The 7 Stars & The 7 Bowls of Wrath
By admin On April 24th, 2012.
Click credit links below each pic, for licensing names/details/tags/etc.. Most pics cropped/reduced in size
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“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” Revelation 15:1
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The 7 Stars & The 7 Bowls of Wrath
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A GREAT & MARVELOUS SIGN IN HEAVEN
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So how does this brightest and most well-known constellation relate to the Book of Revelation? After all, the Book of Revelation seems to be closely intertwined with the stars of heaven. And Revelation Ch. 15 is just one of those places in which Revelation speaks of the Signs Of Heaven... “And I saw another sign in heaven…” Revelation 15:1.
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God here, is dropping this great big clue on us, as to just what the signs in Heaven are all about… “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” Revelation 15:1.
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This verse speaks of a, “another sign in heaven, great and marvellous”. OK, so if this is “another” sign in heaven, then one would have to go back to Chapter 12 to find the other signs in heaven. And together, these signs from chapters, 12 & 15 make up a great portion of this website, Signs Of Heaven.
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7Â CANDLESTICKS = 7 CHURCHES
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7 STARSÂ = 7Â ANGELS of the 7 CHURCHES
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“The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20.
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The above verse is from the opening chapter of Revelation, and makes mention of this constellation. But notice that this verse relates this constellation to God’s people…
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“The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20.
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And though this passage seems to have been from a vision which John saw concerning God’s HEAVENLY sanctuary, nevertheless, the EARTHLY sanctuary was a type and symbol of the heavenly, in which this 7-Flame Candlestick enlightened the earthly sanctuary (shown in this picture on the right).
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the Holy of Holies – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public Domain
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CANDLESTICKS =Â CHURCHES
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But as Jesus spoke this prophecy, He revealed the true meaning of the earthly sanctuary, and how it actually pointed to the Church of God.Â
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Listen once again… “…and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:20.
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Incredible! So God here is revealing an amazing revelation: that the 7-flame candlestick in the Old Testament Sanctuary Service was actually symbolizing the New Testament Church!
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Candlesticks of the Holy Place – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public-Domain
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IN SUMMER
This sketch is of the Summer Constellations, when they are in the western skies.
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Sagittarius is in the south, and the 7 Stars (Big Dipper) is in the north.
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COULD THERE BE A GREATER SIGN?”
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In the opening verse, “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.” Revelation 15:1, is a direct reference to the Signs In Heaven, which God is just now graciously revealing.
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Notice that this above verse says… “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous“.
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If ever there was a great and marvelous sign in Heaven, this 7 Star Constellation seems to be just that! And it is the easiest of all constellations to locate (excepting for those in the southernmost latitudes of the Earth who cannot see it). It seems to stand alone in the northern sky, outshining any other constellation in the night heavens!Â
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As for its significance, it is easy to see the message for which it was created to bring. It looks like a bowl. A giant bowl! And in the winter, it begins to slowly tip through the night, as if it is finally spilling out its contents upon the earth, as stated in Revelation… “And the first (angel) went, and poured out his vial upon the earth” Revelation 16:2.
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And so it is not hard to see the message which this constellation presents. In the summer it begins to slowly tip. But in winter it does fully appear to pour out its contents upon the Earth.
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Listen again… “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God…And the first (angel) went, and poured out his vial upon the earth;” Revelation 15:1 & 16:2Â
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So, this great constellation which humanity has always taken for granted was actually created by God to teach humanity a great and marvellous spiritual lesson! And this was called “another sign in heaven”, meaning that there were others too. And of course, back in Revelation 12, there also are other signs spoken of, which this website also deals with, such as this sketch of the Revelation 12 Woman (aka, Ursa Major) shows.
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ABOVE PICTURE: Revelation 12 Woman Constellation as seen in desert in warmer months
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THE CHURCH VICTORIOUS UPLIFTS THE CROSS
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Now this ‘pouring out’ phenomenon is very amazing, indeed. But the Lord does not stop here. He has more to say to us about these 7 angels with the 7 bowls of God’s wrath.
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You see, when this heavenly bowl is fully tipped (in winter), it appears also like a giant colossal three-dimensional uplifted Cross, on a hill, with its shadow before it, towering high above the earth! (This shadow before it represents the Old Testament which were types and shadows pointing forward to the first Coming of Jesus and to His Cross. See Colossians 2:17, plus other places)Â
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So now we begin to see what God is trying to tell us about His wrath. God is not just a “Big Bully in the Sky”, as many claim. God is not merely waiting to crush out all sinners from off the face of the Earth!
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No! God’s great wrath is seen in the Cross of Christ! It was Jesus Christ who came to this earth to take upon Himself, the punishment that we deserve. And as God’s people begin to give themselves wholly to God, they then will begin to uplift the Cross in their own individual lives. And once this is accomplished church-wide, then and only then will this great and marvelous Constellation be a fitting symbol of God’s people! Â
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Then God’s Church will truly uplift the Cross of Christ for all the world to see!
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But why would God give such a sign in Heaven?
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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License
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SIGNSÂ IN HEAVEN PROMISED LONG AGO
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QUESTION: “So why is God just now revealing this great and marvelous sign in Heaven?”
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This is because God promised long ago that just before the end, there would 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” Luke 21:25.
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The long-ago, aforepromised Signs In Heaven have turned out quite different from our preconceived notions. These signs are literal signs in heaven.
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But while they are literally written in the Sun, Moon, and Stars, they nevertheless reveal great and marvelous spiritual Bible truths. And if one thinks about it, these signs are just like the signs which God gave in Scripture. Whenever God gave a sign in the Bible, that sign always pointed to some higher spiritual truth. Take Baptism, for example. Baptism was with literal water, but it pointed to the “water of Grace” which we must be immersed in, in order to have spiritual life. So here is just one example of how Bible signs pointed to a higher spiritual truth.
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Isn’t God wonderful? That God is willing to give a message to humanity, just prior to the great day of God’s wrath. Isn’t it so marvelous that God is still in the “Saving Business”, in giving us this timely message written in Nature? Â
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So God is giving us great and marvellous signs in the Heavens.
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But how does this particular constellation relate to The 7 Angels with 7 Bowls of Wrath?
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Question Marks – At a loss – svg – Wikimedia Commons – Share-Alike License
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THE 7 BOWLS OF WRATH
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“And the first 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 worshipped his image.” Revelation 16:2Â
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These plagues are not merely to cause suffering. Just like the plagues which fell upon the Egyptians, so also, these plagues are designed to separate God’s people from the wickedness and unbelief which holds us captive in Egypt…Spiritual Egypt!
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Just listen… “the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” Revelation 11:8.
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So here in Revelation, God is revealing what He has named to be, “Spiritual Sodom and Egypt”
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So where is Spiritual Egypt?
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As the above verse states, “Sodom and Egypt” is, “where also our Lord was crucified”. And where is that? The Lord was crucified by His people…by you and me! The Church. This concept regarding spiritual “Sodom and Egypt” is found in the Old Testament when God compares His people to Sodom and to Egypt (see Ezekiel 16 & 23, Amos 4:10 & 9:7, etc…)
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“MANY THINGS HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD”
2nd Peter 3:16
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So now we are in a bit of a quandary. We would like all this Bible prophecy to be simple. But it’s not simple. The Word of God can often be very difficult, because it is a spiritual book.
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Listen… “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1st Corinthians 2:14.
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Furthermore, those of us who are hasty by nature, do not wish to sit still and study, study, study to discern these spiritual truths. But if we will only do our diligence, comparing spiritual things with spiritual, we will begin to rightly divide the Word of Truth as God intended.Â
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Now at this point, someone will say, “Ok, so God is comparing Old Testament Israel to Sodom and Egypt. But what does that have to do with we of the New Testament Church?”
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Virtuous Woman with Bible – Braet von Ãœberfeldt – 1866 – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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IS THE APOSTATE CHURCH SPIRITUAL EGYPT?
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“But what does Israel being compared to Sodom and Egypt have to do with we of the New Testament Church?”
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Excellent question! And for the answer, we simply need to go to Galatians to get further insight into just who God is speaking about. Just listen to Scripture… “Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answers to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.” Galatians 4:21-25.
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So now it begins to be really seen what the Old Testament was all about! Incredible!! God is revealing here, by the hand of Paul, that Hagar the Egyptian, and Sarah the Hebrew were actually used by God to become allegorical representations of the two classes of Christians in the world today. The Egyptian woman represents God’s apostate Church. The Hebrew woman represents God’s True Worshippers.Â
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But how does this concept of Hagar and Sarah being representative of the apostate and the faithful Church relate to Revelation?
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Sarah & Hagar – Foster Bible Pictures – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
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”THESE THINGS IN THE CHURCHES”
Revelation 22:16
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“I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.” Revelation 22:16
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The above verse is a very much neglected verse, but is far more important to a correct understanding of Revelation, than most everyone realizes. Bible prophecy is of little value, unless it has a direct bearing upon the Believer’s life and heart.
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Listen… “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:Â that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2nd Timothy 3:16, 17.
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So, this verse lets us know that even Bible prophecy has been given for, “doctrine, reproof, correction, and for instruction in righteousness.” Those of us who have sought after more exotic interpretations of Revelation, have tried to interpret this symbolic book by simply looking out into the world, in hopes of seeing some similar fulfillment from current events. Perhaps there’s some business man out there who is the Beast of Revelation. Perhaps there are war machines which resemble scorpions. Or helicopters like locusts. And so, our carnal minds are diverted from a close and careful study of Scripture into an exotic search out there in the world.
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We live in a “quick-fix” world today. An easy-to-swallow pill. But there is no quick fix for a child of God to get to know his or her Lord. It takes study, study, study…and experience. Lots of study. And lots of experience.
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What we are not understanding is this principle: Everything in the Bible is pointing to spiritual truth concerning my Salvation.
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But isn’t the Book of Revelation just for the 12 tribes of Israel?
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Candlesticks of the Holy Place – www.thebiblerevival.com – Public-Domain
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WE ARE THE SPIRITUAL TRIBE OF LEVI
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Everything in Scripture concerns, “doctrine, correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness”. Not only this, but this little book at the end of the Bible is, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”. This book is all about Jesus, and how He deals with His Church.
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Just listen to this incredible testimony in the 1st Chapter of Revelation… “And He had in his right hand seven stars: and out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and His countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength…The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.” Revelation 1:16, 20.
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If we would only carefully study this first chapter of Revelation, we would begin to see that this little Book is all about the Church. We are the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). Each and every Believer, whether formerly a national Jew, or just a gentile, is now a “Jew inwardly” (Romans 2:29). We are now a “royal priesthood”, which now makes us of the tribe of Levi, the Levitical priesthood, spiritually speaking (1st Peter 2:9).Â
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the holy of holies- www.thebiblerevival.com -public domain. 2ND Picture: Menorah_0307-Wikipedia. Public domain
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THE BOTTOM LINE
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To explore all these things would take up an entire book. So, instead of giving a detailed study of this very complicated passage concerning these angels with 7 bowls of God’s wrath, let’s just get to the bottom line of all this.
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These 7 angels represent God’s people. “Angel” in Scripture, means “messenger”. And it is God’s people who are to pour out these 7 bowls of God’s wrath upon the earth. These 7 bowls of God’s wrath are designed to purify those in the Church who, like Peter must be “sifted as wheat”. And when God’s Church becomes purified from our worldliness, we will then be able to lift up the Cross for all the world to see. This is the great meaning of these bowls of God’s wrath.
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Just listen to this incredible prophecy from Isaiah… “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.Â
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This is speaking of the near future! God’s Church…His elect, His true and faithful Church will shine forth as the Sun. But first we must be purified. This is speaking of you and me, and every Believer who is willing to let God purify our hearts… by fire…by the fires of this great tribulation.
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Just listen to Malachi… “And He (God) shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:3Â
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THE GOLDEN IMAGE & THE FIERY FURNACE…
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“Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon…Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages…whoso falls not down and worships shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” Daniel 3:1, 4-6Â
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Notice that this golden image is 66 cubits in measurement. The only thing missing is the number 600, and this measurement would then be 666. Many believe that the missing number, 600, is hidden somewhere in this story. But for brevity’s sake, we’ll just agree that such a conjecture is quite possible.
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But the bigger point to this story, is that this incredible scenario from Daniel is a picture of what God’s people are going to have to endure in these coming days. But this furnace will not destroy us. But it will purify us.
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Listen to Ezekiel… “As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I the LORD have poured out My fury upon you.” Ezekiel 22:22.
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Many of us can testify that God has poured out His wrath upon us, because of our complacency toward our spiritual life. Many of us have suffered intensely because of our foolishness… “So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before Thee.” Psalms 73:22.
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But in His great love and mercy, God has not given up on us. Instead of casting us away from His presence, God instead has begun a purification process.
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Listen again to Malachi… “And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:3.
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Who are the “sons of Levi”? They were the royal priesthood in Israel. But today, God has chosen you and me to be His royal priesthood.
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Listen… “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light” 1st Peter 2:9.
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So God is just now sitting as a Refiner and Purifier of silver. And God wishes to remove every trace of dross from you and I. But as we have already discussed, we must be purified by fire, just as silver and gold is purified by fire.   Â
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Mark of the beast – pub. dom. – Wikipedia
Gold key_logo_removed wiki public domain.
Theholyofholies- www.thebiblerevival.com -public domain.Â
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THE 7TH BOWL OF WRATH
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“And 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.” Revelation 16:17Â Â
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So if we look at this wonderful constellation, we see that at the same time it is pouring itself out upon the world, it begins to look like a colossal Cross, lifted high above the earth.
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Just listen to prophecy… “And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of His people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land. For how great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty!” Zechariah 9: 16, 17.
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So here we see that God’s people will be “in that day” as, “the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign”. In that day, we will be purified from every trace of dross.
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We will, “shine as the stars, for ever and ever” Daniel 12:3. In that day, we will shine as the Sun. The world will not be able to gaze upon God’s people for brightness. They will be destroyed by Christ’s brightness which shines out from within His faithful ones. And the world will acknowledge that God is true, and every man a liar. Every knee shall bow at that moment. And, “every tongue shall confess to God.” Romans 14:11
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And now we are starting to see that all these prophecies from the New and Old Testaments are beginning to all come together into one and big beautiful truth.  Â
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Transfiguration – Bloch – cropped – Wikimedia Commons – US Public-Domain
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THE END
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NEXT SUGGESTED ARTICLES:
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THE 7 STARS CONSTELLATION… (click on title for link)
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We always just took this constellation for granted! The Big Dipper! But now we can see it as God intended! Now we can see it is speaking of a most Holy concept! This page speaks of the Seven Stars Constellation (AKA Big Dipper), and how it relates to Revelation, as well as to God’s faithful people (You can find this constellation under most star-visibility conditions.) (READ)
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7 STARS IMITATE THE CROSS OF ORION…
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Have you ever heard of a constellation doing an imitation of another constellation!? Well, for a very short time each year this 7 Stars Constellation does just that!
(click on this above title to read)
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A HEAVENLY HOBBY
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“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold Who hath created these things; that brings out their host by number: He calls them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.” Isaiah 40:26
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The above verse is a plea from God to look up at the Heavens and behold Who has created these things.
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In this busy work-a-day world, there are many very interesting things which can occupy one’s time and energy: hobbies, and careers, and entertainments and worries, and habits, to name just a few.
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But as the child of God devotes his or her life to God, there should be a jealous guarding of one’s own heart… “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23.
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The Christian wants nothing to get in the way of running that Christian Race.
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New York Times Square – terabass – cropped image – Wikipedia – Share-alike License
Shoppers in Toronto – cropped image – Wikimedia – share-alike license
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“AND WHEN YE SEE THESE THINGS…
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LOOK UP, LIFT UP YOUR HEAD”
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But having said this, there is one hobby which every ‘Noble Berean’ may take up, which only compliments the pursuit of the heavenly Prize.
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Yes, Signs Of Heaven becomes a wonderfully rewarding hobby which, unlike many less meaningful hobbies, pays off with rich, heavenly rewards. Everlasting rewards!
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And unlike the person in this photo with equipment, all you need is fairly good vision, and a dark, starry night.
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And once a person really gets to know these heavenly messengers, it will become very apparent that the message connected with these signs is truly a message to be heeded.
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Thus will the Christian be able to share this message with others. And there are perhaps many nuances and hidden biblical truths to these signs which have yet to be discovered.
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Astronomy Amateur – cropped image – Wikipedia – share-alike license
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“And 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;” Luke 21:25
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ABOVE CHART: Summer Constellations with Doves (Sagittarius) & Woman (Ursa Major)
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FIRST FIND ORION & 7 STARS
The very first step in finding these many constellations, should be to find the two main constellations: Orion, and the 7 Stars (aka, The Big Dipper).
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These two constellations represent Christ (Orion), and His Church (7 Stars).
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And just as these are the easiest constellations to find, so too, the first place to begin studying the Bible is the Four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).
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These four books present Christ and His Church, when He walked the earth, just as Orion and the 7 Stars represent Christ and His Church, as seen up in the heavens.
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Then, once you are comfortable finding these two constellations, you can begin to locate the next closest constellations, and so on.
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ANOTHER HEAVENLY HOBBY: PRAYER-WALKS
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Now if you’re fortunate enough to be able to go on nightly walks, and you live in an area where you can safely view the stars, here is another Heavenly Hobby which Signs Of Heaven endorses…
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Why not combine star-watching with prayer, as you walk? What a great way to draw closer to God!
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It cannot be over-stressed, just how wonderful it is to walk under the dark canopy of Heaven, while lifting up one’s heart to our Heavenly Father! There is a closeness to God that cannot be described with words!
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(And even if you cannot safely do this, you can always do such prayer-walks in the daytime, in a safe place, such as a mall, which is every bit as effective, prayer-wise.
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And for those who are in confinement, one can view these starry signs on the Internet, or simply listen to Scripture on audio.
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Either way, all such may enjoy God’s richest blessings at this very time in which God is pouring out all Heaven’s treasures upon anyone willing to forsake all, and follow Jesus!)
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Starry Night at La Silla – cropped and latered image – Wikipedia – share-alike license
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THRICE-DAILY PRAYERS
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Now of course, the Bible commands us to, “pray without ceasing“. The Christian is to constantly talk with our Heavenly Father throughout the day.
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But the Bible also holds up the godly life of Daniel, who, when captive in Babylon, still set aside three times daily, in which he knelt for special prayer.
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And furthermore the Bible also says… “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17.
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Even those who are bed-fast or in a prison cell can begin to imitate Daniel in this way. And if one is fortunate to be able to walk, then this thrice-daily prayer regimen can be combined with three walks daily and even nightly.
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Marines at Prayer by Alex Raymond – Wikimedia – public domain