Revelation 19:6-10 – The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Today, we view the final event before the Glorious Appearing of our Lord. This event happens in heaven. It is an event that is somewhat debated by scholars about who is involved and in what capacity, yet is a concept that should be fairly easily understood. This event has two parts: the Marriage of the Lamb, and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

The first thing that we should look at is the three elements of the Jewish marriage:

The first part is the betrothal. In this context, this takes place on earth during the church age. The second part is the marriage. This takes place in heaven after the Judgment Seat of Christ. The third part is the marriage feast. This takes place in heaven after the wedding.

Preparation for the Wedding

Revelation 19:6-9 – And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

Rejoice, because the wedding of the Lamb has come. This happens just before the Second Coming, as you will see in the next post. The Lamb of course is Jesus, and His wife is the church. The wife has made herself ready by accepting His gift of salvation, and because she made herself ready, she is clothed in clean, white linen. This represents the fact that we are made righteous by His blood. “Blessed are they who are called to the marriage supper”. Those who are called are the guests.

Does this all make sense? Did we all get a clear picture of what this is about? I didn’t think so. John doesn’t give us much information about the marriage supper does he? Why do you think that is? Because Jesus does the explaining and describing of His bride and guests for us, and gives us much information in two of His parables.

The Parable of the Marriage Feast

Matthew 22:1-14 – And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.  But when the king heard thereof,  he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  For many are called, but few are chosen.

The certain king is God. The son is Jesus. His servants are likely John the Baptist and the Prophets. Those who are bidden to the wedding are Israel. They rejected the first invitation to be the bride through rejecting the Messiah. They shed the blood of the prophets, and they didn’t listen to them about who their Messiah was going to be. They believed their Messiah would conquer their overlords and save them, when He actually came to save them from sin by suffering and dying. The other servants are the Apostles and their disciples, but again Israel rejected the invitation to the supper. 11 of the 12 apostles were charged to preach predominantly to Israel. That they made light of it means they ignored it and persecuted the other servants. They went back to their own business of serving a law that could only condemn and many of them martyred the servants. This refers to the stoning of Stephen and the execution of others who preached the Gospel of Jesus. When God “heard of this”, He sent forth Rome to destroy them and their city in 70 AD. The Jews completely lost claim of that land until 1948. Then God says that the wedding is ready but those He invited are not worthy, so we see that He invites others. The highways are the Gentiles. Those servants like Paul, Silas, and Timothy sent the invitations into the highways. The man without the wedding garment is those who are unsaved. The casting out into darkness refers to the eternal judgment of the sinners. They try to come because they have been invited, but they didn’t accept the wedding garment, the gift of salvation, supplied by the King. Jesus told us all this BEFORE He died…and we’ve seen it come to pass in every detail!

The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)

Matthew 25:1-13 – Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.  Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.  Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

The ten virgins are those who are called to be the bride. That they are virgins show their quality and the fact that they are untainted by evil by accepting salvation because they were betrothed to Christ. The number ten to the Jews represents a congregation. For example, there had to be at least ten Jews in a city for a Synagogue to be built…so this represents a large group of people. The five virgins with oil in their lamps represent the church. Their lamps were full of oil so that when the bridegroom came, they were ready. The five virgins without oil in their lamps are mainly Israel, but also can be the Tribulation Saints because they weren’t ready when He first came to call His bride. We know that this is the Rapture because He warns that they don’t know when the Bridegroom will come to take His bride. We do know though when He will return to rule with His bride. They didn’t have oil in their lamps and slept when He came because they weren’t ready for Him, or they weren’t saved. The time that the bridegroom tarried is the church age.

The Cast of Characters for the Supper

In a nutshell, the Bridegroom is Jesus, and the bride is the church (2 Corinthians 11:2, Ephesians 5:32). The guests are the Pre-Christ Israel (those who were justified by faith) and probably Tribulation martyrs. We know that the guests are the Pre-Christ saints because in John 3:29, John the Baptist, who was one of the last Old Testament saints, calls himself a friend of the bridegroom. The Old Testament saints will be in heaven and have their reward, but they are not the bride. The church has the special blessing of this title. These saints can only then be the special guests of the Bridegroom. There are many who believe that John the Baptist will be the “best man” of Christ at the wedding, and I tend to agree with this thought.

How does the bride make herself ready?

By doing what we saw a few weeks ago, living in preparation for the Judgment Seat by living as if Christ could Rapture the church at any moment.

On a side note, in Biblical times, marriage suppers could last for up to a week. It’s quite possible that this feast could carry over into the first days after the Glorious Appearing and the beginning events of that. Those who survive the Tribulation could end up being late coming guests of the Marriage Supper.

Next time, we will look at the Second Coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Until then…God Bless!!

Revelation 18:1-19:5 – The Destruction of Babylon

Last time we saw the final destruction of the one-world religion of the first half of the Tribulation, Mystery Babylon, and the final destruction of the Babylonian religious system, which is paganism. Today, we view the final and complete destruction of not only the commercial and governmental Babylon of the Tribulation, but the commercial and governmental Babylonian system that we live under even today. It is the first human government, the birth of all government, and has led to most of human suffering and oppression throughout history. It has been bent on world dominance through economics and power. Global dominance under the Antichrist will finally be achieved because God will finally allow it. He will allow it, only to show that it doesn’t work because it is of the devil, and destroy it once and for all. The fall of Babylon institutes a true, holy, perfect one-world government that will reign eternal; the Kingdom of Christ.

Why this is the literal city of Babylon

Some greatly respected scholars believe that this is a representation of the Babylonian system only, and the capitol of Antichrist will be either Rome or Jerusalem. I disagree for the following reasons:

1. Isaiah 13-14 and Jeremiah 50-51 describe the destruction of Babylon being at the time of the day of the Lord, which is the Tribulation. This is a double reference to the Medes conquering Babylon and the final destruction of Babylon at the end.
2. The ruins of Babylon have been used to construct other cities contrary to Jeremiah 51:26, “And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD.” It is reported that at least 6 cities have used some of the ruins of Babylon in their construction: Seleucia, Ctesiphon, Almaiden, Kufa, Hillah, and Baghdad. This fact demands that Babylon be rebuilt, because when God destroys it, it will be total, and nothing from it will ever be used again.
3. Jeremiah 51:8 & Isaiah 13:9 show us that Babylon will be suddenly destroyed on the day of the Lord. Jeremiah 51:8 – Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed… Isaiah 13:1 & 13 – The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see…Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. This has not yet happened. Babylon was suddenly CONQUERED by Medo-Persia, but not destroyed.
4. Isaiah 13:20 says Babylon’s ruins will never again be inhabited.
   “It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.” Today, the “Babylon” project is under way. Saddam Hussein spent billions of dollars during his reign to start rebuilding the city, and Antichrist will complete the project.

Another Angel

Revelation 18:1-3 – And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

The phrase “after these things” shows that this happens after the destruction of Mystery Babylon. Some very wise and respected scholars believe the prophecies are of the same thing. This is one reason they can’t be the same. “I saw another angel come down from heaven”, continues the theme of God’s plan for His angels during this time. Each angel has a specific duty and when they complete their duty, a different angel moves in place to fulfill another responsibility. This angel has great authority, so it seems that he is a higher ranking angel. This angel’s glory is so great it lights up the earth. Angels, being heavenly beings, a lot of times in Scripture have represented this great glory, (Exodus 24:16, Matthew 17:2, Luke 2:9, Acts 9:3) and this also shows the magnificence of this moment. His duty is to proclaim Babylon’s destruction. It is being destroyed because it is the home of all evil. All nations have joined in her evil commercially and religiously, the 10 kings have forced and committed to the worship of her, and the businesses of the earth have been made rich through her evil.

God’s Merciful Call

Revelation 18:4-5 – And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

We see that God will call his saints out of Babylon before its destruction. Apparently, there are saints who live in, or are just staying in, Babylon at this time for some reason. How they could survive there without the mark I do not know, but it is possible that some come during the 5^th bowl judgment to see the confusion during the darkness. Some could have had the mark forced on them by family members against their will, which would not condemn them for eternity. I simply don’t know for sure, but its possible either one or both of these are the case.

Now, to make this as simple as possible, I’m going to give you the rest of the chapter with verse numbers and ask you to refer back to them as needed, because to get a plain understanding we will need to skip around in the verses. I’m doing this in this way so that you can see what the Bible says in order, but we can look at the different things by subject.

Revelation 18:6 – Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.

(7) How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.

(8) Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

(9) And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

(10) Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

(11) And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

(12) The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

(13) And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

(14) And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

(15) The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

(16) And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

(17) For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

(18) And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

(19) And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.

(20) Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

(21) And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

(22) And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

(23) And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

(24) And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

Her Judgment (6-8, 10, 21)

The double portion shows full and final judgment. There is much pride in the city because she has glorified herself. Those who live there live in luxury (deliciously), and believe the city to be untouchable (shall see no sorrow). Her destruction will come quickly (in one day). It results in 3 things worldwide:

1. Death – The result of what will no longer come from Babylon (medicine, food, etc.)
2. Mourning – As we’ll see in a moment, there will be great sadness with its destruction.
3. Famine – Its destruction will cause another famine in the world. This famine will be fairly short because of how late this happens. It will probably literally be days before Christ’s return.

It will be destroyed by fire in one hour. An interesting fact is that Babylon’s ruins lie ten feet above a well of tar that may aide in its quick burning. The millstone cast into the sea represents the suddenness of its destruction. We are not given exact timing, so the timing will be sudden and surprising.

Those Who Mourn Over Her (9, 11)

The kings of the earth will mourn. They have worshipped the beast and have been made rich by the system, but they are not the only ones. All the businessmen of the world have also been made rich by her. The Babylon economic system is one who thinks of power and status as being a result of money. These men who have gained great riches and power because of the Antichrist’s kingdom will mourn greatly over its destruction. 

What Goods Babylon Supplies (12-14, 22-23)

Everything will go through, and come from, Babylon. All the world’s products, money, music and animals will be controlled by Babylon. This shows the fully socialistic system of Satan and the Antichrist. The complete control that they gain of religion, government, and economy will destroy the earth.

The Type of Mourning Over Babylon (15-19)

The prideful men will weep, wail, and cast dust on their heads. The people of the earth seem to know that there is nothing left. That is the problem with a socialist system. If everything goes through the government, when the government falls, the land is made desolate. That’s why Russia is in such a terrible place economically. Though there are some differences, socialism and communism have a similar economic structure. When communist Russia fell, so did its economy, and it will not be repaired any time soon.

The Heavens and Saints Rejoice

Revelation 18:20 – Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

Revelation 19:1-5 – And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.

Those in heaven will rejoice: apostles, prophets, angels, and all the rest of the saints. The Babylonian system was the cause of much bloodshed and martyrdom of the Apostles and Prophets, and the Lord has finally brought vengeance for them. Their blood has been laid and left in Babylon. The full charge of all that has happened to God’s people has been laid at the feet of Babylon. The vengeance for all of this is taken care of in one hour, but the smoke will rise forever which means that Babylon’s destruction is complete and eternal. God’s glory and judgment are then worshipped by all who serve Him. They worship and praise ay the destruction of the center of the evils of the world, Babylon.

Very rarely will you see just one reference to something in Scripture. Such is the case here. Take a look at what Isaiah says about this event nearly 700 years before John saw it. I will leave you with that picture, so until next time…God Bless!!

Isaiah 13:1-9 – The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

Revelation 17:1-18 – Mystery Babylon

As we reach chapters 17 & 18, we enter into another parenthetical section of Revelation. This section deals with the final destruction of both Babylon’s; religious and political/commercial. In chapter 17, we deal with religious Babylon. I have teased you many times about the one world religion that will be formed at the beginning of the Tribulation over the last few months. We have generally spoken of it during this time, but now we have the opportunity to see it in great detail. As you will see, some of the details I have already described…the death, resurrection, and indwelling of Antichrist; the ten kings and ten kingdoms established under Antichrist; and the one-world religion will be made completely clear in this chapter.

Revelation 17:1-6 – And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

The Angel

It is an angel with one of the seven bowls. These bowls are not brought out of the temple until the middle of the Tribulation which shows that this prophecy happens in the middle of the Tribulation. Since this prophecy is of the judgment and destruction of Mystery Babylon, its destruction comes at the middle the Tribulation.

In these first 6 verses, we are given great details about the two main characters of the first half of the Tribulation.

The Vision of the Woman

9 characteristics describe this woman:

1. The great whore
2. Who sits on many waters
3. With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication
4. And the people have also been drunk with her fornication
5. A woman sitting on a beast
6. Wearing purple, scarlet, precious stones, and pearls
7. She has a gold cup in her hand that is full of abomination
8. She has a name written on her forehead
9. Drunk with the blood of saints and martyrs

The Vision of the Beast

4 characteristics describe the beast:

1. Scarlet colored
2. Full of names of blasphemy
3. Has 7 heads and 10 horns
4. The prostitute rides it

Does this make any sense to you? Remember, when the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense. Since this really doesn’t make common sense, we should seek sense elsewhere. Luckily, we get a little help.

Revelation 17:7 – And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

The Beast

Revelation 17:8-11 – The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

This beast is the same as the beast in chapter 13, who we saw is the antichrist. That he was, and is not shows that he will be killed. After this he will ascend from the pit which likely means that Satan will resurrect him and indwell him. This will make him look like the Messiah, but he will be the false messiah. That he will go into perdition (destruction) shows that his end will be the Lake of Fire. Because of his death and resurrection (when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is), all those on the earth will marvel at him. Those who marvel have never, and will never, believe in Christ which is why their names are not written it the book of life from the foundation of the world.

The seven heads are seven mountains that the harlot sits on. These seven mountains describe the city of Rome because Rome is known as the city on seven hills (the Greek here is oros, which is better translated hill). This shows that she is based in the Roman Empire, which is the kingdom of Antichrist, though his capital is Babylon. There are seven kings of Rome mentioned here. These are the six kings (Emperors) who ruled in John’s lifetime, and the seventh is Antichrist. This is also easily described as; the five prior to 97 AD, and the one that ruled at that time (97 A.D.); then a seventh, which is Antichrist, because he has not yet come. He must continue a short space, which is 3 ½ years. Then will come an eighth beast, which is of the seventh. He is the indwelt Antichrist, who has absolute rule. After his reign he goes immediately into the Lake of Fire.

The Ten Horns

Revelation 17:12-14 – And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

The ten horns are ten kings. These are the same as the ten toes in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2, and the ten horns in Daniel 7 & Revelation 13. They receive kingdoms to rule under Antichrist. Antichrist, for the first 3 ½ years will be their head, but they will still have great power. At the middle of the Tribulation they give their power to him (believing him god) thus giving full world control to the antichrist. Remember though, they were not always unified. 3 will be “plucked” from their leadership and replaced (Daniel 7:8 & 24). Many believe these three will revolt at the opening of the second seal, leading to the war…which I think is a strong possibility. They will stand by and with Antichrist at the Second Coming of Jesus and attempt to defeat Him. Obviously, Christ will defeat them. Those with him are all the believers no longer living, who return with Him as his army.

The Whore

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

Generally, in Scripture, if it is not describing a specific person as a harlot or whore, it is using this term to describe a false religion. This whore is two things: a false, one-world religion that will be formed during the Tribulation, and the Babylonian religious system started under Nimrod (Genesis 10), which is idolatry and paganism. Nimrod was the grandson of Ham, Noah’s unworthy son, and the founder of Babel which became Babylon. It is his idolatry and attempt to build a giant tower of great renown that brought us false religion and multiple languages. His religious system is the ancestor of all false religion in the world.

That she sits on many waters shows that she will bring in all the many different people groups of the world forming this religion, therefore the entire world will be involved in this false religion. It also shows the dominance of her religious system over all men. With this false religion, she will attempt to deceive the whole world. When she can’t deceive the whole world, due to those who believe in Jesus, she will shed the blood of the saints (5^th seal judgment). The kings of the earth will condone her at the beginning, because they will commit fornication with her (v. 2). So, along with the Antichrist, and with the guidance of him, the 10 kings endorse this one-world faith and allow her to have great power. In fact, because she rides the beast, it shows that her power will be even greater than that of the antichrist. Those who follow her are made drunk by the fact that whatever you do and believe is okay, as long as you live under the banner of this religion. At the beginning, the Antichrist will allow her to control him as he gains support and power, and he will use her to unite the world in one religion. As the world is united under one religion and their gods are removed from those religions, it will be easier transition them into the worship of himself as God. When full control is gained by the Antichrist and kings, they will destroy the harlot. They will take her riches (desolate). They will take her power (naked). They will kill her (eat her flesh and burn her). This will be at the middle of the Tribulation, when the kings kill the leader of this religion. It is God’s will that the Babylonian religious system be destroyed forever at this point and we will see that never again will this system exist. This will give full power to the beast until the end.

At the middle of the Tribulation, there will be 3 assassinations: The murder of the leader of Mystery Babylon by the Ten Kings, the murder of the Two Witnesses by Antichrist, and the murder of the Antichrist by an unknown assailant. This will be a very dangerous and active time leading to the Great Tribulation. And as we saw the final destruction of the Babylonian religious system today, in the next post we will see the final destruction of the Babylonian commercial/governmental system. As we will see next time, God despises these so much that even in the Kingdom of Christ, no one will enter into the land Babylon to pass through it, let alone rebuild it. These are two of the most critical purposes of the Tribulation, to destroy the Babylonian systems that have utterly destroyed humanity since the flood.

One last thing we need to notice is that, though God allows the antichrist and Babylonian systems power…He is still in control, as always. HE put it in the hearts of the kings to destroy the whore, and they fulfill HIS will NOT their own! They fulfill HIS will to give their power to Antichrist, NOT their own will or Antichrist’s will. During this time, as during ALL times…God is in full control and knows exactly what He is doing.

Until next time…God bless!

Revelation 16:12-21 – The Bowls of Wrath (Part 2)

Last time, we looked at the first five bowl judgments, which again are the final judgments, the wrath of God poured out full strength. These judgments again are: ugly and painful sores upon those who receive the mark of the beast and worship his image, the seas are turned to blood killing every living thing in them, all fresh water being turned to blood which is the payment for the killing of the saints, the sun scorching men with fire, and the kingdom of the Antichrist being made dark. Now we see the final two bowls; one being a direct effect on the earth, the other (just as the other 7^th judgments) being a declaration in heaven. The difference though in this 7^th judgment is that there is also an effect on the earth.

The Sixth Bowl

Revelation 16:12 – And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

The sixth bowl judgment results in the drying up of the Euphrates River. The greatest and most prominent river in all of Scripture will be dried up in preparation for Armageddon. This river has stood as a natural barrier between east and west since the beginning of history. It is over 1800 miles long and even served as a barrier for the Roman Empire. They never went east of the Euphrates. During this time, those East of the Euphrates have been building their numbers at a staggering pace. It has been said that if you were to draw a circle 2000 miles around the island of Singapore, you would encompass 50% of the world’s population. Most inside of this circle are east of the Euphrates. China itself has a population of about 1.6 billion, whereas the world’s population is around 6 billion. These are staggering numbers, but as we’ll see, this has been part of God’s plan from the beginning. It will be dried up so that the kings of the east will be able to bring their armies across dry land. The kings of the east are the leaders of the oriental nations. Again, those nations east of the Euphrates make up nearly one half of the earth’s population. This will be a staggering army that comes across the great river. The phrase “kings of the east” is literally translated “kings from the sun-rising”.

The Three Unclean Spirits

Revelation 16:13-14 – And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

After this, three unclean, froglike spirits come from the mouths of the devil, the antichrist, and the false prophet. Remember, the Devil is indwelling the Antichrist so it will probably appear as two come from the Antichrist’s mouth. These froglike creatures are demons, because they have the spirits of devils. They will perform miracles and deceive the kings of the world into gathering at the place of the battle of that great day of God Almighty. It has been believed that these armies probably begin to gather in opposition to the Antichrist because they are losing faith in his power due to these judgments. The three spirits deceive them into coming to fight with Antichrist against Christ.

Christ’s Challenge

Revelation 16:15 – Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

This is a challenge to any saints still living at the end. He will come as a thief to the followers of Antichrist because they don’t believe. Those who follow Antichrist will at this point believe that if Jesus is real and does come, their “living god”, the Antichrist, and their vast army will easily defeat Him. That or Antichrist will have deceived them so greatly that they will not even believe in Jesus or His coming. Those who will be blessed are: He that watches (expects and awaits His return) and he that is clothed (spiritually prepared). Those who are naked are ashamed because they have not prepared themselves spiritually.

Armageddon

Revelation 16:16 – And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Antichrist will gather his armies at Mount Megiddo for the final battle. The “Battle of Armageddon” is a popular expression used to describe this final battle, but the proper name for it is “the battle of that great day of God Almighty”, because Armageddon is just one portion of this battle. The armies will gather in the Valley of Megiddo at the foot of the mountain. This area, aside from being one of the most fertile places on earth, has been the location of many important battles in the past, and was described by Napoleon as “the ideal battleground for all the armies of the world”. Most know of the prophecy of this battle, so why will the armies come? The only answer is the deceptive power of the froglike spirits.

The Seventh Bowl

Revelation 16:17-21 – And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

With the pouring of the final bowl, a voice will be heard from the temple in heaven saying, “It is done”! This will be most welcome because it signals the end of God’s wrath, and the end of Jacob’s trouble. God’s final judgment on the earth is the greatest earthquake in human history. This earthquake will be even greater than the “wrath of the Lamb” earthquake that was the 6^th seal judgment. Remember, that earthquake will move every mountain and island out of place. Along with this earthquake comes these things: Babylon will be split in three parts and faces the fullness of God’s wrath; The cities of the world will be destroyed; Every mountain and island will be gone, therefore God will flatten the earth in preparation for it to be rebuilt His 1000 year kingdom. (2 Peter 3:10); and hailstones weighing 60 to 100 pounds will fall upon those with the mark, not all of them, but many of them. They will continue to blaspheme God. Even after the Rapture, the two witnesses, and the 21 judgments; men will still curse God for His judgments, instead of worship Him. They had been given chance after chance to avoid God’s judgment, yet they chose Satan. Every person is given an opportunity to have their punishment taken by Jesus Christ by accepting Him as Savior. These men, by rejecting Him, decide to take their own punishment. The wages of sin is death, which is separation from God. This wage can be paid by the blood of Christ, or our own blood, but it must be paid. These men choose to take their own wage, and then curse God for giving them what they earn. This is a very sad commentary. These people, at the end, still can’t let go of their own pride that has cost them eternity.

If you are tired of doing this, just plain tired of running, please e-mail me at revolvearoundchrist@yahoo.com, so that I can give you information about salvation and pray for you.

Until next time…God Bless!

Revelation 16:1-11 – The Bowls of Wrath (Part 1)

The time for eternal decision has now come: Christ or Antichrist, God or Satan. As we look at the seven final judgments, the wrath of God poured out full strength, we are brought to Christ’s words in Matthew 24:21; “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be“. These last 42 months of the Tribulation (the Great Tribulation) will be the worst the world has, or ever will see. In these 42 months many violent and critical things will happen.

First, the Antichrist will be indwelt by Satan. As we have seen, he will have been killed and resurrected (probably after 3 days, because Satan counterfeits God) by Satan and Satan will indwell his body, which makes the resurrection possible. He then will desecrate the temple in Jerusalem, which is called the Abomination of Desolation, and stop all sacrifices (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15). He will probably desecrate it by sacrificing a pig on the altar of God, which is forbidden (Leviticus 4, 5, & 11). He then will sit on the throne and declare himself God (2 Thessalonians 2:4). By desecrating their temple, he breaks the seven year covenant with Israel that marked the beginning of the seven year Tribulation (Daniel 9:27). His temple desecration marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation. From this point, the antichrist will obsessively attempt to destroy the Jews, but they will flee to the wilderness to be protected by God until Christ’s return, which will cause him to unleash his wrath on the Gentile saints and other Jews not in the wilderness worldwide. After his initial attempt at the Jews fails, the False Prophet will be revealed. He will be revealed when he institutes the mark of the beast and forces everyone to worship the Antichrist and his image (a statue of him). No one will be able to buy or sell anything without this mark, and those who don’t take the mark will be beheaded. As terrible as all this sounds, it is nothing compared to what God has for those who choose their eternity separated from Him by taking the mark. There is no symbolism, no hidden meaning, just actual literal judgments poured out onto the earth. In fact, all of the judgments have parallels to either, the plagues of Egypt, the previous judgments, or both. Now that we have set the context of chapter 16, let’s see what God’s response is to these things that Antichrist and his false prophet have in store for the earth.

The Seven Bowls

Revelation 16:1 – And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.

The seven angels that came out of the temple in chapter 15 are now commanded to pour out their bowls on the earth. As we will see in verse 2, these judgments are only for the followers of the Antichrist, which shows that the 21 judgments are sequential and not overlapping as some think.

Revelation 16:2 – And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.     

The first judgment is ugly and painful sores that come upon only those who receive the mark of the beast and worship his image (both of which are required to not be killed by the blade). This judgment is pretty self explanatory; therefore we don’t need to elaborate. Notice that this judgment is similar to the boils that came with the sixth plague of Egypt (Exodus 9:9-11).

Revelation 16:3 – And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

With the pouring of the second bowl, the seas are turned to blood. This will kill EVERY living thing in the sea. Unlike the second trumpet judgment, in which 1/3 of the sea turned to blood, and 1/3 of its living creatures died, the second bowl judgment will kill everything and the whole sea will be turned to blood. Not only will it kill every living thing in the sea, but it will destroy all the ships. Ships use sea water to cool the engines, but since blood is so much thicker than water, it will destroy those engines when it gets pumped into them. Imagine, the stink of blood will be overwhelming, add onto that the smell of rotting creatures washing up on shore and creating diseases. Red colored beaches littered with dead sharks, whales, orcas, along with the small sea creatures. This also will affect the economy by making the seafood industry non-existent. It’s hard to think about, and this is only judgment number two of seven. Again, notice, this parallels the first Egyptian plague and the second trumpet judgment.

Revelation 16:4-7 – And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

With the pouring out of the third bowl, all fresh waters are turned to blood.
Why? Because they have shed the blood of saints and prophets! Because they have been so blood thirsty, God is quenching their thirst with blood to drink. God, in his righteousness, is giving them their just deserve. I think this is only temporary because the sixth bowl judgment describes the waters of the Euphrates. This, like the second bowl, also parallels the first Egyptian plague.

Revelation 16:8-9 – And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

With the fourth bowl, men are scorched by the sun’s heat. The sun, in the fourth trumpet judgment, was darkened by one-third. Now, either the two-thirds that are left are given this power, or that judgment was a temporary judgment. Men will get so hot during this time that they will burn up and die. This will be very critical for the Tribulation Saints because they will have the ability to do things during the day. Also, I think that this will possibly affect all of nature. The bloody seas and rivers will likely boil, animals will also likely be killed or go into hiding, and plants will likely burn up. These are possibilities, but the known fact is the affect it will have on man. This, again, parallels the fourth trumpet by being the opposite of it.

You would think that this would cause all men to regret their decision and at least acknowledge God, and cause those undecided to decide for Christ, but that’s not the case. They will not repent or give him glory. Like Pharaoh, the hearts of these people are so hardened and they are so deceived, that they look for any explanation other than God for these tragedies.

Revelation 16:10-11 – And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

With the fifth bowl, Antichrist’s capital is covered in darkness. It will be poured upon the seat of the beast, and as we have and will see, His kingdom will be the rebuilt Babylon (Revelation 17 & 18). It will be so dark that people will be able to see nothing…not even their own hand in front of their face; nothing. Some think that electricity will help but I disagree, I think that God will not allow even that to work. Complete darkness is annoying and frustrating, but lights help us to easily deal with it. Have you ever gone crazy due to having to keep the lights on for long periods. I don’t think lighted rooms would cause men to gnaw their tongues in agony. The darkness will be so long and pervasive that people will gnaw on their tongues. It will cause so much fear, pain, and agony that people will virtually go crazy. This judgment parallels the ninth Egyptian plague, and the fourth trumpet judgment.

They will finally acknowledge these things as the work of God. Instead of repenting, they curse him because of the sores (1^st bowl) and the darkness, and still refuse to repent.

The final two judgments go into a lot of detail and require a lot of time to discuss, so we’ll save those for the next post.

Until then…God Bless!

Revelation 15:1-8 – Preparing for the Final Judgment

Chapter 15 shows the preparation of God for the final 3 ½ years of the sinful earth. This is by far the most troublesome and intense time in human history, and as you will see is no little matter for God as well.

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

Another Glimpse of Heaven

Again figuring out the location of the event is paramount to understanding the book of Revelation, so we see that this is a scene in heaven. He saw another sign. The word another relates to the previous to signs in chapter 12: the Sun-Clad Woman (Israel), and the Great Red Dragon (Satan). This sign is described as great and marvelous. This means that it is the most significant of all the signs revealed to this point. Though the word “wonder” (sign) in chapter 12 was a key word in figuring out that the Sun-Clad Woman and the Great Red Dragon were symbolic, we can’t say that this is immediately symbolic just because the word “sign” is used. Again, when the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense. As we will see, this makes perfect sense and therefore should be taken literally. For example; in Matthew 12:38-40, Jesus talks about the sign of the prophet Jonah, and how Jonah spending three days in the belly of the whale represented the three days Jesus would spend in the grave. The word “sign” means “symbol of revelation” which is an event that conveys a truth or principle that God wants us to understand, sometimes literally and sometimes symbolically (but the symbolism can be referred back to somewhere in Scripture as it did in chapter 12). As we saw in Revelation 8:2, we see here seven angels set to deliver seven plagues. What we will see as we continue to read the rest of the book, these are the last plagues. These are the full wrath of God. These are the wine of the wrath of God poured without mixture into the cup of his indignation that we just saw in Revelation 14:10. I think it’s safe to say that the cup of His indignation is separated into these seven bowls that the angels will be given. As we will see in chapter 16, these are by far the worst of the 21 judgments.

Revelation 15:2 – And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

The Saints of Victory

He saw a sea of glass mixed with fire. This is the same sea in Chapter 4 which probably represents the saints at rest. That it is mixed with fire probably represents 2 things: the judgment coming from the persecution of these saints, and/or the trial of fire that these saints endured from the Tribulation. Standing on this sea are those who had victory over the beast. This is a picture of those who have and will suffer under the persecution from both Babylon’s (religious and political). These people are victorious in death because they made a decision to trust Christ and reject Antichrist. Death is victory for a believer (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). We have victory over death and the law through Jesus. People might think that dying with nothing is defeat, but they don’t realize that death with everything in this world but nothing in heaven is the true defeat. These people who die under the blade of the Antichrist will have great blessings in heaven, one of which being the martyrs crown (James 1:12, Revelation 2:10). This will provide them with a special position of authority in the Millennium and eternity.

Revelation 15:3-4 – And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

The Song of Moses and the Lamb

They had harps of God which shows that these are people who are actively involved in the praise and worship of God. They sing the song of Moses and the Lamb, but this doesn’t mean that they are strictly of Israel; but rather this is a song of victory over enemies (Exodus 15:1-21). This song was sung after God parted the Red Sea so that Israel could escape Pharaoh, then consumed Pharaoh’s army by closing the sea. After that, Moses led Israel in the song that is Exodus 15. Like the brutal Pharaoh, the Antichrist will seem to have put the saints in a hopeless situation, but they will have victory in the presence of God. In a time in which there is a lot of debate and confusion of who Jesus really is; God, lesser god, or man, we see in this song that He is truly God, and worshiped in that fashion. In this song, attributes only posessable by God are used to describe Him.

1. “Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty;” – Creation
2. “Just and true are your ways” – Justice
3. “Thou King of Saints. Who shall not fear thee Lord, and glorify thy name?” – Object of worship.
4. “For thou only art holy:” – Holiness
5. “All nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.” – Omnipotence

The two songs combined reveal that Christ is God, as they are singing a song about Christ and God as one song.

Revelation 15:5 – And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

The temple of the tabernacle is the Holy of Holies, or the dwelling place of God. The testimony is seen in the Ark of the Covenant of the Old Testament because: God has always kept His covenants, which are the true testimony of God, and the one on earth are the same as the ones in heaven. This temple of the tabernacle was opened for John to look inside.

Revelation 15:6-8 – And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

The work of the Seven Angels

They come from the temple so they have access to the presence of God. In the earthly temple, no one was given this access but the High Priest once a year, and only after an intense procedure of righteousness (Leviticus 16). That they are wearing pure and white represents their holiness, and the golden girdles represent rank. They deliver the seven plagues that are about to come to the earth. They are given seven bowls by one of the elders which are full of the final judgments, God’s full wrath. After this, no created being will have access to God’s presence. Smoke is a symbol of divine presence.

As we will see in chapter 16, God’s wrath is not something to be ignored or messed with. But why after all this time? Why has God seemingly restrained His judgment and wrath for nearly 2000 years? As we see the opening of the Great Tribulation, let’s look at the reasons based on scripture why God is allowing this to all happen. The full purpose probably won’t be known to us until we reach heaven, but let’s look at four reasons clearly revealed to us.

1. To introduce a revival of souls no man can number under 144,000 witnesses.
2. To destroy the wicked followers of Antichrist so they can’t pollute the minds of the undecided.
3. To break the stubborn will of Israel, causing them to repent for their rejection of Jesus.
4. To shake the human sense of security and cause them to look toward Him.

In chapter 16, we will see the beginning of the end for Satan, his world kingdom, and the full reign of Antichrist as king of the earth.

Until then…God Bless!!

Revelation 14:6-20 – The Messages of the Angels

As we continue now in chapter 14, we see at the midpoint of the seven year Tribulation (which is the beginning of the Great Tribulation), that three angels carry messages for those on the earth. These are very important, and somewhat unique, messages that these angels carry. These messages, as we will see, provide great promises and warnings to those who inhabit the earth.

The First Angel

Revelation 14:6-7 – And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

This angel has the everlasting gospel. This is the same gospel that we preach today because there is only one gospel. The gospel that this angel has has only one difference…the angel proclaims that the hour of God’s judgment has come. We now can only honestly say that it is coming soon. We declare that God will judge the world at some point, and to those who don’t believe it seems an empty “threat”. At this point, those on the earth will have seen: millions of people vanish into thin air, 14 judgments 7 of which are visibly supernatural, 2 supernatural witnesses preach for 3 ½ years only be killed and then resurrected, and a man come to world dominance and be killed and resurrected. You would think the entire world would already believe the everlasting gospel, but they don’t. They will not heed the message of this angel, and they will worship the Antichrist. That the angel will declare the gospel to them that dwell on the earth shows that this angel will definitely be heard on the earth and even probably seen. Now, is there something unusual about what is happening here? Yes! It has always been man’s job to declare the gospel, not angels. Nowhere in Scripture will you find angels being sent to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. That has been the call of man. We are called to preach the gospel to all nations, and the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to the hearts of those nations. Angels are never seen in that process. Why now? Why would God after 2000 years suddenly send an angel to declare the gospel? This shows the desperation of the times. God is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). During the first 3 ½ years, we saw with the fifth trumpet judgment that a great persecution started against the Tribulation Saints. Now, the Antichrist is in full control with the False Prophet forcing everyone to take the mark and worship the image of Antichrist. If you are caught without the mark and refuse it, you will be beheaded. The people of this time will be underground and refuse to take the mark and will not be readily able to preach the gospel. Because God is willing that no one should perish, He uses an alternate means to reach as many will accept. That is why this angel is declaring the gospel in man’s place. He also declares the gospel to the whole world. Some think that this shows a worldwide language, but I don’t think there will be enough time to establish that. I believe that God will allow all man to understand this angel in their own tongue no matter what language he speaks. With the gospel, as always, He calls the world to worship God and God alone. Many, though, will have already bowed a knee to Antichrist and taken his mark…condemning them for all of eternity. Even after this angel declares the gospel, many more will follow others into destruction.

The Second Angel

Revelation 14:8 – And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

This second angel is declaring the fall of Babylon. As we will see in chapters 17 & 18, there are two Babylon’s described in Scripture known as “Babylon the Great”. One is the literal city of Babylon that will be rebuilt by Antichrist and made the capital of the world. The other is the “great whore” or “Mystery Babylon” which is the one world religion that dominates the beast in the first half of the Tribulation. This declaration seems to be of the fall of the religious Babylon of the first half of the Tribulation because the timing of this is at the midpoint of the Tribulation. At the midpoint of the Tribulation, the Antichrist will throw the great whore that has been riding on his back, or in other words, controlling him. This will allow the worship of him as god to be established as the new one world religion. This declaration is so important, I believe, because this angel is declaring that the time for eternal decision is upon them: Christ or Antichrist. This decision is final, and “not making” one by not accepting Christ or the mark is still choosing Antichrist. The wrath of her fornication refers to those who have persecuted the saints and followed the false religion throughout history, starting with Nimrod (the founder of Babylon and false religion) and continuing to all who have followed paganism throughout history in the Babylonian mentality of rebellion against God. They will face the wrath of God for doing this.

The Third Angel

Revelation 14:9-11 – And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, 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 wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he 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 ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

This angel is declaring eternal judgment for those who follow Antichrist. They will receive the full wrath of God. God will have given them opportunity after opportunity, yet they still reject Him. Is it any wonder He will pour out His entire wrath? Is it any wonder He will be indignant? These people that He created, loved, died for, and showed grace to will flat out reject Him and align themselves with Satan. They will become the embodiment of evil, selfishness, and pride. We see God’s judgment and wrath throughout scripture, and mostly it is diluted with grace. Not for those who would receive the mark and worship the image. They will be tormented with fire and brimstone, which speaks of Hell, and eventually the Lake of Fire. They will be in the presence of holiness during this torment. I think that those who rejected Christ in their life will have to look upon the one they rejected for eternity which will produce shame. They will have to see the God that wasn’t ashamed of them, and showed them by coming to die for them. Those men, who had too much pride, fear, and shame to believe, will suffer for these with shame for eternity. Some would have us believe that there is no Hell or eternal torment. They say that a loving God would not torment His creation. They say there is Heaven or annihilation…or even that all will go to heaven. I wish I could say that. I wish I could say that those in hell would be there for a time and be burnt up and forever forgotten. By the authority of Scripture, I can’t honestly say that. Ask any scientist and they will tell you that annihilation is physically impossible. Matter is always there whether its result is or not. Even when something decays to the point it seems like it’s completely gone, its matter is still there. The same goes for the human soul. It is always there. This is just one of many places that we see eternal judgment.

The Blessing of the Saints

Revelation 14:12-13 – Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

The saints will receive great reward for three things:

1. Patience – Enduring the persecution that comes at them during this time. It won’t be just ridicule from friends and citizens, but a hunting down and execution by government and people.
2. Keeping God’s commands – These are good, just people who love Christ. Jesus said in John 14:15, “if you love me you will keep my commandments”. These faithful men and women do, and will pay the price for it.
3. Faith in Jesus – They will remain steadfast to death.

These saints describe here are all the Tribulation martyrs. They not only die in the Lord, but for the Lord. Their reward is rest and eternal reward. Rest from their labors is true peace. That their works will follow them shows that they, as martyrs and people who remained faithful in the worst period of history, will receive a special reward. This confirms Jesus’ command to work for eternal rewards that can’t be taken or destroyed (Matthew 6:20).

The Harvest of the Earth

Revelation 14:14-20 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

This is a prediction of Armageddon, and the other battles that will happen on the Great Day of God Almighty. A sickle is an instrument used for harvesting and represents judgment. The harvest is ripe because the earth is ready for its final judgment. The clusters of the vine are unbelievers. The winepress of the wrath of God is his wrath poured out full strength as it is described above.

We will study this more in depth when we reach the full description and timing of this battle. But here, the message is clear; from this point until the end, God’s wrath will be fully seen and felt by the beast and his followers. Those who don’t though, will receive eternal reward and blessings for their faithfulness.

Until next time…God Bless!

Revelation 14:1-5 – Another 144,000

As we move into the first section of chapter 14, we come to a very awesome, yet somewhat debated section of Scripture about another group of 144,000.

Revelation 14:1-5 – And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Here is the traditional view of most scholars:

1. The Lamb is Christ
2. Mount Zion is either in the Millennial Jerusalem or eternity’s New Jerusalem.
3. These are the same 144,000 as in chapter 7.
4. That they are the first fruits means that they were among the first martyrs of the Tribulation.

There is also a different view that I have sought the Holy Spirit about and studied intensely. You as always are encouraged to seek God in this and formulate an opinion based on where the Holy Spirit leads you. I am going to give and explain to you my opinion compared to those scholars, whom I have great respect for, and their opinion of these 144,000. I think that you will see that my opinion leaves fewer questions than theirs.

Again as we look into this section, it is imperative that we identify the scene of activity and whether it is in Heaven or on the earth. Since this, as we have seen and will continue to see in the next sections of this chapter, is still in the middle of the Tribulation, it must be in Heaven. Here’s why:

1. The Lamb is indeed Jesus Christ. He stood on Mount Zion. Since this is still the Tribulation, it can only be the Mount Zion in earthly Jerusalem, or heavenly Jerusalem. Since Jesus does not return to the earth until the end of the Tribulation, this must be heavenly Mount Zion. Also, in verse 3, they sing a new song before the throne, the four beasts, and the elders. These are the same beasts and elders from chapter 4, which is a scene of Heaven.
2. With Him are 144,000 with God’s name written on their foreheads. These 144,000 are in Heaven because they are with Him.

Here are the comparisons of the two groups of 144,000:

In chapter 7, verses 1-3, we have a scene on Earth, whereas here in chapter 14, we have a scene in heaven. In verse 3 of chapter 7, the Servants of God are sealed on their foreheads, whereas here in chapter 14, they have God’s name written on their foreheads. In both chapters, there are 144,000 people described. In chapter 7, they are specifically 144,000 of all the tribes of Israel (12,000 from each tribe. Here in chapter 14, they are described simply as redeemed from the earth among men (verses 3 and 4), which typically refers to Gentiles in Scripture. That is where the similarities end. This group has special characteristics that we do not see in the 144,000 Jewish witnesses of chapter 7. These 144,000 in chapter 14; sing a new song before the throne, they are not defiled with women and are virgins, they follow Christ everywhere He goes, they are the first fruits to God and Christ, no lie was found in their mouths, and they are blameless.

There are the two basic reasons these groups are believed to be one and the same. The first is that both groups number 144,000, and the second is that both groups have something written on their forehead.

The differences, though, I believe are more important to recognize, because these sets of 144,000 are more different than similar.

The fact that there are so many differences leaves me the conclusion that they are not the same groups of people. Their number being the same isn’t that surprising. God has used multiples of twelve twice in history to begin his chosen nations: physical and spiritual Israel. He used twelve tribes to begin the growth of physical Israel, and he used twelve disciples to begin the growth of spiritual Israel. Also, the fact that both have something written on their foreheads is not conclusive, especially if the writing doesn’t seem to be the same. Considering this, I present the following for an explanation of the meaning of this. These 144,000 are the most outstanding Christians of salvation history. They are the ones who have given God their absolute best for their entire lives. People like the Apostle Paul, though I don’t think he is one of these, because I think he is one of the 24 elders.

The Sounds

He heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, and of great thunder. This is the voice of Jesus as we saw in Revelation 1:15. This shows that all other sounds will be drowned out by His overpowering voice. He also heard the voice of harpists playing their harps. These harpists are for the purpose of a new song known only by the 144,000. This is one thing that shows their special relationship with God.

The Qualifications

1. Obviously, they’ve accepted Christ as Savior because they are redeemed from the earth, and from among men. The only way this is accomplished is by accepting Christ.
2. They are morally pure. First of all, they are not defiled with women for they are virgins. This probably means 2 things. First, they remained sexually pure. I don’t think that this necessarily means that they were virgins. The Greek word for pure is parthenos which is literally translated virgin. There very well could be 144,000 men in history that remained virgins and solely committed themselves to God, but the marriage bed is just as pure as being a virgin. Hebrews 13:4 says “Marriage is honorable in all, and the marriage bed undefiled.” The Bible doesn’t anywhere teach celibacy, but advocates that Christians be virtuous, holy, and undefiled by the world. If there was a lack of purity in marriage relations, then God’s command to “go forth and multiply” would be tempting us to sin, which He can’t do. So the 144,000, I believe, are men who completely kept their marriage contract, or remained unmarried. Secondly, they remained spiritually pure. This defilement with women could mean that they never fell victim to false religion. Remember, many times in Scripture, a woman is used to represent false religion (ex. Ch. 3 and Ch.17). They could be men who were born and raised in the truth, lived in the truth and died in the truth never faltering or swaying from any aspect of the truth.
3. They are obedient and available. That they follow the Lamb wherever He goes is crucial to their purpose. They lived this way on earth, and continue this way in heaven. It’s obvious that many of God’s children are not living in His will. Some spend years in full service to Him, only to turn away from His will to live in their own. Others have on-again-off-again relationships with Him. These men are unusual in their full, life-long submittal and obedience to Him.
4. They are honest or in their mouth was found no guile (deceit). This is much more difficult than one may think.
5. They are blameless or they are without fault. They are not sinless, because they had to be redeemed, but no accusations against their character or actions can be made.

Their Reward

1. They are the first fruits of God. They are probably the most faithful, outstanding Christians since the Apostles.
2. They have a song that no other man can learn. They have such a special and intimate relationship with God that they have their own personal song of worship. These were exemplary men in life, totally set apart to God, and they have great personal reward for this.

Again, these are my thoughts on who these 144,000 men are, based on the description given of them here. If you believe that they are the same as the 144,000 described in chapter 7…you are not alone. Many very great and reliable scholars share that opinion. I simply believe that this explanation leaves far less questions than the traditional view.

Next time, we will look at the ministry of angels during the Great Tribulation (last 3 ½ years) and the work that they are called to do when the saints of the Lord, due to the persecution of God’s people by the devil, can no longer do during this time.

Until next time…God Bless!!

Revelation 13:11-18 – The Second Beast

In Matthew 24:24, Jesus warned that in the end times false prophets would arise showing signs and wonders and with such power that if it were possible, they would deceive the elect. We have seen many come over recent times, people like David Koresh and Jim Jones, but the one who is to arise during the Tribulation will be the most deceiving ever. Since humanity is so incurably religious, the Antichrist will need to provide an outlet for those inclinations in order to deceive the world. We will see in chapter 17 that the Antichrist will establish an ecumenical church that will have so much power that it will contain his power. He will eliminate that power at the midpoint of the Tribulation, at which time he will establish his own form of worship, the worship of himself as God. The devil will raise a special man to propagate that religion, the third personality and second beast of chapter 13, the false prophet.

Revelation 13:11 – And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

That John beheld another beast coming up out of the earth makes many believe that this means that this beast will be a Jew. That he comes up out of the earth seems to mean that he will not be of mixed nationality like the Antichrist. Due to the fact that the Tribulation is for Israel, it would make perfect sense that an apostate Jew would attempt to deceive the very people God is most trying to draw to him. He may even be the one who leads Israel to come to a covenant with the Antichrist beginning the Tribulation. In no way is it certain that he will be, this is merely the thinking of many scholars. His two horns like a lamb symbolize authority. Lambs don’t have horns but are meek and mild creatures. The false prophet won’t be meek and mild. He will be arrogant and authoritive, he will be the second most powerful man on earth. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus told us to “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” The False Prophet will be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He will arise from the earth appearing to have the interest of the world in mind, but will have great power that he will use to do Satan’s work. That’s why he’s described as a two horned lamb. He spake as a dragon because he will his receive power of deceptive speech from Satan who is the dragon (ch. 12). He will deceive the nations along with Antichrist through the power of words. This also suggests that he may be the one to deceive Israel into signing a covenant with Antichrist. Though at the beginning of the Tribulation he doesn’t seem to be revealed as the False Prophet, I believe he will have a great hand in the world’s deception. I also believe he will have a strong relationship throughout the Tribulation with the Antichrist.

Revelation 13:12-14 – And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

That he exercises the power of the Antichrist in his presence shows the close relationship between the two, and how they will work together to gain power over the entire earth. With this power, he will cause all people to worship Antichrist. The whole purpose of the power given to him will be to cause humanity to worship Antichrist as God. After his resurrection, the Antichrist will be so deceived about himself that he will proclaim himself God, sit on God’s throne in the temple, and seek the worship of the world (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8). The purpose of the False Prophet is to cause this “world religion” to be put into effect. An apt description of the False Prophet is that he will be the High Priest of this “world religion”.

This section of scripture gives us the full personage of the Satanic Trinity.

1. Satan – Anti-God. He is the head of the three and leads them as God leads the Holy Trinity. Like God, he will resurrect his “son” giving him great power of deception. The power that God gave Christ though is salvation.
2. Antichrist – Anti-Christ – He, like Christ, does the work of his father and follows his will. He will have a 3 ½ year “ministry” in the sense that all he does in the first half of the Tribulation leads to what will come for his worship in the future. Christ’s 3 ½ year ministry led to our salvation and allows us to worship him as savior. Like Christ he will be killed at the end of his ministry and be resurrected. The difference is not only the reason for their death’s and resurrection’s, but that Christ’s kingdom is eternal, and Antichrist’s is only 3 ½ more years.
3. False Prophet – Anti-Holy Spirit – Like the Holy Spirit, he will call men to worship. Unlike the Holy Spirit, his call will not be for the salvation of souls, but for their damnation. He does great wonders (signs), just as the Holy Spirit did through the Apostles at the beginning of the church. Great wonders is also the same phrase that was used to describe Jesus’ ministry almost 2000 years ago. This leads us to believe that Satan and the Antichrist will give the False Prophet great power in which to work with. This should be no surprise to those who know scripture that Satan has great power, and gives great power to people. When Moses was in Pharaoh’s court, God gave him the power to turn his rod into a serpent. Satan also though gave power to Pharaoh’s magicians to do the same. God, of course, being more powerful gave Moses’ serpent power to eat Pharaoh’s magician’s serpents. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 tells us that the Antichrist will be given power to perform counterfeit wonders and signs. It is very conceivable that he and the False Prophet would be able to counterfeit even the miracles of Jesus in an attempt to lead the world to believe that the Antichrist is the Messiah promised to the Jews. This shows us the significant truth that the supernatural doesn’t confirm God’s work. Satan has used the supernatural throughout history in his work against humanity and God. One of those great wonders described here is calling fire from heaven. Just as Elijah called down fire from heaven in 1 Kings 18:38 and 2 Kings 1:10, the False Prophet will also. Therefore, there will be an Elijah as God’s man in the first half, and an Elijah as Satan’s man in the second half. Satan, just as Elijah, has shown the power to call down fire. He destroyed Job’s sheep and servants in this way in Job 1:16. Since Satan is the source of the False Prophet’s power, it will be no problem for him. The false prophet will perform these miracles as a way to deceive men, but He will only have power to do miracles in the presence of Antichrist. With this deception, he will cause an image of the antichrist to be built. This will be similar to Daniel 3, when Nebuchadnezzar had an image built if himself for all of Babylon to worship. They build it because they believe Antichrist to be God because of his resurrection.

Revelation 13:15 – And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

The False Prophet will give breath to the image insomuch as the image will have the power to speak. After it is built, he will force all humanity
to bow and worship the image. He will issue an order that all who don’t be executed. This also is similar to Nebuchadnezzar’s edict of death. His sentence was a fiery furnace in which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were delivered, but Revelation 20:4 tells us that not worshipping the beast and his image will come with a sentence of beheading. Virtually all scholars believe this will be by guillotine.

Revelation 13:16-17 – And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

The false prophet will force all humanity to receive a mark on their forehead or right hand. No man will be able to buy or sell without this mark. This shows the strangle hold Antichrist will have on the world economy through his socialistic government. So, we see that the false prophet, and not the Antichrist, will institute the mark, contrary to what most believe.

Revelation 13:18 – Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

This mark will be Antichrist’s name, or the number of his name (666). It appears in some way that his name will be part of the equation in the number. In the Hebrew language, for example, letters have a number representation…as in many languages. 6 is the number of man, but 666 is not necessarily the actual mark.

Why would God allow the Antichrist and False Prophet this kind of power? Because, though this is a time in which God will overwhelmingly supernaturally involve Himself in the earth, He still wants those to believe to believe in faith. If He were the only source of the supernatural, it would take faith out of the equation. Scripture tells us though that; “without faith it is impossible to please God.”

Until next time…God Bless!!

Revelation 13:1-10 (Part 2) – The First Beast

We spent the last post looking at a broad overview of what Scripture says about the antichrist and his reign and have in the past look at the kingdoms that lead up to his kingdom (Why the Bible? (Parts 7 & 8)). You can go into the archives and re-read them if you feel it’s necessary to better understand how the kingdoms of this world have come about, but we will get just as vivid of a picture here if you have already read them. Now as we read chapter 13 of Revelation, we see details about his character, his intention, and his “inner circle” known as the Satanic Trinity. We see in this section of chapter 13 the work of Satan and Antichrist, and in the next section we see the work of all three.

Revelation 13:1-2 – And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

He saw a beast rise up out of the sea. As we have seen in our Why the Bible posts mentioned before, God in Scripture sometimes uses beasts to represent world kingdoms and their kings. That shows that this beast is Antichrist and his kingdom. As we’ve also discussed, his rising from the sea shows that he will rise from the sea of people around the Mediterranean Sea. He will come from a country like Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Turkey, Egypt, Libya, Syria even possibly Israel. It will though, be one of the countries that you see around the Mediterranean. He has seven heads. These are described in Revelation 17:10 as kings of the Roman Empire. They are probably the six emperors of Rome during John’s life and the Antichrist, because six have already been and one is not yet (“five have fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come”…this was said during John’s life). He has ten horns with ten crowns. These are the same as the ten toes in Nebuchadnezzar’s vision (Daniel 2), and the ten horns in Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7). They are ten kings (Revelation 17:12) who will give their power (the ten crowns) to Antichrist, giving him full control of the world. These ten kings will come from 10 regions that the world will be divided into at some point in the future. The names of blasphemy on his head represent the fact that he will blaspheme against God during his reign. The rest of his description is of the same animals used to describe the previous world kingdoms in Daniel 7. He is like a leopard, which represents Greece
and the speed in which he’ll conquer. He has feet like a bear which represents Medo-Persia and the force and power he will have.  His mouth like a lion represents Babylon and the dangerous mouth he will have and the words
that will come from it to deceive many. So, this new Roman Empire will take all the worst characteristics of the previous empires and use them to rule and corrupt the entire world. Remember, in Daniel 7, the Roman Empire is an indescribable beast…just as Antichrist. Not only that, the dragon will give him his power, throne, and authority. Satan as we saw in chapter 12 is the dragon. Satan is the god of this world and its system (evil, government, paganism, etc.) (2 Corinthians 4:4) and has great power that he will give to Antichrist. The Antichrist will be able to perform miracles that also will deceive the nations. We must remember though that, the only reason this will happen is because God has ordained it. God hasn’t ordained it to this point, which is why we still are yet to have a world dictator.

Revelation 13:3-4 – And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

One of its head’s is as it was wounded to death. The Antichrist will receive a fatal head wound, by a sword (Revelation 13:14), at the midpoint of the Tribulation. He will die because Revelation 17:8 says that the beast was, and is not. This happens after he throws off (kills) the woman (false world religion) that is riding (controlling) him.  Revelation 17 also reveals that he will be resurrected. Revelation 17:8 also tells us that not only will he die, but he will: ascend from the bottomless pit…and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder…when they beheld the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Here it says that they will worship the dragon (Satan) that gave power to the beast and the beast himself. That they both will be worshipped, and that Antichrist is called the son of perdition, like Judas, (who is the only other in Scripture given this title and he was possessed by Satan) shows that it is almost certain that the antichrist will be indwelt by Satan. Another reason is that, Satan can’t create something from nothing, he can only use what God has created…nor do we see anywhere in Scripture that he has power to raise a body from the dead by spoken word as Jesus did. He would have to use Antichrist’s body as a shell for himself to resurrect him. Also, we need to remember that in chapter 12 we saw that from this point on, Satan no longer has access to heaven and is fully contained to the earth. They will worship the beast and the dragon because they will be one at this point. They will also believe him to be God because of his resurrection. That is why they ask who is like him and who is able to destroy him. If he can be resurrected, in their eyes, no one can defeat him.

Revelation 13:5-6 – And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

He will speak great things and blasphemies with great power for 42 months. The great things he will speak are deceptive words and false promises that will cause the world to worship, follow, and trust him. This is Satan’s ultimate desire, to be worshipped (Isaiah 14). Jesus was accused of blasphemy because he declared himself God. It can’t be blasphemy if it is truth. The Antichrist and Satan will blaspheme by declaring themselves God which is the ultimate blasphemy because it is a lie. He will not only declare himself God, but blaspheme the character, nature, house, and people of God.

Revelation 13:7 – And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

He will be given power to persecute and kill the saints. Like the fifth trumpet judgment, this will be a time of great martyrdom for: the Tribulation Saints, which are those who become saved during the Tribulation; and Israel, whether they are saved or lost. The devil will try to do what he has always tried to do…destroy God’s chosen people. A lot of Israel though, will be protected by God in the place prepared in the wilderness. He will also be given power to rule all races, languages, and nations of the world. We can see today that the world is leaning toward a “New World Order” that would unite all nations under one government. There are even many today who believe that the only answer to the end of war is a one world government. The final deception of Satan is beginning to work in the hearts of men today in preparation for his rule.

Revelation 13:8 – And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Those all around the world will worship Antichrist. Who are those? Those are any whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Remember, names can be blotted out of the Book of Life, but nowhere in Scripture does it speak of names being blotted from the Lamb’s Book. The Lamb’s book is the book of those who are saved, and it is my conviction that if your name is in this book, you couldn’t bow in worship of Antichrist, even if you wanted to. This, as we will see later in Revelation, brings eternal damnation. I don’t believe the Holy Spirit will allow one who is saved to bow a knee to Antichrist, but instead will strengthen those who face the blade of death and allow them to face it boldly. What a great honor it would be to die for the one who gave all for us.

Revelation 13:9 – If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Remember back to chapters 2 and 3, in the letters to the churches. Whenever God says this, He is about to give a promise. There are only three types of ears you can have: open ears, meaning you listen to the Spirit and follow its will; dull ears, meaning you listen to the Spirit but don’t follow its will; or deaf ears, meaning you don’t listen to the Spirit at all.

Revelation 13:10 – He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

The Antichrist will imprison saints, yet will be imprisoned for eternity. Revelation 20:4 shows that there will be many saints beheaded for their testimony. Just as the Antichrist’s followers killed the saints with the sword, they will meet their final death by the sword that comes from the mouth of the Lord. This is the justice for the saints who have patience (endure) and faith which are those who face the captivity and the sword and don’t turn from God (which I believe will be all).

Though this is a frightening picture of what’s to come…it can be avoided. This, the age of grace, is an opportunity to get right with God before judgment comes through the blood of His Son, Jesus. If you have never made the decision to trust Christ as Savior, I would like to give you more information. Please, e-mail me at revolvearoundchrist@yahoo.com if you would like more information on what this means, and how to do it.

Until next time…God Bless!!