God is Not Happy with the City Systems of the World
God is not happy with man’s city system which lead men away from God. Remember it was the first murderer, Cain, who killed his brother Abel, who is credited with building the first city.
Genesis 4: 16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
After the destruction of the whole world during the flood, we find it was Nimrod, the great grandson of Ham, who was the founder of the new city system. Ham, you may remember, had “uncovered his father’s nakedness,” which is the Old Testament way of saying he had had sex with his father. In Leviticus 18, Moses explains some 15 different sexual relationships that God forbids. He uses the phrase, “thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father,” etc.
Leviticus 18: 6 None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord. 7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
It was Ham’s great grandson, Nimrod who started up the city system after the flood and is credited of being the founder of Babel.
Genesis 10: 10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.
God wanted them to scatter throughout the earth in small agargarian communities. But man, Nimrod in particular, a mighty hunter, convinced mankind to bunch up in his newly created cities under his command. It was under Nimrod that the Tower of Babel was begun. But God was not pleased. As a result we read in Genesis, the book of beginnings,
Genesis 11: 7 Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
God is still not happy with mankind’s city systems which are contrary to way God intended for us to live.
Mankind’s Condition Before the Day of God’s Wrath
A word from Apostle Paul on the condition of man at the time of God’s wrath. We look again at Romans chapter 1.
Romans 1: 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (suppress) the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them…28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: 32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
Surely, the above passage accurately describes the direction the world is headed. We are headed for the wrath of God. A better word for “hold” in verse 18 would have been “suppress,” or “restrain,” or “prevent the development of.” The ungodly restrain their conscience from speaking the truth to them. They bury God’s voice of conscience so it cannot be heard. In 1 Timothy 4:2, Apostle Paul says they will burn their conscience with a hot iron, burning out that still small voice of God, so they can do what that want without that feeling of guilt or condemnation. It reminds me of the verse in Jeremiah.
Jeremaih 6: 15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.
How Long Will the Marriage Supper of the Lamb Be?
From the various verses in the Bible on the last days is it possible to calculate the proposed length of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb? Can we tell how long the specific period called “the wrath of God” will be? Are we able to decifer when the Millennium will actually start? Let’s try to tackle these questions.
In Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus says that he will return to gather together his elect, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days.” In Revelation 11:11 we see the two endtime witnesses have lain dead for 3 and ½ days after their 1260 day prophesying period. We have shown that the 1260 days of prophesying is the same 1260 days of the persecution of the saints by the Antichrist forces, which Jesus called the great tribulation. After 3 and 1/2 days of lying dead in the streets of Jerusalem, the endtime prophets come back to life and rise up in the clouds. Since Jesus said he would gather together his elect immediately after the tribulation and we have shown that the tribulation consists of the trumpets of Revelation 8-10, we can assume that the endtime witnesses are being raised up in the rapture/resurrection event some 3 and ½ days after the official end of the 1260 days of dreadful persecution. When the endtime prophets are killed, the world seems to stop everything and have a holiday, a festival, to commemorate their death.
Revelation 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
Later in the chapter in verse 15 we see that the seventh angel is sounding the seventh and last trump while the angels in heaven are singing.
Revelation 11:15 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.
Obviously, the voices are proclaiming what is soon to come to pass: Jesus’s complete triumphant conquest of the earth. Meanwhile, the rapture/resurrection is taking place as we have seen in Revelation 10:7, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and Matthew 24:29-31.
In Revelation 11:18, we see again that the wrath of God follows chronologically.
Revelation 11: 18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
While the vials of wrath are beginning, as seen in Revelation 16, the rapture/resurrection has taken place. The judgment of the saints at the judgment seat of Christ then takes place. We can estimate that the Marriage Supper of the Lamb including the judgment seat of Christ and the rewards given takes around 30 days.
Where Do We Get the 30 Day Period From?
We will look at Daniel 12 to try to sort out the different time periods of the end. Daniel 12:11 says,
Daniel 12: 11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
We know that the daily sacrÃfice is taken away at the midst of the week, or at the mid-point of the last seven year period, at the beginning of the great tribulation period. We find that information as we have shown before in Daniel 9:27 and 11:31.
Daniel 9: 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (Or seven year period): and in the midst of the week (Or at the 3 and ½ year mark) he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
We see that at the midst of the seven year agreement, the Antichrist breaks the agreement and stops the sacrificial worship and prayer. Now let’s look again at Danile 11:31.
Daniel 11: 31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate.
We see that with military might the Antichrist stops the daily sacrÃfice and places the abomination that makes desolate. The abomination of desolation is the sign which Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24:15 to watch for as the beginning of the Great Tribulation period.
Let’s get back to the verse in Daniel 12:11.
Daniel 12: 11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
We know that the daily sacrÃfice is taken away at the midst of the seven year period which in the Scriptures is often designated as 1260 days or 42 months or time, times, and half a time. But in the above verse we see that from the time that the daily sacrÃfice is taken away and the abomination set up there will be 1290 days. The abomination will be standing or set up for a period of 1290 days, which is 30 days longer than the 1260 days of tribulation spoken of elsewhere.
One conclusion we can draw from the difference in days, 1260 and 1290, is that although the tribulation period is over and the rapture/resurrection event has taken place, the abomination still remains standing in the holy place for another 30 days. Jesus has returned in the sky and raptured/resurrected his children away to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and the Judgment Seat of Christ for 30 days. During that 30 day period the first vials of wrath will be poured out. However, the abomination is still standing. At the end of the 30 day period, the Lord prepares to return with his saints to the Battle of Armageddon. When He returns, He takes away or destroys the abomination of desolation.
How Long is the Rest of the Wrath of God?
The next verse in Daniel 12:12 may give us a clue as to how long the rest of the wrath of God will be, from the time the abomination is destroyed until the Millennium begins.
Daniel 12: 12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.
If people are going to be blessed who live until the 1335th day or 75 days longer than the 1260 days of persecution of the saints, then they must be blessed because the wrath of God is over and the new dispensation of grace, called the Millennium, has begun.
Therefore, the wrath of God will be 75 days long. For the first 30 days, the abomination of desolation will continue to stand in the Holy Place. Afterwards, it will be removed or destroyed by the forces of Christ and his armies from heaven returning for the Battle of Armageddon. It seems the battle and the mopping up exercises to follow to completely dominate the Antichrist and his forces will take 45 days. During that time both the beast (who is the Antichrist) and the false prophet are taken and thrown into a firey lake buring with brimstone. The rest of the Antichrist forces who had worshipped the beast and had received his mark in their forehead or right hand are slain and the fowls are filled with their flesh.
Do We Find a Vision of Fowls Feasting on the Dead Elsewhere in the Scriptures?
Of course, the fowls being filled with the flesh of the dead is found also in another vision of the prophets. Ezekiel has had a similar vision which may indeed be speaking of the same event.
Ezekiel 39: 17 And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord God; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
In a later article I will show that Ezekiel 38 and 39 parallel both Daniel 11 and Revelation 19, but we must not deviate too much at the moment.
Who Are the People Who Will Be Blessed?
Who are the people that will be blessed for living through to the Millennium period? It is not the Antichrist people who received the mark of the beast and worshipped the Antichrist because they are destroyed by the armies of heaven. Neither can it be the Christian believers who were raptured/resurrected at the seventh trumpet. Then who are those blessed people?
The best and only probable solution for the problem seems to be that there are another class of people we have forgotten to mention: the anti-Antichrists. The anti-Antichrists are all those people who have not received the Lord but who have fought against the Antichrist. Neither did they receive the mark of the beast or worship his image. They have been at war with the Antichrist and were not raptured/resurrected as they had not yet received Christ as their Lord and Savior. Some may be the remnant of the Jewish people that Scripture seems to indicate shall be blessed because they resisted and fought the Antichrist forces. Muslim people who would not worship the beast or his image and received not his mark may also be a group of those who will be blessed.
The Millennium and More!
These precious people will be given more time during the Millennium period, a 1,000 year period of heaven on earth, to become true believers. Many passages in the Psalms and in Isaiah speak of the beautiful Millennium period. We will look at one of the most famous from Isaiah.
Isaiah 11: 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
Here is another famous one from Micah.
Micah 4 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.
A New Heaven and New Earth One Day
The believing world does have a bright future ahead. After the Millennium we will one day enter into a period called in the Bible “the New Heaven and the New Earth.” We will finally live with Christ in total harmony and peace. In Revelation we read,
Revelation 21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
In Isaiah we see that God will dwell with men.
Isaiah 60: 19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
Keep the Heavenly Vision
That’s the happy ending and that’s what we need to keep our eyes on. In the book of Hebrews we read how Abraham had the heavenly vision which sustained him through his difficulties.
Hebrews 11: 10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
We, likewise, need to keep the heavenly vision and embrace God’s promises to us.
Hebrews 11: 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
We need to be strangers and pilgrims on the earth. We need to be like Moses who chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. He esteemed being reproached for Christ greater than the riches of the system of his day and so must we.
Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, and is therefore set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus kept His eye on the heavenly vision.
We need to keep our eyes on the heavenly vision. We need to keep the joy of the Lord in our hearts, the joy of knowing Him, the Author and Finisher of our faith; the joy of knowing that He will work all things out for our good, if we keep trusting and loving Him. The joy that He gives us, as we abide in Him, is our strength and will see us through whatever difficulty we may face in the future. By looking unto Jesus, we can endure and rest assured that one day He will say unto us,
Matthew 24: 21 …Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Let us remember the famous words from Apostle Paul who suffered and died for his faith in Rome.
Romans 8: 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Next part on Daniel 8 and the 2,300 days click HERE.
To go back to part one of this article click HERE
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