The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Revelation 8:1-6, “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.
4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.
5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.”

Under the Seventh Seal, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour! Remember that the First Four Seals sounded out the voice of thunder: war, removal of peace, famine and death. The Fifth Seal revealed the cry for vengeance from the Tribulation martyrs. And the Sixth Seal was a fearful tremor, reverberating throughout the whole of nature.

Now, in chapter eight, the Seal Judgments continue. With the Seventh Seal comes silence that emphasizes a declaration of major importance. It may be compared with the temporary silence in a courtroom just before the foreman reports to the Court the verdict of the jury.

Seven presence angels now stand before the LORD. They are the highest and mightiest of all created beings. The seven receive trumpets through which divine declarations will be announced. These Trumpet Judgments are infinitely more intense than the prior Seal Judgments.

Trumpet One (8:7) sounds a Botanical judgment (ground, trees, grass, vegetation). With this trumpet comes hail and fire, mixed with blood –all thrown to the Earth. And a third of the Earth suffered destruction from burning. Leaves purify the air by taking out carbon dioxide and giving back oxygen. Without photosynthesis, the replenishment of the Earth’s fundamental food supply would stop, and the planet would become devoid of oxygen (Compton).

Trumpet Two (8:8-9) sounds a Marine Judgment “The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.”

Trumpet Three (8:1-11) sounds a Geological Judgment. “The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.” Wormwood “is a bitter, intoxicating and poisonous herb. Used freely, it produces convulsions, paralysis, and death” (Seiss, 197).

Trumpet Four (8:12) sounds an Astral Judgment (sun, moon, stars). “The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.” This is a distruction of the sources of light and heat to our world: the sun, moon and stars will shine with only a third of their light. This will disturb the seasons, hindering the ripening of fruit and harvests, and filling the world with a chill and an abundant sickness (Seiss, 198).

Give attention to the Eagle (8:13: “Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in mid-Heaven, saying with a loud voice: ‘Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!’”
(1)The Eagle is symbolic
A.…of Grace (Ex. 19:4, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself”).
B.…of Judgment (Dt. 28:49, “The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the Earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you shall not understand…”).
C.…of Christ’s Coming (Mt. 24:28, “Wherever the corpse is, there the eagles will gather.”)
(2)The Eagle is visibly allied with God (“flying in mid-Heaven”).
(3)The Eagle is audibly announcing God’s judgments (“shouting with a loud voice”).
A.Note well what he says: “Woe!”
B.Note well of whom he speaks: “…those dwelling on Earth.”

And still, these are only the beginnings of more intensive woes to follow. Evil will finally meet its execution! Make certain you belong to the LORD. He alone is your way of salvation!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Revelation 6:1-17, “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ‘Come.’
2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
3 When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come.’
4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
5 When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.
6 And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.’
7 When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come.’
8 I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained;
10 and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’
11 And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.
12 I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood;
13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.
14 The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;
16 and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;
17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”

It was John the Baptist, who first identified Jesus to the people by saying, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). For Jesus would indeed be offered as “the Lamb,” sacrificed on the Cross for the sins of His people. His death was the Sacrifice for our sins, too. Yet, we have to acknowledge Him as the Substitute for us.

In the long, 17-verse passage above, the Apostle John (different from John the Baptist)
reveals the seven “seals,” or chapters, that will become known as the LORD reveals the things that will come to pass on the Earth. Like leaking water coming from a loose pipe, samples of what will come are already being revealed.

In Seal One there is the White Horse, the Antichrist. He pretends to be the Christ and ultimately persuades the Jews to follow him. They have long looked for their Messiah, and believing this to be Him, they fall in line and believe him. even as he misleads them.

Seal Two reveals a Red Horse, who is permitted to take peace from the earth. Under him, many wars break out and scores of people die as men vie with each other over land and various material things.

Seal Three is a Black Horse, whose rider carries a pair of scales, provokes famine
throughout the world. Food will be scarce, and where it is found, it is extremely
expensive! We’re experiencing a foretaste of that just now with oil and food prices on
the rise.

Seal Four is an Ashen Horse, bespeaking wars and famine. Death and Hades possess
authority to kill with the sword and with famine one-fourth of the earth. Pestilence and wild beasts will be employed as well.

Seal Five reveals the scores of souls who have been slain because they held fast to the Word of God and to their testimonies. To each of the believers was given a White Robe and is encouraged to hold out until the time of suffering is completed.

Seal Six produced a massive earthquake; the sin turned black and the moon became like blood. Stars fell from the sky, as the sky itself split apart. Mountains and islands were moved out of their places. Kings and mighty men, rich and strong, along with slaves and other free men cried out for the mountains to fall upon them and “hide themselves from the presence of Him who sits on the throne. They will cry for the rocks to fall upon them and hide them from the presence of the LORD Jesus Christ, who sits on the Throne!

Oh, my dear friend, that terrible day is coming! The “winds of turbulence” are already
upon us! The LORD Jesus Christ is our only hope! “And there is salvation in no one
else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which
we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Pray a simple prayer to the LORD. Ask Him to forgive
your sins and take control of your life. He will forgive your sins; He will control your life!
Just ask Him to do it; and believe that He has! You are in my prayers, too.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Revelation 6:1-6, “Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, ‘Come.’
2 I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
3 When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, ‘Come.’
4 And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.
5 When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, ‘Come.’ I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.
6 And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.’”

With the advent of Revelation 5, the Church on Earth disappeared into the heavens. This is the Rapture, where Redeemed mankind will stand before God at the Judgment Seat. It is there that the LORD will bestow crowns upon the saved who were active in sharing the Gospel with the lost on Earth. There are five areas in which specific mention is made of a reward:

(1)An Incorruptible Crown for those who gain mastery over the old, worldly man (1 Cor. 9:25).
(2)A Crown of Rejoicing for the soul-winners (1 Thes. 2:19).
(3)A Crown of Life for those enduring trials (Jas. 1:12).
(4)A Crown of Righteousness for loving His appearing (2 Tim. 4:8); and
(5)A Crown of Glory for being willing to feed the flock of God (1 Pet. 5:4).

But this is not the end of the world! The unsaved left behind now face the most torrential outpouring of God’s wrath yet known to man! The expulsion from Garden of Eden, the confusion of tongues at the Tower of Babel, and the dispersion of Israel throughout the world –all pale in the face of the GREAT TRIBULATION!

Commencing with Revelation 6 and continuing through chapter 18, emphasis is given to the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the world, Primarily, His wrath is focused upon the Jews. They were and are His chosen people. From Him and for them came the Messiah! The magnitude of their national rejection of Jesus as the Messiah is mirrored in the magnitude of God’s wrathful displeasure toward their nation.

It was this GREAT TRIBULATION of which Christ Himself spoke saying, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall” (Mt. 24:21). This is “the time of Jacob’s trouble,” the “70th week of Daniel.” The LORD’s focus is primarily upon the Jewish nation, for it was Israel that cried, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him! We have no king but Caesar!” (Jn 19:15).

In this Great Tribulation, a series of defining judgments unfold: 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 bowls – each of which is subdivided into specific judgments upon the Earth, including all mankind. You can escape these judgments! You need not go through the Great Tribulation! A personal commitment in prayer to God is your escape! Dear LORD, forgive me of all my sins. Come into my heart and life and be my LORD and Savior.”

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Revelation 5:1-7, “I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?’
3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.
4 Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;
5 and one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.’
6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.
7 And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.”

When I was a small boy, my mother told me about God’s Book, the Bible. But there was, another “book” that was not the Bible. The book she meant was the book in which God placed “black marks” behind the names of children when they were naughty. Exactly how many “black marks” were behind my name was known only to the LORD!

The Apostle John learned about God’s Book when he was on the Isle of Patmos. Only that that Book was a scroll, like the one which the Prophet Ezekiel referenced (Ezk 2:9-10a). Books in ancient times were often scrolled and sealed in various places, hiding portions from the eyes of others.

This book, however, was revealed to John: “I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back…” (5:1a). Doubtlessly, there have been many variant ideas about the content of that book; yet, it is revealed as the “Title Deed to the Earth,” and it is “…sealed up with seven seals” and further secured in the LORD’s right hand, connoting His authority. As for the seals, they were secured with perfection. Roman law required wills to be sealed seven times.

The Angel in our Scripture passage is obviously not Christ, since He is the recipient of the “little book.” We are not told who this angel is, but a good possibiity is that it is Gabriel; for it was he, who ordered the book closed to Daniel (Dan. 9:24). The Angel’s loud voice is intimidating, as he asks, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?”

John notes the universal disqualification of all creation to open the book (5:3). Faithful and faithless of men and of angels –all are disqualified! Why? Because disqualification is not based on intellectual lack, but upon moral unworthiness. No one is qualified to open the Book! Everyone lacks the qualification to view and know its contents!

This provoked John to weep profusely! If this “little book” is, as we believe, the Title Deed to the Earth, John’s weeping can be justifiably rebuked –and it was!– because weeping denotes an attitude of unsureness, instability; it betrays a lack of trust in God’s ability to control. Even when we do not understand, we must have confidence that the
LORD does understand. And beyond that, He is in control and will always take care of His people. Are you one of His people? I am praying that you are.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Revelation 4:5-11, , Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;
6 and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind.
7 The first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.
8 And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”
9 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever,
10 the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

One of my dear wife’s heart doctors “died” one day as he and his staff were opening his office for the day’s activities. Subsequently, we met him one day just outside his office door and I asked him about his “death experience.” He said it was as if he had been mysteriously elevated above his body and the staff that surrounded it below. He could see it all, and talked to them; but they could not hear him. He gave them instructions on what to do; but again, they did not hear him. Through the grace of Almighty God, his heart came good, his life was released from his elevated position, and was returned to his body below. I asked him if he were a Christian, and he assured me that he truly was!

There are indeed some mysterious occurrences that defy human explanation. The Apostle John envisioned some Spiritual Wonders in a dream: “…flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.” Also, there were “seven lamps of fire burning before the Throne, which are the seven Spirits of God…” The Throne pictures God’s universal sovereignty and Divine omnipotence (Psa. 115:3). The Throne produced “sights and sounds of judgment” (4:5a), and was closely associated with the Holy Spirit of God (4:5b). Further, the Throne offered a residence in peace: “and before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal” (4:6a). What peace we would know if only we would adhere to God’s will and His precepts!

John also noted the characteristics of some Living Creatures; they were “full of eyes in front and behind” (vv. 6b-8). The Prophet Ezekiel had experienced the same (Ezk. 1:10).

(1)Each Living Creature possessed six wings that stood for Reverence, Humility, and Obedience.
(2)Each Living Creature possessed omniscience. The Rabbis said, “There are four holding the chief place in the world: among the creatures is man; among birds, is the eagle; among cattle, is the ox; and among beasts, is the lion.”

Note that their concentration and constant cry focuses on Christ! “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.’”

Oh, that we would focus and concentrate on Jesus Christ! One Day we will. For One
Day we will stand before Him and He will say either “Enter thou into the joys of thy
LORD” or “Depart from me…I never knew you!” How will He address you on that Day?

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom