Addendum to “The End of the World” Article Series

The Spirit of truth guides us into all truth.^[1] We want Him to continue guiding you into all truth too, which is why we share this update to our four-author article series. It is not important who the writers are, but that it testifies of Jesus Christ. This addendum will show you a multifaceted picture of Jesus that has never been seen before. It is like a time-lapse photograph of Him in prophetic language!

Thrust in thy sickle!

He who knows our need before we ask^[2] already had an answer when the harvest of souls did not commence at the third plague as we expected. Plenty of other things did commence at the beginning of the third plague on March 9, however. The mighty nations of the world launched a firestorm of threats: North Korea announced possession of miniature nuclear bombs capable of being delivered to the U.S. via long-range ballistic missiles.^[3] Iran test-launched two missiles with a range that reaches Israel, with strong indications that the missiles could carry nuclear weapons.^[4] China raised its voice as it was roused into taking action because of the developments on the Korean peninsula.^[5] The U.S. relocated bombers to the South China Sea to balance the power in that region.^[6] All of that contention among nations sprang up on the very day when the third vial of wrath was poured out. Within days, Israel called for help.^[7] Then, Russia baffled the world by announcing the withdrawal of troops from Syria (but not from the region).^[8] All of this shifting and fidgeting of world powers points to the coming conflagration at the seventh plague, as we’ve written. It also sounds a lot like a plea to thrust in the sickle, because the good grain must be ripe now. We will see later that that is exactly the case.

The third trumpet warned of that. As we showed in Babylon Is Fallen! – Part I, the alignment of the churches with Rome was their downfall. The fall of Protestantism was complete at the third trumpet, when the Seventh-day Adventist Church (the last protesting church) aligned itself with Rome and joined the ranks of Satan’s army. Now at the third plague, the Adventist church is visibly splitting as its Inter-European Division insists on “regional autonomy” in outright rebellion against the General Conference and its voice in Session on the question of authority to decide women’s ordination.^[9] It is a 100% fulfillment of the Orion Message, on the exact date prophesied. That house—which was once the house of God—is breaking; its structural integrity is compromised, and it is condemned by the heavenly Building Authority. Mark well: there are no good parties involved. Ted Wilson will take one part of the church down the road to perdition by inconspicuously following the pope,^[10] while the other part travels down the same wide road to destruction with the UN. The pope and the UN are working together, but one is against women clergy while the other is pushing tolerance and equality. The SDA Church’s agenda nowadays is based entirely on the pope’s agenda (of saving the planet, marriage in God’s image, etc.), while the side ordaining women is simply acting out the UN policy of tolerance, which includes equal ministerial rights for not only women but also lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders... and the filthy list goes on. Yes, ALL OF THAT is allowed in Ted Wilson’s SDA Church, and the ostriches who say “not in my local church” forget that clinging to the GC organization means that they are guilty by association for what the Hollywood church does,^[11] since their shared leadership allows it. In contrast, we uphold the truth of Adventism, but we are not members of any organized churches; we resigned our church affiliations in protest. And NO, you CANNOT be saved in a church ship that tacitly allows public abomination^[12] in the dark corners of its lower decks. Ted Wilson’s church, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, is now 100% compatible with Catholicism, as demonstrated by a teacher in Adventist schools having dual membership!^[13] The sins we warned of in Babylon Is Fallen! – Part I have borne their fruit, and by the fruit the tree is judged. Isn’t it time for a loud voice in heaven to call for the sickle to take the good wheat out of the dirty field and into the protective garner?

That example in the SDA Church is playing out on a larger scale in the whole world. Just days before the third plague started, Europe started to fall apart. Individual countries closed their borders—an act that went against the EU’s collective open-border policy. We can now print it like this: EU, or European Union, because the “Union” is no longer in union. This sign was foretold in the book of Daniel:

And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Daniel 2:43-44)

In the days of these kings—which shall not cleave one to another—in the days of Merkel, Hollande, Pope Francis—in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed, but all the kingdoms of the world will be broken in pieces.

So, the third plague clearly started, but we didn’t see any harvest of souls like we had expected. We prophesied the date when the events of the day would cry out loud, “The hour has come for the harvest!” but there was no harvest yet. The Lord instructed us by sending a bright and beautiful unbroken rainbow over the eastern sky of our farm as the day closed. We relished the sight, as such a rainbow is not a common occurrence here. The rainbow is a reminder of God’s covenant:

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22)

The key point here is that God has a determined TIME for harvest every year, and it is promised to continue till this day. The time of harvest is integral to God’s calendar. It is not mere coincidence that the true date for Passover on the calendar of God—the beginning of the grain harvest season—falls on the same date as the fourth plague on His clock, April 22! In other words, the harvest should begin during the fourth plague, so the last call to get ready for the harvest should come with the third. Thus, God’s true calendar for this year shows the correct timing of Revelation 14:13-20.

Wonderful harmonies emerge when the verses are correctly aligned to the plague clock. The first part of the chapter is about the three angels’ messages, which every Adventist worthy of the name knows very well. Those messages warned of the investigative judgment, the fall of the churches, and the mark of the beast which leads to the plagues and eternal death. Those messages have now been completely fulfilled. The investigative judgment ended, the last protestant church fell, and the mark of the beast was set up.^[14]

Brother John said it well in his article:

They [Adventists] are still waiting for the mark of the beast, which they understand as the acceptance of Sunday sacredness under penalty of the law enforced by the state governments. But because they interpreted the prophecy that was given to them literally, they did not recognize that the beast of Revelation 17 is the New World Order of the UN. This “beast” (the biblical symbol for a world-dominating power) is being ridden (controlled) by the harlot (the Roman Church under Pope Francis).^[15] That which would have happened literally in the 1880s, if the church would have remained faithful, must now serve as a symbol for the events that we all experienced over the past few years in the judgment of the living from 2012 to 2015.

By understanding who this beast is, namely the United Nations, one also understands what the mark of the beast is. As Sunday is the mark of the legislative authority of the Roman Church, the laws of the United Nations are its mark. The law that was trumpeted everywhere on the 70^th anniversary of the United Nations on October 24, 2015 was the tolerance law over the whole planet. That was the High Sabbath at the end of the Orion judgment cycle (the second possibility of the Day of Atonement in 2015, just like in 1844), which was also the beginning of the first day of the Orion plague cycle (October 24/25, 2015). Exactly one month earlier, “Pope” Francis had given his orders for the worldwide establishment of a false tolerance of everyone who is against God’s laws, while clearly advocating intolerance against those whom he designated as having the mental “disease of fundamentalism.”^[16] The new tolerance of human perversions is supported by the followers of the LGBT and women’s ordination movements and the advocates of the uncontrolled streams of “refugees” who are being welcomed with open arms. It is against God’s Word and thus against His law, and so this global legislation of the UN has become the mark of the beast. Anyone who condones those things takes the mark of the beast, and receives the plagues.^[17]

Now we are living during the message of the fourth angel, with the mark of the beast (LGBT tolerance) as the law of all lands. The three angels’ messages closed when mercy ended on October 17, 2015, but the loud cry of the fourth angel’s message did not close, and it repeats the previous messages in a new light.

Verse 13 comes at the close of the third angel’s message, and reaches back over its entire span from 1846 to October, 2015:

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. (Revelation 14:13)

This verse is connected to another passage of Revelation:

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still [or from henceforth]: and he that is holy, let him be holy still [or from henceforth]. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward [or blessing] is with me, to give every man according as his work [or labor] shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. (Revelation 22:11-13)

The latter passage is understood to refer to the commencement of the plagues, when Jesus no longer intercedes for man and the case of every person has been decided.^[18] Thus, by association, Revelation 14:13 must refer to that same moment in time.

Ellen G. White also makes this connection by referring to Revelation 14:13 as “the words of the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end:”

Speak Not of Mistakes of Living or Dead—God has inspired no man to reproduce their mistakes, and to present their errors to a world that is lying in wickedness, and to a church composed of many who are weak in faith. The Lord has not laid the burden upon men to revive the mistakes and errors of the living or the dead. He would have His laborers present the truth for this time. Speak not of the errors of your brethren who are living, and be silent as to the mistakes of the dead.

Let their mistakes and errors remain where God has put them—cast into the depths of the sea. The less that is said by those who profess to believe present truth, in regard to the past mistakes and errors of the servants of God, the better it will be for their own souls, and for the souls of those whom Christ has purchased with His own blood. Let every voice proclaim the words of the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. John heard a voice saying, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them” (Revelation 14:13).—The Review and Herald, November 30, 1897. [This counsel was written to a worker who had published two articles in the The Review and Herald, April 3 and 10, 1894 under the title “Danger of Adopting Extreme Views.”—Compilers.] {3SM 346.4–347.1}

There are several verses in the Bible where Jesus is called the Alpha and Omega, but there is only one place where all of those names appear together, and that is in 22:13. Thus, Ellen G. White also confirmed the link between 14:13 and the beginning of the plagues, and adds the pertinent counsel to refrain from mentioning the mistakes and errors of God’s chosen workers.

Ellen G. White saw the blessing of Revelation 14:13 applicable to the period of the third angel’s message from its beginning in 1846 till 2015 when it meets the parallel verse of 22:11 at the close of probation. In addition to referring to the same moment in time as we saw above, those verses span from the first to the last points on the judgment cycle of the Orion clock, both indicated by the star Saiph. (The trumpet cycle, as the final warning of the three angels’ messages, functions as an extension of the judgment cycle in this context, and the intervening Saiph crossings are muted by the silence in heaven of verse 8:1.^[19]) It is only on a circular clock that the first and the last can be one and the same point! That is why the text speaks of the voice being in heaven, meaning that it is to be understood in connection with the Clock of God in Orion (in the heavens) as the central hub of the book of Revelation, as symbolized by the throne room scene in chapters 4 & 5.^[20]

Elder Haskell also saw that verse 14:13 would have another application at the close of the work, when the message was to be given with the power of the Holy Spirit. Speaking at the funeral of Ellen G. White, and applying Revelation 14:13 to her as she herself wished,^[21] he said:

In one of the glorious visions given John the beloved on the isle of Patmos, the prophet’s attention was arrested by “a voice from heaven” bidding him write: “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” Revelation 14:13. Wonderful words these, and especially when considered in the light of their setting at the close of the prophecy concerning a threefold message to be sounded preparatory to the end of the world and the second advent of Christ.

Heaven seemed desirous of helping us to understand that at the time of the end, when these messages are proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit, some of those engaged in this work will be permitted to rest from their labors. All such, we are assured, are accounted blessed of God. Nor are their unceasing efforts to bear aloft the banner of truth, without result; “their works do follow them.” Today, in the light of this assurance direct from heaven to the children of men, we can say of our dear sister who now sleeps, that she “being dead yet speaketh.” Hebrews 11:4. {LS 476.2–3}

Although we do not consider his words as directly inspired, we can validate them easily enough. The inspired record states that many will be laid to rest prior to the plagues, and that the message will then go out with power, so Elder Haskell’s words are indeed accurate. In 1890, after the opportunity to finish the work and go to heaven was missed, Ellen G. White admonished some who were discounting the three angels’ messages, and said:

The Lord’s ways and plans were given to His people [referring to the three angels’ messages]. They were to gather up memorials, and to lay them up where they would be in sight. Special pains were taken to preserve them, that when their children should inquire of their parents what these things meant, the whole story might be repeated. Thus the providential dealing, and the marked goodness and mercy of God in His care and deliverance of His people, would be kept a live subject. {9MR 135.1}

The message of the fourth angel as we have been presenting it is the fulfillment of that purpose! It is the “whole story...repeated,” but with additional light.^[22] Thus, Elder Haskell was completely correct to infer that there would be a repeated application of Revelation 14:13 when the power of the Holy Spirit accompanies the message, and that applies now to the first mark on the plague cycle of the Orion clock, indicated by Saiph (just like in the judgment cycle).

This understanding also affirms that God has two armies during the plagues: the 144,000 who do not taste death, and the other righteous people who do, but are heirs of the promise of Revelation 14:13, who will be blessed to see the second coming of Jesus:

It was at midnight that God chose to deliver His people. As the wicked were mocking around them, suddenly the sun appeared, shining in his strength, and the moon stood still. The wicked looked upon the scene with amazement, while the saints beheld with solemn joy the tokens of their deliverance. Signs and wonders followed in quick succession. Everything seemed turned out of its natural course. The streams ceased to flow. Dark, heavy clouds came up and clashed against each other. But there was one clear place of settled glory, whence came the voice of God like many waters, shaking the heavens and the earth. There was a mighty earthquake. The graves were opened, and those who had died in faith under the third angel’s message, keeping the Sabbath, came forth from their dusty beds, glorified, to hear the covenant of peace that God was to make with those who had kept His law. {EW 285.1}

Part of the reward for those who die in the faith during this critical phase leading up to the second coming is that they will rise to witness the event that they believed in and labored toward! This so-called “special” resurrection that she speaks of will take place right at the beginning of the seventh plague, marked by the star Saiph coming full circle again in the plague cycle. Four times, Saiph emphasizes the promise of the resurrection to those who labored and died in the faith.

The next verse reminds us of the One who has the authority to make such a promise...

And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. (Revelation 14:14)

Here, Jesus is brought to the view of John. We can see that He already has a crown, so this must be a depiction of Him at some point in time after His coronation. His wearing of the symbolic sevenfold crown of time means that the plague cycle is already in progress, and the clock must have “ticked” to the next point on the Orion clock: the second plague. Now we might get the idea to make a table with the verses alongside the clock stations, to see if they match up:

Revelation 14	Aligns to...
13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.	1st plague, starting Oct. 25, 2015. Already explained above: the promise is made that those who die in faith during the following time will be rewarded at the end of the cycle.
14. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.	2nd plague, starting Dec. 2-5, 2015. In the second plague, we received the understanding about the sevenfold crown of Jesus, as Brother John wrote in his article. This station on the clock is formed by the throne lines, which represent the hands of Jesus in a lowered position (as Betelgeuse and Bellatrix represent His hands in a raised position). The throne lines also mark a pair of dates on the clock circle. That short “arc” on the clock circle indicates the shape of a sickle, which is in the lowered hand of Jesus. The fact that Jesus is mentioned here as “having on his head a golden crown” perfectly matches the location of the mark emanating from the throne of God and center of the clock.
15. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time [hour] is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.	3rd plague, starting Mar. 9, 2016. We expected the harvest to begin at the third plague, as we said in Brother Gerhard’s article. Thus, according to our knowledge at that time, we literally said “the time is come for thee, Lord, to reap.” Note that the word time in this verse means “hour” according to the Strong’s concordance. Therefore, this angel is actually speaking about the “hour” of Satan, explained in Brother John’s article, which begins at the very next tick of the clock (the fourth plague). Therefore, this angel is the warning messenger who announces the hour in the next segment. The events that ushered in the third plague (mentioned in the beginning of this addendum) resemble the loud voice.
16. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.	4th plague, starting Apr. 22, 2016. This is the hour of Satan, and when it comes, it will bring persecution as the means by which the harvest of the good grain will take place.[23] This is the date of the signing of the climate deal (more on that later).
17. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.	5th plague, starting May 18-21, 2016. All of these angels represent the work of Jesus, and now we see Him with a sharp sickle again, and as before, we are at a station on the clock which is defined by the throne lines, corresponding to the hand of Jesus with a sickle.
18. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.	6th plague, starting Aug. 1, 2016. Similarly to verse 15, this angel indicates that the next tick of the clock should begin the harvest—this time of grapes—representing the wicked to be killed. As Brother Gerhard explained in his article, this angel with power over fire symbolizes the (upcoming) fireball event combined with the Carmel Challenge of the sixth trumpet. Like Elijah’s petition for fire at the altar on Mt. Carmel, this loud cry petitions Jesus, the Man with the sickle, to gather the wicked for destruction.
19. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.	7th plague, starting Sep. 25, 2016. This is the Hour of Truth that Brother John wrote about in his article by that name. This is when Armageddon breaks out, and the fireballs (nuclear war) gather the wicked in preparation for their destruction in the gamma-ray burst of Betelgeuse.
20. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.	Second Coming, Oct. 24, 2016. This perfectly aligns with the grape harvest of ancient Israel, with the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day (detailed in the next section).

The above table only scratches the surface of the harmonies that unfold from this interpretation. There was some time from the invisible crowning ceremony in heaven at the start of the plagues to the time when we recognized it at the second plague and received the blessing of the 1335 days. Thus, John the Revelator hears the blessing at the first plague, but does not see the cloud with our crowned and triumphant Lord until the next verse, 14:14, which fits perfectly with the second plague on the clock after He was already crowned and seated (40 days as explained in Brother Robert’s article). Faith comes by hearing,^[24] because faith is evidence of things NOT seen;^[25] seeing is no longer faith, but sight.^[26] Those who believe through faith are blessed:

Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:29)

The blessing for those who believed through faith during the first plague became sight in the second plague. It is appropriate that the throne lines, which emanate from the symbolic “throne stars” at the center of the clock, point to the time when the saints first see His Majesty seated on the throne! These harmonies strengthen our faith and confidence that Jesus is leading us through this time of plagues.

Now you can begin to see the time-lapse photograph of our Lord and Savior. It is Jesus who sits on the cloud, and Jesus who says when it’s time to harvest, and Jesus who harvests the righteous for redemption and the wicked for vengeance.

This progression of time is also symbolized by the sign of the coming of the Son of Man, hinted at in verse 14 through the mention of both the white cloud and the Son of Man. Jesus said:

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30)

Besides the clouds of angels that will attend Jesus when He returns, the clouds of the heavens can also refer to the beautiful nebulae that can be seen through telescopes. Ellen G. White gives a very detailed account of the transition into the plagues and the time until the sign of the Son of Man appeared:

...And I saw a flaming cloud come where Jesus stood and he laid off his priestly garment and put on his kingly robe, took his place on the cloud which carried him to the east where it first appeared to the saints on earth, a small black cloud, which was the sign of the Son of Man. While the cloud was passing from the Holiest to the east which took a number of days, the Synagogue of Satan worshiped at the saints feet. {DS March 14, 1846, par. 2}

This little paragraph is packed with information. First, a flaming cloud is described as coming where Jesus stood, which she later identifies as the “small black cloud, which was the sign of the Son of Man.” Did you notice that Ellen G. White described it with apparently contradictory expressions in the very same sentence!? She said that the “flaming cloud” is also the “small black cloud.” Normally a flame is bright, not black! The only way to harmonize that discrepancy is to fully grasp the fact that she speaks in symbols.

Look, the National Sunday Law was symbolically fulfilled with the National Sodomy Law on June 26, 2015, and the warning was given to flee from the cities—symbolic of churches—shortly after the last protestant church (the SDA Church) fell on July 8, 2015, and now the plagues are well under way. Much of prophecy has already fulfilled, but you can only see it if you understand that it was symbolic!

Knowing that we are dealing with symbols, we should look for the flaming cloud or small black cloud where Jesus symbolically stands. Jesus symbolically stands at the center of the Orion clock, symbolized by the star Alnitak! Let’s take a telescopic look at the star Alnitak and see if we can see a flaming cloud next to it:

There it is, the Flame Nebula. The center of the flame itself even appears black, in accordance with its description as a small black cloud. But that is not all! The “small black cloud” is also described elsewhere^[27] as approaching closer and getting brighter and brighter.

In December of 2009, the first image from the brand-new VISTA infrared telescope was published: it was the Flame Nebula, in new color:^[28]

Although the nebula itself has not changed, the new technology allowed us to see it in a new light and with a higher resolution (as if it is closer), just in time for the last seven years of earth’s history before Jesus comes again. Adventists always thought that the small black cloud would appear seven days before the Second Coming, but symbolically it was actually seven years before! It is fitting that the release of these images coincides with the development of the Orion message, which is the real increasing “light” that they point to. It is the presence of Jesus that brightens anything!

Notice how the black part of the cloud appears to be dissipating, and the cloud seems brighter. Then, in 2014 as the judgment cycle ended, NASA released another stunning high-resolution image of the Flame Nebula, this time from the Spitzer telescope, also captured in the infrared spectrum and presented in dazzling color:^[29]

Wow! Do you see it? Do you see how the black flame has virtually disappeared and instead the bright shining fire of the throne of God lightens the entire cloud? Even the symmetry in the nebula’s shape evokes mental images of the Second Coming, with Jesus at the center and a cloud of angels around Him.

However, please note that this particular nebula does not represent the actual second coming—it is a waiting time just before it. Remember, the sign of the Son of Man involves “clouds”—meaning more than one cloud! The flame nebula is just the cloud mentioned in connection with the second plague, which is exactly the pie-slice where the cloud is situated on God’s clock in Orion.

The movement and travel, however, is symbolized by a different nebula pointed to by the seventh plague, which will be explained in the next section. Right at the heart of the clock, surrounding Alnitak, is where these symbols are depicted. As the great hand of time moves around the clock, it points to the scenes of special interest in Revelation that are unfolding before our eyes.

There is a dense cluster of stars in the flame nebula that make the symbolic throne so bright, reflecting the biblical description of the throne of God:

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. (Daniel 7:9)

On Earth’s celestial dome, the Master Artist has painted the promise of His coming on the vaults of heaven! It is a public love message on a billboard tens of light years wide!

In the words of the wise men, “We have seen His star in the east”^[30]—but only symbolically. These prophetic scenes are just symbols to point to the real events that are soon to come. The Flame Nebula visually tells the story of how Jesus, after being crowned, sat down on the cloud with the harvest sickle in His hand.

Ellen G. White also indicated the size of the small black cloud as an identifying characteristic:

Soon our eyes were drawn to the east, for a small black cloud had appeared, about half as large as a man’s hand, which we all knew was the sign of the Son of man. We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer and became lighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire; a rainbow was over the cloud, while around it were ten thousand angels, singing a most lovely song; and upon it sat the Son of man. His hair was white and curly and lay on His shoulders; and upon His head were many crowns. His feet had the appearance of fire; in His right hand was a sharp sickle; in His left, a silver trumpet. His eyes were as a flame of fire, which searched His children through and through. Then all faces gathered paleness, and those that God had rejected gathered blackness. Then we all cried out, “Who shall be able to stand? Is my robe spotless?” Then the angels ceased to sing, and there was some time of awful silence, when Jesus spoke: “Those who have clean hands and pure hearts shall be able to stand; My grace is sufficient for you.” At this our faces lighted up, and joy filled every heart. And the angels struck a note higher and sang again, while the cloud drew still nearer the earth. {EW 15.2}

How should we understand the size of a man’s hand? Does it mean that we can measure the cloud by holding up our own fist to measure it, like astronomers do for a rough estimate? Or is Jesus our standard of measure?^[31] Certainly Jesus is our standard, and the seven stars of Orion are the measuring stick that reveals His stature to us. They represent the portal to heaven, the Door, Jesus Christ, which has the dimensions of the flying roll of Zechariah.^[32] The exact height of the seven stars is simply the angle of arc between Betelgeuse and Saiph, which calculates to 17.176 degrees.^[33] That is the symbolic height of the only Man worthy to serve as the standard of measure.

To determine the size of the hand, or fist in this case since we are comparing it to the shape of a cloud, we need some basic data regarding human proportions:^[34]

The width of the fist of a 50 percentile (median sized) man is 4 inches, compared to a height of 69.1 inches. That gives us the relevant body proportions of a man, so all we have to do to find Orion’s fist size is use that ratio to solve the following problem:

69.1 inches is to 4 inches as 17.176 degrees is to ____ degrees.

Calculating:

17.176 degrees ÷ 69.1 inches × 4 inches = 0.994 degrees

The fist of Orion would be almost exactly 1 degree wide. That means the small black cloud should be half of that, or half a degree. Since one degree is equal to 60 arcminutes, half a degree is equal to 30 arcminutes (written as 30'). Does the Flame Nebula fit the criteria of being “about” half the size of a man’s hand...? Indeed!

The prophecy of the small black cloud, which is about half the size of a man’s hand, shines beautifully in the light of Orion. Jesus is coming! We can see the sign of the Son of Man symbolically in the east, and soon we will see it for real! He is sitting on the white cloud, crowned with authority. From this position of authority, Jesus/Alnitak is leading His people and conducting the harvest.

Since the third plague began, it has been announcing the hour for the grain harvest and we can see that it points to the climate deal that will be signed at the beginning of the fourth plague on April 22, 2016.^[35] The recent terrorist attacks in Belgium on March 22,^[36] exactly one month beforehand, are pressing the world to unite against terrorism, and the signing on April 22 will accomplish that unity. Unfortunately, that spells persecution for all fundamentalists, including those whose only crime is to believe the Word of God and speak out in its defense.

Taking care of God’s creation is a perfectly good thing in itself, and if anyone were against maintaining a healthy planet with thriving nature, we would surely think they are crazy. Therein lies the trap: the United Nations, led by Pope Francis, is using this good ideal as a tool to unify the entire world on this common project, like how building the Tower of Babel unified the rebellious people of the ancient world. The initiative to take care of the planet is not the problem; unity with the principles of the UN is the problem, because the UN (godless as it is) also demands equality and tolerance for abomination in the form of LGBT rights and LGBT tolerance. No God-fearing person can unite with those who practice or condone abomination, no matter how lofty a project might be. We should do our part as individuals or groups to help the environment, but we cannot unite with others who practice or condone abomination.

Once the climate deal is signed, then the UN will have the authority to coerce all nations (all peoples) to do anything in the name of “the common good of the planet and humanity.” All manner of evil can be justified in the name of “the common good.”

And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. (John 11:45-52)

As quickly as prophecy is fulfilling, things still will not change overnight. The spring feasts of the Lord include seven weeks to Pentecost. During that time, the harvest will progress. The seven Omer Sabbaths (as well as the first day of the feast of unleavened bread) are all High Sabbaths this year (they fall on Saturday, the Sabbath) which makes that period of time especially significant in terms of the spiritual harvest of God’s good grain.

Similarly to the spring harvest of grains, the autumn harvest of grapes should also align to the feasts of the Lord. As in spring, so in autumn. The autumn feasts begin with the Day of Trumpets on October 3, 2016, eight days into the seventh plague. God’s festal calendar indicates that the grape harvest should take place during the Hour of Truth in the seventh plague, harmonizing beautifully with the more perfect interpretation of Revelation 14 presented in this addendum.

The Great River of Blood

Herein, we want to examine more closely the last verse of Revelation 14, which has posed great difficulties for many scholars for centuries.

And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. (Revelation 14:20)

We are searching for answers to the following questions:

1. What does it mean that the winepress is trodden outside the city?
2. What is behind the symbol of the stream of blood that stretches 1600 “furlongs” and reaches up to the horses’ bridles?

In the previous section, we learned how to align the eight verses of Revelation 14:13-20 perfectly to the clock hands of the plague cycle including the end of the seventh plague at the coming of Jesus.

Revelation 14:20 tells us some more details about the events at the end of the seventh plague. The various components of this verse, hence, have to be considered in the context of the end of the seventh plague or the coming of Jesus and our travel to the Orion Nebula. In his article in this series, Brother John has already shown these events in great detail.

It should be noted again that the symbols can only be properly understood and interpreted if we can determine their temporal relation to the other events of Revelation, which is only possible if we understand the plague cycle of the Orion clock ever more accurately.

Question 1: What does it mean that the winepress is trodden outside the city?

Because “city” has many meanings in prophecy, we had to understand which event in the flow of time is being mentioned here in order to find the meaning of the “city” as a symbol. Without that knowledge, it could be the literal city of Jerusalem, or the “city” of Judaism or Christianity. Even Babylon as the “city of nations” would be a possibility; does the verse refer to the “city of seven hills,” mentioned elsewhere in Revelation?

Even in the normal context, we can exclude some of those ideas from the outset, since it is about the grape harvest, when the blood flows from the winepress, which is the harvest or the killing of all the rest of humanity at (or after) the coming of the Son of Man.

Even the SDA Bible Commentary is not wrong here, when it says:

Without the city. The picture is probably drawn from OT prophecies describing the destruction of God’s enemies outside Jerusalem (see on Joel 3:12, 13).^[37]

Nevertheless, Joel 3:12-13 does not directly relate to the coming of Jesus, but to events shortly beforehand, which will take place on the earth:

Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. (Joel 3:12-13)

“Let the heathen be wakened,” refers to the sixth plague, where the final preparations are made for the battle of Armageddon. Joel continues accordingly, stating the same words as the angel who has power over the fire,^[38] and thus repeats the Carmel Challenge: “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.”

Therefore, in his article, Brother Gerhard interpreted the “city” according to the light that we had at that recent time, as follows:

Now it would also make sense to conclude that the first angel, Jesus, must complete the harvest of the good wheat by the sixth plague. One group will be blessed at that time, and for the other it will be a bloodbath.

The fact that the wine is trodden outside the city is yet another strong indication that the great multitude of righteous ones will actually be found and collected up until the beginning of the sixth plague. They are the ones who, together with the 144,000, will soon enter into the Holy City. In the eyes of God, they will be fully accounted for in the “heavenly inventory” beginning on August 1, 2016, since they will have been gathered into “the barn” by that time.

As shown by the newly discovered exact arrangement of the verses of Revelation 14, and also by a further section of this addendum about the 153 fish of Jesus, the harvest of the good wheat will continue until the last day of the sixth plague. The “fireballs” will not fall until the beginning of the seventh plague, and from then on it will no longer be possible to exercise faith, because the evidence will then be completely visible, and without faith, salvation is impossible.

The prompts of the “angel” of the sixth plague and Joel to thrust in the sickle are just the signal that the cutting of the grapes from the bad vine will take place in the next segment of the plague cycle. That corresponds to Elijah’s petition at the altar for fire to come down from heaven, and the seventh plague is the fire itself.

This fire comes in two parts! At the beginning of the seventh plague, humanity will usher in their own self-destruction with atomic fireballs―the battle of Armageddon begins. Then after an “hour” (of 28 days), Jesus will come (on October 23/24 on the Last Great Day, which ends the harvest time in Israel) and He will begin the destruction of everyone who does not follow Him. On that day, the “first” resurrection will take place, and all the redeemed of all ages will be gathered into the Holy City. That giant spaceship will depart on the same day towards the Orion Nebula and leave behind all those who are destined for the fire of God―the gamma-ray burst that is coming from Betelgeuse.

Since Revelation 14:20 points exactly to these last events, the meaning of the “city” becomes clear: without doubt it is the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, Jesus’ spaceship with all the redeemed. That “the winepress was trodden without the city” therefore means that destruction comes over those who will be left behind on the earth without having been gathered up into the city.

We reiterate that those who believe in a pre-rapture should please study very carefully. Yes, there will be a pre-rapture, but not before the persecution and the great test (the hour of temptation) that has to come over all mankind.^[39]

The “pre-rapture” will take place before the earth is completely burned into a lifeless desert, otherwise no flesh would be saved. The gamma-ray burst is the ultimate destruction of all life on Earth, but the decision as to who will perish in it has already been made (since October 17/18, 2015). In these articles and messages, we are just trying to help preserve the faith of those whom Satan wants to bring to fall, because he does not understand that their cases have already been decided in Heaven.^[40] The more we know about the details and harmonies of the prophecies of God with respect to the clock of God, the harder it is for Satan to seduce one of the 144,000 or the great multitude to fall away from the present truth.

Question 2: What is behind the symbolism of the stream of blood that stretches 1600 “furlongs” and reaches up to the horses’ bridles?

In His prophecies, especially in the book of Revelation, God likes to use the symbol of the horse quite frequently. Most well-known are probably the four horsemen on their four horses, which we already identified as of 2010 as the four outer stars of Orion, themselves representing four character traits of Jesus through the faces of the four living creatures.

In the context of the vintage of the bad grapes, the coming of Jesus, and our travel to the Orion Nebula, the symbolism in Revelation 19 is striking, with a fivefold occurrence of “horses.”

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; [Saiph―beginning of the seventh plague] and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns [the sevenfold crown of time]; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. [At the time when the prophecy was given, only Jesus knew His new name. Today we know it too―Alnitak.] And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. [This is, of course, a description of Jesus Himself.] And the armies which were in heaven [the angels that form a cloud around the Holy City] followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean [description of the travel of the Holy City from the Orion Nebula to Earth]. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. [The winepress is trodden just when we are already traveling back with Jesus to the Orion Nebula. Only “the nations”―heathen―will be left behind.] And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun [either our own sun or the gamma-ray burst of Betelgeuse will burn the earth]; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11-21)

While the redeemed enjoy the marriage supper with Jesus in the Holy City on their journey to the Orion Nebula, as Brother John has described, the “feast for the fowls” takes place, on the bones of the annihilated. We probably don’t need to ask which feast you would rather attend!

Three times, Jesus is described in these verses as He “that sat upon the horse.” This is a threefold emphasis in the manner of Jewish literature, and the events are clearly connected to the day of the coming of Jesus and the following carnage of the trodden winepress, after the grape harvest that will take place on the earth.

But where is this horse, on which Jesus sits?

Three times, Jesus is represented in Revelation 14 as sitting on a cloud:

And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. (Revelation 14:14)

And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. (Revelation 14:15)

And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. (Revelation 14:16)

Of course, this refers to the cloud that filled the sanctuary (in Orion), as Jesus’ intercessory service ended in the Most Holy Place. The type for this was the events at the dedication of the Temple of Solomon:

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD. (1 Kings 8:10-11)

Compare:

And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened: And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, [this means at the end of probation and at the end of Jesus’ intercessory service] clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts [Saiph at the beginning of the first and seventh plague] gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. (Revelation 15:5-8)

Ellen G. White once again confirms what the Bible has always taught. In 1846, at the beginning of the Orion judgment cycle, she had a vision that she mentions in the same year in the Day-Star and the Broadside:

And I saw a flaming cloud come where Jesus stood and he laid off his priestly garment and put on his kingly robe [end of Jesus’ intercessory service, His coronation in Heaven], took his place on the cloud which carried him to the east where it first appeared to the saints on earth, a small black cloud, which was the sign of the Son of Man. While the cloud was passing from the Holiest to the east which took a number of days, the Synagogue of Satan worshiped at the saints feet. {DS March 14, 1846, par. 2}

The coming of the Son of man she describes as follows with more details:

Soon our eyes were drawn to the east, for a small black cloud had appeared, about half as large as a man’s hand, which we all knew was the sign of the Son of man. We all in solemn silence gazed on the cloud as it drew nearer and became lighter, glorious, and still more glorious, till it was a great white cloud. The bottom appeared like fire; a rainbow was over the cloud, while around it were ten thousand angels, singing a most lovely song; and upon it sat the Son of man. His hair was white and curly and lay on His shoulders; and upon His head were many crowns. His feet had the appearance of fire; in His right hand was a sharp sickle; in His left, a silver trumpet. His eyes were as a flame of fire, which searched His children through and through. Then all faces gathered paleness, and those that God had rejected gathered blackness. Then we all cried out, “Who shall be able to stand? Is my robe spotless?” Then the angels ceased to sing, and there was some time of awful silence, when Jesus spoke: “Those who have clean hands and pure hearts shall be able to stand; My grace is sufficient for you.” At this our faces lighted up, and joy filled every heart. And the angels struck a note higher and sang again, while the cloud drew still nearer the earth.

Then Jesus’ silver trumpet sounded, as He descended on the cloud, wrapped in flames of fire. He gazed on the graves of the sleeping saints, then raised His eyes and hands to heaven, and cried, “Awake! awake! awake! ye that sleep in the dust, and arise.” Then there was a mighty earthquake. The graves opened, and the dead came up clothed with immortality. The 144,000 shouted, “Alleluia!” as they recognized their friends who had been torn from them by death, and in the same moment we were changed and caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. {EW 15.2‑16.1}

So we are looking for something that

1. resembles a “horse” (three times emphasized)
2. can be characterized by a “cloud” (three times emphasized)
3. can be described by “smoke”
4. is in the vicinity of a “flaming cloud”
5. can change its appearance from a “small black cloud” to a “great white cloud”.

Few have read through the Orion presentation completely and come to the section about the “Amazing Discoveries” from slide 161 onward. It’s too bad, because these are indeed the most amazing discoveries we could make in connection with our Bible studies.

So, let’s review some of the slides of the Orion presentation, as Brother John provided them in 2010. Those who didn’t reject the doctrine of the Three-Person Deity that is confirmed by the three belt stars of Orion (also called Jacob’s Ladder), have already been blessed with the knowledge of one of the three components of the seal of Philadelphia, as prophesied in Revelation 3:12^[41]...

The star Alnitak stands for Jesus―the one who was wounded. He, JESUS, is the center of our faith, and His death on the cross is the center of salvation. No other name is of any importance, and “Alnitak” contains the information as to WHY that is so. Without His sacrifice, we could neither be saved nor have the strength to overcome, and we would not even know what our duty is during the last breaths of our dying world—namely, to be willing to sacrifice our own eternal lives for the continued existence of the universe.

Zooming in to the center of the clock of God, and the symbol for the center of our faith in the Book of the Seven Seals:

We find there a “flaming cloud” in the vicinity of “where Jesus stands” (see Day-Star quote above):

And just below Alnitak we will find what we were searching for and see in the starry sky the symbol that fulfills all characteristics that have been previously described in the list―the HORSEHEAD Nebula, discovered in 1888:

The Orion presentation was the beginning of the fourth angel’s message, when Jesus began to give it in 2010 for the third time. Jesus tried to convey this message the first time in 1888 in Minneapolis,^[42] where it was rejected by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which was already in the process of terrible apostasy.^[43] The opening heavens were then shown to just one astronomer,^[44] and not until 2010 should a man be able to combine the symbolism of the Bible with the third heaven of the apostle Paul.^[45]

Williamina Flemming, an American astronomer, took a picture of the region in 1887, but the Horsehead Nebula was discovered on it later, in the year 1888. Therefore, the discovery in the English Wikipedia (1888)^[46] and in the German Wikipedia (1887)^[47] make different statements regarding the year. But the fact is that before 1888, nobody on earth knew anything about the existence of this “small black cloud.”

Thus, because of the simultaneity of its discovery with the beginning of the light of the fourth angel, the Horsehead Nebula is closely connected to this final warning message of God. Ellen G. White makes it clear that it was in 1888 when the light of the fourth angel began to shine with the message of righteousness by faith given by Waggoner and Jones:

The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders [E.J.] Waggoner and [A. T.] Jones. [That was at the General Conference Session of Minneapolis in 1888.] This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God. {LDE 200.1}

Search for the truth as for hidden treasures, and disappoint the enemy. The time of test is just upon us, for the loud cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning [1888] of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth [the fourth angel of Revelation 18]. For it is the work of every one to whom the message of warning has come, to lift up Jesus, to present Him to the world as revealed in types, as shadowed in symbols, as manifested in the revelations of the prophets, as unveiled in the lessons given to His disciples and in the wonderful miracles wrought for the sons of men. Search the Scriptures; for they are they that testify of Him. {1SM 362.4}

The Horsehead Nebula is a cosmic “cloud,” which could also be described as “smoke” coming from a super- or hyper-nova explosion that occurred eons ago. From our point of view, it is in the vicinity of the star of Jesus, Alnitak, and thus at the center of the Orion clock. This nebula is the “cloud in the form of a horse”, where Jesus will symbolically take His place as King when He comes—from the seventh plague on. As He finished His intercessory service in October 2015, He took His place on the “throne” of the Flame Nebula, where He is waiting until the self-destruction of humanity has begun. The Horsehead Nebula, as a “horse,” symbolizes the movement of the Holy City together with the King of the Universe and all His hosts toward earth.

Now pay close attention to the next slide, which Brother John presented in 2010:

Note the color of this “fiery stream”... It is blood red! It covers the body of the horse, which is why we see only its “head.”

Regarding the crimson stream, which consists primarily of hydrogen lit from neighboring stars and forced by gravitational waves into its typical flowing shape: just how far does the crimson stream cover the rest of the horse’s body?^[48] How would you specify the amount, if you had to describe it in words? How high does the stream of blood reach?

We do not know how you would describe it, but we agree with the description of the apostle John, to whom Jesus Christ in His revelation showed the height of the stream of blood from the winepress of God:

And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. (Revelation 14:20)

Now the only thing remaining is to solve the mystery of the 1600 furlongs. Bible commentators have been nibbling on it for ages without really solving it. That means it is about something that could only be found, even by us, when the time had come to apply the verse directly to the last tick on the clock of God in Orion―the journey to the Orion Nebula in the direction of the Horsehead Nebula, both of which are connected by the same river of blood.

The specification of “1600 furlongs” clearly gives a measure of distance! Where should we begin to calculate the measurement? Where the bloodstream originates, of course. It springs from the earth, where the winepress of God will be trodden, as has already been sufficiently explained. But where does the measure of distance end? At the Horsehead Nebula’s location in the universe. So we are dealing with the distance from Earth to the Horsehead Nebula.

God gives the number 1600. The unit is “furlongs.” The SDA Bible Commentary says only:

Furlongs. Sixteen hundred furlongs would be about 184 mi. (see Vol. V, p. 50). No satisfactory explanation can be found for the particular number (1,600). Jerome thought it to be an allusion to the length of Palestine. This, however, is speculation, and adds little to the understanding of the passage. The main thought is that the enemies of the church of God are to be completely and finally overthrown. Therefore the church can look forward to full and complete deliverance from all her enemies, and to joyful triumph in the kingdom of God.^[49]

Different distances are mentioned for the Horsehead Nebula in the relevant literature. While some sources give 1500 light years distance from Earth, the official Hubble Site (and many others) specify the distance as 1600 light years.

We believe God, and that He knows the true distances. God says that the distance of the Horsehead Nebula from Earth is a thousand and six hundred furlongs because the apostle John wouldn’t have been able to write down nor understand the term “light years.” We have come to the end of Chapter 14 and of sin. May it be that your blood is not symbolized in the great fiery stream, above which only the head of Jesus’ horse with its bridle extends.

Fishers of Men

Our Savior had a way of relating spiritual themes to everyday experiences, which served to direct the minds of His audience from earthly and temporal scenes, to heavenly and eternal realities. When Peter and his brother Andrew first met Jesus, they were occupied with their livelihood on the Sea of Galilee, also known as the lake of Gennesaret, catching fish. From this work, Jesus called them to follow Him, saying that He would make them fishers of men.^[50] From the time they first joined His ministry, therefore, they were taught to associate their lifework of catching fish, with bringing men into His company and making them disciples of Jesus.

Furthermore, everything He did was invested with meaning, such that lessons abound in the details of every story. The Gospel of Luke gives more detail about the call of Peter and Andrew, relating an incident that accompanied it, which He thereby linked with the process of collecting disciples. Peter and his companions must have been discouraged, having labored all night with nothing to show for it, but Jesus revealed His power to provide for their needs:

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.

Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. (Luke 5:1-7)

Do you see the scene in your mind? Because there were so many people, Jesus wanted to separate from them a bit to more effectively speak to them, so He got in an available boat and He taught the people from the boat, a little space away from the shore. When He finished, He drew an illustration that the fishermen would understand, showing the effect of teaching the pure word of God: they went to the deep water, put out their net from the boat, and caught a staggering amount of fish—by a method (daytime fishing) that was not expected to catch anything!

As the astonished fishermen are trying to lift the squirming catch aboard, they hear the alarming sound of the tearing net, because there were too many fish for it! But the problems didn’t end there! As they frantically call their partners for help, so as not to lose the fish, they fill both boats so full that they begin to sink! The impression that this care for the discouraged fishermen made on them was deep and lasting, and they felt unclean in the presence of a holy God.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. (Luke 5:8-11)

After calming their fears, they came to the shore, and left the boats there, full of fish, which surely must have been appreciated by Zebedee, the father of James and John!^[51] They had found a higher calling, and they loved Jesus who called them, more than any successful business or ministry, or even family. Jesus’ blessing may prove to be a test in the end, to be sure our love for Him is greater than our love for the blessings He gives us, even if the blessing is success in ministry (catching fish)!

The story paints a vivid picture of the church and what would become of it. Jesus taught from the boat. This represents the organization. As Christianity grew, organization was required, and the people heard the word of God from the Christian “ship.” The catch of fish was not by the effort of the fishermen, but it was God who caused the fish to be caught in the net! During the day, when the fish can see the net, they normally swim away immediately upon the first sight of it moving toward them, making even a small catch very difficult. Likewise, the catch of men in the Christian net was the work of the Holy Spirit, and not man. For generations, they have been brought aboard the church vessel by His network of Christians.

However, there was a decline in the Church from its initial purity, which is depicted in the concerns and warnings that Jesus gives in His messages in the Revelation, to seven churches along a mail route.^[52] In this story, we see this decline depicted in the tearing net. Christians had accepted compromise, and this hindered their ability to gather the people that God wanted to give them. The sinking of the vessels represents the failing churches; the organizations are not safe anymore. Once they brought the boats ashore, Jesus and His newly-made disciples left them. In these last days, His disciples will leave their churches and follow Him individually as well.

In this experience, Jesus gave them a valuable lesson that they surely pondered over many times during the course of their association with His ministry, especially when they found themselves in the same area where it happened. When Jesus died, His disciples were unprepared because of their mental block, and they became very discouraged as they faced the reality that their hopes of Jesus establishing a temporal kingdom and overthrowing the Romans were shattered, but they didn’t yet understand what His true purpose was.

Christianity was about to be blessed with power, but not the kind of power they were hoping for. Jesus needed to spend some time with them to show them how the Scriptures foretold His experience in suffering and death and to give them a new appreciation for His ministry. Even before He died, He had said that He would go before them to Galilee,^[53] and they were promptly reminded of their appointment after He had risen from the dead as well, when the women met the angel at the grave:

And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. (Matthew 28:5-10)

It was the day of the wave sheaf offering, and Jesus ascended to the city of God and received the Father’s assurance that His sacrifice was sufficient and accepted at the same time that the Jews below were performing the rituals of the wave sheaf offering that pointed to this blessed heavenly event. The Father’s approbation and the consequent lifting of the burden that had been upon Jesus for three days and three nights, was an important part of the plan of salvation, and was represented in the types and symbols of the wave sheaf offering, which had been prescribed and performed over many centuries.

Jesus appeared to His disciples once more that night, before heading up, unseen, to Galilee, where He waited for them to arrive later. There were still several days remaining of the Passover week, but at their earliest opportunity thereafter, the disciples headed up to Galilee to meet Jesus. Meanwhile, Jesus prepared to bring to the disciples’ recollection, the miracle He had performed when He first called Peter and his companions.

After having been without Jesus for the remaining days of the feast, they must have become sad as they contemplated their future on the way to Galilee.

After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias [a.k.a. the Sea of Galilee]; and on this wise shewed he himself. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. (John 21:1-3)

Having arrived at the same body of water where Jesus had once performed the miracle that started to sink their two boats, from the weight of fish, their minds would have been pondering on those things, and wondering what would become of His promise that He would make them fishers of men. This is as Jesus wanted it. He was about to remind them even more directly of that promise. Although the disciples did not recognize Jesus in His glorified form, they were soon to recognize Him by His deeds:

But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. (John 21:4)

The circumstances were very similar to the earlier experience. Both times, they had been working all night, trying to catch fish, but they were completely unsuccessful. In the morning, someone on the shore calls out to them and suggests that they cast the net on the other side of the boat, as though that would improve their chances. What they didn’t know, is that the One who made the suggestion, was the same One who had brought the fish that they were to catch! This time, however, despite it being such a heavy load of fish that they couldn’t even draw it into the boat, their net didn’t tear!

Jesus was giving them another illustration to compliment the first one, and it points to the last gathering of men from the earth, while the former points to the catch beginning at the time of the early church. In both cases, the fish were brought to the net by the Holy Spirit and not man. In vain the fishermen sought to secure a catch, though trained and skilled at catching fish, but when they followed Jesus’ instructions, they immediately had more than they could have ever hoped to catch on their own. Jesus knew where He had brought the fish, and the disciples needed to cast their net on His side, in cooperation with His own effort.

As the disciples struggled with the net teeming with fish, they abandoned the idea of bringing them into the boat, even though their net was uncompromised. It was not because the fish weighed less that the net didn’t tear, for they were unable to even lift it into the boat! Instead, they brought the catch of fish through the water, dragging the heavy net with its flopping contents to Jesus on the shore. The whole lot were trophy fish, and deserved to be counted individually:

And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. (John 21:8-12)

This scene is packed with symbolism of the final gathering of the great multitude of the last generation on earth. It is a fitting complement to their experience when Jesus called them to be fishers of men. The early experience points to the work of the Holy Spirit in the Early Rain, when He came down at Pentecost. The work went forward with power, but compromise crept in and eventually nearly rendered the church useless. The later experience, however, represents the Holy Spirit in the latter rain, and just as the net surprisingly remained intact, compromise is not tolerated among the brethren of that one-generation movement.

These 153 fish are another symbol representing the combined harvest of the Lord’s crops, which was the theme of the Jewish festivities in the spring and autumn. Considering this symbolism, we can learn some additional details about the final harvest of souls.

Note that whether considering the harvests or the fish, the gathering does not represent a conversion of heart from serving the devil to serving Christ. No, the time for baptism—the death to sin, burial of the old ways, and rising up in the newness of Christ’s life—has passed. This process of re-creation has been done for all who desired it. There are no others remaining who want to be freed from their sin, and therefore Jesus closed the door of mercy to those who would not repent, while character refinement continues for those who would. While many may not have even realized that they had decided to follow Jesus, as they simply sought to do what was right, they walked by faith in the light that they had. These and all others who by faith, followed the Light that enlightens every man^[54]—whether they received great light as the sun, or minimal rays like the stars—are the ones who are ripe for the harvest—the well-matured trophy fish that will be gathered in the net of the fourth angel.

They will be gathered in the “net,” but they will not be put into a church “boat.” No, but as trophy fish are held up for display by their catcher, Jesus will uphold His people of this last generation as witnesses, and they will stand alone with Him. Once they were brought to shore, the fish could see Jesus, who was there preparing bread and fish on coals of fire, before they expired at His feet. The bread and fish represent the Orion message as Brother John explained^[55] when he addressed the feeding of the multitudes. His people will see Him in Orion before they die, safely at His feet in full expectation of their reward.

The sight of the fire and meal was startling to the disciples, as they had not seen it before arrival to the shore. For the fish, the arrival to shore is not a pleasant experience, but foreshadows their death. It represents persecution, which often has a way of bringing things into a proper focus. In the pain of persecution, their eyes are opened, and they suddenly recognize Jesus in Orion, where previously, they had no idea that such a repast existed. All seven disciples who went fishing were now on the shore with Jesus, marveling at Him and all that He had done. These seven men represent the seven stars of Orion, which together represent Jesus and highlight the marvels that He has done with His foreknowledge of time.

This scene also serves to connect the catch of fish to the harvest of wheat, from which bread is made. When Jesus ended His intercessory service, He symbolically threw a censer full of coals from the altar down to the earth, and then the time of plagues began. As Jesus prepared the lakeside meal, He would have first gotten the fire of coals ready, and then laid the fish and bread on it. Thus, it confirms that this imagery points to the final gathering of earth, which takes place in the time of plagues (represented by the fire of coals).

There is a message of comfort here as well, for it was Jesus who received the fish from the disciples. “Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.” God’s people are in His care, and nothing happens to them except He allows it. He prepared their spiritual nourishment, He prepared their hearts and calls them to Himself, and we saw earlier how at each point on the plague clock, He is the One taking action in heaven in preparation for our deliverance, while He allows those who rejected Him to advance one step at a time, toward self-annihilation on earth. He is our crowned King, “Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”^[56]

The Lord does not desire that His children be taken by surprise when He finally allows the nations to take the last horrible step toward the destruction of the earth in Armageddon. The world witnessed a preview of the power of nuclear weaponry when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed seventy years ago. The Japanese emperor clearly recognized where war with such weapons would lead, when he stated in his capitulation announcement,

Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization.

And that was in 1945! If you think that a modern nuclear war would resemble the city-destroying effect seen at that time, when the weaponry was in its infancy, think again. Less than 2% of the material in the bomb over Hiroshima even contributed to the explosion, due to very poor efficiency, yet even so, it was sufficient to immediately and completely destroy about 8 square kilometers (3 square miles) from the blast alone, plus extensive fires outside that zone,^[57] not to mention the extended damaging effects on life and the ecosystem due to the high levels of radiation and fallout.

Today, the nuclear arsenal in the hands of various countries, even after many nuclear weapons have begun to be decommissioned in response to arms agreements over the years, are still easily enough to pave the way to extinction. Advances in nuclear warhead technology have created weapons that are orders of magnitude more powerful than what was used in World War II! The total nuclear destructive potential of existing nuclear weapons is simply staggering.

The plague cycle of the Orion clock is something like a countdown to Armageddon. As bowl after bowl are poured out, we see steps taken by the angry nations as they advance toward the final conflagration. The Lord would have His children know the time of earth’s visitation, and He has laid out the schedule for the major steps leading to it.

Do you know the time? Or are you trapped in the anti-time-setting net? How many people much more intelligent and knowledgeable than we, could have contributed their talents and become a great blessing to God’s cause, had they not been ensnared by the evil net that the wise man poignantly referred to:

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12)

Solomon lamented that man doesn’t know his time, and for this reason, men are snared like fish taken in an evil net. Time and chance, or circumstance, are able to skew the outcome of life far more dramatically than good abilities and endowments alone! Gain an advantage in a knowledge of time, and it will have a greater impact than any natural endowments of strength or even wisdom! If man would know his time, he could avoid the snare laid for him in the evil net.

These words of the wise are deep with significance. Consider the illustration Jesus gave with the catch of fish. Was it an evil net that caught those large fish that were brought to His feet? No, certainly not! They represent His children, and the untorn net represents that message by which He drew them to Himself. It is a holy net, and is not comparable to the evil net of which Solomon spoke!

Nevertheless, Solomon refers especially to the end of the world, for it is the evil time of the seventh plague that falls suddenly and unexpectedly on the “sons of men” who know not God.^[58] The unclean birds caught in the snare of legalized sodomy are also a mark of the last days. So the net that he refers to is contemporaneous with the Lord’s net, but those caught in this net are all the men who do not know their time, and therefore it comes upon them suddenly. This tells us something of the nature of Jesus’ net, for if the devil’s net catches those who don’t know the time, then those caught in Jesus’ net must be the others, who do know the time!

Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (Revelation 3:3)

They are the watching ones of Sardis, who capitulate to the true gospel of freedom from sin that they have received, holding their love of the truth securely, as a gift from the Lord, turning from every exposed falsehood in their lives regardless of how unpopular and eccentric the truth may be. These will receive that knowledge of time—the hour that the Lord is to come upon them, and because of their watchfulness, He does not fall upon them suddenly as a thief, like He comes upon those caught in the net Solomon speaks of! The receiving of the knowledge of the time is represented in a fitting place: God’s feast-day calendar!

The autumn feasts that God instituted for Israel relate to the fulfillments in the last days, just as the spring feasts related to the fulfillments in Christ’s time. They began with the Feast of Trumpets on the first day of the month. This day was accompanied by a degree of uncertainty, for its commencement was dependent on the sighting of the first crescent of the moon in the sky. If the watchman was unable to see the moon at sunset, then the people would wait until the next day to begin the new month! This is representative of the watching that Jesus so often admonished that we do. They knew about when to expect that the moon would be sighted again, but the exact day would only be announced when it was sighted by the temple watchman. But take note: it was announced, just like the messenger that announced that the bridegroom was coming in the parable of the ten virgins before He actually came!

This was important information, because the feast days and holy convocations were counted from the day of the sighting of the new moon. Once they knew when the new moon was seen, they knew when they were to come before their God at the Day of Atonement, and when the end-of-harvest festivities would begin! The Last Great Day, Shemini Atzeret, was the highest day, and represents the Second Coming of Jesus—the great ingathering of souls into the physical kingdom of heaven.^[59]

In Israel, when the harvest began with Passover, they began counting the days until the Feast of Weeks, when the harvesting would transition from grain to fruit. It was at the time of this feast, when God poured out the Holy Spirit on the disciples. Although the feast itself was no longer to be kept, due to the sacrifice of Jesus, God still respected the significance of its timing, just as He had done by fulfilling the prophesied events at the exact time specified by the feasts. So it is with the autumn feasts as well.

The autumn feast of Tabernacles was the happiest time of the year. There was peace with God, gratitude for His provision in the past harvest, and joyous celebration with family and friends. It marked the end of the fruit harvest—the last harvest of the year, and was punctuated with the treading of the grapes. The fulfillment of the autumn feasts represents a time when God’s children, the good “wheat,” have been gathered and winnowed in the winds of trial and persecution, and the fruit of the Spirit has matured in His people and offered its sweetness to the world. It is the time when the darkness of the night of sinfulness gives way to the morning of righteousness.

This is also depicted in the story of the disciples on the lake, for all through the four watches of the night, the fishermen were toiling on the water in the hopes of finding a catch, but they caught nothing. Only in the morning did Jesus present Himself to them and give them the mature fish that He had prepared for them. Likewise, as we saw before in The Hour of Truth, the long watches of the historical night were passed without seeing the fruit of faith that Jesus was seeking, and therefore the morning of His presence was deferred for the righteous, but for the wicked, the darkness continues.

The long night of gloom is trying; but the morning is deferred in mercy, because if the Master should come, so many would be found unready. God’s unwillingness to have His people perish has been the reason for so long delay. But the coming of the morning to the faithful, and of the night to the unfaithful, is right upon us. {2T 193.3}^[60]

There is another important element in the scene with the fish by the Sea of Galilee that remains uninterpreted. The disciples were so astonished at the remarkable catch of large fish, that they counted them! One hundred fifty-three fish were gathered into Jesus’ net. What could this mean? It is a question that has puzzled Bible scholars for centuries, and like many other enigmatic gems, its solution has never been clear, because the prerequisite knowledge of the time was not available before this message. We discern from Solomon that the net has to do with the knowledge of time, and Jesus brought the fish to the net to illustrate the final catch of souls from the earth—the final harvest. Could it be that the quantity of fish tells us something about the duration of the harvest? The harvest is the work of Christ, and so is the catch of fish—beginning when Jesus began to gather the fish together, even before the disciples came on the scene—until the time they were brought to Him in the net, is depicted in the 153 fish.

To understand when this period would fit during the plague cycle, we need to know the day when Jesus began to gather the fish together. After His resurrection, He had last shown Himself to the disciples on Sunday night, before heading up to Galilee, while the disciples stayed behind for the remainder of the feast. Therefore, given that transportation was not a hindrance with His glorified body, He would have been available to start gathering the fish the following day.

The important thing to know is not how exactly Jesus collected the fish together, but simply that He was at the lakeside the day after He received the authority from the Father to gather. Jesus was the Wave Sheaf that ascended to heaven and returned on Sunday, and with the Father’s acceptance of the sacrifice, He was permitted to begin His harvest of souls. The final harvest must follow the same pattern.

Thus, we begin counting the fish with the day after the wave sheaf offering during the year of plagues. This year, Passover falls exactly on the first day of the fourth plague, April 22, and the wave sheaf offering would be two days later on April 24. Thus, the counting of the catch of mature fish—the last generation on earth—begins on April 25, 2016, and concludes on the 153^rd day, September 24, 2016. It is the harvest-time countdown to the battle of Armageddon, for it so happens that this day is the last day before the seventh plague begins and all restraint on the angry nations is completely withdrawn. This year, September 24 marks the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty,^[61] and the following day, what they learned from their nuclear testing will begin to be demonstrated in battle.

At that time, the net is filled and faith becomes sight as we begin to see the visible tokens of our Lord’s return. The resurrection of those who were blessed to have died in the Lord since the beginning of the third angel’s message^[62] and the star coming out of Jacob,^[63] will give unmistakable proof to all, that Jesus is King! While the righteous rejoice, saying “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us:”^[64] the wicked cry out “to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”^[65]

What a contrast is then seen between those peaceful ones, who received knowledge and instruction,^[66] and those who rejected that knowledge as “fear-mongering” and therefore know not their time, like fish caught in an evil net! The Holy Spirit is completely withdrawn and all restraint lifted from those who would not heed God’s counsel, but despised His every reproof. Their madness spreads utter destruction throughout the earth as atomic, biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction demonstrate the self-destructive end to a race governed by the law of self-interest.^[67]

At the next milestone of the countdown, in the heat of the scorching sun of the fourth plague (persecution against the “fundamentalist extremists” who stand against the UN’s equality and tolerance laws), it will be revealed who has grown up into the fullness of the stature of Christ, and is willing to surrender all for Jesus, who gave all for us. Therefore, they are represented by large, well-matured fish.

When the disciples caught the fish, John records that “they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits.”^[68] Even this estimation of the distance bears significance, for the distance that the fish were brought before they came to the land where Jesus was standing, represents the time from the beginning of the harvest until the landing in the Orion nebula, when they will be with Jesus on that Holy Land, which is close to 200 days later.^[69]

There are 153 days for the final ingathering of the earth (while faith may still be exercised), and by association, Jesus reminds us that those “fish” will be multiplied into a great multitude. When He invited the still-astonished disciples to eat with Him, He repeated something He had done when He multiplied the bread and fish for the multitudes listening to Him on the hillside:

Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. (John 21:13)

When He fed the multitudes, Jesus broke the bread and gave it to His disciples to give to the people, just like He did here, and this served as a reminder that each fish represented a large number of people. As the multitude came out to hear His word, and He would not send them away hungry, so likewise will many come to hear His word from Orion in the end, and He has “bread and fish” enough for all, so that none need go away hungering for Him. It is our prayer that you will receive the bread and fish of Orion and finding them palatable, will have nothing left over. It is the body and blood of Him who was wounded for you.

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