Reconciled in the End

Chapter 18: Outline of the World's End

She nodded as they first read together out loud, then took notes. They were studying what to expect in Tribulation. Though it didn't look too promising, neither were sure how long they would yet live in this troubling time. It took several evenings, but they used the time they had.

Glancing back at their shared paper notes, ink blotches, and fumbled handwriting here and there, they saw an outline emerge. The first chapter was of Jesus giving the Revelation to John by way of His angels, and Himself. The next chapter addressed churches with some good things about them, and some weren't spoken well of at all. Thomas assumed 'Church' was a gathering of 'Christians' since the book of Acts spoke of such things.

After a synopse of each church was provided, chapter four abruptly talked of the 'things which must be hereafter'. Siren twitched restless when Thomas had read out loud the account of the throne of God and all that was there, chapter five added the Lamb of God opening the little book with seven ominous seals. Only He had the power to do so. The descriptions of the beings and elders near the throne unsettled her a bit. Drifting to chapter six gave them both much discussion.

"There's seals broken here that do disasters. Does this ever sound a bit alarming I must admit," Thomas inferred, biting his lip.

The first seal was a white horse and rider going about conquering. The second seal had a red horse with a rider that took peace away as the people killed one another. The third seal was a black horse with the rider carrying balances, it appeared food staples were to be expensive, yet luxury commodities not so. Thomas took note of the strange famine carefully.

The fourth seal had a pale horse with the rider called Death. Thomas and Siren shivered as they read on, seeing a whopping one-fourth of man was to either starve to death or of the beasts of earth! Thomas concluded to really watch food rations from now on!

The fifth seal was of those killed for the word of God asking for vengeance. They were told to wait a season and a white robe placed on them. Thomas studied Siren carefully. If they died right now, he supposed he'd be one of those in the passage if they were in the Revelation times. There was no way of knowing after how many of just these seals breaking alone how long the two were going to live for. He gulped as he continued studying the distressing facts of the book.

The sixth seal opened and created an earthquake, the sun turned black, and the moon became like blood. It also had stars fall, a great wind, the heaven departed like a scroll, and every mountain and island moved out of its place. Men would hide in caves in fear of the throne of God. Oh, did Thomas fear that seal! Again, if the old prophecies happened such as Noah with the ark, this was sure to be brutal! With displaced land, how could he even predict where to flee to? Thomas gazed out the window as he murmured to Siren, "I suppose if even the mountains are moved, being in this high-rise city isn't much better..."

Siren held his hand while trembling herself. He smiled gently, amazed that she still tried to comfort him despite her fears. He truly loved her for that.

The next chapter paused the opening of the seals to discuss angels that controlled the four winds. They were halted from harming the earth until God's servants were sealed on their foreheads, twelve thousand from each tribe of God's chosen people, the Isrealites. Then, after in the later part of the chapter, it talked of people in white robes from all the nations. Thomas jumped as he then winced. These people came out of the Great Tribulation. Gaining his utter attention, Thomas swallowed hard. This was Siren and his fate. He read carefully, soothed that perhaps the sentence wasn't too awful in the end. They would be promised God's protection and care forever after.

Siren whispered, "God shall wipe all the tears from their eyes."

Thomas swung over and kissed her forehead, that hopeful end gave them courage about the future. There might be pain, but not all was lost. It wasn't too late to accept His salvation even now as those souls were saved during the Tribulation, and they eventually would be protected forevermore.