Revelation 20: 1-6
After the Battle of Armageddon and at the setting up of the Kingdom of Christ Jesus, the first detail that had to be taken care of was this enemy.
(1) Then I saw an angel coming down from Heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.
The abyss is the supernatural hole that the heavenly star that had fallen to the Earth had opened at the blast of the fifth Trumpet, releasing the infernal locusts to torment people. And the red beast that the woman Mystery Babylon was riding on also came out of the abyss.
(2) And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;
This high-ranking angel tied up Satan securely in the great chain he brought with him.
(3) and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him,
This angel general cast him violently into this supernatural place of torment and locked it up tight.
so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed;
God will not permit Satan to have access to Mankind any more for the whole thousand years of the reign of King Jesus; to give Mankind the best chance, and not let that old serpent mess with the Golden Age He will be giving this planet.
after these things he must be released for a short time.
Then after the thousand years, God will allow Mankind to have a clear choice to choose the good He has been providing, or to believe Satan's lies again.
(4) Then I saw thrones, and they that sat on them, and judgment was given to them.
All of Jesus' deputies that have been Resurrected and will reign with Him in His throne, deciding the governmental and judicial matters in each district.
And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand;
These are the tribulation saints who have been martyred.
and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
These tribulation saints apparently are Raptured along with the rest of the church at the last Trumpet.
(5) The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first Resurrection.
This First Resurrection is the Rapture. There are not two "first resurrections."
(6) Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first Resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
This is one "First Resurrection." We who are raptured are in our spiritual bodies that Paul described in I Corinthians 15.
This is the time God has given to this planet Earth for its residents to experience the Golden Age of perfect government over the world for Mankind to flourish and be prosperous and enjoy all the bountiful goodness God put into the Earth for our enjoyment.
The first thing we'll probably do is to build for ourselves temporary housing while we rebuild all the cities that have been reduced to rubble in the whole Earth earthquake (the sixth Seal, the seventh Trumpet, and the seventh Bowl or Vial) at the end of the seven years. This is when we will be celebrating the Feast of Booths, that was given to Israel to remember their rescue out of Egypt and wandering in the desert before entering into the Promised Land.
Everything in the Law and the Prophets will now have been fulfilled, Jesus also have been living out all the six Feasts Israelites were to celebrate.
Satan will be out of this picture, and whenever anyone starts to think the kind of thoughts that would cause any kind of trouble, our Lord God who is King will know it, and He will take care of this before any action is taken to spoil the paradise.
When I realized that the Rapture would most likely occur after the seven years of tribulation, and that everyone who trusted the Lord would be Resurrected and all the rest who decided to be deceived would be destroyed, I wondered who would be left in their mortal bodies to repopulate the world?
I didn't dwell on this problem, and I didn't try to invent some solution, I decided to just leave it to God, because He knew what He was going to do, and everything will work out. I trusted Him.
Then later, as I was studying some other Scriptures, I realized that He says, "they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn" (Zechariah 12: 10), when "all Israel will be saved in a day" (Romans 11: 26-27), on the Day the Lord returns, when "every eye shall see Him," and "all nations will mourn" (Revelation 1: 7), because they haven't been following His ways. Jesus of Nazareth is the Jewish Messiah, who has now come to fulfill His promises to Israel!
The residents of Jerusalem, who found themselves surrounded by the rest of the world with no way out, will take the path through the valley that has just opened up in the Mount of Olives when it cleaves into two as the feet of Jesus land on it (Zechariah 14: 4-5. I must go through this whole passage here in Zechariah to see the details of the Lord's moment of arrival!).
And all of the rest of the world who have not succumbed to taking that mark will see Him and recognize Him. These are the people, Jews and Gentiles, who will enter this Golden Age in their mortal flesh and marry and repopulate the world, which is now perfect, for a thousand years!
And all the promises He made to Israel will come to pass as Israel will be the head of the nations, not the tail (Deuteronomy 28: 13); and they will be the human mayors and governors under the Resurrected kings and queens over the districts.
O my Father, You are such a benevolent and generous and faithful and truthful God! You are so powerful and wise and clever! You will leave no stone unturned and no mystery unrevealed. You will finish everything You have started, in each life, in each family, in each tribe, in each nation, and in each world You have made. All Your plans are complete and interesting and adventurous!
O Father, All that You have planned for us, You will fulfill! And this is not the end of all! You have given us a glimpse of what You are planning further for us, even beyond this world and this universe.
Father, You are a very creative God, and You have in mind so much more for everyone You have made! For humans and for angels and for elders and for all the living creatures You have designed and made in all the worlds for your pleasure.
My Father, please, right now, in this time, before all this program is ended and finished, let us go out to every living person in the whole world to share with them how much You love them! Send us out to broadcast Your Plan of Salvation for Mankind before all the evil is unleashed and before the Antichrist has manifested his appearance.
Enable us to tell them, so that each person will have an accurate understanding of how You want to rescue them from all the effects of sin on their bodies and souls and spirits, their emotions and thought processes and relationships. So they can be healed and learn to trust You before all the fierce pressure comes.
And every eye shall see, and every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come on, Lord Jesus, quickly!
Sunday, June 7, 2020
Saturday, June 6, 2020
The Second Coming
Revelation 19: 11-21
After the judgment of Mystery Babylon, and after the wedding feast of the Lamb, this is what happens:
(11) And I saw Heaven opened,
Now is when the cloud cover opens, it rolls away like a scroll unrolling.
and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
This is when Jesus breaks through the clouds and approaches the Earth.
(12) His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems;
He has fiery eyes, and He wears many crowns, He has been given to rule and reign over every nation, every people, every world.
and He has a Name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.
This is His ticket in. If no one else knows it, then it can't be counterfeited. He's genuine.
(13) He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood,
This is either His own blood, shed on Calvary; or it is from the bloody field of Armageddon.
and His Name is called The Word of God.
This cinches it, only God the Son, Jesus Christ, is the Word of God.
(14) And the armies which are in Heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
The heavenly armies are those who are wearing fine linen which is given to those who have been washed in the blood, and also worn by angelic beings. All the angelic and resurrected beings, as well as all the other "holy ones" are all following Him on white horses like His.
(15) From His mouth comes a sharp sword,
The word of God is a sharp, two-edged sword, and it comes out of His mouth.
so that with it He may strike down the nations,
Jesus uses His word to cut all the earthly armies into ribbons on the battlefield of Armageddon.
and He will rule them with a rod of iron;
The rod is the scepter that shows a king's authority. Iron is the strongest of the metals. This rod of iron means that when Jesus rules, it will be final, with no appeal.
and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
This is the wine press of 14: 19-20 where we are told that, "blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles."
(16) And on His robe and on His thigh He has a Name written, "King of kings, and Lord of lords."
There is none other King over all other kings, or Lord over all other lords, than Christ Jesus, King and Lord of all.
(17) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God,
(18) "so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great."
Everyone who are fighting against God and His Christ: from every nation, every strato-social position, every financial standing and authoritative rank.
(19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the Earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
This beast who is the Antichrist dictator of the world government, and the heads of all the other nations with their armed forces, all arrayed to attack God the Son.
(20) And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
Wow, this Antichrist and his "priest" are both caught and cast into the lake of fire in which all who are condemned will spend eternity, while they are still alive! The leaders are removed, and the rest are slaughtered.
(21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
And all the military people are cut to ribbons with the word of God! And the blood flows, and all the birds of prey come to clean up all the carrion spread out over the whole battlefield.
This is the entrance of King Jesus, as He makes His Second Coming, fulfilling the rest of the prophesies that were given so long ago.
Now He will set up His rule over the world, rebuilding all the cities that were reduced to rubble, governing in perfect righteousness, aided by His bride, who are all now one with Him and dispatched over all the nations of the world.
Being the Lord God Almighty, He will know instantly whenever anyone would begin to think of doing something unrighteous, and be called on it before he would get so far as doing anything about it. So there will be no crime anywhere.
It will be the Golden Age this world has longed for.
O my Father, how I long for that Golden Age, when my Lord Jesus is King on His throne and reigning in His power!
My Father, send out Your children now, while there is still time, to blanket the world with Your Good News, that every living being will be able to hear and understand to choose to accept Your gracious and generous gift, before all the chaotic political and geographical and astrological signs come to pass, while there is still time to freely choose.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, do come quickly, Lord Jesus!
After the judgment of Mystery Babylon, and after the wedding feast of the Lamb, this is what happens:
(11) And I saw Heaven opened,
Now is when the cloud cover opens, it rolls away like a scroll unrolling.
and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
This is when Jesus breaks through the clouds and approaches the Earth.
(12) His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems;
He has fiery eyes, and He wears many crowns, He has been given to rule and reign over every nation, every people, every world.
and He has a Name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.
This is His ticket in. If no one else knows it, then it can't be counterfeited. He's genuine.
(13) He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood,
This is either His own blood, shed on Calvary; or it is from the bloody field of Armageddon.
and His Name is called The Word of God.
This cinches it, only God the Son, Jesus Christ, is the Word of God.
(14) And the armies which are in Heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.
The heavenly armies are those who are wearing fine linen which is given to those who have been washed in the blood, and also worn by angelic beings. All the angelic and resurrected beings, as well as all the other "holy ones" are all following Him on white horses like His.
(15) From His mouth comes a sharp sword,
The word of God is a sharp, two-edged sword, and it comes out of His mouth.
so that with it He may strike down the nations,
Jesus uses His word to cut all the earthly armies into ribbons on the battlefield of Armageddon.
and He will rule them with a rod of iron;
The rod is the scepter that shows a king's authority. Iron is the strongest of the metals. This rod of iron means that when Jesus rules, it will be final, with no appeal.
and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
This is the wine press of 14: 19-20 where we are told that, "blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles."
(16) And on His robe and on His thigh He has a Name written, "King of kings, and Lord of lords."
There is none other King over all other kings, or Lord over all other lords, than Christ Jesus, King and Lord of all.
(17) Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God,
(18) "so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great."
Everyone who are fighting against God and His Christ: from every nation, every strato-social position, every financial standing and authoritative rank.
(19) And I saw the beast and the kings of the Earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
This beast who is the Antichrist dictator of the world government, and the heads of all the other nations with their armed forces, all arrayed to attack God the Son.
(20) And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
Wow, this Antichrist and his "priest" are both caught and cast into the lake of fire in which all who are condemned will spend eternity, while they are still alive! The leaders are removed, and the rest are slaughtered.
(21) And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
And all the military people are cut to ribbons with the word of God! And the blood flows, and all the birds of prey come to clean up all the carrion spread out over the whole battlefield.
This is the entrance of King Jesus, as He makes His Second Coming, fulfilling the rest of the prophesies that were given so long ago.
Now He will set up His rule over the world, rebuilding all the cities that were reduced to rubble, governing in perfect righteousness, aided by His bride, who are all now one with Him and dispatched over all the nations of the world.
Being the Lord God Almighty, He will know instantly whenever anyone would begin to think of doing something unrighteous, and be called on it before he would get so far as doing anything about it. So there will be no crime anywhere.
It will be the Golden Age this world has longed for.
O my Father, how I long for that Golden Age, when my Lord Jesus is King on His throne and reigning in His power!
My Father, send out Your children now, while there is still time, to blanket the world with Your Good News, that every living being will be able to hear and understand to choose to accept Your gracious and generous gift, before all the chaotic political and geographical and astrological signs come to pass, while there is still time to freely choose.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, do come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Friday, June 5, 2020
Marriage Supper Of The Lamb
Revelation 19: 7-10
Immediately after all the Hallelujahs for the judgment of modern Babylon, Heaven is rejoicing at the marriage feast of the Lamb.
(7) "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."
(8) It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
I'm not sure what heavenly "fine linen" is, but it must be gorgeous! This word has also been translated as "stone" when angels are dressed in it.
(9) Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'"
Who are invited to this marriage feast? The Old Testament saints? The angels in Heaven? We're not told who they are, but they will be truly blessed in witnessing this union of the Lord God with His bride.
The church must be Raptured to wed her Bridegroom and be one with Him. And this must take place before He breaks through the clouds of Earth and sets up His Kingdom. I don't know how God will manage this, but I know He has it all in hand. I know He has manipulated time on Earth at least twice for His people.
And he said to me, "These are true words of God."
Why this angel needed to emphasize these particular words as true words of God, He may be putting great importance on the necessity of this marriage to take place before we will be prepared to rule with Him on His throne.
(10) Then I fell at his feet to worship him.
Even John, in his old age, after loving Jesus and serving Him faithfully his whole, long life, succumbed to bowing down to this angel.
But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God.
And the angel reminded John that this celestial being is one of the servants God sent to John and the other saints who are still living in our flesh bodies. And to bow down and worship only God.
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
This is a curious saying. To have the testimony of what Jesus has done and accomplished on behalf of each of us, is prophetic! The Spirit of Prophecy is God's Holy Spirit who is able to live in each of us because the blood of Jesus has cleansed us. And this Spirit is the Seal and Down Payment on the Redemption Jesus bought for us. So when we have the testimony of Jesus, then the spirit of prophecy assures us of everything that certainly lies ahead.
The very next verse has our King coming through the opened sky.
O my Father, thank You for Your greatness and Your goodness. Thank You for loving us and saving us and making us fit to be Your Son's bride, to marry Him and be one with Him as He is one with You. And to rule with Him in His throne as He rules with You in Your throne, over everything that exists.
Please, Father, help us to go to all the world, broadcasting Your Good News to every living being, so that they all will understand and be able to make a clear decision to choose to turn to You for Redemption, or else to be seduced by the lies of the deceiver.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Immediately after all the Hallelujahs for the judgment of modern Babylon, Heaven is rejoicing at the marriage feast of the Lamb.
(7) "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready."
(8) It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
I'm not sure what heavenly "fine linen" is, but it must be gorgeous! This word has also been translated as "stone" when angels are dressed in it.
(9) Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.'"
Who are invited to this marriage feast? The Old Testament saints? The angels in Heaven? We're not told who they are, but they will be truly blessed in witnessing this union of the Lord God with His bride.
The church must be Raptured to wed her Bridegroom and be one with Him. And this must take place before He breaks through the clouds of Earth and sets up His Kingdom. I don't know how God will manage this, but I know He has it all in hand. I know He has manipulated time on Earth at least twice for His people.
And he said to me, "These are true words of God."
Why this angel needed to emphasize these particular words as true words of God, He may be putting great importance on the necessity of this marriage to take place before we will be prepared to rule with Him on His throne.
(10) Then I fell at his feet to worship him.
Even John, in his old age, after loving Jesus and serving Him faithfully his whole, long life, succumbed to bowing down to this angel.
But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God.
And the angel reminded John that this celestial being is one of the servants God sent to John and the other saints who are still living in our flesh bodies. And to bow down and worship only God.
For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
This is a curious saying. To have the testimony of what Jesus has done and accomplished on behalf of each of us, is prophetic! The Spirit of Prophecy is God's Holy Spirit who is able to live in each of us because the blood of Jesus has cleansed us. And this Spirit is the Seal and Down Payment on the Redemption Jesus bought for us. So when we have the testimony of Jesus, then the spirit of prophecy assures us of everything that certainly lies ahead.
The very next verse has our King coming through the opened sky.
O my Father, thank You for Your greatness and Your goodness. Thank You for loving us and saving us and making us fit to be Your Son's bride, to marry Him and be one with Him as He is one with You. And to rule with Him in His throne as He rules with You in Your throne, over everything that exists.
Please, Father, help us to go to all the world, broadcasting Your Good News to every living being, so that they all will understand and be able to make a clear decision to choose to turn to You for Redemption, or else to be seduced by the lies of the deceiver.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Thursday, June 4, 2020
Four Hallelujahs
Revelation 19: 1-6
(1) After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in Heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God;
(2) "because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the Earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her."
(3) And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever."
(4) And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!"
(5) And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great."
(6) Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! for the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!"
John records all this praise as coming right after the judgment of modern-day Babylon, which happens before the seventh Trumpet is sounded. So it must happen sometime during the 7 years of Tribulation. We're told about it in 14: 8 and we've just seen a lot of details about it here and here so we would be able to recognize this political system and leave it before its destruction.
If the sixth Seal and the seventh Trumpet and the seventh Bowl or Vial all describe the same Day, approached from different directions, then the whole 7 years of Daniel's final "week" which is the time of Tribulation and Great Tribulation have been described by the duration of all three of these 7's in this book.
If John had recorded all these things in strictly chronological order, then it would have shown how chaotic these times will be when they come to pass in time, with everything happening on top of one another at the same time. Jesus had told him first thing that all these events and happenings would "soon" take place (1: 1): This word "soon" or "shortly" is a combination of two Greek words, en and tachos which separately each convey an idea of something happening all of a sudden, and together they intensify the urgency and scope of what will happen, as all kinds of things happening all at the same time within a very short time period.
And when this seven year period starts with a treaty in the Middle East that will be set up to be re-negotiated in seven years, then fasten your seat belts, because it will be a wild ride all the way to the end!
John put a little order into this chaos by grouping the sevens, then adding in all the rest of the events. So it still looks chaotic, but we can better connect the dots to comprehend a larger understanding of what lies ahead, probably very soon.
O my Father, please teach Your children how to read this confusing book, to be able to know what to expect and be ready to survive and help others to survive these unprecedented events that will soon come upon this Earth to affect the world of men. And show us how to lean on Your strength and faithfulness when confronted with the lies and slick deceptions of the enemy.
Strengthen Your children, Father, to be strong and generous, loving one another unconditionally, as You have loved us; to be ready and instant to help others, even when the others are the ones who have brought upon us and themselves the extreme hardships that occasion the help.
My Father, send out Your children to broadcast to the whole world the wonderful Good News of Your love and Your solution to our sin and evil problem. Grant that every living person will be able to hear and understand clearly enough to make a fully informed decision to accept Your generous and gracious offer; or else to choose to be deceived by the liar.
And every eye shall soon see, and every knee will soon bow, and every tongue will soon confess that Jesus is our Christ, the only Savior and Redeemer, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
(1) After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in Heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God;
(2) "because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the Earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her."
(3) And a second time they said, "Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever."
(4) And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!"
(5) And a voice came from the throne, saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great."
(6) Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! for the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!"
John records all this praise as coming right after the judgment of modern-day Babylon, which happens before the seventh Trumpet is sounded. So it must happen sometime during the 7 years of Tribulation. We're told about it in 14: 8 and we've just seen a lot of details about it here and here so we would be able to recognize this political system and leave it before its destruction.
If the sixth Seal and the seventh Trumpet and the seventh Bowl or Vial all describe the same Day, approached from different directions, then the whole 7 years of Daniel's final "week" which is the time of Tribulation and Great Tribulation have been described by the duration of all three of these 7's in this book.
If John had recorded all these things in strictly chronological order, then it would have shown how chaotic these times will be when they come to pass in time, with everything happening on top of one another at the same time. Jesus had told him first thing that all these events and happenings would "soon" take place (1: 1): This word "soon" or "shortly" is a combination of two Greek words, en and tachos which separately each convey an idea of something happening all of a sudden, and together they intensify the urgency and scope of what will happen, as all kinds of things happening all at the same time within a very short time period.
And when this seven year period starts with a treaty in the Middle East that will be set up to be re-negotiated in seven years, then fasten your seat belts, because it will be a wild ride all the way to the end!
John put a little order into this chaos by grouping the sevens, then adding in all the rest of the events. So it still looks chaotic, but we can better connect the dots to comprehend a larger understanding of what lies ahead, probably very soon.
O my Father, please teach Your children how to read this confusing book, to be able to know what to expect and be ready to survive and help others to survive these unprecedented events that will soon come upon this Earth to affect the world of men. And show us how to lean on Your strength and faithfulness when confronted with the lies and slick deceptions of the enemy.
Strengthen Your children, Father, to be strong and generous, loving one another unconditionally, as You have loved us; to be ready and instant to help others, even when the others are the ones who have brought upon us and themselves the extreme hardships that occasion the help.
My Father, send out Your children to broadcast to the whole world the wonderful Good News of Your love and Your solution to our sin and evil problem. Grant that every living person will be able to hear and understand clearly enough to make a fully informed decision to accept Your generous and gracious offer; or else to choose to be deceived by the liar.
And every eye shall soon see, and every knee will soon bow, and every tongue will soon confess that Jesus is our Christ, the only Savior and Redeemer, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Babylon's Financial Downfall
Revelation 18: 1-24
We have seen that these two chapters are expanding on Babylon's judgment, which has already happened in Revelation 14: 8 before the seventh Trumpet sounded.
Yesterday we saw the extreme spiritual degradation of this Babylon, and today we will see it's financial ruin.
(1) After these things I saw another angel coming down from Heaven, having great authority, and the Earth was illumined with his glory.
(2) And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.
This angel is a high-ranking official in God's hierarchy of authority, and he has been sent to tell John the details of this Babylon that has been destroyed.
(3) "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the Earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the Earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."
This is a political entity that has had so much influence on the rest of the world for evil, that it has contaminated every other national leader among the nations with the sensual perversions and wantonness, using its great wealth.
(4) I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, "Come out of her, My people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;
God is telling His saints today, to recognize this nation, and if you are there, then don't get trapped in all the errors of the culture, and even leave to go somewhere else so that you won't be caught up in all the upheavals that are coming to destroy the land.
(5) "for her sins have piled up as high as Heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
There's so much in this land that has deceived the people with wealth and pleasure and luxury that God has finally decided that it is enough, it is as full as it can be, and overflowing everywhere.
(6) "Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.
(7) "To the degree that she has glorified herself and lived sensually, to the same degree give her torment and mourning;
He is saying, essentially, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander!"
for she says in her heart, 'I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.'
This is a nation that is proud, with the attitude of superiority in not considering anything it does to bring any kind of negative consequences, but to only continue to get richer and more luxurious and wanton. They believe that their "exceptionalism" exempts them from any accountability.
The only nation that has adopted this attitude since ancient Babylon, I think, is America. Okay, now I've named it. Look and see for yourself if there is any other nation or people group that fits this description.
(8) "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.
And with the economy having been shut down to destroy the best economy the world has ever seen, and with all the major cities burning in the riots over justice that are currently in the news, I ask you, what more do you need to see?
(9) "And the kings of the Earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning,
(10) "standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'
And all the political entities are lamenting that, "the party's over, it's time to call it a day!"
(11) "And the merchants of the Earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more--
(12) "cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble,
(13) "and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives.
(14) "The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them.
The monetary ruin of this financial powerhouse has cut off every kind of product and item from luxury items to foodstuffs to warfare implements and even human persons treated as property, from availability for purchase. So the businessmen are not able to make money any more.
(15) "The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
(16) "saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls;
(17) "'for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance,
(18) "and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city?'
(19) "And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!'
The businessmen and rich tycoons who made their millions and billions off of the capitalism and economy of this nation, are now lamenting that it's such a shame for all this luxury and profitability and prosperity to be dried up so completely so fast. They are standing at a distance, so they won't be identified with this place that is being destroyed, after sucking it dry.
(20) "Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgement for you against her."
The angel says to rejoice in God's judgment of this wicked city, because it got what was coming to it for all the evil and violence it perpetrated against God and His people and His ways.
(21) Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.
This city will not go gracefully into the annals of history, but will be violently thrown down with vehemence and suddenness. And it will be complete.
(22) "And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsmen of any craft will will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer;
There will be no more gaiety, no more manufacturing or other businesses, no more foodstuff or product making any more of any kind.
(23) "and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer;
There will be no more celebrations or parties at all any more.
for your merchants were the great men of the Earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.
The big businessmen who made their millions and billions did so because of the advertising that drew people in by appealing to their comfort and relief of any kind of pain, and stimulating the pleasure-centers in their brain, and the sensuality and pornography that they promoted. And multitudes were sucked into their financial webs in every nation.
(24) "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the Earth."
And this nation is accountable for disregarding human lives in favor of the "almighty dollar." They are guilty of many murders, like letting people die in order to sell more of their drugs, and promoting the "suicide" of people who know too much or violence against those who don't agree with their political philosophies, and merchandising dangerous products including toys for children, and even killing hundreds of thousands of innocent children even before they are born, and selling their body parts for profit! They are sacrificing these innocent little ones with much suffering to the demons.
There is one nation that I see in the world that is guilty of all of these transgressions and rebellions, and is the biggest promoter of all of these evils.
I would suggest that if things keep going as they are, and God does not grant us any more reprieve, then what we're seeing on the news right now would be the fulfillment of these two chapters. That's a big "if." Dear reader, you can make your own determination to decide what you want to see.
O my Father, thank You for telling us so many details, so that we should be able to identify when you are fulfilling Your word. Your children are aware that You will be sending Your Son back to the Earth very soon, to judge and reward and set up His Kingdom to give our world its true "golden age."
Father, we can see all that is happening in the world around us, and You are preparing us for the rigors of what is coming. And I also see that You are taking home some of Your children who are physically weaker, to spare them the suffering coming. And we know that there will be even more martyrs who die at the hands of the Antichrist and his minions who will betray and take lives to be politically correct.
O Father, continue to teach us, and to strengthen us, and to prepare us for all the glory that You will bestow upon each of us, for the faithfulness You have provided us to remain strong in our trust in You, regardless of what is happening all around us until then.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
We have seen that these two chapters are expanding on Babylon's judgment, which has already happened in Revelation 14: 8 before the seventh Trumpet sounded.
Yesterday we saw the extreme spiritual degradation of this Babylon, and today we will see it's financial ruin.
(1) After these things I saw another angel coming down from Heaven, having great authority, and the Earth was illumined with his glory.
(2) And he cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place of demons and a prison of every unclean spirit, and a prison of every unclean and hateful bird.
This angel is a high-ranking official in God's hierarchy of authority, and he has been sent to tell John the details of this Babylon that has been destroyed.
(3) "For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the passion of her immorality, and the kings of the Earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the Earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality."
This is a political entity that has had so much influence on the rest of the world for evil, that it has contaminated every other national leader among the nations with the sensual perversions and wantonness, using its great wealth.
(4) I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, "Come out of her, My people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues;
God is telling His saints today, to recognize this nation, and if you are there, then don't get trapped in all the errors of the culture, and even leave to go somewhere else so that you won't be caught up in all the upheavals that are coming to destroy the land.
(5) "for her sins have piled up as high as Heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
There's so much in this land that has deceived the people with wealth and pleasure and luxury that God has finally decided that it is enough, it is as full as it can be, and overflowing everywhere.
(6) "Pay her back even as she has paid, and give back to her double according to her deeds; in the cup which she has mixed, mix twice as much for her.
(7) "To the degree that she has glorified herself and lived sensually, to the same degree give her torment and mourning;
He is saying, essentially, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander!"
for she says in her heart, 'I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and will never see mourning.'
This is a nation that is proud, with the attitude of superiority in not considering anything it does to bring any kind of negative consequences, but to only continue to get richer and more luxurious and wanton. They believe that their "exceptionalism" exempts them from any accountability.
The only nation that has adopted this attitude since ancient Babylon, I think, is America. Okay, now I've named it. Look and see for yourself if there is any other nation or people group that fits this description.
(8) "For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong.
And with the economy having been shut down to destroy the best economy the world has ever seen, and with all the major cities burning in the riots over justice that are currently in the news, I ask you, what more do you need to see?
(9) "And the kings of the Earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning,
(10) "standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.'
And all the political entities are lamenting that, "the party's over, it's time to call it a day!"
(11) "And the merchants of the Earth weep and mourn over her, because no one buys their cargoes any more--
(12) "cargoes of gold and silver and precious stones and pearls and fine linen and purple and silk and scarlet, and every kind of citron wood and every article of ivory and every article made from very costly wood and bronze and iron and marble,
(13) "and cinnamon and spice and incense and perfume and frankincense and wine and olive oil and fine flour and wheat and cattle and sheep, and cargoes of horses and chariots and slaves and human lives.
(14) "The fruit you long for has gone from you, and all things that were luxurious and splendid have passed away from you and men will no longer find them.
The monetary ruin of this financial powerhouse has cut off every kind of product and item from luxury items to foodstuffs to warfare implements and even human persons treated as property, from availability for purchase. So the businessmen are not able to make money any more.
(15) "The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning,
(16) "saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, she who was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls;
(17) "'for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance,
(18) "and were crying out as they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like the great city?'
(19) "And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!'
The businessmen and rich tycoons who made their millions and billions off of the capitalism and economy of this nation, are now lamenting that it's such a shame for all this luxury and profitability and prosperity to be dried up so completely so fast. They are standing at a distance, so they won't be identified with this place that is being destroyed, after sucking it dry.
(20) "Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgement for you against her."
The angel says to rejoice in God's judgment of this wicked city, because it got what was coming to it for all the evil and violence it perpetrated against God and His people and His ways.
(21) Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, "So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.
This city will not go gracefully into the annals of history, but will be violently thrown down with vehemence and suddenness. And it will be complete.
(22) "And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsmen of any craft will will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer;
There will be no more gaiety, no more manufacturing or other businesses, no more foodstuff or product making any more of any kind.
(23) "and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer;
There will be no more celebrations or parties at all any more.
for your merchants were the great men of the Earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery.
The big businessmen who made their millions and billions did so because of the advertising that drew people in by appealing to their comfort and relief of any kind of pain, and stimulating the pleasure-centers in their brain, and the sensuality and pornography that they promoted. And multitudes were sucked into their financial webs in every nation.
(24) "And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the Earth."
And this nation is accountable for disregarding human lives in favor of the "almighty dollar." They are guilty of many murders, like letting people die in order to sell more of their drugs, and promoting the "suicide" of people who know too much or violence against those who don't agree with their political philosophies, and merchandising dangerous products including toys for children, and even killing hundreds of thousands of innocent children even before they are born, and selling their body parts for profit! They are sacrificing these innocent little ones with much suffering to the demons.
There is one nation that I see in the world that is guilty of all of these transgressions and rebellions, and is the biggest promoter of all of these evils.
I would suggest that if things keep going as they are, and God does not grant us any more reprieve, then what we're seeing on the news right now would be the fulfillment of these two chapters. That's a big "if." Dear reader, you can make your own determination to decide what you want to see.
O my Father, thank You for telling us so many details, so that we should be able to identify when you are fulfilling Your word. Your children are aware that You will be sending Your Son back to the Earth very soon, to judge and reward and set up His Kingdom to give our world its true "golden age."
Father, we can see all that is happening in the world around us, and You are preparing us for the rigors of what is coming. And I also see that You are taking home some of Your children who are physically weaker, to spare them the suffering coming. And we know that there will be even more martyrs who die at the hands of the Antichrist and his minions who will betray and take lives to be politically correct.
O Father, continue to teach us, and to strengthen us, and to prepare us for all the glory that You will bestow upon each of us, for the faithfulness You have provided us to remain strong in our trust in You, regardless of what is happening all around us until then.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Spiritually Bankrupt Babylon
Revelation 17: 1-18
John has written about the whole process of judgment on the Earth and on those who dwell here who have wickedly destroyed the Earth and the world and the people of the world and for all the evil done. This is a good place to pause and look at something mentioned before, to give more details. Just as in Genesis chapter one we read about the whole creation; then chapter two narrows down the focus to the details of the creation of the man and the woman.
This chapter and the next will focus our attention on the falling of Babylon, which we read about in Revelation 14: 8 when the "second angel" pronounced it.
(1) Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,
(2) "with whom the kings of the Earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the Earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality."
This focuses on the moral degradation to which this people has fallen.
(3) And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness;
The angel is giving John a vision of how this will happen, he is in the spirit, not in his body, seeing all this.
and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.
(4) The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality,
(5) and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth."
The beast that carries the woman is a government that has acquired all kinds of "blasphemous names" which could be unrighteous laws and decrees that allow evil practices or that forbid righteous deeds.
(6) And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.
Violence and bloodshed are similar to alcohol in its affects on the brain, and this woman has caused much violence and bloodshed against God's people, and the witnesses of Jesus could be the "two witnesses" in whose murder she is complicit. She is reeling in the drunkenness of all the bloodshed.
When I saw her I wondered greatly.
John is flabbergasted with all the unleashed evil that has taken over this "woman."
(7) And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
The angel says, Why are you just standing there dumbfounded? I'll let you in on what has happened here.
(8) "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction.
The abyss is the bottomless pit that was unlocked by the star when the fifth trumpet was sounded, so it is not the same beast that comes out of the sea in chapter 13. That beast will become the world dictator. This beast is the power behind the government of this "city" of Babylon.
And those who dwell on the Earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.
People who don't know the Lord will greatly admire this government and have great respect for its power that it can influence other governments. It may be represented by someone who used to hold political power, but disappeared from public office, then returned.
(9) Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits,
Theologians used to use this verse to conclude that this harlot is the Catholic Church, as it sits on the "seven hills of Rome." But hills are not mountains.
This beast itself is the government of the "city." The heads could be the men who are in power in this government. And Scripture uses the figure of a mountain to convey political power. The woman sits on these mountains, they are supporting her weight.
(10) "And they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.
We are told outright here, that they are seven men who style themselves as kings. They are not all in power at the same time, some have already fallen out of favor by this time, and another hasn't come into public view yet. It seems to be a volatile political situation.
(11) "The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
And the government itself, or the principal head of the government, is also included in the number here, and he also will be judged severely.
(12) "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.
(13) "These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
Horns are used in Scripture to convey military power. These ten could be a coalition of great military leaders. But when they receive their authority it will only be for a specific purpose at a very limited time.
(14) "These will wage war against the Lamb,
These will be among the other armies who are surrounding the Holy Land and Jerusalem, and will end up fighting against the Lamb of God who is Jesus, at the Battle of Armageddon.
and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."
When Jesus breaks through the cloud barrier and His feet land on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14: 4), all His saints and angels will be following His lead (His "holy ones") including the resurrected ones who have been Raptured.
(15) And he said to me, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
All kinds of peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues have gathered in the "melting pot" of the world, but are refusing to "melt" into the culture, and insist on maintaining their own languages and cultures and societies. This is a reality today in America. And this harlot has been supported by all of these diverse groups.
(16) "And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.
But the powers behind these groups turn against her, and strip her of her worth and treasure, and absorb her wealth, and cause fires to burn up her cities.
The news today and yesterday and the day before, are telecasting how the concerned people who come out to protest peacefully become angry mobs that loot, destroy and burn police cars and businesses. This is upsetting, but it is exactly what has been forecasted and predicted right here in this prophecy.
(17) "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.
God has allowed the "powers that be," whether it is the Bilderback Group, or the Illuminati, or George Soros, or Bill and Melinda Gates, whoever has the will and the wherewithall to pay these puppets who are willing to foment violence for a fee! God is Almighty and uses even the most evil and depraved individuals to decide to do what God has decreed will happen, according to His great Plan of the Ages!
They are not supporting her any more, but have turned on her savagely.
(18) "The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the Earth."
This woman is the geographical populated area that has so much influence over all the other nations in the world that it is said to reign over them!
This is the spiritual and moral aspect of this "city" of Babylon.
Tomorrow we will see that it is also a financial wellspring that has been financing the wealth of the rest of the world.
O my Father, please help us to see what is going on around us, and to recognize when we are witnessing the fulfillment of Your prophecies. Open our eyes, Father, to understand where we stand in Your timeline for this Earth and Universe. Teach us to withstand the evil powers that are energizing all of these destructive events, and show us what we are to do to protect Your little ones in the midst of it all.
And, My Father, continue to send out Your children as Your witnesses and missionaries to broadcast Your Good News throughout the world so that every living person will hear and understand so they will make informed decisions to choose to accept Your gracious and generous gift of Salvation, or else to knowingly turn to the lies of the enemy.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is the only Lord and Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come hastily, Lord Jesus!
John has written about the whole process of judgment on the Earth and on those who dwell here who have wickedly destroyed the Earth and the world and the people of the world and for all the evil done. This is a good place to pause and look at something mentioned before, to give more details. Just as in Genesis chapter one we read about the whole creation; then chapter two narrows down the focus to the details of the creation of the man and the woman.
This chapter and the next will focus our attention on the falling of Babylon, which we read about in Revelation 14: 8 when the "second angel" pronounced it.
(1) Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,
(2) "with whom the kings of the Earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the Earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality."
This focuses on the moral degradation to which this people has fallen.
(3) And he carried me away in the spirit into a wilderness;
The angel is giving John a vision of how this will happen, he is in the spirit, not in his body, seeing all this.
and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.
(4) The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality,
(5) and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth."
The beast that carries the woman is a government that has acquired all kinds of "blasphemous names" which could be unrighteous laws and decrees that allow evil practices or that forbid righteous deeds.
(6) And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus.
Violence and bloodshed are similar to alcohol in its affects on the brain, and this woman has caused much violence and bloodshed against God's people, and the witnesses of Jesus could be the "two witnesses" in whose murder she is complicit. She is reeling in the drunkenness of all the bloodshed.
When I saw her I wondered greatly.
John is flabbergasted with all the unleashed evil that has taken over this "woman."
(7) And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
The angel says, Why are you just standing there dumbfounded? I'll let you in on what has happened here.
(8) "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction.
The abyss is the bottomless pit that was unlocked by the star when the fifth trumpet was sounded, so it is not the same beast that comes out of the sea in chapter 13. That beast will become the world dictator. This beast is the power behind the government of this "city" of Babylon.
And those who dwell on the Earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.
People who don't know the Lord will greatly admire this government and have great respect for its power that it can influence other governments. It may be represented by someone who used to hold political power, but disappeared from public office, then returned.
(9) Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits,
Theologians used to use this verse to conclude that this harlot is the Catholic Church, as it sits on the "seven hills of Rome." But hills are not mountains.
This beast itself is the government of the "city." The heads could be the men who are in power in this government. And Scripture uses the figure of a mountain to convey political power. The woman sits on these mountains, they are supporting her weight.
(10) "And they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.
We are told outright here, that they are seven men who style themselves as kings. They are not all in power at the same time, some have already fallen out of favor by this time, and another hasn't come into public view yet. It seems to be a volatile political situation.
(11) "The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.
And the government itself, or the principal head of the government, is also included in the number here, and he also will be judged severely.
(12) "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.
(13) "These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.
Horns are used in Scripture to convey military power. These ten could be a coalition of great military leaders. But when they receive their authority it will only be for a specific purpose at a very limited time.
(14) "These will wage war against the Lamb,
These will be among the other armies who are surrounding the Holy Land and Jerusalem, and will end up fighting against the Lamb of God who is Jesus, at the Battle of Armageddon.
and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."
When Jesus breaks through the cloud barrier and His feet land on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14: 4), all His saints and angels will be following His lead (His "holy ones") including the resurrected ones who have been Raptured.
(15) And he said to me, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.
All kinds of peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues have gathered in the "melting pot" of the world, but are refusing to "melt" into the culture, and insist on maintaining their own languages and cultures and societies. This is a reality today in America. And this harlot has been supported by all of these diverse groups.
(16) "And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.
But the powers behind these groups turn against her, and strip her of her worth and treasure, and absorb her wealth, and cause fires to burn up her cities.
The news today and yesterday and the day before, are telecasting how the concerned people who come out to protest peacefully become angry mobs that loot, destroy and burn police cars and businesses. This is upsetting, but it is exactly what has been forecasted and predicted right here in this prophecy.
(17) "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.
God has allowed the "powers that be," whether it is the Bilderback Group, or the Illuminati, or George Soros, or Bill and Melinda Gates, whoever has the will and the wherewithall to pay these puppets who are willing to foment violence for a fee! God is Almighty and uses even the most evil and depraved individuals to decide to do what God has decreed will happen, according to His great Plan of the Ages!
They are not supporting her any more, but have turned on her savagely.
(18) "The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the Earth."
This woman is the geographical populated area that has so much influence over all the other nations in the world that it is said to reign over them!
This is the spiritual and moral aspect of this "city" of Babylon.
Tomorrow we will see that it is also a financial wellspring that has been financing the wealth of the rest of the world.
O my Father, please help us to see what is going on around us, and to recognize when we are witnessing the fulfillment of Your prophecies. Open our eyes, Father, to understand where we stand in Your timeline for this Earth and Universe. Teach us to withstand the evil powers that are energizing all of these destructive events, and show us what we are to do to protect Your little ones in the midst of it all.
And, My Father, continue to send out Your children as Your witnesses and missionaries to broadcast Your Good News throughout the world so that every living person will hear and understand so they will make informed decisions to choose to accept Your gracious and generous gift of Salvation, or else to knowingly turn to the lies of the enemy.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is the only Lord and Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come hastily, Lord Jesus!
Monday, June 1, 2020
Final Wrath, Total Devastation
Revelation 16: 1-21
This is the time of the final, total judgment upon all the wicked, evil people and the lands where they lived and did all their evil deeds, as King Jesus sets everything up for His rule. The final wiping of the slate clean, to start over.
(1) Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the Earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God."
It looks like all seven of these angels are to pour out their bowls at about the same time, or in very close succession to to one another. And they would have to be.
And all seven of these judgments have a correlation to the corresponding Trumpet blasts.
(2) So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the Earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.
This first bowl's effects are on people, as the first Trumpet's effects were on the ground of the Earth. What we would call extreme environmental pollution could wreak these effects.
(3) The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.
The second Trumpet's effect was on a third of the sea; this bowl completes the process.
(4) Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood.
The third Trumpet's blast affected a third of all fresh waters, now this judgment removes all potable water from the Earth.
Since there is no food and no water, how long could any people survive? So these must all be poured out at the last day or two or at most three, before Jesus appears.
(5) And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things;
(6) for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it."
(7) And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."
This is interesting. The martyrs who had been beheaded had called out for judgment upon their murderers, from under the altar when the fifth seal was broken; now the altar itself is calling out praises for God's judgment fulfilled upon them. Since we are all "living stones" building God's house, then are the martyrs who have been "sacrificed" the stones of the altar in the Heavenly temple?
(8) The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.
Since the fourth Trumpet blast caused anomalies in the sun, moon and stars, so they wouldn't shine for a third of the day and night; then is this bowl of wrath connected to that, to have the sun too bright when it does shine?
(9) Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the Name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.
Even when God forces upon mankind His almighty power to show them who He is, they still don't admit their culpability before Him! We are so stubborn!
(10) Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain,
The fifth Trumpet had the bottomless pit unlocked, to release the thick smoke and the locusts who stung with the scorpion poison to torment but not kill. Is this bowl of wrath a further description of the effects of this?
(11) And they blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.
These are the dragon's minions who have chosen to take that condemning mark of the beast. They still refuse to admit their wickednesses.
(12) The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.
This also corresponds to the sixth Trumpet, where we're told that the four powerful evil angels were unbound at this river, to gather the two hundred million army to wipe out a third of the human race. Now this bowl of wrath clears the way for them to proceed.
(13) And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs;
(14) for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great Day of God, the Almighty.
And these frog-like demons are sent out to recruit the soldiers for this massive assault on God's people.
(15) ("Behold I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.")
Paul said that, "You, brethren, are not in darkness, that the Day would overtake you like a thief" (I Thessalonians 5: 4), so as children of light, we may not know the day or the hour, but we should have our eyes open to recognize the signs to be able to discern the year and the season! That way, we will know to "stay awake and keep our clothes on" when we expect His coming.
(16) And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon [Armageddon].
Here we've got all the armies of the world gathered and ready for the Battle of Armageddon.
(17) Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done."
And now this is the end. "It is done." Jesus is coming through the cloud cover, and everything is coming down to the final end.
(18) And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the Earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.
This is the massive, world-wide earthquake that will re-write all the land-masses of the Earth.
(19) The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.
The great city Babylon could be any great geographical area where the people are acting like the ancient city of Babylon; it could even be America. I can see how America can easily split into three, with the major fault lines and California slipping into the sea.
(20) And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Will this happen twice? We were already told this happened when the sixth Seal was broken. The sixth Seal, the seventh Trumpet and the seventh Bowl all look like the same Day to me, approached from different directions. This has to be the Day that Jesus pierces the cloud cover and barrels toward the Earth, aiming at landing on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14: 4).
(21) And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men;
Great hail is also mentioned when the last Trumpet blasted (I Corinthians 15: 52).
and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.
All the people on the Earth alive at that time who have not chosen to accept God's gracious gift and taken the mark of the beast instead will be under the most excruciating pain, but will still not turn to the Lord.
O my Father, You are holy, too holy for anything with any sin to live with You! That's why Satan is thrown out of Heaven, down to the Earth. And he knows his time is short, so his anger at You for giving us the second chance he never had, is great. But You are greater, Father. And I trust in You.
My Father, please send out Your children to share with every living being how much You love them in sending Your own Son to take our death for us.
Let each person understand sufficiently to make a fully informed decision.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Jewish Messiah, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all the Universe, of everything material and spiritual; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
This is the time of the final, total judgment upon all the wicked, evil people and the lands where they lived and did all their evil deeds, as King Jesus sets everything up for His rule. The final wiping of the slate clean, to start over.
(1) Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go and pour out on the Earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God."
It looks like all seven of these angels are to pour out their bowls at about the same time, or in very close succession to to one another. And they would have to be.
And all seven of these judgments have a correlation to the corresponding Trumpet blasts.
(2) So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the Earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.
This first bowl's effects are on people, as the first Trumpet's effects were on the ground of the Earth. What we would call extreme environmental pollution could wreak these effects.
(3) The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.
The second Trumpet's effect was on a third of the sea; this bowl completes the process.
(4) Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood.
The third Trumpet's blast affected a third of all fresh waters, now this judgment removes all potable water from the Earth.
Since there is no food and no water, how long could any people survive? So these must all be poured out at the last day or two or at most three, before Jesus appears.
(5) And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things;
(6) for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it."
(7) And I heard the altar saying, "Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments."
This is interesting. The martyrs who had been beheaded had called out for judgment upon their murderers, from under the altar when the fifth seal was broken; now the altar itself is calling out praises for God's judgment fulfilled upon them. Since we are all "living stones" building God's house, then are the martyrs who have been "sacrificed" the stones of the altar in the Heavenly temple?
(8) The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.
Since the fourth Trumpet blast caused anomalies in the sun, moon and stars, so they wouldn't shine for a third of the day and night; then is this bowl of wrath connected to that, to have the sun too bright when it does shine?
(9) Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the Name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.
Even when God forces upon mankind His almighty power to show them who He is, they still don't admit their culpability before Him! We are so stubborn!
(10) Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain,
The fifth Trumpet had the bottomless pit unlocked, to release the thick smoke and the locusts who stung with the scorpion poison to torment but not kill. Is this bowl of wrath a further description of the effects of this?
(11) And they blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.
These are the dragon's minions who have chosen to take that condemning mark of the beast. They still refuse to admit their wickednesses.
(12) The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east.
This also corresponds to the sixth Trumpet, where we're told that the four powerful evil angels were unbound at this river, to gather the two hundred million army to wipe out a third of the human race. Now this bowl of wrath clears the way for them to proceed.
(13) And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs;
(14) for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great Day of God, the Almighty.
And these frog-like demons are sent out to recruit the soldiers for this massive assault on God's people.
(15) ("Behold I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.")
Paul said that, "You, brethren, are not in darkness, that the Day would overtake you like a thief" (I Thessalonians 5: 4), so as children of light, we may not know the day or the hour, but we should have our eyes open to recognize the signs to be able to discern the year and the season! That way, we will know to "stay awake and keep our clothes on" when we expect His coming.
(16) And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon [Armageddon].
Here we've got all the armies of the world gathered and ready for the Battle of Armageddon.
(17) Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, "It is done."
And now this is the end. "It is done." Jesus is coming through the cloud cover, and everything is coming down to the final end.
(18) And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the Earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.
This is the massive, world-wide earthquake that will re-write all the land-masses of the Earth.
(19) The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath.
The great city Babylon could be any great geographical area where the people are acting like the ancient city of Babylon; it could even be America. I can see how America can easily split into three, with the major fault lines and California slipping into the sea.
(20) And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
Will this happen twice? We were already told this happened when the sixth Seal was broken. The sixth Seal, the seventh Trumpet and the seventh Bowl all look like the same Day to me, approached from different directions. This has to be the Day that Jesus pierces the cloud cover and barrels toward the Earth, aiming at landing on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14: 4).
(21) And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, came down from heaven upon men;
Great hail is also mentioned when the last Trumpet blasted (I Corinthians 15: 52).
and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague was extremely severe.
All the people on the Earth alive at that time who have not chosen to accept God's gracious gift and taken the mark of the beast instead will be under the most excruciating pain, but will still not turn to the Lord.
O my Father, You are holy, too holy for anything with any sin to live with You! That's why Satan is thrown out of Heaven, down to the Earth. And he knows his time is short, so his anger at You for giving us the second chance he never had, is great. But You are greater, Father. And I trust in You.
My Father, please send out Your children to share with every living being how much You love them in sending Your own Son to take our death for us.
Let each person understand sufficiently to make a fully informed decision.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, the Jewish Messiah, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all the Universe, of everything material and spiritual; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)