1 Cor. 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
Rev 19:11-21 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. (12) His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. (13) And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. (14) And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (15) And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (16) And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. (17) And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; (18) That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. (19) And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. (20) And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (21) And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
Oh dear reader, we have reached the point where we will read about Christ’s Second Coming!! \o/ Every believer is looking forward to this day. Yes, the Rapture is important to us as well but the Lord’s Second Coming will mean that His Millennial Kingdom is about to begin! Praise the Lord!! Let’s buckle in and get underway! :-)
This is the event when Jesus actually comes back to earth with His Saints (born again believers) where we have been with Him in Heaven up until that point. If you recall, the sounds that John heard were in Heaven (see Revelation 19:1-10). Today we will be looking at what John sees will be happening on earth, including the punishment of the Antichrist and the False Prophet.
Citizenship in America is only as long as we live in that country or death takes us. But citizenship in heaven is eternal. We are born with a physical body and an eternal one, our soul. Your soul will spend eternity somewhere. From the moment of salvation, we become a heavenly citizen. Our bodies die but our souls are eternal. Once Adam and Eve sinned, their bodies lost that wonderful gift but their souls remained eternal. This was their choice, not God’s. God gave them eternal bodies and a beautiful place, the Garden of Eden, in which to live. But Adam and Eve chose Satan rather than what they already had experienced with God, which was perfection!
The situation for you now is where will your soul spend eternity? Unless you are born-again and you are alive to experience the Rapture, your body will die but your soul will go to one of two places. What place are you a citizen of: Heaven or Hell?
As we read in Revelation 19:11, John sees the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the “Faithful and True” sitting on a white horse. His first coming was as a sufferer and he rode a colt or donkey; while during the Second Coming, He will come with power as a warrior and will ride a white horse! Do you recall Revelation 3:14 in the letter to the Laodicean church? He used the same title “Faithful and True” there. Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings will come in righteousness and power, ready to judge!
We see an odd description of Jesus in Revelation 19:12. He has eyes of fire, which signifies justice. We also see that He wears many crowns. The Greek word for crown is diadem, while the Antichrist’s was just a laurel wreath. Jesus is portrayed as Kingly with majesty and power. His written name, no man knows but Jesus Himself. I wonder what it will be, don’t you?
The next verse, Revelation 19:13, says His garment is dipped in blood and His name is The Word of God. Jesus’ blood was shed on the people below His cross during His first visit. But this time, the people’s blood will be on His garment! The Word of God is an important title for the Lord Jesus. The Greek word for “Word” is logos. It specifically means “Divine Expression.” Jesus is the Divine Expression of God Himself. John also used it in John 1:1. Here we see that God’s “Divine Expression” came prior to all creation and existed from the beginning! Glory!
Revelation 19:14 gives us a picture of who will actually be accompanying Jesus when He returns at the end of the Tribulation. Some believe that He returns with His angels. However, these are not angels. Look at Revelation 19:6-8. They are arrayed in white fine linen and are so arrayed here in verse 14. This is the Church and we’ll be riding white horses as well :-) I am not very good at riding a horse but I suppose I will be at that time! :-)
The next verse is quite interesting. Revelation 19:15 says that out of His mouth is a sharp sword. He will judge by the sword of His Word. (Hebrews 4:12) He will also judge the nations with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:27) that gathered against Him at Armageddon. This is a picture of the Messianic rule, Psalm 2:7-9. We also see a winepress of fierceness (treading the grapes); Isaiah 63:1-6 reveals to us that they will be crushed like grapes and it comes to fruition in Revelation 19:15. The Lord’s garments will be stained with their blood.
Jesus will reveal that He is the only King of Kings and Lord of Lords! It will be written on His thigh for all to see. Then John sees a second vision in verses 17-18. This is the second time we see “supper” in Revelation. However, this one is the supper of the Great God! John sees an angel as the brightness of the sun who cries with a loud voice; the birds will feast on the carcass of the fallen. Look at Revelation 19:18 for a moment. The word flesh is used five times in this verse alone! Judgment comes to all who are not saved, who are not born again. They will suffer the consequences for their sin.
John’s last vision in Revelation 19:19-21 is where we finally read about the punishment of the Antichrist (the Beast) and the False Prophet. They made war against Jesus and the saints and now will receive their just desserts. They are cast alive into the Lake of Fire – their role is over – their work for Satan is paid with punishment of burning and pain for eternity. However, the rest of the nations will be killed with the sword. The devil isn’t cast into the Lake of Fire until chapter 20. Did you know that the Lake of Fire is different from Hell? Hell is where unbelievers go to when they die. Once the Great White Throne Judgment comes in Chapter 20, they will then be cast into the Lake of Fire (which is their second death). Every soul has to live somewhere – they are not annihilated as some believe. It’s just a question of where the soul will be – perpetual suffering for all eternity – never ending burning, darkness and pain.
Philippians 2:10 says that every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Friend, you either bend your knee now and go to Heaven or on that day of His Second Coming, which will take you to Hell. It’s up to you; it’s your choice! So with that in mind, I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 19:6-10 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. (7) Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (10) And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Good morning to all! I’m currently listening to calming guitar music with a thunderstorm in its background. Being outside and in nature is one of my favorite places to be. I guess that’s one of the reasons why I love camping so much. Another reason is because my father introduced me to camping and it was where I felt the closest to my Dad. Now that he is gone, I love being a part of nature; it draws me away from the cares of this world and keeps me focused on my Heavenly Father, Abba!
So as we move on with our study in Revelation 19, I wanted to pause to give you a beautiful depiction of what we can expect of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. In many ways, the Word of God gives an account to teach us something. For example, the whole marriage topic can be seen a different light when you know the culture and history behind the topic. The Jewish wedding of the Old Testament, along with the New Testament wedding banquet, is divided into three parts:
Betrothal period: This involved a marriage contract. The father of the groom would pay a dowry to the father of the bride. Marriages were arranged in those days and the bride and groom could be as young as two years old! Mary, Jesus’ mother, was probably around 15 years old, according to some historians. So how does this fit into the bride of Christ? Our bride price, the dowry, was Jesus’ own shed blood. The marriage itself was not yet consummated but they were considered husband and wife. Then the groom would go to his father’s house and work on adding an addition for he and his bride. This was called the betrothal period and would last for one year. Did you know that three to four generations lived in the same “house”? Each had their own addition. Also, Levitical law had a provision that a man would not go into military duty during this time.
Groom returns for his bride: Matthew 25:1-13 gives us the Parable of the Ten Virgins. The bridesmaids were responsible to watch for the groom’s return. When they saw the groom approaching, they would take their lanterns and go meet the groom to illuminate the groom back to his bride. Of the ten, only five had oil. Jesus said there would be those who won’t be reading; they would not be watching (Mark 13:35). They asked the five who did have the oil to give some to them but were told no. You can’t get to Jesus on borrowed faith. It has to be your own. You can’t buy your way to Heaven. It is a personal choice for each individual.
Wedding Banquet – The guests would hoist the bride onto a banner and lift her up; taking her to the father’s house for the banquet. The banquet was a great seven-day celebration with the invited guests. The couple would then consummate their marriage.
So what is the parallel with Christ Jesus? Jesus came to pay the dowry for His bride. The bride’s price was purchased by Him with His shed blood. We entered into a covenant with Jesus at the moment of our salvation! The bridegroom then returned to his father’s house to prepare a place for His bride. We see this “marital language” in John 14:1-3. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us in His Father’s house. He’s gone for a time, which makes the time between His resurrection and His return at the Rapture the “betrothal period.” We have to be ready for the Groom’s return, people! We must be watching for Him. We must be busy doing the Father’s business and that is to lead as many to Christ as possible!
We see in Revelation 19:6-10 that the banquet is about to happen. Christ returns to celebrate this feast with the Saints, the Church for the Millennium! Praise the Lord!! Are you ready, Reader? Are you ready for the Marriage Supper? Are you one of the five virgins who has oil in her lamp? The oil is symbolic of the Holy Spirit and He only dwells in born-again believers. Or will you be one of the five virgins who didn’t have oil? Don’t be caught unawares!
So with that in mind, I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 19:1-10 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: (2) For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. (3) And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. (4) And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. (5) And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. (6) And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. (7) Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8) And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (9) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (10) And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
It’s a new day and I thank the Lord for His many blessings on this daughter’s life! I lack nothing and praise Him from whom all blessings flow! How about you, Reader? Is their joy in your heart because your sins have been forgiven? There is nothing like it! The Lord removes the guilt and weight of our sins and replaces it with joy!
Oh what great joy is about to be experienced as we cover this next chapter! After all the death and destruction from the judgments, it is time for rejoicing! There’s a whole of that happening here! We see in Revelation 19:1-5 that the time has come for this evil world to be judged and the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour is about to be established!
There is a drastic difference between Christ’s first coming and His Second Coming! Let’s take a look:
First Coming
Second Coming
Gentle, riding on a donkey (Matt 21:5)
Making war, riding on a white horse (Rev 19:11)
Weeping (Luk 19:41)
Eyes ablaze with fire (Rev 19:12)
Wearing a crown of thorns (Matt 27:29)
Wearing many crowns (Rev 19:12)
Jesus’ blood on His enemies (Matt 27:25)
His enemies’ blood on Jesus (Rev 19:13-15)
What a stark difference, amen? The suffering Messiah will return and will be a conquering King!
This chapter is all about sight and sound. We see in the first ten verses there will be sounds of worship and rejoicing. These sounds describe events happening in Heaven. We’ll cover what the Apostle John sees in the second half of this chapter on the next post. The sights involve events that will happen on earth. Events will move from Heaven to earth and they will culminate into the Second Coming of King Jesus and the destruction of the Antichrist and False Prophet! \o/
But for now, let’s read about what he heard. It begins in Revelation 19:1 where John hears rejoicing in Heaven over the destruction of the great whore. In Revelation 19:6, we hear the rejoicing over the Marriage Supper of the Lamb!
After the religious and economic/political destruction of Babylon in Chapters 17 and 18, John hears Alleluia! This word only appears four times in the entire Bible and found only in this chapter! What does that say to you? The time of God’s judgment has come to all inhabitants of earth and also to the Antichrist and the False Prophet! The time of judgment for Jeremiah’s question has come:
Jer 12:1-2 Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? (2) Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins.
The wicked will no longer prosper. Their time has come! Heaven is rejoicing and say Alleluia! The word is actually Hallelujah which in Greek is divided into two parts: Hallel meaning to worship and Jah which stands for God! Praise the Lord!!!
We will now see that the Lord Jesus Christ will avenge and vindicate! Justice has been a long time coming. We see in Psalm 73 how David wrestled with the sinfulness of men and how they did not get judged but yet he was punished. The wicked prospered but now God is coming with His judgment. Remember the souls of those under the altar in Revelation 6:9-10? Their blood is now avenged. Again, John hears rejoicing and voices saying Alleluia because Babylon has been destroyed and her smoke and ashes are rising. They can all say that justice is being served, finally!
Let’s take a look at Revelation 19:4: The 24 elders and the four beasts fall down and worship God saying, Amen; Alleluia. The Raptured saints and the four beasts fall down and say that God’s Word is trustworthy and firm. This is it – it’s the end of the devil’s reign of terror during the Tribulation and they worship and glorify the Lord God!
amēn am-ane’ Of Hebrew origin [H543]; properly firm, that is, (figuratively) trustworthy; adverbially surely (often as interjection so be it): – amen, verily.
Strong’s Concordance
Next John tells us about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This is what every born-again believer is looking forward to since Christ’s return to Heaven; as well as today, and after the Rapture! Glory! John hears a great multitude! To him it sounds like the “voice of many waters” and the voice of mighty thunderings, saying Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. I can almost hear Handel’s Messiah being sung, can’t you? I find it interesting that John compares it to the voice of many waters and mighty thunderings. I’ve entered a huge auditorium totally filled with people talking to one another. It almost sounded to me like the ocean’s roar. I can understand why John chose this wording! Countless born-again believers will be participating here. How do I know this? Revelation 19:8 says that she was arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. (also see 2 Cor 11:2) The New Testament church is pictured as a bride and Jesus as our Groom. Our Groom is also known as the Lamb. This is the Lord Jesus’ favorite term for Himself. He wants to be known as the redemptive Lamb of God. It is His redemptive power that gives us the wonderful opportunity to be saved from our sins!
In the last verse, Revelation 19:10, that we will be covering today, we see John being overwhelmed by the glory he is seeing! It is as though it is too much for him to take in. So much so, he bows down to worship the angel! The angel tells him not to do this because he is John’s fellowservant. The angel tells John to worship God. Even in his joy and exstacy, John’s “flesh” is evident here.
Friend, I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Your eternal future is at stake if you are not 100% certain that you are going to Heaven. Once you are born-again, your eternal soul is bound for Heaven and is no longer destined for Hell. Please, I beg you, settle this matter once and for all … right now. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself, the Perfect Lamb of God whose shed blood is for all sin. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 18:9-24 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, (10) Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. (11) And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: (12) The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, (13) And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. (14) And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. (15) The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, (16) And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! (17) For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, (18) And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! (19) And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. (20) Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. (21) And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. (22) And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; (23) And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. (24) And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
What a beautiful morning it is! There’s something about the sunrise and its promise of a new day! I love the smells of the outdoors; I love the chirping of birds; and I love the sun as it makes its appearance! As a born-again child of God, I know that should I not open my eyes here on earth, I most certain will open them in Heaven, forever to be with my Lord and Saviour! Oh how I long for the day where I may not taste death but will be wondrously raptured! Despite all the joy in heart, I also feel overwhelmed with grief knowing that there are some in my circle of friends and family who will not experience the Rapture. I’m not even sure if they will experience salvation during the Tribulation. This breaks my heart and it should break yours if you’re in the same boat that I am.
This post will be a tad long. To show you what will be in the heart of man during the Tribulation has to be prefaced by what is in their hearts today. Mankind has wandered so far away from God that his own pride blinds him from anything spiritual. We see it today in people’s attitudes! The Bible says in 2Timothy 3:1-7 that in the last days, people would display the following traits:
Lovers of their own selves – Social media has created a generation of self obsessed people! One only has to go on social media for a few minutes to see that this is a true statement. Because the internet didn’t exist before the early 1980’s, we didn’t hear about this type of behavior. But now, we see people with their noses in their phones.
covetous – As soon as the newest iPhone comes out or a new pair of sneakers, people line up and wait in line because they “just have to have it”! Even if they can’t afford it, they’ll charge it so they can have it right now!
boasters – Boasters want you to know everything about them and what they have accomplished. Their self pride comes through.
proud – As I wrote above, pride is prevalent in the end times. No more do we see humbleness. Man has to take credit for everything and no longer give glory to God. (1John 2:16 and Ps 10:4)
blasphemers – We are a world of blasphemers. Not only is God’s name blasphemed, but anything that is holy is blasphemed. The life of an unborn child, the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, Christ Jesus’ shed blood on the cross.
disobedient to parents – This one breaks my heart! Today’s children are so disrespectful and disobedient. It is not their fault, of course. It is the parents’ responsibility to teach them to be obedient and respectful. Adult children who criticize their parents will have children who will criticize them. I would never have thought to correct my parents or grandparents. I was taught to keep my opinions to myself and respect my elders. The Bible says to honour your parents (Eph 6:2-3). The Greek word for “honour” here is timao, which means to prize, that is, fix a valuation upon; by implication to revere: – honour, value. It doesn’t matter if you don’t agree with them or they do something wrong. They are to be honored and revered by the child. Why? the verses say so things will go well for the child and they can have long life! Let the Lord deal with your parents if you disagree. Just be obedient to the Lord. We are not each other’s personal “little holy spirits.” It is this disrespectful type of attitude that makes people think they have the “right” to do so.
unthankful – People make their demands known to God and expect to have their prayers answered. But do they thank Him for what He has blessed them with? It’s worse with the unsaved today! You have a party and receive gifts; but do you send out a thank you note or email? Do you take time to actually thank someone for the time they have spent helping you with a task? Do you keep in mind the kindness of those people when emotions run high? People are so ungrateful today and it will be worse in the next few years.
unholy – Oh my word, don’t even get me started. Think about this word for a moment; it is the total opposite of what is holy. Righteous living in one’s home, righteous speech, righteous actions in one’s own life is the opposite of unholy. Wicked people live wickedly in their homes, they speak wicked words and their actions are wicked. We see this even more so today. Cursing abounds today – troubled teens harm the weak – people mistreat others – commercials on television reveal the depravity in men’s hearts… I could go on and on.
Without natural affection – What do you think is meant by natural affection? Natural affection is what a husband and wife have for each other; also what a parent has for their child. Today, people don’t get married but live together instead. As well, women feel they have a right to abort their own baby!
trucebreakers – When a couple gets married, they sign a marriage contract. The divorce rate in the United States is said to be about 45%! That number has gone down over the years because people live together rather than get married. People sign contracts when they purchase a house yet they default on that contract and go bankrupt. And this is only a couple of examples!
false accusers – How many times have we seen lately of people wrongfully accusing law enforcement officers of crimes they did not do? Most were unsubstantiated but the media did not cover the fact they were exonerated. Even if they are exonerated, the damage has been done and all people remember is the bad publicity. The media dove right into the water with both feet and made a spectacle of them. It is not just with law enforcement, women who falsely accuse a man for raping them. There are countless stories of men serving prison time only to get out years later because it was proven they were not guilty. Well, friend, it will get much worse as we draw closer to the Tribulation.
incontinent – It used to be this word was only used for people who could not hold their bladder so it was said they were incontinent. However, the term originally meant “powerless, without self control.” Wow, are we ever experiencing that today! People do not have any self control in many aspects of their lives. They over eat, they are alcoholics, drug users, uncontrollable tempers, just to name a few!
fierce – This word is defined as “savage.” It was said in early America that the Natives were fierce and, therefore, were called “savages.” Today we see people acting like savages – angry and hot headed. They are not brave at all. In fact, they prey on the weak in order for them to feel “strong” about themselves. Remember a few years ago when New York City was experiencing teenage boys going around knocking out people? They would swarm upon an elderly lady and punch her in the face and knock her out; or any other person who was alone.
despisers of those that are good – Christians are ridiculed by Hollywood and the media today. It’s awful when a Christian is depicted in a movie or show, they are crazy, weak and silly. They are made fun of and ridiculed. We see the hatred for anything “holy” in today’s world – the secular church welcomes homosexuals without repentance – the world welcomes drag queens to read to their children! And when a person takes a stand for God’s Word in these matters, they are attacked!
traitors – There have been traitors since the Old Testament, but none like we see today. We’ve seen it with our recent Covid battle. Vaccinated people would turn against those who were not vaccinated. We saw this even within families! Scripture says that unsaved children will turn in their saved parents to authorities during the Tribulation. Today’s events are moving toward this for sure!
heady – Have you ever made a rash decision and regretted it later on? That’s the definition of “heady.” People jump in headlong into situations that they did not pray over, or seek advice from someone they trust and respect. They act now and think later; then they wished they had never bought that house or car; married that person, etc.
highminded – This is much like the sin of pride but even more so. Someone who is highminded has an inflated sense of self conceit. Nothing they do is wrong – they are always right. Life is all about them and not about others.
lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God – Well this is pretty self explanatory. People would rather stay home than go to church. People would rather indulge in things that bring them pleasure than to deprive themselves in order to help those in need.
Having a form of godliness – I was raised in a religion where the hierarchy appears religious but they don’t read God’s Word nor do they practice it. This is a good example but it’s not just for religious leaders. It’s for all those who pretend they are Christians on Sunday morning and then they live in sin the rest of the time. Hypocrites in sheep’s clothing, practicing what appears good.
Is it any wonder that sin abounds during the Tribulation? Christians with Holy Spirit power have been removed during the Rapture and what is left behind is an unbelieving world where the devil’s influence is finally unleashed. Granted some will be saved because of God’s plenteous mercy but most will continue in their sin and their evil hearts will get all the more evil. If believers today stand disgusted what is good and the depravity of our beloved Country, can you imagine during those horrible seven years?
Today’s verses reveal the results of Babylon the Great’s fall. This city and its system comes to its downfall and it proves devastating to the entire world. Events occur all over the world today but they don’t affect the entire world. Revelation 18:9 says that Babylon’s fall will cause kings (and their kingdoms) to “bewail her, and lament for her.” Have you ever wailed in grief over the death of someone you love, Reader? This is what is going to happen here. These kings committed fornication with Babylon and lived deliciously with her. A kingdom usually goes the way of its leader. If the king is depraved, the people more than likely will be also. These were intimately involved with the sins of Babylon but now we see them coming to a realization that this is now over. It reminded me of Lot’s wife. Despite all the sinfulness of Sodom and Gomorrah, as they were escaping before its destruction, she turned back to look. The salt she should have had while living there (to cause others to want and receive her God) must not have caused others to thirst, so ironically God turns her into a pillar of salt. Why salt? I believe with all my heart it is so that people would learn from her sinful mistakes and thirst after the Lord and His Word!
Take a look at Revelation 18:11; it’s not only will the kings mourn Babylon’s fall but the merchants will also be mourning. Not because they have lost a loved one but because they are no longer able to sell their merchandise of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, etc.! Just read Revelation 18:12-14 and see just what they were selling! Their merchandise consists of every facet of life. Babylon comes to a dramatic end and everyone on earth is affected by it. Revelation 18:15-23 show the end results and we see that Babylon is not partially destroyed but entirely destroyed!
All has come to nothing (Revelation 18:15). All those “things” they had are now all destroyed. In just one hour, Babylon is made desolate! (Rev 18:19) They are not lamenting over God but, like Lot’s wife, over all their material things! God knocks down every idol in their lives and He destroys both their religious and economical systems!
I find it interesting that in the very next verse (Revelation 18:20), there is rejoicing going on in Heaven! It is such a polar opposite of what is going on here on earth. We see God’s avenging power on earth and all of Heaven is rejoicing. What they have been waiting for is now happening. The souls that were killed during the Tribulation are finally avenged:
Rev 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: (10) And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (11) And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Wow! The time has finally come for these Tribulation martyrs! No wonder there’s rejoicing!
As we see in Revelation 18:23, “by thy sorceries were all the nations deceived.” The Greek word for sorceries is “pharmakeia,” which means drugs and witchcraft.
pharmakeia far-mak-i’-ah From G5332; medication (“pharmacy”), that is, (by extension) magic (literal or figurative): – sorcery, witchcraft.
Strong’s Concordance
Have you ever witnessed someone suffering from the effects of drugs? They literally appear as though they are possessed by demons! Drugs make an “entryway” for demons to enter and control a body. Drugs are also used in various forms of sorcery and witchcraft. All the nations were deceived by these “sorceries.” The chapter ends by telling us that because of Babylon, the blood of the prophets, saints and all that were killed upon the earth during this time, were found in her. This wicked, wicked system and city is finally destroyed! This means that the Second of Coming of Christ is just around the corner! We will be covering this in the next chapter so be prepared! It is what every believer alive during the Tribulation is waiting for with anticipation!
You may be doubting that this is what lies ahead for those who are not born again. God’s Word WILL be fulfilled – every prophecy depicting what will happen during the Tribulation will come to be. No one can escape it. Isaiah said it best:
Isa 14:27 For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?
No one, no one, can stop what God ordained to happen during the Tribulation. You can doubt God’s Word all you want, but you won’t be able to stop His Word from moving forward.
Mat 24:34-35 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. (35) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by Jesus’ sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. One can only be redeemed by Christ’s blood when one repents (turns away) of his sin and accepts the saving grace of Jesus! It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 7:1-8 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. (2) And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, (3) Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (4) And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. (5) Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. (6) Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. (7) Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. (8) Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
It’s a new day and people are scurrying around getting their tasks accomplished. Some are going to work; some are retired (like me) and enjoying a slower-paced life. But what will it be like for those who are alive during the Tribulation?
We have seen through this series thus far, God’s reasons for allowing the Tribulation to occur:
to wake up unbelievers
to shake up the nation of Israel, and
to make up the Kingdom of God
Each judgment is progressively worse. Just as a crescendo indicates an increase in loudness, during a piece of music to capture the listeners’ attention, so will each of the judgments. Here’s a short review of what we’ve covered follows:
The Antichrist rises to prominence (Revelation 6:1-2)
Chapter 7 and 8 seem to remove the focus from earth’s judgments and appear parenthetical, a pause if you will. But this pause packs quite the punch! Judgments on earth have ceased in order to introduce a special people; they will receive the seal of God on their foreheads. It doesn’t say what the seal will look like. But we do know that it will set them apart from everyone else on earth. We will see later that the Antichrist’s mark will be on the right hand or forehead (Revelation 13:16). The devil’s attempt to be “god” is revealed as he tries to duplicate his own counterfeit mark. Who are these people? This chapter introduces them as the 144,000 who will be anointed in a unique and powerful way in order to preach the Gospel.
At the beginning of this chapter, we read that John has two visions. He sees four angels holding four winds; wind is often an indication of judgment, as we see here. However, we don’t see any mention of judgments in this or the next chapter. John then hears the number of those who will be sealed. Notice these are 12,000 men from each tribe of Israel, except the tribe of Dan. These are not Jehovah’s Witnesses, as believed in their doctrine. (They cannot be Jehovah’s Witnesses as they are not form the twelve tribes of Israel.) Since the tribe of Dan is not included, it makes me wonder if this is a fulfillment of Jacob’s prophecy over each tribe (Genesis 49:17): Dan shall be a serpent? Very interesting 😀
These 144,000 will be redeemed from the earth (as told to us in Revelation 14:3), and nothing will be able to overcome them until their evangelizing mission is complete. Because they are men from the tribes of Israel, they will be evangelizing to Jews. Naturally, Gentiles will hear the Gospel and will get saved as well but the main target will be Israel. The whole purpose of the Tribulation is to call the Jews back to God. This parenthetical chapter once again reveals God’s mercy in the midst of judgment! What a loving God we serve! People look at the negativity of the judgments rather than the Lord’s beautiful mercy! We will see later what will happen to those people who accept Christ as the Messiah. It will not bode well for them at all.
Where will you be during this period, reader? Will you be safe in Heaven with our Groom or will you be on earth, serving Satan and his beast? Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 6:12-17 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; (13) And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. (14) And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (15) And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; (16) And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: (17) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Good morning, Reader! Has the sun risen in your part of the world yet? Mine has and with it comes the promise of Christ’s return for us at Rapture! I often wonder if Tribulation believers will be able to experience some of these beautiful days or will they be constantly watching their backs. Will they be able to sit and enjoy each other’s fellowship over a meal as we experience today? Will they be able to worship together and share the Scriptures with one another in order to encourage each other? Or will they be in hiding, constantly afraid, at this point of this series? You and I have no idea what it would be like without these blessings. But the Tribulation believers will have challenges you and I can’t even imagine!
Today’s devotional covers the sixth seal. This seal unleashes universal natural catastrophes and disasters that will cause havoc to the entire earth. There will be occurrences which the like has never been seen. A good example is a volcanic eruption. In 1883, the volcano in the Krakatoa Islands erupted and was heard 3,000 miles away!! Tidal waves went as far as 1,500 miles away and it changed the tides 7,000 miles away! Just this eruption alone changed the weather for two years; and this is only one volcano! 😮
According to history.com:
But in 536 A.D., much of the world went dark for a full 18 months, as a mysterious fog rolled over Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia. The fog blocked the sun during the day, causing temperatures to drop, crops to fail and people to die. It was, you might say, the literal Dark Age.
Now, researchers have discovered one of the main sources of that fog. The team reported in Antiquity that a volcanic eruption in Iceland in early 536 helped spread ash across the Northern Hemisphere, creating the fog. Like the 1815 Mount Tambora eruption—the deadliest volcanic eruption on record—this eruption was big enough to alter global climate patterns, causing years of famine.
What exactly did the first 18 months of darkness look like? The Byzantine historian Procopius wrote that “the sun gave forth its light without brightness, like the moon, during this whole year.” He also wrote that it seemed like the sun was constantly in eclipse; and that during this time, “men were free neither from war nor pestilence nor any other thing leading to death.”
Accounts like these weren’t taken very seriously until the 1990s, says Michael McCormick, a history professor at Harvard University and co-author of the Antiquity paper. That decade, researchers examined tree rings in Ireland and found that something weird did happen around 536. Summers in Europe and Asia became 35°F to 37°F colder, with China even reporting summer snow. This Late Antique Little Ice Age, as it’s known, came about when volcanic ash blocked out the sun.
Imagine this event during the Tribulation, but on a much greater scale! The above will be miniscule compared to these end times. Why would a loving God allow this to happen if He supposedly loves the world? It is because of the world’s love of sin and unwillingness to repent! Each year, their sinful hearts get harder and harder; it takes more judgments in order to turn their hearts. God could easily just destroy the entire earth and be done with it. But because He loves each soul so very much, He gives them repeated opportunities to be saved. This is true love!
Moving on, we see at this point during the Tribulation, as if this isn’t enough, stars will be falling from the sky! These could possibly be meteorites or comets. Earthquakes will be so strong that the Bible says all the mountains and islands will shift positions! Just think of Hawaii changing locations and no longer located at 18°55′ N to 28°27′ N Longitude – 154°48′ W to 178°22′ W Latitude! Think about it! This will horrify people so badly that they will seek shelter in rocks and mountains and will want the mountains to fall on them so they can escape this judgment through death! Wow!
If these are only the first six judgments – can you imagine what’s to come? Each one gets worse and worse because it’s taking stronger punishments to wake up the sinful world! Hearts have hardened so much, they no longer are tender to the Scriptures.
Friend, don’t delay if you are not born again! Do not trade eternal life in Heaven for a few years of pleasure on earth. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 18:1-8 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. (2) And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. (3) For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. (4) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (5) For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. (6) Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. (7) How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. (8) Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
Good morning! I don’t ever look forward to someone being punished, but I must admit that although I won’t be here for it, I’m looking forward to Babylon being destroyed! As I said in the last post, all but one reference to Babylon in the Scriptures are literal so it stands to reason that the Babylon of Revelation is literal as well! We saw spiritual Babylon (one-world religion) in the last chapter and we are now seeing the commercial Babylon (one-world government).
When something is repeated in Scripture, it is meant to stand out. We see in verse two that Babylon is fallen, is fallen! God is being emphatic in stating that Babylon will be destroyed. There’s no if’s and’s or but’s; Babylon will be destroyed. Furthermore, it is said that it is “the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.” Not only is it destroyed, but look at what it’s made of!
We also see that all the nations become intoxicated with materialism and greed. Babylon has practiced corruption with the nations and all their merchants and they are consumed with its sinful ways. Notice the fact that the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her. Their dedication to Babylon is sinfully greedy. They do not meet the needs of the poor or those less fortunate. I realize that there’s a bit of greed and materialism in all of us but during the Tribulation, it will be far worse. We must remember that our identity is with the Lord, not with our “stuff,” amen? If people today are willing to pay $1,000 for a cellphone or $800 for a pair of sneakers, what do you think it will be like during the Tribulation? Today, people are murdered for these things!
Yet again, God calls out to the remnant to “Come out of her, my people”! There is always a remnant that follow the Lord and it will be no different during even the worse times of the Tribulation. The Lord remembers Babylon’s sins and those who partake in it. Those people will receive her plagues! We see in verse eight that the plagues will come in one day: death, mourning and famine! In one day! I love how the verse ends: “for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.” Amen and amen! No matter how bad it gets, one must remember that the Lord God is strong and they will be judged!
We will end today’s post here. Don’t be the person who continues to doubt God’s Word. Absolutely everything ever predicted has come true or is about to come true. There will be no stone left unturned and every word of the Bible will be fulfilled: Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
There will be no second chances after you die. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. Therefore, once you breathe your last breath, you walk from that spot into the Judgment Seat of Christ. It is there that He will check to see if your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev 21:27). If you are not born again, your name won’t be found there and you will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15). So be honest with yourself, Reader. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 6:9-11 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: (10) And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? (11) And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Good morning! If you’re anything like me, you try to start your day with time in the Word. The early morning is usually pretty quiet and it allows me to concentrate without distractions. I love the sounds of nature and watching the sunrise. It’s so peaceful and encouraging to me. But there is coming a time when one won’t be able to say this as we are seeing during this devotional series. Those who are born again during the Tribulation will be dealing with things that have never happened before! I can’t even imagine! I’m thankful for my salvation and the fact that I will be included in the Rapture when Jesus calls His Bride Home!!!
Today we are covering the fifth seal. This is an extremely sad seal to me because it depicts those who are born again during the Tribulation. What’s wrong with that, you may wonder? Unfortunately, these dear brothers and sisters in Christ will be martyred for their faith! It is at this point that the Antichrist will impose on all people to receive his mark (Revelation 13:16) and will force them to worship him as God. All those who refuse the mark of the beast and refuse to worship him will be killed. This alone should draw the unsaved to the Lord now so they don’t have to experience this horrifying time! This very topic is exactly why I was saved! This is not something that was taught to me in the Catholic church. I was so scared to be martyred and I was definitely open to hearing about the Rapture! We see that these martyred souls remain under the altar until the end of the Tribulation when the remainder of those who will die for their faith will join them. These souls under the altar are wanting justice but that justice will have to wait until Jesus Christ returns to earth at His Second Coming.
My heart actually hurts when I read about these souls under the altar. These are my brothers and sisters in Christ after all! I’ve never suffered persecution because of my faith. I’ve been privileged to live in a country where we are free to practice our faith; at least, for the time being. Currently, Christianity is the main religion suffering persecution and martyrdom in other countries. I will be in Heaven and seeing these beautiful souls under the altar with my own eyes! I can see myself crying because they cannot experience justice just yet nor can they take part in being the Bride of Christ. 😥 But the Lord’s mercy is great and He will reward them soon!
Where will you be during this period, reader? Will you be safe in Heaven with our Groom or will you be on earth, serving Satan and his beast? Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 17:1-18 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: (2) With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. (3) So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. (4) And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: (5) And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. (6) And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. (7) And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. (8) The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (9) And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. (10) And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. (11) And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. (12) And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. (13) These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. (14) These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (15) And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. (16) And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. (17) For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. (18) And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.
Good morning, dear Reader! I’m hoping that you are receiving a blessing from this series! I love that I have this medium in which to share with you what I have gleaned in this series. One can read after those who speculate what will happen during the Tribulation; there are so many out there. But I exhort you Christians to remember to line it up with the Scriptures, amen? If you don’t study it out for yourself, you will fall for any wind of doctrine. We take what is literal and compare it with Bible prophecy and what Revelation says. What appears to be symbolic, we do the same. Just as Ezekiel and Revelation line up with each other, so must the rest. Remember, this is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and not the Apostle John’s. Christ is the Word of God and we can trust His Word to be truth! But don’t take my word on it, study it out for yourself! (2Timothy 2:15) (Ephesians 4:14)
Today, we are going to be in Chapter 17, which will introduce a woman on a beast. With each post I write, I attempt to place a graphic at the top of the post that depicts the post’s topic. However, I could not find one graphic where this woman wasn’t scantily dressed. How very sad is that! This particular woman is called a prostitute (a whore), but we see in verse 1, she is referred to as “the great whore.” If you recall, Christians are referred to as the Bride of Christ (Rev 21:9). It stands to reason that the antithesis of a pure chaste bride would be a great whore and that great whore would be used by Satan.
On her forehead (the mind being the seat of knowledge) is written Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth! We thought Jezebel was bad, this woman is far worse. This woman represents spiritual Babylon and comes into the picture riding on the back of the beast. This chapter also teaches us about the rise of the Antichrist and, therefore, must occur at the beginning of the Tribulation. Remember, Revelation is not in chronological order. This will be the “trinity” from the pits of Hell: the Antichrist, the Beast and the False Prophet!
For now, we will cover who that woman is and what she’s all about. This woman represents the False Prophet who will be the “spiritual leader” of the Tribulation. The False Prophet will be hostile toward God’s people, both Jews and Gentiles alike. Even in Jesus’ teachings, He warned us of:
Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
This False Prophet will be like a wolf, though he will be dressed in sheep’s clothing. This is a good analogy of Christ, the Good Shepherd and the antithesis of Satan, the wolf dressed as a good shepherd. From today’s Scriptures, we see in the first five verses just what that great whore is all about:
Revelation 17:1: She “sitteth upon many waters” – She will influence the entire world.
Revelation 17:2: “With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication” – Being a religious entity, this false religion will commit fornication; not in the literal sense but in the spiritual sense: adultery against God. Jesus wants His church, His bride, to be chaste and pure, made righteous by the Blood of Christ! Of course, Satan wants to destroy Jesus Christ so his attempts through the False Prophet will be to have a religion which mocks Jesus and leads to destruction, not salvation.
Revelation 17:3: “a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast” – She rode to prominence on the back (with) of the Antichrist. This beast is scarlet with the blood of martyrs. She also is full of names of blasphemy. These blasphemies will be against the Most High God and will be anything opposite of His Word!
Revelation 17:4: She is “arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls” – She is associated with wealth and royalty. Some believe that this represents the Roman Catholic Church. Although the Roman Catholic Church is the wealthiest state in the world, I believe we can’t pinpoint this false religion solely to the Roman Catholic Church. There’s no way on God’s green earth that Islam would approve of a Roman Catholic Church leader over them or any religion lifting up Jesus Christ as the Son of God. I personally think it’s much bigger than the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church may be at the root of the one world church’s beginning which will join religions together as the ecumenical movement’s goal is to do just that. It is this effort which will culminate into the one world religion and the False Prophet will rise will be at the head of it all.
Revelation 17:5: Her title “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.” – As you know, Jezebel is introduced in 1Kings 16:31. She was the Queen to Jewish King Ahab. She is the total opposite of good. She did not worship God but worshipped Baal and ultimately drew her husband to Baal, as well as the citizens. She was raised in this; her father was a priest of Baal. Remember, Babel? This is where Baal worshipping began. Jezebel harassed and killed the prophets of her day and falsely charged and executed Naboth. It is written in God’s Word that she was destroyed in a horrific way. It’s no wonder that she would be mentioned in this manner in Revelation. However, her “spirit” is alive and well, especially in 2022! Today, there are pagans in the world who follow after her. They call her Queen Jezebel and believe her to be a hero of their faith; they claim she clung fiercely to her beliefs and is an empowering role model to modern women and pagans alike. If pagans believe this now, they will be all the more like Jezebel during the Tribulation. Satan will use this “spirit of Jezebel” in the great whore, the ultimate representative of Jezebel.
Revelation 17:6: She was “drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus:” – She achieves this through promoting violence against believers. Just as Jezebel had God’s prophets killed, the great whore will be in an all out war against prophets, witnesses and Christians, including the 122,000 and the Two Witnesses.
Revelation 17:9: She sits on seven mountains which are the seven heads. These heads are seven kings of kingdoms associated with a political system. Many believe that this is Rome because it is located on seven hills. However, all along, Babylon has been referred to as an actual city and not figuratively. Therefore, I believe it will not be Rome. The verse states the seven mountains are kings (kings have kingdoms). Remember, she comes in sitting on the Beast. So the Beast is the one in charge of these seven kingdoms. This is where you have to interpret Scripture with Scripture and not just assume that someone’s interpretation is correct. We cannot build a belief around a verse that says she’s clothed in purple and is located on seven hills; even though it seems to “fit” the Rome theory. One must read the whole chapter in context. I tend to think it is actual Babylon. Just as God saw to it that Israel be revived in 1948, I’m sure he can see to it that Babylon (the antithesis of Jerusalem) is revived as well.
Revelation 17:16-17: The ten horns will hate the whore and bring her to ruin. On a side note, remember what Paul wrote in 2Thessalonians 2:3-4. The Beast will put himself in the Temple in Jerusalem and will demand to be worshipped! Does this mean the one world religion is set aside and he will be the all-in-all of religion? It appears so, but I really don’t know for certain. But one thing I do know is that the Antichrist and the False Prophet will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).
We’re going to stop here for now. The next post will cover who the powers will be during the Tribulation. So with that in mind, I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
Rev 6:7-8 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. (8) And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
It’s a rainy day in Northern Virginia! The warmer temperatures have finally arrived and it feels so good! But I sit here meditating on what the Tribulation’s judgments will bring and how the sun will lose some of its power. I can’t even fathom this in my mind but I trust God’s Word and know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this will happen. Interestingly, I have not read any account of torrential rains (other than hail stones) in Revelation. My prayer is that God uses this blog to draw souls to Him before it’s too late.
As we’ve read above, this fourth seal reveals a pale horse will arrive. This is not a pasty white horse, as we think when someone has a pale complexion. The Greek word is:
χλωρός chlōros khlo-ros’ From the same as G5514; greenish, that is, verdant, dun-colored: – green, pale.
This is where we get the English word chloroform. When one thinks of the color green, we think of God’s green earth and how it grows and blooms. A green plant or tree is a healthy one, growing and producing leaves and flowers. A brown or withered plant shows it is no longer healthy but dying. This horse is pale and is not vibrant in color. I think of the Laodicean church being lukewarm and not vibrant for the Lord.
We read that this horse’s rider has the name of Death. Many will die on earth at this point. The Word also says that Hell follows this horse, which indicates these people who will die are unbelievers because it says Hell follows him – believers go to Heaven, not Hell. Revelation 6:8 reveals that a fourth of the earth will die and go to Hell . This seal also tells us that this horse will be given the power to kill by the sword (wars), and with hunger (famines), and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. As if wars, hunger and death aren’t enough, the Scriptures say people will be killed by beasts of the earth. I have no clue what this means but could it be that the animals are also starving and they turn to human flesh to feed? A lot of death is happening during this seal as we can certainly see!
According to Wikipedia, the population of this earth as of November 2021 was 7.9 billion. I have no way of knowing how many people will be raptured prior to the Tribulation. So let’s just use this particular number of 7.9 billion for calculation purposes. If the population holds at this number when the Tribulation begins, that means there will be a loss of 1,975,000,000 people who will die during this seal alone! That’s nearly two billion people!!! That’s a lot of people dying from wars, famine and beasts! To give you some perspective at the enormity of this number, an estimated total of 40-50 million people died during World War II – that number includes all nations involved. This WWII total is peanuts compared to the nearly 2 billion deaths during this seal alone. At no time in history has this many people died during a specific timeframe. It will make all the Black Plague seem miniscule. This plague killed as many as 50 million people in Europe. This seal will kill 1.975 BILLION people.
What will people be thinking at this point? Will they start to see their need for repentance? Will hearts be turned to the Lord? If hearts are turned, what will happen to those who are born again? We’ll see that in our next post where we will cover the next seal.
Friend, it is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!
