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Jack Van Impe Ministries
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each day on our A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE Revelation 9: 13 - 21 Sixth trumpet Verse 13: And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Verse 14: Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. As the sixth angel sounds, John hears a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is in the presence of God. Isn't it strange that many of the judgments are directly linked with God's program of atonement? Perhaps this is because so many have rejected the message of the altar which speaks of the shed blood of Jesus. Paul warned the human race of the danger of refusing this teaching: He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:28, 29). The rejection of God's Word always brings serious consequences. Before us is a scene wherein even the altar (the only place where sin can be forgiven) and the horns of the altar (actually touched by the blood) unitedly cry out to God for judgment. Never treat the message of the precious shed blood of Christ lightly. Those who do will be sorry! Now, because of rejecting the message, the voice from the altar tells the sixth angel to loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. The fact that they are bound proves that they are the fallen angels who rebelled and fell with Lucifer at the time of his revolt (see Isaiah 14:12-14). Once the Church is safely in heaven, four denizens from the pit of the abyss are released upon earth. Earlier we saw four unfallen angels holding back the judgment of God (chapter 7, verse 1). Now four wicked angels are set free to wreak havoc upon planet earth. They are commanded to execute their judgment in the area of the Euphrates River. This body of water runs through Iraq and Syria and will become the point of origin for the battle of the ages in the future. I have repeatedly said that the Gulf War of 1991 was not the fulfillment of this prophecy but was simply the beginning of the end, as the final pieces of the puzzle were being assembled for the future. This is the part of the world where Satan performed his destructive work against our first parents, Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:10-14). It is the area where Cain murdered his brother Abel (Genesis 4:8), and where mankind made its first united move against God (Genesis 11:1-4). Later God made His unconditional covenant with Abraham in this location, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates (Genesis 15:18). This land area belongs to Israel and no one but Israel. God will see that they get it. Proof? And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee (Exodus 23:3 1). Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be (Deuteronomy 11:24). Again God says, From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast (Joshua 1:4). At one point in history, the Euphrates River became the boundary of the old Roman Empire-which is being restored and will fall under the rule of the Antichrist (chapter 13, verse 1). This area will surely become the sore spot as history progresses, for it serves as both the frontier of the promised land and the boundary of the ten-toed, ten-horned, western federation of nations that produces the Antichrist (Daniel 2:40,41; 7:23,24; and Revelation 13:1). The destruction unleashed upon the earth by the four evil emissaries is described in the next verse. Verse 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. The population of earth is presently five billion souls. In our study, we have seen one-fourth of this number die under the rider of the fourth or pale horse (chapter 6, verse 8). Thus, at this point in time, earth's population is three billion, seven hundred fifty million. Now an additional one-third-or one billion, two hundred fifty million-perish as the four fallen angels are released. These four executioners are undoubtedly waiting in the wings to begin the drama of the ages. They are prepared and eagerly anticipating their scheduled timetable. Remember, the Euphrates River is Middle East territory-the location of present-day Iraq and Syria. This is the world's present and future tinderbox. The holocaust will also include the Soviet Union and her allies posed against Israel (Ezekiel 38 and 39). The barbaric troops come against the nation of Israel from the north: Thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land (Ezekiel 38:15, 16). Russia is north of Israel. This is why Joel declared in chapter 2, verse 20, 1 will remove far off from you [Israel] the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate [Siberia], with his face toward the east sea, and his hInder part toward the utmost sea. Geographically, Russia alone meets the qualifications of this text. As stated previously, Israel is mentioned as the battlefield of the world on eighteen occasions in Ezekiel 38 and 39. There is no doubt that the Holy Land becomes the site of the greatest war in the annals of history. Now Russia marches toward the middle of the Tribulation hour, but is driven back to Siberia (see Ezekiel 39:1, 2 and Joel 2:20). She strengthens her forces and then returns to the land of Israel once again. The scope and intensity of the offensive continues to increase until all nations become involved and are finally gathered together against Israel at Jerusalem. God says, I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle (Zechariah 14:2). At that point the Battle of Armageddon takes place: He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). This Mid-east war numbers the largest armies in the history of mankind. Verse 16: And the number of the army of the horsemen [was] two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. Think of it! Two hundred million soldiers! No wonder the ancient prophet said, And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land (Ezekiel 38:16). This army advances in the latest and best of equipment: For the chariots shall be with flaming torches in the day of his preparation .The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: they shall seem like torches, they shall run like the lightnings (Nahum 2:3, 4). Many Bible scholars associate the army of two hundred million with Red China and her oriental allies by tying this text concerning the Euphrates together with chapter 16, verse 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 [or the kings of the sun-rising] might be prepared. Such an assembly of military might is quite feasible considering China's present population of nearly one billion. Other Bible commentators believe this army is a supernatural one in light of the three verses which follow: Verse 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. Verse 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. Verse 19: For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. The advocates of literalism believe that these same verses portray the latest inventions stockpiled in the military arsenals of the world. Either way, it will be a devastating period of time as the remaining third of earth's inhabitants are destroyed by fire, smoke, and brimstone-a sulfurous, poisonous gas. At this point several verses predicting the final war of fire should be considered: A fire goeth before him (Psalm 97:3). For, behold, the Lord will come with fire (Isaiah 66:15). The whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy (Zephaniah 1:18). A fire devoureth before them (Joel 2:3). Who! The Russian army coming from the north. Then God states: I will remove far off from you [Israel] the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great [or terrible] things (Joel 2:20). This is the point at which the Soviets are pushed back to Siberia. Joel continues in verse 30 of chapter 2: And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. This sounds similar to the report mentioned in Malachi 4:1: For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven. And the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up (Revelation 8:7). Again-whether the means are natural or supernatural-it is catastrophic. Personally, I believe that both the natural and the supernatural-men and demons-will be involved in the Tribulation woes. Now, what about the remaining sixty-five percent of the population? Verse 20: And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Verse 21: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. We have now witnessed the release of thirteen judgments-seven seals and six trumpets. One would think that after experiencing such devastation, mankind would begin considering eternity. Not so! Those who are still alive continue to rebel. Wicked sinners do not give in or give up easily. In fact, God's Word tells us that men won't repent even after they have been in the regions of the doomed and the damned for centuries. Even then they continue gnashing their teeth in an expression of their hatred toward God. Proof? The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:41, 42). Verses 20 and 21 present five major sins which permeate the Tribulation scene-and for which men would rather die than switch: (1) occultism, (2) murder, (3) drug abuse, (4) fornication (sexual orgies), and (5) stealing. We will look at these sins in-depth next week. CHANGED LIVES-one at a time Dear Jack & Rexella, Today I received my first newsletter and I am so excited! I am learning so much about the end times because of your knowledge of God's Word. May God bless you both. I look forward each week to watching your program. I have also viewed earlier programs from my computer. Thank you for all the information and for all the blessings I get from watching. Love in Christ,
Thank you for sharing your weekly newsletter. I print every one out to refer to later. I am hungry to hear the book of Revelation spelled out so that I may understand it, and you make every detail clear. God bless you both.
Jack & Rexella, I love the newsletter. Now that I'm retired and learning the computer more and more, I spend much more time reading your letters. Keep up the good work, and may God bless everything you touch. Yours in Christ HIGHLIGHTED PRODUCT OFFERS "Our position in the last days will be determined by our choice of allegiance: Will the growing liberal tendencies of our nation pull us to join the EU, UN, and Russia in a globalization move that will, in the end, force a false peace with Israel and begin the Tribulation? Or will we, with our moral clarity, large Jewish populace, and Christian consciousness align ourselves so closely with Israel in the final conflict that we are literally indistinguishable from her in the final chapter of Bible prophecy?
The Everlasting Hatred: The Roots of Jihad On September 11, 2001, an ancient fight-to-the-death conflict exploded on the shores of the United States. Though most Americans didn't realize it, we were already involved in this struggle that is driven by a hatred that goes back 4,000 years. In the aftermath of 9/11 most Americans are asking:
Islamic Fundamentalism's purpose is to replace the Judeo-Christian world order with an Islamic world order. Every American needs to understand the enormity of the threat we face and why. This book will answer these questions with evidence from both Biblical and secular history. It will also bring new hope for the coming "perilous times." WE ACCEPT PRAYER REQUESTS HERE We receive prayer requests from far and wide via the mail, fax, phone, email and now through the prayer section of our website. FEEDBACK: Please help us with your valuable input. Let us know if you enjoyed this electronic newsletter. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!! CONTACT INFORMATION: E-MAIL: jvimi@jvim.com PHONE: (248) 852-5225 (8am-4:30pm Eastern Time) FAX: (248) 852-2692 MAIL: Jack Van Impe Ministries JVIM FAMILY OF WEBSITES: JVIM PROPHECY
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