The Ten Possible Rapture Points in Revelation?

The Ten Possible Rapture Points in Revelation?

This is a different and refreshing approach to the massive and incredibly important topic of the Rapture, something that is very special to Christians. This will not be trying to prove a particular rapture theory correct, nor will it be trying to disprove any particular rapture theory either. The Rapture will be looked at in a neutral and objective manner, trying to assess ALL the possibilities of where the Rapture could take place on the time line in line within Bible Prophecy. What does the scripture say rather than what other people or myself have to say.

This is a complex topic, but the ultimate goal is to keep this as simple as possible with no complex information or presentations, but some explanatory diagrams do creep into the video (below) due to the complex nature of the topic.

In the video featured at the end of this article

1. Will firstly look at the main Bible verses that mention the Rapture, which come mainly from The Apostle Paul and John, which are straight out of the New Testament in the Bible

2. What are the Four Main Rapture Time line Theories out there. At present they are Pre Tribulation Rapture, Mid Tribulation Rapture, Pre Wrath Rapture and the Post Tribulation Rapture and a demonstration where they appear on the Book of Revelation Prophecy Timeline.

3. A look at TEN possible rapture points that appear on the Book of Revelation Time line covering a whole spectrum of chapters. An analysis of the relevant Bible verses using Xiphos Bible Software to see what they have to say in relation to a possible rapture at that time. Do they fit the description of a Rapture, or are they mentioning something else.

4. Some personal views on the rapture and the things I have seen out there and some further scripture, which you can FYOO (Form Your Own Opinion) on and DYOFR (Do Your Own Further Research)

Rapture Theories and Analysis
The very essence of The Twelve Gates website is based primarily on The Book of Revelation and the Bible Prophecy it contains. To get to the very bottom of the Rapture conundrum we have to FIRSTLY look at the two main verses that The Apostle Paul and John mention to get the background on what shape and form the rapture will take and how it will affect Christians in the last days.

THE 2 MAIN RAPTURE VERSES

1 Corinthians 15:52
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

1 Thessalonians 4:16
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Once you have the HOW information on the Rapture contained in these verses and see what the Rapture actually is and what form it will take, then you can start to approach the topic of the WHERE and WHEN on the prophecy time line. This is NOT abundantly obvious on the first or subsequent readings from the above 2 scriptures.

THE REVELATION TIMELINE

Michael Svigel of retrochristianity.org states

"One must ask where the Rapture is found in the Revelation before one asks the question of when the Rapture is said to take place, if indeed the timing of the event is even asserted by the context"

This is a very valid and important statement as the Rapture and the Last Days are interconnected and the Book of Revelation in no uncertain terms is all about the last days. So if there is a Rapture then the Prophecy contained within the Book of Revelation will give a sure fire indicator whether there is one or not and possibly when it will occur?


The Ten Possible Rapture Points according to Keith H Esse of The Masters Seminary
The backbone of this study into the Rapture and when it could possibly occur appears in "the rapture and the book of revelation" part of The Masters Seminary Journal by Keith H Essex who is Assistant Professor of Bible Exposition. He comes up with the following ten possible rapture points throughout the Revelation Time Line they are as follows:

1. Rev 3:10-11
2. Rev 4:1-2 and 4
3. Rev 5:9-10
4. Rev 6:2
5. Rev 7:9-17
6. Rev 11:3-12
7. Rev 11:15-19
8. Rev 12:5
9. Rev 14:14-16
10 Rev 20.4

I have picked this particular study, as the angle he approaches the Book of Revelation in Rapture Prophecy terms is refreshing and open minded and starts right at the beginning to let the Bible reveal the truth instead of arriving with some pre-conceived notions of when the rapture will take place and using the Bible to provide the answer to that pre-conceived notion, which will always lead to the wrong result.

After conducting this study Keith H Essex then comes to the conclusion that only one of these Ten Rapture Windows could possibly be the rapture, which will be revealed at the end of this study in the video.

Watch the video The Ten Possible Rapture Points on the Revelation Prophecy by The Twelve Gates at You Tube for a full in depth analysis and some personal conclusions on this and other rapture theories and the possible timings and form your own conclusions.

Mysterious Mass Animal Deaths Mid February 2017-Late March 2017

Mass Animal Deaths on the rise globally?

A summary of the latest Mass Animal Deaths or Mass Animal Die Offs that have occurred from Mid February 2017 to Late March 2017 around the globe.

The events listed are mass animal deaths that have occurred naturally or via unexplained means and does not include man made events such as the recent culling of a large number of birds to contain the spread the recent avian flu, or via pollution or chemical spills or radioactive leaks or similar.

As always there are numerous explanations for these recent mass animal deaths with global warming and climate change and extreme weather being the most often quoted reasons. Scientists say this is causing changes in our seas and affecting animal behaviour and possibly the animal food chain. Other reasons quoted are new strains of disease emerging that affect certain animals, the increased sighting of Chem Trails and pesticides is another explanation often cited and the sheer volume of human waste is taking it's toll on our planet especially the seas. All these explanations can partially explain some of the deaths but they do not explain all of them and why they seem to die suddenly in such large numbers all at the same time?

At present though , there is still no satisfactory explanation for why animals are dying in such large numbers in varied locations around the globe, not only in the seas but on land and birds are also affected (outside of the slaughtering as a result of the recent avian flu epidemic).

Bible Prophecy has predicted this on numerous occasions including the two most prominent prophecies concerning Mass Animal Die Offs which are Hosea from The Old Testament (being fulfilled now) and St John the Divine and the Book of Revelation from the New Testament (yet to be fulfilled) and at present these are the only viable explanation.

Hosea 4:3
Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

Revelation 8:8-9 The Second Trumpet of Revelation
8. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

9. And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.


For the Full details on. These latest headlines visit the source End-Times-Prophecy.Org
http://www.end-times-prophecy.org/animal-deaths-birds-fish-end-times.html or cut and paste the relevant headline into Google for the full news headline.

Latest News Headlines first from Late March going back to Mid February 2017. (no links)

22nd March 2017 - Thousands of monkeys dead from disease is 'unprecedented' in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
20th March 2017 - Thousands of dead fish found washed up along a river in West Sumatra, Indonesia.
18th March 2017 - 7 TONS of fish die in fish farms in Bao Thang, Vietnam.
18th March 2017 - Masses of dead cockles, dead fish and a dolphin washed ashore in Miri, Malaysia.
17th March 2017 - Millions of dead shellfish wash up in Waihi Beach, New Zealand.
17th March 2017 - Thousands of dead fish wash up in the waters of Thirthahalli, India.
17th March 2017 - Mass die off of fish found washed up on the shores of Los Santos, Panama.
15th March 2017 - 25,000 birds dead due to avian flu in Kelantan, Malaysia.
14th March 2017 - 5,000 goldfish found dead in a lagoon in Western Australia.
14th March 2017 - Thousands of dead fish appear 'due to winter ice' in a lake in Sivas, Turkey.
14th March 2017 - Thousands of dead fish found in a canal in Tainan, Taiwan.
11th March 2017 - 40 dead turtles found since January along the coast of Uruguay.
9th March 2017 - Thousands of cattle dead due from wildfires in Kansas, America.
8th March 2017 - Hundreds of cattle dead from wildfires on the plains of Colorado, America.
8th March 2017 - Several dead leopard sharks found washed ashore on a beach in California, America.
8th March 2017 - 10,000 dead fish found in dried up stream in Senftenberg, Germany.
7th March 2017 - 3 more dead dolphins found washed up on beaches in Southern England.
3rd March 2017 - Massive die off of fish found in a lagoon in Cordoba, Spain.
2nd March 2017 - Large die off of fish in a river in Vaxjo, Sweden.
1st March 2017 - Massive die off of fish in a lake in Afyonkarahisar Province, Turkey.
28th February 2017 - 9 TONS of dead fish found floating in the sea by fishermen in Zhejiang, China.
28th February 2017 - TONS of dead fish found washed up along the beaches of Apetlon, Austria.
28th February 2017 - Hundreds of dead fish found along beaches in Huatulco, Mexico.
28th February 2017 - 4,200 waterbirds dead due to 'avian cholera' in Idaho, America.
28th February 2017 - 200 cows found dead, 'due to heatwave' in La Pampa, Argentina.
28th February 2017 - Mass die off of birds due to avian flu right across Hungary.
28th February 2017 - Hundreds of dead fish found in a river in New South Wales, Australia.
28th February 2017 - 4 dead whales have washed ashore during the past month in Virginia, America.
27th February 2017 - Thousands of fish have died in the Magdalena River in Colombia.
25th February 2017 - Hundreds of dead fish wash up on beaches in Montevideo, Uruguay.
25th February 2017 - 1,000+ cattle dead due to drought in Tehuantepec, Mexico.
23rd February 2017 - Massive die off of fish in a river in Thanh Hoa, Vietnam.
22nd February 2017 - 100 dead dolphins washed up during past 8 weeks, 'IT's A MASSACRE', in Cornwall, England.
22nd February 2017 - 56 dead whales and dolphins wash up this year, 'WORST ON RECORD', in Ireland.
22nd February 2017 - 6 TONS of fish die in a lake in South Cotabato, Philippines.
22nd February 2017 - Massive die off of fish in lake Eber in Afyon Province, Turkey.
21st February 2017 - Dozens of dead sea birds, plus dead sea lions found along the coast in Puerto Natales, Chile.
20th February 2017 - 10,000 freshwater fish found dead in a lake in central Namibia.
19th February 2017 - Hundreds of dead fish wash up on a lake in Minnesota, America.
19th February 2017 - 1 TON of dead fish found floating in the waters of Saguling, Indonesia.
17th February 2017 - Tens of thousands of dead fish wash up along the Cooloola coast in Australia.
16th February 2017 - 30 TONS of dead fish washes ashore in Nicoya Gulf, Costa Rica.
16th February 2017 - 86 turtles found dead, 'due to red tide' in La Paz and Los Cabos, Mexico.
16th February 2017 - 100 cattle dead due to drought in Lamu, Kenya.
16th February 2017 - 46,000+ livestock dead from 'extreme cold' in Northern Mongolia.
16th February 2017 - Hundreds of cattle dying due to drought in Bacalar, Mexico.
15th February 2017 - 6 dead dolphins found washed ashore in San Felipe, Mexico.
15th February 2017 - Masses of dead birds appearing in Magnitogorsk, Russia.
15th February 2017 - 17 TONS of dead fish found in a dam in Piaui, Brazil.
15th February 2017 - Tens of thousands of fish suddenly die in fish farms in Purwakarta, Indonesia.
13th February 2017 - Dozens of dead owls found along a road in Idaho, America.
13th February 2017 - Thousands of dead fish turn up in a river in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
13th February 2017 - 700+ bats dead 'due to heat' in New South Wales, Australia.

Avian Flu Epidemic Latest Mass Animal Deaths due to Culling

22nd March 2017 - 22,000 birds killed due to avian flu in Kentucky, America.

18th March 2017 - 766,000+ birds killed since January, due to avian flu in Taiwan.

16th March 2017 - 55,000 birds to be killed due to another avian flu outbreak in Tennessee, America.

13th March 2017 - 6,200 hens killed due to avian flu in Koshi, Nepal.

13th March 2017 - 4,000+ chickens killed due to avian flu in Cao Bang, Vietnam.

8th March 2017 - 23,000 birds killed due to avian flu in Quang Ngai, Vietnam.

6th March 2017 - Tens of thousands of birds killed due to avian flu in Tennessee, America.

3rd March 2017 - 55,000 birds killed due to avian flu in Suffolk, England.

27th February 2017 - 42,000 birds killed due to avian flu in Plateau, Nigeria.
27th February 2017 - 27,000 ducks killed due to avian flu in Sant Gregori, Spain.

22nd February 2017 - 90,000 birds killed due to avian flu in Chungcheong Province, South Korea.

21st February 2017 - 600,000 ducks to be killed due to avian flu in Landes, France.
21st February 2017 - 6,000 birds killed due to avian flu in Southern Vietnam.

20th February 2017 - 42,000 turkeys killed due to avian flu in Gazzo Veronese, Italy.

14th February 2017 - 23,000 chickens killed due to avian flu in Suffolk, England.

The Rise of China and Bible Prophecy?

What role does China have to play in Revelation Prophecy

The rise of China and Bible Prophecy. While most of the World is focusing on America, Russia and the Middle East or even North Korea for any signs of the beginnings of World War 3 or Armageddon, there is a massive nation that is quietly moving strategically in military terms and expanding it's horizons beyond it's own shores. This has been happening especially in the last decade or so. That Nation is China.

Currently the worlds No2 only topped by the US, but the gap is narrowing at a frightening rate and increasingly in some respects China is the Worlds No1. With the recent headlines demonstrating that China is branching out beyond it's shores and laying claim to the South China Seas building man made islands. The even later headlines lay claim that China has almost completed a military base in Africa, the purpose of this base remains unclear but a China military expansion overseas seems to be the reason.

China has indeed awakened from a centuries old economic sleep induced by communism and woken up by Westernisation. With the increased Westernisation of the Economy these are giving rise to indications within the Nation itself that an economic No1 power house is in the making that will eclipse the US very soon. Of the ten tallest buildings in the world, seven of them are in China! City building in China is also progressing at a rapid rate and China's exports are renowned for flooding the world market with products at such a low price they stifle all global competition. Take a look on eBay to see this in action. China is also one of the largest purchasers of US debt in effect propping the US economy and keeping confidence in the US Dollar. What would happen if China ceased doing this is something that Western economists fret over daily. An economic war is already underway and it looks like China is starting to focus increasingly on strengthening it's already considerable military might.

BUT is China mentioned in Bible Prophecy as one of the countries that could feature in a World War 3 situation. Book of Revelation Prophecy and especially Ezekiel which actually names the countries that will be involved in a potential World War 3 scenario, but most if not all are focused on countries in the Middle East region or surrounding area. So does China feature in Bible Prophecy? Is the recent military muscle flexing an indication of that fact, or are the recent China military headlines of no Biblical Prophetic interest whatsoever?

Revelation 9:14-18 is often quoted as the Bible verse that hints a strong possibility of the might of the Chinese military which surpasses anything on this planet that is land based.

Revelation 9 The Sixth Trumpet
14. Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

15. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

16. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

17. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

18. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

Countries mentioned in Ezekiel 38 and 39 mentioned in the KJV include Gog, Magog, Rosh, Meshech, Tubal (verse 1), Persia, Ethiopia, Libya (verse 5), Gomer, and Togarmah (verse 6). Most Bible scholars agree Rosh and Magog = Russia and its satellites; Meshech and Tubal = Russia or Turkey; Persia = Iran, Cush = Sudan; Put = Libya; Gomer and Togarmah = Turkey. The leading nations mentioned are the grandsons of Noah through his son Japheth mentioned in Genesis 10:1-2. Magog is the 2nd son; Tubal the 5th; and Meshech is the 6th.

There is reference to something that vaguely could be China in the Old Testament that includes from the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis and also by one of the major Prophets as in Isaiah.

Some Bible scholars state that China is mentioned as "the Sinite" and are referred to in Genesis 10:17

17. And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,

China is also possibly mentioned again in Isaiah 49:12 as where the "land of Sinim" is located.

12. Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.

The "Sinites" along with other races settled in the what we call today the East which is today called China. These people became scattered after the destruction of the Tower of Babel mentioned in Revelation 11:1-9 (see foot of article)

BUT it is in The Book of Revelation where we find a much more solid reference to something that is coming from the "The East"

Revelation 16 The Sixth Vial (Bowl)
12. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

13. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

14. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

16. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.


The River Euphrates is mentioned in both the Sixth Seal and the Sixth Vial of Revelation. Some say these two judgement events run parallel at similar times, others say they are approx 3.5 years apart due to the chronology of Revelation which again some agree with and some do not. The River Euphrates has always been a border between East and West and is one of the first four rivers mentioned in the Bible in the Garden of Eden which gets mentioned again in Revelation above.

Genesis 2:14. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

The symbol of the nation of China by no coincidence is the Dragon and the nation has always embraced religions such as Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism which fly in the face of Christianity. The recent headlines showing an increase in Christian persecution in recent years reinforces this view in post communist China.

Here are some rules enforced on Christians in China which number below 1% of the population.

1. Christians are consistently forbidden the right to do any public evangelism of any kind. Private worship is reluctantly permitted but gospel preaching is banned. (Russia is following this lead)
2. Directives to the state-controlled churches warn pastors not to preach the message of Revelation.
3. Sunday School teachers are not allowed to discuss the "day of the Lord" predicted in both the Old and New Testaments.
4. The Olivet Discourse, recorded in three of the four Gospels is forbidden (the most important outline of prophecy in Scripture).
Information courtesy The Prophetic Significance of the rise of China as a World Power http://according2prophecy.org

Conclusions:
China is not directly referenced or mentioned in the Bible in the Old or New Testament, but it is mentioned a number of times indirectly and looks possibly to be part of the Battle of Armageddon. Certainly the nations movements and actions and increased military focus look to be moving towards fulfilling Bible Prophecy and China is a nation that cannot be ignored in global terms nor in Biblical Prophecy terms either.


Further reading:
The Prophetic Significance of the rise of China as a World Power http://according2prophecy.org


Bible Quote:
Genesis 11:1-9 The Destruction of the Tower of Babel
1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

2 And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

3 And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

4 And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

6 And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.

8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

Hail in the Bible and Bible Prophecy

The incidences of Hail in Bible Prophecy

The Word "Hail" occurs 34 times in the Bible and hailstones occurs 5 times, but of those some are used as a salutation rather than an actual extreme weather event, but still it is mentioned enough times for it to be significant. This is a follow on article from a previous article called "Giant Hail. Is it business as usual on Planet Earth?" which looked at Hail from a more Meteorological and Extreme Weather real world aspect rather than from a Biblical viewpoint. This article will be focusing on more of a Biblical view point.

Hail seems to be yet another one of God's judgements that occur throughout the Bible and the hail will not be the normal size, say up to the size of a marble but at least orange in size or beyond. This is the sort of hail that is mentioned in the Bible as "very grievous" and is not a normal hail weather event, but one that is capable of large scale damage. In modern day Weather terms Severe Hail is classed as one inch or larger as stated by the National Weather Service.

Recent events in Sydney Australia show the power of extreme hail when it got battered by a huge storm that produced giant hail that pummelled the area which were up to 8cm in diameter. Hail essentially in normal circumstances is not really a Biblical event as it happens frequently around the globe and has done since the beginning of time. However when it starts striking areas that are not known for such extreme weather events with another indicator being the size of the hail normally called "Giant Hail" occurring, then this is no ordinary weather event. These extreme weather events seem to be happening more frequently and happening in increasingly strange places not known for such weather.


Hail mentioned in The Bible

The first instance of Hail mentioned in the Bible is with Moses in the Book of Exodus as one of the many plagues that were handed out to Pharaoh and Egypt



Exodus 9:18-19
18: Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
19: Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.
Exodus 9:22-25 23: Hail descends. One of the plagues of Egypt
22: And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.
23: And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
24: So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
25: And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.
26: Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.

A hail-storm destroyed the army of the Amorites when they fought against Joshua. The hail must have been intense in nature and the size must have been at least softball in size to kill an army....probably larger.

Joshua 10:11 God Uses HAIL to destroy the army of the Amorites In Battle
And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

The Prophet Ezekiel states that the wall daubed with untempered mortar will be destroyed by great hail-stones

Eze 13:11
Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.

Eze 38:22
And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

In the Book of Job quote below, God challenges Job in effect asking him does he know where the treasures or storehouses of snow and hail are? There is mention here of the "Time of Trouble" which again many say could be "Jacobs Trouble" as in The Great Tribulation

Job 38:22-23
22. Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail,
23. Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

The Book of Psalms mentions Hail many times and often in connection with fire as well.


Psalms 18:12-13
12: At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13: The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

Psalms 78:47-48
47: He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.
48: He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
Psalms 105:32
He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.

Psalms 148:8
Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:

Hail is mentioned as judgement many times by the Prophets.

Isaiah 28:2 God uses HAIL in judgement
Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

Isaiah 28:17 Hail as Judgement
Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

Isaiah 32:19 Hail as Judgement
When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.

Haggai 2:17 It is mentioned by Haggai as a divine judgment
I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.


Hail Mentioned in the Book of Revelation
Hail is mentioned in a judgement context three times in the Book of Revelation, two times it is mentioned as a "Great Hail" as shown below in Times 2 and 3. Time 1 is the most interesting as the hail is not just hail but it is mingled with fire and blood. This is not the first time that this has been mentioned, it was mentioned as Hail and Fire in Exodus as a judgement on Egypt and as prophecy in Ezekiel 38:22 as pestilence and blood and also great hailstones, fire and brimstone and in Psalms as hailstones and coals of fire.

Here are the 3 instances of Hail mentioned in the Book of Revelation the last book of the New Testament

Time 1: Revelation 8:7 The First Trumpet of Revelation
The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

Time 2: Revelation 11:19
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Time 3: Revelation 16:21
And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Many if not most interpreters of the Book of Revelation state that many if not all the occurrences in this Book of Revelation prophecy are not literal but are symbolic in nature. However Joel 2:30 below illustrates otherwise. If these things literally happened in the past as mentioned in the Old Testament then these things can and will happen in the last days as mentioned by St John the Divine in the Book of Revelation and are mentioned by other Prophets in the Old Testament as well!

Joel 2:30
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

It seems hard to fathom the hail that is mentioned in prophecy in Revelation 16:21 which quite clearly states that each hail stone will be the weight of a talent, which in modern measures varies depending on what time period you use but on average seems to be around a rather horrific 60-70lbs

A Greek, or Attic talent, was 26 kilograms (57 lb)
A Roman talent was 32.3 kilograms (71 lb)
An Egyptian talent was 27 kilograms (60 lb)
A Babylonian talent was 30.3 kilograms (67 lb)
The heavy common talent, used in New Testament times, was 58.9 kilograms (130 lb)

For comparison purposes the largest officially recognized hailstone on record to have been 'captured' in the U.S. was one which fell near Vivian, South Dakota on July 23rd 2010. It measured a whopping 8.0” in diameter, 18 ½” in circumference, and weighed in at 1.9375 pounds. That can cause serios structural damage and can kill a person or animal on contact to the skull.

Taking the Biblical Hail mentioned in Revelation 16:21 the weight would be equivalent to 15 x 2kg bags of potatoes and of a similar size of those combined OR 30 times the weight of the South Dakota hail from 2010. To avoid damage from such a hail you would probably need to be in an underground facility with many feet of concrete overhead. A house, in fact any building would provide very little protection from such a hail. Anything outside and exposed would not survive even if wearing protective gear. This sounds like a very similar hail judgement that was given to Pharaoh via Moses in the land of Egypt way back in Exodus where it was mentioned as a "very grievous" hail.

Exodus 9:25 And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.

Many say Hail that is baseball or softball in size can kill if travelling at the right speed. It usually takes hail the size of a hen’s egg to dent a car and smash windscreens, but hail the size of baseballs can kill animals who can't find a sheltering tree that breaks the fall of the falling hail that size. Which raises the question what size hail can break a tree?



Summary

This is yet another demonstration that times may change over thousands of years but God's word and his judgements never change. As mentioned many times in Videos over at The Twelve Gates You Tube Channel, God always uses the same judgements. They have worked before so why shouldn't they work again. Many times the "Sword" and "Pestilence" and "Famine" and "The Beasts" are used as judgements throughout the Bible either in isolation or in severe cases all four of them combined. The Hail or as it is mentioned "Grievous Hail" or mentioned as a "plague" is just another form of judgement that was used way back in Exodus and will be used yet again in Revelation literally and not symbolically. The first instance being The First Trumpet of Revelation in Revealtion 8 which it can be safely said........... has not yet occurred.

The Fifth Seal of Revelation Prophecy and Martyred Christians

The Fifth Seal of Revelation is one of the last three seals that come after the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse and is contained in 3 verses in Revelation Chapter 6 Verses 9-11 listed below. This article will go into detail on what this Fifth Seal represents and how it differs from the others, but it will be kept simple and to the point because this topic has the potential to balloon into an article that is absolutely monumental in size.

The First Four Seals are according to my interpretation dark forces released onto the earth in the form of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. They take place right here on earth. There are a vast number of other interpretations out there, but these are what I think these Horseman represent. The Sixth Seal heralds natural disasters on this earth and the effects on certain groups of people (elite non believers) and unmistakable signs in the Cosmos. The seventh seal is out there on it's own and is purely "silence in heaven" and needs no further explanation.

After the Fourth Seal, there's no announcement by any beast or animal or power for the Fifth, Sixth, or Seventh Seal of Revelation and it's the fifth Seal that is the focus of this article.



The Fifth Seal has very strong connotations in relation to Christians on first reading, but is it? This fifth seal also brings up other possible topics such as the Rapture especially the Pre-Tribulation Rapture which again is another whole topic entirely. See Is the Rapture Pre or Post Tribulation. It also ties up with Mystery Babylon but again that is a separate topic. See Who or What is Mystery Babylon. The main theme on first reading of the Opening of the Fifth Seal which is being opened by the Lamb (Jesus) himself is the Bible promises us that large-scale persecutions and martyring of the saints will take place before Christ's return. No numbers are mentioned here but Martyrs in the millions looks to be the general indication.

The Fifth Seal also raises the question whether the souls that were slain under the altar are the result of Jesus opening the fifth seal or were the result of the Four Seals or Four Horseman of the Apocalypse that were opened preceding this Fifth Seal. The main emphasis of the First Four Seals are death by famine, war, pestilence and the Beasts it is not made clear whether Christians are targeted during the First Four Seals.

Here are the three infamous verses that reveal what the Fifth Seal of Revelation is all about.

Revelation 6:9-11 The Fifth Seal of Revelation
9. And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11. And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

This has strong parallels with Matthew 24:9-10 mentioned during the Olivet Discourse and these are the words of Jesus to his disciples saying what will happen before his Second Coming

9. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Afflicted and kill are the words that stand out in these two verses.

Questions that the Fifth Seal raises within these three verses mentioned in Revelation 6:9-11

1. What is the Fifth Seal about in General.
2. Who are the souls slain for the word of God and what is the altar?
3. Why do these souls sound unchristian and ask God when will their blood be avenged?
4. What is the significance of the White Robes.
5. What is meant by the term "they should rest for a little season" and how long is that in time terms?
6. Who are the fellow servants and their brethren that will get killed just as they were?

This article will attempt to answer those questions.


Question 1 Answer: What is the Fifth Seal all about?
The fifth seal in no uncertain terms makes it clear that mankind will go through a great test and this will apply to believers and non believers alike. The growing anti-sentiment towards Christianity and probably Jews as well (Anti Semitism) will give rise to an increase in Persecution (which we are seeing now) Those who truly believe will choose something more precious than life and will be willing to lose their life for their faith and testimony of Jesus. Those loyal to God and His Word will choose death rather than submit to anything else. The saints will do this because their faith in God will be more important than their love for life as demonstrated in Revelation 12

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Death, Loved not their lives and the "word of their testimony" being paramount here.

Testimony can be further summed up in Luke 21 where it is mentioned the destruction of the temple and what will happen in the End Times .

Luke 21:12-19
12. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
13. And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
14. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
15. For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.
17. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.
18. But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
19. In your patience possess ye your souls.

Question 2 Answer: Who are the souls slain for the word of God under the Altar and what is the altar?

In Revelation 6:9 the souls mentioned are underneath the altar. Some say The word “souls” is to be taken as the equivalent of “lives”; the vision tells that their lives had been sacrificed. Some say this possibly suggests that sacrifices were killed on the altar that is located in Heaven. Is this the case? and who were the souls?

There are many interpretations for these souls that are under the altar mentioned in Revelation 6:9. Sacrifices were made frequently as part of the Jewish faith and were part of the law that the Jews were under under in the Old Covenant mentioned in the Old Testament in Leviticus but this was in relation to animal sacrifices.

Leviticus 4:7. And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

When an animal sacrifice was killed on the altar, its blood flowed down to the bottom of the altar and under it. The soul of the flesh is in the blood as mentioned in Leviticus 17

Levticus 17:11. For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

What Revelation 6:9 implies is that the Martyred Saints all were offered to God as sacrifices on the altar in heaven and that their blood, their life, was shed there and the result is their position is under the altar.

An altar is mentioned an additional seven times in the book of Revelation, and in six of them, it refers to the golden incense altar that stands before the throne of God in heaven (see Revelation 8:3-5; 9:13; 14:18; 16:7). The only exception to this appears in Revelation 11:1.

And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

This interpretation leads to the possibility that these under the Altar may have been Jewish or Jews that turned to and believed in Jesus? However there is one indication that runs contrary to this theory that sacrifices were made in heaven and that is Revelation 6:10

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth suggests that they were Martyred for their belief and faith on earth and not in heaven which is the conclusion which would be reached if Revelation 6:9 was read in isolation.

Moving onto the souls that were slain. Before martyrdom sets in; persecution must have started to occur. In our present times professing Christians are suffering and dying for their beliefs in predominantly Muslim and Communist nations. This will spread when the Fifth Seal is opened and will become global. Current headlines are suggesting that this seal is close to be being opened or is slowly being opened now. The view that Souls in the vision of Revelation equates to "lives" has an element of truth here.

The question that is raised is, are these souls slain for the Word of God under the altar actually Christians or Jews? Why were these people slain? They were killed or sacrificed for their belief in the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held. Some say these are the saints awaiting the resurrection prior to the opening of the Fifth Seal but in reality it is difficult to fathom who these souls really are.

Question 3 Answer: Why do these souls act unchristian like and ask God when will their blood be avenged?

On first impressions with the tone that these martyrs or souls under the altar cry out does not sound like Martyrs of the Christian Church. Christians are all about "Forgiveness" and would not cry to be "avenged". A good example of this is the First Christian Martyr mentioned in the Bible which is Stephen. If we take the situation of Stephen mentioned in Acts when he was stoned to death for his faith and this was witnessed by Paul (then named Saul) Stephen said these words before he died:

Acts 7:58-60
58. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Jesus at Calvary on the cross said a similar thing

Luke 23:34
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
In the Christian Faith this is called "Forgiveness" a major character trait of any Christian. However both Jesus and Stephen were on earth at the time and alive, the souls mentioned in the Fifth Seal of Revelation are not alive in human form and are in heaven and not on earth. Some say these cries from these souls are from Jews and not Christians. This is difficult to prove. The other side of the argument, many others say, these cries were from souls that knew their blood would be avenged but needed to know when their blood would be avenged. The fact remains we don't really know.


Question 4 Answer What is the significance of the White Robes?

White robes are a symbol of purity and of salvation. The souls that are crying out are not yet resurrected bodies but they are given White Robes none the less. According to Ellicotts Commentary

They are robes of righteousness (Revelation 19:8); they are robes of honour (Revelation 4:4), for those who wear them are like God, seeing Him as He is, reflecting His image; they are acknowledged to be His, as they have acknowledged Him to be their God. Persecuted on earth, they are honoured in heaven.

According to Benson Commentary white robes were given:
As a token of their justification, and favourable acceptance with God; of their victory and triumph over death, their joy and glory.


Question 5 Answer What is meant by the term "they should rest for a little season" and how long is that in time terms?

No one really knows how long a season or a little season is. Some say it could be months, others say it could be years. A season can mean many things but literally it can mean a period of 3 months as in the Seasons of the Year. Taking a "little season" literally could mean a month but taking into account the number implied by the statement "until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled" mentioned in Revelation 6:11 which could mean millions, 1 month or so sounds a relatively unrealistic time period.

Question 6 Answer: 6. Who are the fellow servants and their brethren that will get killed just as they were?

Until their fellow servants also, and their brethren (Jews) that should be killed, as they were, should be fulfilled" mentioned in Revelation 6:11. Some say this promise is fulfilled in Rev. 20:4-6 and also seems to be indicated in Revelation 7:9 with the multitude that is mentioned there which are described as coming out of "great tribulation" 8see video). Some views say that these are those that are Raptured and not Martyred, others say this multitude were Martyred and not Raptured. These are the Saints that Daniel foresaw would receive the Kingdom in Dan. 7:27.

Daniel 7:27
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Other theories include the mentioning of the word "avenged" in Revelation 19 in connection with Mystery Babylon mentioned in that Chapter.

Revelation 19:2
For true and righteous are his judgements: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

There are other points throughout Revelation where "fellow servants" that get martyred could be applied including Revelation 13

Revelation 13:15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Those that would not worship the image of the beast it can be safely said must be Christians who were in the faith for some time or are new believers as a result of the Tribulation Period.

Summary

There are a huge number of interpretations for the Book of Revelation and even the Fifth Seal but most are in agreement that that Fifth Seal is the Martyring of the Saints. The opening of the Fifth Seal marks a watershed in the Christian faith between those that were martyred in the past and those that have yet to be martyred. It is difficult just by using the three verses of Revelation 6:9-11 to fathom whether the souls under the altar are Jews or whether they are Jews that became Christians and were martyred, or whether they are Martyred Christians from the past?

But the overwhelming evidence is that The Fifth Seal of Revelation is about the "sacrifice" of a persons life for the belief in God's word and having the "Testimony of Jesus". It is all about Martyrdom. This Bible verse sums up the Christian faith in a nutshell.

Luke 14:26. If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
If Jesus was the human sacrifice on the cross for our sins as in John 3:16 then it can be guaranteed that as Christians we are carrying our very own cross to our very own personal Calvary and we will become a sacrifice for our faith in God's Word and Witness and Belief in Jesus Christ.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Acts 1:8
8. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Who is the mysterious First Horseman of the Apocalypse?

Who or what is the mysterious rider on the white horse mentioned as the First Horseman of the Apocalypse in the Book of Revelation in Chapter 6? Not much is mentioned about this character which leaves this character wide open to all sorts of interpretation. There are just a few distinguishing signs but not much else. There are answers out there but none seem to nail this character.

This article will take an in depth look at the First Horseman of the Apocalypse which is the First Seal of Revelation to see who it is (if anybody), or what it is (maybe not a person). Also what does it represent and what does it bring. This is the First Horseman that is part of the other three that make up the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Has the First Seal of Revelation been opened, or is it in the process of being opened, or is the seal still closed. Has it been opened recently or has it been opened in the past as in nearly 2000 years ago. Some say this First Seal was opened when the very beginnings of the Institutional Church was created?

The relevant Bible verse mentioned in Revelation Chapter 6 is as below

Revelation 6:1-2
1. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

This video from The Twelve Gates You Tube Channel goes into great detail on this character using Bible Software performing a Bible Study and Bible Prophecy Analysis.




This picture I think sums up who his character is. This rider rides on a White Horse and carries a bow and he uses this bow but without any arrows. He wears a crown and the picture seems to depict people at his feet seemingly in adoration?


The current theories on the First Horseman of the Apocalypse?
Some have the theory that this rider on the White Horse is Jesus because Jesus rides on a White Horse in Chapter 19 when he arrives as the Second Coming or The Return of the Messiah moments before the Battle of Armageddon and before the creation of the Millennial Kingdom. Others say it is the Anti Christ also known as The Beast. Others say it represents the Spirit or Force of the Anti Christ as in not him in person but the force or spirit of Anti Christ instead.

Yet others think it is something else completely different maybe the rise of False Prophets and False Preachers we are experiencing in our modern times. Some say it could be the False Prophet himself. Some say it could be the Institutional Church . Some say this rider comes in the name of peace, some others say he comes in the name of war, signified by the bow and the words conquer and conquering. Others say he comes in the name of deception and falseness. This article will take a look at all these possible theories, to see which theory ties in with scripture.

All these questions are tackled to see what the Bible says about this mysterious character and how this First Horseman of the Apocalypse represented by The First Seal of Revelation plays a crucial role in the Revelation Prophecy penned by St John the Divine and how it possibly relates to the Second Horseman of the Apocalypse and the rider on the Red Horse.

Who is the Rider on the White Horse?
There are many interpretations on the Book of Revelation out there on the web and in book and video form, each comes up with a convincing argument. Whether this is correct remains to be seen?

Very limited information is given about this rider on the White Horse which means it is open to all sorts of interpretation:

1. he has a bow but no arrows are mentioned?
2. He comes conquering and to conquer but there is no mention of war or killing.
3. He wears a single crown which suggests he has or is given authority over many people.
4. He rides on a White Horse which is very similar to the one that Jesus rides ,on his return or Second Coming mentioned in Revelation 19.

The key elements with this character are the "bow with no arrows" and the "single crown", the white horse and he comes "conquering and to conquer". Unlike the second horseman on the red horse which comes to remove peace and releases forces where "they shall kill one another", this rider on the white horse there is no mention of killings, war or anything associated but he does conquer but it appears not with war or force. This one I think uses a different kind of weapon which if you watch the video you will realise that it is deceit, lies and falseness.

The weapon he uses is the "Bow" which is mentioned many times in the Bible but the Bow always seems to have negative connotations rather than positive, whereas the sword is associated with war, God's judgement and righteousness. Here are a couple of examples below of the bow mentioned as a weapon as "a deceitful bow":

Psalms 78:57
But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

Hosea 7:16
They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

See the video for 5 more examples.

PART 1. Is the First Seal of Revelation Jesus?
Many say that this First Horseman could be Jesus but many Bible verses say otherwise.

During the Return of Jesus or the Second Coming, Jesus is described as below.

Revelation 19:11-12
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

Revelation 19:14-15
14. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

In contrast the Rider on the White Horse that is the First Horseman of the Apocalypse comes on his own, with no army, no sharp sword but instead a bow and no arrows and wears one crown instead of multiple crowns. Jesus comes to judge and make a righteous war. This First Horseman of the Apocalypse comes conquering and to conquer and no war is mentioned and he has no army. This rider on the white horse is also part of the other 3 riders that make up the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. These Four Horseman are not actual events but demonic forces unleashed onto the earth. Would Jesus be riding or leading these 3 other Horseman?

This is a first major indicator that this First Horseman of the Apocalypse is not Jesus.

The second indicators are mentioned below:

Revelation 5:1-3 & 6-7 before the opening of the Seven Seals
1. And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
3. And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

Who was worthy to Open the Seals?

Revelation 5:6-7
6. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
7. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

The Lamb (Jesus) is the only one worthy that can open the Seven Seals and he opens the First Seal and releases the First Horseman of the Apocalypse and the three others onto the earth, he does this whilst in heaven. If the First Horseman of the Apocalypse is Jesus how can be going forth conquering and to conquer here down on earth if he is opening the other six seals in heaven?

The First Horseman of the Apocalypse quite clearly is not Jesus in any shape or form, but possibly could be a misleading or counterfeit representation of him.

PART 2: Is the First Seal of Revelation The Anti Christ?
There is no mention of the Anti Christ often referred to as "The Beast" until Revelation 13. The opening of the Seals of Revelation takes place in Chapter 6.

Here are two Bible verses that give a good indicator of the character of the Beast or Anti Christ.

Revelation 13:6-7
6. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
7. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

The Beast blasphemes God and makes war with the Saints and he achieves global power through what sounds like force. Power was given unto him.

In contrast here is The First Horseman of the Apocalypse Bible Verse

Revelation 6: 2. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

In contrast this character on the White Horse above that appears after the opening of the First Seal of Revelation comes conquering and to conquer, but no force or power is mentioned possibly signified by the Bow with no arrow. This character seems to either conquer via peaceful methods or by some other means but force and war and certainly power are not mentioned here.

There is mentioned something about Peace in connection with the Second Horseman of the Apocalypse below.

Revelation 6:4
And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

There is mention of a "Peace" that this Second Horseman takes by unleashing the forces of war which possibly suggests that the First Horseman does in fact come in "Peace" and Conquers via peaceful methods?

So is this First Horseman of the Apocalypse the Anti Christ? It certainly bears no relation to the Beast mentioned in Revelation 13 but it could be the Anti Christ arriving with a Christ like appearance to fool and deceive many?

PART 3 Is the First Seal of Revelation the Spirit or Force of Anti Christ
This is a third theory that is out there in Prophecy Circles at present and that is The First Horseman of the Apocalypse is the Spirit of Anti Christ. If you subscribe to the theory that the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse are dark forces released onto the earth that are creeping in nature and are not actual events then this First Horseman the Rider on the White Horse could be the dark forces of Deception going forth conquering not with force or war but with more peaceful methods such as falseness, lies and deceit signified by the weapon he is carrying......the Bow.

Two Bible Verses from the New Testament focusing on Matthew 24 which form part of the Olivet Discourse give a possible hint as to who this character could be. These are the words of Jesus answering his disciples when they asked him when they would know of his return


Matthew 24:5 & 11
5. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

11. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Both verses contain the word "and shall deceive many". Could it be that this rider on the White Horse actually comes in the name of Jesus, but is not Jesus but a false representation of him. Is this a Force of deception rather than a bodily person as in The Anti Christ?

2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Some are saying that this First Rider on the White Horse represents falseness, lies, deceit and could indeed be "the man of sin" but does not reveal himself until Chapter 13 in Revelation. Some say that he is the Dark Force or Spirit of Anti Christ and not the Anti Christ himself and is represented by False Prophets, False Preachers and False Teachings which we see in abundance today which will cause a falling away in the Christian faith. Some even say it could be "THE False Prophet" that is also mentioned in Revelation 13.

Second Thessalonians further on in the same Chapter goes onto say this

2 Thessalonians 2:11
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

Conclusions:
The Book of Revelation has many interpretations and you can spend a lifetime trying to understand it(many do and still don't understand it). Many have written books that claim to have the "correct interpretation" but in reality the only entities that have the correct interpretation are St John the Divine who received the vision and wrote the Book of Revelation and The Lord who gave him the Vision in the first place.

Above are just my views, opinions and interpretation of what I think the First Horseman of the Apocalypse could be. It can be safely said that Jesus is not The First Horseman of the Apocalypse. Too much in the way of scripture as noted above says otherwise, but that notion cannot be dismissed entirely.

It could be The Anti Christ, but in my opinion (and it is just an opinion) this First Horseman of the Apocalypse represents the Force or Spirit of Anti Christ, which is deceit, falseness and lies represented by False Prophets, False Preachers and False Teachings. The conquering that takes place is by peaceful means but again the peace is deceitful. The weapon is deceit and I think it is aimed at Non Believers and Christians alike but especially focused on breaking up "The Church" and causing either a "falling away" or "believing a lie". The warfare that he brings his spiritual warfare. There are no physical deaths but instead "spiritual deaths" where people end up as stated in 2 Thes 2:11 above "that they should believe a lie".

This I think paves the way for the Anti Christ who appears later in Chapter 13 as "The Beast" and makes his job easier to achieve is ultimate aim and that is to declare himself as God (abomination of desolation) so everybody worships him and he takes control of the earth. In some ways the arrival of this mysterious First Horseman Character could be likened to a False Second Coming. The White Horse gives the appearance of Righteousness but the absence of the sword and the weapon of choice being a Bow, is the giveaway that something is amiss.

Has this First Seal of Revelation been opened? I would say it most definitely has!

Catch the video below on the First Horseman which goes into great detail using Bible Software. See the other related videos also.



The Twelve Gates You Tube Channel Related Videos:

Who is the First Horseman of the Apocalypse? The First Seal of Revelation Explained


War and The Second Seal of Revelation Prophecy


Famine and The Third Seal of Revelation Prophecy


The Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse The Fourth Seal of Revelation Bible Prophecy Explained


The Sixth Seal of Revelation and Bible Prophecy Explained

Mysterious Mass Animal Deaths Headlines Jan-Mid February 2017

Hosea 4:3 and the Mass Animal Die Offs around the globe?

This is the latest global update of mass animal deaths around the world at the beginning of 2017. These are incidences classed as Mass Animal Deaths or Mass Animal Die Offs. Scientists still have no real explanation of what is causing these deaths around the globe amongst many varied species of animals on land, in the sea and in the air. As yet humans have not been affected.

This is part of a NEW category at this website called "Prophecy News"

Causes being cited vary from virus or bacterial infection, extreme weather, rising pollution and contaminants, Fukushima and general climate change maybe being too rapid for animals to adapt??

Mass Animal Deaths caused by culling of animals due to Bird Flu and trying to contain that disease, or deaths from pollution or contaminants, these incidences have not been added to this list as they are man made events.

Many say these mass animal deaths are definitely Biblical in nature defying any rational explanation. Are we seeing End Times Bible Prophecy unfolding in our times before our very eyes? Hosea and Ezekiel warned about such times, with the infamous verses by Hosea 4:1-3 and also Ezekiel 38:19-20 and Zephaniah 1:3 giving details thousands of years ago.

Hosea 4:1-3
1. Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.
2. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
3. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

Ezekiel 38:19-20
19. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
20. So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

Zephaniah 1:3
I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked: and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD.

And finally Mass Animal Deaths are mentioned in the Book of Revelation last Book of the Bible in Revelation 8

Revelation 8:9
And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

Some say this prophecy has been fulfilled and a third of sea life has been destroyed others disagree including myself, but Revelation 8 along with the other prophecies looks to be manifesting itself around the globe for sure. A third of the ships destroyed? No evidence of that yet?

January and February 2017 Recorded Mass Animal Deaths (up to 11 Feb 2017)


January Information and Full list available at InfiniteUnknown.net and February Information courtesy Google

February 2017 (via Google) no links

Latest recorded incidents of mass animal deaths (10 or more and not man made events such as culling or pollution) for the complete month of January 2017 via Google Animal Deaths

2017-02-11 17:15:00 - Marine Life Incident - Farewell Spit, Tasman, New Zealand - NEW ZEALAND - 200 More Whales Stranded On Notorious New Zealand Coastline

2017-02-10 00:00:00 - Marine Life Incident - Farewell Spit, Tasman, New Zealand - NEW ZEALAND - New Zealanders Race To Save Whales After 400 Stranded

2017-02-09 00:00:00 - Animal Incident - Brasilia - BRAZIL - Worst Yellow Fever Outbreak In Decades Kills Hundreds Of Rare Monkeys In Brazil

2017-02-08 19:14:00 - Marine Life Incident - Piura, Peru - PERU - Hundreds Of Dead Fish Appear On Sechura Beach

2017-02-08 11:40:00 - Animal Incident - Ulaanbaatar - MONGOLIA - Deadly Virus Causes Another Mass Die-Off Of Endangered Saiga Antelopes

2017-02-08 00:00:00 - Marine Life Incident - Los Lagos, Chile - CHILE - Toxic Algae Detected In 149,000 Dead Salmon Smolt In Chile

2017-02-06 18:26:00 - Bird - Avian Incident - Tri-Cities, WA, United States - WASHINGTON - Nearly 3,300 Birds Dead In Disease Outbreak Near Tri-Cities

2017-02-06 10:47:00 - Animal Incident - Huanchaco, La Libertad, Peru - PERU - More Than 200 Dead Birds On The Coast Of Huanchaco

2017-02-06 07:12:00 - Marine Life Incident - Livingston, Mont, United States - MONTANA - Fish-Killing Parasite Found In Two More Montana Rivers

2017-02-06 00:00:00 - Marine Life Incident - Alaska, United States - ALASKA - Sea Lice Are Killing Salmon On The Other Side Of The Atlantic. What’s That Mean For Alaska?

2017-02-04 04:54:00 - Marine Life Incident - Mon Repos, Queensland, Australia - AUSTRALIA - Turtle Hatchlings Dying In Extreme Heat At Mon Repos

2017-02-03 20:08:00 - Marine Life Incident - Deception Bay, Queensland, Australia - AUSTRALIA - Thousands Of Blue Jellyfish Invade Australian Shore

2017-02-03 01:11:00 - Marine Life Incident - South Cotabato, SOCCSKSARGEN, Philippines - PHILIPPINES - Massive Fish Kill Wipes Out Lake Sebu’s Tilapia Stock

2017-02-03 00:00:00 - Marine Life Incident - Bozeman, MT, United States - MONTANA - Parasite That Caused Large Fish Kill Found In Big Hole

2017-02-03 00:00:00 - Bird - Avian Incident - Salem, OR, United States - OREGON - Report Dead Ducks To ODFW Hotline, Possible Outbreak Of Avian Cholera

2017-02-03 00:00:00 - Marine Life Incident - Porthcawl Harbour, Porthcawl, United Kingdom - UNITED KINGDOM - Dead Fish In Porthcawl Harbour ‘Not Pollution’ Says Council Watchdog

January 2017 (via Infinite Unknown) with links to articles

Latest recorded incidents of mass animal deaths (10 or more and not manmade events) for the complete month of January 2017

January 2017 – 400 dead monkeys found in the forests of Espirito Santo, Brazil. Link

28th January 2017 – Masses of dead fish washing up again on beaches in Florida, America. Link

27th January 2017 – 3,700 dead birds found in the waters of Sacramento, America. Link

26th January 2017 – Hundreds of birds dying from disease in Washington, America. Link

25th January 2017 – MILLIONS of dead sardines wash up on the coast of Quemchi, Chile. Link

25th January 2017 – 400 dead turtles found in a dried up dam in Quixada, Brazil. Link

24th January 2017 – 106 dead turtles found along the coasts of Sergipe and Bahain, Brazil. Link

24th January 2017 – Hundreds of crabs and fish have died in Queensland, Australia. Link

23rd January 2017 – Thousands of dead herring found washed up in Bjorndal fjord, Norway. Link

23rd January 2017 – Mass die off of fish in the waters of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhone, France. Link

19th January 2017 – Tens of thousands of dead fish wash up on a beach in Kvarnakershamn, Sweden. Link

19th January 2017 – Mass death of wild birds reported around Lake Victoria, Uganda. Link

17th January 2017 – 81 dolphins (false killer whales) dead after stranding in Florida’s Everglades, America. Link

17th January 2017 – Hundreds of dead fish wash up on Hindmarsh Island in Australia. Link

17th January 2017 – Dozens of pelicans are dying in Riviera Bay, St. Petersburg, Florida, America. Link

17th January 2017 – Hundreds of dead fish found in a lagoon in Petrolina, Brazil. Link

14th January 2017 – Mass die off of fish in the waters of Wilhelmshausen, Germany. Link

13th January 2017 – Thousands of fish die in a lake in St. Petersburg, Florida, America. Link

13th January 2017 – Thousands of dead fish wash up along a lagoon in Patagonia. Link

13th January 2017 – Hundreds of dead fish wash up along a river in Manzhou Taiwan. Link

12th January 2017 – Hundreds of TONS of fish have died in Lake Toba, Indonesia. Link

12th January 2017 – 30+ dead turtles found washed ashore in Chennai, India. Link

12th January 2017 – 10,000 birds dead due to avian flu in Odessa, Ukraine. Link

11th January 2017 – Massive fish kill found washed up on a lake in New South Wales, Australia. Link

10th January 2017 – Thousands of animals/cattle dead due to wildfires in La Pampa, Argentina. Link

10th January 2017 – Thousands of fish die in farms, ‘due to flooding’ in Kelantan, Malaysia. Link

10th January 2017 – 700 fish die in a lake, ‘due to drought’ in Sinigo, Italy. Link

9th January 2017 – Hundreds of dead lobsters, starfish and crabs found washed ashore in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Link

9th January 2017 – 80 swans have died due to avian flu in Dorset, England. Link

9th January 2017 – Hundreds of fish dying in a lake in Pozzuoli, Italy. Link

9th January 2017 – Thousands of dead fish, plus dead birds found in a quarry lake in Basiglio, Italy. Link

8th January 2017 – Thousands of fish die suddenly in a dam in East Java,, Indonesia. Link

5th January 2017 – 350,000 birds to be killed due to avian flu in Quilpue Chile. Link

5th January 2017 – 20,000+ chickens killed due to avian flu in Yunlin, Taiwan. Link

4th January 2017 – Large number of dead sea birds found washed up in the Bay of Gibraltar, Spain. Link

4th January 2017 – Hundreds of dead fish found in a lake in Bundaberg, Australia. Link

3rd January 2017 – Dozens of birds fall dead from sky in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, America. Link

3rd January 2017 – Dozens of dead turtles washing up on beaches in Jagatsinghpur district, India. Link

1st January 2017 – 5 Humpback whales have washed ashore in recent weeks in Hawaii, America. Link

Famine is here in 2017! The Third Seal of Revelation Prophecy

While everybody is swamped with the latest headlines from the New US President, there are other headlines that are creeping behind the scenes that some say are of more concern. Global famine looks to be starting in 2017 and marks a confirmation of the Third Seal of Revelation Prophecy has been opened. This is the Third Horseman of the Apocalypse (the Black Horse) mentioned in the Book of Revelation Chapter 6 and is part of the 7 Seals of Revelation, which show a lot of similarities to Matthew 24. This was part of the Olivet Discourse when Jesus spoke to the multitude on the Mount of Olives and also his disciples where he mentioned famine amongst other things would mark the "Beginnings of Sorrows" and the countdown to his return and "Second Coming"

Definition of Famine:
A situation in which there is not enough food for a great number of people, causing illness and death, or a particular period when this happens:
via Cambridge Dictionary

Recent worrying headlines
The current famine headlines are accelerating and this is a topic that the media doesn't really concentrate on that much. Somalia and Ethiopia are renowned for being zones that are prone to famine, but this area has now spread to neighbouring countries such as Tanzania and the more prosperous Kenya where cattle are dropping like flies and alarm bells are starting to ring. Yemen in the Middle East is starting to show warning signs of famine with millions of starving and undernourished children. Again Yemen is hardly an impoverished nation. With the continuing economic problems in Venezuela which is producing food shortages which again is a form of famine, this famine situation is starting to spread.



The more prosperous nations are also not immune with Spain reporting poor harvests because of the recent extreme weather they have been experiencing and Australia is reporting shortage of potatoes which is a food staple which again sends out alarm bells. The cause is put down to the extreme and un-seasonal weather they have been experiencing which is starting to affect crops.

The general explanation for all these occurrences is either Global Warming, El Nino or some other form of Climate Change. With Europe, America and the Middle East experiencing recent record low temperatures, Global Warming can hardly be the explanation. Recent extreme weather across the globe is mainly to blame though and this still continues so expect to see more famine style headlines in the future!

The recent video over at The Twelve Gates You Tube Channel goes into more detail on this topic and is in three parts

Part 1 is looking at the latest Bible Prophecy News headlines from Somalia, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa, The Middle East in the form of Yemen, the continuing food and economic crisis in Venezuela and problems starting to appear in the more prosperous nations including Australia and the UK, extreme weather being quoted as the culprit or Climate Change or El Nino

Part 2 takes a look at the Third Seal of Revelation in Chapter 6 of the Book of Revelation and use Bible Software to analyse the Prophecy mentioned and also looking at associated cross references from the Old and New Testament to shed further light on this topic.

Part 3 is a Conclusion and Summary on what is currently happening and what could be heading our way further down the line in 2017

The Third Seal of Revelation Video

Bible Prophecy Analysis
Science doesn't seem to have any reliable answers so what does the Bible have to say. Here is the relevant verse in the Book of Revelation

Revelation 6:5-6
5. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

This is a very short couple of verses but most Bible scholars are in agreement that these two verses are a judgement in the form of food shortages, poverty, hunger or starvation commonly known as famine. This will more than likely again not be a flick of a light switch event but more of a creeping and gradually increasing in intensity type of scenario, so gradual that most people will not notice until it is too late but the warning signs will be there and it will be global and will affect the Western Industrialised nations as well as the Third World.

The best way to describe it is in the "how to cook a live frog" scenario. This is not a Bible quote!

If you take a live frog and put it into a pan of boiling water it will immediately jump out, sensing a life threat and that something is wrong and will survive to tell the tale. Put that same frog in a pan of room temperature water with some leaves and it will be perfectly at home and will stay. Turn on the heat and raise the temperature gradually and the frog will not notice that things are getting hotter until it is too late to jump out, it is part cooked, it´s legs are useless and it cannot jump out.

This is the scenario many will be facing with this coming Famine and The Third Seal of Revelation. Warning signs will appear in supermarkets saying this is not available, that is not available, or prices may start creeping up from the low prices we are experiencing at present, such as has started happening in the UK (lettuces and broccoli ) and Australia (potatoes). Prices continue to rise and more products are being affected by shortages with the words "bad harvest" or "crop Failure" or "extreme weather" being to blame. These are the warning signs to watch out for, which are just starting to appear in Western Industrialised Nations, only a couple at present, but there could be more.

What can cause a famine?
Famine is normally the result of extreme weather conditions such as cold, heat, too dry or too wet which can affect crops in a negative way and result in a bad harvest or even a failed crop. Drought is the number one factor that can lead to famine as demonstrated by East Africa recently and in the past. Other factors that can bring on famine are wars and also adverse economic conditions such as hyper inflation where literally a days wages will buy you a loaf of bread as hinted at in Revelation 6:5-6. This is currently the way things are heading in Venezuela with many news reports of massive long queues at Supermarkets only to get inside and many find most of the shelves are bare. Some reports have said that the delivery trucks have been stopped and ransacked by the public before they even reach the supermarkets, things are so dire over there. The latest report for Venezuela shows inflation at an out of control 800%. That is serious run away Hyper-inflation.

What can you do to counter act a famine?
Copy Joseph from Genesis 41. At present people take things for granted that we have a steady food supply, crops grow, get harvested and turn up on our supermarket shelves regularly and the shelves will always be full. As was stated in a recent article "We are just 72 hours from Anarchy". If you've read Pharaohs Dream and Joseph's interpretation of it, in Genesis 41:15-36 which mentioned 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine. We are currently in our modern day society in the years of plenty (which we take for granted) but signs are appearing that "the years of famine" could be just around the corner and warning signs are starting to appear, as seen in recent headlines.

Motto, just like Joseph in Genesis 41, be prepared as mentioned in one of my first videos on You Tube regarding Christian Prepping

Famine can not only relate to food, it can relate to the spiritual side of things as well. This Bible verse from the Old Testament is a final thought taken from Amos which mentions a Spiritual famine which is the sign of the times we live in now.

Amos 8:11
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

Conclusions:
The recent headlines may be just a passing phase and nothing to worry about, but there are just too many famine situations springing up around the globe (micro at present),  as a result of either extreme weather, war or severe economic problems, to just ignore the situation. Here in the Western World, we take for granted that food is just around the corner, shelves are always full and other people in other countries experience hunger and famine...that's just the way it is. That situation may no longer be applicable in the future.

Famine has always been around, Global Famines have happened since the beginning of time, but if this one is coming, the impact will be harder on our luxurious, technologically advanced and pampered Western society that hasn't really experienced any food shortages since the Second World War.

Bible Quotes:
Some examples of famines mentioned in the Bible.

Luke 21:11
And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Genesis 41:53-57
53. And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
54. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
57. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

Ezekiel 14:13
Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:

Joel 1:17-20
17. The seed is rotten under their clods, the garners are laid desolate, the barns are broken down; for the corn is withered.
18. How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate.
19. O LORD, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.
20. The beasts of the field cry also unto thee: for the rivers of waters are dried up, and the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness.

Related videos over at The Twelve Gates You Tube

The Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse The Fourth Seal of Revelation Bible Prophecy Explained

The Sixth Seal of Revelation and Bible Prophecy Explained

The Coming Magnetic Pole Shift and Earth Axis Tilt mentioned in Bible Prophecy

The 2022 Bright Star, The Return of the Messiah and an Ancient Jewish Prophecy in Numbers 24:17