Good morning,

The resurrection changes everything. This week we look at Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and post resurrection happenings.

He is Risen Matthew 28:1-10

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.² And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.³ His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:⁴ And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.⁵ And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.⁶ He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.⁷ And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.⁸ And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.⁹ And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.¹⁰ Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.”

Jesus said He would rise again after 3 days. He did. We must always believe the word of God.  It seems that the women were surprised. Then with fear and great joy they went to tell the other disciples. Then Jesus confirms to them He has risen. Furthermore, that they would see Him in Galilee.

Why do we doubt? We have the Bible with eye witness accounts of all that happened to Jesus from His miraculous birth, His horrifying death, His resurrection, His visual resurrected appearance, and His ascension to heaven.

The disciples’ lives were completely changed after the resurrection. Timid and weak turned into bold and strong. They turned their world upside down for Jesus.

Are we impacted by the resurrection of Jesus?

We will see what happens to the disciples next time.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

The resurrection changes everything. This week we look at Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and post resurrection happenings.

Jesus Death (John 19:14-30)

“And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!¹⁵ But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. ¹⁶ Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.¹⁷ And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:¹⁸ Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.¹⁹ And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was Jesus Of Nazareth The King Of The Jews.²⁰ This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.²¹ Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.²² Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.²³ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.²⁴ They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.²⁵ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.²⁶ When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!²⁷ Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.²⁸ After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.²⁹ Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.³⁰ When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

The chief priest and religious rulers fulfilled prophecy when they called for Jesus to be crucified. Jesus had to go to the cross, on our behalf, to become sin for us. He paid the penalty for our sin, death.

Where were all His disciples? They all fled except John. Even God the Father forsook Jesus. So if Jesus did this for us, why is it that we forsake Jesus? We fail to follow His directives found in the Bible. We put other things ahead of our relationship with Him. We need to repent and ask Jesus’ forgiveness. Jesus promised, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Jesus is Buried (John 19:38-42)

“³⁸ And after this Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus.³⁹ And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound weight.⁴⁰ Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.⁴¹ Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid. ⁴² There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day; for the sepulcher was nigh at hand.”

Jesus is dead. The Roman soldiers knew it, Pilate knew it, and Joseph of Arimathea knew it. Prophecy again was fulfilled. Isaiah 53:9 states, “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.” Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man. Jesus was buried in a rich man’s tomb.

There had to be a death and burial to have a resurrection. However, if there had only been a death and burial, Jesus would be no different from any other religious leader.

Tomorrow we look at the resurrection.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning, 

Our Heaven, our glory, and our portion! 

(James Smith, “The Love of Christ! The Fullness, Freeness, and Immutability of the Savior’s Grace Displayed!”) 

Play Audio!  Download Audio 

“I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far!” Philippians 1:23 

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am!” John 14:3 

We shall be forever with Christ! 

Now, we have to mourn His absence. Now we exclaim, “O that I knew where I could find Him!” But He has provided something better for us–even to dwell forever in His presence, which will constitute our Heaven, our glory, and our portion! 

O with what rapture shall we fix and feast our eyes upon Him, and how will the thought that we are to be forever with Him, thrill through our souls, and open ten thousand gushing streams of unutterable delight and joy! O with what joy shall we hear Him say, “Come, you who are blessed of my Father!” 

The presence of Jesus will . . . 
  dissipate all gloom, 
  disperse all slavish fears, 
  chase away all darkness, 
  free from all pain, 
  deliver from all sorrow, 
  preserve from all sickness, 
  raise us above all temptations, and 
  fill us with unspeakably glorious joy. 

Here on earth, we may be cast down, for the way is rough and our trials are many. Here we may mourn the absence of our God, but the love of Jesus will soon rescue us, and we shall be received into His presence to abide forever! 

To be with Christ, to be with Christ forever–this comprises all that we now desire, and all that we can wish! 

“And so we will be with the Lord forever!” 1 Thessalonians 4:17 
 
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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

Where are you going? 

(Charles Orr, “How to Live a Holy Life”) 

LISTEN to audio!  Download audio 
(You will find it helpful to listen to the audio above, as you read the text below.) 
 
We have only one life to live–only one! Think of this for a moment. 

Here we are in this world of time, making the journey of life. Each day we are farther from the cradle, and nearer to the grave! Solemn thought! 

See the mighty concourse of human lives; hear their heavy tread in their onward march. 
Some are just beginning life’s journey, 
some are midway up the hill, 
some have reached the top, and 
some are midway down the western slope. 

But where are we all going? 

Listen, and you will hear but one answer, “Eternity!” Beyond the fading, dying gleams of the sunset of life–lies a boundless, endless ocean called Eternity! There, you and I are daily traveling. 

Time is like a great wheel going its round. On and on it goes. Some are stepping on, and some are stepping off. But where are these latter stepping? Into eternity! 

See that old man with bent form, snow-white locks, and tottering steps–his has been a long round, but he has reached his end at last. 

See the middle-aged man–-his round has not been so long, but he must also step off. 

See the youth–he has been on only a little while, but he is brought to the stepping-off place. He thought his round would be much longer. He supposed that he was just getting started–when that icy hand was laid upon him and the usher said, “Come, you have made your round, and you must go!” 

The infant that gave its first faint cry this morning, may utter its last feeble wail tonight! 

And thus they go. But where? Oh, where? ETERNITY! 

If you were to start today and ask each person you met the question, “Where are you going?” and, if possible, you were to travel the world over and ask each one of earth’s inhabitants–there could be but one correct answer, “Eternity!” 

“Oh, eternity, Long eternity! 
 Hear the solemn footsteps of eternity!” 

Only one life to live! Only one life–and then we must face vast, endless eternity! We shall pass along the pathway of life but once. Every step we take, is a step that can never be taken again. 

This world is not a play-ground–or a place to trifle with time. 
Life is not given us to squander nor fritter away. 
To trifle away time, is indeed, to be the greatest of spendthrifts. 
If you squander a dollar, you may regain it; but a moment wasted, can never be regained. God gives us all the time we need to accomplish all that He purposes us to accomplish–but He does not give us one moment to trifle away. 

We have only one life to live–only one! 

“So teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 

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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

“…Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30b) 

That was the question for the jailor of Paul and Silas. The answer.  “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.34 And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” (Acts 16:31-34) 

Why do we need to be saved? 

WE ARE SINNERS 

What is sin? Disobedience to God.  

Genesis 2:16-17 God tells Adam,” And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:¹⁷ But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” 

Genesis 3:15 records Adam’s disobedience. “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” This sin has been passed down to all generations. 

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12) 

 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”(Romans 3:23) 

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10-12) 

 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.“ (Romans 6:23) 

GOD LOVES SINNERS 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) 

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) 

The Gospel: What Christ did for us 

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-7) 

WHAT WE MUST DO 

Repent  

“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” (Mark 1:15) 

“And they went out, and preached that men should repent.” (Mark 6:12) 

“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3 and 5)  

Believe in Jesus Christ 

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 13:6) 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)   

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) 

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12) 

Pray and ask Jesus Christ into your life (Sample prayer) 

Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I repent (identify specific sins to God) of my sins and ask you to be my Savior and Lord. Thank you for taking away my sin debt and giving me eternal life. Amen. 

Eternal Security 

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:11-13) 

Please pray to receive Christ right now.  

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

Reader, let me ask you a very important question 

(James Smith, “Is It Possible?” 1856)  Play Audio!  Download 
 
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 
 
Reader, let me ask you a very important question. I do so in love. It is a solemn and plain question, but do not be offended at its plainness. Receive it, consider it, and reflect upon it: 
“Do you believe it is possible, that you may go to Hell?” 
 
That many go to Hell, cannot be doubted. 
That Hell is a dreadful place, cannot be questioned. 
That many are now on the road to Hell, is as clear as daylight. 
That few are sufficiently concerned to escape from Hell, is very evident. 
 
Do you believe it is possible, that you may go to Hell? You, who, perhaps never entertain a thought of doing so? The very supposition is alarming, is it not? But may not any sinner go to Hell? And are not you a sinner? If any sinner may go to Hell, and you are a sinner–why then, may not you go there? 
 
What if you should? 
 
Yet, it is not only possible, but certain that you shall go to Hell, unless you experience a very great change. For “unless a man is born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” 
How many go on as careless, as thoughtless, as indifferent about their souls–as if they thought it was impossible for them to go to Hell. 
 
There is John Jones, the weaver. He has read the New Testament, he has heard the gospel, he knows that he has an immortal soul. But he never prays, he very often spends his Saturday nights at the ale-house, and he lies late in bed on Sunday mornings. Week after week he goes on like this. He has no care for his own soul, or the souls of his wife and children. He knows that he must die. He professes to believe in Heaven and Hell, but he acts just as though he never thought for one moment, that it was possible for him to go to Hell. Indeed, he troubles himself so little about God, or his soul, or eternity, that it appears that the thought has never entered into his head! 
 
Roger Thomas, the blacksmith, knows all the news of the village. He talks much. He reads some. He swears often. He loves his pipe and his beer. He goes to church now and then on Sunday; but if you mark his conduct, listen to his conversation, and notice his spirit–you will be led to conclude that he never asks himself the question, “Is it possible for me to be sent to Hell?” No, no! He has too good an opinion of himself to even suppose such a thing. He has no idea that God would ever treat him so harshly as that. What, send him to Hell? If so, what would become of most of the people in the parish! “No, no, God is merciful,” says he. He intends to repent by and bye. When he comes to his death-bed, then he will pray, read his Bible, and make his peace with God. Thus he . . . 
  flatters his own pride, 
  deceives his own soul, 
  and secures his own damnation! 
 
Reader! Do you believe it possible that you may go to Hell? 
 
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 
Many will say to Me on that day: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 
Then I will tell them plainly: ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'” Matthew 7:21-23 
 
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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

Once saved, always saved! 
 
(Arthur Pink) 
 
“They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their works. 
 They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work!” Titus 1:16 
 
I have met many people who profess to be Christians, but whose daily lives differ in nothing from thousands of non-professors all around them. 
 
They are rarely, if ever, found at the prayer-meeting, 
they have no family worship, 
they seldom read the Scriptures, 
they will not talk with you about the things of God, 
their walk is thoroughly worldly, yet 
they are quite sure that they are bound for Heaven! 
 
Inquire into the ground of their confidence, and they will tell you that so many years ago they accepted Christ as their Savior, and “once saved, always saved” is now their comfort. 
 
There are thousands of such people on earth today, who are nevertheless, on the Broad Road that leads to destruction, treading it with a false peace in their hearts and a vain profession on their lips! 
 
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14 
 
[Editor’s note: The audio at the top of the page, will further explain Pink’s excerpt.] 
 
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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

How bad will the Tribulation period be? What does God’s word say about this time? We will look at the Seal, Trumpet, and Vial judgements. Each set of judgements gets worse. This is why you or your family members do not want to go through the Tribulation. It is a time of God’s judgement. 

How to avoid the Tribulation 

We are in the end times. The next event on God’s prophetic calendar is the rapture. First Thessalonians 4:16-18 says: 

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:¹⁷ 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.¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”  

First Corinthians 15:51-52 says: 

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 

Are you ready? Have you trusted Christ to be your Savior and Lord?  

John 3:16-18 tells us what God did, what we must do, and the consequences of our decision. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” 

Believe on Jesus right now. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning,

How bad will the Tribulation period be? What does God’s word say about this time? We will look at the Seal, Trumpet, and Vial judgements. Each set of judgements gets worse. This is why you or your family members do not want to go through the Tribulation. It is a time of God’s judgement. 

SEVEN VIALS 

(1) Revelation 16:1-2. The first vial causes giant sores on those who rejected Christ and instead accepted the mark of the Beast, signifying their worship of him. 

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. 

(2) Revelation 16:3. The second vial is poured out on the sea, turning it “to blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.” 

And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. 

(3) Revelation 16:4. The third vial turns the rivers and other sources of water to blood (an especially just judgment because the people remaining had killed so many Tribulation saints). 

And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 

(4) Revelation 16:8-9. The fourth vial will intensify the sun’s heat until ungodly men blaspheme the name of God. 

And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. 

(5) Revelation 16:10-11. The fifth vial will cause darkness to cover the throne of Antichrist and his entire kingdom. The sores will continue unrelentingly, producing such agony that men will gnaw their tongues for pain and blaspheme God and refuse to repent. 

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. 

(6) Revelation 16:12-16. The sixth vial sends lying demon spirits out to the kings of the whole world to bring them down to “the battle of that great day of God Almighty,” more popularly known as the Battle of Armageddon. 

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 

(7) Revelation 16:17-21. The seventh vial results in a judgment of Almighty God that destroys the entire world system and judges all unsaved men severely. But even though enormous hailstones fall, the unregenerate still refuse to repent. This judgment is so devastating that it prepares the world for the coming of Christ to set up His earthly kingdom. 

And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19 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 unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.21 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 the plague thereof was exceeding great. 

Tim LaHaye, No Fear of the Storm, (Multnomah, Sisters, OR; 1992), pp. 51-57   

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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

How bad will the Tribulation period be? What does God’s word say about this time? We will look at the Seal, Trumpet, and Vial judgements. Each set of judgements gets worse. This is why you or your family members do not want to go through the Tribulation. It is a time of God’s judgement.

Seal, Trumpets, and Vials 

Book of Revelation 

SEVEN SEALS 

(1) Revelation 6:1-2. Christ opens the first of the seven-sealed scroll, and the rider on the white horse (probably Antichrist) appears, using diplomacy and the promise of peace to establish his one-world government.  

And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.  

(2) Revelation 6:3-4. The second seal introduces a great world war.  

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.  

(3) Revelation 6:5-6. The third seal begins the suffering of famine and inflation (the aftermath of war).  

And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.  

(4) Revelation 6:7-8. The fourth seal results, as do all wars, in death, but in this case it totals one-fourth of the people and living creatures. By today’s population standards, that would amount to one-and-a-half billion people.  

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.  

(5) Revelation 6:9-11. This passage introduces the martyrdom of those who are converted under the preaching of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses described in chapter 7. An innumerable number of people receive Christ and are martyred by the government leader and harlot (the religious system described in chapter 17), who gets her power from the Antichrist. Note that evangelism during this period is back in the hands of the Jews. Since the church is absent, the 144,000 apostle-Paul-type believers will make powerful evangelists.  

And when he 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:10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.  

(6) Revelation 6:12-17. This sixth seal exhibits the wrath of God poured out in the form of a mighty earthquake, the like of which has never been experienced. It is so severe that people call on the rocks to fall on them.  

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?  

(7) Revelation 8:1-6. The seventh seal introduces the Seven Trumpet Judgments, ending the first quarter of the Tribulation period and preparing for an even worse period called the “day of His [God’s] wrath.”  

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 

SEVEN TRUMPETS 

(1) Revelation 8:7. The first trumpet judgment results in one-third of all trees and green grass being burned up by hail, fire, and blood cast upon the earth.  

The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.  

(2) Revelation 8:8-9. The second trumpet sees a great mountain of sulfur falling into the sea and destroying a third part of the sea and all living creatures in it and a third of the shipping vessels. Think of The Poseidon Adventure multiplied times one-third of all the world’s ships!  

And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.  

(3) Revelation 8:10-11. The third trumpet causes a great star (or meteor) called Wormwood (or “bitter”) to fall on the fountains of water and third of rivers to turn bitter, resulting in the deaths of millions.  

And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.  

(4) Revelation 8:12. The fourth trumpet results in one-third less sun, moonlight, and stars, extending the darkness of night.  

And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.  

(4a) Revelation 8:13. A special angel flies around the earth, warning that worse judgments are to come.  

And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!  

(5) Revelation 9:1-12. The fifth trumpet introduces hideous demon-like creatures such as scorpions and locusts out of the bottomless pit. Not able to kill men, they torture them so badly that they “will seek death and will not find it.”  

And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.2 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.3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.6 And in those days shall men seek death and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.  

(6) Revelation 9:13. The sixth trumpet introduces two hundred million horsemen (demon spirit-like death angels), who kill one-third of the people. This will occur between the fortieth and forty-second month of the first part of the Tribulation, which brings to 50 percent the population that is destroyed by God before the midpoint of the Tribulation. These individuals have taken the mark of the Beast and are considered incorrigibles. Since estimates of upwards of a quarter of those living at that time still be saved under the preaching of the 144,000 mentioned in Revelation 7:9-10,  

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.”  

it is possible that 75 percent of the population 25 percent by martyrdom) will have been destroyed during the first half of the Tribulation period.  

Now do you understand why I say that even a mid-Tribulation view of Christ’s coming for His church would mean enormous suffering to millions of believers’  

It seems much more reasonable, particularly in the light of His promises to save His church from the “wrath to come,” that He would have His church from the “hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world.” That would certainly be characteristic of our loving, merciful, forgiving heavenly Father and Bridegroom. The saints who are martyred during the Tribulation are not part of the church. They are defined in Revelation 7:14 as “the ones who come out of the Great Tribulation, and [have] washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”  

“And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,” (Revelation 9:13)  

(7) Revelation 11:15. The seventh trumpet judgment introduces the awesome events described in chapters 12-18 and the most severe set of judgments yet reported, the Vial Judgments.  

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. 

SEVEN VIALS 

(1) Revelation 16:1-2. The first vial causes giant sores on those who rejected Christ and instead accepted the mark of the Beast, signifying their worship of him. 

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.2 And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. 

(2) Revelation 16:3. The second vial is poured out on the sea, turning it “to blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.” 

And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. 

(3) Revelation 16:4. The third vial turns the rivers and other sources of water to blood (an especially just judgment because the people remaining had killed so many Tribulation saints). 

And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. 

(4) Revelation 16:8-9. The fourth vial will intensify the sun’s heat until ungodly men blaspheme the name of God. 

And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. 

(5) Revelation 16:10-11. The fifth vial will cause darkness to cover the throne of Antichrist and his entire kingdom. The sores will continue unrelentingly, producing such agony that men will gnaw their tongues for pain and blaspheme God and refuse to repent. 

And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. 

(6) Revelation 16:12-16. The sixth vial sends lying demon spirits out to the kings of the whole world to bring them down to “the battle of that great day of God Almighty,” more popularly known as the Battle of Armageddon. 

And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. 

(7) Revelation 16:17-21. The seventh vial results in a judgment of Almighty God that destroys the entire world system and judges all unsaved men severely. But even though enormous hailstones fall, the unregenerate still refuse to repent. This judgment is so devastating that it prepares the world for the coming of Christ to set up His earthly kingdom. 

And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. 19 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 unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.21 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 the plague thereof was exceeding great. 

Tim LaHaye, No Fear of the Storm, (Multnomah, Sisters, OR; 1992), pp. 51-57   

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Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com