TRUMPETS – 2000

Fred Coulter  -  September 30, 2000

This is the Feast of Trumpets, the year 2000.  And as we always do, we always begin in Leviticus 23.  And God gives a command there concerning the Feast of Trumpets.  And of course today we are going to learn about the Feast of Trumpets.  We’re going to review some things we already know.  We’re going to learn some new things that we haven’t understood before.  We’re going to reinforce some of the things that we need to understand even better, and we’re going to tie it all together because all of the holy days fit one after the other.  That’s why in Leviticus 23 it starts out with the Sabbath in the first part, and then it goes through the Passover, the two holy days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and now here we come to the Feast of Trumpets.  So let’s turn to Leviticus 23:23 and let’s see what God says about that.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying…”  Now understand something very important.  The law that Moses gave was the law of God.  It wasn’t the law of Moses.  Moses was only the intermediary.  And so everything that God told Moses to do, He said, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying…”  Now here’s the command for the Feast of Trumpets.  “…In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.  Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD” (Lev. 23:23-25). 

Now whenever a person would come before the Lord on these holy days, they could offer an offering made by fire, or as we will see that in Luke 21, we find that those who did not bring an offering to make an offering by fire then they gave an offering in kind according to money to cast it into the treasury. 

Now let’s just come over here to verse 37.  “These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations…”  Now this is a summary of all of the feasts coming right on down to the Last Great Day.  “…To offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering [if you can afford that, which was either a bullock or a  lamb], and a [ meal] meat offering [now it says meat offering in the King James but it’s actually a meal offering made of flour], a sacrifice, and drink offerings, everything upon his day:”  Now the priests had all those that they were to do for the nation of Israel.  And you find that recorded in Numbers 28 and 29.  Now these are in addition to that. 

And it says, “Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts [so there were gifts that were given], besides all your vows [so there were vows that were made, and the vows that were made then they either had a sacrifice to give with it or they had an equivalent of it], and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD” (vs. 38).  Now a freewill offering can also be commanded.  Now some people don’t really understand that.  So let’s go back here to Leviticus 1 and let’s see that.  Let’s look at the one concerning the very first sacrifice that God instructed Moses to give, which was the whole burnt offering in Leviticus 1.

Now verse 1, “And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, or of the flock.  If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD” (Lev. 1:1-4).  Now let’s notice something else with this too.  Even though it was his own voluntary…that means whenever he would choose to do it, he had to follow the commands of God concerning it. 

Now notice verse 4.  “And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering [to dedicate it to God]; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.”  Now this was not a sin offering but it was a whole burnt offering and atonement here means to be made at one with God.  Because a sin offering and trespass offering is given a little later. 

Now I need to make one correction which someone pointed out to me when I said during Pentecost that the offering for Pentecost was the only one that was offered with leaven.  Now there was one mistake on that.  During the days of Unleavened Bread, of course, they could not offer this offering with leaven, but let’s go to Leviticus 7:11, so I want to correct something that I made a mistake on. 

“And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD.  If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving [with it] unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried.  Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings” (Lev. 7:11-14).  And so that’s the only other offering.  Now obviously if you’re going to give a thank offering or peace offering during the Feast of Unleavened Bread you cannot use leaven at that time, especially then because all leaven was removed from the whole country. 

Now let’s come to Luke 21, and let’s see something here very important, which shows the attitude behind it.  Now I realize that there have been some people so offended in the past that they just feel they can’t give any money to any man.  But know two things.  One, God commands the tithes, and God commands the offerings.  So understand that.  And I do realize that in the past in other organizations money has been misapplied and misspent in a way that it should not have been.  Now we don’t do that here.  We try and run a very tight ship.  We run everything by cash.  We give an accounting every year for every penny that we have, and send it out with your receipts at the end of the year.  So please understand that. 

Now here in Luke 21:1, and this is as Jesus was speaking.  “And He looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.  And He saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.  And He said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:  For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had” (Luke 21:1-4).  Now let’s understand something concerning this.  It was in her heart to do so.  So Christ did not tell her to withdraw the money back out of the offering, because once she gave it and gave it from the heart that was hers to do.  So the most important thing we need to realize in giving offerings, and we take them up on every holy day, is that it has to be from the heart, willingly, according to the blessing that God has given you.  And over time these blessings mount.  Over time these blessings build.  And of course the most important blessings are the spiritual blessings of God’s Spirit and fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ.  And then the fellowship with each other when we can get together.  Those are the most important blessings besides the blessings of the physical things that God has given us. 

Here, let’s go to Matthew 6:33 and let’s see the whole attitude that we need to have in all of this.  And that way then it will be right before God.  That way we won’t be seeking to do our own will.  We won’t be seeking to get something from God, or to buy our way or anything like that because it has to be from the heart.  It has to be with a pure motive.  And it has to be because you love God and desire to give.

Now let’s pick it up here in verse 30.  “Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat?  or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Now that’s a promise and we can claim that promise.  And we can look to God for it.  And He will bless us.  But you see our heart has to be seeking the kingdom of God first.  “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.  Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matt. 6:30-34).  In other words, we have enough time overcoming our human nature and combating the evil around us on every side that we need to take each day a day at a time and go forward from there.  So at this time we will go ahead and pause and we will take up the offering.

(Pause)

Now let’s see what the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets really is.  Let’s understand something that it is not from what we read in Leviticus 23. 

#1 It is not a harvest feast.  That’s why Pentecost pictures the first resurrection because the first resurrection is a harvest.  Trumpets is not a harvest feast.

#2  It is the fourth holy day that we have.

#3  It is actually a feast picturing the second coming of Christ.  And if you want to name what kind of feast this is, the Feast of Trumpets is a war feast, as we will see.  Very important to understand.  That’s why there’s a memorial of the blowing of trumpets.  And the trumpets were to be blown all day long. 

Now let’s see what will the world be like leading up to the return of Jesus Christ?  Let’s go to Matthew 24.  We haven’t been to Matthew 24 for a long time, so let’s go there because there are a lot of important things here that tells us what the world will be like.  And tells us what will be happening.  And then we need to combine that with the other scriptures so we will know how things are going to follow before the things start unleashing which lead up to the Feast of Trumpets with the return of Christ because there are many things that need to take place.

Now let’s begin right here in verse 3.  “And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us,

#1  when shall these things be? 

#2  and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, 

#3  and of the end of the [age] world?” 

Now a great many people have flunked verse 4.  “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.”  And yet how many have been deceived by persuasive speech.  And as we’ve covered concerning the Gnostics and lawlessness, and so forth.  “For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (vs. 4-5).  And they will actually say that Christ is the Christ, but also they will blend it together with other christs because we see down here in verse 24, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”  Now that is right for our time.  And that’s happening.

Now let’s come back here and see what else Christ said would happen.  Now let’s understand something.  All of these things began from the time of the beginning of the Church on Pentecost in 30 A.D., and runs all the way down through to the end.  Now at the end there’s going to be a brief respite of things were it will really look grand.  And we’ll see that in just a little bit. 

But He says, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars [we still do today]: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (vs. 6).  Now let’s understand something.  Then end is not when people think the end is going to be.  That’s one of the things that is so deceptive about the return of Christ from the point of view of human perception. 

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you  [and we will see that the coming world court will make that possible]: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake” (vs. 7-9).  And that will be because we won’t fit into the One World scheme.

Verse 10, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.”  So we will enter into a real time of great difficulty.  “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (vs. 10-11).  Now wherever you hear the word “many”, not only does it mean many, but in the case “shall deceive many” one false prophet can deceive hundreds, maybe thousands, maybe even millions.  And so when it says “deceive many” then we’re talking about the majority of people. 

Verse 12, “and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall [grow] wax cold.”  This is precisely what is happening today on an increasing scale.  More and more morality is going down.  More and more hate and violence and crime is taking it’s place.  More and more people are just turned off from things and growing cold in their love.  Even happened in the Church, didn’t it, because iniquity abounded in the Church.  One thing that’s for sure: whenever iniquity multiplies then love grows cold.  “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (vs. 12-13).  Now a lot of people have already flunked that verse, because you have to endure to the end.  And you don’t know when the end will be.  Christ says so.  He gives us the signs to look at, the signs to watch for, which we will examine, but no one knows exactly when that day is going to happen. 

Now let’s look at the very first sign, one of the very first signs, verse 14.  “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”  Now preaching the gospel as a witness to all nations entails more than just what we are doing.  It entails more than what one organization is doing.  And also you have to realize the gospel is in the Bible, and in Mark 13, the parallel account it says it will be published among all nations.  The gospel is contained in the Bible, so in effect the publishing part has already been done.  But we also have all of these New Age Bible versions, which are showing, you understand how absolutely it takes away from the word of God and destroys the knowledge of the truth.  Takes away the knowledge of the return of Christ and brings in it all this one world, one togetherness that we’ve already seen what’s happening in the world and is coming more, and more, and more.  And we’re going to see that take place even more.

Then here’s the next one.  Now how he preaches the gospel, let’s understand this too.  As we will see the two witnesses preached the gospel to the whole world for 3 ½ years.  Now that’s going to have a great and profound effect.  Now we have to do our part as God opens the doors and makes it possible.  And He will.  And God will add to us and we will grow.  We in fact we already are growing.  We have new people coming along all the time.  Not a great number, but they’re coming along all the time, who have never had any contact with the Church of God before.  And they recognize the gospel because they understand that they are not getting it in the churches of this world.

Now let’s continue on.  Here is the major event, which is going to key the beginning of the tribulation.  Now let’s understand something concerning the tribulation.  The tribulation, the whole 3 ½ year period is called The Day of The Lord, as we will see beginning in Revelation 6 when we get there, because Christ is the one Who opens the seals.  You also have the day of His wrath, as we will see in Revelation 6.  Then we have the trumpet plagues, and all of that, and all of this is part of the Day of The Lord.  So it continues from this place right here, this is the beginning of The Day of The Lord, and it runs clear down to the time that Christ puts His feet on the earth, and the saints with Him, as we know from Zechariah 14.

So here’s the first one, verse 15.  “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place…”  Question: What is the holy place?  The holy place is the temple.  So this is telling us, and we’ll see a later on when we come to Revelation 11, that there is going to be a third temple built.  Now the Jews will never sign a peace pact unless they are guaranteed to build the temple.  You can guarantee that.  So when the temple is built then the beginning of the tribulation is when “…the abomination [that makes desolate] of desolation, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place…”  Now notice the rest of the verse, “…(whoso readeth, let him understand:)”  Now this has nothing…Jesus didn’t say this when He was speaking.  Matthew put that in there.  So we are to read it and understand it, and it’s for our day. 

Now let’s go back and let’s see some more things concerning the end time leading up to this.  We’ll come back here to Matthew 24 again, and we’ll put it together with some other scriptures.  Let’s come to 2 Timothy 3 and let’s see another inspired definition or description of the end times and what we are living in.   Now at the same time we need to understand, at the same time there will be peace, there will be war, there will be prosperity and good times as well as perilous times.  Just like we have in the United States today.  There’s a lot of peace, there’s a lot of prosperity, but there’s a lot of crime and there are a lot of perilous things going on. 

Now here 2 Timothy 3:1, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall be lovers of their own selves…”  And didn’t we see that with the Supreme Court ruling against the third term abortion, the third trimester abortion?  Yes.  Didn’t we see that in New Hampshire in enacting laws governing the same-sex marriages?  Yes.  Haven’t we seen that in the education, and everything going down?  Haven’t we seen that in the way of travel?  They actually say, now if you travel to England or Europe you run a greater chance of being mugged and robbed than you do in the United States.  So this is a world-wide phenomenon.  And the reason is men are lovers of themselves, self-esteem.  And that’s what’s being taught in the schools.  And self-esteem leads to the things which they are now bringing in of Satanism and witchcraft.  Into the schools, into the workplace, and everywhere.  It is so pervasive that it is unreal. 

“…Covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection…”  No, ruthless, cruel, homosexual so called love.  That’s homosexual lust.  God says that is a sin and abomination.  “…False accusers [boy, we sure see that taking place, don’t we?], incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God:” (vs. 2-4).  And isn’t that true?  How many sports are there?  I think now ESPN has three sports channels.  That’s not counting all the sports that are on the other ones, or all the events that people go to. 

But notice the strange twist of it.  “Having a form of godliness…”  It isn’t godliness, it’s just a form.  And everybody believing, now being the religions coming together even more, and more, and more as we have already seen.  “…Denying the power thereof [that is the power of true godliness]; from such turn away” (vs. 5).  So we’re not to get involved with them or mixed up with them.

Now let’s come to 2 Peter 3, and let’s see how Peter described it, and we will see almost the exact same thing taking place that was listed there in 2 Timothy 3.  Let’s begin here in 2 Peter 3:1, “This second epistle beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful [that means remember them] of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:” (vs. 1-2).  So the New Testament written by the apostles, and compiled by them, and canonized by them, and God preserved for us.  We are to remember those things because God inspired them.  God gave them the words.  These are the words of God, the Holy New Testament.

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts…”  Now what God is going to do is this: He’s going to let the scoffers increase and increase, and multiply and grow, and it’s going to look like that they are overwhelming, that they are winning.  But you see, God always does that with the enemy first.  He let’s the enemy think that he’s going to win, and then God takes care of it.  So we have the same thing here. 

“…Walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming?”  Now we need not go back and rehearse all the years where we’ve had false alarms, but let’s understand there are going to be many more false alarms.  Because they don’t understand the events leading up to it, so they say “Where’s the promise of His coming?  Why we don’t need the Christ.  Why look, we have this one world government, we have one world religion, we all get along together good.  I’m ok, you’re ok.  We’re able to do everything ourselves.  We don’t need God.  Christ doesn’t need to return.  The Bible is a myth.  The word of God is not true.”  And with the New Age Bible versions and probably with the new One World religion bible that’s coming, it’s going to appear that way.  See because God will let them prosper in their evil until God is ready to deal with them.  That’s why we read there in Romans 9, that’s why God raised up Pharaoh.  And the reason that God blessed Egypt wasn’t because of the worship of their gods, and sun god and all the things that they had.  It was that God was preparing that for the children of Israel.  And I just imagine they thought, “Boy look at all the blessings that these gods give us.”  But remember, the Passover was the judgment against all the gods of Egypt. 

Now they weren’t content with that, notice,  “…for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (vs. 3-4).  They’re going to say that more and more.  Religionists are going to say that more and more.  They’ve continued the same, “And now we’re going to improve on it.  And look at all these nice wonderful people getting together.”

Notice verse 5.  “For this they willingly are ignorant…”  They are.  They are willingly ignorant of “…that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:” (vs. 5-6).  And there is evidence of the flood everywhere in the world throughout all the strata, throughout all the rocks, throughout every geological history you would want to know.  And yet they are willingly ignorant of that.  They ignore that, and they don’t take that as a lesson that God is going to punish the sinners. 

Now you see we also have the verse which says, “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of man.  For they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark.”  And I imagine that they were ridiculing Noah and his sons, thinking that he was some sort of nut.  But when it started raining…and remember Noah was in the ark seven days, a whole week, before it started raining.  And I imagine the people thought, “Boy, ha, look at that fool.  Look, where is the rain?”  See, the wicked rose up and thought they really knew better.  But then it started to rain, and the fountains of the deep broke up.  And it rained, and it rained, and it rained the greatest rain that has ever been, and covered the whole earth to the tops of the mountains by the depths of…I forget the exact amount.  I think it’s 15 cubits as I recall.  No land showing anywhere.  And yet the evidence is in all the rocks all around us.  And willingly ignorant.

Now let’s come back to Matthew 24, and then we are going to see how this “abomination that makes desolate” gets set up, and what it is, and who he is, and what takes place.  Now what is this abomination that makes desolate?  Let’s read that again. 

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place…” (Matt. 24:15).  Now what is that?  Now we know that Daniel prophesied of Antiochus Epiphanies.  That happened.  We also know in Daniel 12…let’s go back there and let’s see what happens with the abomination of desolation, and we will then go to the New Testament and see why and how that it takes place. 

Now let’s begin here in Daniel 12:9, “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the word are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.”  Which means that God has to reveal it.  Now that’s why there are so many false alarms, because men are just not willing to put their faith in God.  They want to speed up the prophecy so they can ask for more money, or they want to slow them down, which ever it is.  But understand this, all the prophecies of God are right on schedule.  Right on time.  There’s no such thing as speeding up or slowing down.  God doesn’t work that way.  He works on time.  Christ came at the set time.  The gospel began to be preached by Christ at the set time.  So likewise the time of the end is going to come at the set time.

Now let’s continue here, verse 10.  “Many shall be purified, and made white…”  And that’s what’s happening to us, that we need to be purified by the Spirit of God.  We need to be made white with the righteousness of the wedding garments, whether they’re for the guest or for the bride.  “…Made white, and tried;…”  That’s why we’re going through the things that we do.  God is going to test your faith.  You say you believe in God?  He’s going to send a test.  You say you trust in Christ?  He’s going to send a test.  You say you believe His word?  He’s going to send a test.  You’re going to be tried. 

“…But the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand…”  So the world won’t understand.  Oh, they’re going to scoff, or they’re going to say, “Where’s the promise of His coming.”  They’re going to say, “Everything has continued since creation.”  They won’t understand.  And when you show them the word of God, they won’t believe it. 

“…But the wise shall understand.”  Now just put in your margin there, Matthew 25, cause there’s the wise virgins and there are the five foolish virgins.  The wise will understand.  Who are the wise?  “Great understanding have they that keep His commandments.”  It’s not going to be given to those who don’t keep His commandments.  It’s not going to be given to those who don’t love God.  Why should God reveal it to those who don’t love Him?  Why should God reveal it to those who don’t have a relationship with Him?  He won’t.  He gives a promise, the wise shall understand.  And even in that, we’re going to see that some of those that have the Spirit of God are not going to fully understand because there’s going to be a difference between those who understand and those who understand partially, and so therefore then it’s going to be a different proposition for them. 

Now verse 11, here it is.  “And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.”  Now if you don’t have the two tapes I did on Revelation 1 and 2, just write for the Revelation series, 1 and 2.  We actually have added many more tapes to it, so we probably have about 18 or 19 tapes to the whole Revelation series, but the two go through and show on a time frame layout when these things take place.  And even at that, even if you can put it out on a graph and show it graphically, remember that is just a conception based on our understanding at a given point.  And we may understand even more in the future.  So what understanding God has given us, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to have more understanding in the future.  But if we’re going to have more understanding in the future we have to be part of the wise. 

Now let’s see what that abomination that makes desolate is going to be.  Let’s go back here to Revelation 13.  Now as we are coming closer and closer to the end, we’re going to be spending more and more time in the book of Revelation.  And as a matter of fact when we get done with all the holy days this year, what you might do is go back and go through them again and listen them, because we will have gone through all the book of Revelation from the time of Passover to the Last Great Day we will have gone through all of the book of Revelation plus all of the other scriptures that tie in with it.  Now is the time to understand the book of Revelation even more.  And here, let’s before we get to Revelation 13 let’s stop by Revelation 1 and let’s understand something here very important.  What I’m going to do, I’m going to read to you out of my translation.  We hope to have the complete New Testament out and ready by the end of the year. 

Now Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who is reading, and those who are hearing the words of this prophecy, and are keeping the things that are written therein…”  Which means heeding all the warnings that are given to the seven churches.  Now remember we went through the seven church harvest leading up to Pentecost.  And if you go through and understand in all the commandments of God are applicable and drawn out of this.  We’ll see there are several sections which refer to those who are the saints of God who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.  So you keep the things that are written there.  Not only keep them but also keep them in mind.  “…For the time is at hand” (Rev. 1:3, AT).

Now let’s go to Revelation 13, and let’s see what is coming upon this world, and the things that are going to take place.  How they are going to happen.  And this is a summary.  Now I know that I have covered this, or I will, I’ll cover part of this when we get to the Feast of Tabernacles and the coming world government, because this applies.  Here now, Revelation 13:1.  “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon its horns ten crowns, and upon its head the names of blasphemy.”  Now this refers to Revelation 17 and the harlot daughters of Mother Babylon. 

“And the beast which I saw…”  Now the reason it is depicted like this is because when you go back to the book of Daniel, each one of these beasts were a different and separate one.  But now they’re all combined together.  And this is what we are having with the coming One World Government, with the United Nations, with all that’s taking place there.  So this is telling us that it’s all going to be amalgamated.  And coming up out of the sea makes it appear that this is a spontaneous thing that people bring about.  But we’re going to see that no it isn’t.  It’s not a spontaneous thing. 

Now notice verse 2,  “And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and its feet  as the feet of a bear, and its mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power , and his throne and his great authority.  And I saw one of his heads as if it were slain to death, but its wound of death was healed; and the whole earth, in complete amazement, followed after the beast” (vs. 2-3).  Now what takes place that is going to cause this wound unto death?  Let me just say this: I believe it’s stopping the sacrifices at the temple.  And then the Jews are going to rise up and they’re going to ambush this man and attempt to kill him.  And then the false prophet will raise him up and he’ll come back to life.  Then he will go stand in the holy place.  That’s when the abomination of desolation will take place, because you see you take away the daily sacrifices, and then the abomination is set up.  Now we’ll see that in just a minute. 

“And they worshiped the dragon…”  That’s what we have today, Satan worship. The One World religious system is Satan worship.  “…Who gave authority to the beast.  And they worshiped the beast saying, “Who is like unto the beast?  Who has the power to make war against him?” (vs. 4).  And you’ll see that when I cover that during the Feast of Tabernacles.  I’m going to cover it in great length.

“Then a mouth was given to him speaking great things and blasphemies; and authority was given to him to continue for forty two months [or 3 ½ years]” (vs. 5).  So when that abomination of desolation stands in the holy place that’s when the last 3 ½ years begin.  That’s when the Great Tribulation is set off.  Now we’ll see how this is done in just a little bit.  We’ll put some other scriptures together.

Now notice, “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.  Then it was given to him to make war against the saints, and to overcome them; and authority was given to him over every tribe, and language, and nation” (vs. 6-7).  An all inclusive one world dictatorship.  We need to understand that.  It breaks down a little later.  But that’s how it starts. 

“Now all who dwell on the earth shall worship him…”  Why will they worship him?  We’ll see in just a minute.  “…Whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.  If anyone has an ear, let him hear” (vs. 8-9).  It’s the only way we’re going to be wise. 

Now let’s understand how this is going to come about.  Let’s come to 2 Thessalonians 2:1.  And this is important for us to realize brethren.  And we need to put all these scriptures together that we don’t be deceived.  We need to hold fast to what the truth is and grow in grace and knowledge in addition to it.  You just can’t stay static.  You just can’t stand still. 

Now here 2 Thessalonians 2:1, “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…”  You can’t have anything more profound in beseeching the brethren by.  “…And by our gathering together unto Him [that is by the resurrection], that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit [because there will be many demonic spirits], nor by word [and that is message or logos], nor by letter [or epistle] as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.”  Now this was happening during Paul’s time.  Already then.  So, can you imagine what’s it’s going to be in the end?  And it’s the Christ they are talking about is going to be a false christ, which we will see here in just a minute.  The true Christ, they will say, “Hah! He’s not coming.” But the false Christ, The Beast, the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition, as we shall see.

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there shall come a falling away first…” (2 Thes. 2:3) Or, the Great Apostasy. There’s the apostasy within the church, which has taken place. There’s the apostasy in the world by rejecting all the true things of God and bringing in all this New Age, one-world religion.