Herbert W Armstrong

   Now, here's a prophecy that show's how they're going back together before we go back into the thirty-first chapter of Jeremiah. Listen to this just a little in the fourteenth chapter of Isaiah, Isaiah the fourteenth chapter: (Isaiah 14:1) For The ETERNAL will have pity on Jacob; and once more take Israel as His own, settling them in their own country. [That's back in Palestine, now I want you to notice, my friends, this is not just the return seventy years after the Jewish captivity, which had happened in.., well around 600 years before Christ. This is not the return that did happen under the time of Ezra and Nehemiah; not at all. This is nothing that has ever occurred yet, Listen:] "For The ETERNAL will have pity upon Jacob and once more take Israel as His own, settling them in their own country, where foreigners shall join them and attached themselves to the household of Jacob."

   The household of Israel, or this nation now, the house of Israel; the kingdom of Israel, shall be conducted home by outside nations. By outside nations. Now, in the return under Ezra and Nehemiah, the king of the government under which they were at the time, they had been taken captive by the Chaldeans or Babylon, and then the Persians gave the decree that they could go on back. The Persians who succeeded Babylon and had conquered Babylon, or the Chaldean empire, and they were the reigning empire of the whole world at that time and the king of the Persian empire gave them permission to go back, but they weren't conducted by different nations.

   They were enabled to go, and they were allowed to go, and they went back on their own power. But at this time I want you to notice, the household of Israel shall be conducted home by outside nations. And then Israel shall hold them as slaves in the land of The ETERNAL. [Now, that's in Palestine, and now get that, I am going to go slow enough for you get this. I'm reading this, incidentally, from the Moffet translation, which is a little plainer in English than it is in the King James just here. But, it's the same thing exactly no matter which one you use. Same Bible, just a different translation and in more modern English that makes if plainer. The household of Israel shall be conducted home by outside nations, more than one nation. And then Israel shall hold them as slaves in the land of The ETERNAL. Now, the nations that take them back are going to be held in Palestine as slaves. Now that didn't happen in the exodus back there under Ezra and Nehemiah at all, it has never happened yet, so if is a prophecy that is yet to come, thus making captives of their former captors and ruling over their oppressors. Now, here is a king of Babylon who had held them captive.]

   (Isa 14:2) Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the Lord's land. They [Israel] will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors — NIV. Now, I was showing you, my friends, in Jeremiah 31, that it's the time of Jacob's trouble that is coming; that is The Great Tribulation. And all Bible students know that this Great Tribulation is yet in the future, it is yet to come. It isn't something that happened way back there back in Biblical history, long, long ago. The Great Tribulation is a future event and Jesus explains it in Matthew 24 as a time of trouble.., such as never has existed on this earth since there was a nation nor ever shall be.

   (Matt 24: 21-22) For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved (alive): but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Now, if you want the time element of it, He says that it is the time when except those days be shorten, no flesh should be saved alive. In other words, a time when it's possible to annihilate human life from off the face of this planet. My friends, until the last thirty years that has never been possible but now it is possible to annihilate all life; human, animal and plant life from off of the face of this earth. Now this is same identical time that Daniel speaks of. Remember the time of the greatest trouble that has ever happen since there was a nation,

   Daniel says, it is the time when this man that is identified and is in modern language called Babylon will be over in Palestine and will plant, actually his capitol over there in Palestine. (Dan 11: 41) He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. (Dan 11: 45) And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

   (Dan 12:1) And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince [or archangel.] that standeth for the children of thy people [or Israel]: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: [You see, there can't be any two times like that; each one greater than the other, that's impossible - this is the same time that is spoken of by Jesus except those times should be shorten, no flesh should be saved alive.] It's the time we are coming to right now. [And listen: A time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time] and at that time [now] at that time, thy people shall be delivered [every one that shall be found written in the book.] Yes our people in slavery are going to be delivered from that captivity and that slavery, (Dan 12:2) And many of them that sleep [These are dead people,] in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, [The dead in Christ are to rise first. When is that? Why at the second coming of Christ.., as many other prophecies tell you.]

   Now, here we find that same time in Jeremiah 30. And it is said here that it is a time of trouble; that day is great, so that none is like it, and the greatest time of trouble that ever happened, it is the time of Jacob's trouble. (Jer 30: 6-7) 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.

   (Jer 30: 8- 9) "Now he's going to be saved out of it, of course, it says there and in verse eight, and it shall come to pass, in that day, says the Lord of Hosts, that I will break the yoke off their neck, off of Israel's neck, and I will burst their bonds, the bonds of slavery, and strangers, that's other Gentile nations, shall no more make servants of them. But they shall serve The Eternal their God, and David their King who I will raise up for them." [You see, the dead in Christ are being resurrected at the time, Michael stands up, this time of trouble, which is Jacob's trouble, many that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake and here is David among them and David is resurrected, and Jesus is coming at His second coming, He is going to break the yoke.]

   Now, who places that yoke on our neck? Turn real quickly back to Isa 47: And let me show you it is Babylon and the king of Babylon. But it isn't the ancient king of Babylon, the 600 years before Christ. Not at all. Now, Isaiah 47: (Isaiah 47:1) Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, [Here is speaking of a virgin daughter of Babylon, not that ancient Babylon 600 years before Christ but a daughter of that Babylon and this is a female.] There is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate. Now, verse five, (Isaiah 47:5) Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms [In other words, a lady, a women that ruled over different governments and different kingdoms. Who could that be? Now notice, that God said]: (Isaiah 47:6) I was wroth with my people [That's Israel.], I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand [This daughter of Babylon into thine hand ]: thou didst show them no mercy; upon the ancient [That is upon Israel] hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke. [Now, there's the one who lays the yoke on Israel. "And at the second coming of Christ, Jesus says, I will break the yoke from off their neck. And that's at the time when David will be resurrected"]. I will break the yoke from off their necks, This is verse eight now, back into Jeremiah 30, (Jer. 30:8) And I will burst their bonds [That is the bonds of slavery], and strangers [That's Gentiles] shall no more make servants of them or slaves, but they shall serve The ETERNAL their God [Because Christ will be here as king of Kings], and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

   Now, upon this ancient [Israel] hast thou, [this daughter of Babylon] very heavily laid thy yoke — (Isaiah 47:6). (Isaiah 47: 7) And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to heart, neither didst remember the end of it. [Now my friends, you can compare that to Rev. 18, and verse 7, and you'll find the very same identical thing]. (Rev 18: 7-8) "How much she hath glorified herself [Here is a female gender, this is the daughter of that ancient Babylon. How much she has glorified herself] and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her, says God, she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. [There it is, quoted right out of Isaiah 47, verse 7 that I just got through reading to you.] Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God that judgeth her." [That is God's judgments, the last plagues that are poured out on this Babylon, this daughter of the ancient Babylon. Now, in verse four,] (Rev 18:4) I heard a voice from heaven, say, Come out of her, my people [Israel is in her, come out of her, my people, Israel.] that you be not partakers of her sins [It's not here speaking of Christians, because Christians have already come out of sin, and they have plead the blood of Jesus Christ and they are being cleansed by the blood of Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit of God. So, this is carnal, national, unconverted Israel and God says, Come out of her [out of Babylon], my people that ye be not partakers of her sins, that ye receive not of her plagues. Now, in verse 2,

   (Rev 18: 2-3) [Here's this angel crying] with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication [A lady ruling over kingdoms, now that only continuing right on from the seventeen chapter, so let's go back there and see what this lady is called.]

   Here is a lady of kingdoms, and in the seventeenth chapter of Revelation, here's one of the seven angels that had the seven last plagues, her judgments, that God is pouring out on her, and this angel says, (Rev 17: 1), Come hither; [to John, who recorded the book of Revelation,] Come hither, I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore [Now, that is a fallen women and is a great fallen women, whatever this is, it's great and it is a fallen women,] that sitteth upon many waters: [Now what are those many waters?] Verse fifteen says, "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." [There is a woman, a lady, a lady of kingdoms, sitting over nations and multitudes and different languages.]

   (Rev 17:2) — Now, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, [Oh, here is a women that hasn't waited for Christ, to be married to Christ, the king of Kings. No, here is a woman who has married the kings of this earth. Who has committed fornication, spiritual fornication, this is spiritual language of course and its symbolical here in Revelation 17] "the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication." And I read to you in (Rev. 18:3), "All nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." And they are all drunk, spiritually on it until they can't see God's truth in the Bible.

   No wonder the Bible has been turned upside down. And is being turned upside down. No wonder the whole world is deceived by Satan the devil, and this is his agency. This women, this great fallen women, this lady of kingdoms, now what is her name? In verse 4 is the women and she is sitting on a scarlet coloured beast in verse 3, and that is the kings of the earth and in verse 4, the women was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and in verse 5, upon her forward was a name written, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, [Here is a woman, Babylon the great,] THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." And in verse eight, here is the beast she rode on:

   (Rev 17:8) — The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: [Now, my friends, let me just identify right here that that beast is the ancient Roman Empire. And all Bible scholars, I think of, well let's see, I was going to say Protestant, Catholic and Jewish I can't quite say that because the Jewish people will not accept the book of Revelation at all. But, all of the others I think, regardless of sect or denomination, it is generally regarded and understood, and in many of the commentaries and Bible published by the different divisions that are called Christianity today, they say that this beast is the ancient Roman Empire.] Now, listen: "The beast, or the ancient Roman Empire, that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit." [Yes, the ancient Roman Empire, it was, but it is not, is it; today, but this says that it is going to come up again, shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, that is virtual nonexistence, and yet it has existed, the germ of it or the life somehow, it is coming back in a resurrection.] And listen: "and will go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder! Oh, it's going to astound, it is going to dumbfound the people of this world. Shall wonder: whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast [That's the Roman Empire] that was, and is not, and yet is."

   Now, the seven heads are seven mountains, that is seven nations or dynasties or governments on which the woman sits. Now, there are seven kings, five are fallen, one is and the other is not yet come. And you can show, my friends, if you know your history, the five are fallen. That wound up with the one who met his waterloo, Napoleon! He was the last one of the five that are fallen. And, there one more now yet now to come. Even that sixth one has come now, and there one more; a seventh, yet to come. And when he comes, he must continue 'a short space,' wont last very long.

   Now, and the ten horns that were on this beast, there were ten horns on this beast, they are ten kings. Ten kings which have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. Therefore, they are dictators and that's only one hour, a very, very short time. Because this is only going to continue a short space, when it comes. Now, mark this! That after this resurrection, after this resurrection of the Roman Empire, by ten dictatorships or by ten nations, over there in the general territory of Europe and around the Mediterranean of the ancient Roman Empire, it is coming again to life according to this prophecy, and it's only going to last a very short time when it does. Now, how is it going to come to its end? Listen, these have one mind and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. [That's military power.] Under the beast, now not to the woman that rode it, but to the beast, he shall make war with the Lamb [That's Christ] and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings. And they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

   Now, they are going to make war with Christ, He is not Lord of lords, He is not King of kings, until the time of His second coming. And so, this says they are going to fight Christ at His second coming. This power will only exist a very short time, it will come to its end at the second coming of Christ, therefore it cannot be resurrected until a very short time just before the second coming of Christ. Now do you see? And here is this woman called Babylon. The lady of kingdoms, and in verse eighteen, (Rev 17:18), the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. [Or, has a kingdom over the kings of the earth.] There you are. Now, that's the daughter of the ancient Babylon! And that, my friends, is the power, that is to take captive modern Israel and my friends, we are the descendants of the lost ten tribes, we are their people in this generation, believe it or not.

   My friends, God has given us the greatest physical power, the greatest resources, the greatest amount of luxury in everything that wealth and material wealth and material and national blessings can give that any nation has ever had in the history of this world. Because Abraham obeyed God and kept His commandments, His statues and His laws. Once again, let me tell you, if you don't understand our identity and know who we are in Bible prophecy; it's the most shocking thing you ever read. It's so shocking that most people say oh, that just couldn't be true. And you'll find that a lot of them without honest investigation just sneer, they just laugh, they ridicule, they just say, Oh, that's just modern fanaticism. My friends, it's a challenge. Get our booklet The United States in Prophecy; read this in your Bible and you'll read there the most astounding thing that you have every read. You cannot understand your Bible, you are ignorant of your Bible, you're ignorant of prophecy unless you know this key. This truth that is the key that will unlock prophecy so that you can understand it. Now, here it is. We are the people and that yoke is to be on us. And so, I've been reading to you, my friends, how God has said, I will save the from afar thy seed from where? From the land of their captivity. From the land of their captivity. The Jewish people, my friends, are scattered all over the earth. This is not referring to a captivity of just those people there. But God says, (Jer 30:11) I am with thee, saith THE ETERNAL, to save thee: [I'm still in the thirtieths chapter; now again in the eleventh verse] to save thee: though I make a full end of all the nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee [with judgment], and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

   We have lessons to learn as I have been telling you. God is going to punish, He is going to chasten us my friends until we learn our lessons so we can be happy, so our land can be rid of it's insane asylums and it's hospitals, and it's jails and it's prisons, and until we get ourselves cleaned up. And until we get rid, for instance, of this divorce and remarriage national evil that is breaking up about one home in three in the United States. I tell you my friends, we lead the world in crime! Just go get the statistics. Go buy a world almanac on the news stand or in a bookstore and just look at the crimes. Compare them with those of other nations. There is more crime, there is more of that sort of thing going on and more sin right here in America than anyplace on earth and God is going to punish, and God has plead with our people with preaching, He pleading with you right now, my friends, through my voice. And millions are hearing it. But I know, my friends, that most of you will not heed. But God is going to send the kind of preaching to you, the kind of physical punishment that will be heeded. Yes, it will. And, the prophecy is for the latter days, right now! The last verse of the thirtieth chapter (Jer. 30: 24):

   And he says he's going to chastise us with a cruel one because of the multitude of our iniquity because thy sins were increased. We are doing the things that are evil and are sin in the eyes of The ETERNAL. But things that we say are good and right and alright in our own eyes. We say, well we don't see any harm in it. Now, finally, verse twelve, the thirty-first chapter, Jeremiah thirty-one, well let's begin with verse ten, (Jer 31:10) "Hear the word of The ETERNAL, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off." [And I had read to you where this is to be proclaimed in the chief of the nations] In verse seven: "Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O ETERNAL, save thy people, the remnant of Israel." The last generation of this age, the very generation that goes into the second coming of Christ. We are that people, we are that time, my friends, I know you have not heard anything like this before. I know how strange, how shocking this is to your ears but I want to tell you, my friends, this is the most important message of this hour, for the whole world, this is most important message that has ever been shouted in the United States of America. And, you better open up your ears and heed, because this is the very word of God. I'm giving you, thus saith the Lord, for every word of it and it's as certain as the rising and setting of the sun. Listen: For The ETERNAL has redeemed Jacob [that's at the second coming of Christ]. Here it is, "declare it in the isles a far off." Yes, the British Isles. And say "He that scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd does his flock." Now, at the time of the time of the second coming of Christ, we're going to be gathered. We're going to be into a time of captivity if we don't wake up, if we don't repent, if we don't return to our God.

   (Jer 31:11) For THE ETERNAL hath redeemed Jacob [That's speaking of Christ, at His second coming.], have redeemed Jacob and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. I would like to read that to you in the Moffat translation, that eleventh verse, verse eleven, in the Moffat translation, "For The ETERNAL has set Jacob free, and rescued him from a stronger power." That's that power I just read to you about and I want to tell you, my friends, it's forming right now over in Europe. It is blitzkrieg; it is lightening fast type of war making machine that works so much more rapidly, so much faster than the Communists. The Communists are planning to invade and conquer the United States, of course they are. But they are slow moving. And they are not going to make it, my friends, until another power that I've just been reading to you in the prophesies of God Almighty, will have risen rapidly, so fast when it comes it will just take the breath of the world. You're going to be shock! The people don't know it's coming, but we know the sure word of prophecy and what is coming on this world. And listen, we're going to be rescued from a hand that is stronger than ours.

   (Jer 31:12-13) Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of THE ETERNAL, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock of the herd: and so on. Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and then as we read over here in (Jer 50:4). In those days, and in that time, saith THE ETERNAL, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek THE ETERNAL their God [That's Christ, when He's here, in person]. Israel and Judah together. Judah is the Jewish people, my friends, this has been speaking of another people. Not Judah, not the Jewish people, but Israel, the House of Israel that has been called the lost ten tribes. They have been lost. Yes, but we know who they are and where they are now!