El Shaddai Ministries

Pastor Mark Biltz: Now we'll go back to the book of Revelation for a minute. Okay, for about 12 minutes. But I have some interesting things that I want to show you. Here, we're now going to go from the opening of the seven seals to sealing 144,000. So opening up of these seals, but now we're going to seal these people. Okay?

We'll start at Revelation chapter 7, verse 1. It says, "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth that no wind might blow on the earth or sea or against any tree."

The four angels, it doesn't say. I've always wondered regardless of whether they're cherubim or seraphim, you've got the four faces. Remember the four faces? Okay, now. Can you imagine on a compass—north, south, east, and west—you've got these four angels, and what are they doing? They are holding back the four winds of the earth. Well, you can categorize them differently with different subcategories, but basically there are four types of winds.

You have the prevailing winds, you have the trade winds, you have the periodic winds, and you have the local winds. Now, the prevailing winds are the ones that go from one latitude to another that involve large areas of the globe. The trade winds are those extremely steady winds that blow from subtropical high-pressure areas toward the equatorial low-pressure belt. The periodic winds are the winds that change their direction periodically with the change of the season. And then you have your local winds, which is affected by the local difference in temperature and pressure. That is what causes local winds.

But have you ever thought what would happen if there was no wind? I don't believe how long there's no wind, but let's look at this. I researched what happens if there's no wind. It would rarely rain in inland locations like Kansas. Wind moves moist air over dry spots and then falls as rain. All land that is not near a body of water would turn into a desert.

So, let's look at the consequences of these four angels holding back the four winds. The trade winds would no longer exist, and ocean stream currents would eventually stop. No natural wind would also seriously damage the ecosystem because a lot of plants need the wind to move the pollen around. Also, oxygen would no longer spread across the atmosphere. What happens to airplanes and helicopters? What happens to wind generation?

Good news, no tornadoes or hurricanes. The poles would get colder and the equator would get hotter. I don't know if anyone ever stopped to really think about what's going to happen if there's no wind. Okay, let's go to Revelation 7, verses 2 and 3. "Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun." What direction is that? East. "And he has the seal of the living God. And he calls out with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to do..."

It's interesting, are these good angels or bad angels? What we do know is it seems like God is ready to pour out His wrath on the earth. And they're given power, but it says, "Whatever you do, don't harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads." In other words, wait a minute, let me get God's people sealed before you do any harm.

And then we see in verses 4 and 5 that the number of those sealed were 144,000 from every tribe of the sons of Israel—12,000 from each tribe including Judah. And then verses 6 through 8 kind of goes through the 12 tribes.

But then look what happens in verses 9 and 10. "After this I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number from how many nations? Every nation! Every tribe, people, and language. They're all standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They're clothed in white robes. They've got palm branches in their hands, and they cry with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who is sitting on the throne and to the Lamb.'"

Well, what's interesting? White robes is what happens on Yom Kippur. Palm branches is what happens immediately afterwards for Sukkot. This is giving us a timeframe. This will literally happen some year during Yom Kippur and Sukkot. This is not a random event. God is not like, "Well, this could happen in June, or this could happen in March." No, this event is just like Passover isn't going to have the Lord die in February or December. He has to fulfill the plan of Passover. Same thing. This event is going to happen during that time.

Then we find in verses 11 and 12, the angels were all standing around the throne and around the elders of the four living creatures. We read about that earlier. They're all falling on their face before the throne, worshipping God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power." This sounds like the same song we read back in Revelation 4 and 5.

Let's look at verses 13 and 14. "Then one of the elders addressed me and he says, 'Who are these?'" There's that famous phrase. "'Who are these that are clothed in the white robes and where in the world do they come from?'" And I said, "Oh, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the Great Tribulation. They've washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Look at verses 15 and 17. "Therefore, this is why they are before the throne of God. They serve Him day and night in His temple, and He who sits on the throne is going to shelter them with His presence." That's pretty cool. "They will hunger no more, not thirst anymore. The sun will not strike them nor any scorching heat. The Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd. He will guide them to the springs of living water and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." That reminds me of Isaiah 25. You don't have that on your notes, but Isaiah 25 is where God is going to wipe every tear away from our eyes.

And then we see in Revelation 8:1 and 2, the Lamb now opens the seventh seal. There's silence in heaven for half an hour. That's heavy. The angels are no longer singing God's praises. Complete silence. This is a huge event for half an hour. And then he sees the seven angels who stand before God and the seven trumpets were given to them. Okay, here we go.

Revelation 8:3 through 5. Another angel comes and stands at the altar. Which altar is this? The incense altar. He has a golden censer. He was given much incense to offer with the prayers of the saints. We know that our prayers are as incense on the golden altar before the throne. And then it says the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then he takes the angel, fills it with fire from the altar, which is exactly what they do in Leviticus. But look what happens here. He throws it on the earth from the heavens. And there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of light, and an earthquake. And I need a bottle of water. Thank you. I'm getting so excited here.

Thank you, darling. This will work. Much better. Can you imagine being in heaven and seeing this golden censer filled with fire being thrown at the earth? Okay, here we go. Revelation 8:6 and 7. The seven angels who had the seven shofars prepared to blow them. The first angel blows his trumpet, and what comes? Hail, fire mixed with what? Blood coming from the heavens.

And these were thrown upon the earth and a third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up on a third of the earth. Wow, that's a lot, because a fourth of the earth I believe is water. So whatever's left, if a third of that is destroyed. Okay, we'll look at verses 8 and 9. Now the second angel blows his shofar and there's something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. I don't know about you, but that kind of sounds like an asteroid. Could be wrong.

A third of the sea becomes blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea die, and a third of the ships are destroyed. I think it's fascinating—this third, third, third thing. Revelation 8:10-11. The third angel blows his trumpet. It says a great star fell from heaven blazing like a torch. This sounds like another asteroid. And it fell on the third of the rivers and on the springs of the water. The name of the star is Wormwood and a third of the waters become wormwood and many people die from the water because it has been made bitter.

I mean, if you look at this, a third of the earth is burned up, a third of the sea is destroyed, a third of the living creatures die, a third of the ships are destroyed, a third of the rivers. So you've got the earth, you've got the ocean, you've got the rivers. And then in verses 12 and 13, the fourth angel blows his trumpet and a third of the sun is struck, a third of the moon, a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened. I mean, can you imagine what would cause a third of the stars to... You would think the sun and the moon is maybe volcanic ash or something along that line, but the stars? This has got to be something huge.

And then he looked up and he saw an eagle—now, that's one of the faces of the cherubim or the seraphim—crying with a loud voice as it flew directly overhead, "Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth at the blast of the other trumpets that the three angels are about to blow." So in Revelation 9:1 through 6, here he says we've got the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpet to blow. Each one is a woe. The fifth trumpet is one of the woes, the sixth trumpet is a woe, the seventh trumpet is a "woe is me." Okay, but look at this. The fifth angel blows his trumpet and this time he says, "I saw a star fall from heaven and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit." So this is not a literal star.

Now, if you remember, the people of Israel were called to be as the stars of heaven. People can be related to stars. In Daniel, it talks about those who turn many to righteousness will be as the stars. So I believe Israel can be compared to stars. I believe angels can be compared to stars. And so in this sense, I think this star falling from heaven—the other thing is, just because it falls from heaven doesn't necessarily mean it's a fall from a negative idea. It could just mean there's an angel that's literal, falling. So it could be a good angel.

But he's given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opens the shaft of the bottomless pit, and out of there comes a smoke like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air were darkened. So in one sense, maybe this could be what darkens the sun, the moon, and the stars.

It says, "Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth and they were given power like the power of scorpions on the earth." Now let me ask you something. I don't believe these are literal locusts. What is the one thing that locusts do? They destroy every green thing. They destroy the tree, they destroy the grass. But guess what? These are commanded not to harm the grass or any green plant or tree. This is just the opposite of a locust. So it's fascinating that they're similar to locusts but they don't act like locusts. Matter of fact, they're commanded not to do those things. They were to harm only those people who don't have the seal of God on their foreheads.

Now this is the fifth trumpet, but I think it's fascinating that you have believers on the earth at the time of the fifth one and they're commanded not to harm any of these believers. And they're allowed to torment them for five months but not to kill them. That's people that don't have the seal on their forehead. Do you know what you know about locusts? But I can see why it's a demonic type of a thing. Do you know locusts, when they can't find anything else to eat, they eat each other? Locusts, when they can't destroy any green thing, they turn on each other. Isn't that interesting? Okay, so the torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. And in those days, can you imagine people are going to seek death and they can't find it? They're going to long to die but death is going to flee from them. Isn't that interesting?

Okay, chapter 9, verses 7 through 12. In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were like crowns of gold. Their faces were like human faces, hair like women's hair, teeth like lions, had breastplates like breastplates of iron. The noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing to battle. They have tails and stings like scorpions. Their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. Now they have a king over them—and locusts don't have kings—from the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek it is Apollyon.

And it says, "This is just the first woe. Behold, two woes are still to come." Both in Hebrew and Greek the name refers to the destroyer. That's what it means: the destroyer. Then we find in Revelation 9:13 through 15, we have a sixth angel blowing a trumpet. Then he hears a voice from the four horns of the golden altar. This I believe is the altar of incense. It had four horns: the altar of incense. Some people say it's the brazen altar. Well, what's fascinating is if someone was going to kill you, you would run to the altar and grab one of the four horns and hold on to it for dear life for God to judge. But here he says to the sixth angel who had the shofar, "Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates." So the four angels who were prepared for just an hour, a day, a month, and a year, they were released to kill a third of mankind. My goodness, a third has already died. Now another third—there's not much left.

Now, if you remember at the incense altar, prayers are being lifted up. "Avenge us, oh God, when are You going to avenge us?" And it looks like this is the time when that happens. Look at Revelation 6:9-10. "When he 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. And they're crying with a loud voice saying, 'How long, oh Lord, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?'" This is the shofar or the trumpet where this happens.

Okay, now the Euphrates. Why are they bound at the river Euphrates? Do you know the river Euphrates is one of Israel's borders? That's why this is important. That's why they're there. Now look at Genesis 15:18. "In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram: 'Unto your seed I have given this land from the river of Egypt'—which is the Nile—'to the great river, the river Euphrates.'" The Nile is about 4,000 miles long and the Euphrates is about 1,500 miles long. They're both really big.

Now, take a look here. Can you see the Euphrates there? I have circled Euphrates. Now to give you an idea of where this is, I highlighted the Gaziantep right there. See the Gaziantep? There's the river Euphrates. Israel's border to the north was to the river Euphrates, right? All right, let's take a look. Let's make it a little bit smaller. Here's where we were. Do you see this Gaziantep, how it's right next to this big body of water here? Okay, where's that body of water? All right, let's go to the next one. That body of water is right there. So here's Israel now. Their border was supposed to be clear up into Turkey. God said, "Your border is to be to the north, the Euphrates river." Wow. Okay, so there in the bottom square is Israel, pretty much just to give you an idea. But look where their northern border was supposed to be.

All right, well get a load of this. The Euphrates. Let's go right here. Here's Basra, Iraq. And you see above here it says Euphrates? There's Basra. Well, let's go take another look. Where's that at? Right there. So here, Israel's boundary was the Mediterranean this way, even the Nile for that matter, which you can see here is the Nile, went north all the way up into Turkey, and to the east it was to go all the way to Iraq. So when you look at this now, this was to be Israel's borders. And so actually the other countries are occupying Israel's land right now.

Deuteronomy 11:24, as a matter of fact—if you remember, Abraham was in Iraq, wasn't he? And it says, "Every place where the soles of your feet will tread will be yours." This is concerning Moses. "From the wilderness and Lebanon from the river, the river Euphrates, even to the utmost sea shall your coast be." And then it says the number—look at this, Revelation 9:16-17—the number of mounted troops was 200 million. And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode on them. They had sulfur coming out of their mouths. Wow, 200 million.

Revelation 9:18 through 21. By these three plagues, a third of the mankind was killed by fire, smoke, and sulfur coming out of their mouths. So these are not normal. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads and by means of them wound. And then it says the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues, look at this, they didn't even repent of the works of their hands. They didn't give up worshipping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood which can't see or hear or walk. They did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

You want to know why? The wrath of God does not lead men to repentance. It's the goodness of God that leads men to repentance. It's when we realize how God loves us, how good He is to us. How can you do anything against your dad or your mom or someone who loves you, truly loves you? And so it's the goodness of God. That's why the wrath of God will never lead them to repentance. It just emboldens them and hardens their heart even more against Him. So this is what we have to pray for: softened hearts. So let's stand. Vicky, I believe you've got a good song for us here. But to me, this is quite interesting. You can see why I get excited about the book of Revelation.

But let's take a moment and pray, and let's take a moment and just worship God. How many of you love worshipping God? The joy last week when we were all worshipping to God up here and everything. I think just like Israel, they had to be told, "It's okay, go get sovereignty." And for you guys, guess what? It's okay, worship God. Amen. Amen.

Father, we just thank You so much that we can all come together and worship You freely, unrestrained. Who knows the time may come when this freedom to worship You could be limited in some way. But in another way, there's no way anybody's stopping us from loving our dad. We just worship You in Yeshua's name. Amen.

He's holy, isn't He? We thank You, Lord, for wanting us as Your children, adopting us into Your family, Lord. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Father. Thank You, Lord. Even as You told Moses to tell Aaron, "I want you to say this prayer over My people. Not only do I want to bless them, I want to put My name on them." Wow, what a powerful blessing to be called after You, oh Lord. And this is what You told them to say:

*Yevarekhekha Adonai veyishmerekha. Ya'er Adonai panav eleikha vikhunekha. Yissa Adonai panav eleikha veyasem lekha shalom.*

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace in that most wonderful name above all names, *Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh*. Amen. Go in peace, bless one another as you go. Amen. Thank you very much.