Posted by Elana Janson on February 06, 2013 at 14:50:47:
Lately on this website I have mainly focused on global warming, extreme weather and the unrest within nations in the area of North Africa and the Middle East. All these which I believe are signs of the final “short season” in Revelation.
Some aspects of climate change
Hurricane Sandy, which struck the US East Coast in November, was the latest indicator of changing and more severe weather patterns. It is at last being realized that extreme weather is beginning to have an effect – on where people live, on the economies and on the insurance industry. The storm of the century has become the storm of about a decade. A professor in geosciences from Princeton wrote in the magazine “Nature” recently and said that climate change will probably in future increase storm intensity and size simultaneously, resulting in a significant intensification of storm surges.
Drought
Climatologists say that extended periods of drought from the US Midwest to Ukraine - may be “the new normal”. It is now understood that the warmer Arctic region tends to slow the jet stream, causing it to meander, and in turn prolong weather patterns. It is called Arctic amplification, and it is likely to increase periods of drought in the Northwest United States and hotter summers in the Northern Hemisphere, where 2012 was the hottest year on record.
Rise of sea levels
Low lying atolls across the Pacific are disappearing. The Inter - Governmental Panel on Climate Change said in 2007 that sea levels would rise between 7 and 23 inches (18-59 centimeters) this century, but the rate of the ice-melt in the Arctic is much faster than anticipated and many scientists have raised the projection to more than three feet (one meter). As we are only in 2013 this situation could deteriorate in the next decade.
The reason that I have mentioned great windstorms, slowing of the jet stream and rise in sea level is because these are specifically indicated in the book Revelation as signs of the end time. Windstorms and slowing of the jet stream (Rev 7:1-3) and rise of sea levels (Rev 16:20)
Declining church Attendance
In this post I wish to highlight declining global church attendance for it is also I believe a significant “sign” in Revelation – as significant as the above.
The following reference comes from Wikipedia and gives an idea of church attendance in developed countries at the present time. Those who wish to know more can Google “global church attendance”.
“Church attendance in developed countries has gradually declined. Research has attributed this to lack of motivation, negative media coverage of religion and boredom during the services. One study published in the Journal of the Scientific Study of Religion, however, argues that at least in America, church attendance since the 1990s has remained stable at 25%. A Gallup poll found that church attendance among Protestants has remained stable at roughly 45% since 1955, while church attendance among Catholics has dropped from 75% to 45%, although it has remained stable since 1995, despite negative stories in the news. Another Gallup poll found a slight increase in church attendance over the past two years; associating this with an aging population. This decline is particularly pronounced in European countries, where it is suggested that the secular culture overrides interest in religion.”
There is no doubt that church attendance is globally declining as a result of secularization.
Why is this so important in relation to Revelation?
Firstly from my perspective, I believe that God has made known that we are near the end time; secondly climate change is happening and is a fact that is scientifically accepted and thirdly church attendance is extremely low as the result of secularization which with the understanding of Revelation has come about as a result of what I believe is described in Revelation as the “beast out of the sea” and the “beast out of the earth”.
Therefore when Rev 11:1 says “Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar and them that worship therein” and the “measure of the temple” and “altar” both indicate the end time then poor church attendance must be noted at the present time. God will make known the Return in the time that man has turned away from the faith.
One has to have insight in order to understand this verse. This insight comes from understanding the use of the word “temple” and “altar” in Revelation.
Temple
The word “temple” in Revelation has three meanings: Firstly it means a Christian place of worship, secondly it relates to the body of Christ (the Word become flesh in the coming of Jesus Christ) thirdly it relates to the “temple” of the Old Testament.
It has these three meanings because in Revelation “temple” has the function of carrying through history and combining the temple as the place of worship in the Old Testament, the Coming of the Christ and the message of the cross and the transformation of believers from human beings who worshipped in the Christian Church to dwellers of the New Jerusalem.
I believe Revelation uses all of the above to show the continuation of the presence of God with his people through the centuries.
The word “temple” in Revelation
Rev 7:14-15 “These are they which have come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.”
The meaning of this verse is both for the individual and those who in the very end time have come to realize that the way to everlasting life is through Jesus Christ (“washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”).
The words “day and night” indicate the time span of two millennia. Those who have studied this website and my books will know that Revelation measures approx. seven “days” from the time of the coming of the Christ to the Return. Therefore Revelation includes all Christians that served God in past two millennia. But “day and night” also includes the time from the formation of the earth. These are the ultimate boundaries within the symbolism of Revelation. God wishes to give insight into time after death. God wishes to prepare and reassure us for the time that he will dwell with us.
In this verse we are told and should be prepared that if one denounces sin and serves God eventually after death one will be in the presence of God. Here the word “temple” indicates the place or church of worship on earth and how God is present there through the faith of believers in the coming and death on the cross of the Messiah (“serve him day and night in his temple”). Revelation takes it further and transcends earthly death by combining worship in church to the time that those who have washed their robes are before the throne of God (“and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.”)
It is so interesting to see how modern man longs to travel through space to the moon and later to Mars and beyond. I believe that this life is exactly a preparation for that and after death the ends of the universe are the limit and then we shall be transformed with “new” transfigured bodies able to travel through space without a problem.
Rev 11:1 “Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar and them that worship therein.”
What this verse means is that the person who will be given insight into Revelation will measure the time of the rise of the Christian Church and its duration on earth till the Return. That person will measure or take note of the time of martyrs (“and the altar”) and also the number of church-goers (“them that worship therein”). The reason for this being that this insight will substantiate the total meaning of Revelation.
The rise and duration of the Christian Church
In this verse “temple” relates to the body of Christ. In John 2:19-21 “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews. Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body”.
In other words Revelation reveals and encompasses also the meaning of the “temple” including the whole sacrifice of the body of Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of sin present in the worshipping in the Christian Churches through the past two millennia.
Rev 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.”
This verse takes place in the very end time and is the realization of mankind that the “temple”, that is the worshipping of the Christ, over the past two millennia, as revealed in the understanding of Revelation, is the sure passage to heaven after death (“was opened in heaven”). The understanding of the word “temple” in Revelation reveals the same power of God as was the holy ark of the Old Testament (“was seen in his temple the ark of his testament” ) The ultimate signs of the end will again reveal the power of God to man (“lightnings and voices and thunderings and an earthquake and great hail”).
The altar
The word “altar” to be understood must also be connected to the word “altar” in other verses in Revelation.
Rev 6:9 “I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God” In other words Revelation reveals in Rev 11:1 (through the words “measure the altar”) that it should be noted when in the past two millennia people were killed for their faith. At what times in history did Christians die for their faith? In modern times Christians live in a free world and no longer generally die for their faith. The knowledge that Revelation covers a large span of time and the knowledge of the history of Christianity will give understanding to the total message of Revelation. Revelation wishes to reveal insight into its message by focusing on times that Christians will be killed for their faith.
Rev 6:11 “That they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow-servants and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”
In the final short season Christians will die for the faith or die because of the faith. It therefore seems that Armageddon is going to have religious motive despite the secularization of democracy at the present time..
Rev 8:3
I do not know the length of the “short season”, but I believe that the beginning of Revelation, chapter 8 begins with the “short season” of “half an hour” and specifically the wrath of God because of the death of the saints. For this reason the words: Rev 8:3 “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints” Note “all the saints”. In other words this verse introduces and reveals in the opening of the seventh seal that the symbolism of the sounding of the seven trumpets in history relates to times of the death of Christians for their faith. The “incense” symbolizes God hearing of the prayers of all the saints through history.
Rev 8:4 “And the smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. Verse 5 And the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and cast it into the earth; and there were voices and thunderings and lightnings and a great earthquake.” The sounding of the seven trumpets therefore has to do with the wrath of God (“fire”) because of the death of Christians. See also Rev 11:5 “And if any man will hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouth”. This verse means that those who hurt God’s witnesses will experience the wrath of God.
The third verse in Revelation that refers to the “altar” is Rev 9:13 “And the sixth angel sounded and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar”. The word “voice” (For the full understanding of “voice” in Revelation readers should refer to Revelation, chapter 10) here indicates that God will and has provided insight into the time measure of the “short season”. It is the time that mankind sees the signs of the end and the time that God revenges the deaths of the saints. This insight will also be for those under the Old Covenant (“the horns of the golden altar”).
Out of the temple
Therefore having said all the above: having measured the “temple”, that is established the time measures of Revelation or duration of the time of Revelation and measured the ”altar”, that is the times of the deaths of the martyrs the words “them that worship therein” at the present time are few. The words “And another angel came out of the temple” (Rev 14:15 and 17) and “another angel came out from the altar” (Rev14:18) indicate the end of the time measures of Revelation and the point in time that too few remain faithful to the testimony of Jesus Christ. “A Lamb as it had been slain” (Rev 5:6) may now be clearer to readers.
Rev 14:15-18
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Therefore when the angels come out of the temple and out of the altar the time measures of Revelation have come to an end. It is the time of the final short season a time we cannot measure “a thousand and six hundred furlongs”. The word “earth” here has the meaning of the planet earth but also the nations that were misled by the “beast out of the earth”.
Modern man has forgotten that God and his temple are holy. The churches have few worshippers. Man has been misled. Therefore we see through the signs of the end the beginning of the power of God. The sacrifices of those that died for their faith are not forgotten. Therefore the nations see the signs of the end and will gather to Armageddon (“gather the clusters of the vine of the earth”) because of what has happened in the past two thousand years (“even unto the horse bridles”).
The words “even unto the horse bridles” is an amazing insight – all that is understood under the “riders of the apocalypse” in Revelation, all that I explained in my books and on this website comes together in the end – together the consequences of man’s actions are symbolized by the horsemen riding abreast - “even unto the horse bridles”: the outcome of the separation of church and state (the rider on the white horse wearing the crown), the wars of religion (the rider on the red horse carrying the sword), the transition of the nations to democracy (the rider on the black horse carrying the scale) and the falling away from the faith that came with secularization ( rider on the pale horse followed by Hades). The end time and the Return must come to save some to enter the kingdom of heaven.
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