Jill Steiner is riding the Metrorail returning from an interview, and is reading from her book.
"The Four Horsemen are now firmly in place. Millions have died as a result. Now, the 5th Seal introduces a different type of historical trend, which is persecution of believers, including martyrdom on a large scale. This Seal is not a divine judgment, but a “false judgment” caused by man upon God's Christian believers simply because of their faith. Only The Lord Jesus Christ has earned the right to judge, so this usurpation of His role by unqualified mankind will result in judgment of the murderers later during the Tribulation. Man's inhumanity to man will reach a peak during the Tribulation. So much for the continuous improvement of mankind, which is a myth.
Revelation 6:9 “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.”
Believers who hold firm to their faith will be persecuted and often killed during the Tribulation. Those who refuse to worship the Antichrist are hunted down and become martyrs. Since the Rapture removed all believers before the Tribulation began, all these believers will be relatively new to their faith. That makes this an impressive display of faith by these believers during this time of great persecution. And that is the purpose for God allowing martyrdom for a while, to serve as a witness to a hardened world of unbelievers so some may turn to Christ and believe as a result of this intense form of testimony.
Revelation 6:10 “They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.”
The prayers of the martyrs are heard by the Lord, but they must be patient while God's plan plays out. Note that God has ordained that a “full number” of believers will be martyrs during the Tribulation, meaning a specific large number. As always, God has a time and manner decreed for the death of each of His own. But those who kill His believers will be severely judged. This persecution and killing of believers is one reason for the intensity of the disasters and judgments on the earth during this time, especially in the Trumpet and Bowl Judgments as will be noted later."
Jill is surprised by how the Bible would predict things so precisely. Most non-legitimate sources would be very vague. Especially about things 2000 years in the future. But the Bible is specific. That would lead one to believe it is sure about the results. Jill reads on:
"Seal 6 is opened revealing massive earthquakes, enormous tidal waves/tsunamis and explosive volcanoes on a regular basis. This disruption of normal earthly events and processes will continue at intense levels throughout the remainder of the Tribulation.
Revelation 6:12 “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red,”
Soot from the earthquakes and resulting volcanoes will blacken the sky and hide the sun during the day and turn the moon red by night. Visibility will be greatly reduced. Airline travel will become nearly impossible in the thick ash. Everything will be coated with ash and will require constant cleaning, but will never stay clean. Constant irritation will be the companion of people on earth as they struggle to simply survive in the dust and ash-filled air. The beauty of the earth is stripped away as everything becomes covered by ash and dust. People must wear masks as they go about on daily tasks. Life is getting difficult, but it will get much worse.
Revelation 6:13 “and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.”
Large meteors falling to earth will become a routine event. Life on earth will become shortened for many as with a fig tree shaken hard and its unripe fruit falling too early to be of any value (unbelievers with no salvation).
Revelation 6:14 “The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.”
Two issues are discussed here. First, the atmosphere being rolled up suggests nuclear warfare, and secondly there will be massive earthquakes which will shift the tectonic plates of the earth on a larger scale than ever before in the history of the earth. The landscape will change as a result. All island dwellers will die."
Jill shudders to read the words on the page. It is about millions of lives. Can it be true? Would God do such a thing? And why?
The next day LANX anchor Jill Steiner is at work anchoring her morning news show:
"Good morning. This is day 380 after the Vanishment. We can barely keep up with reporting the disasters and terrible events around the world which have resulted in many millions of deaths. Today is no exception, and here is an overview of what has happened during the past 24 hours:
A massive volcano eruption in Indonesia and an enormous tsunami washed over numerous islands killing an estimated 100,000 people."
Jill barely pauses at that awful statistic before continuing...
"Earthquakes have become more frequent and very powerful in South America. One earthquake in Uyuni, Bolivia this week measured 9.2 and caused the gigantic Uyuni Salt Flats to disappear, along with the city of Uyuni. Over 30,000 people are presumed dead."
"Five new volcanoes have appeared in the Greek island chain near the Milos volcano. They created new islands and now dwarf the older volcanoes on the Greek Islands, having risen to double the height of any previous volcano on the Greek islands."
"A highly contagious and previously unknown virus is sweeping through Asia, and after killing over 25,000 people during the past couple weeks is now spreading quickly throughout the Pacific region."
"A massive meteor fell to earth in central Australia in the Red Centre region near Alice Springs. The impact of the meteor had the energy of twenty nuclear bombs going off at the same time. Alice Springs and 15 other towns were completely destroyed. Over 35,000 perished."
"In Yellowstone Park, Wyoming, the Yellowstone Basin super-volcano, although it was essentially a flat volcano, has erupted explosively. The "Kill Zone" covered most of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. The resulting ash has created near-total darkness across several of the northern US states. Yellowstone Park has ceased to exist, along with numerous cities and towns in the Kill Zone. The death toll is expected to be enormous."
"Following the Yellowstone eruption many of the dormant Pacific Basin "Ring of Fire" volcanoes have also erupted explosively."
"War between India and Pakistan has led to the use of tactical nuclear weapons by both sides. Several cities in both countries have been hit and the status of the people there is unknown. Communications in that part of the world have been severely disrupted by the electromagnetic effects of the nuclear detonations."
"The Karthala volcano on the island nation of Cormoros off southern Africa near Mozambique exploded and reports of the island disappearing have reached us. The population of the island was estimated to be 750,000 people."
"The death toll from all the combined disasters during the past 24 hours is estimated to be in the tens of millions, and maybe many times more. We just do not know how many have died."
"This video is just in to our newsroom showing the effects of the enormous tsunami which hit eastern India and washed over a mile inland."
As the video plays, Jill talks to her producer. "Remember that online video we played of the writer who predicted many years ago that these types of things would occur? That keeps going through my mind as I report them. This is all just too much disaster to have occurred randomly. I have been reading his book and have tried to find a Bible but most of them have been collected under orders from President Antivon. I don't know how I can go on covering these awful events on a daily basis. They are just too awful."
The video ends and Jill continues her coverage of the disasters, switching to the volcanic explosion in Indonesia. "Reports indicate the volcano and middle part of the island of Sumatra are gone. The sky is thick with ash and has turned blood-red for millions of square miles. The ash cloud from this and other volcanic eruptions which have already occurred is expected to decrease sunlight to the earth's surface by at least 15% for years to come...More after this short break..."
A mandatory Public Service Announcement appears on-screen telling all Western Alliance residents that it is their duty to turn in any of their neighbors who waste energy, engage in acts of self-indulgence, or commit any infraction which would harm the Environment. Such things are prohibited as the most heinous acts of disregard for the planet, and is therefore forbidden for the good of us all. Thank you for your cooperation and good citizenship."
Off-air Jill whispers to herself "I think I will just puke if I hear that one more time." Producer Jack Ford cautions Jill to be very, very careful, since you cannot trust anyone anymore. Things are getting so bad you should consider your friends as enemies. Trust no one. Jill ponders that thought as she is about to restart her news hour.
Jill: "We are back, and the news is not any better than when we left off. Here are the details...."
Near the end of her broadcast time Jill is covering a story about how the rights of citizens have been severely restricted by the authorities. The endless State of Emergency and Declaration of Martial Law combined have given broad authority to the new Citizen's Police to interrogate and detain people without reason, especially for saying things "harmful to the State." Jill ends her news hour by saying: "These measures have turned honest citizens into criminals, while the real criminals are running the Citizen's Police in violation of the rights of individuals." As she takes off her microphone Jack Ford comes over to her and says "I expect we will hear from the authorities soon. Jill, you simply need to understand that they can shut us down for saying what you just said. It doesn't matter if you are right any more, it is about power. The authorities have the power, and we no longer have any civil liberties. So although I agree with your thinking, we are vulnerable here. See you tomorrow."
In Israel, Shem and his group of 144,000 evangelists are conferencing by internet. Shem leads the discussion by pointing out how the recent disasters were prophesied in the Bible. Shem encourages the faithful to remember that their mission is to evangelize, and that these disasters are designed to cause unbelievers to think about the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ the only Savior. The group must re-double their efforts to spread the Word of God to those who are lost and seeking meaning in these turbulent times.
Shem has a list of priorities for the group. He starts with making the message relevant to the suffering of the masses under the oppression of dictators. "People are dying from starvation, and their freedoms have been removed by the oppressors. They are seeking Truth -- real Truth. They know instinctively that there is Truth out there. Our task is to give it to them simply and consistently, without holding back, without watering it down, and without fear of the authorities. The spies of the authorities are everywhere. They seek to stop us. They seek to eliminate us. They seek to prevent people from learning the Truth. Many of us will die because of the Truth. That is not our concern. Our eternal future is secure, and it cannot be taken away. But there are billions who are lost and need salvation. It is true that very few will believe. But we are after those few. Stay strong and focus on saving those few. Now here are your taskings for the week...."
Back in LA, Jill arrives at the news studio the next morning to find several stern looking individuals talking with news producer Jack Ford. They are obviously unhappy. As they see Jill enter the studio one of them comes over and tells her to come over to talk. Jack Ford introduces them as Citizen's Police officers. Jill knows what that means. One of the "officers" addresses Jill saying "We watched your news report yesterday. It was not particularly helpful to the State's attempts to ensure good order in the Western Alliance. You must remember that you are allowed to broadcast only as long as we approve of what you say. Do you understand what I mean?" Before Jill can answer Jack Ford interjects "We both understand, and we will be more careful, right Jill?" Jill can only nod slightly. The men seem unconvinced but depart without another word. After they have left, Jack says "They are serious. You did not hear all of what they said, but they obviously meant to scare me into compliance. We must understand that right or wrong has been replaced with power vs powerless, and enforced by a group outside the legitimate local police. They said they will be watching even more carefully for any non-compliance with their so-called rules for good order, and it is whatever they say it is. I even asked for what rules we violated and they just sneered. It sent a chill down my spine. Anyway, time to get back to work. But Jill, be very careful, please." Jill agrees to try, but only because of Jack and her friends at the studio. She does not want to get any of them into trouble with these thugs.
After her broadcast is over Jill is back in her apartment thinking to herself how all these incidents she reports on during her news shows were mentioned in the book she has been reading from time to time. Later that night, Jill is once again reading the book "The Future Times." She recalls how the book was mentioned in the You Tube video which she had aired on the day the Vanishment occurred. How quickly things can turn from polite society to thugs running the lives of ordinary people. Law abiding citizens were turned into criminals overnight, while criminals became a Citizen's Police and are hailed as heroes of the State. It was so fast. In retrospect she sees that the departure of the Christians led to this breakdown of society. They were the ones holding it all together. They were the ones who believed in right and wrong, truth and lies, good and evil. So true. She resumes reading her book:
Revelation 6:15 “Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains.”
No amount of human power, fame, fortune, or lack thereof will shield people from these disasters. There is no hiding in fallout shelters or elsewhere which can avoid these disasters. The great and small alike will suffer and die. But in general they will still refuse to look to God for their salvation. Instead, they pray to rocks:
Revelation 6:16 “They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!”
"This shows the degree of hardness of these unbelievers. They will understand that God is judging them, but will still refuse to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. They will not pray to God but will pray to rocks to spare them from God, and to bring them death and oblivion. But even if they die, there is no oblivion. Their eternal future will be even worse."
Revelation 6:17 “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” The disasters will break the will of unbelievers, but even so most refuse to become believers. The last verse of Chapter 6 asks “who can withstand it?” The answer is only believers with an understanding of Biblical doctrines in their souls can stand in the face of what is happening, and what is yet to come. Only believers can stand since they know their future in Heaven is secure, and their life on earth is in God's hands. This verse also looks forward to the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, the “great day of their wrath” when believers will be delivered and all unbelievers will be removed from the earth. And as difficult as the first half of the Tribulation will be as a result of these six Seals being opened, the last half will be much worse.
"The first six Seals have now been opened. They will be opened starting early during the Tribulation with the Four Horsemen and the effects will continue throughout the seven year period..."
As Jill reads, her phone rings. She sees it is her mother calling. "Hi Mom." Mom: "Hi, Dear. Hey listen. I need to talk to you about something very important. My friends at the synagogue and I have been reading and looking up a lot of information. We have all concluded that we Jews missed our Messiah. It is like the blinders have fallen off many of us because of the Vanishment -- I mean, the Rapture. It has caused us to see more clearly. The Bible even says this would happen to Jews. Your father is also with us on this issue. I just had to tell you. I think you should also look at this in a new way. We were wrong for so long. But it is not too late. Many of us now believe."
Jill: "I believe that is true, Mom. We did miss the Messiah. It was the Rapture we just witnessed. This is now the Great Tribulation. I believe it now. But what will we do? It is all so scary. I do not know how I will hold up under the pressure." Mom replies: "Dear, we are now on the right side of history. The Truth is our guide. Follow the Truth of the Word of God...be strong."
At the Israeli Parliament, Prime Minister Garlock has just formed his new coalition giving him an even stronger majority necessary to exert increased power over Israel. Garlock is known as a secular leftist with radical views on many world issues. His mistrust of traditional Judaism and also for Christian beliefs are well known. Garlock addresses the Parliament:
"Israel must more closely embrace the Western Alliance and President Antivon who shares my views of government. Therefore, Israel must become a more complete partner with the Western Alliance on the world stage." He goes on to lay out his far-leftist plans for Israel, to become an even closer military and economic partner with the Western Alliance. It will include relinquishing a significant amount of Israeli sovereignty to the Western Alliance.
President Antivon calls Israel PM, who is the primary supporter of his image as a god. The two discuss his agenda. They agree to set up a statue of President Antivon in the Temple in Jerusalem. Prime Minister Garlock agrees to make the arrangements and procure the idol statue. He will wait for the signal from President Antivon to put the statue in place in the Temple.
The restrictive socialistic economic policies of the Western Alliance have resulted in shortages of food throughout the Alliance countries. Shortages are especially severe in Western Europe. Food riots are a near daily occurrence. Worker strikes are increasing as wages have stagnated. Commerce is grinding down and many types of goods and services are not available. The workers complain that those who do not work are given more than those who do the work. Economic incentives to work and produce have been replaced by a system of coercion and punishments. There is open rebellion in the streets across the Western Alliance countries. But President Antivon remains firm in his intention to create a socialist society based on saving the planet from Capitalists. And wealth is taken from the new Christians who are being martyred in large numbers, which his followers support. His followers become the beneficiaries as Christians are forced to "convert or die."
Bible predictions of Seal 5 become a reality. Christianity is outlawed due to the Bible's prohibition of idolatry, negative passages about homosexuality, and predictions about the future times. The Bible is banned as a "hate book" and ownership of one, or participating in Bible teachings, become a capital offense. Martyrdom of believers intensifies throughout the Western Alliance, which now consists of most of the world except for the Russian Alliance, Chinese Alliance, and Middle East Alliance which have been formed in opposition to the West. Many former enemies have signed alliance agreements in an attempt to counter the massive power of the Western Alliance. The world appears inevitably headed for the largest and most destructive world war ever seen by mankind.