And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Genesis 12:3)
There is a notion going around and gaining strength that the promises God made to Israel have been taken away from Israel and given to the Church. There is also the idea that the Jews occupying the modern nation of Israel are not the same people to whom God made the promise, therefore God’s promises made to Israel are null and void since the original Israelites no longer exist. Both notions are false.
God’s promise to Abraham (Abram) came with no conditions.[1] God promised the land of Israel’s current borders and beyond as an “everlasting” possession. God’s unconditional promise, detailed in Genesis 15, was a “covenant” – a contract – guaranteed by God alone. “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself” (Hebrews 6:13). God would be going against His own nature if He broke the covenant He made with Abraham and guaranteed by His own name. “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19).
Some will argue that God annulled that covenant and made a “new covenant” that applies to the Church and which was fulfilled at Pentecost.[2] They come to this conclusion from a prophecy given by the Prophet Jeremiah. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). However, the plain reading of the text clearly specifies that the promise is to “the house of Israel” and “the house of Judah.” One really has to stretch to make it apply to the Church. These will quickly point to Peter’s words at Pentecost when he said, “this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16). That being the case, we need to see exactly what Joel said. “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit” (Joel 2:28-29, emphasis mine). That certainly came true in part on the Day of Pentecost. However, it was not the complete fulfillment of the prophecy. In the verses that follow, the prophet continues: “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come” (Joel 2:30-31, emphasis mine). That certainly did not take place at Pentecost, but it is meant for a future time.
In the second chapter of Joel, the prophet is talking about the coming of “the day of the Lord.” That phrase must be understood in its context. Here, the prophet was speaking of the coming of the Lord (i.e., Jesus) to set up His earthly kingdom. The prophets of the O.T. did not foresee the “Church.” The Apostle Paul declares that the Church was a “mystery” to the prophets of old. “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26-27, emphasis mine). John the Revelator amplifies to whom it was made a mystery. “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets” (Revelation 10:7, emphasis mine). In other words, what was a mystery to the prophets will finally be revealed during and after the time of the Tribulation.
When one reads the prophecies in the O.T., it is clear that they all pertain to Israel. Even those who speak of the coming Messiah, they make clear that the Messiah is coming to save His people. Those prophecies that speak of His suffering and dying, the Jews of Jesus’ time treated as anathema. They believed then, and do even now, that the Messiah would be a human that would be a king in the line of David and would make their nation great among all the nations of the earth. As we study the prophecies, we cannot argue with that line of thinking, apart from Christ. Knowing this, we can understand their rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus Himself said, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). However, He was not exactly what they expected, and so, He was “despised and rejected of men” (Isaiah 53:3) and nailed to a Roman cross.
However, the prophets were not erred about Jesus coming as king. That is yet to come, and all the promises made to Israel will be finally and ultimately be fulfilled according to the covenant God made with Abraham – an “everlasting covenant.” Jesus will indeed return and rule the nations with a rod of iron.[3]
However, before all of that happens, the Jews have to be back in the land that God promised Abraham as an everlasting possession. The migration began in the late 19th Century and into the 20th Century. Then on May 14, 1948, Israel took its place among the free nations of the world. That event became the harbinger of the “last days,” because for the last days’ prophecies to be fulfilled, there must be a national Israel – and it is NOT the Church. Today, the population of Israel is over 9.55 million and growing. With the increase of worldwide antisemitism, that number grows daily. Yet some discount that saying those populating Israel are not genetically pure Jews. That is a ridiculous claim! Have those making that claim done serious genetic research to verify that claim? I dare say not! It is only their way to deny what is evident before their eyes. Besides, who believes that God, who knows the number of hairs on every head, can lose track of His chosen people? Besides, can anyone make the claim that Jesus was a “pure” Jew? Jesus’ lineage came from the line of Judah through Tamar (a Canaanite), followed by Rehab (a Canaanite prostitute), and later by Ruth (a Moabite), and who knows how many others who were not named. Does that disqualify Jesus’ Messiahship?
So, God is keeping and will keep His promise to Abraham and to his descendants. But along with those promises, did you catch what was also included in that promise? “I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee” (Genesis 12:3). God does not renege on His promises. He promises to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. That is a lesson that our elected officials do not seem to understand. Our current President in his recent State of the Union address boasted that the United States stands with Israel. That “sounds” good to American Jews and Evangelicals; but behind the scenes, the United States is giving money to Iran, which hates America and is intent on the annihilation of Israel. Iran uses that money to fund its terrorist proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, the Houthis, the Muslim Brotherhood, etc. At the same time, the U.S. is pressuring Israel to cease fire against the demonic Hamas and is actively supplying Israel’s enemy in Gaza. By her actions, the United States is cursing Israel and for this, God will curse America, if He hasn’t already. If America does not repent of its wrongheaded action, America will incur God’s curse upon us. God keeps His promises. If God has reneged on His promise to Abraham, how can we trust Him to keep His promise to us? God is faithful. He keeps His promises.
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.”
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.”
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: (Matthew 24:29)
The first seal,[1]the white horse, introduced the Antichrist. The second seal,[2]the red horse, brought global wars. The third seal,[3]the black horse, brings economic collapse. War and economic collapse result in famines and pestilences. The fourth seal[4] releases the pale horse bringing death by way of war, hunger, and pandemics. These will not be start and stop events. Once the start, they will progress throughout the Tribulation period. The fifth seal brings persecution and death to those who profess Christ during this time. These Christians are not the Church which was raptured before the beginning of the Tribulation. These are those who come to faith in Christ during the Tribulation. They are the “Tribulation Saints” who are seen under the altar of God in heaven.[5]
“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places” (Revelation 6:12-14, emphasis mine).
It is difficult to determine from this passage exactly when these events occur. We know the Tribulation is seven years from Daniel’s prophecy,[6] but within that period of time, pinpointing the specific events presents a challenge. The seventh seal that follows presents seven trumpets that herald more severe judgments.[7] The seventh trumpet (that seems to come at the midpoint (3½ years into) of the Tribulation[8]) announces the seven bowl judgments[9] that occupy the final 3½ years of the Tribulation and are even more severe. When the judgments of the final bowl are completed, Jesus returns to earth with all of His saints, i.e., the Church.[10]
Jesus said that earthquakes, the sun darkening, the blood moons and stars falling from the sky would take place during the Tribulation,[11] but He did not specify a time sequence. Perhaps in His humanity, He was not privy to that information. Remember He said, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only” (Matthew 24:36). However, now in His resurrected body, in His place at the right hand of the Father, He surely knows every detail, which He then reveals to John.
My guess is that the sixth seal judgments begin one or two years into the Tribulation. We already experience an increase in seismic activity all around the globe, even in places where these things rarely happen. Eastern Turkey and northern Syria have been continually shaking since February 6, 2023. In the same time frame, other Magnitude 5+ earthquakes have been reported around the Mediterranean Sea along the coast of Lebanon, Israel, Cypress, and others. This, along with the looming world economic collapse, wars and rumors of wars, and the efforts of globalists to bring in a one-world government, is what Jesus called the “beginning of sorrows,” i.e., “labor pains.”[12]
The sixth seal also brings astronomical events. Jesus predicted these too. On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse crossed the United States from the northwest, beginning in Washington state, to the southeast, exiting the South Carolina coast. On April 8, 2024, another total eclipse will cross the southern border of Texas, just below the Big Bend along the Rio Grande, and will take a path northeastward and exit around the middle eastern border of Maine. Its trek will intersect the previous eclipse path at Carbondale, Illinois, which lies in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.[13] Minor earthquakes frequent this area; however, in the winter of 1811-1812, it experienced an earthquake estimated to be between magnitude 7 and 8, and geologists predict another big one in the future.[14] From 2017 to 2024 is seven years – a biblical number of completion. Could 2024 bring a devastating earthquake where X marks the spot that further removes America from end-times prophecy? It is certainly possible. What we do know from Scripture is that earthquakes will play a major role during the Tribulation.
Jesus and John both predict stars falling from the sky. The Greek word translated “star” is astēr, and it refers to any luminous celestial body – a star, a planet, a comet, a meteor, etc. Some have suggested that what John saw were modern incoming missiles falling from the sky. They do look like “falling stars” – meteors. However, neither Jesus nor John employ simile (“like” or “as”) in their descriptions of these falling objects. So, where we can assume that they are not actual stars or planets which would obliterate the earth, we can conclude that these are meteors or asteroids. They do light up when they enter our atmosphere and they do have the potential to cause severe damage. The possibility concerns NASA enough to keep watch on asteroids crossing earth’s orbit.[15]
With all the chaos taking place on the earth during the Tribulation, I am dumbfounded by the attitudes of the people going through these judgments. “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17, emphasis mine). They fully understand the source of these judgments and still they persist in their sin and refuse to repent. Later on, when things get even worse, they not only hide, but they blaspheme God knowing that the judgments come from Him.[16]
Before the seventh seal is broken, there is an interlude that explains what else is taking place on earth during this time. I will examine that later.
Reader, are you prepared for what is coming to the world? You do not need to go through the Tribulation, God’s wrath, that is coming upon the world. Read my page on “Securing Eternal Life,” and ask Jesus to save you from the wrath to come.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Matthew 24:7)
The first seal,[1]the white horse, introduced the Antichrist. The second seal,[2]the red horse, brought global wars. The third seal,[3]the black horse, brings economic collapse. War and economic collapse result in famines and pestilences. Enter the pale horse.
“And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:7-8, emphasis mine).
The Greek word translated “pale” is chlōros, from which we derive our English word “chlorophyll,” the chemical in plant leaves that gives them their green color. Green is the color of rotting flesh as in gangrene. It stands to reason that this horse brings death. The “Hell” that follows is hadēs, which is sometimes translated as “the grave” or the abode of the dead. This horse is given power over a fourth of the earth. This probably includes both humans and animals. Our current earth’s population is over 8-Billion people. A fourth of that would be a staggering 2-Billion people. With all that death, much of it brought on by the red and black horses, the living will be overwhelmed in efforts to bury all the dead. The rotting human and animal corpses will contribute to the spread of diseases, pestilences, and pandemics.
The pale horse also kills with hunger. With wars devastating farmlands and disrupting supply chains, and the economic collapse brought on by the black horse, food scarcity will kill many who cannot buy “A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny” (Revelation 6:6).
Much of the suffering brought on by the pale horse can be seen today. Covid-19, a man-made pathogen unleashed on the world, arguably on purpose, killed many millions. The worldwide shutdowns stymied supply chains around the globe with their effects felt to this very day. Store shelves remain sparse and often empty. Long waiting periods abound for electronic parts (from China mostly) needed for manufacturing electronic devices of all kinds. And even though the pandemic has mostly subsided, the powers that be continue to foment fear of new variants. (They relish the power that such fear gives them over the populous.)
There is more to come. Just this week I learned about a new bat-borne virus discovered in Western Africa (Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon), which is deadly and for which there is no known cure.[4] This is only the beginning.
In his Wednesday night sermon this week,[5] Pastor Jack Hibbs described the wars and rumors of wars that the mainstream media strategically omit from their reports. Most of us know about the Chinese balloon that floated over the entire United States spying on our military installations. Do not be deceived; China is testing our defenses to discover our weaknesses. North Korea also continues to test our resolve. Russia is looking for an excuse to attack the United States. Putin has not been vague in his threats to use nuclear weapons on any who oppose his assault on Ukraine. Russia has brought charges against the US with the UN for blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline. (Yes, we did blow it up.) Another rumor of war about which we hear little is the strife between Pakistan and India – both nuclear powers.
Jesus assured us that “… ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places” (Matthew 24:6-7, emphasis mine). Very recently two 7.5 magnitude earthquakes followed by many strong aftershocks (5.0+ magnitude) rocked Eastern Turkey and Northern Syria. Over 42,000 deaths have been recorded to date and many more are expected. We do not hear much about them, but earthquakes of 5.0+ magnitude are happening all over the world. However, Jesus said, “All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). We are not experiencing the Tribulation yet. The reason I know that is that the Church is still on Earth and the Antichrist has not been revealed. What we are experiencing are just the early, sporadic birth pangs, but they are increasing in frequency and intensity. The Greek word translated as “sorrows” is ōdin meaning “the pain of childbirth, travail pain, birth pangs.”
The four horses of the apocalypse are saddled. Their riders are ready to mount as they await their order to ride. For those who have placed their faith and trust in Christ, all this is good news. It means that our Lord’s return is closer than ever before. Before the first seal is broken, “… the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, emphasis mine).
Reader, are you prepared for what is coming to the world? You do not need to go through the Tribulation, God’s wrath, that is coming upon the world. Read my page on “Securing Eternal Life,” and ask Jesus to save you from the wrath to come.
Ernie's Musings 