Day of
the Lord” is not 24 hours in
length.
The Great Day of the
Lord contains a parade of events and
Jesus Himself appears at the end of
the parade.
The commencement of
the Great Tribulation will come as a
surprise – even among the
“watchers.”
Matthew 24:38
For in the days before the flood,
people were eating and drinking,
marring and giving in marriage, up to
the day Noah entered the ark;
Matthew 24:39
and they knew nothing about [the
timing of] what would happen until
the flood came and took them all
away. That is how it will be at the
coming of the Son of Man.
The antediluvians
heard a flood was coming. They
didn’t believe it.
The antediluvians knew
that Noah was building an ark. They
could see it.
The antediluvians knew
that Noah had been working on the ark
for a long time, but where the 120
years of probationary time began and
ended was no big deal.
The antediluvians were
night people. Their interests and
concerns were focused on “night
life.”
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