5 posts tagged “book of revelation”
As the Lord has revealed more to me about what is happening in the world today, I felt that He would begin to open up how these events are related to the Book of Revelation. I began to pray about this and study Revelation. If you’ve ever studied Revelation, you know that it is very difficult to understand. The imagery and symbolism seem overwhelming. Over a couple of days I began to become frustrated with my inability to glean any additional knowledge and decided to take a break from these studies for awhile. The next day a friend sent me a link to a Christian website focused on prophesy. I noticed a small ad for a book by Steve Wohlberg at the bottom of the website entitled ‘End Time Delusions’. Since it contained a study of Revelation and this was something that I had been praying about, I was immediately curious. After reading a few pages online, I decided to purchase the book. After completing the book, I know the Lord guided me to it. It contains a thorough study of end time prophesy based solely on scripture and disagrees with many current end time Christian beliefs. After further study of scripture on my own, I agree with many of Steve’s conclusions. I now believe that we are nearing the end of the book of Revelation, not the beginning. The following articles contain excerpts from his book. We will first look at the current Christian belief of a pre-tribulation rapture of God’s saints.
(The following excerpts are taken from ‘End Time Delusions’ by Steve Wohlberg)
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The following five teachings have become immensely popular in modern day Christianity (especially with the ‘Left Behind’ book series):
1. All true Christians will soon vanish in the rapture.
2. Seven years of apocalyptic terror will overtake those left behind.
3. One evil man, the antichrist, will take over the world.
4. The antichrist will enter a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, claiming to be God.
5. The nations of earth will attack Israel at Armageddon.
The question is.....are these teachings accurate according to Scripture? We will review Scripture relating to question 1 in this discussion.
Although ‘rapture’ isn’t a biblical word, is the biblical doctrine there? The Bible certainly does teach us that Jesus Christ will return for His people. Our Lord Himself said, “I will come again and receive you to Myself” (John 14:3). The questions we must ask ourselves:
1. Will Jesus come invisibly?
2. Will the Church disappear?
3. Does the Bible really teach vanishing Christians?
The most quoted passage used to support the rapture concept is 1 Thessalonians 4:17. In this verse Paul wrote that true believers will someday be ‘caught up….in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” 1 Thessalonians 4:17. Does “caught up” mean disappear? Is Paul describing a silent return of Jesus Christ before an apocalyptic seven-year tribulation? We don’t need to guess, the answer is in the context. Here is what Paul actually wrote:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
Rapture teachers interpret this event as silent and secret, yet doesn’t it seem rather loud and visible? There is a shout, a voice and a trumpet. Look carefully, Jesus Christ comes down from Heaven shouting and blowing a trumpet. The dead rise. Then true believers are ‘caught up’. Do you see anything here about vanishing Christians prior to the tribulation? Rapture promoters interpret ‘caught up’ to mean disappear because this view fits their prophetic system, yet it must be admitted that the text doesn’t say this.
Two thousand years ago, at the end of His earthly life, Jesus Christ was also ‘taken up,’ (Acts 1:9). This doesn’t mean that He disappeared, leaving His clothes on earth. Instead, in full view of His wondering disciples, ‘while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight’ (Acts 1:9). This event was highly visible. Luke said Jesus Christ was ‘taken up,’ and then clouds are mentioned, just like Paul wrote about believers being ‘caught up…in the clouds’.
Notice carefully the full context of Acts 1:9:
Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven (Acts 1:9-11, emphasis added).
Here we have holy angels – in the form of men in white robes – explaining the simple truth about Jesus Christ’s return. They told the disciples that just as Jesus was literally and visibly ‘taken up’ into the clouds, even so would He ‘come in like manner as [they had seen] Him go into heaven.’ They taught no secret coming or vanishing Christians. Everything will be highly visible, just as the ascension of Jesus Christ.
Let’s return to 1 Thessalonians and take a look at the thief-in-the-night idea:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape (1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:3).
Here Paul compares the coming of Jesus Christ to the arrival of a midnight thief. Rapture promoters interpret this to mean Jesus will come like a silent thief to snatch believers off this earth before seven years of chaos – then driverless cars will collide, pilotless planes will crash and babies will be found missing from their cribs. Yet is this really what Paul is saying?
First of all, the day when Jesus comes as a thief is clearly the very same day in which He descends with a shout and a trumpet blast. Secondly, it comes as a ‘thief in the night’ only upon the unprepared. When it hits, ‘sudden destruction comes upon them [the lost], as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.’
Do you see what Paul is really saying? Jesus’ coming as a ‘thief in the night’ does not mean He will come quietly and invisibly to steal believers out of this world, as is taught in rapture movies and best-selling books. Rather, it means He will come unexpectedly, bringing ‘sudden destruction’ upon the unsaved. Thus it is not a secret coming, but only a sudden one. Will the unprepared get a ‘second chance’ to be saved during a subsequent seven year tribulation? Paul answered this question when he wrote, “They shall not escape” (verse 3).
Here’s a simple summary of what 1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:3 really says:
1. Jesus Christ will literally descend from Heaven with a shout and a trumpet blast.
2. The dead in Christ will rise first and true believers will be ‘caught up’, just like Jesus Christ Himself was visibly ‘taken up’ into the sky almost 2,000 years ago.
3. This cataclysmic ‘day of the Lord’ will burst upon the unprepared like the unexpected arrival of a midnight thief.
4. ‘Sudden destruction’ will overwhelm the lost, ‘and they shall not escape’.
When taken literally, these words describe the visible second coming of Jesus Christ, not a secret rapture.
Jesus Christ predicted, ‘Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming’ (Mathew 24:40-42). This is probably the second most quoted Scripture in the Bible used to support the doctrine of an invisible return of Jesus Christ and vanishing Christians. Supposedly, ‘one will be taken and the other left’ means believers will disappear in an unperceived flash, while the rest of the world suddenly wakes up in mystified ignorance wondering, Which way did they go?
Again, the key is in the context. Mathew 24 begins with our Savior quietly sitting upon the Mount of Olives. His “disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’” (Mathew 24:3). Obviously, the disciples were thinking about Jesus’ return and the end of the world. In response to His disciples’ please-clarify-the-end inquiry, Christ’s very first words were, “Take heed that no one deceives you” (Mathew 24:4). We should pay close attention to the forcefulness of this response! Why? Because it clearly implies that when it comes to this exact topic of His “coming”, Jesus knew there was going to be a great deal of deception whirling around. What is even more dramatic is that Christ raised His “Don’t be Deceived” warning four times in this single sermon (see Mathew 24:4-5, 11, 24). One gets the idea that end time deceptions will someday sweep over planet earth like a massive tidal wave. The only way to avoid being swept away is to pay close attention to the exact words of Jesus Christ.
Our Lord continued, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Mathew 24:24). Here Jesus said satan’s delusions will eventually become so subtle and powerful that only “the elect” will come through unscathed. Who are the “elect”? Based on the context, they must be a group of people who know the Truth Teller and the Bible so well that even the devil can’t mislead them. Verse 31 tells us that “the elect” are people who are ready for the return of Jesus Christ.
Immediately after the warning about false prophets and deception, Jesus said, ”Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be” (Mathew 24:26-27). Here Jesus draws a razor-sharp contrast between false views of His return and the truth.
Concerning false views, don’t miss that little word, “secret” in verse 26. Jesus plainly warned that some will mistakenly promote a “secret” coming. Based on the context, we discover that this will be one of those powerful delusions which only God’s faithful elect will avoid. Far from being a secret event, Jesus Himself compares His return to the brilliant flashing of lightning bolts hurtling across the sky.
Jesus finally answered His disciples exact question by fully unveiling what His return would be like:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Mathew 24:30-31).
There’s no question about it, his “coming” will be unmistakably visible to “all the tribes of the earth”. This entire passage parallels Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17. In both Mathew 24:30-31, and in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, we read about clouds, noise, a loud trumpet, a gathering together and true believers being transported into the sky.
Let’s look at one more passage describing an event predicted to occur “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52). This is probably the third most quoted pro-rapture verse used to support the idea of vanishing Christians prior to a nightmarish seven-year tribulation. Notice carefully what Paul really wrote:
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed – in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).
Is Paul saying believers will some day vanish while their loved ones blink? Not at all! He is simply saying that the dead will be raised and our sinful bodies will be changed “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.” When will this moment take place? Paul’s answer is clear. It will occur “at the last trumpet,” when “the trumpet will sound,” that is, at the very end of the world. This is the very same “great sound of a trumpet” Jesus Christ said would be heard when He finally commissions His angels to gather his people at His second coming (Mathew 24:31).
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We’ll continue this study concerning current Christian end time beliefs with upcoming discussions on the 7 year tribulation theory, the antichrist, the ‘beasts’ of Revelation and discussions on the nation of Israel.
Who is the beast “out of the sea” mentioned in Revelation 13? This has obviously intrigued many Bible scholars throughout history. If you believe the current, modern day interpretations of end time prophecy, then you most likely believe that the “beast out of the sea” of Revelation 13 is speaking about a future world leader who is also the antichrist. This is definitely the most popular belief today. Is it scripturally accurate? The problem I have always had (when I would think about the Book of Revelation) is this: why would God leave a 2,000 year prophetic void in history? Based on current interpretations of Revelation, it seems like we live in a time that is not referred to in the Bible. We are in a kind of prophetic ‘no man’s land’ where we have no guidance on what is happening in the world. Everything relating to end time prophecy is always going to happen ‘in the future’. Is this true or are we living through the prophecies in Revelation today?
There is another view of Revelation that subscribes to the theory that the Book of Revelation only references the time of the Roman Empire. This theory says that most of the prophecies of Revelation have already come to pass….in past history. This would, once again, leave us in a prophetic void. In my mind, this is even worse than the futurist view of Revelation. This belief not only places us in a prophetic void, but gives us no guidance on the future. Again, would God leave us in a prophetic void with no knowledge of future events, no guidance on how to prepare? I believe the answer is a resounding NO. Our Father in Heaven loves us too much to provide us with no guidance.
I believe that the Lord has made it clear to me that we are not approaching the beginning of the Book of Revelation, but the end. Did this get your attention? It should, because I firmly believe that it’s true. If you are like I was before being born again in the Spirit of God, then this probably shocks you. As I’ve said before, the problem with being deceived is that you don’t know you are deceived until it’s too late. All of my life, I have believed that the horrible things described in Revelation were coming someday…hopefully not in my lifetime. The truth is that the prophecies in Revelation began to come to pass during the Roman Empire and have continued to come to pass to this day. We are now nearing the time when the “beasts” of Revelation will begin to exert control over the entire world. If you’ve been living a nice, comfortable life as I was, then you haven’t been paying attention to what is happening to the governments of the world (especially America) and what is happening to Christianity. To me, it is obvious that a political beast and a religious beast are forming…..based on what we’re told in God’s Word and what we’re seeing in the world today. It’s time that we all prepared ourselves for the coming spiritual battles that are about to be waged in our world. It’s time to come close to God through His Son and become the warriors we were meant to be. You are living in the end times for a reason….and it’s not to live a nice, cozy life surrounded by worldly comforts and pleasure. You are here now to fight the good fight of faith for Jesus Christ who leads us and guides us against our enemy. Are you ready?
Something else to consider as we begin this discussion – Do you know why there are now many Protestant denominations? Ever thought much about it? I haven’t…..until now. Why do we have Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians…etc.? If you’ve never looked into this, the answer may be surprising to you.
Continuing in “End Time Delusions”:
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Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen. – Martin Luther (1483-1546)
The New Testament Church possessed an all-consuming desire to exalt Jesus Christ and His incomprehensible once-and-for-all Sacrifice for the sins of the whole world (see Hebrews 10:12, 1 John 2:2). The Book of Acts reports how the message of Christ’s perfect righteousness and grace spread like an uncontrollable brushfire throughout the Roman Empire (see Acts 2:36-41; 5:14, 8:4). As the apostles lifted up the Risen One before the multitudes, sinners realized they were loved by God in spite of their faults, and the Lord’s power moved them to repent, be baptized, and stop serving satan (see Acts 2:38, 26:18). As people trusted the merits of Jesus Christ for salvation (see Acts 16:31), rather than their own “works” (see Ephesians 2:9), He forgave their sins (see Acts 13:38), purified their hearts (see Acts 15:8-9), and set their feet on the path to Paradise.
As a result of Spirit-filled preaching, strong churches were raised up in the midst of an idol-worshipping, pleasure-crazy, Caesar-devoted world. The new Christian converts were taught to obey the Bible above the traditions of men (see Colossians 2:8) and to cherish “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mathew 4:4). They had discovered the only way to the Father, Jesus Christ Himself (see John 14:6); and were taught to trust Him implicitly (see Ephesians 1:12) as the only Mediator between Almighty God and the human family (see 1 Timothy 2:5). They were also taught the importance of “obeying the truth” (1 Peter 1:22), even if it meant opposition, ridicule or death. They were willing to walk the narrow road “which leads to life” (Mathew 7:14) because Jesus was precious to them, just as they were to Him.
But as the Christian train rolled down history’s track, monumental changes took place. Just as Paul predicted, there came a tremendous “falling away” (2 Thessalonians 2:3) from the simplicity and purity of the gospel. Almost imperceptibly, false theories, man-made traditions, and unbiblical practices slipped into the very heart of Christianity. Little by little people lost sight of the beauty and loveliness of Jesus. In the fourth century, during the time of Constantine, a large portion of the church compromised key Bible truths and decided to line up with the Roman State. Rejecting the humility of the meek and humble One (see Mathew 11:29), church leaders sought pomp and worldly glory. Leaving the heavenly “power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13), they relied on the earthly power of politics and government. As even more traditions came in, Europe eventually became engulfed in the Dark Ages. In the twelfth century, a monstrous tribunal was established called the “Holy Office of the Inquisition” which was purposefully “created to persecute and exterminate ‘heresy’ by violence and not by persuasion.” Its 600 year history is filled with “gloomy portals”, “dark passages”, “locked doors”, “dungeons”, “bloodstained records”, and “extreme, merciless, unmitigated tortures”. Incredibly, so-called Christians murdered other Christians in the “name of Jesus Christ”.
By the time the 1500’s came along, the original simplicity of the early Christian faith was virtually non-existent. All over Europe sinners were taught to confess their sins to priests, to pray to the Virgin Mary, to buy “forgiveness notes” called indulgences and to kiss statues of the saints, none of which is taught in the New Testament. Monks even beat themselves with whips in a misguided effort to earn the favor of God. It’s true, there were sincere and godly people in what had become the Roman Catholic Church, but overall, Christianity was a mess! It was time for the Protestant Reformation!
21st century Christians should realize it was sincere Catholics wanting a change that originally spearheaded the Reformation. Initially, they had no thought of leaving the Mother Church, but simply wanted to redirect their Catholic countrymen away from the traditions of men and to lead them back to the pure truths of the Word. Their main goal was to lead other sinners like themselves to stop trusting their own works for salvation and to have simple faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says,”Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9). “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).
Salvation is a wonderful gift from Jesus (see Romans 6:23). When we repent of our sins and receive this gift, trusting alone in Christ, the Father Himself forgives us, transforms our hearts by the Holy Spirit, and gives us power to obey His Word (see Luke 13:3, 1 John 1:9, 1 Peter 1:22, John 17:17). This simple message of free salvation through what Jesus Christ has already done for the entire world on the cross and of “the power of His resurrection” (Philippians 3:10), is called the good news of the gospel. Paul defined the good news as: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We must believe this good news wholeheartedly, for it alone can save our souls (see 1 Peter 1:3, 9).
The word antichrist literally means “opposed to” or “in the place of” Christ, and in its most subtle and diabolical manifestation it concerns something which claims loyalty to Jesus while really leading away from Him. Now let’s take a closer look at what truly happened during the time of the Protestant Reformation.
In the 1500’s, as a result of the invention of the printing press, countless European and English Catholics read the Bible for the first time in their lives. As a result, they uncovered the good news of salvation through trusting in Jesus Christ. At the same time, to their shock and amazement, they also realized that many Roman doctrines – including praying to dead saints and confessing to priests – actually led away from a simple faith in the merits of the Lamb. Compelled by the Spirit, these sincere Catholics tried to reform the church they loved from within. They preached the gospel and even appealed to the Pope. The result was fury, intense opposition, threats of flames and the ugly cry, “You’re now a candidate for the Inquisition!” As the conflict deepened, those who saw the Bible as their final authority began to have serious doubts about the basic authority of a church that utilized torture chambers. In other words, they began to question whether the Holy Apostolic Roman Catholic Church, as an institution centered in popes and the Vatican, was really the Bride of Jesus Christ in the first place.
One by one the reformers turned to the prophecies. In amazement they discovered what Paul actually wrote about “the falling away”, “the son of perdition”, and a “mystery of lawlessness” that would proudly set itself up inside “the temple of God”, which is the church (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 7; 1 Corinthians 3:16). They were stunned to read Daniel’s prophecy about a “little horn” with “eyes like the eyes of a man”, “a mouth speaking great things”, that would be centered in Western Europe and would make bloody “war with the saints” (Daniel 7:7-8, 21). They shuddered as they realized this same power was called “the beast” in God’s last book, and that it would finally exert worldwide influence and control (see Revelation 13:2, 7-8). There were especially jolted when they read about a harlot named “Mystery Babylon” who was “drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Revelation 17:6). As death sentence after death sentence was hurled against them for pointing sinners to the holy Lamb of God, and as the smoke of burning martyrs blackened Europe’s fair skies, these reformers eventually came to a frightening, unanimous, and terribly solemn conclusion. They had discovered Jesus Christ and antichrist.
Let me clarify something right here. Even though, in the pages that follow, I will apply the Bible’s prophecies about the “little horn” and “the beast” to the papal system in general (because of its doctrines and practices), this does not reflect a judgment on individual Catholics. Personally, I have nothing against any member of the Roman Church. Because God is merciful and judges men fairly based on the light they have (see James 4:17), I know I will meet many sincere Catholics in Christ’s Kingdom.
Nor does my position reflect an exclusive view of the word antichrist itself. I realize “the spirit of antichrist” is now working inside various organizations and non-Christian religions, including many churches that call themselves Protestant. Nothing written here is designed to promote hostility toward any human being. Jesus said “God so loved the world” (John 3:16) which includes the Pope; and His clear command to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mathew 22:39) applies to Protestants, Catholics, Muslims, Hindus and everyone else. Yet this book is about the prophetic truths of God’s Word, truths which must not be ignored by any God-fearing, Bible-believing Christian.
The following quotations may seem a bit strong for our politically correct modern ears, but they reveal the facts of history. The reader is encouraged to consider them squarely and honestly, in the blazing light of Bible prophecy.
Martin Luther (1483-1546) (Lutheran):
Newsweek reported, “Martin Luther was the first to identify the papacy as such with the antichrist. At first he discounted the value of John’s Apocalypse. But then he saw in it a revelation of the Church of Rome as the deceiving antichrist….a view that was to become dogma for all Protestant Churches.”
On August 20, 1520, Luther declared, “We here are of the conviction that the papacy is the seat of the true and real antichrist.”
John Calvin (1509-1564) (Presbyterian):
“Some persons think us too severe and censorious when we call the Roman pontiff antichrist. But those who are of this opinion do not consider that they bring the same charge of presumption against Paul himself, after whom we speak and whose language we adopt…I shall briefly show that (Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians 2) are not capable of any other interpretation than that which applies them to the Papacy.”
John Knox (1505-1572) (Scotch Presbyterian):
John Knox wrote about “that tyranny which the pope himself has for so many ages exercised over the church.” Along with Martin Luther and John Calvin, Knox finally concluded that the Papacy was “the very antichrist, and son of perdition, of whom Paul speaks.”
Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) (Anglican):
“Whereof it followeth Rome to be the seat of antichrist, and the pope to be very antichrist himself. I could prove the same by many other scriptures, old writers, and strong reasons.”
Fox’s Book of Martyrs (1563):
Written by Englishman John Fox (1517-1587), this much-respected volume helped “mold the national character” of 17th century America. Fox reported: “Disregarding the maxims and the spirit of the Gospel, the papal Church, arming herself with the power of the sword, vexed the Church of God and wasted it for centuries, a period most appropriately termed in history, the ‘dark ages’. The kings of the earth gave their power to the Beast.”
Roger Williams (1603-1683) (Considered the first Baptist Pastor in America):
Roger Williams spoke of the Pope as “the pretended Vicar of Christ on earth, who sits as God over the Temple of God, exalting himself not only above all that is called God, but over the souls and consciences of all his vassals, yea over the Spirit of Christ, over the Holy Spirit, yea, and God Himself….speaking against the God of heaven, thinking to change times and laws; but he is the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2).
A Great Cloud of Witnesses:
“Wycliffe, Tyndale, Luther, Calvin, Cranmer; in the seventeenth century, Bunyan, the translators of the King James Bible and the men who published the Westminster and Baptist confessions of Faith; Sir Isaac Newton, Wesley, Whifield, Jonathon Edwards; and more recently Spurgeon, Bishop J.C. Ryle and Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones; these men among countless others, all saw the office of the Papacy as the antichrist.”
These quotes come from some of the most respected and influential Christians who have ever lived. They were intensely earnest, honest men who based their conclusions on the prophecies of the Bible. I realize times have changed. It’s true, we’re not in the Dark Ages anymore; and yes, this is the 21st century, but there is something we must consider: Daniel’s prophecy about “a little horn” that would make “war against the saints” (Daniel 7:8, 21), Paul’s predictions about a “falling away” and an antichrist “man of sin” or “mystery of lawlessness” that would sit in God’s temple (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), John’s prophecy about “a beast” with global influence (Revelation 13:2, 7), and finally, Revelation’s strikingly graphic portrayal of a woman named “Mystery Babylon” who would become drunk with “the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Revelation 17:6) – these prophecies are still in the Bible. There is something else we should remember: Nations rise and fall, history rushes on, technology advances and a new millennium has arrived – but God’s Word has not changed!
Either those dead Protestants were dead wrong, or history’s forgotten voices still speak.
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I agree 100% with Steve when he says that his application of Bible prophecy on the papal system does not reflect a judgment on individual Catholics. Each of us will be judged individually by God. “Nothing here is designed to promote hostility toward any human being.” But I also agree with Steve that we cannot deny the Bible’s prophecies and how they relate to historical events.
Are there other prophetic verses that support this argument? The answer is yes. We will continue this in the next posting.
Based on the historical brutality and ruthlessness of the papal system in the dark ages, it stands to reason that the Roman Catholic Church would attempt to defend itself from this new application of Biblical prophecy. Did they attempt to defend themselves? How could they defend themselves from this new doctrine established by Protestants? Were they successful? The answer is yes – it took some time, but they were eventually successful. If you haven’t been shocked by anything yet, you will be by this revelation of historical fact. I say this, because if you are currently a Christian, you most likely believe the doctrine they created in their defense. Never forget, our spiritual enemy is very deceiving and highly intelligent. Read on…….
What does Bible prophecy have to say about the future of the United States? If you read many of the current thoughts on this subject, you will notice one overriding concern – the United States doesn’t seem to be specifically mentioned. You’ll read from some that one of the ‘beasts’ mentioned in Daniel or Revelation could be the United States . Steve Wohlberg and others believe the is the ‘beast out of the earth’ of Revelation 13. I’ve read that some of the beasts with ‘wings’ in Bible prophecy could represent the United States. I’ve listened to some preachers say that 60 million Americans will be ‘raptured’ before the 7 years of tribulation, thus reducing the U.S. to a minor global player. Besides the fact that we now know there isn’t going to be a secret rapture, I don’t believe that there are anywhere close to 60 million born again believers in America. If there were, the U.S. would not be in such a biblical and moral decline as it is today. The end result is that you’ll read lots of speculation, but nothing that will convince you 100% that the United States is mentioned specifically in Scripture. So, we’re back to where we started – is the U.S. mentioned in the Bible?
After studying much of Revelation and Bible prophecy, I don’t believe that the U.S. is specifically mentioned in the Bible, but we are definitely given clues to our future. I do believe that future circumstances involving our nation are mentioned. Through prayer I have been led to two places in Revelation that relate to the U.S. The one thing to keep in mind as we discuss this topic is that the final world government is just that – a world government. Bible prophecy doesn’t say anything about a nation controlling the rest of the world, but speaks of a beast that rules the world and enforces its mark upon ‘everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave’ (Revelation 13:16). Revelation 13 definitely tells us that this ‘beast…out of the earth’ is the global government. So, what does this tell us? It tells us that one nation does not rule the world. This beast is truly global and rules from a global government. How does this relate to the United States? It means the U.S. must fall from world dominance. The world’s only superpower is going to be reduced to just another nation in order for the ‘beast…out of the earth’ to rise. For this to happen, something sudden and catastrophic will happen inside the United States.
First, some background on my experiences with this topic of judgment. In August of 2005, I wrote my first letter to friends and family regarding what the Lord had revealed to me about the times we live in. I mentioned the events of 9/11/01, the Illuminati and how all of these things related to Biblical prophecy. It was certainly a wake-up call for me. I definitely felt a sense of urgency from the Lord to spread this message - that the end of this age is fast approaching and people need to be warned and prepared for what is coming. Honestly, at the time I thought this was all I would be asked to do. It took a leap of faith for me to go that far and I figured that things would then settle down for me and my family. I was wrong - the Lord had a different plan for my life. Soon after sending the first letter, the Lord’s message began to change. It changed from a message of information regarding our times, to a specific message of warning to this nation. A message of coming divine judgment upon our country. I tried to tell myself that these were simply my thoughts - my newfound interpretation of what was happening in this country based on my increasing knowledge of God’s Word. Again I was wrong. When I would try to get away from doing anything further with this information, it was made clear to me that this task had been given to me from the Lord and to be obedient. This was communicated to me through the Lord’s quiet, inner voice and through some very strong circumstances. So, even though I wasn’t entirely sure what I was doing (walking by faith, not sight), I wrote a second letter concerning the Lord’s judgment and a date of November 11.
I received a phone call from a gentleman the day after an article appeared in the local newspaper concerning my letters. During the call he told me that the Lord had revealed the same information to him through visions and that we should get together and talk. He had written and published a book in December 2004 on these visions (‘A Modern Prophecy’ by John Tunstall). We met for coffee that morning – November 9, 2005. I could not believe what I heard him say to me. Through visions given to him by the Lord, he also was told that five cities faced destruction as a result of the sins of this nation. When I asked him the reasons for the coming judgment, he told me the Lord made it clear that there were two reasons above all others – our worship of wealth and the killing of his precious unborn children. The same two reasons I had been given. Over and over he had been asked, “Why has this nation turned away from Me?” I will never forget his next statement. He said that the Lord told him, “They have done evil in my eyes. The blood of my babies screams in my ears from the sewers of this land, and the haughty call it Choice. I Myself, even I have made a choice and the Sovereign One chooses wrath. I will bring down on their own heads all they have done.” It was chilling to hear. The Lord had confirmed his coming judgment for me in a very dramatic way.
Later that afternoon I ordered John’s book. I received the book a few days later and read it cover to cover in one afternoon. I was absolutely stunned. I felt the Lord told me five cities would be affected (San Francisco, Atlanta, New York, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas). John had a vision that showed five missiles coming over western Canada – two went west, two went east and one went south. He had a vision of hiding from a nuclear explosion. It was almost overwhelming. It wasn’t just the information John had been given, it was the way he spoke that also told me that his information was from the Lord. No bravado. No pride or arrogance. Just a simple man revealing plainly what the Lord had communicated to him. I felt that for the first time in 6 months, I was speaking to someone who understood my language. I also found the timing to be very interesting. It was as if the Lord gave me a test (which has happened time and again) – pass the test and you move on to the next phase. Meeting John was a confirmation that this test had been passed. It seemed, once again, that the Lord was testing my faith, then confirming the message. My faith would grow stronger as I passed these tests.
After the week of November 11th passed and I was released (ok….fired) from my job for these beliefs and talking to the media about them, the emails and phone calls stopped coming. I knew that judgment was coming, but now I had no idea when it would happen. Talk about wondering if you’ve made the right move! The Lord made it clear that He would give me the wisdom to relate what I had written to Bible prophecy. Try as I might (reading Revelation & Daniel), I could not make any sense of it and gave prophecy study a break.
Fast forward to November 2006. Out of nowhere the message came - ‘Time to get serious.’ A wave of knowledge and understanding followed. Part of this new knowledge was how Bible prophecy related to the fall of the United States. As I continued to pray for knowledge and wisdom, I was led to Revelation 13:12-14.
‘And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.’ (Revelation 13:12-14)
I read these verses ten times before with no understanding, but suddenly it all became clear. It became clear because the Lord gave me other knowledge that I could apply to these verses. I needed to know who the first and second beasts were and I needed to know what was about to happen to America. Finally, I needed to know that this second beast was currently in the world today and deceiving the inhabitants of the earth. Once these things were explained to me, I was then able to relate the prophecy I had been given to the Book of Revelation - as I had been told I would be able to do. It is amazing to me how the prophecies of the Bible are put together like a puzzle. One piece of knowledge unlocks another. It is no coincidence that we are now beginning to understand the Book of Revelation on another level. Many have believed that the following verse in the Book of Daniel only related to technological advances. I believe it refers to knowledge of God’s prophecies as well.
‘But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.’ Daniel 12:4
Let’s take a closer look at Revelation 13:12-14 and what these verses mean for us. Verse 12 states, ‘…he exercises [the Illuminati/Freemasonry beast – One World Order] all the authority of the first beast [Roman Catholic Church] in his presence…’ This passage is telling us that the coming One World Order will have full police & military control to exercise all authority of the Roman Catholic Church. Do you understand what this means? I believe we’re being told that the world government will be carrying out the wishes of the Roman Church. We now know the past history of this church and that this church once ruled over the kings of the earth. It appears that it will do so again….for a time (we’ll discuss this later). What happened in the past when this church was free to impose its non-biblical doctrines and dogmas on the masses? You either accepted their unbiblical doctrine or you were tortured and/or killed. Will this same scenario be repeated? The Bible tells us the answer is yes. Continuing verse 12, ‘…and [the New World Order] causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast [Roman Catholic Church], whose deadly wound was healed.’ No doubt about it. The world government will enforce the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. You can forget about freedom of religion. God’s Word is clear on this - people will be forced to ‘worship the beast’. Also, don’t miss the phrase ‘in his presence’ in verse 12. It appears that these two beasts will be working together very closely. Do we see this in our world today? Absolutely. Pope John Paul II made many political inroads during his reign. I just read today (November 28, 2006) where Pope Benedict XVI has recently hired Henry Kissinger as a political consultant. Henry Kissinger is known to be a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission and other global elitist organizations. I believe that the Roman Church is most likely telling them today that they can solve the ‘religious fanatic’ problem. They’ll simply create a one world religion under the Roman Catholic Church. Don’t believe it? We’ll discuss this further when we talk about the ‘image’ of the beast.
Verse 13 stands out to me as the verse that spells doom for the United States. It reads, ‘…he [New World Order] performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men.’ Is this some sorcerer calling down fire from the skies? No. God’s prophecy is telling us that this New World Order is going to cause some horrific signs. Given the modern world today, when the Bible speaks of ‘fire…….from heaven’ – what do you think the Bible is referring to? There is only one thing on this earth today that we all would consider fire from heaven – the detonation of a nuclear weapon. Based on what the Lord has revealed to me and to John Tunstall, this is a very chilling revelation. This verse is also telling us that people will be standing at a distance, watching it all in full view.
The final piece of this puzzle is verse 14. Why does this beast ‘cause fire to come down from heaven’? Verse 14 provides the answer. ‘And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.’ This beast [NWO] uses these ‘signs’ to deceive the world. What have we determined these signs are? Nuclear detonations. It becomes clear that this beast is going to use nuclear weapons to deceive the world. Based on what I have been given personally and applying it to these verses, I believe that the Illuminati is going to detonate nuclear weapons inside the United States in order to create unimaginable fear in the world. They will then use this widespread fear to their full advantage – removing personal freedoms and ushering in the New World Order. The ultimate false flag operation. Why the U.S.? Our time at the top is over. From the natural world’s perspective – it is the Illuminati who will have determined that America has completed its duty. It will be time to scare the world AND remove the U.S. from superpower status in order to consolidate world government. From a spiritual viewpoint – God’s righteous judgment will be poured out on our nation. I mentioned in my very first letter that a man (with intimate knowledge of the Illuminati) created an Illuminati card game in 1995 that showed the WTC buildings being destroyed and the Pentagon on fire. Another card was entitled ‘terrorist nuke’. I believe we’re going to be told that ‘terrorists’ bombed our country. This would make sense based on what we’re shown in the media everyday. My friends, fear is indeed, a snare.
Verse 14 finishes with, ‘He [NWO] ordered them [earth’s inhabitants] to set up an image in honor of the beast [Roman Church] who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.’ It appears that the world government will setup some type of church that is in the ‘image’ of the Roman Church. Most likely, it will be some type of church that is ruled over by Rome, yet also incorporates aspects of other religions – in order to keep everyone placated. There are some questions here that I cannot yet answer. Verse 14 says the image is setup ‘in honor of the beast’. Why is this image setup ‘in honor’ of the Roman Church? Why is there an image at all? Does something happen to the Roman Church that causes the world government to create an ‘image’? Based on its history, it seems odd to me that the Roman Church would even allow an image of itself. Why create an image if the Roman Church exists? Something doesn’t quite add up here. I’ll add some additional insight to this topic when we discuss Revelation 17 and 18. Revelation 18 could very well be related to this ‘image’.
We’ll wrap up this posting with verse 15 – ‘He [NWO] 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.’ Very sobering verse. Essentially, the world government gives this evil church ‘image’ the power (speaking) to kill all who refuse to join it and its satanically inspired doctrine. We’ll be given the choice of joining this abomination or dying for our Lord Jesus. What I find interesting is that the world government gives the image the power to kill – not the first beast [Roman Church]. Where is the Roman Church? Once again, I believe Revelation 18 may give us an answer. Verse 16 then tells us about the mark – once again enforced by the world government. It comes down to true faith. Will you stand up for Jesus Christ and the Truth or will you deny Christ and accept this evil image and the mark? It’s time to start preparing now.
The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function. ~Dr. Albert Bartlett
In the previous post, we reviewed the United State’s monetary system and how that system has placed our money supply, debt, inflation, and overall economic growth on exponential curves. We reviewed who is behind this system and why it was created. We also demonstrated that this monetary system has been adopted the world over by every major world power. There are now only a few nations throughout the world who do not have a central bank and debt-based monetary system that is growing exponentially (Not coincidentally - Iraq and Afghanistan were two of them). In case you haven’t read the previous post, I have included graphs below that show the growth of our money supply and Federal debt. It’s not hard to see that both are growing exponentially – and it’s easy to see that we are now on the steep inclines of an exponential curve in both cases. The previous discussion explained why these trends cannot continue indefinitely without a collapse of our economic system.
As I began studying and praying about these things over the past 3 years, I began to wonder – is the world’s monetary system the only thing following exponential growth? The answer, not surprisingly, is – no. What you are about to see is that many systems present in the world today are growing exponentially – not just our monetary and economic systems. You will also see – similar to our monetary system – that all of these systems are now climbing the steep incline of an exponential curve.
In this post, we’re going to take a look at some of the systems in the world today that are growing exponentially and what it means for our future. You will also see – similar to our monetary system – that the exponential growth of these systems is going to cause us serious problems in the very near future. You may ask – what does this have to do with Bible prophecies? How can studying exponential functions help us understand the Lord’s prophecies? After all, this is just math! You’re probably thinking that you didn’t like math in high school/college – and you don’t like it now. In this case, math gives us some very important clues to our future. You probably thought that your high school math teacher was crazy when he or she told you that math has practical ‘real world’ applications. I’m here to tell you that your teacher was more correct than even they knew. The truth is that we can see significant mathematical trends in the world today and how they relate to Bible prophecy if we will take the time to pay attention. I believe that the Lord has made it very clear what is happening in the world and why – if we’d only pay attention to Him and what is happening in our world. If you’ve read my posts on the judgments of Revelation, then you know that the Lord has given us warnings about our future in His Word – warnings regarding our oceans, atmosphere, earth’s temperature, plant life, famine, drinking water, etc. You’re about to see how exponential growth in the world today is pointing to serious problems regarding all of these things.
As you read through this post, you will probably ask yourself - why you couldn’t I see this before. These things seem obvious – why couldn’t I see them? Remember, as always, that the world’s spiritual ruler tries to suppress the truth at all costs. How is your knowledge of Bible prophecy? How’s your Biblical knowledge? The truth is that most of us lack the Biblical knowledge required (I was certainly included) to know how events in the world today relate to God’s Word. This is not by accident. Our enemy has very deceptively led us away from the truth – just focus on your life in the here and now – and has blinded us to what is really happening in the world. Satan will always focus us on short term gains – not the long term consequences of our actions. When it comes to sin, we can certainly see this in our own lives – the consequences of making wrong choices and disobeying God. What we haven’t paid attention to – is how wrong choices will affect us on a worldwide scale.
Let’s start by looking at the most important exponential curve in the world today. The world’s population growth. The world’s population has averaged just over 1% growth throughout our history, so it has taken some time to turn the corner. It’s not hard to see that we are now on the steep incline of an exponential growth curve.
What affect has this had on the world? Resources the world over are strained (food, water, energy, etc) – and pollution is becoming a serious issue the world over. What has human population growth done to animal species throughout the world? They’re becoming extinct – at an exponential rate. It is estimated that 1/3 of the world’s species will become extinct by 2050 (Thomas et al., 2004 (Nature 427:145-148)).
Source: Dr. Edward Wilson
How could this trend relate to Bible prophecies? Before we answer this question, let’s take a look at another graph.
In 1950, the world’s fish catch equaled approximately 20 million metric tons. In 2002, the world’s fish catch equaled approximately 90 million metric tons. What affect is this having on overall fish stocks? It is reported that approximately 75% of the major marine fish stocks are either depleted, over exploited or being fished at their biological limit (Source: UN FAO FISHSTAT Database). World fish stocks are plummeting. Take a look at what is happening in the North Atlantic. There has been a 90% decline in predatory fish populations.
What is one of the final judgments on the world?
“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.” (Revelation 16:3)
Today, we can see that pollution, global warming and over-fishing trends are having adverse effects on sea life (see other links on my website relating to coral death, ocean dead zones, melting arctic ice, wildfires, etc.) – and we see where the Lord tells us in His Word about these things. It should not surprise us that these things are happening on a worldwide scale.
Let’s take a look at other trends following the same exponential growth curve as the world’s population. What is happening to our atmosphere as the world’s population increases exponentially? Greenhouse gases (Carbon Dioxide, Methane, etc) are increasing exponentially.
The following charts show us carbon dioxide emissions from human activities. Once again, we see the exponential curve.
It’s easy to see that the U.S. is the biggest contributor to carbon emissions (charts below). Based on what we’ve learned about our economic system (requiring ever-increasing amounts of resources to sustain the system), this shouldn’t surprise us. With only 5% of the world’s population, we consume 25% of the world’s resources and use approximately 50% of the world’s gasoline. We constantly hear how China’s growing economy is contributing to greenhouse gases, but if you view the data – it’s not hard to understand why China doesn’t really want to hear our concerns. We’re not doing anything about it – why should they?
If we view CO2 concentrations over the past 1,000 years, we see the affects of human population on our atmosphere – and the growth trend is definitely exponential.
What about methane? Methane is another greenhouse gas that could also affect our atmosphere over time – to an even larger degree. As you can see – methane is also increasing at an exponential rate. Methane concentration in our atmosphere has increased approximately 150% since 1750.
What are the possible long term consequences of increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane? There is one, overriding concern. It’s easy to see in the following graph. This graph shows the relationship of greenhouse gas concentrations to earth’s temperature.
It’s easy to observe that global temperatures move in line with carbon dioxide concentrations. When CO2 concentrations increase – global temperatures increase as well. The problem is that we’re entering uncharted territory. Global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are expected to rise to levels we have never seen. Based on past trends, it’s certainly possible that global temperatures will follow this trend upward.
If we look at just the past 150 years – what do we see? We see the beginning of an exponential curve for both carbon dioxide emissions and global surface temperatures.
What affect will global temperature increases have on our oceans?
We can see that ocean temperatures are heading in the same direction. Ocean temperature rise results in coral bleaching, sea level rise and loss of sea ice. As I mentioned in another post, if ocean temperatures rise six degrees Celsius, there is a very real possibility that our oceans will become marine wastelands – unable to support life.
We see these temperature trends – does anything in the Bible warn us about this? Absolutely.
“The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 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 16:8-9)
What other problems could increased temperatures create in our world? Deserts could spread across the globe, fresh water supplies could become even more scarce and food production could be significantly reduced. Are all of these things mentioned in the Bible? Yes – see other posts on the judgments of Revelation for a complete review.
World per capita cereal production, 1961–2000
World cereal yield, 1961–2000
The above graphs shows world cereal production per capita and world cereal yield. How much more land do we have in the world to grow food? How much more yield can we extract out of existing farmland? You’ll notice that the per capita trend above is beginning to decline as our population increases. We see the same trends for other food – corn, livestock, etc.
If we consider that the world’s population is increasing exponentially and we consider the possible impact of a changing climate – it’s easy to see that it will be very difficult for world food production to keep pace with the needs of the world’s population.
We could continue to look at other trends – world oil consumption, world energy needs, etc. – and see the same exponential curves. We could look at literally hundreds of graphs – and see that each one is approaching the near vertical phase of an exponential curve. What does this mean for us? My personal belief is that these exponential growth curves are not mere coincidences. I believe it’s yet another way that our Creator is giving us a message. A message that we are nearing the end of this present evil age.
There is something that we all need to keep in mind as we consider these trends and how they relate to Bible prophecy. Almost all of these exponential growth rates are a direct result of the exponential growth of the world’s population. If you study the illuminati and their plans for world government – you’ll find that population control is one of their priorities. They are very aware of the trends we have discussed here and are planning to solve the problem. This is why the Lord gives us information regarding this world government – its actions are evil.
“Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon.” (Revelation 13:11)
Here are a couple of excellent articles/videos relating to exponential growth and current trends:
http://globalpublicmedia.com/transcripts/645
http://www.chrismartenson.com/exponential_growth
http://www.chrismartenson.com/compounding_is_the_problem
http://www.chrismartenson.com/growth_vs_prosperity
As we read through the Lord’s judgments told to us in Revelation, we see many of the judgments result from a large object being cast into the sea or falling to earth. The result is a devastating judgment in the world. Should we take this literally? I believe the answer is no. As I’ve stated before, I believe that we should focus on the results of these judgments, not how they are brought into the world. I believe we are given a clue to interpreting these specific prophecies in Revelation chapter 18, verse 21: “Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: So, when we’re told that something is thrown into the sea, this simply means that something destructive is happening on earth as a result of this judgment. In verse 21 above, a city is destroyed. The city is not destroyed because a large asteroid or other object literally strikes the oceans (if this actually happened – more than one city would be destroyed); this is simply symbolic of something destroying a city. As we’ve discussed in other posts, we are given other clues in Revelation that tell us which city this judgment refers to. We’re also told in other verses the type of judgment verse 21 above refers to – fire. If we examine the results of the judgments in Revelation and apply them to the world today – we begin to see the truth. If we stop thinking that all of these judgments are described literally and will somehow appear by supernatural means (example: water turning to blood) during a future period of time – we begin to understand the truth. If we interpret the symbolic meaning of the judgments of Revelation through prayer and apply them to what we know is happening in the world – we begin to know the truth. If we apply what we know about the judgments of Revelation to what we know about the ‘beasts’ of Revelation 13, then we begin to truly ‘see’ God’s end time plan being laid out before us. Do you think it’s a coincidence that the Catholic Church is once again a powerful religious and political force in the world at the same time that the New World Order is on the verge of implementing a world government? Do you also think it a coincidence that these two entities are gaining control of the world at the same time that ‘global warming’ seems to be making headlines with its doomsday scenarios? Is it a coincidence that these things are happening at the same time that technology exists that could enable a cashless society – giving complete monetary control to the New World Order? Is it becoming clear for you now? If you have been seeking the Lord and praying about these things as you’ve read through what is written here – then you’ve heard the Lord’s quiet voice confirming the truth. If you’ve drawn near to God as I have, then you are beginning to understand just how blind you once were. ‘I was blind but now I see!’ (John 9:25) You may ask – ‘Why does God communicate to us in this manner? Why not simply tell us plainly what these judgments mean?’ God gives knowledge and wisdom to those who love Him and ask Him for these things – according to His will. To those who are full of pride, those who are evil and do not follow Him, these things remain hidden. To those who think they are proud and wise, God tells us they are fools. He reveals true knowledge to those who humbly follow Him. As you read the Bible, you will notice that the Lord’s teachers and prophets are continually persecuted and ridiculed throughout the history of our world. They speak of things revealed to them through God’s spirit – real Truth. Worldly people have always rejected these messages because they cannot spiritually discern anything – and have no desire to do so. Everything they know is seen and heard by their eyes and ears – and the most important things remain hidden from them. “At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.” (Mathew 11:25) “The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“He changes times and seasons; He reveals deep and hidden things; I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers: “I foretold the former things long ago, For I knew how stubborn you were; Therefore I told you these things long ago; You have heard these things; look at them all. They are created now, and not long ago; You have neither heard nor understood; For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; See, I have refined you, though not as silver; For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. “My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, "Come together, all of you, and listen: I, even I, have spoken; "Come near me and listen to this: This is what the LORD says— “He tunnels through the rock; He searches the sources of the rivers "But where can wisdom be found? Man does not comprehend its worth; The deep says, 'It is not in me'; It cannot be bought with the finest gold, It cannot be bought with the gold of Ophir, Neither gold nor crystal can compare with it, Coral and jasper are not worthy of mention; The topaz of Cush cannot compare with it; "Where then does wisdom come from? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, Destruction and Death say, God understands the way to it for he views the ends of the earth When he established the force of the wind when he made a decree for the rain then he looked at wisdom and appraised it; And he said to man, Many prophecies are being revealed now because we are nearing the end of this age. It is time for us to know these things that have been hidden for centuries. Even though we have been told these things, many will again reject the Truth, just as people have done throughout history. Let’s continue our study of the judgments of Revelation. “The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.” (Revelation 8:8-9) Is it possible for a third of the oceans to turn into blood? Again, should we take this literally? Unless God did this supernaturally and somehow created a dividing line between the blood and water, it would be impossible. As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t believe that God will intervene in a way that allows everyone to see this as a supernatural event. True believers will be able to discern this – ungodly people will not. We are told that even though these judgments are unleashed on the world, most will not repent. So, we won’t see something as literal as water turning into blood so that all will know without a doubt – without any faith. Those that humble themselves and draw close to the Lord will know exactly what’s happening. Those who rely on their own knowledge and understanding will not know – and will find all kinds of reasons in the natural world why these things are happening. I believe that the reference to blood is simply telling us that something catastrophic is happening to the oceans of the world. This is not an isolated event. Let’s take a look at other symbolism present in this judgment. The ‘mountain’ that is thrown into the sea is ‘ablaze’. This would lead me to believe that fire (war) could be a reason that ‘a third of the ships were destroyed’. Is this a reference to world wars? It’s possible. I believe the most important piece of this judgment, and the one we need to pay the most attention to, is the reference to the creatures in the sea. A third of them die. Something happening in the world is causing the animals of the oceans to die. Again, we’re not looking for a supernatural event that will cause the oceans to turn to blood – thereby causing the animals to die. We’re looking for something happening in the world today that will have a worldly explanation to worldly people – yet the real (spiritual) answer will be clear to those who can spiritually discern the truth. The answer to this prophetic puzzle is, once again, right in front of you. Is there anything happening in the world today that is putting stress on the oceans of the world? Absolutely. We could say that pollution certainly has played a role in the decline of our oceans and has even caused dead zones in certain areas of the oceans where fish and wildlife cannot live. Although pollution is causing harm, I believe there is something much more ominous happening to our planet that is beginning to adversely affect the world and our oceans – global warming. As our planet warms (see links on my website), fresh water is pouring into the oceans due to melting ice in Antarctica, the North Pole and Greenland. In addition, as the concentration of carbon dioxide has increased in our atmosphere, oceans have absorbed massive amounts of carbon. Where does this lead? From a scientific perspective, no one knows for sure – but climate models (using super-computers) tell us it’s not good. From a biblical perspective – we’re looking at one of the Lord’s judgments. Has over-fishing, pollution and climate change affected a third of the fish in our oceans? I believe the answer is clear - yes. I have included a link on my website to a study by ecologists that estimates salt-water fish could be completely extinct by the year 2048. But that’s not all – scientists believe that if the average temperature of the Earth rises by six degrees (over the past century the average temperature of the earth has risen one degree – and the rate is accelerating), the oceans of the earth would become marine wastelands – devoid of life. From space the oceans would still look normal – they would still be blue/green – but they could not support life. We see the beginning of this today (coral death, red tides, dead zones). Would it surprise you to learn that one of the bowl judgments (Revelation 16:3) speaks of this very thing happening? What we’re seeing now is only the beginning. In a future post we’ll discuss where we are on God’s prophetic timeline (looking at the judgments present in the world) and what we can expect in the near future. Let’s continue with the trumpet judgments. “The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.” (Revelation 8:10-11) We have discussed this judgment in a previous post. I believe this is a reference to how the world’s fresh water supplies are becoming polluted in various ways – war, industrial pollution, pesticides, etc. Without a doubt, this is happening today (see links on my website). Even though these judgments seem terrible, they do not compare to the final seven judgments. These are commonly referred to as the ‘bowl’ or ‘vial’ judgments – God’s final judgments on this world before Jesus returns. The seal and trumpet judgments really don’t give us a specific time reference, so while I believe many of them are present in the world today, it’s not easy to pinpoint exactly when they were introduced – and it’s not really important for us to know this. The important thing to remember is that they are happening now – they are not fantasies that will happen only in the future. We are, however, given a reference for the beginning of the bowl judgments. For the spiritually mature, we are definitely given a reference for the beginning of the end of this age. Why? So that those who are being persecuted for staying true to Jesus Christ will know that this age is progressing exactly according to God’s will. These things are no longer a mystery because we need to know that God is in control and our redemption is near. It will be a very difficult time, but not unexpected. Notice carefully what we’re told at the beginning of Revelation 16. “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." 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) Who is affected by this judgment? People who have received the mark of the beast and worship his image. So, the bowl judgments begin after the mark is introduced in the world and the image of the beast is revealed. What have we said the image is? As we have discussed previously, this is the evil image (likeness) of the Roman Catholic Church after its judgment by fire. We are clearly given a time reference in these verses that we can use to determine when we can expect to see the bowl judgments being poured out onto the earth. Why is this made clear? Why does the Lord give us a clear starting point for the bowl judgments? Because the earth will become a very unpleasant place to live. The Lord is telling His children to prepare themselves for what is coming. The mark and image of the beast mark the starting point for the most difficult time in human history. This will be a time of unprecedented war, famine, disease, persecution and death. Nothing in human history will compare with this period of time before Jesus’ return. Because of this, God gives His saints a means to pinpoint its beginning. I believe it is this period of time that Jesus was referring to when he said: “because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.” (Mark 13:19) God is telling us that it is of the utmost importance that we are prepared spiritually for the future. We must be able to stand against evil. Regardless of our circumstances, we must remain focused on Him. We’ll review the bowl judgments in a future post.
"With such violence
the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
never to be found again.”
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. (Matthew 13:10-17)
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king." (Daniel 2:21-23)
my mouth announced them and I made them known;
then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass.
the sinews of your neck were iron,
your forehead was bronze.
before they happened I announced them to you
so that you could not say,
'My idols did them;
my wooden image and metal god ordained them.'
Will you not admit them?
"From now on I will tell you of new things,
of hidden things unknown to you.
you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
'Yes, I knew of them.'
from of old your ear has not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous you are;
you were called a rebel from birth.
for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
so as not to cut you off.
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
How can I let myself be defamed?
I will not yield my glory to another.” (Isaiah 48:3-11)
and my right hand spread out the heavens;
when I summon them,
they all stand up together.
Which of the idols has foretold these things?
The LORD's chosen ally
will carry out his purpose against Babylon;
his arm will be against the Babylonians.
yes, I have called him.
I will bring him,
and he will succeed in his mission.
"From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;
at the time it happens, I am there."
And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me,
with his Spirit.
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
"I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.” (Isaiah 48:13-17)
his eyes see all its treasures.
and brings hidden things to light.
Where does understanding dwell?
it cannot be found in the land of the living.
the sea says, 'It is not with me.'
nor can its price be weighed in silver.
with precious onyx or sapphires.
nor can it be had for jewels of gold.
the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.
it cannot be bought with pure gold.
Where does understanding dwell?
concealed even from the birds of the air.
'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.'
and he alone knows where it dwells,
and sees everything under the heavens.
and measured out the waters,
and a path for the thunderstorm,
he confirmed it and tested it.
'The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,
and to shun evil is understanding.' " (Job 28:10-28)
