And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. Revelation 16:20 (KJV)
Introduction
This scripture has been put forward as a warning about little islands and the people of God in the time of trouble. However this scripture comes in the middle of some major planks of end time events. Some of which include the general closure of human probation, the seven last plagues, the national Sunday law, the mark of the beast crisis and the time of Jacob’s trouble.
This article will not attempt to address these issues presently but will address the major themes that directly relate to the question at hand which is: If the people of God are faced with this challenge of Islands of the seas sinking. Then how will the people of God then survive?
The Mark of the Beast Crisis
The great question before the people of God now is the vindication of God's Character and Government. It will be achieved in the same way the Lord Jesus Christ sealed the fate of the devil and His angels - by agape love. The Remnant will be totally harmless and depend on God fully to witness through them to the manifold wisdom of God.
Before the seven last plagues there will be a period of crisis which will decide the eternal destinies of all those living at that time. The time in which we live now is the period of religious freedom predominantly as predicted in Revelation 13. Let’s look at the scripture.
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Revelation 13:11 (KJV)
We are in the period of time where the where the beast with the horns of lamb is gentle but the scriptures says it will speak like a dragon. For more on this beast refer to America in Prophecy.
After a period of intense agitation brought on by various political, social and economic pressures - the authorities in the U.S.A will form an Image to the Roman Hierarchy. That is, a religio – political system that will then enforce their dogmas through the legislature. It will lead to a National Sunday law which will consequently persecute those who oppose the prevailing system.
During this time of crisis the people of God and the people who have rejected the overtures of the Holy Spirit that leads them to repentance are being sealed or marked based on their acceptance or rejection of the National Sunday Law. They are, through this move aligning themselves with God or satan. When every mind has been made up for or against God then will come the seven last plagues that remove from those who are sealed with the apocalyptic seal of God all earthlyness.
The Seven Last Plagues
The first two plagues affect the righteous and the wicked and it causes them to be enraged against the righteous living at that time (144 000). They are then infuriated and purpose to kill the righteous. This act is counted as the actual murder and begins the Time of Jacob’s Trouble.
Time of Jacob’s Trouble
This is an intense time when the people of God – standing in the sight of God without a mediator – will face the consciousness of their sins but they must trust that the merits of Jesus Christ are enough for them. It will be intense mental anguish. Jeremiah puts it this way:
Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. Jeremiah 30:6-7(KJV)
The Last Three plagues
Just as it seems the people of God are about to be overthrown then the voice of God begins their deliverance at plague 5. By plague 6 the water of support are turned against the final Babylon the Great and the enemies of God and His people fight against each other and self-destruct.
Deliverance
Just before the seventh plague God delivers His people and finally the earth convulses under the destruction caused by sin itself. God’s people are delivered and are eternally secure from sin.
The Second Coming of Christ
It is at this time that Christ returns to claim the people as His own. The harvest is come.
(Inspired by the book “Strive to Be Among the 144 000” by Dr. E. O Douglin)