HOW THE SIXTH CHURCH ANTICIPATES THE SEVENTH The relationship between the sixth and seventh stages of the Church seems unique. In all of the chapters dealing with the sixth Church, the sixth Seal, and sixth Trumpet, there are fingers pointing forward to the seventh or last stage of the Church. This is likely because the Time of the End begins in the sixth stage and continues into the seventh. Even though the seventh introduces many new things, it must also…
THE FIFTH TRUMPET continued VERSE 10 “They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months.” THEY HAD TAILS LIKE SCORPIONS . . . TO HURT MEN FOR FIVE MONTHS: The tail of the scorpion is the part containing the stinger. The tail symbolizes the LAST PART of something. The point here is that, if the Sardis period had to rely on the Lollard’s to keep up the work, it…
THE FIFTH TRUMPET continued As stated in our last post, the Renaissance was blossoming; people were reasoning; they would love to be free. Hence: VERSE 6 “In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.” IN THOSE DAYS MEN WILL SEEK DEATH: “Men” (nominal Christians) will seek death (separation from Papacy) — a repudiation of their lives as Roman Catholics. They were tired of serving an…
THE FIFTH TRUMPET continued VERSE 3 “Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.” THEN OUT OF THE SMOKE LOCUSTS CAME UPON THE EARTH: Here again we can learn through a comparison with the Egyptian plagues. “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and…
THE FIFTH TRUMPET In short, the Fifth Trumpet details how the truths brought forth by Wycliffe and his followers successfully caused commotion in the world of Papal teachings. The result was that many WANTED to be free from Papal domination but could not accomplish that freedom yet. It had to wait for the days of Luther. Revelation Chapter 9 VERSE 1 “Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was…
THE FIFTH SEAL continued. Revelation Chapter 6 VERSE 11 “Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while (A MICROCHRONOS) longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” SARDIS A.D. 1371 is as obvious a date in the history of John Wycliffe as A.D. 1160 is in the history of Peter Waldo. In…
THE FIFTH SEAL continued. Revelation Chapter 6 VERSE 11 “Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” THEN A WHITE ROBE WAS GIVEN TO EACH OF THEM: This is a repeated (and thus important) symbol in Sardis. These white robes were promised to the…
THE FIFTH SEAL continued. Revelation Chapter 6 The entire section of Revelation 6:9-11 requires some deductive reasoning. On the surface these verses might well seem to imply that those under the altar must rest UNTIL the completion of the suffering of all the members of the Church. But this conclusion is absurd to all who have studied prophecy and who realize that the beginnings of judgement and pay-back to Babylon DO NOT AWAIT the completion of the Church. But how…
THE FIFTH SEAL Revelation Chapter 6 VERSE 9 “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.” WHEN HE OPENED THE FIFTH SEAL, I SAW: This picture, as we shall see, takes place at the END of Sardis. The John class can look back and see the results of the age. They can see that many faithful saints…
Revelation Chapter 3 VERSE 1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” AND TO THE ANGEL: “The angel of the fifth Church was John Wycliffe, an extraordinarily talented man of great zeal and learning. He was a student at Oxford during the great plague years….