5 posts tagged “end times”

We have discussed many Biblical prophecies relating to end time events.  Most of our discussions have centered on the antichrist, the beasts and the Book of Revelation.  In this post, we’re going to take a look at other verses in the Bible that give us clues to the time in which we live.  I believe that we’re given many clues that we can apply to today’s world.  For me, it has become clear that we are on the edge of passing into the final stages before Christ’s return at the end of this age.  We’re going to see the formation of a worldwide political ‘beast’.  We’re going to see the Roman Catholic Church become a ‘beast’ once again.  We will see increasing climate change that results in more severe storms, drought and famine.  Wars will become even more intense.  During all of this, we will also see an increase in the persecution of God’s saints.  Why does God reveal these things to us?  He has given us these clues so that we will not be deceived by the world.  Learn the truth of what is happening and why.  Jesus told us these things must happen, but to endure until the end.  Focus on God’s kingdom.  If you’re reading this because an event has taken place that has caused widespread fear, ask yourself why you could not see it coming.  I have spoken with many true Christians who know, as I do, that the cannot continue on its present course without God’s correction.  They may not have received a specific word from the Lord on judgment, but they know God’s Word and they know what happens when a nation refuses to heed the Lord’s warnings.  They know that there are only two paths from here – our nation repents and returns to the Lord or we do not change and the Lord corrects us.  If the things happening in the world have caught you unaware, remember what Jesus told us in Revelation chapter 3.  As I’ve mentioned before, many of us are members of the Laodicea.

"To the angel of the church in write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:14-22)

Step back and think about your spiritual life.  Are you hot or cold or lukewarm?  The truth is that many of us today are lukewarm.  Many of us are wealthy and live comfortable lives, but are spiritually poor….and therefore spiritually blind.  Many of us in the church cannot hear the Lord.  Many of us are not following His will.  It’s time for us to change.

“Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." As Jesus was sitting on the , the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Mathew 24:1-8)

After being asked by His disciples about signs of the end of the age, Jesus immediately warns us about being deceived.  He is giving us a direct warning – there will be much deception in the world during the end times.  He then tells us that many will claim to be Christ.  Is He saying that many will say they are actually Jesus Christ?  I believe the answer is no.  Jesus is telling us that many will offer false religions with false salvation.  We are then told about wars and nations rising against nations.  Earthquakes and famines will happen throughout the world.  We are then given a vital key to these things.  Jesus tells us that these events are the beginning of ‘birth pains’.  Think about what happens during childbirth.  As the delivery progresses, contractions become more intense and happen more often.  I believe we can safely assume that as we come closer to Christ’s return - wars, earthquakes and famines will all become more intense and will increase in number.  Think about the world today.  Wars continue to rage around the world, we are seeing a significant number of earthquakes happening every week and famines continue.  It’s going to get worse.

The chapter continues with verse 9:

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Mathew 24:9-14).

We are being told that true followers of Christ will be persecuted and some will be put to death.  This parallels other verses throughout the Bible (including verses in Revelation).  Christ’s true followers are persecuted.  We are then told that many will turn away from true faith in Jesus.  Again, this parallels Revelation in that immense pressure will be placed on believers.  Those without a true, strong faith will fall.  Many will not be able to stand against our enemy.  Only those with true faith will be able to stand.  Jesus then warns us again against false prophets and deception.  This also parallels Revelation 13:13-14 “And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth”.  Does this deception exist today?  Absolutely.  If you’ve read my other posts, then you are aware of just how deceived we are. 

Verse 12 gives us another clue that Jesus is talking about our times.  “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold”.  Think about the world in which we live today.  Has wickedness increased?  Violence permeates our society.  Jails are overflowing.  Pornography is available in most of our homes either through the internet or television.  School shootings are happening more often.  Wars are raging.  As a result of our times, is the love of most growing cold?  How often do you see someone really reaching out to others – whether they know the person or not?  There are certainly faithful people in the world, but it appears that most of us are becoming more isolated.  We spend less time with family and friends and helping others.  As a result, our focus shifts from our relationship with God and those that we love, to things in the world – pursuit of wealth, material goods, social status, etc.  Empty things that the Lord tells us are meaningless pursuits. 

We live in a very busy, ‘self’ society where most of what is talked about and done is for ‘me’, not others.  This is the basis of sin – selfishness.  There are countless self help books available, but they cannot give us what we’re searching for – our Creator and His purpose for us.  If you’re working today (as most of us are), think about how the working world has changed in the past 15 years.  How many of us leave work at 5 pm each day?  How long are we commuting?  How much actual time are we spending with our spouses, our children, our families?  With cell phones, blackberries and other devices, many of us don’t ever really leave work.  There were times when I would get up on Sunday, answer a few emails on my blackberry and not even realize that I left it on my hip during church.  My mind would even wander in church to things I needed to do at work on Monday.  I couldn’t even give God one hour every week.  I would have conversations with my wife, family and friends, but I wouldn’t always be engaged in the conversation.  My mind would shift to work-related issues, problems, planning – things that needed to get done.  There’s obviously nothing wrong with working to provide for ourselves and our families.  In fact, the Bible instructs us to do so. ‘For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”’ (2 Thessalonians 3:10).  The problem is that for many of us, our work has become the focus of our lives.  This is not biblical.  ‘If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ‘For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ (Mathew 6:30-34).  The glaring truth is that most of us do not have the faith required to put the Lord’s Word into practice.  If you’re like I was, I couldn’t seek God first because I needed to earn a living to buy nice things before anything else.  The opposite of what the Bible tells us to do.   I allowed our enemy to pull me away from the truth because I wasn’t reading God’s Word and praying to Him.  I was defenseless against the devil’s schemes.  I couldn’t even see them.

We don’t like to admit that we have allowed our spiritual enemy to deceive us, but he has in many ways.  It’s time to put away our pride and realize that we don’t know it all, that we don’t have all of the answers we’re seeking.  It’s time to realize it, understand it and start following the Lord, not our own way. 

Let’s continue in the Book of Mathew chapter 24:

"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. (Mathew 24:15-25)

The ‘abomination that causes desolation’ is a difficult topic.  It’s difficult because there are two possible interpretations of this prophecy.  This prophecy either describes the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. by the Roman Empire or it is describing a future event that has not taken place.  Much has been written about this event mentioned by the prophet Daniel and Jesus.  In the Left Behind book series, the authors interpret this as a future event with the antichrist (Nicolae Carpathia) riding through a rebuilt Jewish Temple on a pig, proclaiming to be God.  We now know that this is pure fiction.  So, is it possible that this remains a future event?  It’s very difficult to say.  Honestly, I’m not 100% sure of the answer. Jesus could have been warning His followers that when they see Roman soldiers entering the Temple (an abomination in a holy place), drop everything and get out of the city to spare yourselves.  I don’t believe this 100% because we’re also told that ‘For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again.’  Jesus is the Lord and Savior of the whole world, not just the Jewish nation, so was this event in 70 A.D. something that caused the most distress the world has ever seen?  I don’t believe that we’ve seen the worst that satan is going to throw at us, so it is certainly possible that this is a future event.   If it is a future event, the key to unlocking this mystery is determining where ‘the holy place’ is.  Would the Lord consider a rebuilt Jewish temple that offered animal sacrifices His holy place?  We previously discussed this - I believe the answer is no.  We are told in the New Testament that we are the Lord’s church (not a building or structure)– those justified by faith.  So, if this is a future event, where will this ‘abomination’ take place?  This would lead me to believe that this prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D.  The end result of my study of this prophecy is that I don’t know the answer with 100% certainty.  If it is a future event, we will need to spiritually discern it.

If this prophecy is describing a future event, how bad will it be? Jesus makes it crystal clear for us – ‘there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now – and never to be equaled again.’  Jesus tells us that when this takes place, all of us will be affected.  If it were not for God’s mercy for His children, no one would survive.  I believe that Jesus could by describing Armageddon.  Nuclear war on a global scale.  It’s also interesting to note that we are told in multiple verses in the Bible that before the Lord’s return, the sun will be darkened and the moon will turn to blood. This could very well be describing how the dust and debris in the atmosphere from this worldwide event causes the sun to appear darkened and the moon to appear red. I believe this could be describing the time between the ‘abomination that causes desolation’ and the Lord’s return.

‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls.’ (Joel 2:28-35)

Notice that the Lord mentions ‘fire and billows of smoke’ and we are told, once again, that the true children of God will be saved.  We are also told that many will prophecy, dream and see visions.  Throughout the Bible we see that the Lord tells us what He is going to do and why.  He will also speak to us at the end of this age through these prophecies, dreams and visions.

The Book of Revelation also reveals judgments that affect the appearance of the sun and moon:

‘I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.’ (Revelation 6:12-13)

Again, it appears that our view of the sun, moon and stars will be affected by an event on earth.

‘The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.’ (Revelation 8:12)

Once again, the sun, moon and stars turn dark due to a judgment from the Lord.  Are all of these verses related to the same event?  It is certainly possible.  It is also possible that multiple events will have the same result – darkened skies.

‘Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man's heart will melt. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor.  They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. See, the day of the LORD is coming —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger — to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. I will make man scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD Almighty, in the day of his burning anger.’ (Isaiah 13:6-13)

Here we see again that the sun, moon and stars are darkened.  The word ‘desolate’ is once again used to describe the earth.  Do you see a pattern?  For those who question if the Bible is really the Word of God, remember that the men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these words (in both the Old and New Testaments) lived hundreds of years apart – yet the message was the same.  You see this time and again within the Lord’s Word.  We are also given the reasons for these things – sin and evil in the world.  When the time comes according to God, He will punish the world for its sins.  We see this described again in Zephaniah 1:14-18:

‘The great day of the LORD is near—near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth.  Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD's wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth.’ (Zephaniah 1:14-18)

We see, once again, a description of the same terrible event.  Once again ‘darkness and gloom…clouds and blackness’ are mentioned to describe our atmosphere resulting from these events.  Why are these events taking place?  It’s clear - ‘….they have sinned against the Lord.’  In our physical world, how will the Lord do this?  I believe that it is clear this is the result of worldwide war - ‘a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers’.  There is only one thing in the world today that could cause such widespread destruction – nuclear weapons.  Also note that we’re told that all the wealth in the world cannot prevent this from happening.  None of the things of the world can protect us if we turn away from God - our wealth, our weapons, our military strength – they mean nothing.

Once again, we’re also told that those who are following the Lord are offered the Lord’s protection:

‘Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD's anger.’ (Zephaniah 2:3)

The Bible tells us that even though all of these things have been foretold in God’s Word, even though there will be many who preach the Truth during these times, most of the world will not repent.  They will not turn back to God:

‘The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.’ (Revelation 9:20)

Why are we told all of these things?  Why has the Lord instructed me to write about them?  We all need to wake up to what is happening in the world and what is going to happen.  We need to prepare ourselves spiritually.

‘These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you. Yet you have a few people in who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (Revelation 3:1-6)

We continue our study of Mathew Chapter 24:

"So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Mathew 24:26-31)

Jesus also tells us here about the sun, moon and stars being darkened ‘after the distress of those days’.  So, I believe that the Lord’s prophets and Jesus Himself are all speaking of the same events.  I believe they are speaking of worldwide events that are going to cause widespread ‘desolation’.  What are these events?  I think we can safely say that nuclear weapons are going to be part of this.  Nothing else on earth could cause such destruction.  This may only be one part of everything that is happening during this time.  What results from these events?  Our atmosphere is going to be polluted to the point that all heavenly bodies are darkened.  This sounds horrible and it’s going to be a very difficult time, but there is hope.  Never forget that our focus should not be on this world, but on God’s kingdom.  Jesus tells us that after these events, He will appear in the sky with power and glory.  While these events may seem horrible to unbelievers on earth and fill them with fear, they will be a sign to believers that the end is near.  They will know that their Savior is at the door.  Why will the nations mourn when Jesus returns?  Because they will see the Truth and it will be too late.  Many will have rejected God’s offer of salvation and will realize that they face eternal judgment.  Imagine persecuting God’s faithful and rejecting Him, then seeing Jesus coming in the clouds.  Finally, we’re told that Jesus gathers His faithful.  Those that have remained faithful to the end will inherit eternal life in the kingdom of heaven with Jesus and our Father.  They will have endured unto the end.

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Mathew 24:32-35)

What are we told here?  We’re told that when we begin to see these signs, the end is ‘right at the door’.  We’re also told that the generation that sees these events ‘will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened’.  Don’t miss the significance of this message.  Even though Jesus is speaking to our generation and we will see all of these things, the most important piece is that those of us who survive to the end will see Jesus return.  So, we’re not told a definite date of the Lord’s return, but we are told that we will see Him.  We are getting very close to the end of this age.

“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” (Mathew 24:36-41)

Here we are told that only our Father knows the time of Jesus’ return.  I know that many in the world try to determine when Jesus will return, but I believe these verses make it clear – we are told of the events that will tell us when the time is near, but we will not know the exact time.  We’re told by Jesus to be ready at any time for His return.  We should always focus on God’s plan for us and not worry about what is or is not going to happen.  I know this is difficult. It is something that I struggled with for some time.  As you mature spiritually, this will become easier as you place your complete trust in the Lord. 

Jesus mentions the story of Noah for a reason.  Imagine for a moment that you are Noah.  The Lord speaks to you and tells you to build an ark because the world is overcome with wickedness.  Through faith, you do what is asked of you.  Imagine building an ark in a wicked society.  Do you think that Noah was ridiculed for building this ark when nothing was currently wrong?  I’m sure he endured a few insults.  I’m sure that people probably laughed at him.  Did he build it in his backyard?  Based on the dimensions of this ark, I’m sure it looked very out of place to everyone else.  In spite of what everyone else thought, regardless of what was said to him in this world, he did what the Lord asked because he trusted the Lord.  Now, think about the world today.  Are true believers who trust the Lord ridiculed?  If someone speaks a word of prophecy, how does the world respond?  I imagine that today we endure the same type of ridicule that Noah endured.  Those who do not know the Lord are spiritually blind, and just as in Noah’s day, they will be caught unaware of what is coming.

Verses 40 and 41 then tell us what will happen when Jesus does return at the end– some will be taken (His faithful believers) with Him, others will be left (unbelievers).  If you are left, you will face eternal punishment.  There will be no second chances at this point.

“Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-9)

We are given some very important guidance in these verses.  We are told that the Day of the Lord will come unexpectedly to unbelievers.  They will not escape the Lord’s wrath.  As always, we’re then given a message of hope.  The Lord tells true believers that we are not blind as unbelievers.  The Day of the Lord will not be a surprise to us.  We will be prepared for it.  We are of the light and therefore, will not be uninformed of what is happening and why.  Verse 8 then gives us similar instruction as Ephesians chapter 6 – put on the armor of God so that when your day of evil comes, you will be able to stand.  Knowing that we have eternal salvation through God’s grace, we will not fear what is happening in the world.

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Mathew 24:42-44)

Once again we’re told that we do not know the exact time of our Lord’s return, so stay faithful and keep watch.  Do not let the world draw you away from the Lord.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mathew 24:45-51)

Mathew chapter 24 then concludes with a clear warning to us.  Jesus is telling us to remain faithful until the end and endure.  Do not let the world pull you away from the Truth and deceive you.  If we are faithful until the end, we will receive our reward.  Do not be like those who fall away from the Truth because Jesus has not returned according to their own timetable.  Those who do not remain faithful to the end, but return to the world are given a clear warning – ‘…and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  Those that fall away will face the same fate as unbelievers.  Eternal punishment.

In this post, we’re going to take a look at end time events taking place in the world today and determine where we are on God’s prophetic timeline – what has already taken place and what our future holds.  If you believe popular end time Christian beliefs, then you are most likely waiting on a pre-tribulation rapture as the big end time prophetic marker. 

This will be the event that marks the beginning of the 7 year period of tribulation – while removing true believers from the earth before the antichrist takes over.

You have probably noticed that things definitely seem to be getting worse throughout the world, but you’re confident that the rapture will take you away before things get really bad. As I’ve mentioned before, because so many of us believe in the rapture and that we’ll be removed before a tribulation period, we’re simply not paying attention to what the Bible really tells us about end time events.  We’re not studying and praying about these things, because honesty, they don’t concern us – we’ll be gone.  Why worry about such horrible things if we’re not here to experience them?  This would be acceptable logic – if it were true.  We find end time prophecy interesting, but since we won’t be here, we’d rather focus on living our lives – ultimately focusing on the world – which ultimately blinds us from the truth.   

The truth of God’s Word tells us something very different.  It tells us that we will all be here and expected to endure – just as Christ’s true Church has done since His resurrection.  We’re going to see that God has given us very clear prophetic markers to indicate where the world is on His prophetic timeline, we’ve simply ignored them – and remember, it’s His timeline – not ours.  In this post, we’re going to summarize what we’ve learned about end time prophecies and what it means for the immediate future.

If you’ve studied popular end time prophecy beliefs and read the posts on this blog, then you know that much of the study of end time prophecy (where we are and where we’re going) centers on an evil world leader (the antichrist) and the physical nation of Israel.  We’ve already shown that the Bible never points to one world leader, nor is the physical nation of Israel the center of end time prophecies.  I realize that this is difficult to believe – initially.  As I’ve said before – it’s not easy to overcome the world.  As always - the key to knowing our Father and understanding His knowledge and wisdom - is humility.  All of us must acknowledge that we’re sinful, we’ve made mistakes and we need to ask for forgiveness.  I believe that events are about to take place that will show us exactly where we are and where we’re going. 

Since Daniel chapter 7 is used by many popular end time scholars to justify their belief in a future antichrist, let’s begin with a brief review of the prophecies contained in this chapter. 

"After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.

"While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.” (Daniel 7:7-8)

The fourth beast was the Roman Empire.  Few prophecy scholars dispute this.  What is disputed is who the ‘little horn’ is.  As we’ve discussed in previous posts, many believe the little horn to be a future world leader – the antichrist.  They say that this ‘little horn’ is the same person as the ‘beast out of the sea’ of Revelation 13.  Again, most are always looking into the future for something that has already taken place.  The truth is that this ‘little horn’ is the Roman Catholic Church after the fall of the Roman Empire.  After the Roman Empire broke-up into 10 countries in Europe, the Roman Church initially overpowered three of them.  So, there is nothing left here to wait for – nothing prophetic here that has any bearing on our future.  Yes, there will be a world government that has 10 kings (Revelation 17:12), but we’re told what we need to know about these future kings in Revelation – not Daniel.

'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. (Daniel 7:23-25)

This isn’t additional information about a future world leader, we’re again given information about the Roman Church here.  The papal system did rise – conquering three of the ten kingdoms after the fall of the Roman Empire.  In addition, we’re told this Church will change the Lord’s ‘times and laws’.  As we’ve reviewed earlier, these verses reference the changes the Catholic Church made to the Lord’s ten commandments and His Sabbath.  These verses also reference the power this Church wields over the Lord’s saints – power which ended in 1798 when Napoleon’s army invaded the Vatican and condemned the Pope to prison.  So, we see that all of these things have happened – there’s nothing here that gives us a clue to what is going to happen in our future.

'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.' (Daniel 7:26-27)

The final verses of Daniel tell us the same ending to this Church as Revelation – destruction.  Daniel doesn’t tell us how this happens – this information is provided in Revelation.  What is amazing is that Daniel lived hundreds of years before John – yet the message is the same.  So, while the prophecies of Daniel 7 give us important information and confirm prophecies written in other books of the Bible, it does not give us specific information about our future from today forward.

Let’s move on and briefly list the events described in Revelation 13, 17 & 18 that take place in the world:

Revelation 13:

·        John sees the rise of the Roman Catholic Church – the beast out of the sea(verses 1-2)

·        John sees the fall of the Roman Church and sees it rise again in the future (verse 3)

·        John sees that people throughout the world are following this Church (verses 3-4)

·        John sees this Church blaspheming God and persecuting the Lord’s Saints (verses 5-8)

·        John sees another beast rising who is deceptive – the New World Order/Illuminati beast (verse 11)

·        This second beast is working with the first beast (Roman Church) and forces the world to worship the first beast (verse 12)

·        The New World Order uses ‘miraculous signs’ to deceive the inhabitants of the earth (verse 13)

·        The NWO sets up an ‘image’ of the Roman Church and forces everyone to worship this image.  Those who refuse to worship the ‘image’ are killed.  (verse 14-15)

·        The NWO enforces a ‘mark’ on the world – no one can buy or sell without the ‘mark’(verse 16-17)

Revelation 17:

·        John describes the woman riding the beast and it becomes clear that this woman represents the Roman Catholic Church (verses 1-7)

·        The Angel tells John that this Church will go through 3 stages.  It will be a beast (persecuting the Lord’s saints), then there will be a period of time when it’s not a beast, but it will return as a beast at a future time – and the people of the world will be astonished when this beast returns (verse 8)

·        The Angel then gives us a sign to look for as an indication when this Church will return as a beast.  An eighth king will arise. (verses 10-11)

·        We are told that the world will have 10 kings who give their power to the political beast (New World Order) (verse 12)

·        These kings will persecute true followers of Jesus Christ (verse 14)

·        The beast (New World Order) and the 10 kings will destroy the Roman Church by fire (verse 16)

Revelation 18 then describes the final destruction of the Roman Catholic Church.  As we discuss the events told to us in these chapters of Revelation, we’ll be sure to make note of those that have already taken place and those yet to come.

Revelation 13 begins by telling us about the rise of the Catholic Church after the fall of the Roman Empire.  This chapter then proceeds to tell us about the Roman Church’s persecution of the Lord’s saints and its wounding in 1798 by the Lord’s Word (The Sword) which causes it to fall from world power.  The Church then recovers from its wounds in 1929.  After regaining its worldly power, we are then told that the whole world follows the beast.  Up to this point in chapter 13, it’s easy to see that all of these things have happened.  Verse 10 wraps up the description of the history of this Church by telling the saints to have patience and endurance.  Both are required to endure this beast.  Saints will be persecuted, imprisoned and killed – those that endure until the end will be given the crown of life.

As we move on in chapter 13 to the second beast, we begin to see where we are on God’s prophetic timeline.  Verse 11 begins by telling us about this New World Order.  It is a very deceptive beast.  Notice that the Bible does not describe the Catholic Church (beast out of the sea) as deceptively coming to power – but the ‘beast out of the earth’ is very different.  It represents itself as a lamb – it would appear to the world to be benign, harmless – nothing to worry about.  What is the true nature of this beast?  It ‘speaks like a dragon’.  It is deceptive and deadly.  The word ‘speak’ is used here to tell us about this beast’s actions.  Its actions are evil.  It kills and destroys – and receives these instructions from Satan.  So, we see this beast as very deceptive and evil – just like Satan.  The world would rise up against an entity that used brute force to form a world government, so we see why such deception is needed in order to be successful.  This is where we are today.  This beast is currently deceiving the world in order to setup world government.  Once the world government is instituted – the world will be placed in bondage under the beast – the New World Order, not an evil world leader.  The future 10 kings give their power to the New World Order – not to one future world leader.  I’m sure that the leaders of Freemasonry/the Illuminati/Skull & Bones/Bilderbergs, etc. find it very amusing that most of the Christian world is focused on an illusion.  The evil rulers of this world currently have more knowledge of what is really happening than do most Christians – but this will change.  The remainder of chapter 13 gives us clues as to how this beast is deceiving the world and its relationship with the Catholic Church.

Verse 12 tells us that these beasts are working together – initially.  At some point in the near future, the New World Order will force the world to join the Catholic Church.  It appears that the only ‘acceptable’ church will be the Catholic Church.  This lines up with what we’re told in chapter 17 regarding the Catholic Church.  This church will return as a beast (we’ll discuss this below).  So, we see that the Catholic Church will return as a beast and we see the NWO forcing the world to join the Catholic Church. 

Verse 13 gives us clues as to how the New World Order is deceiving the world and gaining worldwide control – great and miraculous signs.  We’re even given details about these signs – fire from heaven in full view of the world.  We’re told these things for one reason – PAY ATTENTION to what is happening in the world.  The Lord gives us this information so that we are prepared for what we face.  Are we prepared or have we allowed ourselves to be blinded?  Again, these ‘miraculous signs’ are happening right now.  We see the World Trade Center bombed in 1993.  We see the WTC buildings (1,2 & 7) destroyed in 2001.  We see ‘terrorist’ events in London, Mumbai and elsewhere and we believe the lies about who orchestrated these events.  We allow our government to launch wars in Afghanistan and Iraq under false pretenses.  We allow our government to enact legislation that destroys the freedoms our founders fought to give us. We allow domestic wiretapping and spying without warrants.  We allow our President to sign executive orders giving himself dictatorship powers in the event of a national ‘emergency’ – an emergency that I have no doubt has been planned for our future (more ‘signs’).  All of these things have been done on the pretense that we are threatened by an enemy that has the capability to carry-out the events that took place on September 11, 2001.  Our President and many other leaders of our nation are doing this because they have been promised wealth and power once the beast takes absolute control of the world.  Satan has offered them the world – and they have accepted.  Terrorists did not do this to us – the beast is deceiving us using miraculous signs – just as the Bible tells us he would do.   Because we are always looking into the future for end time prophecies – we can’t see them happening right in front of us.  We are completely blind.

Let’s finish our review of chapter 13.  We see that the NWO forces worship of the Catholic Church at some point in the near future.  We don’t know how long this lasts – how long the Catholic Church remains in power – but at some point it will be destroyed.  We are given a glimpse of this in chapter 13 verse 14.  The NWO sets up an image of the Roman Church.  Chapter 13 doesn’t give us the reason or how – this information is provided in chapter 17.  Chapter 13 finishes by telling us what happens after the Catholic Church’s judgment.  In verses 15-18, we see that the NWO forces worship of this image, it kills those that refuse – and we see the introduction of the mark.  So, after the Catholic Church is judged, we will see the formation of an evil church that will force the world to follow its unbiblical doctrine or be killed.  At the same time, the NWO introduces a cashless financial system that will require obedience to its evil government.  So, in this chapter, we see the government of the world under Satan’s control, we see the world’s financial system under Satan’s control and we see a worldwide church under Satan’s control – and we now see how events taking place in the world today are leading up to all of this.  Something of this magnitude doesn’t happen overnight. Think about it for a moment.  Could something as big as taking control of the world’s government, financial system and religion be done quickly – as depicted in the Left Behind novels?  Or would it take generations?  If we step back and really think about it, the truth starts to become clear.  Again, this is not fantasy – this is the truth and it’s happening now.

So, let’s summarize what we should expect to see in the near future based on information we’re given from chapter 13:

·        We’re going to see more ‘miraculous signs’ as the NWO continues to increase fear and tighten its grip on the world.  Looking at the world today – it appears that this will be done through the ‘war on terror’.  More ‘terrorist’ events will strike fear in the world’s population.

·        We’re going to see governments of the world (U.S. included) remove more freedoms under the guise of ‘protection’.  They will tell us that this will provide more security – but the real reason is told to us in chapter 13 – worldwide control.

·        We will see the Catholic Church return as a ‘beast’ once again – supported for a short time by the NWO (also see discussion below on chapter 17)

·        At some point, we will see the Lord’s judgment upon the Catholic Church.  Chapters 17 & 18 give us the reasons and details of this judgment.  The Lord will use the NWO for this judgment - bringing fire upon Rome.

·        The NWO will then create an evil image of the Catholic Church.

·        The NWO will kill those that oppose this ‘image’ and refuse to worship the ‘image’ – or refuse to join this false ‘religion’.  These will be the Lord’s saints – those that remain faithful to Him regardless of how they are persecuted.

·        The NWO will institute the mark.  Complete worldwide financial control.  Humanity will be tracked and massive databases will keep records of everything.  In order to be apart of the world system (ability to buy and sell), people will be required to swear allegiance to the beast (NWO) – thereby gaining access to the world system – and rejecting the Lord.  Many will not realize the magnitude of this decision – and bring the Lord’s wrath upon them. 

Obviously, this is not a pretty picture.  This is why I have been given this message.  It’s time to shift our focus from the world (and deception) to the Lord (and truth).  We all need the faith required to do what is asked of us.  Before we review chapters 17 & 18, let’s briefly discuss the three angels of Revelation chapter 14.  These angels confirm the order of events of chapter 13.

Pay close attention to the order of events described by these angels:

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. 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."

 A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."

 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, 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. 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." This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.

 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 14:6-13)

Notice carefully what is mentioned by the first angel – fear God and give him glory.  Why?  Because worshiping the Lord and drawing close to Him is essential to overcoming what is next. Based on what we’re told here, we would expect to see the judgments of Revelation entering the world first – before the Roman Church’s judgment, the ‘image’ and the ‘mark’.  And if we look at the world today – we see that many of the Lord’s judgments are present in the world (previous posts).  What’s next?  The things we just discussed in chapter 13.

What does the second angel proclaim?  The judgment of the Catholic Church.  After we see many of the Lord’s judgments in the world (which we see today), we should then expect to see the judgment of the Catholic Church at some point.  Chapter 18 uses these exact words - ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great’ - to describe this judgment in more detail.  So, we see in chapter 13 that as soon as the ‘image’ is mentioned, the ‘beast out of the sea’ is no longer referenced.  In chapter 14, we see that the 2^nd angel also mentions that ‘Babylon the Great’ has fallen.  In chapter 17, we are going to see how and why ‘Babylon the Great’ falls.

What follows after the fall of the Catholic Church?  The same things that are described in chapter 13 are described by the third angel in chapter 14 – the New World Order, its image and the mark.  The third angel also gives us a very clear warning – if anyone worships the beast, his image or receives his mark in order to buy or sell – he will incur the wrath of God.  Crystal clear.  Who will reject the NWO, its image and its mark?  Those who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.  What will be required?  Patient endurance.  Those that die by remaining faithful to Jesus will inherit life – those that worship the beast and his image will incur the Lord’s wrath and eternal punishment.

If you read my previous posts on this subject, then you know that when I first started studying chapter 13, I found it interesting that the ‘beast out of the sea’ was not mentioned after the ‘image’ is mentioned.  I felt very strongly that this was an indication that this ‘beast’ was replaced by the ‘image’.  It didn’t take long to confirm this – I only had to read and study chapter 14.  The second angel fills in the missing piece of the puzzle – there’s no need to guess.  For something this important, the Lord makes it clear.  Chapter 14 gives us the exact same sequence of events – with the added information that ‘Babylon’ has fallen before the ‘image’ is introduced.

As we continue our review of prophecies that will take place in our immediate future, chapter 17 answers many of our remaining questions.  Is there a sign to look for that will tell us when to expect the return of the Catholic ‘beast’? Why does the Catholic Church incur the Lord’s wrath?  How does the Lord judge the Catholic church?

In verse 3 we see, once again, that the Catholic Church and the NWO are conspiring together.  In chapter 13, we’re told that the NWO is performing signs on behalf of the Catholic Church.  In chapter 17, verse 3 we see the Catholic Church riding on the NWO – a symbolic representation that the NWO brings the Catholic Church back to worldwide power.  I believe we’re also given a very interesting clue in verse 3 regarding the NWO.  This beast is covered with ‘blasphemous names’.  What are these ‘blasphemous names’?  If we look at this symbolism with a prophetic eye and apply what we know about the world today to this prophecy, what do we see?   We see the New World Order composed of many ‘orders’ and organizations – Freemasonry, Illuminati, The Order of Skull & Bones, The Council on Foreign Relations, the Trilateral Commission, the Bilderbergs – and there are many other ‘orders’ and ‘elite’ organizations that compose this new order that gains worldwide control.  If you have studied these orders and secret societies, then you know that there is definitely something associated with all of them that the Lord would consider ‘blasphemy’.  Not only are they focused solely on the world, but many of them seem to be associated with the occult and/or Satanism.  We see, once again, that nothing is hidden from God.  He knew of this since the creation of the world and told it to us 2,000 years ago.  This worldwide political beast would be composed of many blasphemous names – worldly organizations and orders.  Remember - there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed.

Verses 4 and 5 tell us many reasons why the Catholic Church will be judged – her teachings are abominations.  She has committed spiritual adultery against the Lord.  There is an underlying message here that should be clear to us.  While we are warned in many verses throughout the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) about idolatry and false religions, you will not see full chapters in Revelation dedicated to exposing Hinduism, Buddhism, Scientology, Mormonism, Islam, etc.  We do, however, see a significant portion of Revelation dedicated to the judgment of the Catholic Church and why this church faces such destruction.  Why?  This church represents itself as following the Lord, but it has nothing to do with Him.  It very deceptively leads people astray – and not just a few people – the world.  This church tells us that it is the way of salvation through many unbiblical doctrines.  The truth is that the leaders of this church are focused on the world (wealth & power) and have nothing to do with God.  They have killed His saints and it appears that they will do so again.  This church also says that it does this in God’s name.  It does not teach the truth of the Lord’s Word, but has allowed our enemy to infiltrate and corrupt the truth – passing this off as the way of salvation, when in reality, it leads people to eternal destruction. 

Knowing that this is not a popular message and will be opposed by many, I have prayed over this and asked the Lord to confirm this message.  Each time the message has been the same – this church is an ABOMINATION.  So clear that I felt like covering my ears.  The message is clear – if you represent yourself as My church – stay true to My Word.  Stay close to Me and My teaching.  Do not stray from the Truth.  Do not lead people astray.  Do not lead people astray and then tell the world you speak for Me.  I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll say it again here – would you want to explain to God on the day of your judgment why you created your own version of Christianity – a version contradicting the Lord’s Word - and then told the world that it was the truth?  I assure you - there will be no excuses on that day.

“Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.” (Ezekiel 22:26-27)

Let’s continue reviewing chapter 17 and the clues we are given for our future.  The Lord tells us in this chapter that this Church is going to go through 3 stages (verse 8).  It will initially be a beast – persecuting and killing the Lord’s saints.  This was the period of time during the middle ages – roughly 586 A.D. to 1798 A.D.  We are then told that it will not be a beast - for a period of time.  This has been the period of time from 1798 A.D. until now.  What is the final stage?  It returns as a beast – astonishing non-believers with its power, corruption and wickedness.  The underlying message here is that those close to the Lord will not be surprised by any of this.

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. (Revelation 17:8)

Since I believe we are nearing the time when the Roman Church will return as a beast - the obvious question is – when does this happen?  Are we given a prophetic marker for this transformation?  I believe the answer is yes.

Notice carefully what we’re told in verses 9-11:

This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. 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. The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. (Revelation 17:9-11)

I have heard some prophecy scholars say that the mention of a return of one of the beasts (verse 8) and the mention of 8 kings (verses 10-11) somehow refers to the political beast.  This is why some believe that this is referencing a return of the Roman Empire. Since the beast mentioned at the beginning of chapter 17 does refer to the political beast, it would be easy to make the mistake that all subsequent references to a beast also refer to the political beast.  I don’t believe this is correct.  At this point in Revelation, John has been given visions of 2 beasts throughout a previous chapter (13).  So, when John is told in verse 8 that a beast – ‘which you saw’ once was, now is not, and yet will come – it is not necessarily a reference to the political beast.  Besides, we see the Lord use imagery of the beast described in chapter 17 to describe the characteristics of both beasts.  The beast in this chapter is used to describe the political beast restoring the Catholic Church to power (the woman is riding the beast).  We then see the seven heads of the beast are used to represent the seven hills on which the woman sits (verse 9).  The ten horns of the beast represent 10 future kings who give their power to the political beast – or New World Order.  So, you can see why it takes spiritual discernment to understand which clues relate to which beast. 

In order to correctly interpret verses 9-11, it becomes necessary to understand current events taking place in the world, some history and how these things relate to Bible prophecy.  It is clear to me that the New World Order is the political beast of Revelation.  They have never ruled the world – and have not gone through 3 stages in their transformation into a beast.  No, this political beast deceptively rises to power one time – there is no rise, then fall, then another rise.  Only one of the beasts has risen, then fallen – and will rise again and remains in the world today – the religious beast.  I believe we’re also given this clue in verse 9.  Verse 9 gives us a clue as to the location of the woman who rides the beast.  One city is known as the ‘city on seven hills’ – Rome.  Immediately following this clue, verses 10 & 11 reference the 8 kings.  Have previous prophecies used the term ‘king’ to reference Popes?  Absolutely. 

After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. (Daniel 7:24-25)

So, after much prayer and study, I believe that this reference to 8 kings is a prophetic marker so that we will know when to expect the Roman Church to return as a beast.  I believe that these 8 kings represent the 8 Papal names since the fall of the Roman Church in 1798 A.D.  John is seeing this ‘in the spirit’, so he sees this progression of kings during the reign of the 6^th king – Pope Paul.  Where are we today?  As I mentioned in a previous post, there have now been 7 Papal names since 1798 A.D.  I believe that the Roman Church will return as a beast – enforcing unbiblical doctrine on the world – when a Pope with a name different from these seven is elected – Pius, Leo, Gregory, Benedict, John, Paul & John Paul.

I also believe that this 8^th king will also be the prophetic marker that the end of the Catholic church is near.

Notice carefully what we’re told in verse 8:

The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. (Revelation 17:8)

Once this beast returns – it does what?  It goes to its destruction.  A destruction that is described for us in chapter 18.  This beast returns – forcing unbiblical doctrine on the world and persecuting the Lord’s saints – then is cut off by the Lord’s judgment.

Now, notice carefully what we’re told about this eighth king:

The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction. (Revelation 17:11)

We see the Lord equate this eighth king with the return of the beast.  This eighth king also ‘belongs’ to the other seven – in other words, he is the eighth ruler in a series of rulers.  Where does he go?  He goes to the same place as the beast – destruction.  There are no more kings – the Catholic Church’s reign on earth ends with this Pope.  So, what at first seems difficult to interpret and mysterious becomes clear when viewed through a prophetic lens provided by our Lord.  What becomes clear is that this new Pope marks the beginning of a new phase on earth – a new phase of the Lord’s judgment.  When this eighth Pope is elected – expect to see significant changes within Catholic Church doctrine – enforced by the New World Order.  This eighth Pope also starts the prophetic countdown to the destruction of the Catholic Church.

But chapter 17 doesn’t stop there.  Verse 11 ends with the destruction of the Catholic Church.  Verse 12 shifts our focus back to the political beast – the New World Order. 

"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. They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:12-13)

We see 10 earthly political kings giving their power to the New World Order.  Although we are studying a very difficult future – I see a clue here that gives us an indication of the length of rule of these kings and the NWO.  We are told that they only receive authority for ‘one hour’.  We can’t determine how long this actually is, but I believe we’re given this time reference so that we will know that this is not a long time.  Probably years, but not decades. 

We see that these kings declare war on the true followers of Jesus Christ:

They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." (Revelation 17:14)

As we discussed in a previous post, we see here that Satan is making a final assault on Christ’s true followers.  Will he succeed?  No!  The Lamb will overcome Satan and his followers – end of story.  Always  remember this – we are already victorious.  We must follow the Lord and His will for us.  We must endure what our enemy throws at us – and we will inherit eternal life with Jesus.  This is why it is so important to prepare ourselves spiritually - now.

Revelation chapter 17 ends with an answer to a question we asked earlier in this post.  How is the Catholic Church destroyed?

The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled. (Revelation 17:16-17)

It’s clear.  At some point after the Catholic Church returns as a beast – the NWO will destroy her – carrying out God’s purpose.  We also see the method of judgment – fire.  Based on what we see here and what we are told in chapter 18 – I believe we are seeing the Lord describe the use of nuclear weapons.  These are the only weapons on earth that could quickly destroy a city.

In the next post we’ll summarize the Lord’s judgments that are described in the book of Revelation.  We’ll examine those judgments that are currently present in the world and those that we can expect to see in our future.