When Holy Ghost Revival Comes to Jerusalem
Acts 2
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:
The End Times message without Jerusalem is a distorted and unbiblical picture. A Pre-Tribulation timeline will show God’s prophetic picture of Israel and His church in beautiful harmony. God’s completion of the church moves instantly to His Jewish promise. Apostle Paul described it this way, “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” (Romans 11: 25-26)
After the Rapture is seen in Revelation chapter four and the Seven Years of Great Tribulation begins, He moves quickly to set apart 144,000 Jews (symbolic number) for His witness among the Nation of Israel. The Old Testament loving Jewish people will experience limited revival and this great company will turn wholeheartedly to Jesus Christ. You see these redeemed saints devoted to the Lamb of God in chapter fourteen. “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 14: 1, 4)
This is only a prelude to the entire nation of Israel turning to Christ when He goes to Jerusalem after the Battle of Armageddon. Zechariah describes this breathtaking day to the very letter. “And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart. The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. (Zechariah 12: 12-14; 13:1) This will be one of the greatest days in Jewish history. Name one of the scenarios in the false teachings of the End that fits this timeline.
The present burden of Israel and Jerusalem begs for this final completion. The great seven year tribulation called Jacob’s Trouble in the Jewish mind will break the stubborn heart of Israel. They have resisted this promised Messiah for 2,000 years but the grace of God will rend their very souls to see the triumphant Christ. I repeat, “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” (Zechariah 13: 1)
Here is a list of Jewish events between the Rapture and the great revival in Jerusalem.
- The twenty four Elders in Revelation Four represent the Old Testament saints (12), Jews, and Proselytes and the New Testament saints(12).
- The 144,000 sealed by the living God as the Great Tribulation spreads over the earth.
- The temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt.
- Jewish worship will be reinstituted in the rebuilt temple.
- The temple will be measured by angels as the people of Israel worship.
- Two Jewish prophets will preach the Gospel for a thousand two hundred and sixty days clothed in sackcloth.
- The 144,000 sealed Jewish converts plus others converted to Christ, slain and resurrected will be Christ’s guest at the Marriage Supper.
- The Jews will be trembling in Jerusalem as the Antichrist army gathers in Megiddo.
- As Jesus marches into Jerusalem form His great victory at Megiddo all Israel will cry out to Him. “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” (Zechariah 13: 6)
- All Israel comes to Christ at this great outpouring of His Spirit. “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” (Romans 11: 26-27)
Here is the Picture of His Love for the Jewish People
In the midst of the greatest judgment in human history – the ultimate and final judgment – God the Father does not forget the chosen Children of Israel. In fact, He could not forget because His promises to Abraham are set in stone and cannot be altered. I pity the man that attacks Israel or even one of Abraham’s sons or daughters many generations removed. In chapter seven, after the Rapture of the Bride, the Lord had taken notice of a chosen remnant and sealed them for His witness to their own nation and people. These were righteous men and women by their First Testament commandment, but not born again until after the Rapture. They missed being Rapture-ready, but they were looking for the Messiah in the blindness that their leaders missed rightly discerning two thousand years ago.
Jesus Christ became their Savior and Lord as they took notice of the Rapture and the resurrection of the dead. They saw thousands of open graves across the land of Israel and they knew that the Wedding Supper David had so beautifully prophesied was now in preparation in the city in the sky. Very simply, they exchanged the Orthodoxy of their tradition for the redemption of their mistaken redeemer. This is the very basis of why they were sealed one hundred and forty-four thousand strong. The blood of Christ alone is the salvation of every soul and there can be no seal without His blood and His spirit. While they cannot be part of the bride, they can be guests of the Groom.
David profiled this wedding in beautiful form. “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre … All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad. Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir. The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.” Psalms 45:6,8-9,13-14. The Bride will have her guests and the Groom His guests, but the Queen is that treasured one that David saw was dressed “in gold of Ophir.” Malachi called her his “jewels.” This one hundred forty-four thousand missed the Rapture but will be guests of the Groom at the Wedding.
After this chosen company joins the wedding party that is completely removed from the events on earth, a foreboding of the last sorrows is heavy on earth. An angel flies in the midst of Heaven preaching the everlasting Gospel. The very term, everlasting Gospel, reminds the world that there is still a choice. A warning follows that Babylon, the worldwide city that has become the center to the Antichrist’s pride, has fallen. This little clip of news will be like the end of a dream. The whole world will be tied economically to the success of this city. Then, we see the warning to the inhabitants of the world not to take this Mark of the Antichrist. The entire world is close to a meltdown and those that choose the Father and the Lamb will be those full of patience and faithfulness. There will be no cheap Christianity.
This chapter ends with all the evidence of a concluding story with climatic excitement. The Lamb of God is about to reap the final harvest. The coming seven last plagues and seven vials will certainly conclude God’s wrath. The wine press of wrath has appeared to be full at so many points of history, but it is now overflowing. The end of this great future story is near.
“And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.” Revelation 14:1-3
John 19
1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.
4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him.
All Israel is going to be saved and converted to Jesus Christ in a single day when the Battle of Armageddon is finished. The sorrows of Israel as a nation and of all the Jewish people worldwide during the seven years is called “Jacob’s trouble.” The First Testament prophets did not fail to warn them of this end time scenario when they would be hated with a vengeance. This number of one hundred and forty-four thousand will serve as a clea message to all Israel that they are not forgotten in their trouble. This sealed number will certainly oppose the covenant that Jewish leaders make with the Antichrist, but they will be treated as fundamentalists and rejected. As for the greater number, the Jewish world will follow the liberal vein of their religious leaders.
When these Bible-believing Jews have finished their purpose and left an unmistakable witness before the world while protected from the Antichrist, they will be caught up to the throne and the Lamb. The Son of God will be standing on heavenly Mount Zion when they arrive in the city of Heavenly Jerusalem. They were sealed on earth with the “Father’s name” in their forehead. Throughout the years the Jews have often been tattooed or stamped to expose them to hatred and even death, but this time the seal is for protection. The Father and the Lamb will show the world the special position the Jewish people hold in the Father’s heart and He will do it right in the face of their enemies, including Satan and his false trinity. What a witness to God’s love for His own. While billions of Gentiles are dying and even millions of Jews, these will be God’s remnant from His own chosen family for His own precious Son.
Glory erupts in heaven when this company arrives at the welcome center. The Lamb’s voice is as the “voice of many waters” and joining Him are the heavenly hosts of Cherubim, Elders, and innumerable angels. “Harpers harping with their harps” in the welcoming throne as the sealed number begins to sing. It’s their song and no one else can join. They are the firstfruits of the Jews out of the Tribulation Period for there will be others. These arrive early to be guests at the Lamb’s wedding and all the great heavenly hosts welcome them. The wedding ceremony can now proceed because the Lord is furnished with His guests. The Bride’s guests arrived in chapter seven as the multitude “out of the great tribulations.” They too missed the Rapture but washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb.
“These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. {redeemed: Gr. bought} And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.” Revelation 14:4-5
The uniqueness of these children of Israel is beautiful. They were holy men and women, abandoned to their keeping of the commandments of God. Once they received the revelation that Jesus Christ was indeed the Messiah, they were committed wholeheartedly to Him. The Father proved this by placing His seal on their foreheads and protecting them from the Antichrist. Now, that they have joined the Lamb of God in the heavenly city, they almost become as His shadow. As His guests at the wedding, they serve Him in the preparation of His star-studded event. The tables must be prepared, the banquet meal readied, and the banquet hall arrayed fit for a king. Much is to be done and redeemed souls find joy in serving the One so long rejected by these chosen people.
In their mouths is nothing but praise to the One for which they have longed for over many millenniums. This sealed company rejoices greatly because they know well what is occurring on earth to the Jewish world and the reality of their escape brings nothing but joy. The words of Daniel are especially real to them. “And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. 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.” Daniel 12:7-11. These chosen and sealed are those wise souls that Daniel prophesied about, “but the wise shall understand.”
“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” Revelation 14:6-7
The one hundred and forty-four thousand witnesses have ascended to the Lamb, so another witness, an angel, takes their place proclaiming the Gospel. The Bible names this Gospel the “everlasting gospel.” Calling it “everlasting” does two things. It is the one Gospel, the Gospel of Christ, and not some special message. There is only one saving message. Second, it shows the fact that grace is still available and that the Father and the Lamb are still ready to save. Nothing is more named and proclaimed during these seven horrible years than the availability of saving truth. Anyone that tries to prove that salvation is unavailable in this judgment time must discount the literal truth of this book. This angel is careful to traverse the heavens and herald his message to every nation.
Can you comprehend that while hell is spewing its venom on the earth that an angel supernaturally circles the earth following, no doubt, the path of the sun and preaches the Gospel? This angel will prepare a pulpit in the sky and will probably take time for an angelic choir to repeat the performance of the choir that announced Christ’s birth, though a different message this time, and then he will preach to the multitudes. Knowing the superstition of men, the world will certainly hear their message though it’s unheeded by most. Satan’s trinity will be producing their deception so the contest will be on between truth and evil. The message will be simple, “Fear God and give glory to Him.” Satan is endearing himself to be worshipped and this angel is warning that it is the great God alone that should be worshipped.
“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Revelation 14:8
Ezekiel 43
1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:
2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.
4 And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.
This comes like a clip of unusual news. In the midst of the angels preaching and the devil roaring out his blasphemy, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen,” the world will know that Babylon is the world capitol proclaimed by the subjects of the One World Order. This probably suggests that the contest between the three major cities is in loud debate. The One World Church will call Rome the “Eternal City,” but the One World Government will call Babylon the “Eternal City.” At the very minimum the Jews will protest that Jerusalem is the “Eternal City.” The storm is gathering between the factions of this unified One World crowd that will be called a One World Order.
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:9-11
This is the voice of the third angel in this fourteenth chapter. There will be four more for a total of seven. The Antichrist’s kingdom is in high gear and millions have joined his cause. Repentant Jews and Gentiles are being slaughtered and martyred. Fear is gripping the world like a raging storm. The mark is visible in every community, every business, and on the news of every newscast. Those with the mark will show their colors with pride and taunt those that try to hide.
The third angel, apparently also flying through the heavens, begins to warn the world of the worship and the mark of Satan. This mark is a lifestyle – it is a paradigm shift – and the world must know the truth of what they are receiving. The devil wants no false worshippers. Men are not encouraged to take it just to eat. It will be a baptism into Satanism of the darkest nature. The angel messenger proclaims a very clear message, “Take this mark and its eternal damnation.” Neither Satan nor the Lamb will allow any turning back. The world does not want to hear about Hell and most ministers have removed it from their theology. This angel will leave no question.
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” Revelation 14:12-13
There is no question that men and women are being converted to Christ, but it’s a sacrifice unto death. It has always required much patience to be a faithful saint. Millions have been slain in brutal style, but the Antichrist will reinvent death and the horrors of brutality. The angel does not explain the kinds of death that men will endure but he does glory in their obedience. To look at the suffering that even angels dare not describe, while showing the saints facing it patiently, is a delight.
The fourth angel speaks, only called “a voice from heaven,” and tells John to write. While John is instructed to write the whole book, this special instruction emphasizes the occasion. The death of these martyrs is so remarkable that the message is, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord.” Their sacrifice is the ultimate price, because the death they face could not be more severe. The price of missing the Rapture is really beginning to show. There is a clear promise that their reward will be remarkable because they count Christ worthy of whatever sacrifices that Satan exacts.
“And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.” Revelation 14:14-16
This passage is preparatory for the coming war that we call the Battle of Armageddon. I call it a war because it will last weeks, if not months. The Son of God/Son of Man has been called a Lamb all during the Tribulation period. This scene reveals the Lamb as the warrior, riding a cloud to descend upon the earth. The golden crown showed us that this describes Christ, as He will appear after the wedding feast and is now crowned Kings of Kings. The sickle in His hand shows great victory over the Antichrist as He reaps the closing harvest of wickedness. Heaven is rehearsing for the final victory of the Lamb of God and the Kings of Kings. The temple is open in heaven and priestly angels that serve in the temple appear to be active as the end nears. All of the heavenly hosts know well that the Father has given the Son all power to judge and reconcile the earth. They appear both encouraged and excited that the Lamb is going to gain victory over all the wicked and all wickedness. His second coming is with ten thousand times ten thousand of both angels and saints, “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lamb cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches with ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” Jude 1:14-15.
Jesus spoke of this day and the triumph that will occur, “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: And 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. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31. The harmony of the entire Bible with the Book of Revelation is remarkable. The hour is clear in expectation so visible in those verses.
Zechariah 14
1 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.
20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness Unto The Lord; and the pots in the Lord‘s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.
21 Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the Lord of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.
“And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” Revelation 14:16-20
This is the awesome judgment of the living wicked. The White Throne Judgment is the time of the second death when the wicked dead will be resurrected with a body that is fully alive and totally depraved, prepared to sustain in the Lake of Fire for eternity. That judgment is after the one thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on earth. This judgment is for the living wicked who have taken the Mark of the Beast and are Satan worshippers. This is the sixth angel in this chapter and there will be no more. The fact of seven angels would suggest that the number of seven really is a greater number, seven being the type of the whole. These are angels prepared unto judgment and it is biblically clear that such a time means a multitude of angels sharing in the triumph of righteousness over wickedness.
The seventh angel coming out from underneath the altar added great weight to this hour of exceeding wrath. All the burden of Christ’s shed blood is upon that altar in the temple. It is total redemption and connecting the altar with the angel and the sickle is awesome. This last half of the fourteenth chapter is not suggesting this judgment as already occurring but in preparation to occur. The fifteenth and sixteenth chapters actually bring this hour to fruition, but the process is in the motion from the temple in heaven to the scene on earth. The temple, which the angel comes out of, is the temple in heavenly Jerusalem but the actual judgment is near earthly Jerusalem, where the great army of Antichrist is planning. The staging area is probably under preparation at the time of these activities.
This great battle will not be in Jerusalem but in Megiddo north of the city. Knowing the size of the Antichrist’s army, it will stretch from the Sea of Galilee to the outskirts of the city. This Scripture suggests that very fact. “And the winepress was trodden without the city.” The battle is clearly Armageddon and the slaughter of this army will be spectacular. The army of the Antichrist suggests that he is beyond insanity in his fury and intends to obliterate the city that has so plagued his greatest dreams. Rome will have been destroyed at this time and the Antichrist wants no competition for his capital of Babylon. Included with his love of Babylon, will be his hatred of Israel. This is the battle in which he intends for Jerusalem to be no more.
Conclusion
The next chapter will bring us to the fullness of the rage of Antichrist and the judgment of Jesus Christ. There is great preparation by the beast to succeed, but the Son of God has already won the victory at Calvary.