With the vivid realization that we are living in the age just prior
to the second coming of Christ in the cloud, I pray the Lord will
impress you with the shortness of time available before the fate of
every living person is decided, and may His Spirit give you the
discernment and wisdom needed to understand this short piece on Bible
Prophecy Yet to Be Revealed.
Bible prophecies serve a
double purpose - to impress on our minds the existence of God who is in
control of all events and to warn us of grave up-coming danger. For
example, God warned Noah of the coming flood and He also warned Abraham
and Lot of the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Additionally,
God revealed the unique features of four powerful kingdoms that would
rise to power and fall before the end of the world, and the main
characteristic of each government (See Daniel 7 and 8). Enough details
were given that a candid student of history and the Bible cannot but
concede that there is a God in heaven who rules over our world.
The
first Empire symbolised by a lion represents the kingdom of Babylon;
the second, symbolised by a bear represents the Persian Empire; the
third, symbolised by a leopard, represents the great Greek Empire; while
the fourth Empire or kingdom which was very different from the others,
apparently represents the Roman Empire. God revealed that Rome would be
split into ten territories and that in the time of these territories the
end will come (Daniel 7:23-27).
History has proven the
accuracy of God's word. The Roman Empire, also known as Rome, was
established in the 5th c. B.C. Rome grew as a group of villages on seven
hills on the east bank of the Tiber. Rome was ruled by seven kings
until 510 B.C., when it was made a republic. For nearly half a century
(27 BC to 446 AD), after the fall of the Greek Empire, the empire was
the most dominant ruling authority on earth. By 476 AD, Rome was divided
into ten nations from which present day Europe has emerged. These
events were recorded to teach us that whatever God foretold happened
exactly as He said. Hence, we cannot afford to ignore the most solemn
prophecy of the Bible yet to be fulfilled.
In fact, the
most solemn prophetic warning yet to be fulfilled today is important
for us to understand because events are taking place in rapid succession
indicating its imminent fulfillment. This is very important as it is
not by happenstance that the "great whore who sitteth upon the scarlet
beast" was seen in the wilderness in Revelation 17. Note that the Bible
invariably uses wilderness to describe harsh conditions; a woman is
often used to symbolise the Church, and a whore describes the level of
corruption and pollution.
Now we come to the most
important part of this whole article. God has prophesied that a time
will come when satan will use an earthly instrument -the church to
persecute all followers of Jesus Christ and cause everyone both small
and great to worship the image of the beast, otherwise they will be put
to death (Revelation 13:15).
"And the third angel
followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast
and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The
same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out
without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be
tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels,
and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment
ascendeth up forever 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. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14: 9-12.)
This
Bible prophecy, yet to be fully fulfilled, describes two groups of
people: The first group is warned against worshiping the beast and his
image, which leads them to receive the mark of the beast; while the
second group is viewed positively as keeping the commandments of God,
thus inheriting eternal life with Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, the description of the second coming of Christ directly follows this warning.
"Then
I looked, and behold a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the
Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp
sickle. And another angel came out of the temple crying with a loud
voice to Him who sat on the cloud, 'Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for
the time has come for you to reap for the harvest of the earth is ripe.'
So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the
earth was reaped" (Revelations 14: 14-15)
Therefore,
the purpose of this Bible prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled is to
warn us not to worship the image of the beast, as anyone who does this
will surely be tormented in hell fire as we were told above. We know
that this is the last warning given before the second coming of Christ.
...Prophecy, according to the simplest dictionary definition, is divine
knowledge of the future or a prediction uttered under divine
inspiration. Anyone can Understand Bible Prophecy, however not all
prophecies can be understood UNTIL "the time of the end" According to
the bible book of Daniel 12:4. To understand any bible prophecy at any
given time one has to be delivered from spiritual powers operating from
the kingdom of darkness. Remember, Daniel could not expressly understand
most of the prophecies which he say because he was in captivity,
together with many thousands of his Jewish brethren, in Babylon!
Notice
that Daniel's prophecies were to be shut Up, CLOSED. But for how long?
Were they to be closed so that no human being could ever understand
them? No! They were to be shut up and sealed "even to the time of the
end"! several verses from Matthew 24 reveal to us that we are living in
that “time of the end" written in Daniel 12:6-10.
students
of Bible prophecy have proven down through many centuries that the book
of Daniel and the book of Revelation are both interrelated. It is as if
Bible prophecy were like one of the picture-type puzzles one may buy in
a game store. In order to fill in the complete picture, you must have,
not only the book of Daniel, but the book of Revelation, together with
many other prophecies, not the least of which is Christ's Olivet
prophecy, to complete the picture!
The book of
Revelation was written to show God’s SERVANTS those things which are to
happen(Revelation 1:1) In Amos 3:7, God says His true servants on this
earth WILL understand Bible prophecies! Throughout the history of the
church, God has equipped some prophets, with the prophetic gift of the
Holy Spirit of God and that of understanding. He plainly says that He
will give those gift of prophetic understanding, uniquely, to a certain
few of His true ministers! All may not necessarily understand all bible
prophecies, but it is imperative that all Christians have a vivid
understanding of specific end time prophetic events; both those that
have already occured and those that are soon about to occur. The gift of
understanding prophecy, is a PART of the very true Church of God!
The
prophecies of Isaiah contain many indictments against the national SINS
of Israel! Isaiah 3:12 more specifically relate to the modern nations
of the United States, Great Britain, some of the democratic nations of
Northwestern Europe. Today, this prophecy of Isaiah has special
poignancy in America. Isaiah said he was a man of "unclean lips" (Isaiah
6:5), but God, through a vision, caused Isaiah to see a vision of
heaven. In all cases, God's prophets had to be made ready and willing
prophecy. The most outstanding example of this is the prophet Jonah as
he attempted to flee from the responsibility God was imposing upon him.
Jonah became shipwrecked and was swallowed by a specially-prepared giant
fish that vomited him up onto the shore. Jonah was willingly humble
after the ordeal.
Prophets are a part of the very
foundation of the New Testament CHURCH OF GOD! Prophecy can be either
literal or Dual or both (literal fulfillment and a final, latter-day
fulfillment). It is obvious to serious students of the Bible and
Spirit-filled believers that Jesus' Olivet prophecy was DUAL. It had a
previous "typical" fulfillment in the sack and destruction of Jerusalem
by the armies of Titus of Rome in A.D. 70-71. Shockingly, there is to be
a yet future destruction of the city of Jerusalem - yes, the modern
city - according to Bible prophecy!
Bible prophecies
can also be typical in terms of understanding. The plagues that fell
upon ancient Egypt at the time of the Exodus are typical of the great
trumpet plagues to be poured upon the beast power; the release of the
Israelites from captivity is typical of a yet future regathering of
God's people at the Second Coming of Christ .
Bible
prophecies can be symbolic in nature. For example the sign of baptism,
is symbolic of the overcoming life of a converted Christian. The
crossing of' the river Jordan into the "promised land" is a symbolism of
the Christian inheritance of the Kingdom of God; and the forty years'
wandering (forty is a number symbolizing trial or testing in the Bible)
symbolic of the life of trials and tribulation confronting each
newly-begotten Christian (John 16:33).
Most bible
prophecies also contain Poetic Illustrations. Remember that a good deal
of the Bible contains poetry. many biblical books such as oetic books
such Psalms, the Song of Solomon, proverbs, ecclesiastics, etc, and
many passages in some of the major prophets are poetry. The bible also
contains a great deal of symbols. Often, the Bible uses symbols to
express thoughts and ideas. The Holy Spirit is likened unto some of the
physical manifestations of power. Examples include water (a life-giving
substance which is essential to life); fire (a consuming force which
both purges and cleanses); and wind (which is also essential to life).
(Acts 2:3; 1 Peter 1:7; Revelation 3:18; etc.), and wind (John 3:8; Acts
2:2; etc.).
Water, the life-giving substance which is
essential to life; , wind, or air which is also essential to life; and
fire, which both purges and cleanses (in the case of metals, eing tc.),
or is capable of destroying, are thus used typically of the powerful
SPIRIT Of God!
Also, "light" from the sun and the stars
is likewise used. Perhaps, had the Bible been written during our day,
God would have used nuclear energy and lasers as typical of His awesome
power and might.
Notice a few more Biblical symbols: "And it shall
come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Eternal's house
shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people
shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the
Eternal, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His
ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the
law, and the Word of the Eternal from Jerusalem. And He shall judge
among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat
their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn
war any more" (Isaiah 2:2-4).
Here, as in many other
prophecies, it is obvious that the "mountain" is symbolic of God's
government. It is probably both literal and figurative, in that the
Bible predicts that God's temple, His headquarters on earth, will be on
the "Mount of Olives," which will actually cleave in two during the
great final earthquake (Zechariah 14:4-9).
When it says
the Eternal's house will be established "in the top of the mountains"
it means above all of the so-called "great powers" or great nations, and
"exalted above the hills" means exalted above all the lesser nations!
Stars
are used as symbols for angels (Revelation 9: 1). In the vision of
Jesus Christ which John saw (Revelation 1) there were "in His right hand
seven stars..." (Revelation 1: 16). Here is an example of how the Bible
interprets the Bible. By merely reading on through the description of
all that John saw, you come to verse 20 which says, "The mystery of the
seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden
candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the churches..."
(Revelation 1:20).
Jesus Christ is referred to as "the bright and morning star" (Revelation 22:16, Revelation 2:28).
A
BEAST, or wild, ravenous creature is usually used to connote a Gentile
government, or kingdom. In Daniel's seventh chapter, for example, are
pictured four great beasts. Notice the description:
"The
first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings
thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made
stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. [This
refers to Nebuchadnezzar's insanity and cure.] And behold another beast,
a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it
had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said
thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo
another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a
fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.
"After
this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful
and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it
devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of
it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it
had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among
them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first
horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like
the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.
"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" (Daniel 7:4-9).
Now, notice how the Bible
interprets the Bible in revealing the meaning of these various
creatures. Continuing to read through the same chapter, we come to verse
17:
"These great beasts. which are four, ARE FOUR KINGS, which shall arise out of the earth."
That
a king stands for his kingdom is absolutely conclusive by reading the
second chapter of Daniel. Here, we see the vision of Nebuchadnezzar, and
the great image described in Daniel 2:32-35.
Daniel, through a
miracle, was given the interpretation of the dream and revealed it to
Nebuchadnezzar. He said, "Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God
of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and
fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee
ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
"And
after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another
third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And
the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh
in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these,
shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet
and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be
divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch
as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the
feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdoms shall be
partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed
with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but
they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with
clay.
"And in the days of these kings shall the God of
heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom
shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and
consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." (Daniel
2:37-44).
Can anything be plainer? The head of the
image stood for Nebuchadnezzar, but it is obvious that king and KINGDOM
are completely interchangeable, and mean the same thing. It says, "And
after THEE shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee and another
third kingdom of brass..." (Daniel 2:39).
Biblical
scholars and historians are universal in their acceptance of the obvious
succession of the four world-ruling Gentile kingdoms of the Babylonian,
Medo/Persian, Greco/Macedonian, and the Roman Empire.
What many
have missed in these obvious prophecies is the fact that both the great
image of Daniel's second chapter and the fourth beast of Daniel's
seventh chapter culminate in the Second Coming of Christ.
Therefore,
it is obvious that the fourth beast, which is the Roman Empire with its
many revivals and resurrections down through history, will be extant at
the final moments before the Second Coming of Christ!
It is "in
the days of these kings " (Daniel 2:44) that Jesus Christ returns! In
this case "these kings" refer to the ten toes of the great image of
Daniel 2.
Notice the Biblical corroboration: "And the
ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings which have received no kingdom
as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have
one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These
shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He
is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with Him are
called, and chosen, and faithful" (Revelation 17:12-14).
That
there will be ten nations united together in a super-dictatorship in
Central Europe, probably called a "United States of Europe" by the time
of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, there can be no doubt.
"Horns"
on the creatures are symbols of the leaders of the state, either civil
or religious. It is obvious that the "little horn" of Daniel 7 refers to
the papacy which overthrew various governments during the Middle Ages.
Physical
Israel (including both the House of Israel and the House of Judah) is
always pictured as a woman. Actually, Almighty God pictured Israel as
the bride, and God as the suitor in proposing the Old Covenant. God
"proposed" by giving Israel His laws and promising to become Israel's
protector, sustainer, and provider. When Israel accepted the terms and
conditions of God's law, it constituted a COVENANT or an agreement,
between them.
God used the analogy of a "marriage agreement" and said "I was an husband to them" (Jeremiah 31:31-32).
When
Israel broke the terms and conditions of the covenant, God called it
whoredom, or harlotry. Read the entire chapter of Ezekiel 16, where God
depicts Israel as a young, beautiful woman whom He found as an abandoned
child, caused her to "multiply as the bud of the field" (Ezekiel 16:7),
but who forsook Him and "did trust in your own beauty, and played the
harlot..." (Ezekiel 16:15). Ezekiel 23 is another important chapter,
where the House of Israel (the northern ten tribes) is called "Aholah"
and Jerusalem, symbolic of the House of Judah, "Aholibah." This chapter
again depicts their harlotry in forsaking their covenant with God and
having concourse with Gentile nations.
The church is
depicted as a woman "clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet,
and upon her head a crown of twelve stars" (in this case, symbolic of
the twelve apostles, Revelation 12:1). One must be cautious, in reading
some of the prophecies of the Old Testament, for the description of a
female called "the daughter of Zion" or "the daughters of Zion" does not
always mean the church.
An example is found in Isaiah
3:1: "Moreover the Eternal saith, Because the daughters of Zion are
haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking
and mincing as they go..." This obviously refers to the women of the
physical nation of Israel!
God also uses the symbol of a harlot, or a fallen woman to depict the great false, universal church! Notice it:
"Sit
thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans:
for thou shalt no more be called, the lady of kingdoms. I was wroth with
my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine
hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very
heavily laid thy yoke. And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so
that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst
remember the latter end of it.
"Therefore hear now
this, thou that are given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that
sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as
a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children: But these two
things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children,
and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the
multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine
enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said,
None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and
thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me" (Isaiah
47:5-10). See also Revelation 17:5.
Understanding Time Sequences
God
gives certain, specific keys to understanding Biblical time
sequences. Notice: "And your children shall wander in the wilderness
forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in
the wilderness. After the number of days in the which you searched the
land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your
iniquities, even forty years... " (Numbers 14:33, 34).
God
plainly tells us that the number of days in which the advance scouts of
the nation of Israel searched out the promised land would represent the
number of years in which they would wander in the land of Sinai.
Now,
notice Ezekiel's fourth chapter. Ezekiel is told to portray a map of
the city of Jerusalem on a tile, as a "sign to the House of Israel." He
was to depict, like a child playing in the sand, a walled fortified
city, depict armies advancing against it, with all of the siege
mechanisms of the day, and then to lie first on one side and then on the
other to depict the number of years Israel would bear their iniquity.
"For
I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the
number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear
the iniquity of the House of Israel. And when thou hast accomplished
them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of
the House of Judah forty days: I HAVE APPOINTED THEE EACH DAY FOR A
YEAR" (Ezekiel 4:4-6).
To see a practical application
of this important key in understanding Bible prophecy, turn to
Revelation 12 and 13. Here, you see the woman (which you have learned
stands for God's true church) given "two wings of a great eagle" (a
symbol of God's protection—Exodus 19:4), 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 (Revelation 12:14).
Later
in the thirteenth chapter, we read that the duration of this
persecution under the false prophet and the beast is "forty and two
months" (Revelation 13:5). Yet, in Revelation 12:6, the same period of
time is called a thousand two hundred and threescore days. Simple
arithmetic shows us, using the key that a day stands for a year in
fulfillment, that there was, in fact, a period of one thousand two
hundred and sixty years during the Middle Ages when God's true church
experienced terrible persecution; and it tells us, further, that a
prophetic year consists of three hundred and sixty days of thirty-day
months!
Thus, for prophetic purposes, we can come to
understand the meaning of the Biblical "time." A time is a year in Bible
prophecy. Thus, "time, times and half a time" means exactly three and
one-half years. Three and one-half years consists of forty-two months of
thirty days each. Thus, we have twelve hundred and sixty days,
forty-two months, or three and one-half years.
Apparently, the great tribulation, heavenly signs and Day of the Lord will fit into this three and one-half years
CAUTION:
Do not attempt to "set dates" in Biblical prophecy! Many have learned,
sometimes to their bitter disappointment, that it is a grave error to
think you have worked out some specific key or other; some table of
figures, numerical values to Greek, Hebrew or English letters, etc., and
then arrive at a specific date for the fulfillment of some great
prophecy!
Biblical Prophecy Deals in the Overview
The
prophecies of Jesus Christ on Mount Olivet are the most important for
us, during this time! It is these prophecies (Matthew 24, Mark 13. Luke 2
1) which interpret the time Sequence of events outlined in the book of
Revelation, specifically beginning with chapter 6 and 7, and following
the general theme of tribulation, heavenly signs and day of the Lord as
it is developed through the remainder of the book of Revelation.
Notice
another major key to understanding the sequence of these great events.
Read Joel 2:31, compare it carefully with Matthew 24:29, and then read
the sixth and seventh chapters of Revelation.
By this brief study,
you will see that the great tribulation (Matthew 24:21, 22), or the
time of Jacob’s trouble, comes BEFORE the heavenly signs. You see that
the heavenly signs come AFTER the tribulation. You see that the Day of
the Lord Comes AFTER the heavenly signs!
By this simple
understanding, you can come to understand that those who preach a
"secret rapture" where the church is allegedly taken away from the earth
prior to the "great tribulation" is a complete error.
Rapturists
generally confuse the tribulation and Day of the Lord, making them the
same thing. A suggested simple study you might do on your own to aid you
in what you have learned is to read the brief description of the great
events to befall this earth given by Jesus Christ in the first half of
Matthew 24.
As you do so, read Revelation 6 and 7.
Notice that the first thing Christ predicted was there would be "false
Christs and false prophets." Now, notice the first of the "four horsemen
of the Apocalypse" (Revelation 6) is a being who appears Christ-like,
but who, instead of carrying a "sharp two-edged sword" carries a bow. He
goes out conquering and to conquer. Many are CONFUSED about this
prophecy. Does it mean Christ? Let Jesus Christ Himself do the
interpreting! Remember, 'No prophecy is of any private interpretation.'
Notice
the next of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, the red horse which
connotes war. And what did Jesus say would be the second of the great
events? "There shall be wars and rumors of wars!"
Once
you have established the sequence of events, you can come to understand
the meaning of each of the "four horsemen" of Revelation 6:
1.
False Christs and false prophets;
2.
Wars and rumors of wars;
3.
Famine;
4.
Death and destruction.
The
fifth seal symbolizes the tribulation, the sixth seal the heavenly
signs, and the seventh seal is comprised of seven trumpet
plagues. Notice carefully that the 144,000 and the "great innumerable
multitude" (Revelation 7) are not to be sealed of God in their foreheads
until during or after the great tribulation (Revelation 7:14).
Therefore, they are still on this earth during that time!
Do
a sample study of Revelation 17 and ask yourself which church sits upon
a city of seven famous hills? Which church has ruled over many of the
great Gentile kingdoms, including the many revivals of the "Holy Roman
Empire"? Which church has become "drunken with the blood of the saints"?
Think about it.
Believe
it or not, careful study of just this one chapter in your Bible,
Revelation 17, will give you a much greater understanding than is
possessed by many, including some who have authored books about Bible
prophecy!
We need to allow the Bible to interpret its
own symbols. We should expect that God, for our benefit, revealed within
the Bible the meaning of these symbols. Therefore, what we need is some
diligence in study to find their interpretation in the Bible. By such a
method, we avoid all human conjecture and speculation.
The
Bible actually condemns human conjecture and speculation because "no
prophecy... is of any private interpretation" 2 Peter 1:20. The Bible
defines its own symbols. For example, the book of Revelation contains
404 verses. Out of these 404 verses, 278 are found almost word for word
in other books in the Bible, where their meaning is expounded.
Therefore,
we encourage you to do as the Bible Bereans (see Acts 17:10, 11) and
bring every teaching to the test of the Scripture. As, whoever will
prayerfully study the Bible, desiring to know the truth, that he may
obey it, will understand the Scriptures. "If any man will do His will,
he shall know...whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
"John 7:17.
Which symbols do we need to unlock to identify the beast and his mark?
There
are many symbols for the beast: nevertheless, we will suffice ourselves
with those necessary to identify the beast. These symbols are 'beast',
'dragon', 'sea', 'forty-two months', and 'blasphemy'.
Beast:
In Bible prophecy, a beast is a symbol of a king or kingdom. "These
great beasts , which are four, are four kings ... the fourth beast shall
be the fourth kingdom ..." Daniel 7:17, 23. With this beast, we are
studying a unique kingdom for it is not only a political power but a
religious one as well, because people "worshipped the beast" Rev. 13:4.
Dragon:According
to the Bible, the dragon is another name for Satan, the father of lies
and deceptions, "the great dragon ...called the Devil , and Satan, which
deceiveth the whole world."This would mean that when Satan gave"his
power, and his seat, and great authority"to the beast, we can expect the
beast to behave in the same deceptively evil ways of Satan. Thus, a
great deal of deception will be found in the affairs of the beast. Rev.
12:9; 13:2
Sea:In Bible prophecy, sea is symbol of a
multitude of many different people."...The waters ...are peoples, and
multitudes, and nations, and tongues"Rev. 17:15. Accordingly, this
unique kingdom or power rose out of the sea, signifying that it came out
of a location in the world that was densely populated with different
nationalities of people.
Forty-two months:This period
is equivalent to three and half years (42 divided by 12 months). And the
Bible was written based on the Jewish calendar where every Jewish year
is 360 days (30 days for each month). So, three and half years and
forty-two months are both equal to 1260 days. The reason why we are
changing the months to their equivalent in days is that when God gave
time prophecies, He often equated a day for a year "...even forty days ,
each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty
years..." "I have appointed thee each day for a year "Numbers 14:34;
Ezekiel 4:6.
Therefore, the forty-two prophetic months
imply a period of 1260 years during which the beast was given, a "mouth
speaking great things and blasphemies"and would"make war with the saints
and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and
tongues, and nations"Rev. 13:5, 7.. Meaning that during this period the
beast would blaspheme, persecute Christians, and have great authority.
Blasphemy:In
the Bible, blasphemy is defined in two ways. The first is when a person
claims to be God or His representative. "...for a good work we stone
thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest
thyself God "John 10:33So the beast, this religio-political power and
kingdom, has blasphemed God by pretending to be in the place of God on
earth. The second way of committing blasphemy is by granting absolutions
(claiming the power to forgive the sins of others). "Why doth this man
thus speak blasphemies ? Who can forgive sins but God only?"Mark 2:7.
The
beast, this religio-political power and kingdom, has blasphemed God not
only by taking His place on earth, but also by claiming the rite of
absolution. No wonder the beast has the "name of blasphemy" and speaks
"blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name"; this is because the
beast claims powers that are the sole prerogative of God. Rev. 13:1, 6..
The Importance of Prophecy in Every Human Transformation
Every prophetic scripture carries a prophetic promise. The word that
carries God’s blessings are called prophetic promises. No word of God is
empty. Prophecy plays a very importance role in human transformation.
For every prophetic promise, there is a prophetic blessing. And for
every prophetic blessing, there is a prophetic picture. You must have a
prophetic picture before you can possess the prophetic blessing
attached.
A prophetic promise that has a prophetic
blessing is given to Abraham in Genesis 12: 2. “I will make you a great
nation, I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a
blessing”
The word of God spoken by God, or
the word of God spoken by angels, or the word of God spoken by you,
remains the word of God. The word of God cannot change. Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb. 13: 8). Whatever God
speaks, He performs.
We are built and designed by God
for a specific purposes. We are the mouth piece that God wants to use to
bring about every purpose of His will on earth. God has provided
everything that pertains to life and Godliness in His word (2 Pet. 1:
2-3). No wonder the Psalmist says: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not
want.” Paul says: The Lord shall supply all my needs according to His
riches in glory” (Phil. 4:19).
If you can imagine it,
the Lord has already supplied it. Revelation leads to restoration. God
wants to bring about a transformational breakthrough at your point of
need. The greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is the gift of prophecy.
Prophecy plays a vital role in every human transformation. Without
prophecy, there is no development. From the days of the sons of the
prophets until now, the scriptures shows the importance of prophecy in
bringing to past the expectations of the saints. (2 Kings 4: 38-44)
As
long as you believe what God says and confess it with your mouth, it is
bound to translate in your life. Speaking the word of God forms a
picture in your heart. And with the picture, you can prophesy according
to your faith, to have results. And since we have the same spirit of
faith, according to what is written “I believed, and therefore I spoke”,
we also believe and therefore speak. (2 Corinthians 4: 13)
Faith
is the principal requirement you need to translate prophetic scriptures
into prophetic blessings (Luke 1: 45). The spirit of faith is the
ability to prophecy. Faith was never intended to solve problems, faith
creates solutions. Make a choice to speak the word of God whenever you
need a breakthrough at the Gilgal of your life.
The
purpose of prophecy is to warn us about future crises. For example, God
warned Noah of the coming flood, Abraham and Lot of the destruction of
the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and He told Moses of the plagues of
Egypt. They all had to obey the warning in faith. These events were
recorded to teach us that whatever God foretold happened exactly as He
said. Hence, we cannot afford to ignore any of His yet to be fulfilled
prophecies as they serve as warnings that, if we obey, will protect us
from crises.
Therefore, Bible prophecies serve a double
purpose - to impress on our minds the existence of God who is in
control of all events and, to warn us of a grave situation.
In
the book of Daniel, chapter 2, God outlined in a dream to the
Babylonian king that from his time until the end of time, the world
would witness only four world empires. History has proved what God
foretold. (Note: God, in the Bible, numbers and foretells only those
empires which in a specific way impact God’s people.) The four world
empires were: Babylon (605 BC-538 BC), Medo-Persia (538 BC-331 BC),
Greece (331 BC-168 BC), and Rome (168 BC-476 AD).
Additionally,
in Daniel 7 and 8, God revealed the unique features of each empire,
such as the manner in which they would rise to power and fall, and the
main characteristic of each government. Enough details were given that a
candid student of history and the Bible cannot but concede there is a
God in heaven who rules over our world.
Examples of Fulfilled Bible Prophecies.
The
first Empire symbolised by a lion represents the kingdom of Babylon;
the second, symbolised by a bear represents the Persian Empire; the
third, symbolised by a leopard, represents the great Greek Empire; while
the fourth Empire or kingdom which was very different from the others,
apparently represents the Roman Empire. God revealed that Rome would be
split into ten territories and that in the time of these territories the
end will come. History has proven the accuracy of God's word.
The
Roman Empire, also known as Rome, was established in the 5th c. B.C.
and emerged as a group of villages on seven hills on the east bank of
the Tiber. Rome was ruled by seven kings until 510 B.C., when it was
made a republic. From 27 BC to 446 AD, after the fall of the Greek
Empire, Rome was the most dominant ruling authority on earth. By 476 AD,
Rome was divided into ten nations from which present day Europe has
emerged. These events were recorded to teach us that whatever God
foretells happens exactly as He says it. Hence, we cannot afford to
ignore the role of prophecy in the final transformation of the world at
this end time. All the yet to be fulfilled Bible prophecies in the book
of Revelation will surely come to pass.
BABYLON “THE GREAT” – REJUVENATED ROMAN EMPIRE
Through the study of Revelation chapter 17, the Lord has led us to a
most startling truth, confirming that we are nearer to the end of all
things than ever imagined. We are prompted by our loving God to share
this prophecy, that none need be ensnared by the global events soon to
transpire which will engulf the world in the grandest deception yet
contrived by Satan.
1. “And there came one of the seven
angels… saying unto me, Come hither; I will show 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. 3. So
he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman
sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having
seven heads and ten horns. 4. And the woman was arrayed in purple and
scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls,
having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of
her fornication: 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.” (Revelation 17:1-18.)
Summary of Revelations 17
Briefly,
John is shown the final judgment of the great whore due to her own
course of action. This great whore, referred to as Babylon the great,
was shown to John in the wilderness (v. 3). This is an important
setting, as will be seen later.
The description of the
whore is parallel to the first beast of Revelation 13 that also has
seven heads and ten horns (v. 7) indicating that both symbols represent
the same entity – that being the Roman Catholic papal system.
Furthermore, the whore is described as sitting on seven mountains (v.
9). Rome has frequently been identified as the City of Seven Hills, from
classical times down to contemporary time, which we will also study.
Whereas
in Revelation 13 the union of church and state was blended in one
symbol, in Revelation 17 God has pictured them separately. A woman
always symbolizes a church in the Bible, in this case the whore – an
impure church. And a beast has al-ways signified a kingdom or state that
persecutes God’s people. So we have an impure woman sitting on (i.e.
controlling) a scarlet-colored (a bloody) beast (state). This again
reinforces the reality of the Catholic system being the only system that
is a church and an earthly kingdom at the same time. This whore is
described as being eminently rich, proud, and more importantly, very
corrupt (v. 4, 5). Indeed, it represents Satan’s final supreme
instrument of deception.
The following verses are key
verses: “And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the
other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short
space. And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is
of the seven, and goeth into perdition.” Revelation 17:10, 11.
God
elaborates on the seven heads of the beast, which are identified as
seven kings. Significantly, the vision was viewed during the reign of
the sixth king. He was to be followed by the seventh king, who will rule
for a short time. However, the eighth king is going to be one of the
previous seven kings, but that when he appears from the bottomless pit
(v. 8), he will not only merely be a king (ruling power) but a beast (a
persecuting power); finally, he will then go into perdition.
When
one of the seven kings reappears from the bottomless pit as the eighth
king but in the form of a beast, the ten kings of the earth (v. 12) (ten
is an all-inclusive, universal number indicating that this includes all
earthly rulers; cf. parable of ten virgins) will be greatly awed by the
beast, and will willingly surrender their power to the beast for a
short time (v. 12, 13). Both the beast and the ten kings will rule for a
short time, and war against Christ in the end of his rule but Christ
will overcome him (v. 14).
Just before the end of all
things, the ten kings will discover that they have been ensnared and
deceived by the beast (the eighth king from the bottomless pit) and they
will turn with vengeance against the beast system, and destroy it (v.
16). For they will this time, though belatedly, be doing God’s will (v.
17).
Important End Time Prophecy Yet to be Fulfilled In The Church
With the vivid realization that we are living in the age just prior to
the second coming of Christ in the cloud, I pray the Lord will impress
you with the shortness of time available before the fate of every living
person is decided, and may His Spirit give you the discernment and
wisdom needed to understand this short article.
Bible prophecies serve a double purpose - to impress on our minds the
existence of God who is in control of all events and to warn us of grave
up-coming danger. For example, God warned Noah of the coming flood and
He also warned Abraham and Lot of the destruction of the cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah.
Additionally, God revealed the unique features of four powerful kingdoms
that would rise to power and fall before the end of the world, and the
main characteristic of each government (See Daniel 7 and 8).
In fact, the most solemn prophetic warning yet to be fulfilled today is
important for us to understand because events are taking place in rapid
succession indicating its imminent fulfillment. This is very important
as it is not by happenstance that the “great whore who sitteth upon the
scarlet beast” was seen in the wilderness in Revelation 17. Note that
the Bible invariably uses wilderness to describe harsh conditions; a
woman is often used to symbolise the Church, and a whore describes the
level of corruption and pollution.
Now we come to the most important part of this whole article. God has
prophesied that a time will come when satan will use an earthly
instrument –a church -to persecute all followers of Jesus Christ and
cause everyone both small and great to worship the image of the beast,
otherwise they will be put to death (Revelation 13:15).
"And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man
worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead,
or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and
he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the
holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their
torment ascendeth up forever 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. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that
keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Revelation 14:
9-12.)
This Bible prophecy, yet to be fully fulfilled, describes two groups of
people: The first group is warned against worshiping the beast and his
image, which leads them to receive the mark of the beast; while the
second group is viewed positively as keeping the commandments of God,
thus inheriting eternal life with Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, the description of the second coming of Christ directly follows this warning.
“Then I looked, and behold a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like
the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a
sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple crying with a
loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, ‘Thrust in Your sickle and reap,
for the time has come for you to reap for the harvest of the earth is
ripe.’ So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and
the earth was reaped” (Revelations 14: 14-15)
Therefore, the purpose of this Bible prophecy that is yet to be
fulfilled is to warn us not to worship the image of the beast, as anyone
who does this will surely be tormented in hell fire as we were told
above. We know that this is the last warning given before the second
coming of Christ.
