Chapters 12 and 13
A great sign appeared in heaven. 12:1 A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. This meaning God's chosen land and people. 12:3 Another sign appeared. A fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven diadems on his heads. This meaning satan.
The devil stood before God's chosen to devour them. 12:6 The chosen fled for the wilderness where God protected them for the final three and one half years of earth. The devil was granted complete power in these last days where millions suffered and died, no God fearing lands were left. But the chosen prevailed. Most likely these are the 12,000 X 12 tribes of Israel.
The devil in human form will be a politician. His reign will begin when he pens a treaty with Israel granting them a false peace. He will be a real charmer and will make big promises. He will be an extreme ego-centric person. He will serve his first 3 and one half years as just mortal. He then will fake his own death and resurrection near the time of the deaths of the real prophets (11:7). Satan will then take over his body and take earth form for the second three and a half year period. He blasphemed God and all that was good, gained power with all of the world's hold-out countries. The majority gave an immediate and great worship to this resurrected leader, all except the ones left on earth who were written in the Book of Life (3:5).
13:1 The politician described above is the first beast, the beast from the sea.
13:11 A second beast emerged who had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. This will be the final false prophet of our time, known as the beast from the earth. He will be a powerful demon here to aid the devil (politician). He will pose as a great religious leader. He will try to convince what is left of the world's people to worship the politician as a god. ( See study Link 2) He was granted power to deceive all people. He told all to make an image of the politician (beast) and to worship it, telling all on earth to worship it or you will be killed.
Great chaos will now begin. People will die of starvation. He causes all to receive a mark on their right hands or foreheads. That no one may buy or sell without it.
13:18 "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666." (KJV) This will be the mark. It most likely will be a computer chip for credit identification, sort of like an identification ear tag for an animal, except embedded in the skin.
There has been some late breaking news on this subject of "The Mark" See your study pages.
Chapter 14
The Lamb emerges on Mt. Zion, and with him the twelve thousand times twelve tribes having his father's name written on their foreheads. They will follow Jesus wherever he goes. They are God's new chosen, faithful and without sin. (See 144,000 link)
This chapter foresees what happens in following chapters, mainly the fall of Babylon and the sinful and rich empires of today's society.
14:6-13 Three angels give warning to all not bearing the beast's mark.
14:14 See study footnotes
14:17-20 Refers to the battle of Armageddon in blood and area. 1,600 furlongs equals the approximate distance between Armageddon and Edom. This is where the blood will flow from the war. "Bridle high" signifies the trenches will be 4 ft. deep.
Chapter 15-16
The Seven Vials or Bowls, God's Final Wrath.
Seven Angels were called upon by God. One of the four living creatures gave a golden vial or bowl to each Angel. They were ordered to pour out the bowls of God's wrath on the earth. No one will be allowed to enter God's Temple until this was completed.
The First Angel poured out his bowl and it was the first of the seven plagues. When he released it foul and loathsome sores came upon men who had the mark of the beast (see the notes near the end of ch.13). The sores compared to the beggar Lazarus in Luke 16. Incurable open sores that do not heal.
The Second Angel poured out his bowl and it plagued the world's oceans with a dark rich substance killing all sea life. The Third Angel poured out a bowl similar to the second, except it was for all the rivers and fresh water seas. It is at this time that God will now have to act as the human judge because not one who does not worship the final leader will exist.
The Fourth Angel poured out fire. Great heat scorched the men who believed in the power of the world. At this stage all the remaining realized it was our Lord who was responsible but would not repent and blasphemed his name instead.
The Fifth Angel poured the vial of darkness over the throne of the beast. The world was now without the sun. The Sixth Angel was responsible for pouring out the vial of drought over the river Euphrates. The Euphrates being dry will allow the kings of the east to cross and gather for the battle of Armageddon.
The Seventh Angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven saying "It is Done". The greatest earthquake in the history of the earth takes place and raises the city of Jerusalem as a very high point. Valleys were formed in the place of great mountains. Fresh water now flowed into the Dead Sea. Hail the weight of about 75 lbs. fell upon the remaining and they still did not repent.
Interpreting Prophecy Study Link
Chapters 17 "Babylon the Great"
Title refers to where the devil will center his capital of the world. Many scholars believe the end of the world will take place where the beginning of the world took place (Adam & Eve) at the four corners of the Euphrates River. This is where the devil first got his power. Now (2003) is the only time in the history of civilized man has this area been an unoccupied territory; present day Iraq. Make sure you see the link "Muslim beliefs" at the end of study link 2.
In these last chapters of Revelation we find that not only are most of the contents out of sequential order ( 1-16 are somewhat sequential ) but some events that will now be mentioned have already happened in previous chapters.
We'll start with 17:1 :
"Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls talked with me saying (Come I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters)" This expresses the great upcoming united church who will be closely tied to the ten federated kingdoms. The church is guilty of being drunk with the blood of the saints and the martyrs of Jesus. The location of these happenings are where the "seven heads or mountains" are located, that being Rome. Peter writes from Rome in 1 Peter 5:15, that Babylon is clearly Rome in a present and future sense in aprx. 40 A.D. Most false religions today can be traced to "Babylon".
17:8 "The beast will ascend out of the bottomless pit," signifies the fake resurrection of the political leader of the 10 kingdoms. This corresponds directly with the timeline of chapters 12 and 13. He will then pick up more power by convincing others of his capabilities. Satan will now get control over the universal church. They will now worship him as God.
17:10 Seven kings. Five have fallen (before John's time); one is (John's time); and one is to come; (Satan in human form). All being rulers of Rome. All through time Man wants religion. Man has the desire to worship something from the beginning of time. They also like the sense of belonging to dominant clubs. God does not want religions, he wants relationships with his people. True Christianity is in the way of a dominant club. i.e. a united church. Rapture is needed for a united church to form since it is written "the true loves of mine will be spared" It may form before rapture but will not be dominant until then.
Chapter 18 Babylon Has Fallen
Signifies the ruin of the riches of the world. Most of it reflects "The Good Trade Era" the devil's people had going for years which made slaves out of the common Christian, this includes the 21st century. In turn the devil's people were enjoying the good life. "For your merchants were the kings on earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of the prophets and saints who were slain on the earth."
18:4 "Come out of her my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues." When God calls these last people of his out of the great "system" we have going today, He will destroy it immediately. 18:8 states that the system is all strong of the world, and no earnest man or woman can change it, But the Lord will show his power here for the earnest and righteous. Gone it will be, The foul world as we know it.
18:11-19 The Lord feels very strongly about all the riches he has given us here on earth. Whether it be gold or cinnamon, precious stones or wheat. He clearly is stating in these verses that these were gifts to all of us, not solely goods for the system's billionaire type trade. He will now take all that away.
18:23p&24 "For your merchants were the kings on earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. And in her was found the blood of the prophets and saints who were slain on the earth."
An early look at chapter 19 would be appropriate here before going deep into the verses after #10. It actually is the celebration of the actions of chapter 18.
Chapter 19:1-10.
In no other place in the Bible is such rejoicing done. The word "Alleluia" is not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament. It is mentioned 4 times here in the first 6 verses. Here is the largest celebration in Heaven to take place. They are giving great, great praise to the Lord for his actions just covered in chapter 18. He has now taken the power away from the great devilish "System" of the world. He has called up the last of his people worthy of life.
19:7-10
John was asked directly to write: "Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. These are the true sayings of God." The marriage of the Lamb has now come. This signifies very simply that Jesus will now be in charge of the earth and its people. His followers (the righteous) will now marry him (The Lamb).
Copyright 2006 Working Man's Ministries
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