Pt. 19    THE DAY OF THE LORD: Jerusalem's Demise & the Forty (40) Days of Worldwide Destruction

Next Potential Fulfillment Year: 2014

In the Word of God, there are several 40 day periods recorded in the life of Jesus, His people and His prophets.  All of these historical incidents are given as examples of how God dealt with humanity in the past, and they are a prelude to the Great Tribulation and the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, which will last 40 days between Yom Kippur and Day 1,335.  “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:11-12).

Daniel 12:12 informs, “Blessed [happy] is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days [of prophecy].”  Why?  Yeshua counseled, “for then will be great distress [Great Tribulation], unequaled from the beginning of the world until now… for false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect [144,000]—if that were possible.  See, I have told you ahead of time [so take heed],” (Matthew 24:21-25).

During the 40 day periods found in God’s Word, the following events occurred: the systematic destruction of all sinners in 40 days with a massive flood; the older generation of Israelites died in the wilderness for their 40 days of unbelief; Moses was sustained without food or water for 40 days; Elijah ran for his life to Mt. Sinai for 40 days; Goliath brought fear to Israel for 40 days until he was destroyed by David’s stone; the righteous Ezekiel was physically punished for Judah’s sin of idolatry for 40 days; Jonah warned Nineveh of coming destruction for 40 days; Jesus faced 40 days in the wilderness without nourishment, but still overcame Lucifer’s temptations; Yeshua ended His ministry on earth during a 40 day period before leaving for Heaven[1].

Many of these historical events certainly portray the lives of the 144,000 elect, who have the Name of God written on their foreheads, during the 40 days of Jacob’s Trouble, just before their miraculous escape.  Jesus said, “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains… For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now–and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened,” (Matthew 24:15-22).

Elohim will use the final days as a tool to “turn godlessness away from Jacob.” Although God will come out of His place to destroy all the nations, He says to Israel, “I will not completely destroy you.  I will discipline you [during the Time of Jacob’s Trouble--Jeremiah 30:7] but only with justice; I will not let you go entirely unpunished,” (Jeremiah 46:28). 

Yom Kippur initiates the 40 day ordeal for the 144,000 and the final 40 days of human history.  Just five days after Yom Kippur, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) arrives, reminding the children of God of the time when the Israelites made “huts,” living in makeshift shelters for 40 years as they wandered about in the wilderness until they reached Canaan.  In like manner, the children of God, the last twelve living tribes, will journey through a terrifying ordeal on their way to the Promised Land.

At Yom Kippur, the voice of God will be heard, and a massive earthquake will shake the globe.  Planet Earth will rock and tilt off its axis[2], and earth’s rotation may be altered, resulting in shorter days.  Jesus warned during the closing days of earth’s history, the elect would encounter Satan and his nearly overwhelming deceptions.  During this same period, the seven angels with their seven trumpets and seven vials of God’s wrath will destroy the ecological system as well as those who followed Antichrist and accepted the mark of the political beast.

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The Greek word, sk’enos means “tabernacle, booth, shelter, or covering,”… the “great multitude”

of all nations are invited guests to the wedding, and they become the New

Jerusalem’s permanently protected occupants. 

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God’s seven plagues[3] will be widespread and disastrous, destroying both sinner and planet.  The first angel’s bowl will cause ugly and painful sores.  The second angel will turn oceans into blood.  The waters will cough up every imaginable creature, and the stench will surely be unbearable. Ships will be halted from the putrid and poisoning dangers.  Beaches will be lined with decaying carcasses, and as the winds and waves intensify, the contaminants will pour even further inland. Words cannot adequately describe the oceans of death that will cover the globe, as the once benign ecological system spirals out of control.

In the third angel’s work, Hashem judges mankind for the martyrdom of His saints and prophets.  He sent His anointed ones to forewarn and teach truth.  In the last days, many saints will cling to the testimony of Jesus, as revealed in the book of Revelation, and will proclaim that God’s kingdom is at hand.  Prophetic warnings will be broadcast with Biblical evidence provided.  A “great multitude” of righteous from all nations will stand firm until the end, even unto death.  Those who will take the lives of the righteous will pay for their hatred and slaughter. They shed the blood of saints and prophets during the appointed time of the end, so they will then be given blood to drink as already depleted fresh water supplies are quickly polluted.  God will repay “measure for measure,” blood for blood, for “precious is their blood in His sight,” (Psalm 72:14).  The fourth angel intensifies the power of the sun so the masses are tortured by the scorching heat.  The fifth attacks the throne of the beast, plunging it into total darkness. The sixth angel dries up the Euphrates, making way for the armies to traverse towards Armageddon.  The Evil Triumvirate—Lucifer, False Prophet and Antichrist—gather the forces of the world into battle readiness.

John writes, “The Seventh Angel poured out His bowl into the air, and out of the Temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city [Jerusalem] split into three parts,” physically and spiritually dividing the three religions of Jerusalem—Judaism, Christianity and Islam—which will join together in rebellion against God, “and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great [Old Jerusalem] and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of His wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found[4]. From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible,” (Revelation 16:17-21). 

“Anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien [Gentile] or native-born [Jew], when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death,” (Leviticus 24:16).  God’s historical punishment for blasphemy is illustrated by the end-time hailstones that fall upon this rebellious planet.  “In the hand of the LORD is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; He pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs. As for me, I will declare this forever; I will sing praise to the God of Jacob. I will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up,” (Psalm 75:8-10). 

Mystery Babylon, the city of Jerusalem, will be destroyed during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 17:1-18) along with many cities and nations.  Babylon’s plagues are prophesied in Revelation 18:8-24; in one day, she will fall in total ruin.  Political leaders, merchants and transporters of goods will be terrified by her demise.  However, Heaven’s inhabitants will rejoice at her destruction (Revelation 19:1-3) for, during the final countdown, she corrupted the earth by her (political and religious leaders’) adulteries and by her bloodshed of the two righteous prophets and the saints. 

With heartfelt sadness, the prophecies forewarn the “great city” will one day be destroyed for all time.  Jesus warned of this long ago when He told His disciples not one Temple stone would be left upon another (Matthew 24:1-2).  In spite of many Biblical warnings about Jerusalem’s downfall, few Bible students see the connection between the derogatory names in prophecy and the city.  However, such offensive names as “Egypt”[5] and “Sodom”[6] in the Old Testament are linked in the book of Revelation to Jerusalem where the “LORD was [earlier] crucified,” (11:8) and where the two witnesses would also be martyred.  Evidently God intend to disguise the true identity of the prostitute city until closer to the time when the wayward woman would meet her doom.  The most descriptive title in Revelation, which in itself communicates secrecy, is found in Revelation 17:5.  The name is…

Although a mystery, two promises are given in the Word of God for those who are searching the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation for insight into this and other mysteries: “none of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand,” (Daniel 12:10); and “blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near,” (Revelation 1:3).  The wise, willing to take Elohim at His Word, will perceive the secret identity of Babylon and her great apostasy.

So great is Jerusalem’s downfall that the whole chapter of Revelation 18 is devoted to describing her ruin.  When God’s people rejected the Holy One of Israel in ages past, the Temple was burnt to the ground and the city ravaged.  The false prophets declared with confidence that God loved Jerusalem too much to allow her destruction and those who live in the city.  “‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace,” (Jeremiah 6:14).  The saints could not believe that God would judge His City and destroy the Sanctuary.  Likewise, the final generation will not believe that Jerusalem will burn, even though there are clear warnings from the prophets for rejecting Messiah for the counterfeit Antichrist.  Jerusalem will commit spiritual adultery by following a false religion, and in doing so face the retribution of a daughter caught in adultery: “If a priest's daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire,” (Leviticus 21:9).  “The kings of the earth [Gentile nations] committed adultery with her [Jerusalem], and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.” Then I heard another voice from Heaven say: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to Heaven, and God has remembered her crimes,” (Revelation 18:3-5).

Jeremiah adds these chilling words: “‘See, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city [Jerusalem] that bears My Name, and will you indeed go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all who live on the earth,’ declares the LORD Almighty. Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: ‘The LORD will roar from on high; He will thunder from His holy dwelling and roar mightily against His land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth. The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring charges against the nations; He will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword,’ declares the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth,’” (Jeremiah 25:29-32).

Jerusalem boasts in her heart with complete confidence of God’s divine protection in spite of her sins: “I sit as queen [exalted among the nations]; I am not a widow [my Husband is still alive], and I will never mourn [in loss],” (Revelation 18:7).  Isaiah 47:7-9 prophesies, “You said, ‘I will continue forever—the eternal queen!’ But you did not consider these things or reflect on what might happen.  Now then, listen, you wanton creature, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, ‘I am [special], and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.’  Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells.”

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With Jerusalem a blazed and desolate ruin… John sees “five”

political leaders “have fallen” in the global destruction. 

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Long ago, the appearance of the High Priest out of the sanctuary at the end of the Day of Atonement revealed to the Israelites their verdict.  Those who had repented and confessed their disobedience saw their sins removed and figuratively placed on the scapegoat, called Azazel in Hebrew[7], which was led away to perish in the wilderness.  Those who had not repented of their wrongs and refused to humble themselves before God were “cut off” from the people.  So it will be at the coming of Messiah at the end of the final Day of Atonement.  Unrepentant individuals, along with the prideful religious community and rebellious inhabitants of earth, will be “cut off” by God’s mighty hand.

During the last 40 days of Great Tribulation, the downfall of Satan’s political leaders will be well underway: “This calls for a mind with wisdom” (Revelation 17: 9), indicating this to be a mystery which only the wise will understand.  The seven heads of the political beast are seven hills (mountains, or powers) upon which the woman sits.  That is to say, the geo-political monster is identified by the seven global powerbases[8], and the adulterous woman (Jerusalem) who sits atop the beast is identified as the supreme city of the nations. Although the Vatican will be in the forefront, the seven hills are not representative of Rome, as many suppose.  We know this because the seven hills boast of seven political leaders; therefore, this description is much bigger than the seven hills of one particular city.

With Jerusalem a blazed and desolate ruin, and mankind nearing the brink of total annihilation during the 40 days of the seven last plagues, John sees “five” political leaders “have fallen” in the global destruction.  “One [False Prophet] is [still alive], the other [Antichrist] has not yet come [back alive]; but when he does come [back alive], he must remain for a little while [longer—a “short space” of time, just before Christ comes with His saints to conquer all remaining sin and sinners].”  He continues, “The beast [Antichrist] who once was [alive], and now is not [found alive at that moment], is an eighth king [powerful demonic ruler, Satan].  He belongs to the seven [kings], and is going to his destruction,” (v. 11).

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus warned His disciples concerning His death and the arrival of Lucifer on the world scene: “I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.  I will not speak with you much longer, for the Prince of this world [Satan] is coming [no longer in secret disguise, but visibly],” (John 14:30).  For this reason, the warning is given to the elect who are alive and remain on earth not to believe any news the Savior is “out in the desert” or “in the inner rooms,” (Matthew 24:26). 

The 144,000, the twelve tribes of Israel, will remain on earth to endure the last 40 days of Great Tribulation; however, the Holy One will stand to protect His sealed and chosen ones.  God declares, “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish… Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you, declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel,” (Isaiah 41:11-14).

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