Chapter One hundred-thirty
The
REVELATION
of Jesus Christ
Introduction and Story Flow
This introduction is taken from the NKJV Personal Study Bible,
Thomas Nelson publishers, 1990,1995.
The word "revelation" is a translation of the Greek term
meaning "apocalypse," which refers to an unveiling of God's
secret purpose.....An additional consideration in understanding
Revelation is the frequent use of visions and symbols. In
interpreting these, one should recognize that the author has
interwoven many echoes from the Old Testament.Attention to these
Old Testament settings may help us understand a given symbol or
vision....This book certainly had relevance to the situation that
surrounded its first readers. Yet its primary focus seems to be
on events associated with the return of Christ....
AUTHOR AND DATE
The tradition that John the apostle wrote Revelation was
almost unchallenged through the second century. Five time the
author names himself as John, but the term "apostle" is never
used....several ling-guistic evidences support the early church
tradition that John the apostle wrote the Revelation as well as
the Gospel and epistles of John.The Revelation uses some
vocabulary similar to the other books of John. also, the
Revelation, the Gospel, and the epistles of John are all fond of
contrasts.
Dating the composition of Revelation is complicated....
(Most give it as between 80 and 96 A.D. - Keith Hunt)
PURPOSE
In all this John's message is that God's victory has already
been won. The Lamb is the King of kings and Lord of lord.....
.................
I have not given a lengthy introduction as some Bible
Commentaries will do such as "Barne's Note on the New Testament.
It is not really relevant per se. and I will skip the "Outline of
Revelation" as presented in the above NKJV Personal Study Bible -
Keith Hunt.
REVELATION CAN BE UNDERSTOOD!
Let's make it very clear from the start, the book of
Revelation TODAY, CAN BE UNDERSTOOD! It is the REVELATION OF
JESUS CHRIST OF THINGS THAT MUST SHORTLY COME TO PASS, and He
bears witness by Himself and gave this prophecy to John to write
and who then bore witness to the Word of God, and to the
testimony of Jesus Christ, and to all the things that he saw.
There is a blessing for all who read and take head to the words
of this prophecy, and KEEP those things which as written in it;
for the time is near (1-3).
I want you to hang on to that phrase "for the time is near."
and we shall compare it with similar phrases. Some have or try to
understand this Revelation book as for the time shortly after the
life of John. The truth of the matter is the book is written
MAINLY in the time setting of the DAY OF THE LORD. That prophetic
time frame mentioned in TWO DOZEN OR MORE prophetic time frames
in the Old Testament, and the context of all of them is the
events of the last THREE AND one half YEARS OF THIS AGE. GETTING
EVEN MORE SPECIFIC, THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS PROBABLY TALKING
ABOUT "THE DAY" OF THE LORD, AS A DAY BEING ONE YEAR IN
FULFILMENT.
STORY FLOW
There is most clearly a STORY FLOW through the book of
Revelation. If we leave out what is not the story flow, but inset
passages that explain the symbols, or go back in an event to
bring you up to the overall present time we are in at that time
in the prophecy. So a certain amount of "drop back" scenes play
out in this mainly Revelation that is still yet beyond us.
Let me again state, this is A REVEALING OF WHAT MUST COME
SHORTLY BEFORE THE RETURN OF JESUS IN POWER AND GLORY.
Angels were sent to John to help him see many things and to
write about them, events that for the maim part of this book are
taking place in that section of prophecy called "the day of the
Lord" or "the day of God's wrath" or "the great day of His wrath
has come (chap.6:17).
Dr. Samuel Bacchiocchi - Departing from his church's general
understanding of this phrase, he disagrees with his Seventh Day
Adventist teaching on the phrase, as having nothing to do with
the 7th day of the week, or the literal day of the week (the
Lord's Day) some call "the Lord's day." It is correct to
understand that phrase as concerning the end-time period of the
last number of years at the end of this age. The phrase "Lord's
Day" is used in many of the prophetic books of the Old Testament,
and refers to that time period shortly before the Messiah comes
in glory and power to the earth (verses 1-3).
The OUTLINE STORY FLOW IS:
CHAPTER 1:9-19 John in the visionary Spirit see the glorified
Son of man.
CHAPTER 4. The setting of the vision continues in heaven at the
Throne of God.
CHAPTER 5. God hold a scroll in His right hand. No one is worthy
to open the scroll except the Lamb, the lion of Judah, the Root
of David, the Son of man, Jesus the Christ.
CHAPTER 6. The 7 seals and the opening of the first 6.
CHAPTER 7. The sealing of the servants of God. 12 thousand from
the 12 tribes of Israel and a great multitude. This part of the
vision does include a jump to where these servants or saints will
be with the Lamb of God (Christ) and the Father into eternity.
CHAPTER 7. The opening of the 7th seal. Seven angels with seven
trumpets prepare themselves to sound. FOUR trumpets are sounded
and various destruction come upon the earth. THREE trumpets
remain to be sounded (called Woe, woe, woe) - verse 13.
CHAPTER 9. The first WOE or 5TH TRUMPET sounds. The army from the
bottomless pit comes and torments people FIVE months (verses
1-12). The second WOE or 6TH TRUMPET sounds. The army from the
EAST of Euphrates comes and kills one third of mankind still left
on earth (verses 13-21).
CHAPTER 10. The vision continues and preparations words are given
to get ready for the third WOE or the 7TH TRUMPET, the LAST
TRUMPET, to sound.
CHAPTER 11: 14-19. The third WOE comes quickly - the 7TH TRUMPET
sounds. The time has now come for Christ to take the kingdoms of
this world and reign over them. The time of the dead to be
resurrected and given rewards. Jesus will come and destroy those
who are destroying the earth. The "temple of God" is opened in
heaven.
CHAPTER 14:1-20. Jesus is to come on the wings so to speak of a
white cloud. The harvest of mankind is to take place. Jesus will
make war and the wine-press of blood will be like a river.
CHAPTER 16. The 7TH TRUMPET WOE is made up of 7 LAST PLAGUES. The
6th vial is the gathering together of the armies of the Beast
power into the place called Armageddon. The 7th vial is a mighty
earthquake and hail, especially upon the prophetic "Babylon."
CHAPTER 19:11-16. Jesus' literal coming riding on a white horse
with armies from heaven. He takes rulership of the earth.
Destroys the "beast man" and the "false prophet" in the lake of
fire.
CHAPTER 20. Christ and the saints rule the earth for 1,000 years
(verses 1-6). Satan is chained and cast into the bottomless pit.
At the end of the thousand years Satan is loosed, another battle
takes place around Jerusalem. God is the winner.
The WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT (verses 11-13). Billions who lived and
were never called to salvation will be resurrected and offered
eternal life. They will have to live by the Bible, and receive
salvation exactly the same way as the saints already in the
Kingdom of God.
CHAPTER 21 AND 22. The NEW heaven and the NEW earth. God the
Father will come with the new Jerusalem from heaven, to live and
dwell with His children FOREVER MORE. We are given a small
glimpse into that eternal age, as it will be on this earth, as
the headquarters of the entire universe.
INSET CHAPTERS.
Basically the rest of the chapters and verses of the
book of Revelation are what we call INSET chapters. They tell us
VERY IMPORTANT things that effect the MAIN STORY flow. It is like
the Hollywood films that tell a story flow, but now and again
they go back in time, to different times and played out scenes,
that fill-in certain parts for our knowledge, to give us a better
and fuller understand of the main story flow events.
Example: Revelation 11:1-13. The inset is about the TWO
FINAL WITNESSES for God's truth living in Jerusalem for the 42
months that the Beast power exists at the end of this age. The 42
months include both the "great tribulation" and "the day of the
Lord." The Two Witnesses live and preach the truth of God during
that last period of time. They are killed and resurrected just
very shortly before Jesus returns.
Revelation 12 is an inset chapter. It is an overview of the
TRUE Church of God, going way back to Genesis 37 and up to the
coming GREAT tribulation, the wrath of the Day of God - last 42
months of this age.
.................
NOTE:
Many of the details of parts of the book of Revelation, such as
Chapter 13, are dealt with in detail in other studies ——
under "prophecy" and "end times." I will in this New
Testament Bible Story, when we get to those chapters, refer the
reader to those in-depth studies, and not expounded them over
again.
Chapter One hundred-thirty-one:
The REVELATION of Jesus Christ 
The REVELATION of Jesus Christ
CHAPTER ONE
The first point we need to notice is that this is not other
than the revelation of JESUS CHRIST, which He gave to the apostle
John to record, via an angel. John bears witness to the things he
SAW, to the WORD of God, and to the TESTIMONY of Jesus Christ.
There is a blessing to for those who read, and hear the Word of
God, and KEEP those things which are written herein (verse 1-3).
Another very important point to notice are the phrases
"things which must SHORTLY come to pass" and "for the time is at
HAND."
Some, because of those phrases, teach that the things in
Revelation have taken place, shortly after John's time, or others
will say they have taken place up to and including the "middle
ages." They do not understand how God writes at times, and that He
often views "time" with much different eyes and mind than we
humans do. Here, within the book of Revelation itself is the
example of what I've just stated. Turn to chapter 22 and read
verses 7, 12, and 20. After all that Jesus reveals in this book,
He says THREE TIMES in one chapter, that He is coming QUICKLY!!
Obviously, to God, the span of time is often no where near
how we look at time. To us our life time, and many life times, is
long. How many have lived in the last 200 years WANTING and
THINKING Jesus would come in their life time, many indeed. We saw
in the writings of Peter that a thousand years to the Lord can be
but a day. That is a way of saying God often does not view time
as we do. When these prophetic events unfold (which are mainly to
do with the last 42 months, 1260 days, of this age, the prophetic
"Lord's day," then yes, Jesus will come QUICKLY! What is 2,000
years or so to God, since John recorded the events in Revelation?
In the eternal ages of the past and the future, they are but the
blink of an eye.
Someone tried to tell me once that the message to the seven
churches of chapter 2 and 3, were all fulfilled in John's day,
and have nothing to do with the future or "church eras" per se.
They pointed to those phrases in verses 1-3 about things "shortly
coming to pass." It is first of all disproved by the phrases I
pointed to in chapter 22 - "come quickly." Secondly, the whole
main prophetic story is "on the Lord's day" (verse 10). Thirdly,
somewhat less, but still true, is that the seven churches are in
a "prophetic" book. If they have nothing really to do with
prophecy, but only for "spiritual" lessons, then why have them in
such a book as Revelation. Being in this book would I argue
strongly indicate that there is a "prophetic message" intended.
Add to that the fact that these seven churches are
"represented" in HEAVEN with seven candlesticks and Jesus walking
in the midst of them (verses 12-13,20). This should tell us the
seven churches have MORE to play that JUST being seven literal
churches in the time of John. If they were only for seven
churches in Asia Minor, why those churches, which were hardly
well known even in John's day. Why not the church at Corinth, or
Rome? And to have SEVEN candlesticks in heaven, one for each of
those relatively unknown churches. I think there is more to it
all than something in the now distant past. Yes, of course they
can stand for seven different spiritual attitudes (and certainly
that is to teach us that lesson). But with verse 10 and the
"Lord's day" vision, the seven churches I believe are prophetic
in nature also. More on that when we arrive at chapter 2 and 3,
and one MORE IMPORTANT fact that adds weight to the churches also
being prophetic church ages.
John does write to the seven churches which are in Asia
Minor, grace and peace he sends them from the One is was, and is,
and is to come (God in Jesus the Christ is the one to come) and
from the seven Spirits which are before His throne. Verse 20
gives us the interpretation of the seven Spirits - they are the
seven Spirit ANGELS, the seven stars in Jesus' right hand are
(represent) the seven angels, one angel for each of the seven
churches. It would seem that God put a special work of an angel
over each of the seven churches, which are the seven
candlesticks, among whom Jesus walks (verse 4).
This letter also comes from Jesus Christ, a faithful
witness, and the FIRST BEGOTTEN (should understand it as first
BORN - see Col.1:15-18). When you understand it, Jesus was the
FIRST human person to ever be born into eternal life. No person
EXCEPT Christ has ever be glorified into immortal life from flesh
and blood. Enoch was not, Moses was not, Elijah, was not. That
truth is covered in detail in various studies on this Website.
John says Jesus is THE PRINCE of the kings of the earth, and
the one who LOVED US, and washed us from sins in His own blood
(verse 5).
In Jesus so doing He has made us also into kings and priests
unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever
(verse 6). The saints will rule with Jesus for 1,000 years
(chapter 20) on this earth. The saints born into the very Family
of God will function as a king - leadership; and priest -
spiritual guides, to the people living in that 1,000 year period.
Jesus will come with clouds (He said He would - Mat.24:30;
and so was Paul inspired to say the same in 2 Thes.4:13-16). You
may remember the angels saying He would come again in like manner
as He went, with clouds (Acts 1:9-11). Every eye will see Him.
This could certainly be possible as the earth turns. It could
also be a "general statement" - the majority will see Him when He
comes again in glory and power. They which pierced Him? Could
mean the Jews, will see Him and mourn for Him with repentance
(see Zech.12 through 13). It will eventually include even the
very persons that hammered the nails into His hands and feet, and
plunged the spear into His side. They will also one day be
resurrected and see Jesus, in that White Throne Judgment period,
spoken about at the end of chapter 20. All nations will wail
because of him, some with tears of joy, that He as finally come
back to earth, and others because the evil way of life with be
destroyed by Him, and the merchants will wail at the destruction
of there wealthy trading Empire as it is crushed and brought low
(see Rev.18).
Jesus proclaims He is the ALPHA and the OMEGA (the first and
last letters of the old Greek alphabet) - the beginning and the
ending. In other words from past eternity to future eternity. He
was the One which is now, was in the past, and will come again.
He is the ALMIGHTY!
ALL THE NAMES THAT THE FATHER HAS ARE ALSO THE NAMES THAT
THE SON HAS.
Once more there is no mention of the Holy Spirit as another
third separate personal being in heaven along side the Father and
the Son.
THE LORD'S DAY - THE 7 CANDLESTICKS -
WE SEE THE GLORIFIED CHRIST - WE ARE TOLD
WHAT THE SEVEN STARS ARE
John was as many of them were, partaking in tribulation, and
in the Kingdom and patience of Christ Jesus. He was exiled to the
isle of Patmos, because of the word of the God and the testimony
of Jesus Christ (verse 9).
He say he "was in the Spirit on the Lord's day" and hears a
voice, like as a trumpet. The "Lord's day" here in a prophetic
book was NOT a particular day of the week, but the prophetic
"Lord's day" mentioned in many places in the prophetic books of
the Old Testament. It may well be that as some prophetic passages
give, a day for a year in fulfilment. If so then this "Lord's
day" would be the LAST year of this age before Jesus comes again
(verse 10).
The voice John hears says:
"I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: What you see,
write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in
Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto
Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto
Laodicea."
John turns and sees seven candlesticks and the One in the
midst, like unto the Son of man. This indicates that the
candlesticks were INDIVIDUAL and Jesus can walk among them. As we
see in chapter 2 and 3 each candlestick can be removed, which
also indicates they are individual candlesticks.
Jesus says again He is the first and the last. He lives, and
was dead; but is alive now forever more. He has the keys to hell
and of death. Yes, Jesus said in the Gospels that He was the
resurrection and the life. He also said that all judgment had
been given to Him from the Father. It is only through Him that
death can be overcome with life. He does, He has, He IS, the key
for unlocking the grave of death.
John was to write the things he saw, the things which are,
and the things to be hereafter.
The seven stars in Jesus hand represents the angels of the
seven churches. The seven candlesticks represent the seven
churches (verses 11,12, 17-20).
THE GLORIFIED CHRIST!
If you want to know what Jesus looks like NOW, in His
glorified state of being, you will find it in verses 13-16.
He is clothed with a garment down to His feet. He is girt
about the chest with a GOLDEN girdle. His HEAD and His HAIR are
WHITE like wool, as white as snow. His EYES are like a FLAME of
FIRE. And His FEET like unto BRASS, as if burned in a furnace;
and His VOICE like as the sound of MANY WATERS. He held in His
RIGHT HAND seven stars, out of His MOUTH went a sharp TWO EDGED
SWORD; and His face was as the SUN shines in its full strength
(verses 13- 16).
While some of the description is somewhat visionary in
nature, like the two edged sword coming out of Jesus' mouth. Some
what like the "word of God" is depicted as a "two edged sword" in
other writings of the New Testament. There is still enough
description here to prove that Jesus (and hence the Father) are
NOT JUST UNSHAPED NOTHINGS, as, believe it or not, some Christian
religions actually teach. I do not know about you, but I
certainly do not worship ETERNAL BEINGS (God and Christ) that
have NO FORM or SHAPE, that have NO BODIES, but are just
NOTHINGNESS! This teaching by some, must be one of the craziest
theological teaching in all of Christendom.
I have proved elsewhere in other studies that Jesus and the
Father DO HAVE BODIES, do have FORM AND SHAPE. Moses we are told
actually saw the BACK-FORM of God in His GLORIFIED body. He was
not allowed to see His front form and face, because God told him
that no human man can look upon God's face and live.
THE SCENE IS SET IN HEAVEN
THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
Let me say this immediately. On this Website you will find
an in-depth study concerning the SEVEN CHURCHES. It is called
"The SEVEN Churches of REVELATION." It is either under the
"Prophecy" or the "End Time" categories. As the writer of that
study shows, of course these seven churches can present seven
attitudes of mind for all Christians, for all ages. All the
examples in the Bible can have spiritual meaning for all of us,
lessons can be learnt from any passage or passages in the Bible.
And yes, as this book of Revelation was written by John, it was
to be sent to those literal seven churches in Asia Minor. It did
have a lesson for each of them at that time in history.
With all that said, there is still evidence that the message
to the seven churches is PROPHETIC. That it was to address SEVEN
time ages from the start of the church in 30 A.D. to the very
coming of Christ.
The other very strong point to prove that is in chapter
2:10, and the second time age of the true church. The people of
the Smyrna time frame, were to have 10 days of tribulation. Would
this really have been ten literal days for a literal church in
Asia Minor, that was so very close by the other churches, and not
have tribulation in any of the other nearby churches, but only in
Smyrna? I think it is a little hard to accept that teaching.
I was reading through a "church history" book some years
back. It was one of the famous "classic" books of church history
that is still obtainable today, written by Philip Schaff (8
volume set). He had no "axe" to grind, he was not even dealing
with the book of Revelation. He was just stating what Christian
history has recorded. There were many persecution times for the
Christian church as a whole, but the GREATEST persecution was
from 303 to 313, exactly 10 years! Yes, that is a fact recorded
in the history of the Christian church. As I was reading this, I
immediately remembered Revelation 2:10. It all added up as we
say. The first age of Ephesus was well on its way out, and the
second church age of Smyrna had arrived and was under way by 300
A.D. That church time frame experienced the greatest Christian
persecution in the history of "Christian" (used in the widest
sense) church.
To me that is prove enough that there is a THIRD way to
understand the churches of Revelation 2 and 3. The third way
being general time frame ages for the Church of God.
My view of this time frame is NOT AS the Worldwide Church of
God taught it. I will explain as we proceed. Nobody should try to
set dates in time ages with Church of God history. Those who do
(as some have in the past) are going to find they are barking up
the wrong tree, they are out on a limb that is going to come
crashing down, and they are going to have mud all over their
face. Then, what most, who can see that the "churches" of
Revelation do have time ages in them, have not seen is that time
ages can and do OVERLAP each other. Jesus preached the New
Testament covenant and Kingdom of God, WHILE the old covenant was
still in operation. The "overlapping" of church ages can be a
period of hundreds of years.
EPHESUS
The city of Ephesus, was capital of proconsular Asia; an
opulent city on the West coast of asia Minor, located on the
banks of the Cayster and about forty miles SE of Smyrna. Its
harbor was ample. It was an ancient city. It came into the Roman
Empire in 133 B.C. Paul conducted the longest of his ministries
(two years and nine months, Acts 19:8,10). The city's importance
lay in its political prominence, its economical clout derived
from its position on major trade routes, and its religious
leadership as a center for the worship of Diana, or Artemis. The
temple of this godess was one of the wonders of the seven wonders
of the world. It was 180 feet wide and 377 feet long, and the
roof was supported by 117 60-foot columns. These were 6 feet in
diameter and 36 of them were sculptured at the base with
life-size figures. There were many Jews in the city who were more
or less influenced by Christianity (Acts 2:9; 6:9). Timothy was
the bishop of the church founded by Paul. According to Eusebius
John spent his last years in Ephesus. John opposed the doctrines
of Nestorius, and Paul opposed the idolatry of those who made or
worshipped shrines or practiced magic (19:13). His opposition
resulted in a serious riot. A small Turkish town today represents
the once noted city, which is called Ayasaluk (The New Unger's
Bible Dictionary, 1988, pp.366-367).
Here is the mention of the NICOLAITANS. A sect or party that
arose in the apostolic period of the church, they is mentioned
again in verse 15. The "nicolaitans" are compared to those who
"hold the teaching of Balaam." They were practicers of idolatry,
and the community of women was another doctrine which they are
said to have adopted, and their conduct seems to have been in the
highest degree licentious (Imperial Bible Dictionary, S.V.).
The word "nicolas" in Greek means "victor over the people."
The word "Ephesus" can mean "desirable."
Jesus, who holds the seven stars in His right hand, and who
"walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, speaks. He
knows they have good works, they have labor, and patience, and He
knows how they can not bear those who do evil; and they have
tried, tested them who were saying they were apostles, but were
not as far as God was concerned. They had found those individuals
to be liars.
The way to test any man who claims to be a minister of God
is by the Scriptures. Our wonderful example is Acts 17, when Paul
was tested to see if he was speaking according to the Scriptures.
Anyone can claim "anything." Words are cheap as they say. The
acid test is do their words aline with the words of God in the
Scriptures of the whole Bible, and does their life correspond
with their teaching.
Jesus knew what they had borne, what patience they had, and
for His name they worked hard, and did not faint. BUT, in time,
they had left their first love, their zeal for Christ's truth and
Gospel got colder. They are told to REPENT! If they do not, their
candlestick will be removed.
They did hate the ways and doctrines of the Nicolaitans,
which Jesus also hated. They are to listen to what the Spirit
says, "To him that overcomes will I (Jesus) give to eat of the
tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
The paradise of God is explained to us in Revelation chapter
22:2,14. No private interpretation is needed, the Scriptures
interpret themselves. The paradise of God is to dwell at the
throne of God. It is to have enteral life in the very presence of
the Most Holy One.
The personal application and lesson of this church is very
obvious. Keep working hard for Christ's work of salvation and the
Kingdom. Stay with the faith once delivered to the saints. Do not
allow yourself to get complacent and having your love of God in
you starting to get cold. Continue to hate anything that is a
false theology.
This church of Ephesus fits right in with the time age of
the first few centuries of the Church of God, into the late
second century. We have seen in the letters of Peter and John,
that before they died, the faith once delivered was being
corrupted. Many anti-christs had come on the scene, some came out
from within the very Church of God, just as the apostle Paul had
predicted (Acts 20).
Many had remained faithful and had tested the spirits to see
if they were truly from God. In the second century, Polycarp (a
disciples of John the apostle) took the time and energy to travel
to Rome to debate with the bishop of Rome, the practice of
observing Passover and NOT Easter, as the Roman church was then
already adopting. Then later in the second century, Polycrates (a
disciple of Polycarp) also went to Rome to debate with the Roman
bishop the same truth. But the Roman church was adopting false
doctrines and would not repent or admit the truth of the matter.
By the time the Church of God was into the third century
A.D. it was getting a cold heart, and was beginning to get
apostatized. They did in the most part hate the teachings of the
Nicolaitans.
If we take the word "nicolas" as it means "to rule over
people" we see that the doctrine of the church government of
Rome, and what finally came to be called the "Roman Catholic
church" was swinging along into domineering the people. We saw
that back in John's day, before he died, in his third epistle, we
had one man taking over with dictatorial power one of the
churches of God.
The Church of God continued maybe for a couple of centuries
to get colder in heart and mind, to depart from the first love
zeal. They did not as a whole, REPENT. It was now time for faithful
people to move OUT and congregate as a body of people, that would
be the time age of Smyrna.
The candle-stick of Ephesus was removed, just as Jesus said
it would be if they did not repent!
...................
To be continued
Chapter One hundred-thirty-two:
The REVELATION of Jesus Christ #3
The REVELATION of Jesus Christ
CHAPTER TWO
The SMYRNA CHURCH
Smyrna means "myrrh" - a rich and prosperous city of Ionia,
forty miles N of Ephesus, at the mouth of the small river Meles.
Anciently it was one of the finest cities of asia Minor and was
called "the lovely - the crown of Ionia - the ornament of Asia."
to its credit the church at Smyrna was still faithful, and
against her no word of reproach was uttered. It was Polycarp's
field of Christian usefulness, and here he suffered martyrdom,
around A.D. 169. (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary).
Jesus again reaffirms He was the first and the last -
eternal. He was dead once, but is alive forever more. Jesus, as
God in the flesh, did not exist for three days and three night,
He was as dead as a door nail, as the saying goes. If it was not
for the power of the Father to raise Him back to life, He would
still be dead, and we would have no salvation. we are saved not
only by His death, but also by His life (Romans 5:10).
Jesus tells the church at Smyrna that their works, their
tribulation and their poverty (but rich in the things that count)
He knows well. He knows also those who claim to be spiritual
Jews, but are indeed the synagogue or church of Satan, and what
they claim is blaspheming. He tells these faithful followers of
Him to not fear the things they may suffer: indeed the Devil will
have some of them thrown into prison, to be tried. They will have
tribulation ten days. If they will remain faithful unto death, He
will give them a crown of life. Those who overcome and stay
faithful, shall not suffer from the second death (chapter 20:14).
The second death is the lake of fire, which shall burn up
the wicked, as they become ashes under the feet of the righteous.
See the studies on "Death - then what?" which also covers the
subject of the second death, for the un-repentant wicked.
This is the church of ONLY TWO that have no reproaches said
against them.
The truth for our spiritual lesson is obvious. Remain
zealously faithful even unto death.
Church history shows that the largest and greatest
"Christian" persecution was under Diocletian from 303 to 313 A.D.
It was exactly 10 years. Using the prophetic day for a year, we
do then have a ten year great persecution against the truth of
the Gospel.
The time age of the first church had ended, when is not
known, but probably into the third century. False teachers had
come, many by this time. The church at Rome was gaining power in
numbers and doctrine. There was one last overall persecution of
anyone under the name of Christian from 303 to 313. It was
Constantine who adopted Roman Christianity, won the battles to
become Roman Emperor, and DECREED a stop to Christian
persecution, at least against Roman Christianity. It was
Constantine who brought in the Sunday laws in about 321 A.D. The
Roman church had been observing Sunday for some time, before
Constantine gave the Sunday official status in the Roman Empire.
Also the Roman church had been observing Easter instead of
Passover for about 200 years by 313 A.D.
So it was that by 313 A.D. there were MANY, not the few, who
claimed to be spiritual Jews, but God knew what they really were,
they were deceived by Satan the Devil.
After 313 A.D. the focus of the Roman Empire was on
persecution of those who differed with the Bishop of Rome, and
the Roman Catholic (the word "catholic" means "universal")
religion. For a number of hundreds of years the true Church of
God was indeed under mighty persecution as we find in the church
of Pergamos as the time of the age moved along.
PERGAMOS CHURCH
Pergamum, a city in Asia Minor, about 200 miles from the
sea. It had a vast library of 200,000 volumes at one time. In
this town was first discovered the art of making parchment, which
was called "pergamena." The city was greatly addicted to
idolatry, and its grove, which was one of the wonders of the
place, was filled with statutes and altars. Here was one of the
seven churches of Revelation 2:13. The wealth of the Attalic
princes had raised Pergamum to the rank of the first city in Asia
as regards splendor. It was a sort of union of pagan cathedral
city, a university town, and a royal residence, embellished
during a succession of years by kings who all had a passion for
expenditure and ample means of gratifying it (The New Unger's
Bible Dictionary).
Please read the above again. Let it sink in what you have
read. Now, think about the city of ROME, in the Roman Empire
until the Empire fell about 500 A.D. Even after that, think about
Rome and the mighty influence it had in the world of
Christianity, under kings and bishops that also wanted wealth and
splendor. The connection should be obvious. Rome was the Pergamum
of the Western world from the time of Constantine to the middle
ages and the famous Protestant Reformation battle under Luther.
The spiritual lesson is clear. Do not mix idolatry and any
stumbling block before yourself that will lead you away from
serving and obeying the way and life and laws of the true eternal
God.
Jesus, who has the two edged sharp sword, the Word of God,
says He knew His true followers in the Pergamos time age of the
Church of God. He knew their works, And He knew that many of them
lived where Satan's seat was. Now, was the old literal city of
Pergamum, at the time of the last years of the first century when
John was writing this revelation of Christ, the CENTER, the SEAT
of Satan? When you consider WHAT the city of ROME was becoming in
the way of so-called "Christianity" by the end of the first
century A.D. the city of Pergamum could not have been the SEAT of
Satan! When you consider what Polycarp and Polycrates did in
going to ROME over certain doctrinal issues, during the second
century, it is clear that ROME was the SEAT of Satan.
Anti-pas can be a derivation of Anti-patris "instead of his
father" - put in simple language, "instead of father" - against
the "father" in the Roman Catholic churches. There was as some
record the probability that a man by the name of Antipas was put
to death in the city of Pergamum. But the time setting of it all
could well fit the true church of God being against what the
Roman Catholic church was teaching. The idolatry, things tied in
with mystery spiritual fornication and idols, dressed up in
Christian names is fitting during the powerful rise and
domination of the Roman Catholic religion until the Protestant
Reformation.
This is again brought out in verse 15, where we again meet
the doctrines of the Nicolaitans - the rulership over people. The
true church of God, hated as Jesus did, the teaching that
individual people as pastors and bishops had FULL DICTATOR
RULERSHIP over the people.
Satan had a HUGE SEAT of POWER at ROME, the influence of the
Roman Catholic religion for a 1,000 years and more, was
staggering to say the least. It not only ruled the religious life
of people, it was also very political, and governed much of
secular life, such as claiming the earth was flat and other such
teachings. It persecuted people who said the earth was NOT flat.
It branded all who did not accept its teachings in theology and
otherwise, as HERETICS.
So for hundreds of years God's people fought the religion of
Rome. For the most part God's children remained faithful and
true, BUT as it is with time, eventually the people of God caved
in, got spiritually lazy, were slowly decaying. The church
history of Britain shows as recorded by the famous Bede, that by
700 A.D. the Catholic church had gained strong footing in
Britain. Again, the Passover as observed by John and Polycarp,
and brought to England, under the early apostles, was conquered
by the Roman Easter. The 7th day Sabbath observation in Britain
was finally destroyed by 1100 A.D. (The Welsh held on to it until
that century).
By and into the second millennium A.D. God's people had to
be told to REPENT, or that candlestick of the Pergamos time age,
was going to be corrected very harshly by the mouth of the Lord.
If the people of the Almighty would REPENT, they would then
overcome and eat of the hidden manna, the true bread of life
(Jesus in truth), be given a WHITE stone (white represents
righteousness - see chapter 19:8), and in that stone a NEW name
only known to that righteous person. Exactly what that "name"
subject is all about ... well I cannot know to tell you, for only
he that has receives it knows. Will it be such for all eternity,
I cannot tell you the answer to that either.
All so far said, fits very well with the historical record of
Church History up to the time of around about the Protestant
Reformation, up to some time BEFORE and then INTO that historical
time age is the church of Thyatira.
As mentioned before, keep in mind that true church time ages
can OVERLAP by sometimes hundreds of years.
....................
Chapter One hundred-thirty-three:
The REVELATION of Jesus Christ

The CHURCHES continued
THYATIRA
One of the seven churches of Asia Minor. It was situated a
little south of the river Lycusand at the northern extremity of
the valley between Mt.Tmolus and the southern ridge of Temnus.
The waters of Thyatira are said to be so well adapted for dyeing
that in no place can the scarlet cloth out of which fezes are
made be so brilliantly or so permanently dyed as here. So in the
Acts (16:4) Lydia, the first convert of Paul at Philippi. is
mentioned as "a seller of purple fabric" from Thyatira. The
principal deity of the city was Appolo, and a priestess of
Artemis is also mentioned in the inscriptions (The New Unger's
Bible Dictionary).
Ah, remember that important fact, a PRIESTESS is mentioned
in that city. The color "scarlet/purple" is also connected with
this city. Now read Revelation 18 and note the words "scarlet"
and "purple." then go back to Revelation 17 and read verses
1-3,4,6 (blood is scarlet). As most OLD Bible Commentaries tell
you, what you are reading in chapter 17 and 18, is the mighty
power of the state/church Roman Catholic Holy Roman Empire. And a
"woman" as most will agree, represents in prophecy A CHURCH (see
Rev.12 for that proof).
The Son of God, with eyes like unto a flame of fire, and
feet like fine brass, speaks to Thyatira. "I know they works, and
charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works;
and the last to be more than the first" (verse 18,19).
Jesus has a few things against them. There is a woman in the
equation. she is called Jezebel, who says she is a prophetess.
The Old Testament Jezebel comes to mind. Bottom line, she was
against God and the truth of God, she was outwardly appealing,
deck in her Sunday best as we say. But under it all was basic
evil and deception. The people of God in this time age had got to
the point where this "woman" was influencing them into spiritual
fornication and various practices of idolatry.
God had given and allowed much time for her to REPENT, but
she would not.
Note verse 22, there is a time coming when she will be cast
into GREAT TRIBULATION, unless she repents. And then note verse
23. This woman church in scarlet and purple, will HAVE CHILDREN!!
And unless they also repent, they will DIE! God will search the
heart and He will give rewards according to works - good
righteous works = good rewards; bad evil spiritual deceptive
works = death.
This mighty religious power DID HAVE CHILDREN born out of
her - they protested at their mother, and became the PROTESTANT
churches movement. They all have SOME spiritual fornications that
their mother has.
God gives encouragement to those who have not fallen for the
DEPTHS of Satan. Satan comes at times, maybe most of the time, as
an angel of LIGHT! It all looks good outwardly. The Roman
Catholic church looks nice and good - many of its leaders do good
works, with different less fortunate people around the world. It
speaks truth many times, it has an outward form that makes it
sound very "Christian" religious. She is somewhat MYSTERIOUS in
her form of religion, especially to those who are far from her
rites and outward dress and ceremonies.
This time age of Thyatira is from some hundred of years
BEFORE and some few hundred years AFTER the PROTESTANT children
were born to her. But unless mother and children REPENT they will
all come to nothing and will have to be killed.
Jesus tells the church of Thyatira, the people, to hold fast
to the true faith once delivered to the saints. And he that does
so, and keeps Jesus' works to the end, shall have rulership over
the nations, they shall share with Jesus the ruling of the
nations during the 1,000 year Kingdom of God on earth (verses
25-27).
They will also inherit the MORNING STAR! Again no need to
guess what that is. The Bible interprets itself. Turn to
Revelation 22:16. There it is. Now isn't it wonderful that the
Scriptures interpret themselves. The morning star is JESUS the
CHRIST! Those that remain faithful in the true ways of the Lord
will inherit JESUS HIMSELF, meaning they will be His brothers and
sister in ETERNITY. What could be more wonderful and splendid
than for all eternity to have Jesus call you His brother or
sister. Do you remember in the Gospels Jesus once said, "Who is
my mother, my brother, and my sister, but they who DO the WILL of
my Father in heaven."
It was a long time age for the people of the church of
Thyatira. They were persecuted and often killed for their stance
against the doctrines and the depth of Satan as he governed the
mighty Holy Roman Empire. That is why this woman "Jezebel" in
chapters 17 is said to have become DRUNK by the blood of the
saints and the martyrs of Jesus (Rev.17:6). And she also is said
to have made the inhabitants of the earth drunk by her spiritual
fornication. She is also in bed with the kings and rulers of the
earth, she is a political as well as a spiritual Jezebel.
The personal lesson is that the ways of Satan can be DEEP -
mentally understand them, but do not KNOW them in relation to how
you live and worship the true God.
SARDIS CHURCH
Sadris was a western Asia Minor city fifty miles E of
Symrna. It was located on important commercial routes running
east and west through the rich kingdom of Lydia, of which it was
the capital. It was also made wealthy by textile manufacturing
and jewelry making. Wealthy Sardis citizens took up with mystery
cults, notably with that of Cybele (The New Unger's Bible
Dictionary).
Jesus says He has the seven Spirits and the seven stars.
Yes, He is in charge of his church. He knows their works, they
live but yet are dead.
Probably during the Protestant Reformation and certain some
time after it, the Sardis church time age came into being. The
Protestant Reformation did do one thing for God's people. It
brought a new zeal of LIGHT into God's children, a new spiritual
age had come for the truth's of the Lord to be proclaimed loud
and strong BY SOME of the Church of God. The SEVENTH DAY Sabbath
was loudly proclaimed by SOME. A FEW even taught the keeping of
the Festivals of Leviticus 23 - the Feasts of the Lord. The truth
of who and where the House of Israel had wandered to, the truth
of the tribe of Joseph and who they had become, was proclaimed
loud and strong. The truth of water baptism by full immersion was
taught by many of God's people. The truth of the SECOND coming of
Jesus in glory, back to this earth, in literal form, was
proclaimed by some in the Church of God. The truth of the depth
of Satan and the mysteries of Babylon as found in the Roman
Catholic religion was shouted from the housetops by some in the
Church of God.
All of this and more, was done by SOME in the congregations
of the Lord. We had now entered the Sardis time age for the body
of Christ. God's people were SPIRITUALLY LIVE with zeal ...
WELLLLL some of them were. For a few hundred years or so,
(especially, and even to this day as it will be till Christ
comes) after the Protestant Reformation, God's people were ALIVE
yet DEAD.
The Lord Jesus tells them to be WATCHFUL, to STRENGTHEN the
things that remain, truths that remain, but yet are ready to die!
God has not found the works of wishy-washy Christians perfect.
There were and STILL ARE the descendants of God's people from the
Reformation period, who are barely hanging on to certain truths
of the word of God. They DID HEAR, Jesus says they did, they are
to get and HOLD FAST, to REPENT!
The lesson for us? Love the truth, love searching the
Scriptures, desire to grow in grace and knowledge, prove all
things and HOLD FAST to that which is good.
Now here's where many have not understood church ages. They
can OVERLAP each other, sometimes by hundreds of years. This age
of the Sardis church will STILL BE ON THIS EARTH WHEN JESUS COMES
BACK. If they do NOT repent and WAKE UP from spiritual slumber,
Jesus will come in an hour they think not, as a thief in the
night, unexpected. So this Sardis church time age IS STILL WITH
US, and will be right up to the coming of Christ!
In this body of people there are SOME who have NOT defiled
themselves. They were willing to LEARN, be CORRECTED, willing to
GROW in grace and knowledge. Some were still searching the
Scriptures and so were able to be led into MORE truth and light
by the Spirit of God. They were willing to buck the trend, swim
up-stream, when everyone else was going with the flow
down-stream.
Jesus says to those people, that they shall walk with Him in
WHITE, for they are WORTHY!
So from the Protestant Reformation or there-abouts have been
the Sardis people of God, and they will still be there at
Christ's coming, but only a relative FEW will walk with Jesus in
white.
For those who overcome that "dead" attitude of mind, they
will be clothed in white raiment, and their names will NOT be BLOTTED
OUT of the book of life. Their names Jesus will confess before
the Father, and the angels.
As we shall see in the last two church time ages. They also
will be in existence when Jesus comes again. We shall have
THREE ages of the Church of God in existence when the end comes and
Jesus returns to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
And that all makes good sense for when the rubber meets the
road, there can only be THREE types of spirituality in the
overall world of Christianity concerning the true body of Christ.
The ones who are in the main spiritually DYING, they are not looking
to grow in grace and knowledge; the ones who are fully and zealously
remaining STRONG in all the truths of God, and willing to grow;
and the ones who THINK they are spiritually just great, but are
really SICK and have become BLINDED through their own
self-righteousness and affluent physical riches (they are sickly
luke-warm), not wanting to be shown any errors.
We'll finish with the last two churches of Revelation next
time.
..................
Chapter One hundred-thirty-four:
The REVELATION of Jesus Christ

THE LAST TWO CHURCHES
After the Protestant Revolution, it was getting much easier
for the true people of God, the Church of Jesus Christ, to openly
proclaim all truths found in the Bible, without being persecuted
even to death. The Church of God was then, as is put in
Revelation, "alive." But, as nearly always happens, over time,
the zeal FOR truth as well as the zeal to PROCLAIM it, starts to
dwindle. Whatever the time frame was (God knows) it was true that
the Church of God was alive, but yet they were in many ways
"dead."
And when this happens, Jesus, who is in charge of His
Church, moves SOME within His body the church, to move on out so
to speak and form other individual local groups and/or a work
that has many local groups co-operating together, to proclaim the
Gospel around the world.
So it was, no time date to pin-point it, but from what we
can see from church history, it was probably in the 1700 A.D. and
after, that the people who would be the 6th time frame, or the
church of Philadelphia came on the scene of the world.
I want you to take special note of the below, taken from the
New Unger's Bible Dictionary.
PHILADELPHIA
"brotherly love" - A city in Lydia of Asia Minor. It was
built by Attalus 11 Philadelphus, whose name it bears. It was
situated on the lower slopes of the Tmolus, about twenty-eight
miles SW of Sardis and 100 miles W of Smyrna. It has been several
times almost destroyed by earthquakes. Its name is now Alasehir,
"city of God." The town is an unimportant place of fifteen to
twenty thousand people.
Jesus says He is holy, true, and has the key of David, He
opens and no man shuts, He shuts and no man opens. Jesus is in
charge of His church. And He is the One to give it power to go
here or there and spread the Gospel in this manner or that
manner. The key of David? As David had the key to his house so to
speak, had authority and power over his house, so Jesus has
authority over His house, His church, and can execute whatever
judgement as He needs to for the keeping of His house. As Jesus
said, He would build His church and the gates of hell or the
grave would never prevail against it.
Jesus knows the works of this people in this time age of His
church. There will be an open door for them to proclaim the
truths of God and the Gospel, and until Jesus says differently,
no man can shut that door. Certainly the modern worldwide
INTERNET is maybe the greatest open door for teaching the truths
of God all around the earth. And it will for now only get more so
with the Internet, as modern space age technology develops.
If you noticed above about today's literal town of
Philadelphia in Turkey (Asia Minor), it is UNIMPORTANT, SMALL, IT
HAS THEN LITTLE STRENGTH as such. The true people of God have
always been the relatively SMALL unimportant, in the view of the
world, religious group of Christians. Jesus once said that His
followers would be the VERY LITTLE flock (as the Greek reads). On
the whole they would have very little strength, very little
compared to the Babylon Mystery Christian Catholic church. It
would be something like Elijah in his day, when he lamented that
to the Lord that he was the only person NOT bowing the knee to
Baal. God answered him by saying he was wrong, because God had
7,000 others out there, here and there, that had not bowed the
knee to Baal.
It is true, the VERY ELECT, are few and far between, they
are the SALT of the earth, the very little flock. A few here and
a few there, one here and two or thee there, scattered around the
world. So it has been for the last 500 years or so. But they have
been there, and the door to spread the Gospel has been open in
various ways, personal evangelism, written words of evangelism,
broadcasts over radio, TV, and now the Internet. The true people
of God have had an open door which no man can shut. At the
present that door remains open.
God's people in these end time hundreds of years, have NOT
DENIED His name, and have been willing to KEEP His word. They are
the faithful. They are the ones who strive for the faith once
delivered to the saints. They are willing to grow in grace and
knowledge, willing to be taught, be corrected, willing to be
humble and submissive to the leading of the Spirit of God.
We have had people in the last few hundred years who kept
the 7th day Sabbath, and who observed and proclaimed the keeping
of the Festivals of God. We had the black man working on the
trains in the late 1800s who just read his Bible and came to see
the Festivals of Leviticus 23 should be observed, and raised up a
good work among other black people. We had the Seventh Day
Adventist minister in the very early 1900s who came to see the
Festivals of God should be observed, had his study paper printed
in the worldwide Adventist magazine, and some SDA churches in
South America were willing to agree and observe those Festivals.
We had minsters in the 1930s in the Church of God, Seventh Day,
who came to admit those Festivals should be observed. Some formed
their own organizations and spread the word of God. We have SDA
ministers like Samuele Bacciocchi PhD. who admit the Festivals of
the Lord should be observed, and some in the SDA church DO
observe them.
So the word of God is not denied, the name of God and what
He stands for is not denied. They are few relatively speaking,
but they do have an open door. One day the world will have to
admit, come before those people made immortal, and actually
worship at their feet. Yes, those people will then be in the God
Family, and worshipping before them, will be natural, as they
will have the name of God in their character. All that I fully
explain in my study called "A Christian's Destiny."
Yes, the world, and the false Christianity in it, the
BILLION plus will have to one day admit, those few with outward
little strength WERE and ARE the very sons and daughter of God
the Father. They will KNOW THEN that God truly DID LOVE those
few!
And because they did KEEP the word of Christ's PATIENCE,
which is interpreted for us in Revelation 14:12 as KEEPING the
COMMANDMENTS of God and the FAITH of Jesus Christ, they will, a
part of them (this is another of those "general" statements used
in the Bible) be KEPT SAFE from the hour of TRIBULATION or
Temptation to come on the WHOLE world (see Rev. 12:14-16; Luke
21:36).
Jesus says, "Behold, I come quickly; hold FAST what you
have, that no man take away thy crown" (verse 11).
Yes, when the prophecy of this book of Revelation REALLY
starts to unfold, when we are down to the last 42 months, 1260
days of the close of this age, then Jesus WILL COME QUICKLY! The
point is when Jesus is ready to come quickly, there will be true
faithful people of God on this earth, doing the work of God,
going through the open door set before them to teach, to preach,
to expound the prophesies of Revelation and all the prophetic
books of the Bible. They will be spreading the Gospel and warning
the nations of this earth what will take place as the Lord has
declared. For a short while God will stop His word going but by
the Elijah to come and the two witnesses of Revelation 11. But
until then His children will have an open door set before them.
Those at this end time who do overcome the world and Satan,
will be some of the very "pillars" of glorified perfection in the
Temple of God. They will have the VERY NAME of GOD, and in type
symbolism the name of NEW Jerusalem, which will come down from
God eventually (as shown in Revelation 21,21). And they will
have, in what ever way Jesus means it, HIS NEW NAME!
All of this for the true faithful children of God at the
close of this age (which remember can cover a number of hundreds
of years).
LAODICEA
The town was located on a flat-topped hill. A wall (about a
kilometer long on each side of its four sides) surrounded the
crown of the hill. The Laodicean condition describes the
spiritual lukewarmness and worldliness that will prevail in the
professing church of Christ at the end of the age. Rich,
cultured, religiously ritualistic - this church will have become
so self-satisfied and worldly as to have ostracised Christ
completely. He is represented prophetically as standing on the
outside knocking for admission (Rev.3:20). The awful spiritual
condition, so utterly abhorrent to God, calls forth one of the
boldest figures used in the NT, "So because you are lukewarm, and
neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth" (Rev. 3:16
cf. 2 Tim.3:1-8 for the spiritual and moral condition at the end
of the church age) (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary).
As it happens so often, because of time and human nature
twisted by the help of Satan the Devil, there will be a people
during the whatever decades or more (maybe a few hundred years)
who will still be at the very close of the age, in a Laodicean
mind-set. Jesus says He is the Amen! The faithful and true
witness of His very own body - the Church of God. He is the
beginner (as it should be understood) of the creation of God.
Yes, Jesus was the ONE who DID the creating in Genesis chapter
one. All that subject is covered in various studies on this
Website.
Jesus knows their work, that they are neither hot nor cold,
they are resting with their feet up, in a self-righteous manner,
and so because of it, because they are "lukewarm" He will spit
them out of His mouth.
Look at their attitude. They say they are "rich and
increased with goods; and have no need of anything." They must be
saying, "I'm physically blessed so God must be rewarding me for
serving Him, in the way I do." Or "I have all I need, physically
and spiritually, I have the truth, so I'm just fine."
Jesus answers them, "You know not that you are WRETCHED, and
MISERABLE, and POOR, and BLIND, and NAKED...." What language
Jesus uses, He is really telling them the naked truth (excuse the
pun)! These people will not even come close to trying to see
WHERE and HOW they are short of the maturity of spirituality.
They have deceived themselves into thinking it's all over, just
hang on to what they have had, or what they NOW have as thinking
it is the better truth than what they had before, but in reality
it is going back into UN-truth. Either way, they have deceived
themselves, and they are really WRETCHED and BLIND and NAKED,
they have no white garment of the righteousness of God, in
reality, but they think they are wearing a spotless white robe.
When you loose the desire to LEARN, to be CORRECTED, to GROW
in grace and knowledge, when you loose the desire to HUNGER and
THIRST after RIGHTEOUSNESS, then you are Laodicean! The personal
lesson should be clearly evident.
Christ counsels them to buy of Him GOLD tried in the fire.
He wants them to have the REAL spirituality that makes a
difference, actually the difference of life or death. Then He
says they can have true riches, and a WHITE garment, so they are
then clothed in the correct outfit for His wedding (see
Rev.19:7-9). And so being clothed properly their spiritual
nakedness does not appear and does not bring them shame. Jesus
wants them to anoint themselves with EYESALVE, get their eyes
open and have true vision, so they can SEE the spiritual reality
and truth that is REALLY of God, and not manmade.
Jesus WILL CORRECT! He will REBUKE! He does it because He
loves people. He wants people to REPENT! He stands at the door of
our hearts and minds, wanting us to OPEN to Him, so He can come
in and have a FEAST with us on truth and righteousness. If people
WILL REPENT, admit the error, go the right way, do the correct
thing, be HUMBLE, then He can come into them. And those who will
open to Him, can sit with Him at His throne (during the
millennium age - Rev.20:1-4), just as He sat down with the Father
at His throne, when He went back to heaven after His resurrection
from death.
There will be, there already IS ... THREE church time ages
in existence today. They are overlapping each other, maybe by
hundreds of years. There is the walking dead, with only a few in
clothes of white and still have their names in the book of life.
There is the true faithful, who have found and are remaining true
to the faith once delivered to the saints, and there are the
"rich" in their OWN eyes, who will not see their wretchedness,
who will not admit error and sins and all that makes them
spiritually naked.
My prayer for you dear reader is that you will be a pillar
in the Temple of God, and have written on you the name of God,
and be given Jesus' new name (verse 3:12).
....................
Written November 2007
TO BE CONTINUED
Chapter One hundred-thirty-five: The REVELATION of Jesus Christ 
Chapters 4 to 7
CHAPTER FOUR
John is in vision in heaven, he sees a throne and One sat on
the throne. A voice like trumpet says "Come, and I will show you
things that must be hereafter (verse 1-2).
He that sat on the throne looked like the crystalline
brightness of jasper and the fiery sardius (Amplified Bible), and
a rainbow of emerald round about the throne. There were 24
"elders" sitting on 24 seats, they were clothed in white and on
their heads was a golden crown (verses 3-4).
We are not given any information about the elders, we
speculate they were created beings of the Father just as angels
are. We do know for certain, from the Scriptures, they are not
human beings that were glorified in immortality. There proceeded
from the throne lightnings, thunder and voices: seven lamps of
fire were burning, which were to represent the Seven Spirits of
God, which were the seven angels of the seven churches we have
just finished reading about. Before the throne was a sea of glass
looking like that of crystal. Four "beasts" were around and in
the midst of the throne, they had eyes before them and behind
them. The first beast was like a "lion" - the second like a
"calf" - the third like a "man" - the fourth like a "flying
eagle." Each beast had six wings that were full of eye all over
them. They did not rest or sleep, all day and night (not that
there is night in heaven - just a way of saying - continually)
but said, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and
is, and is to come." When those beasts give thanks and honor to
Him that sat on the throne, then the 24 elders would fall down
before Him that sat on the throne, and would cast their crowns
down before the throne (verses 5-10).
The last verses indicated the four creatures did not keep
saying "Holy, holy, holy etc. 24/7. But when they did praise,
then the elders would bow down, and would say, "Thou art worthy,
O Lord to receive glory, honor, and power, for thou hast created
all things; and for Thy PLEASURE they are and were created."
Interesting are those last few words. God takes pleasure in
creating things. He has the emotion of "pleasure" - enjoyment in
various things He creates. He is an artist, likes to create even
for just the fun of it, and the warm pleasure He get from His
creations. We sometimes forget that God, who made us, with
emotions, has those same emotions also. It should not surprise
us, as God said in the beginning, "Let us make man in our image."
And so He did, even with the emotions He has, He gave to use
also. When you read through the Bible take note at all the
different emotions God has.
CHAPTER FIVE
God the Father, who is the One sitting on that heavenly
throne, had in His right hand a scroll shut tight with SEVEN
seals. An angel goes forth proclaiming, "Who is worthy to open
the book and loose the seven seals?"
There was no one (as the Greek should read) in heaven, or on
earth, or anywhere else for that matter, who was found worthy,
either to open or even look upon the book. John said he wept,
because no one was found worthy to open the seals and into the
book. Then an elder came forth to John and said, "Weep not;
behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah; the root of David; has
prevailed; He is worthy to open the book and loose the seven
seals." This is of course talking about Jesus the Christ. He is
worthy to loose the seven seals and read the book.
John looks and behold he sees a Lamb (meaning the Son of
man, Jesus) in the midst of the four beasts and the 24 elders.
The Lamb looked like it had been slain, and it had seven horns
and seven eyes, which represented the seven Spirits sent forth
into the earth. Seven is God's number for COMPLETION or
PERFECTION. Jesus came and took the book out of the hand of Him
sitting on the throne. As Jesus takes the book, the 4 beasts and
24 elders bow or prostrate themselves before Him, each of them
has a harp type musical instrument, and golden vials which are
full of incense, which represent the prayers of the saints. They
sang a new song, saying:
"Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals, for you
were slain, and did redeem THEM (is the correct reading) - humans
- to God by Thy blood, from every kindred, and tongue, and
people, and nation; And has made THEM unto our God, kings and
priests; and THEY shall reign on earth (verses 1-10).
Yes, the saints, those redeemed by the precious blood of the
Lamb will be under Christ, kings and priests during the 1,000
years of the Kingdom of God on earth, and so then shall reign on
EARTH, not up in heaven. So is the truth of all your Bible, as I
have elsewhere fully explained in various studies.
John hears the voices of many angels, beasts, and the
elders, around the throne, the number being ten thousand times
ten thousand ... and thousands of thousands ... now that was a
mighty lot indeed, and they said, "Worthy is the Lamb that was
slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and
honor, and glory, and blessing."
John then in symbolic form, not in any literal way, hears
every creature in earth's heaven, on the earth, in the sea, all
saying, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him
that sits upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever."
It is that all creation is acknowledging the Most High and
His Son Jesus the Christ.
Then we are told the four beasts said, "AMEN! And the four
and twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that lives for
ever and ever."
What a scene, now if Hollywood would try to duplicate that
on the big screen, with their modern space age effects, what an
effect that would be. It would take your breath away!
THE FIRST SIX SEALS ARE OPENED
We read at the beginning of this book that it is the
REVELATION of JESUS CHRIST, so it is fitting that the
interpretation of the seals of the book, be revealed to us BY
Jesus Christ. And they are. The interpretation of them is found
in the book of Matthew, chapter 24.
You will notice in verse 5 of Matthew 24 what Jesus gave as
the SIGNS leading up to His visible and bodily return to this
earth. The first sign was people coming in His name, saying that
Jesus was indeed the Christ, but would DECEIVE the MANY, not the
few. Then there would be WARS and talk of war. Then comes FAMINE.
Then comes PESTILENCE.
Going back to Revelation 6. We have:
THE WHITE HORSE, but the rider has a bow. Jesus has a sword when
He is depicted in prophecy. This white horse rider goes forth to
conquer. This first seal is the RELIGIOUS DECEPTION on the earth,
under the name of Christ, and white righteousness. It will
deceive the MANY!
THE RED HORSE, is the second seal of the book, and it is WARFARE
on the earth.
THE BLACK HORSE, is the third seal, and him on this horse has
balances, to weigh the wheat and the barley, and careful with the
oil and wine. Obviously this is FAMINE!
THE PALE HORSE and its rider, represents DEATH, WITH A MIXTURE OF
the above two seals. The fourth part of the earth is given to
this rider and seal. There will be death via the sword, hunger,
beasts of the earth, and death. This is the PESTILENCE of Matthew
24. And what a pestilence it will be. This seal alone is
horrific, nothing like it in the history of mankind, up to the
opening of this seal of the book.
THE FIFTH SEAL
Back in Matthew 24, Jesus goes on to talk about, His
followers being delivered up to be afflicted and even killed,
verse 9.
Back in Revelation 6:9-11, we find in symbolic form the
saints under the altar (sure are not there in any physical or
real living way, would be pretty crowded under the heavenly
altar. And knowing the truth about death, we know the saints do
not go on living when they die - so this is figuratively
speaking) crying out to God that they should be avenged. They
died for the faith once delivered, for obeying the Word of God.
Figuratively then, all the children of God from the time of Adam,
and especially those who had to die for the true faith, are
asking God when they can expect to be avenged. They are in the
vision, dressed in white robes, yes, white robes to represent the
righteousness of God (chapter 19:7-8), and one important Bible
definition of righteousness is found in Psalm 119:172 - all of
God's commandments are righteousness.
They are told they have to yet wait for a season, because
some of their fellowservants or saints, must yet be killed for
the faith, before Jesus comes again to earth (verse 11).
We shall again see in other chapters of Revelation, that
this fact is so very true. There will yet come beyond all of
today (if you are still reading this Website, then the Beast
power has not yet conquered the Western world, for when it does,
this Website will be no more, I guarantee you that - so I hope
you will appreciate it while you can) another great killing of
the true saints of God.
THE SIXTH SEAL IS OPENED, and what do we have, but unthinkable
and devastating signs in the universe. There will be a massive
earthquake, the sun will become as black as sackcloth of hair,
the moon as blood. The stars or chunks of meteors will fall from
heaven to earth, just as the leaves or fruit of the fig tree drop
to the ground in a violent storm. The heavens will be kind of
rolled up and mountains will be levelled and islands moved from
their place in the waters and seas. People of all ranks, from
kings to the farmers will try to hide themselves in the caves of
the earth. They will for a time realize there is a God in heaven
and they want to hide from Him and His son. That will be somewhat
short lived, for we will read later that even as the MIGHTY day
of God's WRATH is unfolding, many will still continue to curse
Him and stay in their sins.
In Matthew 24; after the GREAT TRIBULATION - the killing of
the people of God (which by the way will not only be the saints
but it is the time also when Judah - the Jews, and All the
tribes/people of Israel will be taken captive and at least two
thirds will die by the time the DAY OF THE LORD arrives), there
will be the HEAVENLY SIGNS, read Matthew 24:15-28; then note
verse 29! There it is, Jesus interprets Himself - the heavenly
signs come AFTER the killing of some of the saints of God.
It is CLEAR, it is a one, two, three - the KILLING of
saints, THEN the HEAVENLY SIGNS, THEN Revelation 6:17 - THE GREAT
DAY OF THE LORD, THE DAY OF GOD'S WRATH COMES ON THE EARTH.
I have given you MANY studies on this Website to prove to
you what Revelation 6 and Matthew 24 is all about. I ask the
reader to study them all as they are the detail studies, so I
will not even come close to repeating those events and Scriptures
here.
THE DAY OF THE WRATH OF GOD
Revelation 6:17 is the start of the prophetic DAY OF THE
LORD. As prophecy does often use a day to represent a year, as
just about all who try to understand prophecy will agree, then it
COULD be possible that the DAY OF THE LORD, the DAY OF HIS WRATH,
will be about ONE YEAR in length. Notice I said "could be" and
"ABOUT" one year in length. Do not make the mistake of COUNTING
on that, and have mud on your face if that year comes and goes
and Jesus has not yet returned. If you are alive when all these
things happen, then I can tell you that once into the Day of the
Lord, Jesus will not be FAR from coming back, but do not set your
mind on a "calendar" date.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Read it for what it is and simply BELIEVE it! We are into
an INTERLUDE from opening the SEVENTH SEAL. That seal is not
opened until chapter 8, see it for yourself, notice 8:1. There
that's easy right? Yes indeed it is.
Four angels hold back the four winds of the earth - an
interlude time. Then another angel from the east having THE SEAL
of God shouts to the four angels, which will hurt the earth once
they are allowed to blow their winds. They are told to, Hurt not
the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have SEALED
the servants of our God in their foreheads. This is being sealed
with the Holy Spirit of God that will for these people not only
the means salvation in them, but protection from the physical
harm to come on the earth during the Day of God's wrath. Saints
are sealed with the Holy Spirit in having salvation, see
Ephesians 1:3.
The sealing of these specific people is given to us. All we
need do is read it for what it says. 12,000 from each tribe of
Israel will be SEALED! Pure and simple is chapter 7:1-8. I do not
know why the tribe of Dan is not included. I guess we'll have to
ask Jesus about that when He comes back.
THE GREAT MULTITUDE
Revelation verse 9-17 are NOT a part of the "story flow" -
they are INSET verses. We have just seen that 12,000 from each
tribe of Israel are sealed for salvation. As the thought was on
sealing, the Lord Jesus wants you to know that "sealing" for
salvation is NOT JUST an "Israelite" prize or gift. So we are in
our story put FORWARD in time, to when the RESURRECTION of ALL
saints has happened, and all from all nations of the earth are
standing and LIVING in the very presence of God the Father and
Jesus the Christ. They have attended the WEDDING of the Lamb as
His bride, they are dressed in white robes (see chapter 19:7-9).
They are shouting, or singing, "Salvation to our God, which sits
upon the throne, and unto the Lamb (Jesus)." The angels, the four
beasts of heaven, the elders, all fall down, bow down, and
worship God. They say, "Amen! Blessing, and glory, and wisdom,
and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our
God for ever and ever. Amen!"
An elder speaks up and asks what are these people that are
dressed in white robes, and from where do they come. Now, he
probably asks this FOR OUR SAKE, so we today can know from where
they come. The elder in heaven I would think, would really know,
but for our sake today, the question is asked.
The answer is given. They are those who came out of great
tribulation and have endured to the end, through the blood of
Christ they washed their robes and made them white. Salvation is
ONLY through the blood of Christ.
This is probably a general statement, the part of the whole
used for the entire whole. It is what the Bible does at times.
The focus is given to those who did literally go through great
tribulation, like as the apostle Paul and others did down through
the past ages. But the rest of the saints, who maybe had no
physical tribulation in their lives, are NOT EXCLUDED. It is a
part of the whole, standing for the entire whole. We know from
MANY other Scriptures that ALL God's children will live before
Him, the first resurrection WILL RAISE ALL the past saints up to
that very point when Jesus comes at the last trumpet sound and
the first resurrection takes place. Again, all of that truth is
covered in various studies on this Website.
Certainly down through the ages THOUSANDS of the children of
God have gone through great tribulation to keep faithful to the
Most High.
Here is the part standing for the whole. We are transported
into the time when God's children from ALL nations will be living
in glory, serving the Most High for all eternity, and this
section of Revelation actually goes into the time of the new
heaven and the new earth of chapter 21,22. For notice it, verse
15. He that sits on the throne - the Father, the Most Holy One,
SHALL DWELL AMONG THEM! Ah, this is chapter 21:3. It is the time
when the Father shall come down, with the heavenly Jerusalem, to
DWELL with His children.
Then indeed, "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any
more, neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat. For the
Lamb (Jesus) which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them,
and shall lead them unto living fountains of water: and God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes" (verse 16-17).
Yes, finally all is completed eventually, and the very words
of Revelation chapters 21 and 22 are a reality. Indeed VERY GOOD
NEWS beyond all the horrific events to come on the earth and its
people that are recorded in the chapters of Jesus' Revelation.
But now we must get back to the story flow, and into the
very DAY OF THE LORD mentioned in dozens of verses throughout the
prophetic books of the Bible.
THE SEVENTH SEAL IS OPENED ................
............................
To be continued
 Chapter One hundred-thirty-six:The REVELATION of Jesus Christ 
Chapters 8 - 10
CHAPTER EIGHT
The SEVENTH SEAL is now to be opened. There was silence in
heaven for about half an hour. Why this silence? We are not told.
We can only speculate. Is it a "hush" in the now reality that the
ages have waited for - the last stage leading up to the coming of
the Messiah in glory and power to destroy those who are
destroying the earth, and to finally usher in the Kingdom of God
on earth for the promised 1,000 years of the RESTITUTION of all
things. Or maybe its the serious awe of the universe, the angels
and all other created creatures, holding their breath so to
speak, for now is coming the very personal and direct time of
God's wrath on this earth.
Whatever the reason, the truth of the matter is that in
God's heaven there will be SILENCE for about half an hour. That
part of eternal history no doubt the host of heaven will always
remember, SILENCE in heaven, no praising or singing or playing of
music or sounds of thunder and whatever else those beings in
heaven do - for a very short time, there will be SILENCE! (verse
1).
The seven angels standing before God are given SEVEN
TRUMPETS. As we proceed, it becomes clear that the SEVENTH seal
IS comprised of SEVEN TRUMPET SOUNDS (verse 2).
Another angel comes and stands at the heavenly altar, having
a golden censer or bowl. He has much incense, and he offers it up
with the prayers of the saints upon the golden altar which is
before the very throne of God. The smoke of the incense with the
prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angels'
hand. The angel then takes the censer, fills it with fire, and
throws it onto the earth. There were voices, thunder, lightning,
and a great earthquake (verses 3-5).
All very real but symbolic. All done in heaven and no person
on earth shall see it happen. But the reality of it happening
will surely be felt afterwards by what then takes place on the
earth. God starts to flex His muscles.
The seven angels are ready to blow their trumpets.
FIRST TRUMPET
The first angel sounds his trumpet, there followed a great
hail and fire mingled with blood, being cast down on the earth,
it burnt up a THIRD of all trees, and all the green grass was
burnt up (verses 6-7).
This alone is mind-dumbing. This has never happened to the
earth since it was created, in the scale and depth of it all. We
can only imagine in part, what this will look and sound like.
SECOND TRUMPET
The second angel sounds his trumpet. A great mountain like
whatever, with fire was cast into the sea: a THIRD part of the
sea became blood. A THIRD part of the creatures in the sea that
had life were killed; and a THIRD part of the ships on the sea
were destroyed (verses 8-9).
This is really getting "freaky" - it's like a strange horror
movie taking place. But, however all this unfold and whatever the
sight of what makes all this happen is like, we are told the END
RESULT! And it is far from being anything but catastrophic. These
end results are how they read, no symbolism here, they will
happen, as the plain words we are reading say.
THIRD TRUMPET
A great "star" from heaven falls to earth. As stars can
represent angels, could this be an angel coming to earth, burning
as it were a lamp. It falls, in whatever way, a miracle perhaps,
on the THIRD part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of water.
Whatever this is it is called "wormwood" (wormwood is a bitter
plant and grows in desert type areas). The third part of waters
became wormwood, so bitter, and obviously even more than bitter
because MANY died from the wormwood waters. This has never
happened on the earth as yet, so it is yet to come.
FOURTH TRUMPET
Now the sun and moon and stars are greatly effected, exactly
HOW we are not told, but we are told the result: the THIRD part
of them is DARKENED. The day shone not for a third part, and the
night also shone not for a third part. Again, this sounds
science-fiction stuff, but it will happen during the early part
of the DAY OF THE LORD. The DAY of God's WRATH.
John then beholds and hears an angel; flying through the
heaven and saying, "WOE, WOE, WOE, to the inhabitants of the
earth by reason of the other voices of the TRUMPET of the THREE
angels which are yet to sound!"
CHAPTER NINE
The FIFTH angel sounds - the FIFTH TRUMPET. A star falls
from heaven to earth, and to him (indicating this is an angel)
was given the key to unlock the bottomless pit. He opened the pit
and smoke arose, as like from a great furnace. The sun and air
were darkened by the smoke. Out comes LOCUSTS on the earth, they
had power on the earth like scorpions have - a mighty sting!
This is obviously "symbols" we are now seeing through John.
He is transported in vision to the Day of God's Wrath, and the
things he sees would have been so strange and also terrifying, he
had to use language that his mind could relate to.
Scorpions as used in Nahum 3, which is a prophecy about the
Assyrian Empire. The Assyrians eventually migrated through Europe
and are the GERMAN people today. Mt.Craig White has done years of
detailed research on the German people and where they came from.
He now has a large detailed book (called "In search of THE GREAT
GERMAN NATION." You can purchase from:
originofnations.org
Amazon.com
Barnes and Nobel.com
This 5th trumpet is the resurrection of the Holy Roman
Empire out of Europe, that is today gaining more POWER and more
IMPORTANCE on the world scene. It will eventually be ONE of the
TWO LAST GREAT powers on the earth. At the outset of the GREAT
TRIBULATION, Judah (the Jews) and MOST of the rest of the WESTERN
world (who are the very House of Israel - see Britam.org Website
for the most detailed truth on that subject) will have been
destroyed and taken captive by this European LAST resurrected
Holy Roman Empire. All that remains by the sounding of this FIRST
WOE, or 5th TRUMPET, is for the mighty Satan controlled Beast
Power of Europe to conquer the EASTERN world (of Russia, Chins,
India, Japan, etc.) who will by this time be the ONLY other WORLD
POWER!
Whatever space age technology they have by that time, they
will be commanded by God, allowed by God, to ONLY hurt the
persons who have NOT the seal of God. They will not be allowed to
hurt the trees, the grass, or any green thing. They will NOT
KILL, they will only "torment" people like the torment of a
scorpion, when they strike a person. They will TORMENT people for
FIVE MONTHS!
In those days people will WANT TO DIE, but they will not be
allowed to die. Some kind of miracle God will have to perform
here, people desiring to die, seeking to die, but shall not be
able to die.
The vision type locust scorpions were shaped like horses
prepared for battle (that's the only way John could put it in
human terms of his day); on their heads were crowns of gold (they
were kings of warfare we might say); and they had the faces of
men (showing man was behind these war machines). They had the
hair of a woman (probably the air flowing behind them looked to
John like the hair of women blown in the wind). They had teeth,
what you bite with, and cause pain, like that of a lions. Their
breastplates were like iron - they were indeed mechanical
machines of war. The sound of their wings (the sound of them
flying through the heaven) was like the sound of many horse
pulled chariots running to battle. Their tails were like that of
a scorpion, for the result was like that of scorpions stinging
people - out from them came the sting. For their POWER was to
HURT people for FIVE months, not to kill them but only to hurt
them, but the sting will be so horrible, people will want to die,
but God will not allow them to die.
The king over them was the angel from the bottomless pit,
whose name in the Hebrew tongue is "Abaddon, but in the Greek
tongue his name is Apollyon. The word means "destroyer" (verses
1-12).
In other in-depth studies on this Website the BEASTS of
REVELATION are fully expounded. The great one who will have
control of the "beast" man and the "false prophet" man of later
chapters of Revelation, will be Satan the Devil. This 5th TRUMPET
or first WOE, is the workings of the BEAST POWER as the
resurrected RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL power of the Holy Roman
Empire of Europe. It will have ALREADY destroyed the people of
Israel - Judah and Israel - conquered the Western world. It will
have ALREADY killed MANY of the saints of God, true Christians
who cannot be deceived by this Babylon Mystery Religion of a
Roman Catholic governed European power. Now this mighty Empire
will strike at the remaining power, the people in the EAST, on
the other side of the Euphrates river.
THE SIXTH TRUMPET
The SECOND WOE and its trumpet angel will sound. A voice
from the four corner of the altar in heaven, tell this 6th angel
to sound, and loose the four angels stationed in at the river
Euphrates. These four angels let loose what they have been
holding back. It was for a certain DAY, HOUR, MONTH, and YEAR,
and now it is. A whole THIRD of mankind (from those still
remaining after all that has transpired so far on earth) are
KILLED by the events of the 6th trumpet sound or second woe.
The army is a staggering two hundred thousand thousand.
The people of the EAST can indeed number such an army.
Again, John put it in terms he understood in his day. This
army is like men on horses, with breastplates of fire, of
jacinth, and brimstone. They had heads of lions, out of their
mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
What a sight, it was terrifying for John to see all this,
and to see in vision a THIRD part of mankind killed by this army
from over the east of the river Euphrates. This army had tails
like a serpent, ready to sting and kill. Even their heads could
kill and hurt people. It was for John no doubt an unbelievable
future scene he saw in vision in heaven.
By the end of this 6th trumpet (second woe) the earth and
its people on it ... well there really are not the words to say
it. Truly, even with all the wars down through the centuries of
mankind, even with the great FIRST and SECOND world wars of the
20th century, there is NOTHING TO COME CLOSE to what the earth
and its people will face in the future.
People of God WANT, they DESIRE, Jesus to come again, to
bring in the Kingdom of God on earth, and certainly we look to
that day, BUT .... before that can happen, we have to face the
prophecy (all of it) in the book of Revelation!!
The only way the world could evade this prophecy is for the
nations to REPENT! And that is VERY UNLIKELY INDEED!
You would think by this time in our prophecy, the people of
the world, the MAJORITY of them at least, would REPENT IN DUST
AND ASHES, CRY OUT WITH HUMBLE HEARTS, TO BE FORGIVEN OF SINS,
AND TO HAVE THE GRACE OF GOD SHOWERED DOWN ON THEM. You would
think by this time they would have LEARNT the lesson - got the
MESSAGE - and would be ready to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior!
BUT NO! Look what is written in 9:20-21.
"And the rest of the men who were not killed by these plagues:
yet REPENTED NOT of the works of their hands, that they should
not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and
of wood,: which can neither see, hear, nor walk. They DID NOT
REPENT of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their
immorality, nor of their thefts" (verses 13-21).
They STILL, after all the power of the universe comes on
them, in all that has gone before, WILL NOT REPENT!!
They will not admit SIN, see where they are living contrary
to God's way of life and righteousness. They will set their
hearts and minds to be as concrete. They will "grit their teeth"
and still REFUSE to REPENT!
It BLOWS ME AWAY! To think people will have this attitude.
How they must love the "things" - the physical riches, the gold,
the silver, the brass, the "gadgets" of our space age. How they
must love just wanting to "do their own thing" - have sex when
and with whom they choose, as many times as they can, love their
jobs, and certainly ain't willing to rest on the day God claims
is His. How they must love the razzle and dazzle of the physical
world and the sin that goes with it all.
I hope and pray friends, that is NOT you! As they say, "you
can't take it with you" and sin may seem pleasurable for the
moment, and it may seem nice to not have anyone like God telling
you what to do and how to do it and when to do it. But your Bible
says, "There is a way that seems right to man, but the end result
is DEATH!"
Many at this time of the age will see God at work all around
them, with signs that are really mind-blowing and catastrophic.
Yet most of them will still NOT repent. So is the DEPTHS of Satan
the Devil, so is the DECEPTION he will manifest in the last days,
upon the whole earth (see Rev.12:9).
CHAPTER TEN
John sees another angel come down from heaven, clothed with
a cloud; a rainbow is upon his head; his face as the sun; his
feet as pillars of fire. He has a little book open. His right
foot is upon the sea, and his left foot on the land. He cries
with a voice like a lion when roaring. When he cries out, seven
thunders shout back. After the thunders shouted, John was about
to write what it all meant. He was told "No, do not write, shut
it all up. Seal up what the seven thunders have uttered" (verses
1-4).
The angel John saw standing upon the sea and land, lifted up
his hand to heaven, and swore by Him that lives forever and ever,
who created all the heavens and the earth and the sea, and all
that there is in them. The angel announces "There should be time
no longer!"
It is getting closer and closer to the end of this age and
the new age that is promised to come. It is fast approaching when
Jesus will return in power and glory.
It is in the days of the voice of the SEVENTH trumpet angel,
when he BEGINS to sound, that the Mystery of God, what He has
been doing with mankind from the creation of Adam, will be
FINISHED, just as He has declared for centuries through His
prophets (verses 5-7).
John hears the voice from heaven that has been speaking to
him, that he should go and take the little book which is open in
the hand of the angel which stands upon the sea and land. John
obeys, and goes to the angel and asks for the little book. The
angel replies, "Take it, eat it up; it shall be in thy belly
bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey" (verses
8-9).
It would first taste good, like it is all okay now, it is
all pleasant now, but on going into the belly, it was bitter.
John takes the book and eats it, and yes, in his mouth it is
sweet, and comforting, like a good chocolate bar (I love
chocolate bars), but as soon as it was in his belly it was BITTER
(verse 10).
What this little book is all about CANNOT be known, for it
was sealed up! If someone today tries to tell you what this
little book is all about, then I tell you, they are false
ministers, who do not know what they are talking about. You need
to get away from them as quickly as you can. The "little book" is
SEALED UP! It is NOT for us to know what is written in it. When
what it contains comes to pass then perhaps SOME of us will know,
but till then, it is sealed - period!
The angel tells John he must prophesy yet more, to kings, to
nations, to many different peoples and languages.
What he writes in the next chapters is for them to hear and
to know and to understand. Jesus is REVEALING the end time events
that MUST come on this earth before He returns to become King of
kings and Lord of lords.
....................
To be continued
 Chapter One hundred-thirty-seven:The REVELATION of Jesus Christ 
Chapters 11 and 12
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Chapter 11 and 12 are INSET chapters. They go back and tell
us the story of the last 42 months of this age, the two witness
in Jerusalem preaching the truths of God, during the time when
Jerusalem shall be under the Gentile Beast power. And in chapter
12 we have the MAIN outline of the true Church of God from way
back in Jacob and Joseph's time, to the last time of "time"
(singular) "times" (plural) and "half a time" - 42 months or 1260
days.
This first verse some have used to try and prove that in the
end times the Jews will build a Temple in Jerusalem, and start
again to offer animal sacrifices. First, this teaching is based
on a few Scriptures in the Bible that have not be understood
correctly. Second, the fact is the Dome of the Rock would have to
be removed, and this the Islamic people would never allow. Third,
the animal-rights people would be up in arms and would probably
burn down such a physical Temple, as quickly as it went up.
The old Bible Commentator Albert Barnes in his "Notes on the
New Testament" gives the truth of the matter.
Quote:
"The measuring of the temple, verses 1,2. A reed, or measuring
stick, is given to John, and is directed to arise and measure the
temple. This direction embraces two parts: (a) he was to measure,
that is, to take an exact estimate of the temple, of the altar,
and of the true worshippers; (b) he was carefully to separate
this, in his estimate, from the outward court, which was to be
left out and to be given to the Gentiles, to be trodden under
foot, forty-two months, that is, three years and a half, or
twelve hundred and sixty days - a period celebrated in the book
of Daniel as well as in this book......
RISE AND MEASURE THE TEMPLE OF GOD. That is, ascertain its true
dimensions with the reed in your hand. Of course this could not
be understood of the LITERAL temple - whether standing or not -
for the exact measure of that was sufficiently known.
(and if literal with some literal temple in Jerusalem at the last
time, then according to this, John was to literally measure the
people as well. Can you imagine someone going about literally
measuring people inside the temple, as well as the temple itself
- a little bit or big bit, crazy thinking I would say - Keith
Hunt).
The word, then, must be used of something which the temple would
denote or represent, and this would properly be the church, as
considered as the abode of God on earth. Under the old
dispensation, the Temple at Jerusalem was that abode; under the
new, that particular residence was transferred to the Church and
God is represented as dwelling in it.... Thus the word is
undoubtedly used here, and the simple meaning that he who is thus
addressed is directed to take an accurate estimate of the true
church of God....If the direction be understood figuratively, as
applicable to the Christian church, the work to be done would be
to obtain an exact estimate or measurement of what the true
church was - as distinguished from all other bodies of men....
BUT THE COURT WHICH IS WITHOUT THE TEMPLE. Which is outside of
the court proper....There is undoubtedly reference here to the
"court of the Gentiles" as it was called among the Jews - the
outer court of the Temple to which the Gentiles has access....In
forming an estimate of those who, according to the Hebrew
notions, were true worshippers of God, only those who would be
regarded as such, who had the privilege of access to the inner
court, and to the altar.....those who had no nearer access than
that court (the court of the Gentiles), would be omitted; that
is, they would not be reckoned as necessarily any part of those
who were regarded as the people of God.....
FOR IT IS GIVEN TO THE GENTILES. It properly appertains to them
as their own,. Though near the temple, and included in the
general range of building, yet it does not pertain to those who
worship there, but to those who are regarded as heathen and
strangers....They occupied it, not as the people of God, but as
those who were WITHOUT the true church, and who did not appertain
to its real communion..... AND THE HOLY CITY. The whole holy city
- not merely the outer court of the Gentiles which is said to be
given to them, nor the Temple as such, but the ENTIRE holy city.
There is no doubt that the words "holy city" LITERALLY refers to
Jerusalem......"
End Quote
Indeed, the first verse is setting aside the true people of
God at the OUTSET of the "forty two months" (verse 2), when the
holy city will be under the control and direction of the Gentile
Beast power. It will NOT CONTROL the people of God. They shall
REMAIN FAITHFUL to the faith once delivered to the saints, even
if some of them must die for their faith. Such it has always been
when religious persecutions came over the centuries past, and so
it must be again, as we shall see in chapter 12.
God's people will be accurately ascertained, measured
according to the Holy Temple they are as the body of Christ. The
Gentiles cannot rule over them so as to make them give up their
faith of Jesus and obedience to the commandments of God (see
Rev.14:12).
It is given for the Gentiles to rule the literal city of
God, Jerusalem, for the last 42 months of this age or 1260 days.
During that time, the Lord will have TWO witnesses LIVING and
PREACHING in Jerusalem. They are of old represented by the two
olive trees and the two candle sticks standing before God in
heaven. They have been there all along (from the distant past of
time) - see also Zechariah 4:3. We have seen in the letters of
Paul that God knew His plan for mankind before the earth came
into being. Jesus we saw had been called to do His salvation work
on this earth, before man was created, before the foundations of
the earth. See 1 Peter 1:18-20 for that truth.
The two olive trees and the two candlesticks in heaven have
pointed to the two witness that would come to Jerusalem, during
the last 42 months of this age (verses 1-4).
Now, notice the POWER these two witnesses will have. If
anyone tries to kill them, they will say the word and fire will
destroy their enemies. They will have the power to shut up heaven
so that it does not rain during the time of their prophecy and
preaching. They will have power over waters to turn them to
blood, and to smite the earth with plagues, as often as they see
necessary (verses 5,6).
All this going on in the hands of the two final open to the
world witnesses, as well as that which pertains to the opening of
the 6 seals we have been seeing. This last 42 months of history
for this age, will make any of the science-fiction movies of
Hollywood seem like Walt Disney cartoons.
When they shall have finished their work God sets before
them, the Beast power (with the man "beast" - military leader,
and the "false prophet" religious leader) of Europe will be
allowed to kill them. Their dead bodies will lay in the street of
Jerusalem, where our Lord was crucified (verses 7-8). Their
bodies will lay there for three and one half days, just so the
world can see them dead in the street (verse 9).
Look at verse 9 and 10! The DECEPTION the world will be in,
well nothing, will compare to it. You think we have great
deception today with Islam, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and
whatever else the world is deceived into following. The deception
in the last 42 months leading up to Christ's return, will be
WILD, just unmatched. You will have the two witnesses proclaiming
the truths of God, and performing GREAT MIRACLES, and when they
are finally killed, the people of the earth will REJOICE, make
merry, and SEND GIFTS to each other, because the torment they
plagued people with shall be over.
You talk about deception! This is the DEPTH of Satan's
deception. I suppose the "false prophet" will have deceived the
world into believing the Lord's two end-time witnesses to truth
and righteousness, will be from Satan, while he is from God.
Remember Revelations says the false prophet is able to work
miracles. The world will be TWISTED up-side-down. They will have
it all backwards. The religious power of the West will have
people believing the true saints of God are the heretics and from
Satan, while the religious/political Beast power is from God.
After three and one half days the two witnesses will be
raised up back to life again (verse 11) and yes, I guess great
fear will come on them that see it all happen.
Do not make the mistake of supposing that Jesus will come
AFTER three days and a half that the two witnesses are laying
dead in the street of Jerusalem. Do not make the mistake of
thinking the RESURRECTION to immortality takes place when the two
witnesses are raised up back to life. The verse DOES NOT SAY
THAT! Thy witnesses will have the Spirit of life in them, but the
Lord Jesus does not say it is immortal glorified life. So it
could be that the two witnesses will be raised back to flesh and
blood life ONLY. Yes, a voice does shout out for them to come up
to heaven, and they do, while their enemies behold it all. But
again, this may only be a physical miracle raising them into the
FIRST heaven only and carrying them away to where only the Lord
knows.
The last verses of the book of Daniel give us MORE than 1260
days. Daniel will STAND (be resurrected) at the END "of the days"
mentioned in verse 12 of chapter 12.
Be careful RIGHT TO THE END to not set dates! Jesus taught
us that NO ONE, not even He Himself, knows the DAY or HOUR of his
return to this planet earth.
At the same hour of these two witnesses being raised to
life, there will be a GREAT earthquake, and the tenth part of the
city fell (Jerusalem that is), and in that earthquake were slain
7,000 persons, and finally SOME gave glory to God.
We have come in verse 14 in the story flow, to the FINISH of
the SECOND WOE. ONE MORE IS TO YET COME!
Our story flow continues with verse 15 to 19. It is the
OVERVIEW of the SEVENTH TRUMPET, the THIRD WOE.
This is the long awaited for, SEVENTH AND LAST TRUMPET! The
long waited gloriously LAST TRUMPET, when the Kingdom of God is
to come to this earth, when Jesus is to return and the kingdoms
of this world shall become the KINGDOMS of our Lord, and of His
Christ, and shall REIGN for ever and ever (verse 15).
The 24 elders before the throne of God, got up from their
seats and "fell upon their faces, worshipping God; and saying:
'We give thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who is, and was, and is to
come; because you have used Your great power and has reigned. The
nations were angry, and Your wrath has come; and the time of the
dead that they should be judged, and that You should reward Your
servants and prophets, and those who fear Your name, small and
great; and should destroy those who are destroying the earth'"
(verses 16-18).
It is the time for the resurrection of the saints, the
children of God. The judgment and rewards given to the
resurrected sons and daughters of God are really the one and same
thing. I ask the reader to see my study called "The Truth about
Judgment Day." The Lord Jesus will come to make war and punish
those who are destroying the earth. This is the time when what
Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 will come to pass. You may
want to see that section again in this NT Bible Story.
At this time the Temple of God was opened in heaven, and
there was seen in the Temple the ark of His testament: and there
were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an earthquake, and
great hail (verse 19).
A mighty heavenly miracle taking place here, the wording
suggests that the opening of the Temple of God in heaven could be
seen by those on earth. That would indeed be a revealing and a
miracle.
We need to remember that this section of the Revelation, is
within the "story flow" but at the same time it is only an
"overview" of the LAST trumpet. The revelation of Jesus will in
coming passages, give us the full details of all that will happen
when this SEVENTH trumpet or THIRD woe takes place.
CHAPTER 12
A "woman" in prophecy can and often does, represent "a
church" (see chapter 19:7,8). Here in verse one, we are taken
back to Genesis 37:9-11. The time of Joseph, his brothers and his
mother and his father Jacob. That, for whatever reason is chosen
by God to start us into the history of the true "people of God"
or the woman Church of God (the true church from all ages is the
BRIDE of Christ when the wedding feast will take place - again
"woman" representing the bride church of Christ - Revelation
19:5-9).
The true church is with child, a VERY SPECIAL child indeed.
Then appears a great red dragon (interpreted for us in verse 9 -
the Devil or Satan), having seven heads and ten horns, and seven
crowns upon his head (explained in studies called "The Beasts of
Revelation"). Briefly, it is the seven Holy Roman Empires (one
more yet to come) and the 10 horns are the last 10 nation kings
to give their power and voice to the last (the 7th resurrection
of the Holy Roman Empire) "beast" man - political/military
leader, who will try to fight Christ at His coming - see
Revelation 17:12-15.
Satan the Devil in history past, drew a third of the "stars"
(representing angels) with him in his battle against God, which
took place sometime BEFORE what we read of in Genesis chapter
one. Those are inset words to clarify who this "red dragon" is.
Now we are brought to the historic time of the Devil dragon
standing before the woman Church of God, who was to give birth to
the special man child, and the dragon was ready to devour that
child as soon as it was born. This is the time of Christ's birth
to the woman Mary, who was a member of the woman true church. The
man child Jesus was born, the One who is to rule all nations with
a rod of iron (verses 3-5).
There can be no mistaking the meaning of all this. Satan had
all the children two years and under killed at the time of Jesus'
birth, in an attempt to kill the child Jesus. You'll remember
that from the Gospel story.
The child was caught up to God, and His throne (verse 5b).
We are brought forward to the resurrected Christ and Him
ascending to heaven to sit on the Father's right hand, and be our
interceding High Priest (the book of Hebrews covers that
important truth).
The woman true church, flees into the "wilderness" where she
has a "place" (singular - will explain why I give emphasis to
that in a moment) prepared for her by God, who will feed her in
safety, for 1260 days or day for a year = 1260 years. This was
fulfilled from the year 554 A.D. to 1814 A.D. That period of time
as covered in secular church history books (certainly the one I
have) was when the false woman church, ruled by Satan, the Holy
Roman Catholic church of the resurrected Holy Roman Empire, RULED
with MIGHT and dictatorial POWER. Again all explained in my
in-depth studies called "The Beasts of Revelation."
Now why do I give emphasis to "place" - singular. It is
because some in these days of the last decades of the 20th
century and the first decades of the 21st century, tell you that
the part of God's people who will find "protection" from death
and the Beast power, will find protection in ONE specific
location on this earth. They believe that somehow all God's true
children will be all taken to ONE specific place on earth (they
may not know where exactly, although some think they do) during
and for the whole 42 months period. They claim this because in
verse 14 of this chapter, the singular "place" is used for
protection of some of the people of God for 42 months, or time,
times, and half a time.
BUT.....we have seen the SINGULAR "place" is used in verse
6. And verse 6 in the story flow of this history of the true
church was 1260 years from 554 - 1844 A.D. And the facts of
church history prove without a doubt that God's true people WERE
**NOT** in just ONE location for all that length of time.
When the Roman Catholic church was reigning supreme during
that time period, God's people were in the wilderness of the
hills, the valleys, the mountains, ALL OVER EUROPE, BRITAIN, and
SOME even in the far Eastern nations, untouched by the Roman
Catholic church.
The singular word "place" does NOT MEAN in God's protective
plan for some of His children, just one specific location on this
earth. It did not during those 1260 years and it will not again,
when some of the Lord's people will be protected during the last
42 months of this age.
Such is the short-sighted reading of the Bible by some, who
will not look at the full context and see where God and history
prove "place" does not mean one specific geographical wilderness
area somewhere on this earth.
During that time period of 1260 years (verse 6) the people
of God were protected in the wilderness of MANY NATIONS on earth.
They went out into the hills, and the forests, the wild out of
the way places in their particular country where they lived. The
Christian church history books are full of that fact and truth!
We are moved forward in verse 7, to a time that is yet ahead
of us (as I write in 2007), a time when once more Satan and his
demon army will try to unseat the Almighty from His throne in
heaven. There will yet be an invisible "star wars" in heaven,
Michael and his angels will fight Satan and his army. The Devil
will not win, and no place he will have in heaven. He and his
army will be cast back down to this earth (verses 7-9).
At this time in the history of this planet, John hears aloud
voice in heaven saying:
"Now is come salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God,
and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is
cast down, who accuses them before our God day and night. And
they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of
their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death.
Therefore rejoice you heavens, and you that dwell in them. Woe to
the inhabiters of the earth and the sea! For the Devil is come
down unto you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has
but a short time" (verses 10-12).
Satan may accuse God's children day and night, but we have a
High Priest interceding for us day and night. We have the victory
through Christ, His blood, and His interceding work. The Devil,
after loosing this battle with Michael and the righteous angels,
will come to earth, and LOOK OUT as we say. This is the time of
the GREAT TRIBULATION spoken about by Jesus, the time when many
saints will be killed for their faith. A time when Satan will be
allowed through his Holy Roman Empire Beast power to destroy the
peoples of Israel and Judah, and kill many true Christians.
We are back in the time frame (during this outline of the
major events of the true Church of God) of the FIFTH SEAL - of
chapter 6. The time frame of the persecution of God's people (see
also Jesus' words in Matthew 24:9).
To the true church woman was given two wings of the eagle
(not literally see Exodus 19:4 and a past happening with similar
words - this is not some jet plane flight - Israel did not leave
Egypt on a jet plane).
She, the true church woman is given protection, she moves to
the wilderness once more, into her place (we've talked about the
singular "place" above, and it ain't what some want you to
believe), where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half
a time, for 42 months or three and one half years, during the
great tribulation and the day of the Lord.
The serpent, the Devil casts out of his mouth (gives
command) that his army flood of waters (people - see chapter
17:15), go after the woman, that she might be destroyed by
Satan's army. But God is mightier than the Devil, and causes the
"earth" (earthquakes or whatever) to swallow up the flood army of
men that Satan and his demons control (verses 13-16).
The dragon Devil .... he is angry, oh, indeed he is. He is
not allowed by God to touch the true church people that are in
the wilderness. But, Satan looks around and yes, he sees some of
the Lord's people are not in the wilderness, they are not
physically protected. They are some of the very same people, ones
who KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of God (which the 4th one will make
them stand out like a lighthouse on a hill), and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ - they will be living as Jesus lived,
and that will put a light on top of their lighthouse on a hill.
They will stand out, be easily seen and found.
Satan is allowed by the Lord to "make war" with the "remnant
of her seed." There will be an end-time, persecution and killing
of part of the very true Church of God.
This story flow of the major history of the True Church of
God, has brought us to the 5th SEAL or the killing of more saints
of God, before the visible return of Christ our Lord.
Some of the people of God will find and be granted
protection during the last 42 months of this age. Some will not
be granted protection and will have to give their lives up for
the faith once delivered to the saints.
You are NOT a less Christian, or an unworthier Christian
because you are not protected, but are chosen to die for THE
faith. The apostle Paul died for THE faith, so did the apostle
Peter, so did Stephen (Acts 6:8-15; 7:54-60) so did James (Acts
12:1-2). If you have to die for THE faith you will be in GOOD
COMPANY, VERY GOOD COMPANY INDEED!
....................
To be continued
 Chapter One hundred-thirty-eight:The REVELATION of Jesus Christ 
Chapters 13-15
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
This chapter is an INSET chapter. For the details of chapter
13 I refer the reader to my in-depth studies "The Beasts of
Daniel and Revelation" under the section called "Prophecy" on
this Website.
A few comments in passing.
The first 10 verses cover the ROMAN POLITICAL/MILITARY
power. It was a mighty WAR machine. It did die, was wounded to
death, but it arose again under a woman false church power. It
did BLASPHEME against God; the theology it taught was false and
in many ways blasphemous to God (verses 3,4,6).
It was a military/religious power that made WAR against the
true saints of God, and it killed many of them (verse 7). It also
ruled over many nations and peoples.
It will arise ONE more times, at the end of this age, it
will rule again for 42 months, and all who will not worship its
system will come under persecution. Only the very elect will not
be deceived (Mat.24:24).
Verses 11-18 focuses on the RELIGIOUS power of this Beast,
coming like a Lamb, looking and saying it represents Christ, but
shall in fact be governed by the dragon - Satan the Devil. It
will have a false prophet that will be able to work miracles. He
will make people worship this whole system. If they do not they
will be killed. A mark is put on the people, without it they
cannot buy or sell, cannot be a part of its society.
To put it in BLUNT and plain words. This is the HOLY ROMAN
EMPIRE, that arose, starting in 554 A.D. It was the might of a
military power governed and ruled by the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
It will RISE ONCE MORE at the end of this age, in Europe, as it
always has been a European power. The false prophet will be the
POPE. This risen Roman Empire of Europe, will, attack and destroy
the British Commonwealth of Nations and the United States of
America, and many other "Israelite" nations of the Western World.
It will for a SHORT TIME, rise quickly (when in full dress) and
will also bring about the last GREAT persecution of the true
saints of God.
Again, please study my studies called "The Beasts of Daniel
and Revelation" as well as other studies under the category
"Prophecy."
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
We are back once more to the major event of the sounding of
the SEVENTH AND LAST TRUMPET. So, this chapter is part of the
story flow, but is focussed on one main event.
We are taken to the wonderful event of that trumpet sound,
the RESURRECTION and JESUS with the saints ON THE MOUNT SION.
This could be a spiritual mount sion in the clouds or the literal
mount Sion at Jerusalem.
With Him are the 144,000 that were sealed earlier. They are
part that represents the whole. This type of Bible point is used
many times in Scripture. We know from many other verses on the
topic of the first resurrection and the coming of Jesus again to
earth, that there will be the saints resurrected and glorified
from all past ages, from Adam to this time of the Messiah's
coming in glory to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
The PART represents the WHOLE.
John hears a voice of many waters, the voice of a great
thunder, and the sound of harpers harping their harps. He hears
them sing a new song before the throne of heaven, before the four
beasts and the elders, but only the resurrected saints could
learn that song (the 144,000 is the part that represents the
whole).
Those in that resurrection are now with Christ, were the
ones who were not defiled with the false woman or women of false
Christianity - they are spiritual virgins - clean and pure from
spiritual fornication. They are the ones who follow the LAMB,
live by His faith, have Jesus living in them, and they are the
ones who have been willing to live by every word of God, to
follow His righteousness, to obey His commandments (verse 12).
They were then redeemed - bought by the blood of Christ, and
they are the very FIRST-FRUITS unto God and to the Lamb, Christ.
They stand before God as having no guile in their mouth and are
FAULTLESS before Him. (verses 2-6). See my study on "The Truth
about Judgment Day" and "Saved by Grace."
At this time, just before the 7 angels pouring out their 7
last plagues of chapter 15 and 16, there is an ANGEL to go forth
having the everlasting Gospel. This is where Jesus' words of
Mat.24:14 are fulfilled. Matthew 24:14 has nothing to do with any
human organization "getting the Gospel to the world" - no human
organization can compare with an ANGEL proclaiming to those who
dwell on the earth, to every nation, kindred, tongue and people,
the EVERLASTING GOSPEL!
The angel says:
"Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment
has come; and worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the
sea, and the fountains of waters."
Another angel follows saying:
"Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made
all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornications."
Babylon fell once, centuries ago, but there is to come an
end-time Babylon of the later chapters of Revelation. She is
Mystery Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations
of the earth (chapter 17:5-6). She has made the whole earth DRUNK
with her SPIRITUAL FORNICATIONS. There is fast approaching that
there will not be a nation on earth that is not drunk in some way
with the false teachings and customs of the ROMAN CATHOLIC
RELIGION. Most nations now observe Christ-mass, the 1st of
January, in one form or another. The "Christian" world has been
deceived into observing Sunday the first of day of the week,
instead of the 7th day of the fourth commandment of God. And on
and on it goes. Her daughters - the Protestants all have one or
more (mostly more) of her spiritual fornications. The end-time
BABYLON will FALL, we see that in Revelation 18 if you want to
read it now. We have seen in Revelation 9 and the 6th trumpet
sound, that the army from the EAST will have a large part in
destroying this European Babylon. Yes, it is time for you to read
chapter 18, let it all sink deep into your heart and mind. This
BABYLON OF ROMAN CATHOLIC EUROPE will FALL!!
By the time this angel of chapter 14:8 tells the rest of the
world that Babylon is fallen, IT WILL HAVE ALREADY FALLEN!
But this is not yet the final end of all the evil Satanic
falsehoods, the Babylon Beast power will still be in the Holy
Land, still have people and armies entrenched with its mind-set
and brainwashed by its philosophies and theology.
A third angel must sound its voice saying:
"If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark
in his forehead, or in his hand. The same shall drink of the
wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of
His indignation; and shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the
Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and
ever: and they shall have no rest day or night, who worship the
beast and his image, and whosoever receives his mark of his name.
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they who KEEP THE
COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND HAVE THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST" (verses
9-12).
This is the final warning to those still left on earth who
will NOT give up worshipping the Roman Europe Beast power and its
Roman Catholic religion.
The part about torment, fire, smoke ascending up forever, I
have covered in depth under the studies "Death - then What?
Once more in the last book of the New Testament, God makes
it clear that the true saints are those who KEEP His COMMANDMENTS
and who live by the very faith of Christ (faith OF Christ - see
Galatians 2:20).
Yes you Roman Catholics and Protestants, you need to REPENT
of NOT keeping the FOURTH commandment! It is plain to read what
it is in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. You need to COME OUT OF
BABYLON, with all of her other false practices and doctrines!
John then hears a voice from heaven saying:
"Write! Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord from
henceforth: Yes, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their
labors; and their works to follow them."
Jesus said that "By their works you shall know them." By the
way His followers live, as He lived (Gal.2:20 once more and
Phil.2:5) shall be the acid test of truth as opposed to falsehood
and error.
John then looks and in the time frame he sees the Son of man
in a cloud, having a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle.
Jesus is coming in the clouds, just as He left in clouds, so He
will come in like manner (Acts 1).
We are still seeing the major event of the sound of the
SEVENTH TRUMPET!
Another angels comes and with a loud voice to the One sat on
the cloud, he tells that One, whom is Jesus, to thrust His sickle
and reap, for the time has come for the reaping of the earth. And
He who sat on the cloud did just that - thrust His sickle and the
earth was reaped (verses 15-16).
This should remind you of the parables Jesus gave about
harvest, reaping, fish catching, and all that pertained to this
great event at the sound of the seventh and last trumpet. It's
time indeed now for those who are destroying the earth to be
destroyed.
Still yet another angel comes from out of the Temple in
heaven, he also having a sharp sickle (verse 17).
Then yet again, another angel comes from the altar in the
Temple. He has power over fire, and cries to the angel with the
sharp sickle, "Thrust in thy sickle, and gather the clusters of
the vine of the earth, for her grapes are ripe."
The angel thrusts in the sickle into the earth and gathers
the vine of the earth, and casts it into the great winepress of
the wrath of God. And the wine-press was trodden without the city
and blood came out of the wine-press, even unto the horses
bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs
(verses 18-20).
I have covered in detail the expounding of these last two
verses of chapter 14. I believe it is in my study "Armageddon and
the New Age."
Putting it in a nut-shell. See Joel 2:1,30; 3:1-2, 9-15;
Isa.63:1-4. A furlong is 606.5 feet, so 1,600 furlongs = 970,400
feet which is 183 miles. This distance takes you from Meggido to
Edom, to the end of the depression of the land. It is the last
battle, the famous battle of Armageddon (chapter 16:14-16 with
Zech.14). The armies of the Beast power and armies from the East
of Euphrates (chapter 16:12) will come together to fight Christ
on His return to earth. They will MELT away, Jesus will destroy
them by melting their skin from off their bones (Zech.14) and
their blood will flow for 183 miles from Meggido to Edom, south
of Jerusalem.
You talk about "space wars" - this will be one, but the
armies of human beings will have NO chance at victory. You think
about this. The events of what will happen are ALL WRITTEN in
this book of the Bible. The false prophet guiding the Europe
Babylon Mystery Roman Catholic religion, WILL BE ABLE TO READ ALL
THIS, in the Bible he claims to represent! AND HE AND THE ARMIES
HE LEADS WILL STILL TRY TO DEFEAT CHRIST!!
Talk about the DEPTHS of the DECEPTIONS of Satan the Devil.
This has got to be one of his deepest!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
We have been taken to ONE POINT of the SEVENTH TRUMPET, a
VERY important time frame for sure. It was the time frame of
Revelation
16:12-21.
Now we must go back a little, and have presented to us what
exactly leads up to chapter 16:14-16 and the reaping of the earth
in the battle at Armageddon.
John sees a sign in heaven, great and marvellous. Seven
angels having SEVEN LAST PLAGUES, for in them is the full
measure of the wrath of God finalized.
We are on the sea of glass, mingled with fire, the
resurrected saints (and those who got victory over the last great
Beast power, and all that it stood for in all its ways and
teachings and life practices) are ALL THERE. They have harps and
they sing the song of Moses (he will be there with them, maybe
leading them in the song), and the song of the Lamb (whatever
that is, Jesus will lead us to
sing it), saying:
"Great and marvellous are they works, Lord God Almighty; just and
true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear you, O
Lord, and glorify thy name? Thou only art holy; for all nations
shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made
manifest" (verse 1-4).
After that, John looks and the Temple of the Tabernacle of
the Testimony in heaven was opened (verse 5).
The SEVEN angels now come out of the temple, having the
SEVEN LAST PLAGUES. They are clothed in pure and white linen, and
are girded around the beast with a golden girdle.
It should now be clear to us that the SEVENTH TRUMPET is
made up of THE RESURRECTION of the saints and the SEVEN LAST
PLAGUES.
One of the four beasts around the throne of God, gives the
seven angels, seven vials full of the wrath of God, the one who
lives forever. The Temple then is filled with smoke from the
glory of God, and from His power. No one, angel, beasts, or
whatever is in heaven, was able then to enter the Temple, UNTIL
the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
We are now at the FINAL end of this age, and very soon we
will have the Kingdom of God on this earth, and the wonderful
1,000 year age shall be a reality, which the holy prophets have
told us about from the ages past.
........................
To be continued
NOTE:
If some of you are shocked at my saying the end-time Beast power,
the Babylon Mystery Religion, is the very Roman Catholic church,
the Papacy, I want you to know that just about all the OLD
Protestant Bible Commentaries, like Albert Barnes' "Notes on the
New Testament" all teach that very thing.
The Beasts of Daniel and Revelation #1How it all fits together by
Keith Hunt
KNOW THIS FIRST! "...THAT NO PROPHECY OF THE SCRIPTURE IS OF ANY
PRIVATE INTERPRETATION." 2 Peter 1:20.
ALL BIBLICAL SYMBOLS MUST BE INTERPRETED BY THE BIBLE - GOD GAVE
THE SYMBOLS ONLY HE CAN TELL US WHAT THEY MEAN.
THE GREAT IMAGE
Dan. 2:31,38
Head of Gold - Breast of Silver - Belly of Brass - Legs of Iron
v. 38
God tells us what this means - Nebuchadnezzar (v.28) and the
Babylonian empire is the head of gold.
v. 39.
Three more kingdoms to arise who would rule the earth--there have
only been four world ruling powers in history: 1. Babylon
2. Persia 3. Greece 4. Rome.
v. 41
The fourth kingdom was divided (two legs) - the Roman empire was
divided between Rome and Constantinople. See your history books.
v. 34
A STONE was cut out "without hand" (no human power) and smote the
image on its FEET and it was gone forever.
v. 35
The stone becomes a mountain and fills the WHOLE EARTH.
STONE - MOUNTAIN - EARTH? Can we put it together? Christ is
referred to as a stone (Mt.21:42,44, Eph.2:20, Acts 4:10, 11).
Mountain - God's house, His kingdom is referred to as a mountain.
(Jn.14:1-3, Isa.2:1-4).
Filling the earth--upon Christ's return God's kingdom will be
established on this earth.
(Mic.4:1-4; Isa.11; Zach.14).
v. 42
Also gives us the answer to v.34,35.
v. 44
The stone (Christ) smashes the feet and toes and then the God of
heaven sets up a kingdom.
There are ten toes on a pair of feet - Christ smashes the
TOES - plural - not toe, or last toe or tenth toe. He smashes the
FEET NOT FOOT (v.34). The toes represent kings (v.42 with 44).
In the days of THESE (plural) KINGS (plural), more than one, God
sets up his kingdom.
These kingdoms or kings of ten are all existing at the same
time - they are not (consecutive) one after the other, but
simultaneous, one with, alongside the other.
Christ smashes them--all at the same time.
Does God give us another scripture to prove this? Yes!
Rev.17:12-14
Ten kings unite to fight the LAMB; Christ is referred to as the
Lamb (Jn.1:29), He overcomes them.
Rev.19:11-21
Also describes this same time and event.
The toes on the feet of Daniel's image are the ten
kings - horns - of John's beast of Revelation 17.
Dan. 7:1-7 DANIEL'S FOUR BEASTS
v. 4
Like a LION with eagles wings.
v. 5
Like a BEAR - three ribs in its mouth.
v. 6
Like a LEOPARD - with four heads.
v. 7
Fourth beast - INDESCRIBABLE - very terrible. God interprets for
us.
v. 17
These beasts are four kings - they represent four kings.
v. 23
The fourth beast IS the FOURTH KINGDOM upon earth to rule the
earth. King and kingdom then are used interchangeably.
What does history tell us?
There have been ONLY FOUR world ruling empires! BABYLON (625-538
B.C.). A man's heart given it - Nebuchadnezzar was converted to
God (Dan.4:28-37). PERSIA (558-330 B.G.). Three ribs in its mouth
- it came to power by conquering three empires, Media, Lidia,
Babylon.
GREECE (333-330 B.C.). Four heads - the great king of this
empire, Alexander only reigned a few years and died. His empire
was divided into FOUR PARTS by four of his generals.
ROME (46 B.C.-476 A.D.approx.). It truly was strong with iron
teeth - it ruled and conquered and stamped under foot more people
and lands than the other three empires.
Dan. 7:7-8, DANIEL'S FOURTH BEAST TEN HORNS - AND LITTLE HORN
v. 7
The fourth beast was ROME as we have seen. Notice! IT the fourth
beast had ten horns.
v. 8
A LITTLE HORN comes up - notice AMONG them (among the ten horns),
yes, ALONGSIDE the ten horns.
v. 9
The expanse of TIME that the TOTAL HORNS endure
for (the ten horns and little horn) is until the ANCIENT OF DAY
DID SIT (cross ref. this with Rev. 1:13-18; 20:4, Dan.7:13-14;
Ps.90:2; 104:2), Christ sitting on His throne ruling this earth
(Lk.1:31-32; Zech.14:1-9; Rev.3:21; 2:26-27; Dan.7:13-14).
The horns represent kings or kingdoms - see Dan.8:20,21.
Ten kingdoms were to arise OUT OF the fourth beast and another
kingdom ALONGSIDE them - from the rising to fall was to last
until Christ returns to reign as king (see also v.20-22).
There is no history that states Rome was divided into ten pieces
upon its collapse, and the area of the old empire has NOT been
ruled by ten nations from its original fall until now. THESE ten
kingdoms are NOT SIMULTANEOUS BUT CONSECUTIVE. God makes it plain
in v.8.
Notice! It says three of the FIRST horns. If there is a first -
it
is number one- second is number two- third is number three, etc:
If we say the FIRST THREE runners in a race have pulled out, we
mean runners number one, two and three, not runners seven, eight
and nine.
If the FIRST THREE HORNS are plucked up then there is a fourth,
fifth, sixth, etc. IN THAT ORDER.
Does history show us that there were three consecutive powers
that arose to bring down and at that same time continue the Roman
rule?
Yes indeed!
"In 378 THE VISIGOTHS, angered by the oppression of imperial
governors, raised the standard of revolt. They overwhelmed a
Roman army at Adrianople and then marched westward into Italy.
In 410 under Alaric they captured and plundered Rome, later
moving on into southern Gaul." Western Civilization p.261 "In 455
ROME WAS SACKED BY THE VANDALS ... other Germanic nations also
made their way into Italy, and before the end of the fifth
century the Roman empire in the west had passed completely under
the domination of the Barbarians." Western Civilization p.261
"But in 493 ITALY WAS CONQUERED BY THE OSTROGOTHS under
Theodoric....until nearly the end of his reign of thirty-three
years, Theodoric gave Italy a more enlightened rule than the
country had known under many of the caesars...not until 552 was
the power of the Ostrogoths finally broken." Western Civilization
p.263.
The Lombards then held most of the peninsula under the rule of
semi-independent dukes until the late 8th century. Western
Civilization p.263.
Rome it would seem had finally been wounded to death. THREE HORNS
(kingdoms) had come and gone by 552 A.D. There are still SEVEN
HORNS left, and they must extend over a period of time that ENDS
when Christ returns.
The LITTLE HORN - WHO IS IT?
Here is what Daniel tells us about it:
1. It comes up AMONG or ALONGSIDE the other ten horns. It is in
existence at the same time as all the other horns, v.8.
2. It plucks up the first three horns- indicating that it does
not come to great power and influence until AFTER 552 A. (After
the Visigoths, Vandals and Ostrogoths had fallen.), v. 8.
3. It is likened to a MAN who speaks great things - indicating
that it has a man as a spokesman for itself, v. 8.
4. It continues until Christ returns, v. 9.
5. It comes out of the fourth beast (Rome), v. 7,8. So it is part
of and exists in the geographic area of the original Roman
Empire. It is Roman.
6. It makes war with or against the saints of God, v. 21,25.
7. It speaks against the most high (God) - it is blasphemous,
v.25.
8. It changes - it thinks "to change the times (of sacred feasts
and holy days) and the law..." Amplified Bible.
9. It continues in power and might for one specific length of
time, 1,260 years. (cross ref. v.25 with Rev.12:6,14 and Ezek.
4:3-5), v.25.
10.It is a horn - so it is a government - kingdom type empire,
v. 8
What in all history from Rome till now and beyond (for it must
exist at Christ's return) could answer to all of those ten
points. It must be something so large and powerful as to
be unmistakable in the history books. There HAS BEEN and IS only
ONE such power - THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH!!!
1. The Catholic Church itself and the Pope claims direct descent
from Peter (the apostle of Christ). It was therefore in existence
alongside the horns of v.8. It was already in existence before
the Visigoths, Vandals and Ostrogoths took power of Rome. See a
History of Christianity book.
2. The Catholic Church did not come to GREAT power and influence
until AFTER 552 A.D. after the first three horns had fallen.
3. It has a man - namely the Pope as its spokesman- he is the
voice of the Church - he claims to be God's representative on
earth- he claims infallibility at times.
4. The Catholic Church is still with us today with no sign of
dying out.
5. It is called Roman - its capital is Rome - the same city that
was the capital of the old pagan empire - it is living in the
same geographical location of the original Roman empire.
6. What Church or power has directly ordered or sanctioned other
people to death for being followers of Christ MORE THAN the
Catholic Church. See your history books.
7. The Priests are called "FATHER" Christ said nobody was to be
called in religious titles FATHER. It is God's name ONLY,
(Mt.23:9.). Doing so is speaking against the most high.
8. The Roman Church has done MORE than anyone to CHANGE the
seasons - it introduced CHRISTMAS, EASTER, ALL SOULS DAY
(HALLOWEEN),THE NEW YEAR, the present calendar we use, and many
other saints days - all derived from PAGANISM not God.
It changed the LAW of God - namely the fourth point of the law -
it changed it from the SEVENTH to the FIRST DAY.
See a book called "Christian Feasts and Customs" by Francis
Weiser at your library - it will open your eyes as to the
paganism in our Christianity.
9. From 554 A.D. to 1814 A.D. the Catholic Church had its biggest
"field day" as they say today. It ruled with great power, might
and prestige. From the fall of the Ostrogoths to the fall of the
Napoleon empire was 1,260 years.
10. The Roman Catholic Church is a government - it has offices,
ambassadors, representatives in all nations- it is not only
ecclesiastical in power it is also political in power-ruling and
guiding and influencing many a nation on this earth. The Roman
Catholic Church has been in EXISTENCE and ALONGSIDE the rise and
fall of each of these consecutive ten horns of the fourth beast
of Daniel 7.
The REMAINING SEVEN HORNS of Daniel chapter 7 tie in directly
with the first beast of Revelation chapters 13 and 17. The LITTLE
HORN of Daniel chapter 7 ties in directly with the second beast
of Revelation chapter 13.
FIRST BEAST OF REVELATION 13
v. 1
A beast rises out of the sea- Daniel sees his beasts rise out of
the sea (Dan.7:3.) These two chapters (Rev.13 and Dan.7) are
IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED.
v.2.
John sees one beast - like a leopard, bear and lion - the SAME
ANIMALS that Daniel saw in chap.7:3-6. Again this is too similar
not to be connected. One beast comprising the strongest part of
each of Daniel's beasts.
The dragon - Rev.12:3,9 - is Satan - this Beast is Satan's tool.
This one beast has seven heads and ten horns, (v. 1).
v. 3
We will come back to this later.
v. 4 This beast is a great war machine - the greatest war power
ever known.
Notice Dan.7:7 the fourth beast- dreadful and terrible - strong
exceedingly - iron teeth - devoured much. Dan.7:23- it devoured
the whole earth.
v. 5,6
This beast of Rev.13 also speaks great things and blasphemies
(comp. to Dan 7:8,25). In Daniel chapter 7 the fourth beast
speaks great things and words against God AFTER three horns were
plucked up - when only seven horns remained. This beast of John
also continues for 42 months- 1,260 days or years (God's month
only has 30 days or 360 days a year) (see Dan.7:25). AFTER three
horns were destroyed, Dan. 7:24,25.
v. 7
John's beast makes war with the saints - so does Daniel's. Dan
7:19-25. The similarities between John's beast (first one, and
Daniel's fourth beast) is striking.
It should be plain.
The beast that John sees coming up out of the sea IS the fourth
beast that Daniel sees coming out of the sea.
The Roman Empire swallowed up the empires of Babylon, Persia and
Greece - many of the pagan practices and customs or Rome can be
traced right back to Babylon, the first world empire.
John's beast is that of the Roman Empire mixed with the most
powerful aspects of the other three previous empires.
Daniel's fourth beast continues for 1,260 years after the first,
three horns are gone- when SEVEN HORNS were left.
John's beast continues 42 months or 1,260 years (a day for a year
Ezek.4:4) with seven heads and another ten horns.
Put it together:
Daniel's LAST SEVEN HORNS of the ROMAN EMPIRE are the SEVEN HEADS
of John's beast.
v. 3
ONE HEAD WOUNDED TO DEATH - the original head of Rome was finally
put to death (so it seemed to the world) in 476 A.D. (as the
history books give the date, which is only approximately) with
the fall of the third horn - the Ostrogoths, IT WAS HEALED - Rome
was resurrected, by Justinian in 554 A.D. and continued for 1,260
years (42 months) until 1814 A.D., the end of Napoleon's reign.
v.1
John's beast has ten horns (kingdoms) ten crowns (kings) -
compare this to Daniel 2:34,41-44. The iron part of Daniel's
image was the ROMAN EMPIRE - the ten toes are TOGETHER when
Christ destroys them at His return. Compare this with
Rev.17:12-14 - ten kings (kingdoms - crowns - horns) fight Christ
at return.
The ten horns or crowns of John's first beast of Rev.13 are the
ten nations, kings of Rev.17:12 and the ten toes of Daniel's
image.
John's beast of Rev.13 is the CIVIL part of the RESURRECTED ROMAN
EMPIRE AFTER 554 A.D. It is the last seven horns of Daniel's
fourth beast of Dan.7 and the FINAL ten kingdoms to join forces
to fight Christ upon His return.
Remember, John is MAINLY seeing the CIVIL-MILITARY power of the
continuing Roman empire in this first beast.
Notice v.4, who can make WAR with HIM- the Church of Rome never
went to war directly - the Church did not have an army of
soldiers- THIS BEAST DOES.
v. 7
The beast - the civil military power was the one to DO the
KILLING of true Christians- not the Church - it only sanctioned
it.
v. 8
Worship the beast - yes, many of the civil military rulers of
Rome
were worshipped as gods by the people - the whole empire WAS and
WILL BE looked upon by the people as DIVINE- God's instrument in
dealing with mankind.
JOHN'S SECOND BEAST OF REVELATION 13
v. 11
Two horns (a two fold government - Dan. 8:20-22). It LOOKS LIKE a
lamb (chap.14:1; Jn.1:29; Zech.14:3,4).
It looks like Christ, a representative of Christ, but it speaks
the things of a DRAGON (Rev.12:3,9). It is really a tool of Satan
the Devil.
v. 12
This beast causes all to worship the first beast - the Roman
Empire and its rulers were worshipped as gods.
v. 13
This beast does GREAT WONDERS - Christ said in Mt.24:24 that JUST
BEFORE His coming "...false Christ's and FALSE PROPHETS..." would
arise "...and shew great signs and WONDERS..." Notice the similar
language used.
This beast can make fire come down from heaven - he can PERFORM
MIRACLES.
Notice Rev.16:13, three unclean spirits go out of the DRAGON
(Satan chap.12:3,9), the BEAST (we'll see this later) and the
FALSE PROPHET; v.14 these spirits are demons - working MIRACLES.
In 2 Thes.2:3-9, Paul describes an INDIVIDUAL - a single person
called "...THAT MAN of sin...so that HE as God (claiming he IS or
he is GOD'S REPRESENTATIVE) sitteth in the temple of God..." v. 9
this individual comes "...after the working of Satan with all
POWER and SIGNS and lying WONDERS."
John sees what Paul saw, in I Jn. 2:18. He tells us there must
come ONE supreme ANTI-CHRIST in the last days, before the return
of Christ.
So we have Christ's statement in Mt.24:24 of MANY false prophets
doing SIGNS and WONDERS narrowed down to ONE supreme individual -
the man of sin as Paul calls him in 2.Thes.2 - the ANTI-CHRIST as
John calls him in I Jn. 2:18 - and a FALSE PROPHET as John calls
him in Rev.16:13,14.
v. 14
Let's let God nail it down for us - let's let the Bible interpret
itself.
Notice! This beast deceives people "...by the means of those
MIRACLES which he had power to do IN THE SIGHT OF THE BAST..."
Now, compare this with Rev.19:20, "and the beast was taken and
with him the FALSE PROPHET that wrought MIRACLE BEFORE HIM..."
And it goes on to say this false prophet DECEIVED people by those
MIRAGES - deceived those who received the MARK OF THE BEAST and
them who WORSHIPPED HIS IMAGE. The BEAST of Rev.13:11 also says
to those whom he deceives that they should make an IMAGE to the
beast and WORSHIP IT or be killed (v.14,15) AND he causes all to
receive a MARK OF THE BEAST (v.16,17).
The false prophet of Rev.19:20 is destroyed at Christ's return -
see v.11-20.
Paul's MAN OF SIN is also destroyed by Christ at His coming - 2
Thes,2:8.
Oh! Can we see! The beast of Rev.13:11, IS the FALSE PROPHET of
Rev.16:13,14 and Rev.19:20.
He is the SUPREME FALSE PROPHET of Christ's statement in
Mt.24:24.
He is the MAN OF SIN in 2 Thes.2.
He is the ANTI-CHRIST of John in I Jn.2:18.
What about the IMAGE and TWO HORNS. We must answer these now.
IMAGE- the Greek is "ikone" (a likeness, i.e. literally, statute,
profile, or figuratively, representation, resemblance. Strong's
Con.). Christ was the image of God (2 Cor.4:4), the same Greek
word is used.
This second beast says to the world there should be an IMAGE, a
LIKENESS, a RESEMBLANCE made to the beast which was wounded by a
sword and yet lived, that is to the first beast of Rev.13 - see
v. 3.
The first beast is the CIVIL MILITARY ROMAN EMPIRE after 554 A.D.
and up to the return of Christ.
The image must also have existed from 554 A.D.
To create a LIKENESS it must come from the original.
What in history comes from- has its origin in - is patterned
after the ROMAN EMPIRE - and is LARGE enough to engulf the world.
And to make, force people to worship it or be killed (v.15)?
Why,only the Church that comes from the SAME CITY as the old
empire - that calls itself by the SAME NAME - the Church that is
UNIVERSAL - that RULED with the civil military power over the
same geographical area - the Church that during the Middle Ages
FORCED people to be killed if they did not worship its way.
That Church - that likeness of the civil power beast - is the
ROMAN CATHOLIC (universal - that's what Catholic means)
CHURCH.
THE TWO HORNS - TWOFOLD GOVERNMENT
Many do not realize that the Roman Catholic Church has a twofold
Governmental system.
It is both ECCLESIASTICAL and CIVIL.
The Roman Church has a religious order from its Pope, Cardinals,
Bishops down to its Priests - it has a Church government. But it
also has a civil political organization - the Vatican city is a
state unto itself. The Church of Rome partakes with the
governments of this world. Christ said His followers would come
out of this world (Jn.17:14,16; Rom.12:2). It has offices and
embassies in countries around the world, much like civil nations
of this world have. Its form of Church organization comes from
the civil Roman empire, (see The Two Babylon by Hislop and
Babylon Mystery Religion by Woodrow).
It is more than significant that on certain occasions the Pope
wears a TWO HORNED MITRE.
The following is from the book Babylon Mystery Religion, p. 87.
"The mitre is seen in the accompanying sketch of Pope Paul
(I have not included any pictures in this study)as he delivered
his sermon on "peace" during his historic visit to the United
States in 1965. (The photo on page 92 also shows the Pope wearing
a highly decorated mitre of the same shape.)
As the noted writer Hislop puts it concerning the Papal mitre:
"...the two horned mitre, which the Pope wears when he sits on
the high altar at Rome and receives the adoration of the
Cardinals is the very mitre worn by Dagon, the fish-god, of the
Philistines and Babylonians."
..............
TO BE CONTINUED
The Beasts of Daniel and Revelation #2All about them!THE MARK OF THE BEAST
He - this second beast causes a MARK to be given
to - (Rev. 13 I 16).
1. Small or great people, rich or poor people, free or bond
(slaves, servants).
This MARK knows no class distinction - it is upon kings or
slaves.
2. This MARK is received either in the HAND - what you do
physically or in the FOREHEAD - what you believe mentally.
3. (v.17) This MARK effects being able to BUY or SELL - it
effects your job, or livelihood.
4. This MARK belongs to the FIRST BEAST but is forced upon people
by the SECOND BEAST.
The FIRST BEAST is the civil military ROMAN EMPIRE. The SECOND
BLAST is the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH with its head spokesman and
finally its greatest miracle working false prophet of all time.
What in history has the CATHOLIC CHURCH acquired from PAGAN ROME
to give and force people to accept - people of all walks of life
- that effect what they do physically (the hand) or what
they believe mentally (the forehead) - something that could very
well effect buying or selling. This MARK would be so worldwide
and so obvious to tell those who had it, and those who refused to
have it.
There is only ONE answer - SUNDAY observance - the first day of
the week as opposed to the seventh day. The keeping of Sunday as
the Sabbath of God has NO Biblical foundation whatever. The first
day of the week was observed by pagan Rome in B.C. times. The
Catholic Church adopted it from Rome and enforced it on the world
at the Council of Nicea in 321 A.D. See your history books.
Prophesying about the emergence of the CATHOLIC church, Daniel
was inspired to write,"And he shall speak words against the Most
High and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and THINK to
CHANGE the TIMES (of sacred feasts and holy days)and the LAW..."
(Dan.11:25, Amplified Bible).
The law of the SABBATH(4th point of the 10 commandments)was
CHANGED by the sanction of the Catholic church from SATURDAY to
SUNDAY.
The sacred feasts of God(as given in Lev.23) were CHANGED to
different dates and days or supplanted with other festivals of
PAGAN origin i.e. Easter in place of PASSOVER - ChristMass in
place of the FEAST OF TABERNACLES.
In a larger sense ALL of these false PAGAN days and festivals
constitute the MARK of the Roman empire, which the IMAGE of the
BEAST has caused ALL but the very elect of God to receive either
in their MIND (forehead) - what they mentally receive and honor
as truth AND/OR in their HAND - what they physically DO.
Those Who REFUSE to follow the 7th day Sabbath and festivals of
God have RECEIVED the MARK of the BEAST. He is a part of the
Pagan Roman empire - and unless REPENTANCE is forthcoming, will
suffer the WRATH of God (Rev.14:9,10).
THE NUMBER 666
(v. 17), The beast - this is the first beast - CIVIL MILITARY
ROMAN EMPIRE - has not only a MARK that brands people as
belonging to it, but also a NUMBER that identifies who this beast
is.
(v. 18), This number is also the number of a MAN - one SPECIFIC
individual.
The number of this MAN must also be the NAME of the BEAST. NOTE:
This number is NOT the number of a TITLE or OFFICE or RELIGIOUS
ORDER. It is the NUMBER of a MAN - a man that identifies the
beast - a man that gives his name to the beast, as it is also the
number of the beast's name.
If the beast (first beast of Rev.13) is the resurrected ROMAN
EMPIRE - can we find in history a man who gave his NAME to the
empire. Oh, indeed we can!
The founder of ROME and the ROMAN EMPIRE was a man - ROMULUS -
this is what the history books say on him:
Quote:
ROMULUS AND REMUS in Roman mythology, were twin brothers who
founded the city of Rome. The Romans considered Romulus their
first king.
According to tradition, Romulus and Remus were born in the
ancient Italian city of Alba Longa. King Numitor ruled Alba Longa
until Arnulius, his younger brother, deposed him. Amulius killed
Numitor's sons and forced Rhea Silvia, Numitor's daughter, to
become a Vestal Virgin. Vestal Virgins were priestesses who by
law had to remain virgins. Amulius hoped that Rhea Silvia's being
a Vestal Virgin would prevent her from bearing children who might
threaten his rule. But the god Mars seduced Rhea Silvia, and she
gave birth to Romulus and Remus. Amulius had Rhea Silvia executed
and ordered the babies placed in a basket and thrown into the
Tiber River.
After floating downstream, the twins were washed ashore. A female
wolf found the infants and nursed them. Romulus, Remus, and the
wolf became popular subjects for Roman artists. Several ancient
statues show the babies with their animal protector.
A shepherd named Faustulus discovered Romulus and Remus.
Faustulus and his wife raised the boys as their own children.
After the twins became young men, they learned their true
identity. They overthrew Amulius, killed him, and restored
Numitor to the throne.
Soon, Romulus and Remus set out to found their own city. However
the brothers quarrelled over the site where the city should be
built, so to settle the argument, they agreed that the one who
saw the largest number of vultures in flight should choose the
site. Romulus claimed he saw 12 vultures, which he declared was a
sign from the gods that his location was the proper one. Remus,
who saw only six vultures, thought his brother had cheated. After
Romulus began to build a wall around his chosen site, Remus
leaped over the ditch that was to hold the foundation of the
wall. As he did so, he mocked Romulus. For this act of
disloyalty, Remus was killed, either by Romulus himself or by one
of Romulus' followers. Romulus then became the sole ruler of the
city, which he named Rome, for himself.
Rome prospered, but only men lived there. To provide wives for
his subjects, Romulus had women kidnapped from the neighboring
Sabine tribe (see Sabine). Romulus was a wise and popular ruler
and a fine miliary leader. He expanded Rome until it became the
most powerful city in its region.
After reigning for 38 years, Romulus disappeared mysteriously
during a storm. According to a later Roman myth, he became the
god Quirinus.
C. Scott Littleto
See also Mythology (Roman Mythology); QUIRINUS
End Quote
The city of Rome was named after ROMULUS - the empire was named
after the capital city ROME - if you were part of that empire you
were a man of Rome - a ROMAN - a ROMULUS MAN.
We are told to COUNT - add up - the man - it will come to 666.
The New Testament was written in Greek - the Greek for
L is worth 30
A " " 1
T " " 300
E " " 5
I " " 10
N " " 50
0 " " 70
S " " 200
A total of 666!!
LATEINOS in Greek means "Latin Man" - a man of Italy - a man of
Rome - a Roman - a Romulus man.
ROMULUS in HEBREW (which the Old Testament was written in) is
Romiith - this also totals 666.
There is no question - what John sees as the FIRST BEAST of
Revelation 13 is the RESURRECTED CIVIL ROMAN EMPIRE after 554
A.D. - it is Daniel's fourth beast of Dan.7 after the first three
horns have gone.
The ten horns of John's beast of chapter 13 are the ten toes of
Daniel's image of Dan.2 and the ten kings of Rev.17 that will
fight Christ on His return.
The SECOND BEAST of John in Rev.13 is the LITTLE HORN of Daniel 7
- the PAPACY - the Roman Catholic Church - the IMAGE, the
spiritual image of the civil Roman empire - the Church that
caused people to be killed, that made war with the saints of God
if they did not worship it - the Church that has a man as its
eyes and mouth - a man that blasphemes the name of God, calling
himself "father". The Church - the beast that will finally bring
forth the greatest false prophet of all - the man of sin - the
antiChrist - the miracle worker - that Christ shall consume with
the spirit of His mouth upon returning to this earth.
The Catholic Church is the little horn that "thought" to CHANGE
THE LAW of God (Dan.7). It is the beast that caused the world to
receive a MARK - a mark derived from pagan Rome - SUNDAY
OBSERVANCE - it changed the FOURTH POINT of God's law, from the
SEVENTH DAY of the week to the FIRST DAY of the week. It CHANGED
the SACRED FEASTS and HOLY DAYS of God (as given in Lev.23) and
borrowed from PAGAN ROME the feasts of Easter, Christmas, Lent,
New Years, All Saints Day, Valentines Day, etc.
Rev.17 WOMAN SITTING UPON A BEAST
v. 1
Great whore - a woman prostitute sitting on MANY WATERS - people,
multitudes, nations, v. 15. She rules, guides MANY nations and
tongues.
v. 2
Kings have been part of her lewdness and the earth has been made
drunk - can't see straight, can't direct its path straight.
v. 3
A WOMAN - chapter 12.1-5, tells us a woman in prophecy represents
a CHURCH - the Church of God brought forth Jesus who is to rule
all nations when He returns, but is now on God's right hand in
heaven. See v.5-17 of chap. 12. This Church - woman, is a fallen
woman, a prostitute. She sits on a beast that - is red and:
1. blasphemes
2. has seven heads
3. and ten horns
Compare this to Rev.12:3 (Satan - red and seven heads and ten
horns) and Rev.13:1-5 - the beast of John has:
1. seven heads
2. ten horns
3. the dragon (Satan chap.12:3,9) controls
4: it blasphemes
The first beast of Rev.13 is the civil military power of the
resurrected Roman empire.
The beast that John sees here - the beast the woman or Church
rides and controls is the SAME BEAST - the Roman empire.
v. 4-6
Is a description of this woman - this Church.
1. Very rich and wealthy - serving abominations.
2. She is full of mystery derived from ancient Babylon - she
is the foremost proponent of great Babylon mysteries.
3. She is a mother - other Churches came out of her.
4. This Church is responsible for the killing of true
followers of God.
The second beast of Rev.13 also is responsible for killing anyone
who would not worship it.
This WOMAN and the SECOND BEAST of Rev.13 are the one and same -
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
1. There is no Church wealthier than the Roman Church.
2. Many of her doctrines and practices can not only be traced
back to Rome but can be found to ORIGINATE in Babylon - the first
world ruling empire (See The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop).
3. Which Church has been responsible for the martyrdom of
thousands of individuals who refused to worship its way?
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (see your history books).
The woman rode the entire beast with ALL of its seven heads and
ten horns.
What are these seven heads and ten horns? We shall see.
SEVEN HEADS AND TEN HORNS
v. 9
Seven heads are seven mountains.
A mountain represents KINGDOM (comp. Mic.4:1; Dan.2:34-35). See
also v.10. Kings with Dan.2:37-39. The woman sits on all seven of
these kingdoms. Are these kingdoms simultaneous or consecutive?
v.10
The answer is given - FIVE have gone - ONE is, (the time that
John sees this vision is when the sixth kingdom is in existence)
and ONE more is yet to come.
These kingdoms are consecutive.
Can we find in history at least five, possibly six kingdoms or
empires that arose OUT OF the old Roman empire - in the same
geographical area - and controlled or sanctioned by a woman - a
Church? Yes, indeed:
A history book titled "Western Civilization" by Edward McNall
Burns, gives us six and SIX ONLY (so far in our history) civil
church empires.
I will quote from the aforementioned book.
...............
TO BE CONTINUED
The Beasts of Daniel and Revelation #3The final understandingsFROM THE BOOK "WESTERN CIVILIZATION"
QUOTE:
THE RULE OF CHARLEMAGNE
.....As a matter of fact, it was Charlemagne's constant
intervention in religious affairs which led to the climax of his
whole career - his coronation as Roman Emperor by Pope Leo 3. Leo
had been in trouble for some time. Accused of being a tyrant and
a rake, he so aroused the indignation of the people of Rome that
in 799 they gave him a severe beating and forced him to flee from
the city, Struggling over the mountains to Germany, he implored
the aid of Charlemagne. The great king sent him back to Italy and
was instrumental in restoring him to the papal throne. On
christmas day, 800, as Charles knelt in prayer in St.Peter's
church the grateful Pope placed a crown on his head while the
assembled multitude hailed him as, "Augustus, crowned of God,
Great and pacific Emperor of the Romans"....The Carolingian
empire thus established was not conceived as the beginning of a
new state, but as a REVIVAL of the empire of the Caesars. the
grandeur of Rome was now held to be REBORN.....
THE EMPIRE OF OTTO THE GREAT
.....When the eastern branch of the Carolingian dynasty died out
in 911, the Germans returned to their ancient practice of
electing a king. Their first choice was Conrad of Franconia. He,
in turn, was succeeded by Henry 1, the founder of the Saxon
dynasty. The more famous member of this dynasty was henry's son,
Otto the Great who became king in 936. From the beginning of his
reign Otto apparently entertained ambitions of becoming something
more than a mere king in Germany. He had himself crowned at
Aachen, probably to convey the idea that he was rightful
successor of Charlemagne. Soon afterwards he intervened in
Italian affairs and assumed the title of King of the Lombards.
From this it was only a step to becoming involved with the
Papacy. In 961 Otto responded to an appeal from Pope John 7 for
protection against his enemies, and in January of the following
year he was rewarded by being crowned Roman Emperor. Although the
empire of Otto the Great was confined to Germany and Italy, there
was doubtless the belief in the mind of its founder that it would
eventually be enlarged, perhaps to embrace all of Latin
Christendom....
THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE OF
FREDERICK BARBAROSSA AND
FREDERICK 2
IN the twelfth century the crown of Otto the Great came into
possession of the Hohenstaufen family, whose most distinguished
representatives were Frederick Barbarossa and Frederick 2. Both
of these rulers were outspoken in asserting their claims to
imperial dignity. Frederick Barbarossa called the empire of
Germany and Italy the Holy Roman Empire on the theory that it was
a universal empire established directly by God and co-ordinate in
rank with the church.Frederick 2, who was king of Sicily and
southern Italy as well as Holy Roman Empire, was much more
interested in his southern kingdom than he was in Germany.
Nevertheless, he believed just as firmly as did his grandfather
Barbarossa in a universal empire as the highest secular power in
western Europe.....
THE CROWN OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
PASSES TO THE HAPSBURGS
Frederick 2 was no more successful than any of his predecessors
in increasing the power of the Holy Roman Empire. His great
mistake was his failure to enlist the support of the middle class
in the cities as the Capetian monarchs in France had done.
Without this it was impossible to break through the wall of papal
opposition. After Frederick died in 1250 the Popes proceeded to
annihilate the remaining members of the Hohenstaufen line. In
1273 Rudolf of Hapsburg was elected to the imperial throne, but
the Holy Roman Empire over which he and his descendants ruled was
seldom very powerful. When finally abolished in 1806 by Napoleon,
it was little more than a political fiction.....
NAPOLEON CROWNED. THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF THE EMPIRE
Though Napoleon was now an absolute monarch in nearly everything
but name, he still was not satisfied. In 1802 he obtained the
consent of the people to extend his term of office as First
Consul from ten years to life. All that then remained was to make
his position hereditary. In 1804 by another plebiscite he won
permission to convert the Consulate into an empire. Soon
afterwards in the midst of impressive ceremonies in the cathedral
of Notre Dame, he placed a crown upon his own head and assumed
the title of Napoleon 1.....He brought Pope Pius & all the way
from Rome to officiate at his coronation, though he was careful
to produce the impression that His Holiness was acting as the
mere agent of God and not as an international sovereign who could
create and depose the emperor.....Napoleon's work as a statesman
included many other changes in the political system of France.
For one thing, he restored the union between the Catholic church
and the state. In 1801 he signed a Concordat with the Pope, which
provided that bishops should be nominated by the First Consul and
that the salaries of the clergy should be paid by the government.
Even if the Catholic church did not regain the legal monopoly it
had enjoyed under the Old Regime, since other religions were also
to be tolerated, it was nevertheless placed in a position of
decided advantage and was thereby able to increase its power in
succeeding years. Not until 1905, when the Concordat of 1801 was
finally broken, was Catholicism again reduced to equality with
other faiths....
THE FASCIST REVOLUTION IN ITALY
MUSSOLINI'S CONTRADICTORY
IDEAS
Probably it is safe to say that Mussolini was never a radical by
sincere and reasoned conviction but was simply following the
inclinations of a rebellious nature. No man with a define
philosophy could have reversed himself so often.....
(1) TOTALITARIANISM.
The state incorporates every interest and every loyalty
of its members. There must be "nothing above the state, nothing
outside the state, nothing against the sate."....
(2) NATIONALISM
The nation is the highest form of society ever evolved
by the human race....Internationalism is therefore a gross
perversion of human progress. The nation must be made strong and
great, through self-sufficiency, a powerful army, and a rapidly
increasing birth rate.
(3) IDEALISM
The philosophy of Fascism was an idealist philosophy in
the sense that it renounced the materialistic interpretation of
history. The nation, according to Mussolini could become anything
it willed to become.....
(4) ROMANISM
Reason can never be an adequate instrument for the
solution of great national problems. Intellect needs to be
supplemented by mystic faith, by self-sacrifice, and by worship
of heroism and strength....
(5) AUTHORITARIANISM
The sovereignty of the state is absolute. The citizen
has no rights but simply duties. What the nation needs, is not
liberty, but work, order, prosperity.....
(6) MILITARISM
Strife is the origin of all things. Nations which do
not expand eventually wither and die. War exalts and ennobles man
and regenerates sluggish and decadent peoples.
No unprejudiced person would deny that the Fascist regime in
Italy had a few achievements to its credit, 1940, when Italy
entered World War 2, the government had reduced illiteracy,
effected what appeared to be a satisfactory settlement of the old
quarrel with the papacy, obliterated the Mafia, or Black Hand
organizations, in Sicily.....
THE NAZI TRIUMPH IN GERMANY
Germany succumbed to fascism much later than Italy, mainly for
the reason that forces of nationalism and militarism were
temporarily discredited as a result of defeat in World War 1....
By a treaty with Pius 11 in 1929 the Fascist government abrogated
the 1871 Law of Papal Guaranties and recognized the complete
independence of the Vatican City. The agreement also provided
that Roman Catholicism should be the official religion of the
state, that religious instruction should be given in the schools,
and that the laws of the church should be ENFORCED by the
government.....
1935. In the fall of that year Benito Mussolini sent an army to
invade ETHIOPIA. The Ethiopian king appealed to the Council of
the League of Nations, which was fortunately in session. With
promptness unusual under the circumstances, the Council branded
Italy as an aggressor and decided to apply economic sanctions
against her....further efforts to curb Italy were quietly
abandoned. In May, 1936, Mussolini completed his conquest of the
Lion of Judah and proclaimed the establishment of the Italian
Empire. With Mussolini so successful in flouting the regime of
international law and order, it could be expected that Hitler
would take a turn at winning victories by bold defiance. He began
by tearing up the disarmament provisions of the Treaty of
Versailles. In 1935 he publicly announced the revival of
conscription and the return to universal military training. By
threatening the creation of a huge air force he hoodwinked the
British into signing a naval agreement permitting Germany to
build was vessels up to 35 per cent of the strength of Britain's
navy. by the end of 1936 he had a conscript army of over 800,000
men and 108 naval vessels already built or under construction....
END QUOTES
You will have noticed that in May, 1936, Mussolini completed his
conquest of the Lion Of Judah and proclaimed the establishment of
the ITALIAN EMPIRE. You will have noticed part of his beliefs
were that he had ROMANTICISM as a must for his empire, Intellect
needs to be supplemented by "mystic faith< by self-sacrifice, and
by worship of heroism." IN patching things up with the Papacy
there was a treaty signed with Pope Pius 11, recognizing the
complete independence of the Vatican city, and provided that
Roman Catholicism should be the OFFICIAL RELIGION OF THE STATE,
that religious instruction should be given in the schools, and
the LAWS OF THE CHURCH should be ENFORCED by the GOVERNMENT!
MUSSOLINI had resurrected the 6TH HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE.
FIVE THAT WERE
1. Charlemagne 814 A.D.
2. Otto the Great 962 A.D.
3. Frederick 1180 A.D.
4. Rudolf of Hapsburg 1273 A.D.
5. Napoleon 1804 A.D.
The ONE that is - Mussolini 1929 (John sees this AS IF he was
living at the time of this sixth kingdom).
The ONE that is yet to be.
This is interpreted FOR US in v.12-14. The ten horns are the
seventh mountain. Ten kingdoms will arise in the SAME
geographical area of Europe as the other resurrected Holy
(Church) Roman Empires were.
They will UNITE as one nation giving their power into the hands
of ONE specific great civil military leader - called the beast
(see chap.19:20; 16:13-14; Dan.7:11).
This beast leader will have the help of a great false prophet
(chap.19:20; 16:13-14). THEY and the armies of these ten united
nations will fight Christ at His return.
This SEVENTH HOLY Roman Empire is NOW being formed in Europe. It
is now known as the "EUROPEAN COMMON MARKET". It was only
economical - it is NOW political, the FIRST EVER European
government was elected in June 1979. It has many MORE than ten
nations within it at present and more wanting to join. But by the
time Jesus is to return, it will be ONLY 10 NATIONS that will
unite under the beast man and false prophet to fight Christ as He
comes to earth. It will become also a religious empire - ruled by
the Catholic Church and its Pope - the antiChrist, man of sin,
the false prophet. It will be the most powerful military
"religious" empire of all time. The RC church has at present (in
2003, as I put this up on my Website) over 1 BILLION MEMBER
worldwide and ever increasing, that is ONE in every SIX person on
earth are Roman Catholic by religious faith!
This last revived, resurrected HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE will cause the
LAST martyrdom of saints, that we read about in Revelation
chapter 12.
Rev.18 - BABYLON
There was a LITERAL empire called BABYLON. There was a LITERAL
city called BABYLON. Shall we understand the Babylon of Rev.18 to
refer to a LITERAL city and a LITERAL empire? Let's compare
scripture with scripture.
v. 2
BABYLON IS FALLEN IS FALLEN - is fallen ONCE (the original city)
is fallen (again to fall) TWICE. The fall of Babylon for the
second time CANNOT be the ORIGINAL city because it was never to
be inhabited or built again (Isa.13:20), as it once was.
HABITATION OF DEVILS ... FOUL SPIRIT... CAGE OF ... UNCLEAN ...
BIRD.
Compare this with Isa.13:21. The language is similar for that of
original Babylon. But here is added "habitation of demons and
foul spirits." Now notice Rev.20:1-3. Satan is bound at some
location for a 1,000 years. Yes, he and his foul spirits will be
bound at this second modern Babylon which is yet to be destroyed
and become as the first Babylon.
v. 3
Compare with Rev.17:2. The language is unmistakably similar - we
have seen that the woman in Rev.17 is the great false Church, the
Catholic Church. Notice Rev.14:8 Babylon is called a great city -
all nations have been made drunk (spiritually) by her. The same
type of description. Rev.17:5 calls this Church mystery Babylon -
its practices must have a mysterious connection with the original
Babylon.
v. 5,6
Compare with Rev.16:18,19. A literal earthquake, thunder and
lightnings, literal cities of nations fall - the GREAT city -
great Babylon - must also be literal.
v. 16
We go over to this verse for a moment - compare it with Rev.
17:4. This great city and the woman of Rev.17 are the same.
v. 8-19
The kings - the merchants - the shipmasters, sailors that trade
by sea - shall stand AFAR OFF and shall see the SMOKE of her
BURNING. Now, if this Babylon is the "whole earth" how are many
kings, and merchants going to STAND AFAR OFF and bewail her
destruction - for everyone on the earth would be IN the down
fall, in the destruction?
If this Babylon is a "spiritual sin" how are some going to stand
afar off and SEE the SMOKE of her BURNING?
v. 23
This Babylon is responsible for DECEIVING the whole earth. Here
then is a power that is number one in God's eyes as a deceiver of
nations.
If something is responsible for deceiving something else, then
the deceiver is a TANGIBLE as the one BEING DECEIVED.
v. 49.
Notice! This Babylon is responsible for the death of saints - now
compare this with Rev.13:15 - the second beast of John causes
death on people who would not worship its way. The "little horn"
of Daniel 7:21,25 and 8:9-12 also makes war with the saints and
kills them.
What in history has been the greatest caster of truth to the
ground (Dan.8:12), the killer of true worshippers of God (Dan.
7:21,25), the speaker and magnifier against God (Dan.7:25; 8:11),
the prosperous and rich (Dan.8:12), the power that has preached
about the bridegroom and the bride (Rev.18:23)?
Only the civil religious Holy Roman Empire: The coming Babylon of
Revelation will be the LAST resurrection of the HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE
now forming in Europe - it will be the second Babylon of history.
And just as the original empire had a capital city (Babylon) so
too will the modern empire - the seat of all its sorceries -
the LITERAL city of Rome.
As you watch the developments in Europe, you are seeing the VERY
PROPHECIES of the Eternal God COMING TO PASS, right before your
eyes. I cannot tell you HOW LONG it will take for this LAST HOLY
ROMAN EMPIRE TO FORM AND TO FULFIL THE PROPHECIES OF THE BOOK OF
REVELATION AND DANIEL - BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT **WILL** COME
TO PASS AS GOD HAS WRITTEN, AND THEN JESUS WILL RETURN AND
ESTABLISH THE KINGDOM OF GOD ON EARTH FOR A GLORIOUS 1,000 YEARS
(please study by study called "Armageddon and the Age to Come").
...............
Written 1979
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment