CLOSE OF PROBATION

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Compare these Revelation 14:14-20 with Matthew 13:24-43. In Matthew 13, Jesus is told a parable of the man who sowed good seed in his field, but the man’s enemy sowed weeds to ruin his crop. The man’s servants asked if they should pull up the weeds, but the owner said, “No. Because while you are pulling up the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let them both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them un bundles to be burned, then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” (Matthew 13:29,30)

At first, the parable in Matthew may appear just the opposite of John’s account from Revelation because the wicked are first bundled together and then the wheat is gathered into the barn. The problem, though, is quite simple. The good and the bad grow together until the time of harvest. The wicked will be gathered together or bundled first. The confederation of Babylon happens first! The coalition or global union of the world literally happens before the wheat is gathered into “the barn” at the close of probation.

The Father holds the door of mercy open as long as there is one person who has not heard the invitation. Remember, Jesus came to save to the utmost. This is a mystery of God. No one will perish without first having an opportunity to be saved. The gospel offers salvation full and free to those willing to live by faith! It is because everyone has made his decision that Jesus is told to swing His sickle over the earth. The harvest is ripe and ready for the picking. The wheat has been gathered in and the door of mercy is closed.

Then the angel gathers the wicked that have been bundled together by receiving the mark of the beast. These have refused the gospel invitation. Even worse, these have allied themselves with Satan to destroy God’s people and this makes God angry. Therefore, He visits them in wrath without mercy to avenge the cruel suffering inflicted upon His innocent children.

2. Jesus doesn’t know when probation is to close

Jesus is told when to close probation by the angel coming from the heavenly temple. The decision to close probation is not made by Jesus. The Father decides when enough is enough! Notice what Jesus said about this: “No one knows about the day of hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” (Matthew 24:36-41) These verses bring out two points we must understand:

a.   Only the Father knows when mercy ends. Some believe this verse applies to the second coming, but a close investigation shows this is not possible. The key to understanding these verses is found in a comparison with Noah’s experience. Jesus said that in the days before the flood, people were eating, drinking and marrying. Nothing is inherently wrong with any of these things if we put God first in our lives. Noah preached 120 years and the people of earth were well aware of Noah and his message. They also saw the giant boat. What they did not know about was the close of mercy! The day Noah entered the ark the door was closed. The closing of the ark’s door sealed eight people inside and the world outside. The closing of the door of mercy in heaven is the issue-this is the moment in time that matters most.

b.   Matthew clearly points out that men and women can work side by side, yet when the door of mercy closes in heaven, one will be found safe inside and the other locked outside forever. The most serious moment in all Revelation is found in Revelation 14:14-16. This, as far as salvation is concerned, is the end. When Jesus comes in the clouds of glory, He brings His reward with Him for the eternal reward of each person has already been decided! (Revelation 22:12)

The seventh trumpet reviewed

It might be helpful to refresh our minds with the contents of the seventh trumpet to make sure all the elements of the close of probation come into focus. At this point in time, Satan is at maximum power. He appeared on earth during the fifth trumpet and deceived many, and during the sixth trumpet, he took control of the world through force. The effectiveness of the Bible and the Holy Spirit has been either destroyed by the dazzling miracles of Satan or by the threat of death, and everyone upon earth has made their decision. John writes,  “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God: saying, ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.  The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great – and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of the covenant. And there came flashes of lightening, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.” (Revelation 22:11)  These verses point out five important issues:

1. At the time of the seventh trumpet, Jesus is promoted again! At this time the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of Jesus. He finished His priestly work of atonement. He now begins to rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Just before taking His great power to rule, Jesus makes a final proclamation, “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.” (Revelation 22:11)
2. Jesus is angry because, for the most part, the world has rejected His invitation to life eternal, and even worse, they killed many who carried the invitation to the great wedding banquet! John says, I saw the woman was drunk with blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore the testimony of Jesus.” (Revelation 17:6) (Compare this with the wedding parable in Matthew 22:1-14.)

3.      The nations are angry (remember, this is the time of wrath). They are angry because of the outcome of the sixth trumpet. This trumpet describes the great war that Satan conducts to forcibly gain control of the world. What he cannot get through deceit, he takes by sheer force.

4.      The 24 elders who have observed the great work of Jesus since 1844, agree that time has come to do three things. They say:

“Time has come to judge the dead.” The word, “judge,” in this phrase means to avenge. In this scene, the elders are saying that the time has come to avenge the death of God’s people who died when the fifth seal was opened! Jesus avenges the shed blood of His children by sending the seven last plagues. After pouring out the third plague, the angel with the vial says, “…You are just in these judgments, you who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” (Revelation 16:5,6)

“Time has come to reward your servants and the prophets.” When probation closes, the death and destruction of God’s people also ends! Daniel 12:1 says, “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as not happened from the beginning of nations until then – everyone whose name is found written in the book – will be delivered.” The saints, whose names are written in the book of life, will be delivered from death! Since probation is closed, the death of God’s people would have no redemptive value, so King Jesus says, “Enough.”

“The time has come to destroy those who have destroyed the earth.” Satan, at the time of the seventh trumpet, has fully established his headquarters and operations on earth. Those refusing to cooperate with the evil government are to be destroyed. Such is the purpose of the sixth trumpet war. The use of nuclear arms during this war not only destroys the target or impacted areas; it renders much of earth uninhabitable. The entire world will be convulsed with misery and agony. Even though Babylon finally rules the world, she will fall. Jesus personally undertakes the destruction of Babylon the Great-for she is the one who is destroying the earth. This destruction is finally described in Revelation 18!

5.   The last point that we learn from the seventh trumpet is that God’s temple in heaven is opened and the Ark of the Covenant is seen. The temple is vacated because the court is over. There is no more mercy. The gospel has gone to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. The gospel invitation is withdrawn. Every decision has been made.

It is my opinion that the people of earth will actually see the ark of the covenant that contains the Ten Commandments during the trumpets time-period. Moses in the wilderness constructed this very ark and the Ten Commandments were written by Jesus Himself, still rest inside the ark. When the king of Babylon overtook Jerusalem in 600 B.C., Jeremiah hid the ark in a cave and it remains safe and secure until the time of its discovery. It will be brought forth as a witness to the world that God’s great law has not – and cannot be changed. When the seventh trumpet sounds, then the ark in heaven is seen too! The world will behold that indeed, the one on earth is a copy of the one in heaven.

The effect of both arks appearing during this time is ominous. First, everyone has heard the gospel call to “worship God” according to His law. Every person has made a decision-whether to obey or disobey. The remnant has faith enough to obey the fourth commandment. The rest of the world put their faith in Satan and receive the mark of the “lamb-like” beast. Secondly, when the wicked see the ark from heaven containing the Ten Commandments they will be terrified at the condemnation they have brought upon themselves by enforcing laws of worship contrary to the Great Lawgiver. John says, “…there is no rest day or night for those that worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:11) Yet, in a rebellion that is unexplainable, the wicked only set their hearts and minds to destroy the people of God. Under Satan’s cruel leadership, they agree to destroy all of God’s people at a set time.

The final abomination

To rid the earth of God’s people, Babylon will issue a universal decree. This decree will grant immunity to everyone wishing to kill the remnant at a certain point in time!

The wicked do not’ know that God’s people cannot be killed. In addition, to frustrate their plan, Jesus distracts their rage with seven last plagues. The wicked will receive all the suffering they have brought to the children of God. The Lord says, “Vengeance is mine. I will repay.” (Hebrews 10:30) Read Ester 3-9 in your Bible and see how Satan was able to bring about a universal death decree against God’s people. Also, note how the captivity of God’s people was turned. Ester’s story is a close parallel of what will occur at the very end.

Daniel saw the universal death decree and was even told when it would occur! The angel said, “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.” (Daniel 12:11,12)

A proper understanding of these verses brings comfort. We already know that throwing down of the censer in heaven at the beginning of the trumpets marks the conclusion of the daily service of corporate mediation in heaven. This verse says that the universal death decree will be 1,290 days later. (About 43 months.) The final abominable act of Satan will be to desolate the earth of God’s people. Thus, it is called the abominable that makes or causes desolation.

But verse 12 says, “Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days.” The entire time-period from the throwing down of the censer unto the second coming of Jesus is 1,335 days. From throwing down of the censer until the death, decree is 1,290 days. Daniel was told that those who wait for and reach the 1,335^th day would be blessed! They are especially blessed because they have endured the Great Tribulation and will hear the words of Jesus, “…Come, you who are blessed by my father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world!” (Matthew 25:34) May God prepare each of us with experience we need to receive this glorious blessing!

 

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