Last Days Report

 

 

 

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the book, according to their works. (Rev.20)

 

 

Resurrection from the Dead and
Erection of the Kingdom of God

 

A Report by
Helmut Seeger

 

Back to overview

 

 

Contents

Resurrection from the Dead      2

Effects of the First Six Bowls of Wrath      4

The Development of Endtime Events      14

Nature, Place and Extent of the First Resurrection     14

The New Jerusalem is Descending from God out of Heaven to the New Earth     17

The Other Dead Will Not Become Alive Again
Until One-Thousand Years Have Passed!      19

Satan is Freed from Imprisonment to
Tempt Again the People on the New Earth!     19

The Last Judgement      20

Conclusion      20

Comments      21

Appendix      22

 

Resurrection from the Dead

The resurrection of the dead is one of the most discussed topics concerning Biblical prophecy. It is inseparably connected to the mystery of the creation of the world and consequently brings the division of light and darkness to an end. Hopes and expectations are associated with the resurrection and are reflected in man’s yearning for eternal life. Today and also frequently in the past divided Christianity is lacking harmony. The opinions are extremely diverse: The apocalypse expects the „first resurrection“ at the end of the world. The Roman-Catholic church declares that the resurrection has already occurred and dates back to the first centuries of Christianity:

«204 This „Resurrection“ of the martyrs (see Is.26;19) is conceived symbolically as the re-establishment of the church after the persecution by Rome; the „thousand-year-old empire“ thus corresponds to the worldly phase of the Kingdom of Christ from the end of the persecution (fall of Rome) to the Last Judgement (in 2011 pp.). - For Augustinus and later for others the „thousand-year-old empire“ would begin with Christ’s resurrection; the „first resurrection“ would then indicate the baptism.“ (Comment in the Jerusalem Bible).

According to the Catholic unity doctrine the deceased ascends either immediately to heaven or in case of a sinful life descends to „hell“ (= eternally distant from God); or initially to the „purgatory“ the „place of purification“ as the „purgatory“ is officially titled.

In the book „The Great Religions of the World“ we find the following account under the title„The Supernatural Unity of the Church: the Life of Mercy“:

«There is a traditional distinction between the victorious church (= the faithful „in heaven“), the warring church (= the faithful on earth) and the suffering church (= the faithful at the place of purification). These three groups together form the „community of saints“. The unity of these three groups explains the prayer of the faithful on earth to those „in heaven“ with the request for mercy and their prayer and offering for the faithful at the place of purification...» (Catholicism, p. 173)

Under the title, „The Condition of Purification After Death“ we can further read:

«Enlightened by the Holy Ghost, gaining from the Holy Scripture and ancient transmittal of the fathers, the Catholic church on the occasion of holy councils and finally during this general assembly has advised: There is a place of purification and the souls abiding at that place will find help through the prayers of the faithful“, but particularly by the God pleasing altar sacrifice.“ (Der Katholizismus“, / Catholicism, p. 360)

In the Book „2000 Years of Christianity“ the term „Purgatory“ has been defined as follows:

«Since earliest times particularly Indo-Germanic religions have suggested the existence of a place of purification at which the deceased perform penance for their sins. According to the Catholic teaching the intermediate state of the purgatory is the abode at which the souls are redeemed „by the prayers of the faithful“ and specially by the sacrifice of mass. The diocesan catechism describes the purgatory as an undetermined abode where those souls abide that still have to atone for venial sins, thereby experiencing their self-induced separation from God like a burning fire.» („Kirchengeschichtliches Lexikon“, / Dictionary of Church History, p. 924)

The resurrection postulated by the Roman-Catholic church, obviously gaining its concepts about the resurrection of the dead from Indo-Germanic religions as well as ancient traditions, significantly contradicts the Bible. For according to the Revelation of John the resurrection of the dead occurs only at the «end of time when the number of fellow servants and brothers that will suffer death for the word of God and the testimony is complete». John reports:

«And when (the Lamb) 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: They cried with a loud voice, saying, „How long, O Lord, holy and true, do you not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on earth?

And white robes were given to every one of them; and it was said to them, that they should rest for a little while, until the number of their fellow servants also and their brothers that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.» - Rev.6; 9-11.

Having thoroughly explored this subject apostle Paul points out in his letters that the resurrection of the dead is inseparably connected to «the return of Christ» and will occur only «at the sound of the last trumpet»:

«We would not have you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning them which are asleep...For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain until the coming (return) of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.» - 1.Thes.4; 13-17.

«Behold, I tell you a secret; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed; and in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.“ - 1.Cor.15; 51-52.

The «last trumpet» mentioned by Paul is identical with the «seventh trumpet» of the apocalypse as already explained; as we will learn from the following report it will not only initiate the end of this world that is condemned to destruction, but simultaneously the return of Christ, the erection of his kingdom of peace and the resurrection of the dead:

«And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, „The reign over this world has come to our Lord and his anointed; and he shall reign (from now on) as king for ever and ever!»...

And the nations were angry, but your wrath has come, and the time of the judgement of the dead and (the time) of the reward for your servants, prophets, and for the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great; and (the time) of destruction for them that destroy the earth.»

And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of his testament became visible in his temple; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.» - Rev.11; 15-19.

Significant in this connection is indeed the corresponding description of occurring nature events in another vision of the apostle; because lightning, thunder, earthquakes and mighty hail at the «sounding of the seventh trumpet» described by John appear in an even more detailed description at «the pouring out of the seventh bowl of wrath»:

«And the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne saying, «It is done!»

There was lightning, voices and thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake.

And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of this wrath.

And every island fled away and the mountains were not found. 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 them his plague was extremely terrible.» - Rev.16;17-21.

The similar description of catastrophic Endtime events certainly cannot signify that identical nature events at the end of the world will occur twice one after another. Apparently they specifically indicate the time of their effectiveness; because at first «lightning and voices, thunder, a great earthquake and mighty hail» are announced by the sounding of the «seventh trumpet», to then during the pouring out of the «seventh bowl of wrath» simultaneously begin the catastrophic end of the world.

Apart from this the Gospel of Matthew and also the book of Isaiah indicate that at the end of the world «the sun will darken and the moon loose its light» (Matth.24; 29; Is.13; 10); an Endtime prophecy which until now has been difficult to evaluate. Due to modern day’s discoveries in astronomy it is much easier to find a convincing answer. In the GEO edition of August 1995 a treatise on the impact of a comet on the giant planet Jupiter explains how a darkening of sun and moon can occur:

«The next impact will occur with certainty. Debris from space also threatens the earth. Astronomers are searching for an early warning system - and for possibilities to divert the dangerous flying objects from their murderous collision courses.

Scientists are more interested in smaller but more frequent catastrophes in which mighty masses of dust are hurled into the atmosphere and scattered all around the earth. A drastic darkening and cooling would cause a breakdown of agricultural production. Each collision would directly or indirectly destroy a quarter of humanity. This necessitates a space object measuring between 600 metres and five kilometres depending on its composition and speed...“ (GEO - Das neue Bild der Erde“ No. 8/95) (GEO - The New Picture of the Earth“, N. 8/95).

Hagen Fritz Thorgesson writes in P.M. Magazine (P.M. 4/1996)

«The danger of a comet or a meteorite hitting the earth is greater than hitherto assumed. At the worst it can distinguish all life.

At this moment our solar system is flying into a stormy zone in space that is full of other space objects. This has been ascertained by the Professor of Geology, Claude C. Albritton, of the Southern Methodist University in Dallas. The possibility of a collision with straying cosmic objects is therefore growing dramatically. The consequences of such a collision would be a catastrophe; at the worst it would distinguish all life on earth in one blow

When fragments of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet hit Jupiter in June 1994 its atmosphere darkened. The darkness has not yet completely vanished. A Shoemaker collision on earth would have devastating results. It would destroy agriculture and billions of people would starve or freeze to death. Is such a catastrophe really possible? Yes, scientists unanimously warn us, it depends only on the time.»

The threatening danger from space as described in the above reports unmistakably signifies that the cosmic catastrophe prophesied by the apostles and prophets - „Sun and moon will lose their light“ - will be ignited by the feared comet or asteroid collisions.

Effects of the First Six Bowls of Wrath.

Effects of the First Six Bowls of WrathIn view of the expected catastrophic end of the world special significance is given to the before mentioned intermediate remark in the apocalypse (Rev. 16;15), according to which the return of Christ is expected to arrive in the period between the sixth and seventh bowl of wrath, therefore occurring already b e f o r e the pouring out of the seventh bowl of wrath.
For the Endtime community this message is connected to significant consequences; just as the Children of Israel - permitted to leave the country only after the tenth plague - had to endure all plagues that God had wrathfully imposed on Egypt, likewise the Endtime community will also face the consequences of the first six bowls of wrath (Rev. 16; 1-9) already before the return of Christ here on earth. Particularly global environmental and climate catastrophes essentially comparable to the Egyptian plagues have since the end of the seventies of the twentieth century occurred in a to date unknown accumulation of disastrous „century catastrophes“, so that we must assume that the pouring out of the first of the six bowls of wrath is already in full swing as the following events indicate:

«Then I heard a loud voice from the temple call to the seven angels: „Go and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God on this earth!"

And the first angel came and poured out his bowl on the earth; then came terrible and malignant wounds to mankind that carried the sign of the beast and worshipped his image. Rev.16 1-2.

The «malignant and terrible wound» obviously chiefly points out to the immune deficiency «AIDS» initially in 1981 described as an independent disease, an acquired immune deficiency syndrome - a type of sexual epidemic that appeared unexpectedly and unprepared in our unrestrained, morally declined world after the so-called «sexual liberation» (Mt. 24;37

Due to failure of the immune system otherwise rather harmless infections can develop into severe infections, metabolism disturbances and cancer, particularly the generally infrequent Kaposi’s sarcoma, a type of skin cancer (= malignant tumour, visible as disfiguring boils and black ulcers, final stage AIDS

At first specially «homosexual and bisexual men» with frequently changing partners as well as «drug addicts» (by infected needles) were involved. But then also «ordinary unfaithful» for example wives and husbands infected themselves due to risky sexual practice.

In some US cities half of the HIV-positive derive from the section of couples (man-woman-love = heterosexual) (LN-Print, Luebeck 1988).

Difficult to estimate and even less comprehensible is the global development of the AIDS epidemic. World-wide presumably ten million people over half of them in Africa have been infected with the virus. In 145 countries on all continents the disease has already established itself. AIDS does not spare North American Indians nor Australian Aborigines. It affects people in Papua-New Guinea and on the Isle of Tonga as well as in Peru or Surinam. The estimated number of infected in Brazil is presumably one million, half a million in Mexico and in the Caribbean, 1.4 million in the USA. The virus is increasingly spreading in the slums of Third World countries and America (Stern 16/1989).

AIDS does not spare North American Indians nor Australian Aborigines. It affects people in Papua-New Guinea and on the Isle of Tonga as well as in Peru or Surinam. The estimated number of infected in Brazil is presumably one million, half a million in Mexico and in the Caribbean, 1.4 million in the USA. The virus is increasingly spreading in the slums of Third World countries and America (Stern 16/1989

«Aids in South-Africa out of control.
In southern Africa Aids is „out of control“ according to UN experts. The spreading of the epidemic in Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe exceeds even the „most terrifying nightmares“ according to the managing epidemiologist of UNAids, Schwartlaender. In these countries over one quarter of the adults are infected with AIDS.» (Sat. 1 of 10.5.99)

The dpa, (German Press Agency) reported on 2000.10.05: Aids is the most horrifying epidemic since the plague according to leading scientist. Contrary to the general view the extent of the immune deficiency desease is nowadays increasing rather than decreasing , warns Prof. Robert Gallo, one of the discoverers of the Aids Virus, on Wednesday on the occasion of a public function in the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI) in Berlin... "Aids is still very dynamic and unpredictable", said Gallo further. "Aids could even enter history books as the worst epidemic in the history of man. RKI-Direktor Prof. Reinhard Kurth in this year expects 4,5 to 5 million deaths due to Aids world-wide. This makes Aids together with malaria and tuberculosis one of the greatest killers of the infectious diseases ever.

The «deadly immune deficiency AIDS» occurring initially in the year 1979 and described in 1981 as an independent syndrome leads to the inevitable conclusion that the pouring out of the bowls of wrath commenced already in the year 1979 and therefore it is only a question of a few years until the last of the seven bowls of wrath will seal the fate of this world.

«Then the second angel poured his bowl into the sea;
and it turned into blood, like the blood of a corpse
and all living beings in the sea died.» - Rev.16; 3.

The North Sea is no longer able to combat the toxins emanating from one of the densest populated and strongest industrialised regions of the earth. Few decades have sufficed to turn the European sea into the greatest sewer of the world.

Many warnings to save the North Sea have been of no avail. Former animals of the sea were not rescued. At many places only jelly-fish are surviving in the polluted water. The North Sea is dying. The catastrophe predicted since 21 years has surfaced. The multitudinous species of earlier times has either disappeared, been displaced or suffocated. White sand 20 years ago; nowadays a carpet of seaweed that covers the bottom of the sea (FS-Globus „Nordsee“ of 26.6.88), (FS-Globus „North Sea“ of 26.6.88

«Alarm in Rome: The Mediterranean threatens to tip over. Devastating result of a scientific report of the World Bank and the European Investment Bank. The ecology group of the United Nations states why: 430 000 tons toxic sewage and garbage, 360 tons phosphates and 65 000 tons heavy metals are annually dumped into the Mediterranean. Additionally there is the sewage of private households and the agricultural fertilisers and pesticides ...“ (ADAC motorwelt 6/90), (ADAC motor world 6/90

«And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the water springs
then they changed into blood…» Rev.16; 4.

One third of the ground water in Germany is charged with pesticides according to reports of the environmental institute World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)

In France the organisation indicated to the first mutual plant protection report of the countries. Accordingly, the rivers Rhine, Main and Weser are highly charged giving rise to great concern. Unpolluted drinking water provision is seriously threatened.

«Our most valuable raw material is dramatically declining:
Germs are detected in ground water more frequently than before.»

Agriculture is the greatest toxic catapult - in the true sense of the word. A Greenpeace study: „Industrialisation of agricultural production has lead to an unimaginable pollution of land and ground water with agricultural toxins". (Hoerzu-Edition 29/12.7.96

More than half the rivers world-wide are polluted according to a report of the World-Water-Commission.

Particularly highly polluted rivers according to the report are among others: the Yellow river in China, the Colorado in the USA, the Nile in Egypt and the Volga in Russia. (3sat Text of 30.11.99

«The World Health Organisation (WHO) has drawn a dismal picture five years after the ecological summit meeting in Rio. Air pollution has increased world-wide, the water quality has deteriorated and wasteland increased, said WHO member Kreisel in Geneva. Every fourth avoidable disease can be attributed to world-wide ecological destruction. Specifically affected are children in poor countries. Every fifth child in these countries dies before its fifth birthday as a result of deplorable environmental conditions»

Jelzin: «The bitter truth ». Russia is facing an ecological catastrophe. One sixth of the land is contaminated, three quarters of the population has to inhale heavily polluted air and half of the tap water is tremendously polluted. This was discovered by experts who produced a report for President Jelzin. (Sat. 1 of 9.10.1992)

„World-wide there are three billion people threatened by water scarcity. Each year 30 million people die of polluted water“. (ARD of 5.5.94)

«Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun; and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which has power over these plagues: and they did not repent to give him glory.» - Rev. 16; 8-9.

«Since the seventies the ozone layer is disintegrating. For 60 years the „miracle gas“ chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) has been used as propellant in spray cans, as coolant and for foaming of plastics. Nobody suspected how harmful the non-toxic, highly inflammable odour- and colourless „super chemical“ would be for the stratosphere. Already in the beginning of the seventies it must have - unnoticed - come to a disintegration of the ozone layer over the Antarctic. In 1985 scientists spoke of an ozone hole that was measured with the help of research balloons in Corona (Sweden). In 1987 in Montreal 46 countries agreed to cut down the CFC-production by half by the change of the millennium. The ozone hole continued growing freely - and over the Antarctic it is as large as North America (23 million sq. km).

…So far scientists had detected the ozone hole only above the Antarctic. Now this protection shield is also torn above Europe. A hole measuring thousands of kilometres in diameter opens above our heads. The countries affected by this are Norway, Sweden, England, Denmark - and also Germany. Scientists have calculated that the ozone values have decreased by up to 45 percent in these areas. But a bombardment of life-threatening UV-B-Rays has increased to the same extent

Alarming news that induce scientists to make dismal predictions: „If the loss in ozone continues in the densely populated north, and if we are heading towards conditions prevalent in the Antarctic, then only God can help“, said Prof. Dr. Reinhard Zellner (51), owner of the chair for physical chemistry at the University of Essen and Manager of the German Ozone Research Programme. Frankly speaking: The catastrophe is only just beginning.

Experts have been warning about the consequences for years. The deadly UV-B-Rays from which the ozone layer protects us strike the earth with full force. They cause skin cancer to human beings, weaken the immune system and damage the eyes. They destroy protein structures, and impair plant growth. „This can extremely deteriorate our food supply world-wide“, says Zellner. Failed harvests of unsuspected magnitude threaten the world, famines are increasing dramatically. Furthermore, the UV-B-Rays stimulate the greenhouse effect changing our world climate. Radiation kills the plankton of the seas. Professor Zellner: „These tiny particles in the sea are globally the greatest destroyers of carbon dioxide (CO2). If the plankton of the sea dies, the CO2-content (emissions of industry and cars) increases excessively, poisoning mankind.

The result: The greenhouse effect changes our planet into a weather pandemonium. Mighty storms will ravage the earth. Increasing temperatures cause the poles to melt and the world seas to rise. Countries like the Netherlands, Pakistan and island states are threatened with destruction. Flat coastal areas like northern Germany will become uninhabitable…

Over 20 million tons of CFC have already been discharged into the atmosphere. In 30 kilometres altitude, in the stratosphere, the aggressive chlorine (bound as C in CFC) is beginning to destroy the ozone molecules. A single chlorine-atom can destroy many thousands of ozone molecules, dissolve the protective layer.

This layer will decrease dramatically within the next years, says Professor Zellner: „The ozone hole will grow, the maximum expanse has by far not been arrived at.“ The reason for this is obvious: „Scientists expect the densest chlorine concentration up there in approximately 2005“, says Professor Zellner. „The CFC’s take time to rise into the stratosphere, require between 10 and 30 years until they reach and become active.“ This indicates: Most of the ozone killers are still being expected in the stratosphere. (Bild of 1.9.96).

Some negative consequences due to the warming up of the earth atmosphere cannot no longer be prevented by any counter measure according to the environmental research institute Worldwatch: «It is already too late!», according to the latest Worldwatch-Report.

Carbon dioxide pollution of the atmosphere on its own has to date increased the earth temperature by 1 degree Celsius - sufficient to cause major global biological disturbances. Animals, plants, forests and moistlands are affected. (Sat.1-Text of 26.4.92)

Daily warnings: Killing heat-spells in America and southern Europe! Heavy storms in this area! Entire areas under water! Disastrous hurricanes! Rapid melting of polar ice! Ozone alarms are becoming more frequent - a result of the climate catastrophe

Devastation - hurricanes, typhoons and tornadoes: Result of the climate change. The wind velocity around the globe has increased drastically and continues increasing. Hurricane Andrew that raged at a speed of more than 250 km per hour devastated Florida and the Bermudas on 24.8.1992. 20 billion Dollars worth of damage! Two million people had to escape. Dead and injured.

In China 1200 people drowned during a flood catastrophe on 7.7.1995. 26,000 people injured, over 900 000 houses destroyed.

The situation in Germany: From 1880 to 1977 the river Rhine rose above its banks four times. Since 1977 there are so-called „century tides“ about every two years.

Dryness - Deserts are developing in 99 countries of the earth threatening the existence of 900 million people - chiefly in the dry regions of Africa and Asia... In 20 years one third of the surface of the earth will be desert. (HOERZU - August 1995).

«Alarm signals from the Arctic: In vast areas of Alaska, North-West-Canada and Siberia the temperature is increasing. Entire areas are changing their face: Glaciers disappear, forests die, perma frost lands are melting. First responses of global climate change on account of the greenhouse effect?

…Meteorologists measure unusually high temperatures in Alaska - likewise in Canada’s north-west and in wide parts of Siberia - not only since this summer. Since 1960 the thermometer is climbing annually by up to 0.75 degrees Celsius per decade. Conservationists have been warning for a long time that the warming up of the Arctic exceeds three times that of the global temperature rise. „This corresponds exactly to exemplary calculations of climate researchers“, warns Kevin Jardine of Greenpeace Canada, „in the Arctic we observe the most dramatic impact of the greenhouse effect to this day. (DER SPIEGEL 34/1997)

The climate is tipping in the Antarctic! According to a ZDF (German Television)- Documentation (20.11.98) „Where the Icebergs are Melting“ the temperature on the Antarctic peninsula is rising twice as fast as on the rest of our planet. An ice floe of the size of half of Germany is falling apart. Sure sign of climate change! In the past 50 years the temperature has risen by 2.5 degrees compared to globally only 1 degree in the same period. 1 degree difference determines whether the ice remains ice or becomes sea again. Since 1945 shelf ice is receding by about 1 km per year. Suddenly today we observe 15 km as a result of the temperature increase. In five years half of the shelf ice will have melted. Researchers fear that the world seas will rise by six metres, if the ice fields continue to melt. If all the ice of the Antarctic melts, the sea levels will rise by 60 metres.

Warning: „Gigantic ozone hole over Russia:: Researchers have discovered the „greatest ozone hole in the history of mankind over Russia“ writes the newspaper „Obschtschaja Gasjeta“. It has a size of 15 million sq. km. Two thirds of the world’s largest country are thus almost unprotected from ultraviolet radiation.The centre of the ozone hole is located above the central Siberian polar sea city Tixi. The ozone layer here has vanished by 37%. In the west it already reaches the Kola peninsular at the border to Norway. (Sat.1 Text of 29.4.1998)

Climatic Zones Endangered? Global warming is leaving impressions. Scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climatic Results Research recently discovered that the climatic zones have distinctly shifted since 1995, temperatures and rainfalls have regionally dramatically changed. What experts predicted for approximately 2050 has already appeared! Particularly effected are the semi-arid (half deserts) areas. Here rainfalls have become extremely scarce. In this way the deserts in Southern Africa are growing daily by about 100 sq.km. In the tundra areas of North America and Russia the perma-frost-land is melting. Europe is also affected - areas of the western Mediterranean in Spain, Italy, Greece. Changes are also becoming drastically evident in Germany (ARD-Globus, 29.11.2000)

Horrifying media reports impressively reveal that already four of the seven bowls of wrath have been poured out on the earth causing immeasurable damage and will continue to do so in the future. Three bowls are still to come! Contrary to the four first bowls of wrath these chiefly affect world politics. John reports:

«The fifth angel poured out his bowl onto the throne of the beast; and his kingdom was darkened, and they bit their tongues in pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their wounds, and they did not repent of their deeds.» Rev.16; 10-11

The beast on whose «throne the fifth bowl of wrath» was poured out is known to us from today’s analysis of history. It is identical with the «seven-headed beast» that John saw coming out of the sea. (Rev. 13)

Arising out of the «Sea of People» it appeared at first as the «League of Nations» after the First World War. Since the League of Nations did not fulfil mankind’s expectations «to maintain world peace» and 20 countries had withdrawn from the organisation it sank into the «abyss» when the Second World War broke out only to re-emerge as the «United Nations» at the end of the war.

Considering this explanation it should not be difficult to recognise the assembly of the United Nations in the «throne of the beast» - a world forum in which almost all countries of the world have a seat and a vote; naturally also the East European countries who have united to form the „Warsaw Pact“ under the lead of the USSR are now all likewise affected by the breakdown of the Soviet empire.

How concretely the historical predictions of the apocalypse have fulfilled themselves in the meantime due to the recent dramatic events in European history, how surprised the world forum of the UNO was by the exceedingly quick and completely unexpected development of global political events, and how the communist leaders of the former Eastern Bloc countries, whose empire was suddenly darkened, «bite their tongues in pain» on account of the radical changes are substantiated impressively by the following leading article in the daily press.

The Frankfurter Rundschau of 21.8.1989 states:

«The world will witness of one of the most dramatic course of events in contemporary European history. In a to date unimaginable speed a group of countries is falling apart that for decades considered itself as being a monolithic system in conformity with the natural law of the future: the «Eastern Bloc» or the «socialistic camp» is falling apart. Certainly it is not exaggerating to state that this downfall also signifies the end of the very ideology that was the only accepted creed in the empire of «real socialism.»

In the Sueddeutsche Zeitung of 21.9.1989: «An ideology resigns» Christian Schütze writes:...

«...How must the members of the central committee of the Polish communist labour party have felt when they, grinding their teeth, after a long debate consented to Jaruzelski’s proposal that a Catholic public affairs commentator and prominent opponent of communism should henceforth lead the government....In the Republic of Poland the communist president new no other alternative but to propose a convinced Catholic as head of government

The departing of communist parties from their self-bestowed leadership roll has, in view of its failure in this role, gained dramatically in speed; it is irreversible. If sometime later we should recall what was the most important event in the second half of the 20th century, we will not remember the landing on the moon, but the decline of a militant ideology that once appeared to be close to conquering the world.»

Obviously the Western world has not been spared by the «fifth bowl of wrath» as „Stern“ author Heinrich Jaenecke expresses in his report of 2.2.1992: «Outcome of an exciting year»

«The changes slapping the world are unlimited. Nothing is as it was before, nothing will be the same tomorrow as it is today. To speak of a «crisis» would be glossing over: We are in the middle of a global change and nobody can predict where we are going and where it will end. Only one thing is certain: The wheel of development is turning with high speed and the speed continues to increase.

We believed then that what we experienced would be an end - the end of division, threat and confrontation, the end of an abnormality at least. But in reality it was a beginning: the beginning of a dissolution. The dissolution of structures and securities in which we lived and thought, they were without doubt uncomfortable securities, but at least they were securities. This is the irrevocable past. Division, threat and confrontation have remained only in another form. We have stepped into an era of disintegration. The epicentre of the quake is in the East. A drama is taking place in front of our eyes that has no equivalent in European history: the disintegration of an empire and its supporting ideology without exterior influence of violence, until now without interior rebellion, not in the course of generations or decades but in a single second of the world. As if struck by lightning something collapsed that presumed it was made forever, for the future of mankind - an implosion, that would affect the entire planet earth...

The dissolution of the greatest country of the world makes the winner shiver, because what else can develop from it but chaos and innumerable uncontrollable conflicts, not considering the destruction of world economy. America is shivering as it senses the symptoms of the dissolution itself.»

«And the sixth angel poured out his bowl
into the great river Euphrates». -
Rev.1612.

Now the second-last of the seven bowls of wrath «fulfilling God’s wrath» is following the fifth bowl of wrath darkening the „empire of evil“ and causing dramatic changes in the world. It was poured «into the great Euphrates river» starting the horrifying wars at the Gulf that were announced in advance by two trumpets (see annex 1a):

• Invasion of Kuwait by the fifth trumpet;

• The subsequent Gulf War by the sixth trumpet.

Invasion of Kuwait or the first woe.

«And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven onto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth; and to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.» - Rev.9;1-3.

To replenish his cash balance that was depleted by the Iranian war, Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait, the wealthy neighbour and spiritual brother. For «five months» his whipped up soldiers terrorised the nation, completely looted the sheikhdom and turned the oil fields of Kuwait into a flaming inferno without reflecting on the catastrophic ecological consequences, so that for months «the smoke from the bottomless pit» polluted the air, the land and darkened the sun. (Rev.9; 21).

John compares the exhausted invading army with a locust plague. Contrary to normal locusts, the «Iraqi locusts»

«who had been empowered like otherwise only scorpions on earth“, were entitled to, „harm neither the grass of the earth, nor all the green, nor the trees, but only humans that didn’t have God’s seal on their forehead.

Further they were instructed not to kill the people but to torture them for five months; and the torture should be equal to a scorpion stinging a human being.“ - Rev.9; 4-5

The postulated time of «five months» precisely corresponds to the lifetime of normal locusts that entirely strip vast areas of crop during May to September.

It is fascinating to experience how Biblical prophecies fulfil themselves in history. As we can learn from the following invasion report not many lives were lost during the occupation of Kuwait, neither was there any damage done to the grass of the earth, nor to any green, nor to the trees. Only the people were gruesomely tortured by Saddam Hussein for a period of «five months».

«In the morning of the 2nd August at two o’clock when Iraqi tanks crossed the Kuwait border only two battalions were fully armed. These 24 tanks were fully equipped with tank destroying missiles, fragmentation bombs, machine gun ammunition, spare parts and fuel; the others with minimum load, and some even without any ammunition at all. This enabled the lightly loaded vehicles to approach Kuwait City with a speed of 80 km per hour leaving the heavily loaded tanks to break any resistance activities. There was no resistance! As expected the Kuwaiti armies did not meet with any resistance whatsoever at the border. It was only after the Iraqis reached Kuwait City that a few courageous defenders attempted to stop them. The result was disastrous. Neither the Kuwait air force nor the marine played any part. The best pilots of the air force (and there were not many of them) drove to the base and started their machines. Probably more inspired by intelligence than by heroism they flew to Saudi Arabia to prepare themselves for a conter-blow

The tiny marine of the country was not participating at all. They owned approximately twenty patrol boats that were used to protect Kuwait from smugglers (...) So the marine remained in the harbour, the air force flew away, and the army resisted merely symbolically, if at all. Everything went as the Iraqis had planned

Sheikh Fahd was the only hero in this matter. When the first Iraqis arrived he together with a few members of the guard stood on the top of the palace staircase to block the invadors’ path at gunpoint. One of the Iraqis shot him dead on passing by...

In the city itself very few individual attempts of bravery were to be noted. Some army units exhibited energetic resistance before they were mowed down by the superior fire force of the Iraqis. Seven hours later all was over. Kuwait was completely occupied by the invaders, the government disappeared, the armed resistance suspended, and the airport closed.“ („Saddam’s War“ Rowohlt Verlag GmbH, Reinbeck b. Hbg. 1991, p. 171-173).

In John’s report we can further read:

«In those days human beings will search for death, but unable to find it: they will yearn to die, but death will run away from them.»- Rev. 9; 6.

Whosoever followed the terrible events in Kuwait knows what brutal terror the people were exposed to «for five months».

Particularly the North American and European citizens suffered from the psychological terror of Saddam Hussein. They were used as hostages and living protection shields for Iraqi chemical-, ammunition- and military bases and dragged from one strategic base to the next in a true odyssey. Those involved later explained: „Worst was the uncertainty. When will this waiting be over? You have a feeling as if they have forgotten you. How long will you still live? And for what?...“. A young man held hostage in the former GDR-Embassy warns the Germans at home (....) they should not overestimate the bearing capacity of the hostages. No matter whether they are locked in an apartment, in a hotel room or - abducted as „protection shield“ - at an isolated place. Some are about to lose control, he said, and with each day there will be more. „If we are still here at Christmas, there will be suicides.“ (stern)

Thanks finally to massive pressure of the world public and personal intervention of renowned politicians with Saddam Hussein for immediate release of all hostages, they were released and enabled to leave the crisis area before the Gulf War broke out.

«The first woe is passed; and behold still two more woes come thereafter.»
Rev. 9; l2.

 

The Gulf War or the Second Woe:

«The sixth angel sounded the trumpet; and I heard a voice from the four corners of the golden altar that is before God; saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet: Release the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
And the four angels were released which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were many thousand times thousand; and I heard the number of them.»
- Offb.9; 13-16.

While the first woe was limited to five months there is no such time limit for the second woe. But beginning and end of the second woe are defined by two very concrete historical events: It will begin with the outbreak of the Gulf War on the 17th Jan. 1991 - a time resolved by the UNO «exactly to the hour and the day and the month and the year» and it will end with a «great earthquake» that will shake the world to its foundations.

The duration of the second woe is not dependent on the end of the Gulf War, nor on the Near East crisis, but is chiefly determined by the activity of «two Endtime prophets» who will predict by divine order for «twelve-hundred and sixty days». Only after they have completed their testimony and have been «overcome in battle and slain by the beast that emerges from the abyss» the time has arrived for also the «second woe» to pass. (Rev.11).

According to the apocalypse many thousand times thousand (Luther) soldiers will partake in the «second woe»; from this we can conclude that there may be over two million, some Bible interpretations say even two hundred million soldiers.

The total strength of soldiers that participated in the Gulf War was approximately two million soldiers. But as the second woe is not yet completed with the end of the Gulf War particularly since the «two witnesses of God» have not openly emerged the approximate number of soldiers is difficult to enumerate.

This naturally also applies to the third part of mankind that will be killed by the fire during the second woe, and by the smoke and by the brimstone that will issue from the lion’s mouth of the crimson, yellow brimstone and jacinth blue war-tanks robed horses. (Rev.918).

„In the last eight years according to a parliamentary report over 1.8 million people have lost their lives due to the Gulf War, the embargo and military criminal acts, almost one quarter of them being children under five years.

Approximately 430,000 children are victims of this politics according to the official broadcasting agency (INA) with reference to the Minister of Health, Umid Midhat Mubarak. Child mortality rose by four times since 1990. At that time 24 deaths were reported in 1000 births, today there are 98.

The Minister announced these figures on the eighth anniversary of the beginning of the war on 17th January 1991.“ (3sat Text 17.1.99)

In the further course of the Apocalypse John furthermore envisioned that after the pouring out of the sixth bowl of wrath.

«the great river Euphrates dried up and prepared the way
for the kings of the East.»
(Rev.16; 12).

In Biblical times it was the Persian King Kyros who came from «where the sun rises». He dried up the Euphrates, conquered Babylon and freed the Jews after 70 years from „Babylonian imprisonment" (Ezra 1; Is.41; 25; 45;1; Jer.25;11-12; 29;10.

According to the Nabonidus chronicle, Ugbaru, the governor of Gutium, and the army of Kyros entered Babylon without battle on the 16th day of the month of Tishri (12th October, 539 BC). As reported by Herodot (1.189-191) they had rediverted the Euphrates and, in a surprise attack, invaded the city along the dried up river bed. Seventeen days later Kyros himself entered the city and appointed Gubaru 3 as governor of Babylon and the region beyond the river.

After the digression into the History of Persia, we are faced with the difficult problem to find out who the counterpart of Kyros is, who in the time of the end symbolically dried up the Euphrates and «prepared the way of the kings of the East»? Certainly not an easy task, particularly as this can only be solved literally. In view of the dramatic changes in the world initiated by the sudden breakdown of the Eastern Bloc and their decisive importance for world history, only Michail Gorbachow, president of the USSR, can be the eligible «counterpart of Kyros»; as it does not matter how Kyros dried up the Euphrates and conquered the supposedly insuperable Babylon, likewise also Michail Gorbachow as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU „dried up the swamp of the Marxist-Leninist ideology“ that was also considered insuperable. In less than seven years in government he not only shattered Lenin’s state that terrorised Russia and its neighbouring countries for generations, conquered half of Europe and threatened the entire world, but through his politics of Glasnost and Perestroika and particularly on account of his non-intervention policy during the Kuwait crisis and the Gulf War, he initiated the chain reaction of liberation that swept over eastern Europe. In addition he liberated all citizens between Elbe and the Pacific Ocean from a monstrous Gulag. Dissolving the Warsaw Pact, he made it possible for the Eastern Bloc countries to shake off socialism and turn to a democratic government. (Der Spiegel)

As Kyros in his time returned freedom to the Jews after 70 years of Babylonian imprisonment, Gorbatchow by abolishing Lenin’s decree of „atheism by government law“ restored religious freedom not only to the Christians but to the entire Eastern Bloc after 70 years. On the XIXth Union Conference of the CPSU he explained: „I also wish to mention such an important subject as the freedom of conscience. It is given top priority today in view of the one-thousand-years old existence of Christianity in Russia. We do not conceal that we consider religious philosophy as non-materialistic and non-scientific. But this doesn’t justify contemptuous behaviour towards the religious world and the faithful, nor by any means using administrative pressure of any kind to enforce materialistic views. Lenin’s decree concerning the division of government and church as well as the division of school and church that was passed seventy years ago has provided a new basis for the relationship between them... All faithful independent of their religion are fully legitimate citizens of the USSR. („Michail Gorbatchow“ Gondrom Verlag, Bindlach 1989)

«And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and the mouth of the beast and the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of the devils, doing miracles and going out to the kings all over the world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God, the Almighty.»- Rev. 16;13-14.

After Gorbatchow, the counterpart of Kyros, has paved the way out of the socialistic camp for the Eastern Bloc population, and even the Gulf War was unable to diminish the hope for an end to the long lasting rivalry between East and West and the expectancy of an imminent new world order, George Bush as well as Michail Gorbatchow were optimistic in being able to establish out of their own absolute power the long yearned for everlasting peace and a new world order.

For the sake of a „new world order“, according to President George Bush at the opening of the Near East Conference in Madrid, the USA went to war in favour of the oil sheikhs of Kuwait against Iraq’s bloodthirsty aggressor Saddam Hussein.

In a report about the national situation George Bush emphasised on the 29th January 1991 that: „For the first time after the Second World War the international community is unified. The leading role of the United Nations, at one time merely a desired ideal, today confirms the vision of its founders... The world can therefore use this opportunity to realise the since long promised new world order".

During the summit meeting in Washington in May 1990 Michail Gorbatchow excitedly explained: „Today’s generation may witness the beginning of an irreversible era of peace in the history of civilisation.

Since the rulers of global politics are not able to recognise the bright light of the gospel, especially as the God of this world has blinded their senses (2 Cor. 4;4), their plan, characterised by scientific materialism, to create a new world order of peace and welfare without God and Christ is condemned to failure from the start according to the words of the psalmist: (2. Cor.4; 4).

«Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, „Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us!"

He that sits in heaven shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then he shall speak in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure: „Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion"

I will declare the decree: the Lord has said to me, „You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. Ask of me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel".

Be wise now therefore, you kings: be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Respect the Son that he may not be angry, and you may not perish on your path! as his wrath is kindled easily. Blessed are all that trust in him.». - Psalm 2

 

The Development of Endtime Events

Acknowledging the extensive information meanwhile collected on the basis of innumerable Biblical facts, it should certainly be of particular interest after the pouring out of the sixth bowl of wrath to extend our knowledge also to the development of Endtime events:

Following the comprehensive philosophical discussion between scientific materialism and Christianity - that lead to an incessant decline of world missions and a dramatic lapse from Christian faith particularly after the Second World War - we initially expect the return of Christ after the pouring out of the sixth bowl of wrath and the end of the greatest tribulation ever

«For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even as far as the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other - Matth.24; 27-31.

«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 judges and makes war....and his name is called The Word of God...

And I saw the (seven-headed) beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.And the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that did miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of the fire burning with brimstone.And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse and that proceeded from his mouth. (Epheser 6; 16-17). - Rev. 19; 11-21.

Then Satan, after he and his angels had been thrust out of heaven down to the earth upon losing the battle will be tied for a thousand years and thrown into the abyss «that he may not deceive any more the heathen (nations) until after the completion of a thousand years»

«And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little while» - Rev.20; 1-3.

 

Nature, Place and Extent of the First Resurrection.

Only after Satan has been tied and cast into the abyss for a thousand years, the first resurrection will occur:

«And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and they were given to judge: and I saw the souls of them those were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.

This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that had part in the first resurrection: on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. - Rev. 20

According to everything that we have discovered, the following two groups will obviously partake in the «first resurrection»:

1. The martyrs under the altar (Rev.6; 9), those «that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the word of God» who were given white robes and asked «to wait for a short while until also their fellow servants and their brothers, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled». Rev.6; 9-11; 20; 4.

2. «Those that had not worshipped the beast, nor his image, nor received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands» - Rev.20; 4.

The first group without doubt consists of these dead:

a) from Abel to John the Baptist those were slain for the word of God;

b) those were slain for the witness of Jesus since the time of Stephanus (Ap.7; 59) to the formation of the League of Nations.

While there are hardly any doubts as far as the first group, «that was beheaded for the witness of Jesus and the word of God» is concerned, it is slightly more difficult to obtain a picture of those «that did not worship the beast and his image». Concerned are predominantly Christians that neither believed in the deceitful slogans of their scientific materialists nor in the deceitful doctrines of the false prophets (Rev. 13; 11-18), and as reward for their unwavering persistence (Matth. 24; 13) were already prior to «the damaging of the earth, the sea and the trees, marked with the seal of the servants of God on their foreheads». (Rev. 7; 2-3

A parallel to the «sealing of the religious Israel that was redeemed with the blood of Jesus Christ out of all kindred and tongues, out of all people and nations» (Rev. 5; 8-10) can by the way be found in the prophecy of Ezekiel in which a man dressed in linen was asked by God «to put a sign on the foreheads of all people in Jerusalem complaining about the atrocities happening among them» so that they may be saved from the subsequent judgement that God had imposed on Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 9).

The children of Israel that had painted the door posts of their houses with the «blood of the Lamb» before leaving Egypt were also under the protection of God and thus saved from the strike of the firstborn. (2. Mos. 12).

More illuminating details about the nature, extent and place of the resurrection of the dead can be obtained from various other Biblical reports transmitted by the apocalypse:

«Now I looked: and saw the Lamb standing on mount Scion and with him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having his Father’s and His name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the one hundred and forty-four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb wherever it goes. . These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits for God and for the Lamb and in their mouth no lies are found; they are without fault.» - Rev. 14; 1-5.

Obviously these „one hundred and forty-four thousand", «having the name of the Lamb and the name of his Father written on their foreheads» and singing a new song in front of the throne of God and the four beings and the elders“ are identical with the «sealed one hundred and forty-four thousand», that on earth had been sealed on their foreheads. (Rev. 7; 1-8

John saw not only the «one hundred and forty-four thousand, that had been redeemed from among men as firstfriuts for God and for the Lamb», stand in front of the throne of God, but in one of the earlier visions he speaks of a large crowd consisting of all nations and tribes, people and tongues, «that nobody could count» that also stood in front of the «Throne of God»:

«I saw a great number which nobody could count of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stand before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. They cried with loud voices: «The salvation is with our God who sits on the throne and with the Lamb!»

And one of the elders answered, saying to me, «Who are these that are dressed in white robes and where have they come from?». I answered him: «My Lord you know it». Then he said to me: «These are they which came 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 sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger and thirst no more, neither shall the sun burn them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them to living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.» - Rev. 7; 9-17.

This large crowd of all nations and tribes, people and tongues, «that cried with loud voices: The salvation is with our God, who is sitting on the throne, and with the Lamb!», obviously does not belong to the «sealed one hundred and forty-four thousand». But as they followed the call of God in due time and already «left the sinful Babylon during the tribulation and washed their clothes white in the blood of the Lamb», they will also partake in the «first resurrection» and «stand in front of the throne of God», that is at the «crystal (or glass) sea», that according to Revelation (4; 6) is in the vicinity of throne of God. John writes:

«And I saw something like a crystal (or glass) sea, mixed with fire, and I saw those that conquered the beast and his image and his name of number, stand by the crystal sea, with harps (in praise) of God in their hands. They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb with the words: «Great and wonderful are his deeds, Lord, Almighty God! just and true are his ways, you King of Nations! Who should not fear (you), Lord, and not praise your name? As you alone are holy. Yes, all people will come and worship you; as your judgements are revealed.» - Rev. 15; 1-4

The reference made to «the song of Moses» that the singers sang at the sea of glass is very revealing as it clearly makes a connection to the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt and certainly should also point out to the fact that the «first resurrection of the dead» is generally speaking comparable to the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt; because like Moses and the Israelites sang a song of victory in praise of the Lord after crossing the sea of reeds (2 Mos. 15) also the triumphant over the beast and his image will sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and also the song of the Lamb «at the sea of glass».

This striking resemblance between the singers at the sea of reeds and the singers at the sea of glass moreover reveals how «God’s nation» will reach the new world; just like Noah and his family reached the new world through the waters of the deluge, and the Israelites miraculously crossed the sea of reeds on their way into the holy land, the partakers of the first resurrection will also miraculously (1 Cor. 15; 50 ff.) overcome the primeval sea to the new world where they will reign as kings and priests together with Christ for a thousand years. (Rev. 20; 4):

«And when it took the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden bowls full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they (the saints) sung a new song, saying, your are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and we shall be kings on earth.» - Rev. 5; 8-10

 

The New Jerusalem is Descending onto the New Earth
Out of Heaven from God

The explanation: «we will be kings on earth», that is conveyed to us here in a slightly unusual manner by means of the «prayers of the saints» gives rise to the question on which earth they will reign as kings and priests of God and Christ for a thousand years together with Christ?

Obviously this question causes certain difficulties for the different religious communities depending on their faith. Some erroneously assume they would reign from heaven over this earth. Others, however, wrongly assume that they will reign as kings and priests here on a renewed earth. But after giving it some consideration, it should not be so difficult to find the right answer. Especially since Jesus has indirectly given us the answer himself. Before ascending to heaven he consoled his disciples as follows:

«I am leaving to prepare for you a place; and when I have gone and have prepared for you a place I will return and will take you with me that you may be where I am».

This statement that is utterly transparent clearly confirms that «the elected» will by no means have to wait in a remote place in some kind of atmosphere far away from this earth until paradise has been re-established. This opinion as advocated by the church contradicts the words of Jesus who exactly explained to his disciples immediately before he ascended to heaven that he is leaving to prepare a place and will return to take them with him, so that where he is they also will be. (Matth. 24; 31). Thus this place cannot be here on this earth but exclusively on the new earth, that - as we know - is identical with the «primeval earth» of the first day of creation. An absolutely logical conclusion; particularly since John envisioned that the holy city, a new Jerusalem, descended out of heaven from God onto this «new earth». Prepared as a bride adorned for her bridegroom, a city shaped like a cube whose enormous sides measure at least 2.200 km (more than the distance from Berlin to Moscow), equal in length, width and height; a city so large we can barely imagine it on this earth, especially as it is independent of the sun and the moon for light; for «night will be no more and a lamp is also not needed in this place»:

«And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, «Come here, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.» And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Having the glory of God: and her light was like a the most precious stone, like a crystal clear jasper stone. And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

And he that talked with me (the angel) had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. The city forms a square and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs (= 2.200 km); the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, one hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. (1 cubit is approx. 0.5 m). - (...) And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God lightens it, and the Lamb is its light. The nations shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And there shall in never enter anything that is impure, neither whatsoever works abomination or makes a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life...

And there shall be no more curse there; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be on their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light; and they shall reign for ever and ever.

And he (the angel) said to me: „These words are faithful and true; and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show to his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly; blessed is he that keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.» Rev. 21; 9-27; 22; 3-7.

John’s description plainly states that the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb pertain to the kings and priests of God and of Christ who constitute the „foundation“ of the new Jerusalem and will participate in the first resurrection. Whereas the names of the twelve tribes of Israel are certainly in lieu of those slain for the word of God prior to Christianity from Abel to John the Baptist. And the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, that are written on the twelve foundation stones of the wall of the new Jerusalem apply to those that suffered death for sake of the testimony of Jesus, as well as those who neither followed the fatal deceptions and lies of false prophets, nor trusted the deceitful promises of the political powers, but remained truthful in their faith in God and Christ until the end despite of all contestations.

Finally , what will the first resurrection look like? This is convincingly explained in detail in John’s first letter to the Corinthians:

«But some man will ask: «How are the dead raised up, and with what body do they come?»...It is sown a natural body, a spiritual body is raised. There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body.

And so it is written: «The first man, Adam, was made a living soul», the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. However, it was not the first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy, the second man (namely Christ) is of heavenly origin.

As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy (Adam), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly (Christ).

Now this I say to you brothers that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.

Behold, I tell you a secret; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible body must put on incorruption, and this mortal body must put on immortality. So when this corruptible body shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal body immortality, then shall be fulfilled the saying that is written: «Death is swallowed up in victory: Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?» The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ» - 1 Cor. 15; 35-57.

«But the other dead did not become alive,
until a thousand years have passed.»

The information given in the apocalypse is frequently very brief. Therefore great care must be taken when arranging all the described and partially simultaneously occurring incidents into an overall view of events.

When describing the first resurrection, John incidentally remarked that, «The other dead did not come to life again until a thousand years have passed». Certainly a very brief explanation but nevertheless of particular significance because it gives a clue as to what happened to all the other dead that have died since the beginning and had no chance to participate in the first resurrection; people that lived before and after the birth of Christ to whom the Gospel of the Kingdom of God had never been preached; or young children and minors that died under age and the psychologically handicapped that are unable to make any decisions or to understand the message of the Gospel. There must be billions of people that have populated the earth during thousands of years, that one thousand years after the first resurrection will be awakened to life again. John describes them as «nations at the four corners of the earth, whose number is like the sand at the ocean» and writes:

«When one thousand years have passed, Satan shall be freed from prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters (the ends) of the earth, the Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and encircled the camp of the saints, and the beloved city. Then fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever» - Rev. 20; 7-10.

 

Satan will be freed from imprisonment after a thousand years,
to deceive again the nations on the new earth.

Finally we are also informed about what to date appeared a big secret: From where do the numerous nations come from after the one thousand year long reign of Christ that are deceived by Satan and that he gathers to fight against the camp of the saints and the beloved city? Generally, it has been assumed that everything will occur on a renewed earth. A wrong conclusion which has only lead to unrealistic and diffuse interpretations.

According to John’s description the nations deceived by Satan moved to the breadth (plateau) of the earth and encircled the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But since according to our knowledge the new Jerusalem will descend from heaven to the «new earth» we logically have to assume that «the other dead, that will become alive again after a thousand years», will also experience their resurrection on the «new earth». Because where else could they, «whose number is as the sand of the sea», move to the breadth (plateau) of the earth and encircle the camp of the saints and the beloved city! Certainly not on our by far too small, old earth that was destroyed by fire, but only on the «new earth», the dimensions of which we cannot even imagine.

John’s report doesn’t give a clue whether the total number of those people that will become alive after a thousand years will let themselves be deceived by Satan or whether there is a group among them that in view of the paradise (Matth. 8; 10-12; Luke. 13; 28-29) refuse to follow Satan. As the case may be; it is absolutely certain that those that become alive again after a thousand years and follow Satan will be consumed by the fire out of heaven.

One question remains unanswered: Will the deceived finally partake in the Last Judgement? Presumably all the dead, of whom is said, that they will not become alive again until a thousand years have passed, will appear before the Last Judgement, but with the exception of those that already partook in the first resurrection and over which the other death has no power.

It is now that all people will be judged according to their deeds. Among them presumably also the dead that were deceived by Satan and consumed by the fire.

And whoever is not listed in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire, in the second death, in which already dwell the devil, death and hell, as well as the seven-headed beast and the false prophet.

Und wer nicht im Buch des Lebens verzeichnet ist, wird in den Feuersee geworfen, in den zweiten Tot, in dem sich dann bereits der Teufel, der Tod und das Totenreich befinden, sowie das siebenkOepfige Tier und der Luegenprophet.

 

The Last Judgement

«And I saw a great, white throne and him, that sat on it;
from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away,
and there was found no place for them anywhere».

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books, according to their works.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were all judged according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the sea of fire.

This is the second death, the sea of fire; and who was not found written in the book of life was cast into the sea of fire. Rev. 20; 11-15;

Those written in the book of life will, after the Last Judgement, live for ever on the new earth, in paradise:

«And John saw no temple in the holy city of Jerusalem: for the Lord God Almighty is their temple and (also) the Lamb. And the city has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God lightens it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it. And its gates shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.

And there shall never enter into it anything impure and nobody that abominates or lies, but only those which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. On either side of the river half way between it and the streets of the city stood trees of life bearing twelve types of fruits and yielding fruits every month; and the leaves of the trees heal the nations». Rev. 21; 22-27; 22; 1-4

C O N C L U S I O N

«Then I saw another angel flying high above in the midst of heaven who had to truthfully announce Christ’s everlasting message to all people on earth, and all tribes, tongues and nations. And he exclaimed with a loud voice: Fear God and worship Him! As the hour of his Judgement has come; And worship him, who has created heaven and earth, the sea and the water springs!

«And the Spirit and the bride say: «Come!» And let him that hears say, «Come!»
And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will,
let him take the water of life freely!»
Offb 21; 17.

· · · · ·

Literature:

1 Das Grosse Bibellexikon, Bd.1. S.131 R.Brockhaus Verlag Wuppertal, Ausg.: 1987

2 Das Grosse Bibellexikon, Bd.1. S.160 R.Brockhaus Verlag Wuppertal, Ausg.: 1987

3 Darius der Meder ist mit Gubaru, Statthalter von Babylon gleichzusetzen,

John C. Whitcomb, Darius der Meder, Bibel & Gemeinde - 1980/3, Waldbronn 2

4 Der Neue Brockhaus, 3.Auflage, Bd.3, S.464

5 Das Wissen des 20.Jahrhunderts, Bd.3, S.355, herausgegeben vom

Institut fuer Bildung und Wissen, KOeln-Rheda-Salzburg 1959

6 Altertuemer, Flavius Josephus, Fourier Verlag Wiesbaden - I.Band, Buch XI, S.4

7/8 Das Wissen des 20.Jahrhunderts, Bd.3, S.355 s.o.

9 Geschichte Israels, J.Bright, Duesseldorf 1966, S.437-443

10 Bertelsmann Bildungsbuch, S.1347

11 Das Wissen des 20.Jahrhunderts, Bd.4, S.635 s.o.

12 Der Neue Brockhaus, 3.Aufl., Bd.4, S.93

13 Grosses Konversationslexikon, 1905, 6.Aufl., Bd.9, S.77

14 Enzyklopaedisches Lexikon - Mannheim 1974, 9.Aufl., Band 11, S.619

15 Das Wissen des 20.Jahrhunderts, Bd.1, S.954 s.o.

16 Meyers Enzyklopaedisches Lexikon, Bd.9, S.289

17 1871 Berlin Paris, Reichshauptstadt und Hauptstadt der Welt, S.30, Pierre-Paul Sagave

17a Hubertus Prinz zu Loewenstein, DEUTSCHE GESCHICHTE;

Sonderausgabe fuer Gondrom Verlag GmbH & Co. KG,

Bindlach 1990 © 1976 by F.A. Herbig Verlagsbuchhandlung Muenchen Berlin

18 Das Wissen des 20.Jahrhunderts, Bd.6, S.296 s.o.

19 Meyers Enzyklopaedisches Lexikon, Bd.24, S.662

20 Das Wissen des 20.Jahrhunderts, Bd.6, S.296 s.o.

21 Verlagshandlung der Anstalt Bethel, 1922

22 A HISTORY OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS; WALTERS; Oxford University Press,

Ely House, London W 1, 1950

23 J.F.Rutherford: "Licht" Bd.2, S.91, Internationale Bibelforscher-Vereinigung Wachtturm

Bibel- u.Traktat-Gesellschaft, (Magdeburg 1930)

24 "Gott bleibt wahrhaftig", S.272, Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, Inc.

(Brooklyn, New York, USA) Deutsch 1948

25 J.F.Rutherford: "Licht" Bd.1, S.208 und 210, Internationale Bibelforscher-Vereinigung Wachtturm

Bibel- u.Traktat-Gesellschaft, (Magdeburg 1930)

26 "Dann ist das Geheimnis Gottes vollendet" S.317, Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft

Deutscher Zweig, e.V. Wiesbaden 1970

27 "Die Offenbarung - Ihr großartiger Hoehepunkt ist nahe!" S.167 und 169,

Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft Deutscher Zweig, e.V., Selters/Taunus 1988

28 "Babylon die Grosse ist gefallen!", S.454/455, Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft

Deutscher Zweig, e.V. Wiesbaden 1965

29 "Dein Koenigreich komme", Anhang S.188/189, Wachtturm Bibel- und Traktat-Gesellschaft

Deutscher Zweig, e.V., Selters/Taunus 1981

30 DIE BIBEL, Copyright © 1975 bei Andreas & Andreas, Verlagsbuchhandel, Salzburg (S.418/419)

31 Die erste Schoepfung - Noah, Jakob Kroeker, © 1958 by Brunnen-Verlag, Giessen (S.45 u. 50)

32 Juedischer Glaube, Herausgeber Kurt Wilhelm, C.A. Koch's Verlag Nachf., Darmstadt (S.233/234)

33 PM-Magazin, Heft 5/1980

34 Steven Weinberg "Die ersten drei Minuten" © R.Piper & Co. Verlag, Muenchen 1977, (S.24)

35 Steven Weinberg "Die ersten drei Minuten" © R.Piper & Co. Verlag, Muenchen 1977, (S.55/56)

36 Ideen des exakten Wissens, Heft 11/1968 (S.15)

37 Steven Weinberg "Die ersten drei Minuten" © R.Piper & Co. Verlag, Muenchen 1977, (S.152)

38 Peter v.d. Osten-Sacken "Die neue Kosmologie", 2. Auflage 1976 Copyright © 1974

by Econ Verlag GmbH, Duesseldorf und Wien (S284/285)

BUECHERVERZEICHNIS:

• Cambridge Enzyklopaedie der Astronomie, Bertelsmann Lexikon-Verlag, Guetersloh 1978.

• "Daniel Staatsmann und Prophet", Brunnen-Verlag, Giessen 1967, 4. Auflage, Jakob Kroeker.

• Das Bertelsmann Bildungsbuch, C. Bertelsmann Verlag, Guetersloh 1956/58, 7. Auflage.

• Das Grosse Duden-Lexikon, Bibliographisches Institut AG, Mannheim 1969, 2. Auflage.

• "Das lmperium der Paepste", Werner Classen Verlag, Zuerich 1977, Hans Kuehner.

• "Der Katholizismus" aus: "Die grossen Religionen der Welt", 10 Baende, 1973

Deutsche Uebersetzung, Edito-Service S.A., Genf, George Brantl.

• Der Neue Brockhaus, 1958/59 F.A. Brockhaus, Wiesbaden, 3. Auflage. 1973/75

F.A. Brockhaus, Wiesbaden, 5. Auflage.

• "Die Erben Roms" , Econ Verlag GMBH, Duesseldorf-Wien 1967, Lizenzausgabe, Rudolf Poertner.

• "Die Kirche lebt - Der Weg der Christen durch zwei Jahrtausende", Oncken Verlag,

Wuppertal u. Kassel 1978, 3. Auflage, Guenther S. Wegener.

Dr. Gerhard Maier, "Der Prophet Daniel", Wuppertaler Studienbibel

© 1982 R. Brockhaus Verlag Wuppertal)

• "2000 Jahre Christentum", Lizenzausgabe 1983, Manfred Pawlak

Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Herrsching,

• "Kosmos plus minus", Ehrenwirth-Verlag, Muenchen 1971, Peter von der Osten-Sacken.

• Lexikon zur Bibel , R. Brockhaus Verlag, Wuppertal 1960, 2. Aufl. der Volksausgabe 1973

• Meyers Enzyklopaedisches Lexikon , Bibliographisches Institut AG, Mannheim 1971/79, 9. Auflage.

• Meyers Grosses Konversations-Lexikon, Leipzig und Wien 1902/O9,

Bibliographisches Institut, 6. Auflage.

• Neues Grosses Volkslexikon, Fackelverlag G. Bowitz GMBH, Stuttgart 1979

• Reader's Digest Universallexikon, Verlag Das Beste GMBH, Stuttgart-Zuerich-Wien.

• "Realienbuch fuer den Arbeitsunterricht", Ausgabe A, Nr. 101, L.Kahnmeyer u. H. Schulze.

• Die Bibel, Andreas Verlag, Salzburg 1976, Hrsg. Sr. Dr. M. Prager OSB/

Univ.-Doz. Dr. G. Stemberger.

 

A P P E N D I X   1

In the Book „The Church Lives - The Path of Christians in Two Thousand Years“ (pp. 66) -Guenther S. Wegener illuminates the historical background responsible for the extremely abominable and shameful history of evolution of the blasphemous „Trinity Doctrine:

«…This entirely changed position of the church is reflected very clearly in the differences in thought concerning Christ in the so-called Aryan war. ...The differences have become more serious, resistance has grown. The waves of excitement reach far into the West. The church is again in danger of being split. This time the chief question concerns Christ.

To top it all a third party emerged between the Aryans and the followers of Athanasius. They were soon labelled „the orthodox“. This party is situated in the middle but slightly closer to Arius and is based essentially on the ideas of Origenes. Its leader is the before mentioned Eusebius, and this party is by far in the majority within a short time.

These things do not for long remain unnoticed by the emperor and make him immensely uneasy. For him a divided and arguing church is of no use. To attain his goals he requires a unified, strong church that supports him. So he considers it the right time to intervene. He calls for a synod. It is the first of the so-called emperor synods. They were to remain a determining element for the fate of the church during the first eight hundred years. As venue for the synod Constantine chooses his own palace in Nicaa in Bithynia. It is the year 325.

A surprised world witnesses a brilliant spectacle: Over 250 bishops go on a journey paid for by the government. They reside in Nicaa and assemble in the palace of the emperor. Then followed the most extraordinary thing: The emperor himself in splendid vestments displaying all the lustre and glory of his regiment assumes chairmanship. Anybody who questions the outcome of the synod in view of this radiant appearance is to be pitied: This synod will decide according to the emperor’s commands. And it certainly does.

By the way, Constantine displays admirable patience and serenity despite the unpleasant things happening behind the scenes. The pious gentlemen are not too shy to deviously slip all kinds of papers and letters to the emperor in which they with all their might slander their opponents. But Constantine demonstrates that he is a great monarch: He has the defamatory letters burnt without uttering a single word.

Since the followers of Eusebius, that is the before mentioned „middle party“, constitute the majority, the tip of the scales started tilting seriously towards Arius during the synod. The emperor for whatever reasons is not fond of this development and puts his foot down: Athanasius is right! And that’s it…

The situation is not quite as easy as Constantine thought it would be for him to settle religious controversies. By merely exiling Arius the disagreements are by no means resolved. On the contrary his followers continue to fight even more fiercely. With all possible diplomatic wit they stick behind the seriously ill Constantia, the emperor’s sister. They actually achieve a resumption of the proceedings and this time a new synod is called up after Tyrus. Now the entire dubiousness of the emperor synods is revealed: This time Constantine decides in exactly the opposite way, the same procedure as in Nicaa takes place, only this time with reversed signs. This time Athanasius is exiled and Arius is reinstalled in his office with all honours. Of course Arius is not supposed to enjoy this unexpected favour of the emperor any more. He is nevertheless invited to the palace once and is most graciously accepted but, back on the road, he breaks down showing all signs of poisoning and dies in a public convenience. Details about the background of this sudden death are unknown. Perhaps one of the emperor’s officers believed that this was the quickest way to solve religious questions?

In short, the circumstances of these two synods are shameful examples of the methods with which serious theological questions were to be tackled. During both councils the most detestable methods were employed: slander, false testimony, unfair charge, intrigue, dismissal, exile, murder. All this is used as offensive means by Christian bishops that court the emperor’s favour. Arius spends the majority of his time in office in exile. Athanasius is also exiled from his native place totally five times.

These events are all the more distressing, since the Aryan controversy is in fact the central element of Christian doctrine and Christian confession. The impression arises as if one wanted to solve questions with courtly intrigue and brutal authority that on the contrary should have been resolved in stillness and spiritual concentration by listening to the testimony of the bible. Around the middle of the fourth century it appeared as if Aryanism would finally become the faith of the Catholic church. Only in the year 381 the last decision is made, this time under emperor Theodosius in Constantinople, and this time irrevocably in favour of Athanasius and with this of the Nicaanean faith. The plots hatched in the meantime and the mean violence practised is so disgusting that one gladly abstains from wanting to know any details. Noteworthy is merely that Aryanism prevails for a long time after the synod of Constantinople in particular under the East Germanic.»

 

A P P E N D I X    1a

The pouring out of the bowls of wrath by seven angels. Rev. 15; 1-16; 21*)

The sequence of the bowls of wrath runs exactly parallel to the sequence of the trumpets. Initially John again envisions a prelude in heaven, and after a transition uninterruptedly the first six visions of the Judgement and after an intervention the seventh Judgement. Apart from this similar set-up the key-words in the sequences are also strikingly identical and are space-printed in the following table:

 

 

 

Visions of the Trumpets

8,2 Introduction to the angels of the trumpets.

8,3-5 Prelude in heaven: Relation of the angels of the trumpets.

8,6 Transition to the visions of the trumpets.

8,7 First trumpet: Hail and fire are cast
o n t o e a r t h.

8,8-9 Second trumpet: A thirds of
the s e a turns into b l o o d.

8,10-11 Third trumpet: A third of
the r i v e r s   a n d   s p r i n g s   turn
into vermouth.

8, 12 Fourth trumpet: One third of the s u n
and the stars darken.

9,1-12 Fifth trumpet: Locusts
d a r k e n   the sun causing
s u f f e r i n g   to mankind.

9,13-21 Sixth trumpet: The four angels
at the  E u p h r a t e s   are untied.

10,1-11,14 Connection: The communities
in the courts.

11,15-19 Seventh trumpet:  l i g h t n i n g s,
v o i c e s,   t h u n d e r,   e a r t h q u a k e s,
h a i l.

12,1-14, 20 Appendices.

 

Visions of the Bowls

15,1 Introduction to the angels of the bowls.

15,2-8 Prelude in heaven: Relation of the angels
of the bowls to the new song of the victorious.

16,1 Transition to the visions of the bowls.

16,2 First bowl: It is being poured out
o n t o   t h e   e a r t h

16,3 Second bowl: The   s e a  
turns into  b l o o d.

16,4 Third bowl:  r i v e r s   a n d  
s p r i n g s   turn into blood.


16,8-9 Fourth bowl: The  s u n   scorch the people
with fire.

16,10-11 Fourth bowl: The kingdom of the beast
darkens, mankind s u f f e r s.


16,12-14, 16 Sixth bowl: Is poured out on
the g r e a t   r i v e r   E u p h r a t e s  

16,15 Interruption to the community
in the courts.

16,17-21 Seventh bowl:  L i g h t n i n g s,
v o i c e s,   t h u n d e r,  
e a r t h q u a k e s,   h a i l.

17,1-22,5 Appendices

*) Source: «The Revelation of John second part, explained by Adolf Pohl, Wuppertaler Studienbibel, R. Brockhaus Verlag, Wuppertal, p. 170»

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© Helmut Seeger