And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father=s name written in their foreheads.

The arnion of God has come to the top of Mt. Zion. These represent the first sealed, the first fruits brought forth by the Lamb. They have their Father=s name in their foreheads. These overcomers received their names along with the hidden manna by walking through the redemption allotted to Pergamos (see Revelation 2:17). They have been cleansed by the spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning (see Isaiah 4:4). They have been tried in the fire and have endured. The manmade religions have not contaminated them. They are virgins by spirit, unblemished by the mark or number of the beast. There is no guile (in the Greek >DOLAS= which means Adeceit, subtlety@) in their mouths. They are without fault before the throne of God. These are the first Aborn again@ from among men. They are the privileged to sing the new song reserved for the overcomers who are one with the Lamb. They will freely give as they have freely received. Their anointing will cover the earth revealing and consuming the wicked, as they make up the army of the Lord. They represent the sealed of Revelation chapter seven. They are to minister what they have received. Judgement and burning will signify their presence, as they minister the will of the Lamb. They are a hand stretched out crying for Babylon to repent, as the angels who minister with them, bind the tares and seal the wheat.

All angels are Aministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation.@¹ As the hour of judgement comes upon all earth dwellers, the ministry of judges and counsellors was prophesied of Isaiah to be restored as at the beginning (see Isaiah 1:26). This ministry will plead with all flesh with fire and the sword (the word). This was also prophesied by Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 66, verse 16. Jesus had promised the overcomers that keep his word of patience, AI will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.@² The patience is to refrain from personal vengeance Afor all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.@³ Those Athat leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity.@⁴ The strong delusion of this hour requires the church to Akeep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.@⁵ Thank God, for his faith, ours would have failed in this hour. Babylon will fall during this time, as the fire of God tries all who have worshiped the beast and his image. We will see this in greater detail as we look into chapters seventeen and eighteen. As the church with the arnion wades deeper into the anointing of this hour, the love of many will wax cold as they deny the fire in the presence of the Lamb. Jesus had warned, Ahe that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that basphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.@⁶ If a day is measured as a thousand years, the first hour of judgement will be forty-two years.

The beasts will first speak against this fire of God, declaring their religion as the refuge Aout of the storm.@ Others will walk in boldly in their spotted condition claiming the fire as the source for their own golden calf. The anointing of Elijah can bring forth the fire, but it takes the anointing of Moses to walk in it. The arnion possesses both.

Paul has written, Afor the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.@⁷ Paul in revealing the dead in Christ, wasn=t speaking of grave bound pilgrims. ATo live is Christ.@⁸ The dead in life make up the first fruits that rise into the spiritual air (AAER@ in the Greek which means Aholy breath@). These make up the ministry of the 144,000. A special blessing is reserved for these Adead which die@ from this time forward. Their works will continue. As the church (God=s cloud of witnesses) moves into this level of spirit, they will reveal the man of sin, the son of perdition (see I Thessalonians 2:3). As the earth is reaped, the tares planted by this devil are the first gathered. Jesus said, Alet both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.@⁹ The disciples asked of Jesus, Adeclare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall sen forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.@¹⁰

At the end time of the first earth, Athe angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just.@¹¹ Isaiah had prophesied, Abehold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.@¹² The writer of the Proverbs had stated, Afor the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.@¹³ The Proverbs also stated, Athe righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.@¹⁴ Isaiah in revealing the conditions of the harvest said, Athe sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions (Hebrew for Adeceits@), that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high (Hebrew of Aheights@ or Ahigh places@): his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.@¹⁵

We have used several references to show that the wicked is the first reaped, as the loud voice of the angel cried out to the one like unto the son of man. John had written, Abeloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.@¹⁶ The church is given the honour of reaping the earth as they engage the enemy. The psalmist wrote, Alet the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.@¹⁷ The beds signify the rest and the singing of high praises signifies the new song of the overcomers. The second angel with the power to reap was instructed by the angel of the altar which had power over fire, to gather the clusters of the vine of the earth and cast it into the great winepress. Jesus had told the church, AI am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.@¹⁸

The Ablood cleanseth us from all sin.@¹⁹ and justifies the church from Athe wrath@²⁰ that is to come. The life is in the blood. The church, one with the Lamb, has been a living sacrifice pouring out of their bellies >living water= (the spirit and the word) for two thousand years. As the earth realm is judged, the tares are bound into bundles. The tares will cause a unified gathering of many churches, as they believe the fire is a sign of their righteousness rather than Babylonian unrighteousness. The true church will walk through the fire where the unrighteous cannot. The prophet Jeremiah in writing of this time said, Aand I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it. And they shall drink, and be moved, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.@²¹ the wine of the wrath of God will be measured by the rejected blood brought forth in love, by the Lamb. The blood has been the new wine of fellowship of the true church, wife, or one with the Lamb. They have shown the Lord=s death to the earth and the sea. The word Ashow@ in Paul=s statement, Afor as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord=s death till he come@²², is the Greek word AKATAGGELLO@ which means Ato preach@ or Ato teach@. This can only be done by the spirit of the anointed of the Lord. The angel from the altar, with the power over fire will join with the spirit of judgement to minister. AAnd it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense.@²³ Those written in the book of life, the arnion of God, will stand in the presence of the holy angels as the glory of God fills their temple. The arnion (church) is the temple of God in heaven and in earth. We pray Athy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.@²⁴ The saints already spiritually in Jesus (who is the resurrection) Aare as the angels of God in heaven.@²⁵ They will have the honour of ministering during the hour of temptation.

Jesus had revealed that immediately after the tribulation of those days when the powers of the heaven are shaken, Athen shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven.@²⁶ John saw this as a great and marvelous gathering of those that had gotten the victory over the beast. The same Greek word that is used for Avictory@ is used for Aovercome@. The saints, the new creation, are neither male nor female, Greek nor Jew. They, as one body, rejoicing in song as they praise the manifested judgements of the Lord. The question is asked, >who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?= Seven angels were seen coming from the open temple clothed in pure and white linen, girded with gold girdles, from the tabernacle of the testimony. These represent the fellow servants and brethren that have the testimony of Jesus. AFor the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.@²⁷ these angel priests receive the seven golden vials (bowls), full of the wrath of God who liveth for ever and ever. The temple is filled with smoke and no man can enter till the plagues are fulfilled.

When Solomon brought the ark into the completed temple and the priests were praising the Lord, Athe house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God.@²⁸ And again, after Solomon had made an end of praying, Athe fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord=s house.@²⁹ The glory of God is seen by John as it was in Solomon=s day. The fire of the Lord=s glory will close the temple to flesh till the seven plagues are fulfilled.

The great voice instructs the angels that minister out of the temple in the earth. The church is the temple and all angels are ministering spirits for the heirs of salvation. The first judgement comes against the men marked by the beast and those who worship his image. A noisome (wicked) and grievous (hurtful) sore (ulcer) will be a sign to many unrighteous worshipers. The second judgement comes against the sea of carnality. Man will seek life produced by the mind (soul), but the carnal mind is death. The third judgement is poured out upon the waters which represent the ministries called by the carnal mind to feed the carnal mind. They will drink, as prophesied by Isaiah, Aand they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the might One of Jacob.@³⁰ The fourth level of judgement will manifest a burning heat that will cause many to blaspheme the name of God, calling His fire a work of Satan. This fire will reveal the man of sin, the son of perdition, Awho opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God.@³¹ Malachi had prophesied, AUnto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.@³² This Sun is upon the earth, as the angels must pour out Aupon the earth.@³³ Even with the demonstrated power of God revealed by these judgements, men will still reject the glory of the Lord, which is Christ in us.

The fifth judgment is poured upon the seat of the beast. This seat is the carnal mind. The brightness of the coming Lord reveals those that have loved darkness rather than light and have pleasure in unrighteousness rather than truth. They repent not of their deeds, choosing form and fashion rather than truth and life. As the sixth judgment is poured out, the spiritual boundary signified by the Euphrates, is dried up. The East now has access to the West. The unclean spirits begin the strong delusion that causes the kingdoms of the earth to believe a lie. His miracles, signs, and lying wonders will blindly lead the blind. His doctrines will fool all that are not sealed with the name of the Lord. His darkness is the night that hides the coming presence of the Lord. The armies are gathered, the lines are drawn. Armageddon, the mountain of Megiddo or Athe mountain of the multitudes@ is the point of no return. Armageddon is composed from two Hebrew words: AHAR@ which means Amountain@ and AMEGIDDO@ which means Athe multitudes@.The seventh angel pours out his vial into the air that is upon the earth. And a great voice speaks out of the spiritual temple saying >It is done=. This Aair@ is the same Greek word AAER@ of I Thessalonians 4:17. The meaning is Abreath@ not sky. It relates to the same realm of spirit, both, a condition of spirit on earth. Jesus had commanded the vials to be poured upon the earth!

The world=s greatest earthquake will be a spiritual shaking of all the man-made doctrines of all religions as >their heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements (man made arrangements) shall melt with fervent heat. The earth and the works therein, shall be burned up. All works will be tried in the fire. Only the unshakeable things will remain; as they are founded on righteousness. As the new heavens and new earth are a condition of promise, the man-made temporal must yield to the Godly eternal. Babylon with her influences of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, will come to the cup of the Lord=s fury. The moving islands and mountains signify the faith of Jesus, as His way is made straight on the earth. A mustard seed of faith can move a mountain of unbelief.

Ezekiel prophesied against the foolish prophets that speak vanity and divine lies, because Athey have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar: Say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.@³⁴ The hail shall break down the walls that have bound many within the prisons of Babylon. These spiritual hailstones were identified as people by Ezekiel, the prophet. Joel also spoke of Aa great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?@³⁵ Ezekiel=s hailstones and Joel=s horses represent the army of the Lord AND the army of His Christ.

One of the angel priests invited John to behold the judgement of the great whore that sitteth upon peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues, symbolically called Amany waters@. She represents the bondage of those who come under her worldly influence as she portrays herself as the blessed church. She has fooled many with natural wine, claiming it to be the blood of Christ. Her enticements appear righteous to the natural eye as she is >decked with gold and precious stones.= The word Adecked@ means Agilded@. To gild is to cover a cheap metal with a thin layer of real, giving the appearance of the real thing. Her cup is full of detestable idolatry (Aabominations@), as she represents the Ahouse that inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her (spiritual fornication) return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.@³⁶ She doesn=t teach, Afor the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.@³⁷

When AJesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil@³⁸, He was seeing the temptation of the devil. His third level of temptation regarded all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. John was beholding a similar enticement. The angels presence ministered unto him. We need to use the word of Jesus when measuring the true church. AThou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.@³⁹ John has instructed the church to Atry the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.@⁴⁰ The Antichrist will not confess this. The Antichrist is the prophets of Babylon.

The scarlet colored beast with the seven heads and ten horns is the dragon of Chapter 12, verse 3. He is also the beast of Chapter 13, operating in the dragon=s power. The red color reflects the first Adam nature, since AAdam@ means Ared earth@ which is the dragon=s food. ADust shall thou eat all the days of thy life.@⁴¹ AFor dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.@⁴²

When John beheld the great temptation, he was astounded or bewitched (wondered) with admiration. He was viewing the same beguiler that had enticed the mother of all living (Eve). This wonder had fooled many saints and martyrs of Jesus. She is fooling many saints and martyrs of Jesus, but her days are numbered and her hour has come. The beast out of the deep (bottomless pit) will cause all earth dwellers to wonder (marvel, admire) as he presents himself as the Antichrist or the son of perdition. AWho opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.@⁴³ Babylon, directed by the beast, causes the falling away from the sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. Her mystery is the mystery of iniquity (unrighteousness). Her prophets, the many membered Antichrist, will proclaim worldly love.

The Bible says, Alove not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.@⁴⁴ As the strong delusion, which is allowed power for one hour comes upon the earth, many will be in a unified mind (one mind), but it will strengthen the beast. In groups they will work as the scorpions of Revelation chapter 9, stunning the carnal mind by touch (tails) or presence (mouth). The beast and false prophets claim the fire as their sign of victory over the false church; not knowing, because of the strong delusion, that they are consuming their own flesh by worshiping in the fire, as they are begotten by and one with Babylon. For God hath put it in their hearts to fulfill His will.

As the called and chosen and faithful walk with the presence of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, they fulfill their role as overcomers in the forty-two years (first hour) of their rest. Their weapon is not carnal, as the meek, they turn their cheeks, they love their enemies and they strike not. The Lord=s presence as the arnion is increasing as He is glorified in those whose names were written in the book of life from the foundation of the world. They have the Amark@ of the high calling of God, and they walk in His presence. The angels minister out of their temple. The brightness of this coming presence of the Lord and His angels provide the manifestation of these sons. His glory cannot be denied! All judgement flows out of the temple of the church of his testament. Those of the three levels of redemption measured as called (many are called), chosen (few are chosen), and faithful (walking in His faith) qualify for this ministry.