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Lesson
8
THE
LAST HALF OF THE TRIBULATION
Revelation 12-17
1" And the
dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the
sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and
on each head a blasphemous name. 2 The beast I saw resembled a
leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a
lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great
authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a
fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was
astonished and followed the beast. 4 Men worshiped the dragon
because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the
beast and asked, 'Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?'
5 "The beast
was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his
authority for forty-two months. 6 He opened his mouth to
blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those
who live in heaven. 7 He was given power to make war against
the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every
tribe, people, language and nation. 8 All inhabitants of the
earth will worship the beast -- all whose names have not been written in
the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of
the world." Revelation 13:18
The
Beast
Revelation 13
After providing a sweeping
account of Satan and his war against the Jews, Jesus Christ and the
saints, John is shown an astounding and graphic vision of the beast. It
was the same beast that Daniel had also seen some five hundred years
earlier (see Daniel 7:7-8 and 23-25). The beast comes from the sea,
suggesting the mass of humanity. As with Daniel's vision, the ten horns
represent the Ten Nation Confederacy as was discussed in Daniel 7:24. The
ten crowns most likely represents the diadems or symbols of governmental
authority. The fact that they are blasphemous suggests that they are in
total opposition to God.
The further description of the
beast as various animals is exactly the same as what Daniel saw in Daniel
7:4-6, except they are in opposite order. While Daniel saw a lion, bear
and leopard, John saw a leopard, bear and lion. Daniel was seeing
successive kingdoms yet future, while John saw successive kingdoms into
the past.
The beast will rule for forty-two
months, or three and a half years. During this time he will possess
satanic power and authority and will exalt himself above God himself
(Daniel 11:36-39). The world will worship him and he will be able to
destroy the saints (Daniel 7:25).
The beast has seven heads, one of
which suffers a mortal wound. Many expositors take this to mean that the
Antichrist is somehow killed during the middle of the Tribulation and then
comes back to life in a false attempt to mimic the resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Perhaps. But such an interpretation would demand that the
"head" would have to be a person, specifically the Antichrist.
If so who are the other six heads?
The seven heads have been
variously described as the seven remaining governments after the
Antichrist uproots three of them (Daniel 7:8), great intelligence, or
successive phases of governmental rulers after the dispersion. The first
interpretation fits the idea that the other six heads are heads of state
over what is left after the Ten Nation Confederacy after the Antichrist
uproots or subdues three of them. Certainly the Antichrist will have
supernatural intelligence supplied by Satan himself. But the theory that
the seven heads represent intelligence is extremely weak with no
supporting Biblical evidence.
It is possible to find seven
successive kingdoms such as Spain, England, Poland, Russia, the United
States and Germany since the dispersal. This theory has it that the
mortally wounded head is that of Germany--Adolf Hitler. All of these
"kingdoms" have directly affected the Jews throughout history
since the dispersal; either as oppressors or allies.
Revelation 17:8-11 provides
further information that appears to resolve some questions, but not all of
them:
8"The
beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the
Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names
have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world
will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is
not, and yet will come.
9
"This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills
on which the woman sits. 10 They are also seven kings. Five
have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he
must remain for a little while. 11 The beast who once was, and
now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his
destruction.
12
"The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a
kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with
the beast. 13 They have one purpose and will give their power
and authority to the beast." (Revelation
17:8-11.)
There is little doubt that
something happens to this beast. It is killed, goes to the Abyss, and then
comes forth again some time in John's future. The seven heads are
described both as seven hills on which the harlot sits and also seven
kings. The seven hills have almost always been described as the seven
hills of Rome. In fact, Rome is called the City on Seven Hills. But the
word used here is not really hills, but oros {or'-os}, or big
hills or simply mountains. The hills of Rome are not as big as this Greek
word describes. Nonetheless, if Rome is the proper understanding, there is
little doubt that it is the revived Roman Empire that is being referred to
and may imply where the Antichrist will originate.
Such interpretations are normally
accompanied with various theories that it will be the Roman Catholic
Church that paves the way for the return of the Roman Empire, with the
Pope being the Antichrist. While this theory cannot be entirely
discounted, there is additional evidence which suggests that the seven
hills may be symbolic, or even mean something else entirely.
Seven mountains could also mean
seven positions of power. An archaic meaning of oros is to
"rise up". Such an understanding would pave the way for verse 10
which describes the seven heads as seven kings. In this verse, John is
shown that five have already come, one is currently in power during John's
time, and the seventh has yet to come. It should surprise no one, that
there have been six such kingdoms: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia,
Greece, and, of course, Rome. All have had major dealings and affects --
mostly negative -- on Israel during her history. The seventh, the revived
Roman Empire is yet to come. And when it does, the world will indeed be
astonished. The world has believed that the Roman Empire was put to death
1,500 years ago.
All seven of these kingdoms are
shown being ridden by the woman, the harlot of all harlots. She will be
discussed in greater detail when we discuss Chapter 17, but suffice it for
now to say that she represents the false religion, the harlot church. She
is the goddess of pantheism, where all things are god and god is
everything. Pantheism is the religion from the pits of hell itself; the
belief that man himself can become god, and ruled by sensitive goddesses.
Born in Babylon with Nimrod, this false religion has dominated the
belief's of all six kingdoms throughout history. She was the master of
each of these kingdoms and God has been against her since she first raised
her ugly, blood-stained head to deceive and destroy man.
It would be easy to conclude that
the head that was mortally wounded would be the Roman Empire, come back to
life -- astounding the world in the process. But John is now told, for the
first time, that there is an eighth king. Either the seventh king
is going to be killed and be brought back to life as the eighth, or the
eight will be supposedly killed and resurrected. The eighth king is of the
seven that preceded him, and comes from the seventh. Daniel 7:8 describes
a little horn that came from the ten, and grew powerful and uprooted or
subdued three of them. Daniel 7:8 and 11:36-39 identify this beast as a
man, the Antichrist himself.
Apparently the Antichrist will
not be one of the ten leaders within the Ten Nation Confederacy. It is
likely he will be one of the military leaders or high level functionary
who because he honors the "god of fortresses" (Daniel 11:38). It
will be his military might that guarantees the security of Israel when he
signs the peace agreement with them (Daniel 9:27) while representing the
Ten Nation Confederacy. He has tremendous charisma and is likely well
known and respected by the world, and will probably be the glue that holds
the fragile peace of the world together (Revelation 6:2). Nonetheless, he
still serves the ten kings during the first half of the Tribulation.
A
Summary of Tribulation Events
The peace will be built on
deceit, greed, lust for power and the promise of peace and harmony brought
by the harlot church. But the fragile house of cards eventually
disintegrates into war (Revelation 6:2-3). As the unity breaks down into
famine and massive death, the Arab Nations can no longer tolerate the
hated Israel and launch an attack against her. Russia, seeing a
long-awaited opportunity to reestablish its preeminence, attacks from the
north (Daniel 11:40, Ezekiel 38:1-16 and 39:1-2, Revelation 6:12-14).The
Antichrist, honoring his covenant with Israel, comes to her defense.
Nuclear weapons are used and the Antichrist is possibly killed in the
exchange. Russia is destroyed and it takes seven months to bury all the
bodies (Ezekiel 38:17-23 and 39:3-16, Revelation 6:12-14).
The Antichrist somehow comes back
to life (Revelation 13:3), astonishing the world and taking over as the
world's dictator (the eighth king). But the fatal wound only seemed
to be fatal, indicating he never truly died, but made it appear so in
order to amaze the world and make himself equal to Jesus. He is possessed
of Satan as Satan himself is thrown from heaven (Revelation 12:9), and
filled with fury he kills the two witnesses (Revelation 11:7). He moves
his armies to north Africa (Daniel 11:44) to assume control of the vast
oil fields following the power vacuum created when God destroyed Russia
and her Arab confederates. Three of the Ten Nation Confederacy are subdued
as prophesied by Daniel (Daniel 7:25).
The Antichrist is in Africa when
he hears the most dreaded of news. The Jews are accepting Jesus Christ,
his arch enemy, by the millions (Ezekiel 39:22; Zechariah 12:10;
Revelation 10:7 and 11:15-17)! In a blind rage he turns to the north and
east to Israel. In the tradition of Antiochus Epiphanies he takes over the
Temple, desecrates it with the abomination that causes desolation (Daniel
9:27; Matthew 24:15).
A rage born of thousands of years
of raw hatred causes the Antichrist to slaughter the Jews (Daniel 12:1;
Matthew 24:21-22; Revelation 12:13). But one-third of the Jews heed
Jesus's warning about fleeing from the city when they see the Antichrist
establish the abomination in the Temple, and are saved (Matthew 24:16-20;
Zechariah 13:8-9; Revelation 12:14-16). They flee to Edom and Moab where
the Antichrist cannot enter due to God's protection (Daniel 11:41). The
Antichrist then turns his fury on the rest of the Jews, even those that
are not Christians, and all the Christians in the world to utterly wipe
them from the face of the earth (Revelation 12:17). By doing so, he hopes
to change the set times and the laws that predestine that he lose and be
thrown into the Abyss (Daniel 7:25).
The entire purpose of the Ten
Nation Confederacy will be to assist the Antichrist and Satan in their
attempt to destroy the Jews and Christians (Revelation 17:12-13). They
will be so deluded by the wondrous signs and miracles performed by the
Antichrist with the open power of Satan that they will worship Satan,
believing he will win over God (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Revelation 13:4).
This will be hell-on-earth for
God's people. Although those that were able to flee to the wilderness will
likely survive, many will not. This will be a severe trial for all his
people and they are encouraged to hold fast.
9 "He
who has an ear, let him hear. 10 If anyone is to go into
captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the
sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance
and faithfulness on the part of the saints".
(Revelation 13:9-10)
This will be a time of severe
trial for these new Christians whether they be Jew or Gentile. Jesus
warned that the persecution would be so severe that, "If those
days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the
elect those days will be shortened" (Matthew 24:22) But he also
provided hope: "When these things begin to take place, stand up
and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke
21:28)
As terrifying as the beast has so
far been described, there is even more horror yet to come:
11 "Then
I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a
lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. 12 He exercised all the
authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its
inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13
And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to
come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14 Because
of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he
deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image
in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He
was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it
could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be
killed". ( Revelation 13:11-15)
In contrast to the first beast
which comes from the sea, a second beast comes from the earth. Some
suggest that the term earth means the Holy Land, but there is nothing in
Scripture that would support this idea and the word itself ge {ghay},
simply means earth or earthly. This entity is a religious prophet for the
falsely resurrected Antichrist, and is later called the False Prophet.
Satan has now created the unholy trinity comprised of Satan, the
Antichrist and the False Prophet mimicking the true trinity of God the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The false prophet is fully
empowered by Satan himself to perform great and miraculous signs, even
causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. These
miracles, along with those of the Antichrist himself, completely deceive
the remaining inhabitants of earth into believing they can win the war
with God, and become gods themselves. Such is the power of the delusion
Paul warned us about in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. Satan will appear to be
"an angel of light" to those who are deluded (2 Corinthians
11:14-15).
It is the false prophet, under
the direction of the Antichrist and Satan, that constructs the statue of
the Antichrist in the Holiest of Holies. One of the delusions created by
the false prophet is to cause the statue, the abomination that causes
desolation, to have breath and speak, amazing the world. Nowhere in the
text is there evidence that the statue truly comes to life, as some
suppose. Rather, it has the appearance of life, which would not be
difficult to accomplish with today's technology.
It also appears from the sentence
structure of the text that the statue literally has the power to kill all
those who don't worship the image! How this is done, is not yet revealed.
But it is no wonder that Jesus warned his people to flee Jerusalem, not
even taking the time to grab a coat, when they see the abomination being
erected in the Temple. If they didn't leave immediately, they would be
killed!
The
Mark of the Beast 666, Revelation 13:16-18
This false prophet will force all
people still alive to receive a mark on their right hand or forehead:
16 "He
also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to
receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that
no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the
beast or the number of his name.
18 "This
calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of
the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666". (
Revelation 13:16-18 )
Without the mark a person could
not buy food, pay rent or their mortgage--literally could not buy or sell
anything that is needed to survive. There has been much speculation
through the centuries of what this mark will be, although it is rapidly
becoming a reality through a revamped United Nations Economic and Social
Council (see page 25). Although, it will not be
fully known until it happens, it is now possible to insert an invisible
microchip under the skin that can be read with a scanner or even with
satellite. It is already being done with cars and animals. The reason for
two locations for placement of the mark on the body is likely the need to
have an alternative location if the person is missing their right hand.
It is interesting that the chip
will work like a grocery store scanner which reads the UPC bar codes on
each product. Since this will require world-wide tracking capability, the
reading must be able to be sent by computer around the world. It is even
more interesting that all UPC codes have one thing in common--they all
equal the number 666. Furthermore, the letter w in the Greek is equal to
the number 6. So the numerical equivalent for the explosive expansion of
the world-wide web is 666. However, this does not mean you should stop
shopping at stores that use UPC codes. It merely means that if this is
significant, it is so because UPC codes are the first step to the system
that the Antichrist and False Prophet will use during the last half of the
Tribulation. Although Christians are warned not to accept the mark, they
will know it when it arrives.
It is also interesting that under
the Presidency of Clinton and Gore -- the first new age presidency -- that
the first effort was made to create a United States international currency
that cannot be forged. The reason given was that too many one-hundred
dollar bills were being forged internationally. Yet it remains a mystery
to many analysts why this effort is even necessary. The Treasury
Department admits that the cost of converting to the new system would be
higher than any loss expected by forgery for a long time to come!
Nonetheless, two new one-hundred
dollar bills are to be printed. One is a domestic bill and the other an
international bill that has electronically sensitive wires inserted
thereby giving each bill a unique number, rendering it impossible to
forge. Even more interesting is the inside speculation that it is likely
the domestic bill will be phased out within one to two years leaving the
"international" currency the only legal tender. Although there
are no plans to do so, it should be noted that if this technology is used
in all denominations, it would parallel the mark and make it doubly hard
for anyone to buy and sell.
The mark is merely an advanced
version of the requirement of any dictatorship for each person to carry
identification papers. Such efforts have always been needed to maintain
absolute control over the populace. However, like dictatorships throughout
history, even though the order is mandated, doesn't mean that everyone can
receive it immediately. Such things take time, and the Antichrist only has
three and a half years. It is unlikely that such a massive undertaking can
be accomplished in that time period.
Even if everyone could receive
the mark within that time frame doesn't mean the Christians and others who
refuse it cannot survive. Chaos and confusion will be the operative words
for this period, and it is likely that those who do not have the mark will
be able to barter, grow their own food and live in houses abandoned by
those killed in the previous seals and trumpets.
Revelation 13:18 clearly notes
that the mark will be equivalent to the name of both the beast and man.
That may have special significance since the Greek alphabet is equivalent
to its numbering system. The numerical equivalent to alpha is 1, beta is
2, and so forth. Some expositors have attempted to identify who might be
the Antichrist by adding up the numbers of the Greek spelling of potential
candidates names. Henry Kissinger, for instance, adds up to 666, as do a
number of other people. However, it is likely that this is the wrong
interpretation of this verse. More likely it is what the number means in
the context of the false Babylonian religion that is of critical
importance. If so, this number fits perfectly with the theosophical
beliefs held by disciples of the new age movement.
Alice Bailey, the head of Lucis
Trust (originally named Lucifer Trust), for most of the first half of the
twentieth century, has some interesting things to say about the mark and
the number 666. Bailey maintains that those initiated into the New Age
will receive what she calls "the mark of a Saviour." It will
"embody the mark or indication (the signature as medieval occultists
used to call it) of a new type of salvation or salvage."(1)
Bailey claims this mark as a outward symbol of a new type of salvation
where man becomes god, and one with nature.
New age leadership is also
anticipating an event called the Harmonic Convergence, also called the
Turning Point, Mind Convergence, Omega, Fusion and others. This event
represents the point in time when man evolves or leaps forward into his
"higher self" and becomes one with the cosmos and the web of
life.(2) When this happens mankind
(Aquarius), the Hierarchy (a name covering the working disciples of all
degrees having esoteric power), and Shamballa (the center of god's will)
will be united in peace and harmony. The Triad will have been made
complete and the New age will have dawned. "Humanity will then for
the first time enter upon its destined task as the intelligent, loving
intermediary between the higher states of planetary consciousness, the
super-human states and the sub-human (nature) kingdoms. Thus humanity will
become eventually the planetary saviour."(3)
This "soul infusion" of
the Triad will supposedly precipitate the kingdom of god, usher in the
"one universal religion," and "give birth to a new kingdom
in nature."(4) Bailey defines the
occult numerology of the nature-based triad to be 666. She explains the
significance:
"To this [bright] centre we
give the name Shamballa, the component letters of which are numerically:
S.H.A.M.B.A.L.L.A. OR 1.8.1.4.2.1.3.3.1. This word equals the number 24
which in its turn equals 6. I would call you attention to
the fact that the word has in it nine letters, and --as you know-- nine is
the number of initiation. The goal of all the initiatory process is to
admit mankind into realization of and identification with the will or
purpose of Deity. The number 6 is the number of this form
or manifestation. . . . Again 6 being the number of the
sixth ray, it is therefore the number of idealism and of that driving
force which makes mankind move forward upon the path and in response to
the vision and press upward toward the light."(5)
So the number 666 in new age
theosophy is Shamballa, man, and the sixth ray upon which the Masters
guide humanity. Interestingly, Bailey recognizes this number has extremely
negative Biblical connotations. She explains this by saying,
"Like all other divine
qualities, it hast its material counterpart, and that is why 666 is
regarded as the number of the Beast or of materialism, the number of the
dominance of the three worlds prior to the process of reorientation and
the expression of developed idealism and purpose. The third aspect
expresses itself through pure materialism, and hence the three
sixes."(6)
Such gobbledygook doesn't hide
the fact that the number 666 represents the belief that man will become
god. Perhaps that is why Revelation 13:17-18 states that 666 is man's
number, the number of the beast, and his name.
The so-called Harmonic
Convergence will occur when the psychic power generated by humanity
reaches the point in which the Great Invocation is finally realized. The
Great Invocation is a prayer to focus their psychic energies on the Great
Convergence:
THE
GREAT INVOCATION
From the point of Light within
the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the
minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.
From the point of Love within the
Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the
hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.
From the centre where the Will of
God is known
Let purpose guide the little
wills of men --
The purpose which the Masters
know and serve.
From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light
work out
And may it seal the door where
evil dwells.
Let Light and Love and Power
restore the Plan on Earth.(7)
It should surprise no one that
the Great Invocation was the Invocation used daily at the so-called Earth
Summit in 1992 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Secretary General of the
Earth Summit was a man named Maurice Strong who is a multimillionaire,
creator of the United Nations Environmental Programme, a major power
player in the world, and one of earth's biggest new age guru's. His range
in Baca Grande, Colorado has a Temple to the Sun God which will be a focal
point of psychic energy during the Great Convergence.(8)
The new age mind is very
convoluted and their writings are very difficult for a rational mind to
understand. Alice Bailey and her predecessor Madam Helena Blavatsky, claim
to have written their myriads of books by automatic writing provided by
Ascended Masters. Ironically, while they espouse the truth of the cosmos,
they often differ sharply with each other and with themselves through
time. Considerable amounts of verbiage is spent in these books showing how
other writers are incorrect, and why their Master seems to have changed
his mind on something written in a previous book. One thing appears to be
consistent through all their writings, however. The time set for
the Great Convergence is the year 2000.
It is amazing how otherwise
intelligent men and women can accept this as truth when they cannot even
agree within themselves, and then call the Bible fiction and Christians
zealots and fanatics. Yet God said he would confound the wise with the
simplicity of the Gospel:
20 "For
since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -- his eternal
power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood from
what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
21" For
although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks
to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were
darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became
fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images
made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 "Therefore
God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual
impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They
exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created
things rather than the Creator -- who is forever praised. Amen.
26" Because
of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged
natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the
men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with
lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and
received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
28 "Furthermore,
since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he
gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29
They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed
and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice.
They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant
and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31
they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although
they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve
death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of
those who practice them". (Romans 1:18-32)
The Bible was penned by some
forty different people coming from all walks of life, and written over
some 1,600 years of cultural changes. Yet these author's writings have no
true inconsistencies. While a deeper understanding God can only come with
maturity and many readings of His Word, the fact remains everything a
Christian needs is contained in one book whose central message is the
utter simplicity of the Gospel. Men would rather believe esoteric, complex
mysticism in which the initiate never quite "arrives" than to
accept the simplicity of the Gospel. So " They
exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created
things rather than the Creator." They are truly fools.
THE
BEGINNING OF THE END
Revelation 14:1 -
15:8
The second half of the seven year
tribulation is underway. Jesus called it the Great Tribulation, a time of
unbelievable horror for the Jews. A time that if God had not ended it, no
one would have survived.
The
144,000, Revelation 14:1-5
In John's vision he sees 144,000
and hears singing that sounds like rushing waters and loud thunder
accompanied by harps:
1 "Then
I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and
with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their
foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of
rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like
that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new
song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the
elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been
redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile
themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb
wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as first
fruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths;
they are blameless".( Revelation 14:1-5)
The 144,000 have "his name
and his Father's name written on their foreheads." The two names, of
course, can be none other than Jesus Christ and God the Father. Although
some expositors disagree, it is likely these are the same 144,000 of the
seventh chapter of Revelation. Before God would allow one-third of all the
animals and vegetation and waters of the earth to be killed during the
time of the seven trumpets, an angel cried out that the 144,000 must have
God's seal.
2
"Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of
the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had
been given power to harm the land and the sea:
3
Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the
foreheads of the servants of our God." 4 Then I heard the
number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of
Israel". (Revelation 7:2-4)
There is no reason to believe
that the seal is not the name of God the Father and God the Son. There is
sharp disagreement between expositors of whether this is all happening in
heaven -- which means the 144,000 are martyred -- or a dual vision of
heaven and earth after Jesus returns to his people at the end of the
Tribulation.
Those that believe in the latter
interpretation believe this is a chronological disruption in which we see
Jesus after Armageddon when the Jews receive Him as savior. These
expositors believe that the Jews do not recognize their Messiah until the
end of the Tribulation and therefore the 144,000 sealed Jews (Revelation
7:3-4) have been protected from harm for the entire seven year
Tribulation. According to this interpretation, the singing that John hears
is from the multitude of tribulation martyrs that are in heaven singing
praises to God. Only the 144,000 with the seal on earth can learn the song
from the martyrs in heaven.
Although this interpretation is
possible, it does not provide the most natural explanation. A far easier
interpretation would be to literally take the 144,000 to also be the
singers of Revelation 14:2-3. This would mean that the 144,000 would have
been killed in the middle of the Tribulation, which seems to violate the
protective design of the seal in Revelation 7:3-4. However, these verses
merely mention the protection extends through the period of the trumpets
(which as has already been studied in Lesson 6), probably occur during the
end of the first half and middle of the Tribulation. There is nothing in
these verses that extends the protection through the seven bowls or vials
which occur during the last half of the Great Tribulation.
The reference to Mount Zion (Sion)
tends to support this interpretation as well. Although not exclusively
used in this way, Mount Zion usually means the heavenly Temple in
Jerusalem in prophetic accounts, while Zion by itself usually means the
earthly Temple in Jerusalem. Such an interpretation would demand that the
Jews had received Jesus as their Messiah in the middle of the Tribulation,
which is unacceptable for those that believe that the Jews salvation
occurs at the end of the seven year Tribulation. But as discussed earlier,
a mid-Tribulation salvation does fit Ezekiel 39:22; Zechariah 12:10;
Revelation 10:7 and 11:15-17 exactly!
The 144,000 were noted for their
faithfulness and purity during times of extreme temptation and hedonism.
Some expositors claim that they were unmarried virgins because they did
not defile themselves with women. While this understanding is found
elsewhere in scripture, it may also mean that these men did not commit
adultery while married, since there is no defilement by sexual relations
within marriage (Hebrews 13:4) These men are truly to be honored because
there was no guile or lie found on their lips.
Angels
Preaching and Warning, Revelation 14:6-13
In his vision, John sees a very
strange sight, an angel flying over the earth proclaiming the eternal
gospel:
6 "Then
I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to
proclaim to those who live on the earth -- to every nation, tribe,
language and people. 7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God
and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him
who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water". (Revelation
14:6-7 )
Since the time of Christ God has
used man to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The primary mission of
every Christian throughout the centuries has been to proclaim the gospel
as Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). But during the last three and a
half years of the Tribulation, the persecution is so great that no person
is able to preach the gospel, and so it is done by an angel. If correct,
this also means that the heavenly warfare is now being witnessed by all
people on earth, among displays of miracles and signs by the Antichrist
and his sidekick, the false prophet.
Some Bible scholars believe that
the Holy Spirit has also withdrawn His presence from the earth. If so,
there will be no further salvation because it is by the Holy Spirit alone
that men are convicted of their sin and see the spiritual need of giving
their lives to Jesus Christ to receive salvation (John 16:7-10). Such an
interpretation would agree with Paul's explanation in 2 Thessalonians
2:7-8 that the true nature of the Antichrist will not be revealed until he
(the Holy Spirit) is taken out of the way.
If the one taken out of the way
in 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 is truly the Holy Spirit, not only is the
Antichrist revealed, but the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting people
of their sins will also be removed. Except for the Jews and Christians
being persecuted, the only ones left on earth are those with completely
hardened hearts. They align themselves with Satan, the Antichrist and the
false prophet to thwart God's will by killing God's remaining people. In
the meantime the angel reminds these hardened people daily that they
should worship the creator! Instead, they insist on worshipping and
serving the created (Romans 1:25). Ironically the same warning gives
comfort to those being persecuted. God's judgement is beginning and their
time of trial is short.
A second angel then appears
warning of the coming fall of Babylon the Great which is revealed to John
in full detail in chapters 17 and 18 of Revelation. The third angel issues
a strong warning and exhortation to the Jewish and Gentile Christians who
are being persecuted to the point of breaking:
9 "A
third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone
worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or
on the hand, 10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury,
which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be
tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of
the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and
ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and
his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name." 12 This
calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's
commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.
13 Then
I heard a voice from heaven say, 'Write: Blessed are the dead who die in
the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they
will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them". (Revelation
14:9-13 )
The persecution will be so
horrible that there will be a strong temptation for those who have
accepted Jesus as their savior to renounce their salvation and accept the
mark of the Antichrist. Many Christians may think to do it merely as a
disguise or ploy to trick Satan. But the mark of the beast is far more
than a mere symbol or computer chip under the skin. For some unexplained
reason it has extremely powerful spiritual significance. To accept the
mark of the beast is to renounce eternal salvation and bring eternal wrath
and suffering on oneself. Those accepting the mark will suffer horribly by
God's hand even while they are persecuting His people. Just as Jesus
forewarned in Matthew 10:28, "Do not be afraid of those who kill
the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can
destroy both soul and body in hell."
Although Christians will be
suffering beyond anything any saint has suffered before, the angel calls
for them to have patient endurance. They will be known as those who are
blessed of God, even though they will probably die from their present
afflictions. There will be a time in the near future when they can rest in
God's full peace and blessing. As Paul put so beautifully in Ephesians
6:13, "Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the
day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you
have done everything, to stand".
Time
for the Harvest, Revelation 14:14-20
Time is rapidly drawing to a
close and John sees one who is like the son of man seated on a cloud:
14 "I
looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was
one "like a son of man" with a crown of gold on his head and a
sharp sickle in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the
temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud,
"Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for
the harvest of the earth is ripe." 16 So he who was seated
on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was
harvested".( Revelation 14:14-16)
We get a glimpse of what will
happen at the end of the great Tribulation. It is probable that this is
none other than Jesus Himself with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp
sickle in His hand. The call is made to gather in the harvest of the
earth, for it is ripe.
But the harvest of the righteous
is only one of two harvests that will occur. Another angel with a sharp
sickle appears and harvests the rest of mankind. But their fate is far
different from those harvested by Christ:
17 "Another
angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 18
Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar
and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take
your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine,
because its grapes are ripe." 19 The angel swung his
sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great
winepress of God's wrath. 20 They were trampled in the
winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as
high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia".
(Revelation 14:17-20)
The angel charged with fire,
perhaps the Lake of Fire described in Revelation 20:14-15, swings his
sickle to harvest the grapes who are bursting with ripeness. Evil indeed
reaches its full measure and as it is harvested, God's wrath is brought to
bear in the winepress. Utter carnage and blood is spilled as far as the
eye can see (1,600 furlongs or stadia are approximately 200 miles), and
several feet deep. This event will be discussed in greater detail in the
study of Revelation 19:14-21 and Joel 3:13.
THE
SEVEN BOWLS OF WRATH
Revelation
16:1-21
Time is rapidly drawing to a
close. Chapter fifteen of Revelation notes the last of God's actions. With
the completion of these, God's wrath on earth will be complete. They are
seven bowls or vials filled with God's wrath. The first bowl caused
horrible and painful sores upon all who did not have God's mark:
1"Then
I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go,
pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth." 2 The
first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful
sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped
his image". (Revelation 16:1-2)
It is very probable that these
extremely painful sores will afflict those with the mark of the beast for
almost the entire three and a half years. Although nothing is said, it
probably reinforces the hatred of God by these hard hearted people and
intensifies their efforts at persecuting and killing God's people.
Bowls two through four turned the
sea and rivers to blood, and scorched the earth:
3 "The
second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like
that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. 4 The
third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and
they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the
waters say: 'You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were,
the Holy One, because you have so judged; 6 for they have shed
the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to
drink as they deserve'. 7 And I heard the altar respond: 'Yes,
Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments'.
8 The
fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power
to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense
heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues,
but they refused to repent and glorify him".
(Revelation 16:3-9)
It is pure irony and justice that
the harlot church and the leaders of the world would come into power by
falsely scaring people into believing the earth was being destroyed by
ecological holocausts, only to cause the earth's destruction by their
hard-heartedness and disobedience to God. God destroyed the very thing
they worshiped, the Goddess Gaia, Mother Earth herself.
It is doubtful that the water
merely looked like blood. Instead it will likely be real blood that will
raise a stench as it putrefies. Even wells will be contaminated with foul
smelling and tasting water. Throughout the Bible both blood and water are
symbols of life, especially spiritual life. Now it signifies the spiritual
death of those who have the mark of the beast. They will be justly forced
to drink the blood of the saints who have been martyred through the
centuries.
Those that have the beast's mark
will also suffer horribly under the blazing fire of the sun god who was
supposed to protect them. Instead of the Age of Aquarius, they will enter
the Age of eternal agony and woe.
Those with the mark of the beast
will know from whom these afflictions come and will curse God to his face.
They are so incredibly hard hearted that instead of bringing relief
through repentance, they will curse God all the more. They will accelerate
their efforts to thwart God by killing all Christians and all Jews
regardless of whether or not they have accepted Jesus as their Messiah.
The fifth bowl or vial was poured
out on the throne of the beast and his kingdom:
10 The
fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his
kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11
and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores,
but they refused to repent of what they had done".
(Revelation 16:10-11)
Although the horrible sores
continued the white hot sun gives way to total darkness. No mention is
made of how this is done, but the misery of men is so great that they gnaw
their tongues in raw agony. Again, instead of repenting, the affliction
only caused a deepening of their hatred of God, just like Pharaoh did with
the miracles of Moses.
12 "The
sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its
water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13
Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out
of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the
mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons
performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole
world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.
15 "Behold,
I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes
with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.
16 Then
they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called
Armageddon". (Revelation 16:12-16 )
Unlike the sixth trumpet in
Revelation 9:13-21, in which the Euphrates River loosed 200 million
demons, the sixth bowl is likely a literal drying to make way for an
actual army. By drying up the Euphrates River, the way is prepared for the
armies of the East to invade the Holy Land in the last great effort to
eliminate God's people and thwart His plan. Armageddon is Satan's final
effort to change the "set times and the law" of Daniel 7:25.
This explanation provides a
perfect and completely natural fit for all other prophecy discussed in
these lessons. Such is not the case, however, for those expositors who
insist that the Jews do not accept their Messiah until the end of the
Tribulation. If these armies are not gathering to enforce the "final
solution" to the Jewish problem, then what draws them to Israel? A
variety of possibilities is advanced, none of which naturally fit the
situation. Many attempt to link Daniel 11:44 to this event by saying that
the Antichrist is in Jerusalem when he hears that the Euphrates (which is
northeast of Jerusalem) dries up and that the armies of the east are
crossing to destroy him. But he would have known that long before, and it
would never stimulate the type of white-hot rage described in Daniel
11:44.
If the Antichrist then takes his
army to meet the challenge in what is now Syria, he is moving away from
the site of Armageddon, not toward it. Then there is the problem of why
all these armies suddenly decide to join forces and fight Christ when he
returns. The effort to interpret scripture so that the Jews do not accept
Christ until the end of the Tribulation just does not fit without greatly
convoluting scripture. Only when it is understood that Jesus is accepted
as Messiah by the Jews in the middle of the Tribulation is harmony brought
to all the pertinent scriptures. The remnant Jews have known their Messiah
for three and a half years when the armies of the world are brought to the
plains of Megiddo to rid the world of the last of God's chosen people.
In an incredible display of
deceit, three evil spirits that look like frogs issue forth from Satan,
the Antichrist and the false prophet to perform incredible miracles that
will convince the leaders of the world they can actually rid the world of
God's people, and ultimately God Himself. Instead of accomplishing this,
however, they will find that they are drawn to the battlefields of earth's
greatest war on the Great Day of God Almighty.
The end is now upon those of the
earth that serve and exalt Satan and the beast. The seventh bowl or vial
is poured upon the earth with cataclysmic results:
17 "The
seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came
a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'It is done!' 18 Then
there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe
earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on
earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city split
into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered
Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of
his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could
not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a
hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the
plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible".
(Revelation 16:17-21)
Over the preceding seven years
the earth had already experienced several record earthquakes of
devastating magnitude. But none of them even began to come close to the
one released by the seventh angel as it poured out the seventh bowl. All
the cities of the earth were leveled. All the accumulated brilliance and
efforts of man will be obliterated in the last flick of God's hand. All
the earthquake technology devised by man and incorporated into his
buildings is but wishful thinking at the hand of God.
The earthquake splits the great
city into three parts. There is uncertainty whether this city is a rebuilt
Babylon, Jerusalem, or perhaps Rome. Verse 19 suggests it may be a rebuilt
Babylon. But as discussed earlier, Rome may represent the last symbol of
Babylon and could equally be interpreted so in this verse. Finally, the
great city in this verse may be Jerusalem. Zechariah 14:4 clearly notes
that the Mount of Olives, which is due east of Jerusalem will be split to
the north and south when Christ's feet touch it upon His return. Jerusalem
is separated from the Mount of Olives by the Kidron Valley which the old
temple site overlooks. The Hinnom Valley flanks Jerusalem's southern and
western boundaries and the Tyropoeon Valley bisects Jerusalem from south
to north. If the great rift noted in Zechariah 14:4 extends through
Jerusalem to the Tyropoeon Valley, Jerusalem could indeed be split into
three sections. In the final analysis, however, all of this is speculation
and will likely remain unknown until the earthquake finally occurs.
Interestingly, the massive
oceanic turbulence and steam produced by an earthquake induced worldwide
volcanic activity would result in an enormous volume of water to be
evaporated into the atmosphere. Large earthquakes also release tremendous
electrical fields from the friction created by rock grinding against rock.
Dust clouds not only generate electricity for the same reason, but dust
particles also provide hygroscopic nuclei for water vapor to condense upon
creating water droplets and clouds. The combination of all these forces
would likely produce cataclysmic weather conditions that could produce the
violent thunder storms and one hundred pound hailstones mentioned in
verses 18 and 21.
Yet, in spite of these judgements
the hearts of these men and women were so hardened they cursed God rather
than ask for forgiveness. The fact that John mentions this hardness so
many times reveals the incredible depth of depravation dominating the
human race at that time. The price they will pay is the fullness of God's
wrath. Only those people who had given their hearts to Christ during the
earlier part of the Tribulation and had not yet been martyred are
protected from God's wrath.
Chronologically, events continue
in verse in Chapter 18:11. But just as there was a time-out to explain the
two witnesses in chapters 10-11, so now there is a time-out for God to
explain what happens to Babylon.
1. Bailey,
Alice. 1960. Rays and Initiations. Lucis Trust, New York. p 233.
2. Bailey,
Alice. 1954. Education in the New Age. Lucis Trust, New York, p
66.
3. Bailey,
Alice. 1957. Externalisation of the Hierarchy. Lucis Trust, New
York, p 163.
4. Bailey,
Alice, Rays and Initiations, pp 592-593.
5. Ibid, p 79.
6. Ibid, p
79-80.
7. Ibid, p vii
8. Coffman,
Michael. 1994. Saviors of the Earth, The Religion and Politics of
Environmentalism. Northfield Publishing, Chicago. pp 226-227.
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