Operation Consume & Destroy

     Now that we’ve jumped ahead in the Revelation vision to see the ending, let’s go back to the start of the 7th Day, the Day of the Lord, to see “the things which must shortly take place” (Rev. 1:1). In Daniel 7 we saw the little horn—the Antichrist—rise to power. He spoke pompous words against the Most High. Bent on destroying Israel once and for all time, his invasion sweeps across the Promised Land. Then God turns out the lights, halting the invasion in its tracks. When the lights come back on, it is the dawn of the Day of the Lord. The heavenly realm is revealed and the whole world sees Christ coming for His Bride.
       Hosea’s prophecy of a 3rd Day revival of the Jews after their two-Day timeout comes to pass. The Jews’ acceptance of the Messiah triggers the last half of Daniel’s 70th Week prophecy to be reinstated. God’s plans for His people are back in motion as they are grafted back into the Branch. “And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again” (Rom. 11:23).
      End-Time Lesson: With the success of the initial invasion, the Antichrist’s plan for his coalition of Middle Eastern armies hasn’t changed. He intends to persecute the newly revived “saints of the Most High.” But now, God has entered the war on Israel’s behalf!
      Daniel 7:26 shows us the rapture and the heavenly court being seated. Because the Antichrist intends to change God’s predetermined times and laws, the court “shall take away his dominion.” Armed with our two-edged sword—our heavenly declarations voiced in agreement with God’s written Word—we begin to consume and destroy that dominion forever. Satan’s counterfeit one-world order shall come crashing down.
       As with the plagues God brought against Egypt through Moses, the trumpet and bowl judgments consume slowly, giving the rebellious people and armies a chance to repent. This operation highlights God’s mercy as well as His justice. Not surprisingly, Rev. 9:20-21 reveals their hearts and intentions. “But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
      All throughout this operation, the counterfeit trinity of the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and the Dragon are doing their best to establish the kingdom of darkness upon the nations. The Antichrist erects an image of himself, just as Nebuchadnezzar had done, and orders the people to worship the image. He causes the people to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads. No one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
        Of course, the Bride is already seated in Heaven with Christ, for we are not appointed for that wrath. But those who were left behind at the rapture will have to deal with the ramifications of God’s judgments against evil. If they have subsequently accepted Jesus as their Savior, they will have to put their faith in God’s written promises.
         Again, as with Moses and the final plague, the final 7th trumpet brings sudden destruction. “Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ‘It is done!’ And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth” (Rev. 16:17-18).
       Daniel 7:27 reveals the effect of this final trumpet sounding.  “Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole Heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” Israel shall become the natural head of the nations, under the delegated authority of the heavenly court. The rest of Christ’s 1,000-year reign shall unfold in relative peace, although any violation of God’s just government shall be dealt with swiftly.
        At the end of the 1,000 years, there shall be one final rebellion. Hard to believe, yes, but we’ll explain how it is possible. Stay tuned!