Category Archives: Satan

June 25, 2023 · 10:00

The Collapse of Babylon

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily 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, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. (Revelation 18:1-2)

I must confess a bit of confusion as I consider this next chapter in the Book of Revelation. In the previous chapter, we saw Mystery Babylon, the controlling religious system of the Tribulation period, destroyed by the Antichrist and the world leaders that used her to gain power and control over the people of the earth. “And the ten horns [i.e., the world leaders] which thou sawest upon the beast [the Antichrist], these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire” (Revelation 17:16, emphasis mine).

However, we hear “another angel” – possibly the same Gospel angel of Revelation 14:8 – repeating similar words. “And he cried mightily 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, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies” (Revelation 18:2-3, emphasis mine). As we read further, on the surface, it appears as if the descriptions of “Babylon the Great” apply to Mystery Babylon, but she is also called “that great city Babylon, that mighty city!” (18:10). Because of the several references to merchants and commerce, most scholars see this Babylon as the commercial center of the Antichrist’s (the Beast) government. Then there is all the talk about the rulers of the world having “committed fornication with her” (18:3, 9). That is similar language applied to Mystery Babylon in the previous chapter. If this Babylon is just a commercial and political center, then why does the angel urgently call, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (18:4)?

Perhaps my confusion finds resolution in amalgamating the two – a religious and commercial/political center. Clarence Larkin says, “If ‘Mystery Babylon’ was destroyed in the previous chapter then she cannot appear in this chapter, and the ‘City’ here described must be a literal city called Babylon…”[1] Most end-times prophecy teachers would agree with that. I can accept that; however, I suggest that the seat of both the “One-World” religious system and the “One-World” ruling system exist together in the same place. The demise of the religious system at the hands of the ruling system would leave a “residue” of the former so that the remaining ruling system (that of the Beast) would retain many of the same attributes; hence, the similar language used in condemnation of the city. Also, the “kings of the earth” and the “merchants” that lament the demise of “that great city” are probably not part of the “ten horns” over which the Beast rules; the cabal of the Beast are the ones that made “her desolate and naked … and burn[ed] her with fire” (Revelation 17:16). So, for the sake of simplicity, let us agree with those who say this Babylon is the commercial and political center of the Beast’s power after Mystery Babylon is removed.

The next question that comes up concerns the city, Babylon. Is the text to be taken literally or symbolically? Does the text refer to the literal Babylon in Iraq, or is it a “code name” for a different city and system? Those who suggest that Babylon is symbolic say that the term was used by the early church as a code name for Rome and the Roman Empire. They will cite Peter’s epistle where he says, “The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son” (1 Peter 5:13, emphasis mine). “This epistle was written from Babylon, but scholars are divided as to whether this refers literally to Babylon in Mesopotamia or symbolically to Rome. There is no tradition that Peter went to Babylon, and in his day, it had few inhabitants. On the other hand, tradition consistently indicates that Peter spent the last years of his life in Rome. As a center of idolatry, the term ‘Babylon’ was an appropriate figurative designation for Rome.”[2]

However, that carries with it a certain degree of speculation based on “tradition,” which may or may not be valid. On the other hand, we are looking beyond the time of John, the human author of Revelation, into the end-times. Regardless of whether Peter was referring to actual Babylon or to Rome does not necessarily mean that John was referring to Rome in his account. When we read the text as we should – “if the plain sense makes sense, then look for no other sense or else you will end up in nonsense” – there is no indication that it should be taken in any other way than literally.

Still, some will claim that the original Babylon was destroyed fulfilling OT prophecy. Against Babylon, Isaiah prophesied, “It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there” (Isaiah 13:20, emphasis mine). Similarly, Jeremiah prophesied, “And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD … And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant … Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby.” (Jeremiah 51:26, 37, 43, emphasis mine). The question we must ask is, have these prophecies been fulfilled literally? Frankly, the answer is a resounding NO! So, if they have not been fulfilled, and because the Word of the Lord is true and trustworthy, then they must be yet future.

Larkin gives a detailed history of Babylon beginning with its origins at the Tower of Babel.[3] Nebuchadnezzar made Babylon one of the wonders of the world. It retained its splendor after the conquering by the Persians and later the Greeks. After that, the city degraded but continued to be inhabited even during the time of the early church. Larkin, citing ancient historians, says that “the Jews left from the Captivity still resided there in large numbers, and in A.D. 60 we find the Apostle Peter working among them, for it was from Babylon that Peter wrote his Epistle (1 Pet. 5:13).”[4] The city, albeit no longer “great,” continued to be inhabited.

Larkin continues, “In A.D. 917 Ibu Hankel mentions Babylon as an insignificant village, but still in existence. About A.D. 1100 it seems to have again grown into a town of some importance, for it was then known as the ‘Two Mosques.’ Shortly afterward it was enlarged and fortified and received the name of Hillah, or ‘Rest.’ In A.D. 1898 Hillah contained about 10,000 inhabitants, and was surrounded by fertile lands and abundant date groves stretched along the banks of the Euphrates.”[5] Obviously, the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Revelation concerning the demise of Babylon are yet future, so the modern Babylon (Hillah) is certainly a contender for the one described in this chapter of Revelation.

However, some end-times prophecy students protest that this modern Babylon is too underdeveloped and too insignificant to qualify as the “great city” described in these verses. Currently, the population of Hillah (i.e., Babylon) is around 455,700;[6] that is about the size of Omaha, NE, USA, which is almost twice the size of the state capital, Lincoln. Just how “great” does it need to be for it to be of significant? With the technology we currently have in the world, the Beast could set up his headquarters anywhere and operate without any problems. If he needs a castle, he could have one built in less than a year. There is no reason, logistically or biblically for the Babylon of Revelation not being located in the original site of ancient Babel/Babylon.

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double” (Revelation 18:4-6, emphasis mine). As I noted earlier, I believe Revelation 18 is an amalgamation of Mystery Babylon and political Babylon, the seat of the Beast’s power. As Larkin pointed out, Babylon had a large population of Jews in Peter’s day. In a way, Peter was calling them out at that time to come out of her. During the Tribulation, the false religion of the Beast will be headquartered in the same place as the Beast, in Babylon. The call to “come out of her” is not only a call to leave the false religion, but to flee the city itself because of the coming judgment, but more so to leave the false religion and not be “partakers of her sins.” The sins of the false religion as well as the sins of the city “have reached unto heaven.” The charge seems to carry a double application, which is why I think this chapter applies to both Mystery Babylon and Babylon “the great city.”

“How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. (Revelation 18:7, emphasis mine). Her self-aggrandizement reminds me of the Church of Laodicea.  “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17, emphasis mine). Although this aptly applies to Mystery Babylon, we need to keep in mind that the “religion” of the Beast and the Beast are tightly linked.

“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 who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more” (Revelation 18:8-11, emphasis). While there still remains some hints of Mystery Babylon in these verses, the application is clearly to “that great city Babylon.” Here we see the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah concerning the demise of Babylon fulfilled in full.

Revelation 18:12-14 describe the lost trade for which the merchants of the world mourn. “The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate” (Revelation 18:15-19, emphasis mine). We saw Mystery Babylon destroyed by the Beast and his ten horns in the previous chapter, and now her city and her center of influence is laid waste.

“Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her” (Revelation 18:20). From this time and forevermore, false religion has been removed from the earth. All the false religions spawned from Babylon, that persecuted the saints of God, are crushed into dust. This is cause for great rejoicing in heaven. The only One worthy of worship will now reign on Earth.

“And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all” (Revelation 18:21). As a millstone cast into the sea suddenly disappears from view leaving only ripples which soon subside, so will be the sudden destruction of Babylon the Great and all she represents without leaving a single ripple.

Next, the true Christ, the Lord of lords and King of kings comes to set up His kingdom on Earth for 1000 years. We will see that in the next chapter.

How about you, reader? Are you prepared to meet the coming King of kings and Lord of lords? If you do not know the Savior, do not wait any longer. The time is short. Please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1]  Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation, Illustrated, (Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, Philadelphia, 1919), p. 155.

[2]  New American Standard Bible, The Open Bible Expanded Edition, (Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 1985), p. 1258.

[3]  Genesis 11:1-9

[4]  Larkin, p.157.

[5]  Ibid.

[6]  Hillah – Wikipedia

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June 18, 2023 · 10:00

Beast-Riding Harlot

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: (Revelation 17:1)

We come to another parenthesis in John’s record. The seven-bowl judgments have been poured out, and the end of the Tribulation has come. While we focused on the terrors of the seven bowl judgments, other things were happening on Earth that John explains in the next two chapters. These details help us to understand the purpose behind all these judgments. They also help us to see what is taking place around us right now which will prepare us for what is coming.

One of the angels which had one of the seven vials (we are not told which one) takes John aside to show him “the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.” To me, a “whore” is a promiscuous woman (to put it nicely) who engages in indiscriminate sex with whoever comes along. However, the word translated as “whore” here is the Greek word “pornē” from which we get our English words “pornography” and “pornographic.” As used here, the word refers to a prostitute; a woman who sells herself for sexual favors. That she “sitteth upon many waters” refers to people. Often, when we see “the sea” mentioned in Revelation, it refers to the Mediterranean Sea where most of these events take place, and the people that dwell in those areas. So, when we read, “I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea” (Revelation 13:1, emphasis mine), it refers to the area around the Mediterranean Sea and the people from that area. Thus, we conclude that the Antichrist, the Beast, will rise up out of the people around the Mediterranean Sea, i.e., the revived Roman Empire. This also agrees with the Prophet Daniel’s account that “the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” (Daniel 9:26, emphasis mine).  The “people” that destroyed “the city and the sanctuary,” were the Romans in AD 70, and “the prince that shall come” from those people is the Antichrist. However, this “harlot” sits on “many waters,” so her influence spans all the people of all the world.

As we will see later on, the woman represents a world religion. She is portrayed as a woman because the Bible views “religion” as feminine. For example, in the Old Testament (OT), God looked at Israel as His unfaithful wife.[1] The entire prophecy of Hosea is an allegory of an unfaithful wife that prostitutes herself, yet her faithful husband (Hosea) goes and buys her back out of prostitution. The allegory is of Israel, the unfaithful wife who goes into idolatry (i.e., prostituting herself), and God, the faithful husband, who redeems her out of that idolatry. In the New Testament (NT), the Church is called “the Bride of Christ.”[2] Likewise, this prostitute represents a worldwide, idolatrous, false religion that is supported (she “sits upon”) by all the people of the world.

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication” (Revelation 17:1-2, emphasis mine). The world leaders have “used” this religion in order to subdue and control the masses of the earth.

“So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 17:3). The beast upon which the prostitute rides is the Antichrist. That he is scarlet (red) in color represents sin,[3] wealth,[4] and power.[5] He is “full of the names of blasphemy.”[6] This description of the Beast concurs with that given in Revelation 13:1-10 which I addressed in a previous article.[7]

“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH” (Revelation 17:4-5). Through the years, many scholars of end-times prophecy attributed the moniker to the Roman Catholic Church (RCC); however, I think there is more to it than that. From the time of the Reformation (16th Century) until relatively recent history, the RCC was the only religion that fit that description. Without question, the RCC with its headquarters in the Vatican possesses more wealth than most countries on earth. I recall visiting a Catholic Church in San Juan de las Colchas, Michoacán, Mexico. The small village, at that time, was immersed in poverty. There was not even one paved street in the tiny town, but the church edifice was beautiful beyond the apparent means of the people. The interior was even more incredible. It was elaborately trimmed in solid gold. Many of the images were of solid gold. I could not help but think of how all that wealth could be used to benefit the poverty-stricken people of the town. (I know, I’m kind of sounding like Judas.)[8] The point I want to make is that the RCC is incredibly rich. In keeping with that theme, the Pope, in his priestly regalia, dresses in “purple and scarlet” and priceless jewels like a king.

This harlot is called “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH”. Beginning with the rebellion at the Tower of Babel, Babylon originated all the pagan religions of the earth. Many of them follow a similar theme that mimics the virgin birth of Christ and His death and resurrection. The “Queen of Heaven”[9] went by many names beginning with Astarte or Ashtoreth[10] and later Aphrodite (Greek) and Venus (Roman). “The ‘Queen of Heaven’ is mentioned in the Bible and has been associated with a number of different goddesses by different scholars, including: Anat, Astarte or Ishtar, Ashtoreth, or as a composite figure. The worship of a ‘Queen of Heaven’ (Hebrew: מלכת השמים, Malkath haShamayim) is recorded in the Book of Jeremiah, in the context of the Prophet condemning such religious worship and it being the cause of God declaring that He would remove His people from the land.”[11] Here is another reason why early end-times students associated the RCC with “Mystery Babylon.” They took the pagan title “Queen of Heaven” and applied it Mary the mother of Jesus and attributed divine attributes to her.

Mystery Babylon is the “mother of harlots.” In other words, she gave birth to a whole host of false religions and the RCC fits perfectly in that mold. However, there is more to Mystery Babylon because it also includes “Gaia” (or earth) worship.[12] Up until maybe 40 or 50 years ago, the worship of the planet was unheard of. However, the whole world wants to “save the planet” (save the trees, save the whales, save the polar bears, save the sharks, save the air, etc.) as if there is anything man can do to alter the course of God’s creation. Of course, the proponents of this movement (the UN, WEF, et al) would not call it a religion, but they certainly promote it religiously. One of the major supporters of the “climate change” agenda is the RCC with the Pope leading the way. The RCC also puts forth great efforts to unite all the religions of the world behind the cause. The Pope is also willing to bring our “space brothers” into the “fold” by baptizing aliens![13] This is “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT.” Add to this transhumanism and all that goes along with that, and it is not difficult to see that we are approaching the day of Christ’s return. There is also another control system creeping in called Environmental, Social, and Business Governance (ESG).[14] It is a system of social control based on a “credit scoring” system that grades the individual on how he measures up to environmental rules/laws; how he stacks up on social issues (human rights issues, pro-choice, acceptance of the LGBTQ+ agenda, etc.), and how he complies with matters of “equity, diversity, and inclusion.” We see this creeping into our society by how businesses are pushing the “gay agenda,” regardless of loss in profits. Their end goal is to increase their ESG score, which will keep them viable when the full force of the system impacts everyone.

“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration” (Revelation 17:6). Beginning with the RCC, false religions (Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) have spilt the blood of many of Jesus’ saints since the Church began. The new world religion will spill much more. Globalists want to reduce Earth’s population to five-hundred million, according to the Georgia Guidestones.[15] (Of course, they would be excluded from the culling.) Christians who believe in the sanctity of life and God’s ownership of the planet will be in their crosshairs.

“And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is” (Revelation 17:7-8). John is just as baffled as we are at the sight. The angel tells John that the Beast “was, and is not.” We learned in Revelation 13:3 that he receives a deadly wound; therefore, he “was and is not.” However, he appears to come back to life to mimic the resurrection of Christ. Here we are told how that happens. He “shall ascend out of the bottomless pit,” which tells me that his body gets possessed by Satan (the Dragon) himself. However, he will “go into perdition,” i.e., Hell.[16] Those who bear the “mark of the beast,” whose names are “not written in the book of life,” will be amazed at the end of the Beast and his False Prophet. “They that see thee [the Dragon/the Beast] shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?” (Isaiah 14:16-17). In the end, he is pretty unimpressive.

“And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth” (Revelation 17:9). Those that identify the RCC as Mystery Babylon point to the “seven mountains on which the woman” sits as Rome, the “City of Seven Hills,” the seat from which the Pope rules. There are other candidates for the headquarters of Mystery Babylon. Jerusalem supposedly sits on seven hills, and the False Prophet will set up the image of the Beast in the Temple there and demand that the world worship the image and the Beast.[17] Babylon in Iraq, although there are no hills around it, is also a candidate. Upon closer inspection, the “seven mountains” are “the seven heads” which are rulers, so this may not refer to a specific place at all, but rather the seat of government, or the foundation of past governments (see the next paragraph). I will look deeper into that in the next chapter.

“And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space” (Revelation 17:10). The “seven kings” are world empires. “Five are fallen”: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. “One is”: Rome; Rome is the empire that “was” during John’s time. “The other is not yet come:” this is the revived Roman Empire, the kingdom of the Beast. Daniel saw this kingdom as the feet of iron mixed with clay in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.[18] In the dream, Nebuchadnezzar saw a stone cut out of a mountain that struck the feet of iron and clay and collapsed the entire statue.[19] The dream means that at the end of time, Christ (the stone) would destroy all the kingdoms of the world and He, Himself, will reign forever.

“And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (Revelation 17:11-13). There is much speculation on exactly how this will shape up. There is talk that the UN has plans on how to divide the world into 10 regions under a one-world government. Maps are available with a Google search. However, these maps include China and other Asian nations that I do not believe will play along with that scheme. Russia is also included in these maps, and I do not believe that Russia will want to play along either. As I see it (and I can be wrong about this), the Antichrist’s control will be mostly over the Western nations, i.e., nations that were part of the old Roman Empire. Neither China nor Russia (or any of the Asian nations for that matter) were part of the Roman Empire. So, exactly how this will play out is anyone’s guess. In all probability, it will include the nations of the European Union (EU) and possibly the nations of Northern Africa (that were part of the old Roman Empire). However, this works out, there will be ten rulers, three of who will cede their power over to the Antichrist. The others will “have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.”

“These shall make war with the Lamb, 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” (Revelation 17:14, emphasis mine). We read in Revelation 16:16, when the seventh angel pours out the contents of the seventh bowl, that God draws all the kings, i.e., leaders, to Armageddon for the final battle. Note that the “Lord of lords, and King of kings” does not come alone (albeit, He is the only one that does any fighting); He comes with His saints that are “called, and chosen, and faithful.”[20] This is the Church that was raptured before the Tribulation and the Tribulation saints that were martyred throughout the Tribulation. It will make for a spectacular aerial phenomenon!

“And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” (Revelation 17:15-18, emphasis mine).

In the end, just like any whore, Mystery Babylon, the religion of the Beast, will be used for his satisfaction and then cast aside when she is no longer useful to him. And, although the Beast and his henchmen think they are in control, it is really God that is running the show.[21]

We see the one-world religion that the Antichrist will use and abuse to get what he wants rising even now. We see it in the form of ecumenism. We see it in the efforts of “religious” leaders to unite all the religions of the world. We see it in the form of Earth worship. We see it in the form of humanism that places the will of man above that of God. All of that is taking place right now, and if you do not see it, you are not paying attention. Things are falling into place in preparation for the Beast to step in and take over.

How about you, reader? Are you paying attention? If you do not know the Savior, do not wait any longer. The time is short. Please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1]  Isaiah 54:5-6; 62:5; Jeremiah 3:20; Ezekiel 16:30-33

[2]  John 3:39; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 21:9

[3]  Isaiah 1:18

[4]  Lamentations 4:5

[5]  Daniel 5: 7, 16, 29

[6]  2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

[7]  The Beast and His Mouth | Ernie’s Musings (erniecarrasco.com)

[8]  John 12:3-5

[9]  Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19, 25

[10]  1 Kings 11:5, 33; 2 Kings 23:13

[11]  Queen of Heaven (antiquity) – Wikipedia

[12]  GAIA WORSHIP – THE NEW PAGAN RELIGION (environment-ecology.com)

[13]  Pope Francis Says He Would Definitely Baptize Aliens If They Asked Him To – The Atlantic

[14]  HOME – Advance ESG

[15]  What Did The Georgia Guidestones Say? Mysterious Words On Blown Up Monument (newsweek.com)

[16]  Revelation 19:20

[17]  Revelation 13:14-15

[18]  Daniel 2:41-44

[19]  Daniel 2:45

[20]  Revelation 19:14

[21]  Psalm 2

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June 4, 2023 · 10:00

Prelude to the End

This image is copyrighted. Image source: https://revelationillustrated.com/

And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. (Revelation 15:1)

We are nearing harvest time. Chronologically (as I see it), one year and nine months remain in the Great Tribulation. The first six seals[1] brought us to the mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation or the first three and one-half years. The trumpet judgments[2] ushered in the last three and one-half years, and the final trumpet[3] unleashes the final seven plagues or bowl judgments that culminate in the Lord’s return. We stand at the precipice of the end.

John says, “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God” (Revelation 15:1). In Chapter 12, John speaks of a sign he saw in heaven. The sign,[4] while symbolic of the persecuted nation of Israel, correlated to an actual celestial event that occurred on September 23, 2017. It was a conjunction of three planets in the constellation Leo forming a crown of 12 stars over the constellation Virgo. Meanwhile, Jupiter wandered around in the “womb” of Virgo for about nine months before exiting from between her feet as in birth. The once-in-7000-year event fit John’s vision perfectly.

Now he sees another “sign” in heaven. This time he sees seven angels. Sometimes in Scripture, angels are described as stars. In the Book of Job, God responds to Job, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding … When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4, 7, emphasis mine). Understanding the parallelism of Hebrew poetry, we conclude that “the morning stars” and “the sons of God” refer to the same thing – angels. Similar references are made at the beginning of this book. “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches” (Revelation 1:20, emphasis mine). We deduce that these “angels” are actually the human pastors of these seven churches. However, there may be a double meaning implied here. “Star,” in Greek, is astēr referring to any celestial luminary object. “Angel,” on the other hand is aggelos, meaning a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, or a messenger from God. That certainly applies to human pastors. It is reasonable to conclude that the use here applies to both, i.e., churches have human pastors that watch over them and they also have God’s angels watching over them.

Later on, we see Satan, the dragon, cast out of heaven, “And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born” (Revelation 12:4, emphasis mine). “The stars of heaven” refers to a third of the angels that follow Satan that are cast out of heaven along with him. Considering all of these examples makes me wonder if this sign that John saw “in heaven,” which he says are “seven angels,” might also be the stellar grouping of stars known as the Pleiades, a.k.a. “the Seven Sisters.” It is just a thought. Regardless, these angels have the seven last plagues, and these plagues carry the full force of God’s wrath.

“And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God” (Revelation 15:2). “Sea” often refers to humanity. Here it is seen as “mingled with fire,” which connotes torture or suffering. These are the Tribulation saints who are saved after the Rapture of the Church. They have survived through the Tribulation. Note that they “had gotten the victory over the beast [i.e., the Antichrist], and over his image,[5] and over his mark.”[6] The fact that they are standing in heaven with harps shows that they died for their faith in Christ and for their rejection of the Antichrist. These are those that survived part of the Tribulation and paid for it with their lives. Even so, there will be some Tribulation saints that will survive to the end when Christ returns, especially those of Israel. “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10, emphasis mine).

“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints” (Revelation 15:3). They sing “the song of Moses,” which is the song the children of Israel sang after crossing the Red Sea.[7] It is a song of liberation from captivity. In like manner, they sing “the song of the Lamb” which also speaks of liberation from the bondage of sin and death. The Apostle Paul writes, “For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:15-17). And Jesus said, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).

The song continues: “Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.” People today marvel at the technological advancements of mankind. Technology has arrived at the point where transhumanists foresee the integration of man and machine in the very near future. People are so distracted with their gadgets that they fail to look up in wonder at the greatness of the universe or look around in awe of the Creation. With all that man has accomplished, they look no further than what man has done and cannot see what God has done. These people in heaven do not miss it. They recognize the “marvelous” works – beyond all human comprehension – of the Lord – the supreme authority – God – the supreme divinity – Almighty – omnipotent, all-powerful, matchless in power and strength. “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). God is true and righteous in all that He does, and all that He says will come to pass. “I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 24:14).

“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest” (Revelation 15:4). The answer to that question these days is “no one.” There is no fear of the Lord in the world today. Even among many so-called “evangelicals” (more like “evan-jelly-fish”), the fear of the Lord escapes them. They have taken God’s Word and perverted it in order to gain “converts” – noses and butts in the pews. Not in all cases, but in a majority of the large “mega-churches” you will find “acceptance” of the “alphabet” pervert community, ordination of women “pastors,” and entertaining services that even make the devils dance. Even Southern Baptists[8] are on that slippery slide. However, what these saints are saying is that one day soon – and very soon – that will all change when all people, all nations (ethnos), will fear God and worship Him. “That at the name of Jesus every knee [will] bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue [will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). For many, that will be too late.

“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, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles” (Revelation 15:5-6). That these angels proceed out of the innermost part of the heavenly tabernacle alludes to the innermost being of God Himself. This is it! The fullness of God’s wrath is about to be spilled out on a sinful and rebellious world.

“And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever” (Revelation 15:7). We find a description of the four beasts in Revelation 4:6-8. However, which one of the four this is, we are not told – probably the one with the human face since all of these judgments are directed at humans. This beast has seven golden “vials” or bowls that contain the “full of the wrath of God.” For the last 5 ¼ years, the world has experienced the wrath of God, but now, the full force of it is about to be turned loose. As if to make a theological point, it is the full wrath of God “who lives forever and ever” – the everlasting God, the Alpha and Omega, the One without beginning or end, the Eternal God.

“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 15:8). Clarence Larkin makes an interesting observation here. “When the Tabernacle was finished by Moses, and the Temple by Solomon, there was a ‘cloud,’ the ‘Shekinah Glory,’ but no smoke. Ex. 40:34-36. 1 Kings 8:10-11. The ‘cloud’ means GRACE, the ‘smoke’ means JUDGMENT. Isa. 6:1-4. Ex. 19:18.”[9]

Things are about to get really bad, and that is putting it mildly. Jesus said, “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22). Reader, if you do not know the Savior, do not wait any longer. The time is short. Please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1]  Revelation 6-7

[2]  Revelation 8-9

[3]  Revelation 11:15

[4]  The Woman and the Dragon

[5]  Revelation 13:14-15

[6]  Revelation 13:16-18

[7]  Exodus 15:1-22

[8]  I Am A Baptist

[9]  Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation, Illustrated, (Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, Philadelphia, 1919), p. 139.

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May 28, 2023 · 10:00

Harvest Time

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)

At this point in the Revelation account, we have come to the last half of the Tribulation. We have seen that in the midst of the terrible judgments coming upon the earth, God in His mercy continues to reach out to a lost and rebellious world by way of the 144,000 witnesses[1], the two Old Testament prophets[2] brought back to earth to testify by way of wonders and miracles so that no one on earth will have an excuse for rejecting God. At the midpoint of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will desecrate the Temple in Jerusalem by claiming to be God and demanding that he be worshiped as God.[3] At this time, the Antichrist is fully possessed by Satan, and God allows him to kill the two prophets, and the 144,000 who, up until this point have been protected by God. In the previous verses, we see the 144,000 in the heavenly Mount Zion with Jesus.[4] However, God continues to show His mercy by sending His angels to proclaim the Gospel[5] all around the earth so that all on earth (who have not yet accepted the “mark of the beast”) will have the opportunity to turn to Christ. Of that time Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14, emphasis mine).

Now we arrive at the final one year and nine months that remain in the Tribulation (as I understand the chronology). John gives us a quick summary previewing what is to come; the details will be revealed in the chapters that follow.

“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). Undoubtedly, “the Son of man” refers to Jesus, and He wears a golden “stephanos” – a victor’s crown, not a “diadēma” a royal crown. Although the final battle between the forces of Satan and Christ is yet future, the victory is sure, and Jesus is the Victor. He carries a sharp sickle in His hand prepared for the harvest. Larkin points out that “This is not the ‘Harvest of the Church.’ … This is the ‘Harvest’ of the Gentile Nations … The ‘Harvest and Vintage’ are JUDICIAL. That is, they are for the purpose of Judgment. The account here is anticipative.”[6] We can look forward to the details of that judgment when the seven bowls are poured out in Chapter 16.

“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). Again, this looks forward in anticipation of the end when the final battle takes place at the battle of Armageddon.[7]

“And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. (Revelation 14:16). At that time, He returns to the earth on a white horse followed by His saints on white horses.[8] His sickle will be the “sword,” which is His Word, that proceeds out of His mouth. The battle, if one can call it that, will be no battle at all, for the victory will be decisive and instantaneous.[9]

“And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. 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. 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” (Revelation 14:17-19). There is great excitement in heaven. The end is here and Jesus will soon take His rightful place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. However, for those with the mark of the beast and those who have rejected God despite all of His efforts and offer of salvation, this is very bad news. On the other hand, for those saints who have managed to survive the seven-year Tribulation, their “blessed hope”[10] is about to be realized.

“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). The “winepress” is “without the city,” i.e., outside of Jerusalem. It is the Jezreel Valley, a.k.a. the Valley of Megiddo, a.k.a. Armageddon. This valley in northern Israel extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the Joran River south of Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee). It covers an area of roughly 380 square kilometers or 146.7 square miles. The blood of Jesus’ enemies will fill this “winepress” as high as a horse’s bridle. It is “the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 19:15).

In a Messianic passage, the Prophet Isaiah sees the coming Lord like this. “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come” (Isaiah 63:1-4, emphasis mine). John records it this way. “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13, emphasis mine).

For those who reject Christ, the end will not be nice. That is putting it mildly. Reader, if you do not know the Savior, do not wait any longer. The time is short. Please read my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1]  The 144K; Tribulation Witnesses

[2]  The Two Witnesses

[3]  Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4

[4]  Revelation 14:1-5

[5]  Revelation 14:6-13

[6]  Clarence Larkin, The Book of Revelation, Illustrated, (Rev. Clarence Larkin Estate, Philadelphia, 1919), p. 137.

[7]  Revelation 16:16

[8]  Revelation 19:14

[9]  Revelation 19:11-21

[10]  Titus 2:13

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May 14, 2023 · 10:00

The Beast and His Mouth

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1)

At this point, John’s interlude continues as we anticipate the judgments that follow the seventh trumpet. In the last chapter, we saw the great celestial sign of the woman, representing the nation of Israel, giving birth to the male child, representing Jesus who would rule the nations with a rod of iron, and the dragon, representing Satan, who attempts to destroy the male child. However, the male child gets taken to heaven, so the dragon turns on the woman. John’s vision is both historical and futuristic. From the time that Jesus ascended into heaven, Satan has attempted to destroy God’s people – the Church and Israel. When the Church is removed at the Rapture, Satan will focus and intensify his efforts against the nation of Israel in order to thwart God’s plan to fulfill His covenant with the nation of Israel.

John now sees another vision. “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy” (Revelation 13:1, emphasis mine). Most teachers of end-times prophecy generally agree that the “sea” here refers to the “sea of humanity.” Also, as viewed from Israel’s perspective, the “sea” probably refers to the Mediterranean Sea; hence, “the beast” comes from the people around the Mediterranean Sea. Daniel the prophet gives us a clue as to the origins of the beast when he says that “the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary” (Daniel 9:26, emphasis mine). The people that destroyed “the city and the sanctuary” (i.e., the Temple) were the Romans in A.D. 70. Most end-times prophecy teachers agree that this “prince” is from the Roman empire, which included all of Europe.

Daniel’s description of the statue in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream[1] included the feet made of a mixture of iron and clay representing the final kingdom that the Messiah would destroy. The feet of iron and clay, composed of ten toes, represent an incohesive confederation of nations. In light of the current world conditions, the European Union (EU) makes a good candidate for this end-times kingdom. Considering that the World Economic Forum (WEF) is mostly made up of European leaders or leaders with European ties. While these nations are loosely connected to one another, there is no solid unity among them like the feet made of iron and clay. While this may still be speculative, it is not implausible.

The beast John saw had seven heads and ten horns with ten crowns. Both the heads and the horns represent kingdoms or nations. But why the discrepancy? Why seven heads and ten horns? For that, we need to look to Daniel for elaboration. Daniel had a dream similar to that of Nebuchadnezzar where he saw four beasts representing four empires: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The fourth empire especially caught Daniel’s attention.

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:7-8)

And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:23-25) (Emphasis mine)

To be clear, this “beast” is the Antichrist. John first introduced him as the rider on the white horse, who carried a bow but no arrows. His conquest is through diplomacy as Daniel records: “And through his policy … and by peace shall destroy many” (Daniel 8:25). The fourth beast Daniel sees is the Roman Empire. All the empires that came before were conquered by the subsequent empires, but not Rome. It seemingly melted into the Holy Roman Empire – individual kingdoms ultimately controlled by the Roman Catholic Church. Most of the EU nations have roots in the Holy Roman Empire, which seems to confirm the possibility of these morphing into the kingdom of the Antichrist.

Notice that Daniel’s beast has ten “horns” or “kings.” John’s beast has seven heads and ten “horns” Daniel sees a “little horn” rise who “plucks up” three horns leaving seven. Now we can see both visions merge. Daniel’s beast has “a mouth speaking great things” (Daniel 7:8) “and he shall destroy wonderfully” (Daniel 8:24). “Wonderfully” translates the Hebrew word pâlâ’ meaning “to be beyond one’s power, be difficult to do; to be difficult to understand”[2] further confirming his diplomatic abilities so that he is able to do what no one else has been able to accomplish, i.e., bring peace to the Middle East. “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week” (Daniel 9:27).

This beast will come “in the latter time of their kingdom” i.e., the kingdom of the “ten horns.” By the time John sees the beast, he is no more “Mr. Nice Guy.” “His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;” his power comes from Satan. John confirms that the dragon (Satan) gives power to the beast.[3] At the midpoint of the Tribulation, after three-and-one-half years, the mask comes off, and he exposes himself for who he really is. “[In] the midst of the week [i.e., seven years] he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate” (Daniel 9:27 emphasis mine). Jesus confirmed this would happen. “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains” (Matthew 24:15-16, emphasis mine). Paul also pointed to this event. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, emphasis mine).

“And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority” (Revelation 13:2). Much ink has been spilled examining the nature of beast described by John. For the sake of brevity, let me just suggest that this beast seems to be an amalgamation of the four beasts seen by Daniel the Prophet.[4] As stated earlier, this beast is the Antichrist. Here John gives us the source of his power: “the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” Recall that in the previous chapter,[5] Satan has been expelled from heaven and cast down to earth along with a third of the angels who follow him.[6]

“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast” (Revelation 13:3). Some interpret this as the Antichrist being mortally wounded and somehow miraculously coming back to life. Some suggest that a sham is foisted upon the world to make it appear as if Antichrist has been killed and later comes back to life. The deception meant to mimic the death and resurrection of Christ causes amazement throughout the world so that “they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:4, emphasis mine). This may indeed be the case; however, notice that it is “one of his heads” that is wounded, not the beast himself. The beast has seven heads and only one is wounded. Since the heads represent kingdoms, it seems to me that this is one of the kingdoms that disappears and miraculously comes back to life.

In Revelation 17:9-10, John speaks of seven kingdoms: five are fallen, one is, and one is to come. The five fallen are Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, and Greece. The one that is, i.e., existing at John’s time, is Rome, and the one to come is the “Revived Roman Empire.” It seems to me (and I could be wrong about this) that Rome is the wounded head that seems to have died, but it miraculously comes back to life in the form of the Revived Roman Empire, i.e., the kingdom of the Antichrist. However, the notion that this is the Antichrist himself has strong scriptural support in this same chapter. “And he [the False Prophet] exerciseth all the power of the first beast [the Antichrist] before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (Revelation 13:12, emphasis mine).

“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months” (Revelation 13:5, emphasis mine). This fits the description of Daniel’s “little horn.” “And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time” (Daniel 7:25, emphasis mine). In both instances, he is given three-and-one-half years – forty and two months; time (one year) and times (two years) and the dividing of time (½ year), 3½ years total.

“And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations” (Revelation 13:6-7). Antichrist will speak evil of everything pertaining to God. His hatred toward God manifests in his hatred toward the “saints” of God. These are God’s chosen people during the Tribulation whether they be Jews or followers of Christ. The Antichrist will persecute them with a vengeance. Satan, the dragon, knows his time is short and in order to prevent Christ’s return, he must eliminate all for whom He would return. Having read the end of the book, I know that will not happen!

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If any man have an ear, let him hear. He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints” (Revelation 13:8-10, emphasis mine). Note the specificity of those who will worship the Antichrist – those “whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb.” “The patience and faith of the saints” comes in knowing that God will vindicate them for their persecution.

John then sees a second beast. “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). This second beast comes out of the “earth” rather than the “sea.” Often, in the Old Testament (OT), “the land” or “the earth” refers to the land of Israel. (Just to avoid confusion, this second beast is the “False Prophet” that is identified by the role he plays.). The Greek word translated “earth” is gē and could also be translated as “land” and specifically, “a country, land enclosed within fixed boundaries, a tract of land, territory, region.”[7] Therefore, the False Prophet could be a Jew since he comes “out of the earth,” or “the land.”

This second beast also has “two horns like a lamb.” Because Jesus is often referred to as “the Lamb of God” in the New Testament (NT) and particularly in the Book of Revelation, some, like C.I. Scofield annotator of the Scofield Reference Bible, have taken this as referring to the Antichrist. However, as we continue through the passage, it is evident that this second beast is the “mouthpiece” for the first beast. “And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” (Revelation 13:12). We have already seen that “first beast, whose deadly wound was healed” refers to the Antichrist. Satan is the dragon that gives power to the beast (13:2), and he does not manifest himself by visible means. No, this “lamb” is not the Antichrist.

So, what is the significance of the “two horns”? I consulted several good commentaries and no one provided a good explanation. In fact, except for the explanation above, none of the others even made an attempt. So, here is my feeble attempt at an explanation. The False Prophet is the leader of the coming one-world relation (which is already developing in the form of ecumenicalism and earth worship – “save the planet”). As we have already seen, “horns” represent kingdoms or leaders, and since the False Prophet is a religious leader, his horns may represent two ecclesiastical kingdoms. This brings me back to Rome. In A.D. 313, the Roman Emperor, Constantine, made Christianity the official state religion of the Roman Empire. He later moved his capital to Constantinople (Istanbul). At that time, Rome had only one religion. Then in A.D. 1054, the Catholic Church split into the Roman Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Roman Church maintained its seat of authority in Rome (The Vatican) while the Eastern Orthodox Church was headquartered in Constantinople.  Thus, we had two religious “kingdoms.” It is noteworthy to point out that only the Roman Church has a Pope; the Byzantine Church or Eastern Orthodox Church never had a Pope although, in its practices, it is basically Catholic. Based on this, I conclude that the “two horns” represent the two Catholic “kingdoms.” That is not to say that the coming one-world religion will be Catholic. However, it is interesting to note that the current Pope is working feverishly to bring all religions, not only Christianity, under one fold. He is also a globalist, a climate-change activist, and is in favor of baptizing aliens when they show up. Hear me clearly. I am NOT saying that this Pope is “the” False Prophet. As old as he is, he may not be around for the Tribulation. However, the ideology is firmly in place within the Roman Catholic Church. There is also the possibility that the False Prophet could be Jewish. However it plays out, I know I will not be on Earth to observe it at ground level!

“And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live” (Revelation 13:13-14). Satan is not omnipotent, as God is, but he is very powerful; and he gives power to the Antichrist and the False prophet to work “miracles” that mimic the miracles of God. These two imposters will deceive earth dwellers into worshiping Satan, the dragon. Jesus warned about such things. “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24, emphasis mine). The “very elect” are the Tribulation saints that survive the intense persecution of that time.

“And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed” (Revelation 13:15). This reminds me of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue that he built and required all of his subjects worship.[8] However, his statue had no ability to move or speak. The Antichrist’s image will have the ability to speak and to kill anyone – worldwide – who does not worship it or “the beast” that it represents. Just as little as perhaps thirty years ago (maybe less) the thought that the entire world population could be monitored to such an extent that such an edict could be carried out seemed like a farfetched idea. Not so today! We have cameras everywhere with facial recognition that can track our every move. Even our cell phones “listen” to us for marketing purposes. China monitors all of its citizens for compliance with government-imposed social norms with a social-credit system that controls behavior through a system of merits and demerits. Many of the global leaders of the WEF, WHO, UN, EU, and even many in the government of the good ol’ USA think that is a great idea! The technology is out there, and with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), the implementation of such a system is here already and rapidly improving.

The “image” could be a statue, like the one Nebuchadnezzar built except this one can talk, and with the help of AI, can execute those who do not worship it, the Antichrist, and the dragon. Recently, such a statue was created (watch the video linked below[9]). The only thing this statue lacks is the AI connection, but it’s coming.

“And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six” (Revelation 13:16-18). Much time has been wasted trying to calculate the identity of the Antichrist based on the number 666. For me, as a Christian, the identity of the Antichrist is unimportant since I will not be here when he makes his debut. I am not looking for the Antichrist; I am looking for Jesus Christ. However, it is apparent to me that Christians living during the Tribulation will have the “understanding to count the number of the beast” so that they will be careful to refuse the mark.

The “mark” (Gk: charagma) is “a stamp, an imprinted mark,”[10] probably something along the lines of a special tattoo like those given to Jewish holocaust prisoners during WWII. Because of advances in modern technology and the advent of the RFID chip with which many are voluntarily being implanted, some have suggested that the “mark of the beast” will be an implanted RFID in the right hand or forehead. This is certainly plausible since part of the purpose of the mark is to control commerce so that “no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark.” Again, with the advent of AI and facial recognition everywhere, such controls would not be difficult. However, the language indicates that it is a visible mark. RFID chips are implanted under the skin so that they are invisible, a tattoo is not. So, a combination of both a tattoo and RFID could be used together. The tattoo would allow facial recognition to identify the person without needing to read the RFID chip.

The mark must be taken voluntarily, and those who take it have permanently allied themselves to Satan forever forfeiting any hope of eternal salvation. Those who refuse it will pay with their lives; however, the instant they die, they will enter the presence of the Lord, so there is no need to fear. Together, the dragon, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet form an unholy trinity that counterfeits the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  In all things, Satan tries to imitate God. He is a deceiver and the father of lies.[11] Therefore, when Jesus’ disciples asked Him about the end-times, His first warning was, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5).

Antichrist has not made his appearance. No one knows who he is, but from the looks of things, he is in the wings waiting. I am not looking for the Antichrist; I am looking for Jesus Christ! The time is drawing near. The pieces of the end-times puzzle are falling into place and Christ’s return is closer now than at any time in history. Reader, are you prepared to meet Him? If not, check out my page on “Securing Eternal Life.”

Notes:

[1]  Daniel 2

[2]  Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Definitions given in English. Published in 1906; public domain.

[3]  Revelation 13:2, 4

[4]  Daniel 7:2-8

[5]  “The Woman and the Dragon”

[6]  Revelation 12:7-17

[7]  Thayer’s Greek Definitions, Published in 1886, 1889; public domain.

[8]  Daniel 3

[9]  “The Giant 2021 Statue – End Time Technology Coming to a City Near You”

[10]  Thayer’s Greek Definitions

[11]  John 8:44

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