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earth. The first four angels sounded,
anda
• third pan of earth's crees
were burnt up,
• third pan of the sea became
blood,
• third pare of che sea's crea–
cures died,
• third parr of rhe ships were
destroyed,
• third part of rhe rivers were
hit by fire,
• third parr of rhe warers were
poisoned,
• third parr of rhe sun was
darkened,
• rhird parr of rhe moon was
darkened,
• rhird part of the stars were
darkened.
"W oe, Woe, Woe!"
Then
an
angelic being flew into
view. With a deafening roar, he
ur–
tered an eerie sentence over and over
and over: "Woe, woe, woe, ro che in–
habirers of che eanh by reason of rhe
other voices of che trumpet of the
three angels, which are yet ro sound!"
(Rev.
8:13.)
John looked imo che heavens. He
watched as a srar descended
ro
earrh.
The star became a being. A key mate–
rialized from nowhere, and it was
handed ro chis being. He put che key
into the door of an immense and dark
pie. John saw a small waft of smoke
arise. The smoke kept rising, and ris–
ing and rising. The waft turned into a
billow which rurned inro a cloud.
T he cloud turned noonday into mid–
nighr.
As che smoke cleared, John saw a
vision he was unable to describe be–
cause he was viewing mechanisric ob–
jects which did not exist in the world
ar rhat time. He looked at che strange
objecrs emerging from the douds. At
first, J ohn called rhem "locusts." But
they were powerful like scorpions.
They could not kili, but rheir touch
caused men to shriek in pain. The
scorpion-like locusts seemed covered
with armor like horses ready ro war
on che batdefield. But chey had hel-
10
met-like crowns on their heads. And
their faces were like the faces of men.
They seemed ro have long hair. The
beasts had fronts made of iron, and
they had wing-like appendages. John
heard the sound produced by these
beasts, and it reminded him of the
noise of hundreds of cbariots dashing
into battle.
The vision was suddenly rurned
off. But another appeared in its place.
John beheld the most magnificent
army
he
had
ever
seen. A voice said
che army was rwo hundred million
strong. And John was witness as chis
army killed one third of che popu–
lation of the eartb.
T he T rumpet of che
Seventh Angel
Later,John heard the seventh angel
sound its trumpet. Immediately, he
was thrust by vision into che resi–
dence of bis God.
Tbis
vision was
also auditory, like sorne incredible ste–
reophonic symphony. Voices from
myriad throats cried, "The kingdoms
of chis world are become che king–
doms of our Lord, and of his Christ;
and he shall reign for ever and ever"
(Rev. 11:15).
Afterward, John experienced, in vi–
sion, rhe seven-part destrucrion levied
against che nations before che king–
doms became che kingdoms of Christ.
J ohn watched in horror as che world's
armies garhered at Armageddon to
fight a mad war directed against che
giver of rbe visions, J ohn's Master,
J esus Chrisr.
"What am I to do with these vi–
sions," John wondered. "What is
their purpose?" While he was yet ask–
ing himself these quesrions, che Mas–
ter (through an emissary) spoke ro
him again in vision.
"These sayings are faithful and
true. . . . Behold,
I
come quickly:
blessed is he that keepeth che sayings
of the prophecy of chis book.... Sea]
not che sayings of che prophecy of
chis book: for che time is ar hand"
(Rev. 22 :6-10).
And then the very voice of
his
Master Jesus was rhere. He recognized
thar voice from a long, long time
ago.
" I Jesus have sent mine angel ro
testify unto you these things in che
churches....
I
resrify unto every man
that heareth the words of che proph–
ecy of chis book, If any man shall add
unto these things, God shall add unto
him the plagues that are written in
chis book: and if any man shall cake
away from che words of che book of
tbis prophecy, God shall cake away
his pare our of che book of life, and
out of che holy ciry. .. . He which tes–
tifieth these things saith, Surely
I
come quickly" (Rev. 22:16-20) .
W ho Must H eed the
W
ords?
Still, John was puzzled. He knew
what che Four Horsemen and che
Great Tribulation were. But there was
a nagging question: "To whom did
they apply and when?"
Then John recalled furrher the
words of Jesus, recorded by a fel low
disciple named Matthew:
"Watch cherefore: for ye know nor
what hour your Lord doth come... .
Therefore be ye also ready: for in such
an hour as ye think not che Son of
man cometh. . . . Blessed is that ser–
vant, whom his lord when he cometh
shall find so doing. Verily
I
say unto
you, That he shall make him ruler
over all bis goods. But and if that evil
servant shall say in his hearc, My lord
delayeth his coming; and shall begin
ro smi ce his fellowservanrs, and ro eat
and drink with che drunken; che lord
of that servant shall come in a day
when he looketh not for him, and in
an hour that he is not aware of"
(Mate. 24:42-50).
Then John undersrood that che
warning was ro all generations, ro all
narions and to all individuals. For one
does not know whether he will be a
victim of che Four Horsemen,
che
Great Tribularion or che Wrath of
God. Thus che prophecy and che
warning is also addressed ro you and
ro me. The warning is that it is now
time ro prepare ourselves for our des–
tiny with our God and that the time
is .now ro repent and heed che words
of the prophecy.
o
PLAIN TRUTH Jonuory 1973