7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced
him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
The apostle John makes an interesting statement here in this verse. He says that every eye will see Him (Jesus), meaning that even they which pierced (crucified) Him will see Him when he returns. In other words, even the dead in Hell will see Him when He returns in glory to claim His kingdom!
This will also fulfill the prophecy of Zechariah concerning His return;
ZECHARIAH 12:9-10
9 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.
10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem will see Jesus at His return, and when they see the scars from the nails in
His hands and feet, they will realize that He is indeed the Messiah whom their fathers rejected. At that
time, they will be in bitterness in understanding that this is the Messiah they had so long waited for, and
that the New Testament writings concerning Him were indeed true.
REVELATION 3:10
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of
temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
Some people point to this verse as referring to the rapturing of the church before the Tribulation. They
feel that the letters written by John to the seven churches in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey) represent
seven periods in church history, and while there may seem to be similarities in some cases, (especially
the letter to Laodicea) there is no direct evidence to support this.
The churches mentioned by John no longer exist, or exist today only as ruins. In this Jesus was correct
in that the church in Philadelphia was spared from tribulation, but I believe he was referring to the
savage ten year persecution of the Christians throughout the breadth of the Roman Empire begun in
A.D. 303 by Roman Emperor Diocletian.
REVELATION 6:1-2
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was
given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Here John watches as the Lamb (Jesus) opens a scroll sealed with seven seals, each seal containing a
prediction of things to come. The first seal reveals the rise of the Antichrist, who is given authority to
conquer wherever he goes and wherever he wishes as we have previously seen in the studies from the
Old Testament book of Daniel.
REVELATION 6:3-4
3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
4 And there went out another horse [that was] red: and [power] was given to him that sat
thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was
given unto him a great sword.
The second seal reveals war. This will include World War III, which means that the Antichrist will begin his rise before WW III comes to pass. He will not begin to take the reins of world control until after the war is finished, as by then Europe will be the only cohesive political confederation capable of attempting world domination.
We have seen the effects of this seal being opened with the wars that we continually hear about. Africa is constantly convulsed by wars, South America has continual brush fire wars, the recent conflicts in the Balkans (Yugoslavia, Croatia, Bosnia and Chechnya), the recent war to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan, the present Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to name a few.
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and
three measures of barley for a penny; and [see] thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
After World War III, famine will run rampant throughout the world, represented by the balances carried by the figure on the horse. The fact that the horse is black reinforces the concept.
This would make sense as with the devastation that World War III will cause, world economies will collapse. Those countries that will be directly affected by the war (the United States and Russia) will suffer terribly under the scourges of radiation, disease, poisoned water and famine. People won't be able to go to the local grocery store, as it won't be there any more, or if it is, it will have nothing to sell. People will murder each other for whatever food can be found.
Delivery systems for food and supplies will grind to a halt in countries not directly affected by the war, especially in Third World countries as foreign aid from the United States ceases. Starvation will run rampant worldwide.
Europe will survive relatively intact, for as the European Union is to become the power base of the Antichrist in the End Times, Europe will declare neutrality when the war breaks out, leaving the United States and Russia to face each other on the battlefield at last. The United States and Russia will destroy each other, and Arab power will be shattered forever as prophesied in Ezekiel 38 and 39, leaving Europe as the only cohesive world power left with the political, military and economic clout capable of taking the reigns of world power. (For more on World War III, please see the study End Times I) China will not be ready to seek world dominance until shortly before Armageddon.
The fact that food will be highly priced is evident in verse 6, for a "penny" as spoken of here, was a
day's wage when John wrote the book of Revelation. The fact that luxury goods such as oil and wine
aren't priced to me indicates that their value in relation to basic foodstuffs will be insignificant. Food will
be the supreme goal in the eyes of the survivors.
REVELATION 6:7-8
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell
followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill
with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
This verse says that one quarter of the world's population will be destroyed by World War III and it's after-effects. After the initial nuclear strikes are over, forest fires will be raging out of control especially in the American Pacific Northwest and in Russia. Food will be scarce, poisoned, or non-existent, as will medical supplies, fuel, etc.
Radioactive dust will be carried for thousands of miles on prevailing winds generated by the nuclear strikes and the huge firestorms in Russia and the western United States. Such radiation will render millions of acres of farmland useless, increasing the world famine.
Animals, especially dogs, will turn wild as starvation sets in and will hunt in packs, attacking humans as food. Starving people will kill each other for food and in extreme cases will even turn to cannibalism, just to survive.
Disease epidemics caused by millions of unburied dead bodies and biological toxins used during the war will sweep the world, adding to the horrors of radiation sickness. Those who die during the initial nuclear strikes will be considered lucky by the survivors.
The fact that Hell is following Death on the same horse, shows the destination of many of those who will
die during these times.
REVELATION 6:9-11
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they
should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that
should be killed as they [were], should be fulfilled.
These are the souls all of the saints who have been killed down through history from Abel the brother of Cain in the book of Genesis, to this point of events in the prophetic calendar. And another very important point is made here! They are told to rest until the rest of their brethren who are to be killed as they were are accomplished!
In other words, they are told to rest until the saints who are to be killed during the great Tribulation under the Antichrist are put to death. Then, and only then will God revenge their blood on those who destroyed them, namely when Jesus comes for His saints who are still alive when He returns at Armageddon.
The apostle Paul speaks of this when he said;
II THESSALONIANS 1:7-10
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
Again, this points to a post-Tribulation return of Jesus!REVELATION 6:12
12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and
the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
Here we see a repetition of the promise of events that will occur before Jesus' return, as prophesied in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. (Please see End Times Part III for these references) Jesus spoke of an increase in earthquakes (a one thousand percent increase has happened since 1900).
Just before His return, the sun will also go out, and in some fashion the Moon will turn red, much as it
does during a Lunar eclipse.
REVELATION 6:13
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs,
when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
This shows Satan and his demons being violently cast out of heaven for the last time, never to appear
there again. They will be cast down to the earth to make their final stand before Jesus returns. We'll see
more of this in chapter 12.
REVELATION 6:14-17
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Here we jump ahead in time to the actual return of Jesus during Armageddon. The sky will split and roll back, and there will be an earthquake of a magnitude never before experienced by man. (We'll see more of this shortly)
He will then destroy the Antichrist and his empire, and will rule the Earth directly.
The One sitting on the throne will be God the Father, and the Lamb is of course Jesus, in fulfillment of;
DANIEL 7:9-14
9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment [was] white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne [was like] the fiery flame, [and] his wheels [as] burning fire.
10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.
11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld [even] till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.
12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and
languages, should serve him: his dominion [is] an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass
away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.
REVELATION 7:1-8
1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: [and there were] sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Juda [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad [were] sealed twelve thousand.
6 Of the tribe of Aser [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses [were] sealed twelve thousand.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar [were] sealed twelve thousand.
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph [were] sealed
twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin [were] sealed twelve thousand.
The fact that John saw four angels holding back the four winds indicates that there will be a short space of peace prevailing before the Tribulation, as winds in prophecy usually represent changes in political issues, as we saw in the book of Daniel. The fact that they are holding the winds from blowing on the whole earth, shows that the politics of the one-world government under the Antichrist is already in place.
It is also noteworthy that as there were twelve tribes of Israel in the Old Testament, there are also twelve tribes listed here. However, the tribe of Joseph has been substituted for the tribe of Dan. The Old Testament describes the tribe of Dan as falling into idolatry (Judges chapter 18), and I suspect that the entire tribe eventually died out. Thus we see the house of Joseph taking Dan's place.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that 144,000 of their members will inherit heaven while the rest of the redeemed will inherit a new earth. Yet Scripture clearly states here that 144,000 of the descendants of the original twelve tribes (except Dan) will be anointed and separated to God. And as we shall soon see, the Scriptures clearly state that the 144,000 will be virgin men, who will be a form of a personal court for Jesus. And yet the Jehovah's Witnesses teach that 144,000 members of their religion, both men and women will form this group.
In the Old Testament, the priests interceded before God for the sins of the people, as sin separated Man from God when Adam sinned in the garden of Eden, and the Law required a mediator was needed as a go-between between God and man.
When Jesus died, He took the sins of the world into His body, and when He died, the sin died with Him. At that point, the sins were taken away, and there was no longer a need for a man to intercede with God for sin. Jesus is now the intercessor, and He alone can forgive our sins, and allow us access to His Father, not an earthly priest.
It eliminated the need for sacrifices. With Jesus' death, animal sacrifices were no longer necessary, as Jesus was the perfect sacrifice required by the Law. And again, with the need for sacrifice taken away, there was, and is no longer a need for a priesthood.
No one can now claim to be the Messiah. The Messiah was to come from the line of David and with the genealogical records being destroyed, no one knows which tribe he is descended from.
Some believe that these 144,000 Jews will preach the Gospel during the Tribulation period, but there is nothing in Scripture to support this.
REVELATION 7:9-17
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and [about] the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto
living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
This is the culmination of the hope of all the saints throughout history. John sees a multitude of saints
standing before God, saints who have died during the tribulations and persecutions throughout history,
including the last great Tribulation under the Antichrist. John sees their eternal reward at the end of time,
when God the Father Himself will dwell among them, and they will no more suffer pain, or hunger or
thirst, but will dwell in eternal peace and joy before the throne of Almighty God Himself. Amen!
REVELATION 8:1
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
I can't be certain here, but I'm pretty sure that the half hour of silence coincides with the sealing of the
144,000 descendants of Israel as was seen in Revelation 7:1-8. God waits until this event is complete
before moving on to the next step.
REVELATION 8:2-3
2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given
unto him much incense, that he should offer [it] with the prayers of all saints upon the golden
altar which was before the throne.
This is an important area of Scripture which needs to have careful attention paid to it! First there are seven trumpets are to be blown. Remember what Jesus said about returning with the sound of a great trumpet, and what Paul said about the "last trump" in End Times Part III.
Also it is interesting to note that to God, our prayers are offered with incense to create a sweet aroma
before His Throne. This shows the value and care that God places upon personal prayer lifted
up to Him. He pays personal attention to prayers, and takes personal pleasure in them, and
they are as sweet incense to Him!
REVELATION 8:4-5
4 And the smoke of the incense, [which came] with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast [it] into the earth:
and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
There will be many earthquakes recorded in the book of Revelation, and the location of many of them
is not given.
REVELATION 8:6-13
6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were
cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
This is a hard one, as Scripture really doesn't give a clue as to whether this is a real hailstorm, or a symbol. A similar literal hailstorm fell upon Egypt as one of the plagues of God by Moses, in which fire was mixed with the hail. Whether this was a form of chain-lightning or something else isn't given. What IS important is the fact that one third of the trees are destroyed, and all green grass is destroyed.
I think the green grass being destroyed is a symbol, for if all of the grass were destroyed, virtually every
herbivorous animal would starve to death. I think we are seeing the results of World War III and it's
aftermath. The massive firestorms in the United States and Russia that will be ignited by the war could
fit the category of one third of the trees being burned.
REVELATION 8:8-9
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third
part of the ships were destroyed.
Much press has been given recently to asteroids that periodically cross the earth's orbit. Scientists say that if such an asteroid were to approach the Earth, we may have at best only several hours or several days of warning. In other words we couldn't do anything to stop it.
Such an impact, if it hits somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, (which I am about 99% certain it will), would fit the bill for what John describes here. This would make the most sense to me, as a Pacific strike would spare Europe the devastation caused by the tremendous tsunamis that would be generated by such an event, leaving the power base of the Antichrist intact. An Atlantic strike would devastate most of North and South America, Europe, and north Africa while a strike in the Indian Ocean or the Mediterranean Sea would certainly affect Israel, from which the Antichrist will rule toward the end of the End Times.
Scripture doesn't record disasters of the magnitude here as affecting Africa, Europe or the Middle east, so therefore a Pacific Ocean strike is the most likely place for this asteroid to impact. If I were to give a location, I would say the central to south Pacific ocean would be the most likely candidates.
Coming in at 30,000 to 35,000 miles per hour, the impact would create a plasma fireball which would rise to the top of the stratosphere within minutes. Shock waves of superheated nearly-solid air would blast out in all directions at close to 1,000 miles per hour, destroying everything on the surface for hundreds of miles from the point of impact, generating storms of incredible ferocity, and possibly altering world weather patterns for years.
The mud and debris generated by such an impact could conceivably destroy one-third of the life in the sea, as shock waves race across the sea floor and the acid rains generated by the flash-vaporized water poison the sea for hundreds, even thousands of miles in all directions.
Tsunamis, conceivably thousands of feet in height would devastate the maritime capabilities of the entire
Pacific Rim, literally destroying one third of the world's shipping, inundating thousands of cities, causing
untold millions of deaths, and poisoning millions of square miles of land with salt.
Volcanologists have found evidence that the explosion of the volcano Thera (legendary Atlantis) in the Aegean Sea east of Greece in circa 1531 B.C. generated tsunamis that reached 600 feet in height in places in Turkey, hundreds of miles to the east.
The ancient Minoan culture of the island of Crete 60 miles to the south of Thera was quite advanced for it's time, having internal plumbing and hot-and-cold running water in their homes. Their ships plied the Mediterranean sea, and apparently even traded with Egypt. They were not, however, the "super-race" that legends make them to be.
When Thera erupted, the volcano blew a hole a mile deep in the ocean and is deemed the largest known volcanic explosion recorded in known history. The explosion destroyed the advanced Minoan culture in islands of the Aegean sea, and totally devastated the island of Crete to the south with superheated air blasts, and massive tsunamis. The Minoan survivors of this explosion fled the island, invaded Palestine, and became the Philistines. As Scripture records,
Caphtor is the ancient name for the island of Crete. Note that God calls them the remnant of the
country of Caphtor, showing that they were survivors of some disaster.
The magnitude of an asteroid strike described in Scripture would make Thera look like a firecracker, as
far as energy release. Tsunamis would race in all directions at velocities up to 600 miles per hour or
greater to scour the coast lands of the entire Pacific region, followed by storms of unimaginable ferocity
which would rage over what was left. Such devastation is hard to imagine, and the loss of life will be
appalling.
REVELATION 8:10-11
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became
wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
This indicates the end result of pollution. Radioactive fallout, acid rains, industrial wastes, water-borne
diseases carried into water supplies from unburied bodies will finally reach a point of where one third of
the world's water supply will become undrinkable. This plague goes hand in hand with the next one
below.
REVELATION 8:12-13
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud
voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the
trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
This does not mean that one-third of the sun will be black. This means that the sun will have to rise 30 degrees into the sky before it can break through the dust and pollution that will fill the atmosphere, and will disappear within 30 degrees of the horizon at sunset.
Dust from the nuclear strikes of World War III, smoke from the resulting forest fires, industrialized pollution and the dust, water vapor and acid vapor droplets generated by the asteroid strike will all combine to put a pall of sunlight-blocking particles in the atmosphere.
There will be an incredible increase in respiratory problems during this time! And as verse 13 states,
there are still three more trumpets to sound!
REVELATION 9:1-11
1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.
4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment [was] as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
7 And the shapes of the locusts [were] like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads [were] as it were crowns like gold, and their faces [were] as the faces of men.
8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as [the teeth] of lions.
9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings [was] as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.
10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power [was] to hurt men five months.
11 And they had a king over them, [which is] the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in
the Hebrew tongue [is] Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath [his] name Apollyon.
I have wrestled with this one for a long time. The star falling from heaven to earth is obviously Satan, the Great Destroyer (Both Abaddon and Apollyon mean "Destroyer"). This could show Satan being cast out of Heaven to make his final stand on earth.
He is allowed to open the pits of Hell, and release a plague upon the earth of what appears to be
mutated locusts. This could either be a plague of demons, or could be the result of genetic engineering
gone horribly wrong. I have had no word from the Lord concerning the meaning of this, so I can only
speculate here.
REVELATION 9:12-16
12 One woe is past; [and], behold, there come two woes more hereafter.
13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,
14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.
15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.
16 And the number of the army of the horsemen [were] two hundred million: and I heard the
number of them.
Here we see the beginning of the Armageddon buildup. There are four of Satan's demons bound in the river Euphrates who will be released for the very purpose of stirring China to battle. And what is even more fascinating is that China has long boasted that it has a two hundred million man standing army ready to move at any time.
Also, historically the river Euphrates has been the "dividing line" between Asia and Europe. As we will
soon see, the Euphrates will be dried up to prepare the way for the Chinese forces.
REVELATION 9:17-19
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses [were] as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails [were] like unto serpents,
and had heads, and with them they do hurt.
I am guessing here, but I think John is describing a tank. If John saw an armored tank, the sun reflecting from the armor would look like fire, and the smoke and fire erupting from the main gun would seem to be like fire erupting from the head of a horse. The serpents could be the top-mounted machine guns and the heads those of the gunners. Like I said, I am guessing here, so it could be a tank, or with the advances in weaponry, something entirely different.
These weapons will kill one third of humanity who have survived the rest of the plagues that have
descended upon the Earth! Jesus spoke truly that if He hadn't shortened the days, no flesh would be
saved!
REVELATION 9:20-21
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor
of their thefts.
The demonic influence in people's lives under the Antichrist will be so great that instead of repenting and
turning to God because of these plagues, they will still perform the evil in their hearts, bringing more
destruction upon themselves. The idols they will worship will more than likely be the idols made to the
Antichrist, as we will see later in this study. Hard to believe, isn't it?
REVELATION 10:1-7
1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head, and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and [his] left [foot] on the earth,
3 And cried with a loud voice, as [when] a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.
4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.
5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,
6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery
of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go [and] take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take [it], and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.
10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.
11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and
tongues, and kings.
The preached word is sweet to relate, but the conviction of the heart can be bitter, as John is
experiencing here!
REVELATION 11:1-2
1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto
the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty [and] two months.
Forty two months....... three and a half years....... time, times, the dividing of time..... sound familiar? The Antichrist will rule from the rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem for three and a half years as we have already seen in the book of Daniel, persecuting the Jews and Christians, and causing all who live to receive his mark and worship him, or be killed.
For more information on this man, please seen the study of the book of Daniel (End Times II).
REVELATION 11:3-5
3 And I will give [power] unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their
enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
These men will not have literal fire coming from their mouths, but will have spoken authority from God to destroy those who oppose them. They will be allowed to continue for three and a half years during the great tribulation opposing the Antichrist and being a source of hope for believers.
They are also the fulfillment of Zechariah's vision;
ZECHARIAH 4:1-5; 11-14
1 And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep,
2 And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all [of] gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which [are] upon the top thereof:
3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right [side] of the bowl, and the other upon the left [side] thereof.
4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What [are] these, my lord?
5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what
these be? And I said, No, my lord.
11 Then answered I, and said unto him, What [are] these two olive trees upon the right [side] of the candlestick and upon the left [side] thereof?
12 And I answered again, and said unto him, What [be these] two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden [oil] out of themselves?
13 And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these [be]? And I said, No, my lord.
14 Then said he, These [are] the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.
REVELATION 11:6
6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have
power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as
they will.
Some believe that these men will be Moses and Elijah resurrected, but these will be two men chosen by
God for this particular ministry. And while they will be given the same authority as Moses and Elijah,
they will not be Moses and Elijah resurrected, for all of the dead must wait until Jesus brings them back
with Him.
REVELATION 11:7-14
7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies [shall lie] in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past; [and], behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
Here we see the spiritual state of Jerusalem. God equates it spiritually with Sodom and Egypt in His sight because of all of the abominations that have been committed within it throughout history. The Antichrist will be allowed to kill the two witnesses, so that God can demonstrate His power in them three and a half days later.
Here we also see the rapture in process. The two men hear a voice from Heaven telling them to come up, and they rise into Heaven in a cloud. The apostle Paul states,
I Thessalonians 4:14-18
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Note that Paul states that the dead in Christ shall rise first, meaning those who have died will be rising from the dead. Then we who are still alive will be transformed into our new bodies, and we shall ALL rise together with them in the air to be with Jesus forever!
Also note that in verse 13, John says that there were 7,000 men killed in the earthquake. Adding the women and children also killed, this number could reach upward of 15,000 people killed in this single event.
The third woe? The coming vengeance of Jesus against the world and it's wickedness, when He with
His mighty power destroys the Armageddon armies and takes personal control of the Earth!
REVELATION 11:15-19
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
I Corinthians 15:50-52
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.
I have seen statues in Catholic churches where this woman is depicted as Mary, the physical mother of Jesus. However this does NOT refer to Mary, but the nation of Israel! Any attempt to equate this with Mary is a misinterpretation of Scripture, and should be corrected immediately!
Please read the following sets of verses below, and you'll see why this cannot refer to Mary.REVELATION 12:3-4
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
I am going to have to jump ahead a bit to explain some things here. First of all, the dragon is Satan, as you have probably guessed. The ten horns are the ten nations of the European Union, the power base of the Antichrist. The seven crowns refer to the fact that as we saw in the study of the book of Daniel, three of the original ten rulers of these nations will resist him, and will be overthrown by force, and will be ruled by puppet rulers.The seven heads? I will have to wait for chapter 17 to tell you, as it needs to be seen in the context it was written in. Please bear with me in this. You'll see why when we get there.
The fact that the dragon threw one third of the stars of heaven to the earth, refers to the fact that one third of the angels joined Satan in his rebellion, and will be cast down to Earth with him to make their final stand, as we'll see shortly.
Satan tried to destroy Jesus through King Herod the Great when He was born, by having all of the
babies two years old and under killed when he knew that the Messiah had been born. This is depicted
by the dragon waiting to devour Jesus as soon as He is born.
REVELATION 12:5
5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her
child was caught up unto God, and [to] his throne.
This is pretty self-explanatory. This verse refers to the fact that Jesus was crucified, and waits in
Heaven for God the Father to give Him permission to come back and claim His kingdom.
REVELATION 12:6
6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days.
Right here is proof that the woman cannot be Mary. When the Antichrist sets himself up in the Temple and sets up the abomination of desolation, the Christians and Jews will flee to the wilderness to escape him. There God will take care of them during the three and a half years of the tribulation, events which will have happened nearly 2,000 years after Mary's death.
And for those who might argue that this period refers to the time that Joseph and Mary were in Egypt,
remember, verse 7 shows that Jesus has already been crucified and resurrected. Also the following
verses below show differently.
REVELATION 12:7-12
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
12 Therefore rejoice, [ye] heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the
earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he
knoweth that he hath but a short time.
Satan is at last thrown out of Heaven, never more to appear there. His main purpose up to this point has been to accuse the believers of their sins before the Throne of God day and night, trying to move God to act against us, while his demon princes direct his schemes here on earth.
When he is cast out of Heaven he will be banished to Earth to make his final stand, and will personally
direct his forces while he is here. The fact that he knows that he has but a short time left, shows that it is
during the time of the end that this will occur, again proving that the woman could not be Mary, but
Israel.
REVELATION 12:13-16
13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man [child].
14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.
15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.
16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the
flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Time, times, and half a time. One year, two years, half a year. As we have seen in the book of Daniel, this represents the three and a half year period of terror under the Antichrist called the Great Tribulation. Israel will flee from him into the wilderness, and will be nourished by God there. I wouldn't be at all surprised if He sends manna to them again, as He did during their travels in the wilderness during the time of the Exodus.
Satan sends out an army after the fleeing Jews, (kinda like Pharaoh during the Exodus?) but the ground swallows the army whole, I suspect in similar manner as the ground swallowed Korah and his followers whole during their rebellion against Moses.
NUMBERS 16:28-34
28 And Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works; for [I have] not [done them] of mine own mind.
29 If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; [then] the LORD hath not sent me.
30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that [appertain] unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.
31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that [was] under them:
32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that [appertained] unto Korah, and all [their] goods.
33 They, and all that [appertained] to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.
34 And all Israel that [were] round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the
earth swallow us up [also].
REVELATION 12:17
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Satan, when he sees that He has been thwarted by God in his attempt to destroy the Jews, will turn his
fury against the Christians and will begin the great three and a half year Tribulation.
REVELATION 13:1-2
1 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.
2 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.
Here John sees the total embodiment of the four great empires that Daniel and Nebuchadnezzar saw, namely the Babylonian empire (represented as a lion), the Persian empire (represented by a bear), the Greek empire (represented by a leopard) and the Roman empire (the ten horns) all in one creature.
The beast rising out of the sea parallels Daniel's vision in which he saw four separate beasts rise out of the sea. The "sea" as we have previously discussed represents multitudes of people, so this beast represents a human empire. The fact that they are all included in one beast shows that the spirit of these empires is consolidated in one man, in this case the Antichrist.
And Satan will give this man his power, his throne and authority on the earth to act in Satan's
name. The reason for this will be to give Satan an agent totally sold out to him who will carry
out his will. Satan, being a spirit, needs human agents here on earth to accomplish his
purposes, and this man will be his final attempt to rule all of mankind.
REVELATION 13:3-4
3 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.
4 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?
The Antichrist will be given a deadly wound, and will give the appearance of death. However he will not be dead, as Satan cannot animate a dead body, so he will only appear to be dead. He will then stage a pseudo-resurrection and will "come back to life". (I will prove the identity of the "wounded head" in chapter 17, so please bear with me.)
This will set the stage for his claim to be the Messiah the Jews have been waiting for. He will also probably have a "message from the grave" when he "returns" also. And because those who choose not to believe in God will be under strong delusion from the Lord, they will believe in this man, and will worship not only him, but Satan who gave him power.
II THESSALONIANS 2:5-12
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth [will let], until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.
Note: World War III has already been finished. Europe will stay neutral during the war, and will still retain enough military might, including NATO nuclear weapons, to take up the reigns of world power. That is why people say, "Who is able to wage war with him"?
With the United States and Russia out of the way, he will have pretty much free reign over the Earth.
(For more on World War III, please see the study End Times Part I)
REVELATION 13:5
5 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.
Note carefully that he will be allowed to continue after his "death" for forty two months(three and a half years; time, times and the dividing of time). Note also, the power he will have to continue for forty two months will be given to him by God.
As we have previously seen, he will sign a seven-year peace treaty with Israel, so in the
middle of this seven year period is when the "assassination" will occur. And as we have also
seen, he will persecute and destroy the Jews and the Christians for the last three and a half
years of his rule.
REVELATION 13:6-9
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
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.
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.
9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.
Remember the "little horn" that Daniel saw, the one which uprooted three others as it
appeared? And remember how this horn was allowed to "wear out the saints of the Most High
for time, times, and the dividing of time" (three and a half years), while blaspheming God and
those that dwell in Heaven? John is seeing a repeat of what Daniel saw several hundred years
before.
REVELATION 13:10
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 Holy Spirit is expressing an important point here. If you live by violence during these times, you will die by violence, and if you take captives, you will be taken captive. God is expressing that the saints are to flee when they see this man arise, and are not to try to go to war with him. God is the avenger, and He will deal personally with the Antichrist.
Remember Jesus' words to Peter when Peter cut off the servant's ear as the mob came to arrest Jesus!Matthew 26:51,52
51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out [his] hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear.
52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the
sword shall perish with the sword.
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.
12 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.
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14 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.
Here we see the rise of what has been labeled as the False Prophet. This man will appear to be religious (lamb's horns) but will speak the words of Satan (speaking as a dragon). He will heal the Antichrist of his deadly wound, and will direct all worship to the Antichrist, and his master, Satan.
His power in the presence of the Antichrist will be so great, that Satan will create fire from heaven to burn the earth in the sight of men. And for those who don't think that Satan has such power should read the first several chapters of the book of Job in the Old Testament! Remember, even Jesus warned us that false prophets would show signs and wonders to even try to fool the elect!
The false prophet will go even so far as to have people create idols of the Antichrist, and will
have them worship them. I suspect that he will do this as an excuse to persecute the
Christians and practicing Jews, as he will know that they cannot do so and still serve God.
REVELATION 13:15
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.
This shows the awesome power that the False Prophet will be able to wield! He will order the image
that he will construct of the Antichrist to live, and will cause the image to order that all who do not
worship the Antichrist are to be killed! Some may think that this will be a marvel of computer
engineering, but I think people are smart enough to not be fooled by such a device. I personally think
that a demon will inhabit the statue, and will speak through it.
REVELATION 13:16-18
16 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:
17 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.
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.
Now we come to the famous (infamous, actually) Mark of the Beast. This will be an ingeniously clever trap to force everyone into the World System that Satan will set up. Those who refuse to receive the Mark will not be allowed to buy or sell, and will perish.
I have talked to many people, especially non-believers who arrogantly say, "I'll never take the Mark!" Easy for you to say now...... but what about when you're starving? And you are watching your children starve also? Or when you are told to either receive the Mark, or be immediately murdered? Will it still be easy to decide?
And what of those who do receive the Mark? By the word of the Lord, there will be no hope for those who receive the Mark. They will have given their allegiance to Satan and the Antichrist, and there will be no turning back. They will become immediately possessed by demons to the point of where they will no longer have a free will of their own. And they will end up in the Lake of Fire even as Satan, his angels, and his followers, including the Antichrist and the false Prophet will. BE WARNED!
For example, the word "fox"in English = 666; F=6, O=60, X = 600.
REVELATION 14:1-5
1 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.
2 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:
3 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.
4 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 first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.
5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
Here are the REAL 144,000 who will be specially chosen by Jesus as his personal court. The
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that 144,000 of their members, both men and women, will make it to
heaven while the rest of the saints inherit a new Earth, but here Scripture makes it very clear as to who
these 144,000 people will be. They will be 144,000 virgin Hebrew men who will be set apart for
service to Jesus alone.
REVELATION 14:6-8
6 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,
7 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.
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.
I'll wait until we reach chapters 17 and 18 before I describe what Babylon is being talked about. Please
continue to bear with me until then.
REVELATION 14:9-13
9 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,
10 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:
11 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.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here [are] they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 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 labors; and
their works do follow them.
14 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.
15 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.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
Here Jesus is shown coming for His church, and is shown having a sharp sickle in His hand. The reaping is the rapture, in which the dead in Christ are resurrected and those who are alive are taken off of the Earth with them. This equates to the parables of the wheat and the tares and the gathering of fish put forth by Jesus in the book of Matthew. (Please see End Times III for these parables)
Note that Jesus is coming on a cloud, just as He promised. There is no mention of an invisible "second
coming" followed by a visible "third coming". The reaping is done only once, at His return after the
seventh and last trumpet sounds. And for those of you who are still skeptical, please humor me until
the next chapter.
REVELATION 14:17-20
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 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.
19 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.
20 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.
Wow. The second reaping is the destruction of the Armageddon armies, an event so titanic that the blood will flow about four feet high for 185 miles!
Isaiah 63:1-6
1 Who [is] this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this [that is] glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
2 Wherefore [art thou] red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people [there was] none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.
4 For the day of vengeance [is] in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.
5 And I looked, and [there was] none to help; and I wondered that [there was] none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.
6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will
bring down their strength to the earth.
Did you note something in verse 4? "The year of my redeemed has come". This is a prophecy
concerning Jesus, in which He is coming for His redeemed! He will come for us, and will destroy those
who have destroyed us! And as we shall see shortly, it will be Jesus who will destroy the Armageddon
armies at His coming.
REVELATION 15:1
1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last
plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
This event appears to happen between the blowing of the seven trumpets. The timing seems to be
somewhere between the fifth and seventh trumpets.
REVELATION 15:2-4
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.
3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous [are] thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true [are] thy ways, thou King of saints.
4 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.
As we see here, the tribulation saints stand on a sea of crystal, praising the Lord after having been
martyred for their faith.
REVELATION 15:5-8
5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
6 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.
7 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.
8 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 vials contain the full measure of the wrath of God, poured out in full strength upon the earth. No
one is able to enter the Temple because of the fury of the Lord. This cannot be happening after Jesus
comes for His church for when He comes, as we will see, He will immediately destroy the armies of
Armageddon, and begin His rule. So therefore these events must happen before the last trumpet
is blown.
REVELATION 16:1-2
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.
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.
By description this will be a result of receiving the Mark, a virulent and pustulate form of skin cancer
more than likely produced by hard ultraviolet radiation from the sun reacting with the ink used to create
the Mark. WW III will do much for depleting the ozone layer to the point of where hard ultraviolet
(ultraviolet B) radiation will pour through the atmosphere in full strength.
REVELATION 16:3
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.
The final stages of pollution in the ocean. The sea will become lifeless and stagnant. All sea life will die.
REVELATION 16:4-7
4 And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.
5 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.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.
7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous
[are] thy judgments.
This will be similar to the plague of blood by Moses during the time of Israel's captivity in Egypt. Recent research has shown that there is a particularly nasty little form of plant life that attacks living creatures that pass it's way. It will literally eat their flesh, and cause bleeding ulcerous sores on their bodies. And if enough of these creatures inhabit a waterway, a sudden bloom of these creatures could quickly kill all of the fish, filling the streams with blood.
These plants usually thrive in waters polluted by organic sewage runoffs, such as manures from farms,
etc. If the sea is polluted enough to become lifeless, freshwater streams may become polluted enough to
allow this organism to thrive, causing literal bloody water.
REVELATION 16:8-9
8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
9 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.
This points to an increase in the temperature of the sun, and I think it will be coupled with the final
destruction of the ozone layer. Nitrogen compounds created by nuclear detonations will destroy what is
left of the ozone layer, allowing hard ultraviolet radiation from the sun to pour upon the earth. This
would definitely cause the skin cancer on those who receive the Mark of the Beast.
REVELATION 16:10-11
10 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,
11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented
not of their deeds.
I have to admit that I have no idea what could cause the darkness described here. It seems to be a
localized event though, as the "seat of the beast" will be in the Temple of Jerusalem, and sounds like the
plague of darkness that God sent upon the Egyptians in the book of Exodus.
REVELATION 16:12
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 Euphrates river is to be dried up (I suspect because of the increased heat of the fourth plague), to
prepare the way for China to enter the Armageddon battle. The sixth trumpet shows the Chinese army
moving into the Middle East, destroying everything in its path, and the sixth plague removes the major
obstacle to their march.
REVELATION 16:13-14
13 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.
14 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.
Satan begins gathering the armies of the world to the Valley of Armageddon. His purposes here are twofold. He knows that the return of Jesus is imminent, and he will try to gather enough human armies together to try to stop that from happening.
Failing that, he will attempt to destroy as much of humanity with this frightful war as he can before Jesus
returns. As Jesus Himself said, if the days had not been cut short, there would be no flesh saved.
Literally no flesh. He didn't say "souls"or "spirits of men". The inference here is that all life on
earth would perish, and Jesus would come back to a dead planet.
REVELATION 16:15
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.
REVELATION 16:16
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them,
26 If any [man] come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish [it], all that behold [it] begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my
disciple.
If we choose to follow him, we must be ready to suffer persecution and death for his sake. If we're not willing to pay the ultimate price for him as he did for us, he doesn't want us as his disciples.
12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute [you], delivering [you] up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.
13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony.
14 Settle [it] therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:
15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.
16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and
[some] of you shall they cause to be put to death.
Please understand, Jesus never promised us that we would escape these things! If we were to
escape them, he would not have warned us concerning the Great Tribulation to come. The
prophet Daniel was told that believers would fall by flame, spoil, captivity and plunder for
"many days" (42 months), and it would be the final test of their faith. Jesus was faithful unto
death for us, and He expects us to do the same for Him. If not, He doesn't want us.
I'm sure the early Christians who died during the persecutions generated by the Roman
Empire held the same fears as we feel, as did the millions of Christians who died during the
400 years of the Roman Catholic Church's terrible Inquisition. But they were faithful unto
death, and set the examples for us as to the strength of faith when the final test comes.
REVELATION 16:17-21
17 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.
18 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.
19 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.
20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.
21 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.
Time skips about here for a bit. The seventh vial is poured out just after the seventh trumpet is blown. The great earthquake of Revelation 11:13 occurs, killing 7,000 men in Jerusalem and an untold number of women and children. Jerusalem is split into three parts, one tenth of the city is destroyed, and the heavy hail described in Revelation 11:16 falls on men, each hailstone weighing about 75 pounds. And even then they are so demon-bound that they curse God for the devastation caused by the hail.
Time then moves back a bit, in which the great abomination of a church called Mystery Babylon is
punished by God, as we shall now see.
REVELATION 17:1-2
1 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:
2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.
REVELATION 17:3-6
3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
5 And upon her forehead [was] a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 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.
John is shown a woman, a harlot, a mockery of Jesus' bride, the church, sitting on the beast
representing the European Union under the Antichrist. The woman is drunk with the blood of the saints
and martyrs that she has murdered, and is clothed luxuriously in royal colors of purple and scarlet. The
fact that she rides the beast either shows that she has some power over it, or they are helping each
other. But who is she? Wait a bit, and her identity will become clear.
REVELATION 17:7:8
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.
8 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.
This tongue-twister represents the combination of the Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman Empires as we have previously seen. And when John is being shown the future, the beast was, meaning that it had previously existed as these empires, and is not, meaning that it had not yet come to full power yet during the time of the future that John saw.
In other words, John is seeing the beginning of the rise of the beast to power, and the fact that the woman is riding on the beast indicates that she and the beast are working together, and she may at the time have some control over it.
However I am reminded of the limerick of the lady and the tiger which says;There was a young lady from Niger
who smiled as she rode on a tiger
they returned from the ride
with the lady inside
and the smile on the face of the tiger....
REVELATION 17:9-10
9 And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.
10 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.
2. Augustus Caesar - fallen
3. Tiberius Caesar - fallen
4. Caligula Caesar - fallen
5. Claudius Caesar - fallen
6. Nero Caesar - still living when John saw this vision.
So here we have the five kings that were fallen, and the sixth still living (five are fallen, and one is...).
And it was during the reign of Nero Caesar that Judah was destroyed as a nation, so all of the emperors who followed Nero are not mentioned in Scripture, as Scripture only concerns itself with those rulers who affected Israel and Judah as a nation. And when Nero committed suicide, the family line of the Julian Caesars came to an end.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into
perdition.
12 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.
13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
14 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 will be the ten heads of the ten European nations that will give all of their allegiance to the
Antichrist, and will rule with absolute authority during the last days.
REVELATION 17:15-18
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
16 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.
17 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.
18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the
earth.
Again, John is given the identity of the Great Harlot. Rome was the dominant power of it's time, and
while Rome will not again attain to that prominence, the Empire that it represented will again
appear.Bear with me for a bit as we go on, and I will seek to clarify a few things.
REVELATION 18:1-8
1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
2 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.
3 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.
4 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.
5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
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.
The city of Babylon was destroyed by a coalition of Medes and Persians in 539 B.C., and never rose again. And while Saddam Hussein may be attempting to rebuild the city, it will never again rise to rule the Earth as it did. Therefore the Babylon of Revelation is a different entity.
As we have seen, it is represented by a woman, a harlot, who has committed fornication with the kings of the Earth, and who has slaughtered the saints of God and the martyrs of Jesus. This also proves that this could not be the Babylon of ancient history, as by the time of Jesus' birth Babylon was a mound of dust and dirt.
And the Rome spoken of here could not be ancient imperial Rome, because the prophecy
John saw was for the far future, during the End Times. Therefore the harlot could not be
ancient Rome, but a Roman entity that would rise after the destruction of the old Roman
Empire.
The woman is also clothed in purple and scarlet, and decked with pearls and precious stones,
considers herself a queen, and has made merchants rich through trading with her.
Pope - absolute ruler of the worldwide Catholic church, requiring the absolute allegiance and
obedience of every Catholic believer.
Caesar - Supreme religious leader of the empire, with the title of "Summus Pontifex Rex" or "Supreme Builder of Bridges".
Pope - Supreme religious ruler of the Catholic Church, often called "Pontiff" from the Latin
"Summus Pontifex Rex", or "Supreme Builder of Bridges".
Imperial Rome - citizens of the empire could attain Roman citizenship, and while still considered citizens of their respective countries, their first allegiance had to be to Rome and the ruling Caesar.
Roman Catholic Church - Believers are considered citizens of their respective countries, but
their first allegiance must be to the Pope and the Church.
These are just a few of the similarities between the two entities, making the connection between them
unmistakable.
The Roman Catholic Church is incalculably rich. It owns many priceless works of art, which
decorate its halls; many of its churches and cathedrals have untold amounts of wealth within
them in the form of gold and silver ornaments, all under the control of the Vatican.
The Roman Catholic Church also owns many multi-national companies and is considered the
richest organization on the face of the earth.
Much of it's present wealth was attained during the 400 years of the Inquisition in which millions of people were imprisoned, tortured and put to death by the inquisitors on the order of the reigning Popes, and their property and wealth confiscated by the Church.
Thus she is drunken with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus. Also, the Holy Office of the Inquisition was never disbanded. It's name has been changed to the Holy Office for the Doctrine of the Congregation of the Faith, known today as the Holy Office.
The Vatican has, to my knowledge, never admitted guilt for creating and sponsoring the
Inquisition. Pope John Paul II said the Inquisition was a "mistake", but that was as far as it
went.
And something which irks me no end, the Vatican is always urging Western nations to give
their wealth to the poor, and yet gives up none of it's own wealth for the poor nations that it
claims to champion. During the recent devastating earthquake in Italy several years back, the
Pope toured the destruction and called for international aid for the victims, and yet the
Vatican donated little or nothing to help.
Remember, Jesus had nowhere to lay His head, no property to call His own when he was here, and the only thing He did own were His clothes, and even those were taken from Him at the cross. And yet the Pope and his cardinals, bishops, and priests sit in cathedrals that look more like palaces, clothed in splendor, and surrounded by riches in violation of Jesus' command of;
Matthew 6:19-21
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The bishops and cardinals of the church dress in purple and scarlet robes, call themselves
"princes of the church" and many own jeweled and pearl studded crucifixes, attributes
ascribed of the harlot, who is dressed in scarlet and purple, having gold and pearls adorning
her.
The Scriptures regard this place as a demon-infested cage, and God calls for His people to
come out of her organization lest they receive of her punishments which are due. Also note
that the Latin word "VATICANUS" from which the word "Vatican" is derived means "place
of divination" or "place of sorcery".
REVELATION 18:9,10
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.
I had often wondered at the idea of merchants standing afar off for fear of her torment, until I realized that the only thing that could cause people to stand at a distance after the destruction of the city, would be radiation.
The ten nations of Europe under the Antichrist will apparently destroy the Vatican with a battlefield
nuclear weapon, a weapon big enough to accomplish the job, yet small enough to limit the area of
damage. Revelation 17:16 says that the ten nations of the European Union will "burn her with fire", and
a small nuclear weapon would fit the description given here.
REVELATION 18:11-24
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 odors, 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.
REVELATION 19:1-9
1 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:
2 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.
3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
5 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.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
Here we see the true church which is portrayed as the wife of Jesus, who has made herself ready and
has faithfully waited for Him. Note especially that this only happens after the judgement and destruction
of the great harlot! He will judge and destroy the false church before He comes for His true church!
REVELATION 19:10
10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
John falls at the feet of the angel to worship him, and the angel himself says not to do this. Angels are not worthy of worship, not even Michael the Archangel! They are created beings just as Man and Satan are! No created being is worthy of worship! If you pray to Mary, "saints" or angels, you are making them gods worthy of worship, for prayers are only offered to deities.
God is a jealous God, and clearly stated in Exodus 20:3 "Thou shalt have no other gods before
Me." You are also guilty of necromancy, which is communicating with the dead. For more on
this subject, please see the study concerning worship of Mary and the "saints".
REVELATION 19:11-21
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
12 His eyes [were] as a flame of fire, and on his head [were] many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
13 And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all [men, both] free and bond, both small and great.
19 And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which [sword]
proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Jesus at last returns as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords to claim His kingdom. Armies of angels follow Him on horses, and by His word (the sword from His mouth - remember, the Scriptures are called the Sword of the Spirit) he destroys the armies of Armageddon.
The Antichrist and the false prophet are captured and are thrown alive into the Lake of Fire, and will be there by themselves for 1,000 years. This is not Hell, for as we shall soon see, Hell will be thrown into the Lake of Fire also. Hell is a prison where the unrighteous are kept until they appear before the Throne of Judgement to be judged for their sins. As Isaiah prophesied;
Isaiah 24:17-23
17 Fear, and the pit, and the snare, [are] upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 And it shall come to pass, [that] he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.
19 The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones [that are] on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 And they shall be gathered together, [as] prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
Hell is often referred to as "the pit", and Satan will be bound in the pit for 1,000 years as we shall shortly see. Note that God "punishes the host of the high ones that are on high", referring to the punishment of Satan and his demons, as well as the kings of the earth, referring to Armageddon.
They are to be "shut up in the prison, and after many days they will be visited." This refers to the fact that Satan and those killed during Armageddon will be shut up in Hell for 1,000 years, until Satan is again released to make one last stand on the earth.
NOTE: The "bottomless pit" is Hell. Whenever the "pit"is described, people are cast down to the sides of the pit, never at the bottom. God, speaking through Isaiah concerning the fall of Satan said;
Isaiah 14:3-21
3 And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,
4 That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!
5 The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, [and] the sceptre of the rulers.
6 He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, [and] none hindereth.
7 The whole earth is at rest, [and] is quiet: they break forth into singing.
8 Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, [and] the cedars of Lebanon, [saying], Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.
9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee