Dear Brethren,

The Countdown to the return of Jesus Christ will be complete when the last trumpet sounds. "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 forever and ever. (Revelation 11:15) After six thousand years of human misery, wars and sin, this world cries out for the day of Christ's return in power and great glory. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Titus 2:13)

Students of the Bible understand that God has given us a prophetic outline of events leading up to the return of the King of kings, Jesus Christ. God's Feast days reveal His plan of action. "The Lord spoke unto Moses, saying.., In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation." (Leviticus 23:23-24)

By comparing the words of Jesus in Matthew 24 with those in Revelation, the full meaning of the Feast of Trumpets is revealed. When opened, the seven seals of Revelation 5 reveal the sign of Christ's coming spoken of in Matthew 24. "I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals." (Revelation 5:1) "As [Jesus] sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:3)

The first four of the seven seals explain the four horsemen. The opening of the first seal revealed the rider of the white horse representing the false prophets and false teachers that will deceive many until the second coming of Christ. "Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." (Matthew 24:4-5) "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." (Revelation 6:2)

The opening of the second seal revealed the rider of the red horse representing the wars that would ravage the earth until the second coming of Christ. "You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." (Matthew 24:6-7) "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." (Revelation 6:4)

The opening of the third seal revealed the rider of the black horse representing famines, and natural disasters. "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." (Matthew 24:7) "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." (Revelation 6:5-6)

When the fourth seal was opened, the rider of a pale horse representing death and pestilences went forth, and the grave followed him. "There shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:7-8) "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." (Revelation 6:8)

Satan's great wrath will be unleashed on all of mankind in the first two and a half years of the soon coming great tribulation. This is the fifth seal. "Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! for the devil [Satan] is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." (Revelation 12:12) "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." (Matthew 24:9) "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." (Revelation 6:9) "I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And 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." (Revelation 7:14)

Following the great tribulation, heavenly signs will usher in the opening of the sixth seal. "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." (Matthew 24:29) "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; 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." (Matthew 24:29) "I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come." (Joel 2:30-31)

The heavenly signs will usher in the seven trumpets - the seventh seal. "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." (Luke 21:25-27) "When he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets." (Rev 8:1-2)

The seven trumpets signal the day of God's wrath, the day of the Lord. "The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath." (Zephaniah 1:14-18) "The great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Revelation 6:17)

As the day of the Lord's wrath begins, the first trumpet sounds, and a third of the trees and grass are burnt-up."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." (Revelation 8:7)

At the second trumpet, one third of the oceans and sea-life are ruined. "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; 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."

One third of life sustaining water is contaminated at the time of the third trumpet. "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; 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." (Revelation 8:10-11)

The fourth trumpet signals the time when the sun's strength is greatly diminished. "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." (Revelation 8:12)

The fifth trumpet begins the three woes, the first of which is the battle with Satan and his army. "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!" (Revelation 8:13) Jesus said, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." (Luke 10:18) "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… And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them… 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." (Revelation 9:1-11)

War escalates in the sixth trumpet to the point that one-third of mankind is killed. "One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter… And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men." (Revelation 9:12-15) The two witnesses are slain (Revelation 11:7).

Now the wrath of God will be completed. We have come to the seventh seal, the seventh trumpet, and the third woe, which is the first vial of the seven last plagues of God. "The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded... And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God." (Revelation 11:14-15, 15:1)

"One of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever." (Revelation 15:7) "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." (Revelation 16:1) "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." (Matthew 24:30)

The first vial causes horrible sores. "The first [angel] 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 worshiped his image." (Revelation 16:2)

Death of the seas is the result of the second vial. "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." (Revelation 16:3)

At the fourth vial, the sun erupts with a scorching fury. "The fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. 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." (Revelation 16:8-9) "Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound." (Isaiah 30:26)

Evil mankind has not repented, even as the fifth vial is poured out on the seat of the beast. "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, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds." (Revelation 16:10-11)

The sixth vial dries up the Euphrates River in preparation for the battle of that great day of God Almighty. "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… to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." (Rev16:12-14)

And we come to the final plague - the seventh vial - the greatest natural disaster in man's history. "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. 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… 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." (Revelation 16:17-21)

When the seventh seal, the seventh trumpet, and the seventh vial are complete, the Lord's wrath will be complete. "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 forever and ever." (Rev 11:15)

"The Proclamation of Jesus Christ" airs on www.Radio4living.com. The broadcast plays throughout the Sabbath every 4 hours beginning Friday evenings at 7:30 pm Central Time. This week's program is: "Purpose of Creation."