Chapter 9: SEVENTY WEEKS

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11/07/2018

“VERSE 1. In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; 2. In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.”

The vision recorded in the preceding chapter was given in the third year of Belshazzar, B.C.538. In the same year, which was also the first of Darius, the events narrated in this chapter occurred. Consequently less than one year is passed over between these two chapters. Although Daniel, as prime minister of the foremost kingdom on the
face of the earth, was cumbered with cares and burdens, he did not let this deprive him of the privilege of studying into things of higher moment, even the purposes of God as revealed to his prophets. He understood by books, that is, the writings of Jeremiah, that God would accomplish seventy years in the captivity of his people. This prediction is found in Jer.25:12;29:10. The knowledge of it, and the use that was made of it, shows that Jeremiah was early regarded as a divinely inspired prophet; otherwise his writings would not have been so soon collected, and so extensively copied. Though Daniel was for a time contemporary with him, he had a copy of his works which he carried with him in his captivity; and though he was so great a prophet himself, he was not above studying carefully what God might reveal to others of his servants. Commencing the seventy years B.C.606, Daniel understood that they were now drawing to their termination: and God had even commenced the fulfilment by overthrowing the kingdom of Babylon.

“VERSE 3. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.”

Because God has promised, we are not released from the responsibility of beseeching him for the fulfilment of his word. Daniel might have reasoned in this manner: God has promised to release his people at the end of the seventy years, and he will accomplish this promise; I need not therefore concern myself at all in the matter. Daniel did not thus reason; but as the time drew near for the accomplishment of the word of the Lord, he set himself to seek the Lord with all his heart. And how earnestly he engaged in the work, even with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes! This was the year, probably, in which he was cast into the lions’ den; and the prayer of which we here have an account may have been the burden of that petition, which, regardless of the unrighteous human law which had been secured to the contrary, he offered before the Lord three times a day.

“VERSE 4. And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments.”

We here have the opening of Daniel’s wonderful prayer, – a prayer expressing such humiliation and contrition of heart that one must be without feeling who can read it unmoved. He commences by acknowledging the faithfulness of God. God never fails in any of his engagements with his followers. It was not from any lack on God’s part in defending and upholding them, that the Jews were then in the furnace of captivity, but only on account of their sins.

“VERSE 5. We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: 6. Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. 8. O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers because we have sinned against thee. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; 10. Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11. Yes, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. 12. And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. 13. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. 14. Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice.”

To this point Daniel’s prayer is employed in making a full and heart-broken confession of sin. He vindicates fully the course of the Lord, acknowledging their sins to be the cause of all their calamities, as God had threatened them by the prophet Moses. And he does not discriminate in favor of himself. No self-righteousness appears in his petition. And although he had suffered long for others’ sins, enduring seventy years of captivity for the wrongs of his people, himself meanwhile living a godly life, and receiving signal honors and blessings from the Lord, he brings no accusations against any one to the exclusion of others, pleads no sympathy for himself as a victim of others’ wrongs, but ranks himself in with the rest, and says, We have sinned, and unto us belongs confusion of face. And he acknowledges that they had not heeded the lessons God designed to teach them by their afflictions, by turning again unto him. An expression in the 14th verse is worthy of especial notice: “Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us.” Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the hearts of the sons of men are fully set in them to do evil. But none may think that the Lord does not see, or that he has forgotten. His retributions will surely overtake the transgressor, against whom they are threatened, without deviation and without fail. He will watch upon the evil, and in his own good time will bring it to pass.

“VERSE 15. And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 16. O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us. 17. Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. 18. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. 19. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive: O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.”

The prophet now pleads the honor of the Lord’s name as a reason why he desires that his petition should be granted. He refers to the fact of their deliverance from Egypt, and the great renown that had accrued to the Lord’s name for all his wonderful works manifested among them. All this would be lost, should he now abandon them to perish. Moses used the same argument in pleading for Israel. Numbers 14. Not that God is moved with motives of ambition and vainglory; but when his people are jealous for the honor of his name, when they evince their love for him by pleading with him to work, not for their own personal benefit, but for his own glory, that his name may not be reproached and blasphemed among the heathen, this is acceptable with him. Daniel then intercedes for the city of Jerusalem, called by God’s name, and his holy mountain, for which he has had such love, and beseeches him, for his mercies’ sake, to let his anger be turned away. Finally, his mind centers upon the holy sanctuary, God’s own dwelling-place upon
this earth, and he pleads that its desolations may be repaired. Daniel understood the seventy years of captivity to be near their termination. From his allusion to the sanctuary, it is evident that he so far misunderstood the important vision given him in chapter 8 as to suppose that the 2300 days, at the termination of which the sanctuary was to be cleansed, expired at the same time. This misapprehension was at once corrected when the angel came to give him further instruction in answer to his prayer, the narration of which is next given.

“VERSE 20. And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; 21. Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.”

We here have the result of Daniel’s supplication. He is suddenly interrupted by a heavenly messenger. The angel Gabriel, appearing again as he had before, in the form of a man, whom Daniel had seen in the vision at the beginning, touched him. A very important question is at this point to be determined. It is to be decided whether the vision of chapter 8 has ever been explained, and can ever be understood. The question is, To what vision does Daniel refer by the expression “the vision at the beginning”? It will be conceded by all that it is a vision of which we have some previous record, and that in that vision we shall find some mention of Gabriel. We must go back beyond this ninth chapter; for all that we have in this chapter previous to this appearance of Gabriel, is simply a record of Daniel’s prayer. Looking back, then, through previous chapters, we find mention of only three visions given to Daniel. 1. The interpretation of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar was given in a night vision. Chapter 2:19. But there is no record of any angelic agency in the matter. 2. The vision of chapter 7. This was explained to Daniel by “one of them that stood by,” probably an angel; but we have no information as to what angel, nor is there anything in that vision which needed further explanation. 3. The vision of chapter 8. Here we find some particulars which show this to
be the vision referred to. 1. Gabriel is there first brought to view by name in the book, and the only time previous to this occasion. 2. He was commanded to make Daniel understand the vision. 3. Daniel, at the conclusion, says he did not understand it, showing that Gabriel, at the conclusion of chapter 8, had not fulfilled his mission. There is no place in all the Bible where this instruction is carried out, if it be not in chapter 9. If, therefore, the vision of chapter 8 is not the one referred to, we have no record that Gabriel ever complied with the instruction given him, or that that vision has ever been explained. 4. The instruction which the angel now gives to Daniel, as we shall see from the following verses, does exactly complete what was lacking in chapter 8. These considerations prove beyond a doubt the connection between Daniel 8 and 9; and this conclusion will be still further strengthened by a consideration of the angel’s instructions.

“VERSE 22. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. 23. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee; for thou art greatly beloved; therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.”

The manner in which Gabriel introduces himself on this occasion, shows that he has come to complete some unfulfilled mission. This can be nothing less than to carry out the instruction to make this man “understand the vision,” as recorded in chapter 8. “I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.” As the charge still rested upon him to make Daniel understand, and as he explained to Daniel in chapter 8 all that he could then bear, and yet he did not understand the vision, he now comes to resume his work and complete his mission. As soon as Daniel commenced his fervent supplication, the commandment came forth; that is, Gabriel received instruction to visit Daniel, and impart to him the requisite information. From the time it takes to read Daniel’s prayer down to the point at which Gabriel made his appearance upon the scene, the reader can judge of the speed with which this messenger was dispatched from the court of heaven to this servant of God. Now wonder that Daniel says he was caused
to fly swiftly or that Ezekiel compares the movements of these celestial beings to a flash of lightning. Eze.1:14. “Understand the matter,” he says to Daniel. What matter? – That, evidently, which he did not before understand, as stated in the last verse of chapter 8. “Consider the vision.” What vision? Not the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, nor the vision of chapter 7, for there was no difficulty with either of these; but the vision of chapter 8, in reference to which his mind was filled with doubt and astonishment. “I am come to show thee,” also said the angel. Show thee in reference to what? – Certainly in reference to something wherein he was entertaining wrong ideas, and something, at the same time, pertaining to his prayer, as it was this which had called forth Gabriel on his mission at this time. But Daniel had no difficulty in understanding what the angel told him about the ram, he-goat, and little horn, the kingdoms of Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. Nor was he mistaken in regard to the ending of the seventy years’ captivity. But the burden of his petition was respecting the repairing of the desolations of the sanctuary, which lay in ruins; and he had undoubtedly drawn the conclusion that when the end of the seventy years’ captivity came, the time would come for the fulfilment of what the angel had said respecting the cleansing of the sanctuary at the end of the 2300 days. Now he must be set right. And this explains why at this particular time, so soon after the previous vision, instruction was sent to him. Now the seventy years of captivity were drawing to their close, and Daniel was applying to a wrong issue the instruction he had before received from the angel. He was falling into a misunderstanding, and was acting upon it; Hence he must not be suffered longer to remain ignorant of the true import of the former vision. “I am come to show thee;” “understand the matter;” “consider the vision.” Such were the words used by the very person Daniel had seen in the former vision, and to whom he had heard the command given, “Make this man to understand the vision,” and who, he knew, had never carried out that instruction. But now he appears, and says, “I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.” How could Daniel’s mind be more emphatically carried back to the vision of chapter 8, and how could the connection between that visit of the angel and this be more distinctly shown, than by such words at such a time from such a person? The considerations already presented are sufficient to show conclusively the connection between chapters 8 and 9; but this will still further appear in subsequent verses. One expression seems worthy of notice before we leave verse 23. It is the declaration of the angel to Daniel, “For thou art greatly beloved.” The angel brought this declaration direct from the courts of heaven. It expressed the state of feeling that existed there in regard to Daniel. Think of celestial beings, the highest in the universe, – the Father, the Son, the holy angels, – having such regard and esteem for a mortal man here upon earth as to authorize an angel to bear the message to him that he is greatly beloved!
This is one of the highest pinnacles of glory to which mortals can attain. Abraham reached another, when it could be said of him that he was the “friend of God;” and Enoch another, when it could be said of him that he “walked with God.” Can we arrive at any such attainments? God is no respecter of persons; but he is a respecter of character. If in virtue and godliness we could equal these eminent men, we could move the divine love to equal depths. We, too, could be greatly beloved, – could be friends of God, and could walk with him. And we must be in our generation what they were in theirs. There is a figure used in reference to the last church which denotes the closest union with God: “If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” Rev.3:20. To sup with the Lord denotes an intimacy equal to being greatly beloved by him, walking with him, or being his friend. How desirable a position! Alas for the evils of our nature, which cut us off from this communion! Oh for grace to overcome these! that we may enjoy this spiritual union here, and finally enter the glories of his presence at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

“VERSE 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

Such are the first words the angel utters to Daniel, toward imparting to him that instruction which he came to give. Why does he thus abruptly introduce a period of time? We must again refer to the vision of chapter 8. We have seen that Daniel, at the close of that chapter, says that he did not understand the vision. Some portions of that vision were at the time very clearly explained. It could not have been these portions which he did not understand. We therefore inquire what it was which Daniel did not understand, or, in other words, what part of the vision was there left unexplained. In that vision four prominent things are brought to view: (1) The Ram; (2) The He-goat; (3) The Little Horn; (4) The period of the 2300 days. The symbols of the ram, the he-goat, and the little horn were explained. Nothing, however, was said respecting the time. This must therefore have been the point which he did not understand; and as without this the other portions of the vision were of no avail, he could well say, while the application of this period was left in obscurity, that he did not understand the vision. If this view of the subject is correct, we should naturally expect, when the angel completed his explanation of the vision, that he would commence with the very point which had been omitted: namely, the time. And this we find to be true in fact. After citing Daniel’s attention back to the former vision in the most direct and emphatic manner, and assuring him that he had now come forth to give him understanding in the matter, he commences upon the very point there omitted, and says, “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city.” But how does this language show any connection with the 2300 days, or throw any light upon that period? We answer: The language cannot be intelligibly referred to anything else: for the word here rendered determined signifies “cut off;” and no period is given in the vision here referred to from which the seventy weeks could be cut off but the 2300 days of
the previous vision. How direct and natural, then, is the connection. Daniel’s attention is fixed upon the 2300 days, which he did not understand, by the angel’s directing him to the former vision; and he says, “Seventy weeks are cut off.” Cut off from what? – The 2300 days, most assuredly.
Proof may be called for that the word rendered determined signifies to cut off. An abundance can be given. The Hebrew word thus translated is nehhtak. This word Gesenius, in his Hebrew Lexicon, defines as follows: “Properly, to cut off; tropically, to divide; and so to determine, to decree.” In the Chaldoe-Rabbinic Dictionary of Stockius, the word nehhtak is thus defined: “Scidit, abscidit, conscidit, inscidit, exscidit – to cut, to cut away, to cut to pieces, to cut or engrave, to cut off.” Mercerus in his Thesaurus furnishes a specimen of Rabbinical usage in the phrase, hhatikah shel basar, “a piece of flesh,” or “a cut of flesh.” He translates the word as it occurs in Dan.9:24, by “praecisa est,” is cut off. In the literal version of Arias Montanus, it is translated ‘decisa est,” is cut off; in the marginal reading which is grammatically correct, it is rendered by the plural, “decisae sunt,” are cut off. In the Latin version of Junius and Tremellius, nehhtak (the passive of hhathak) is rendered “decisae sunt,” are cut off. Again, in Theodotion’s Greek version of Daniel (which is the version used in the Vatican copy of the Septuagint, as being the most faithful), it is rendered by (sunetmethesan), were cut off; and in the Venetian copy by (tetmentai), have been cut. The idea of cutting off is preserved in the Vulgate, where the phrase is “abbreviatae sunt,” are shortened. “Thus Chaldaic and Rabbinical authority, and that of the earliest versions, the Septuagint and Vulgate, give the single signification of cutting off, to this verb.” “Hengstenberg, who enters into a critical examination of the original text, says, ‘But the very use of the word, which does not elsewhere occur, while others much more frequently used were at hand if Daniel had wished to express the idea of determination, and of which he has elsewhere, and even in this portion availed himself, seems to argue that the word stands from regard to its original meaning, and represents the seventy weeks in contrast with a determination of time (en platei) as a period cut off from subsequent duration, and accurately limited.'” – Christology of the Old Testament, Vol. II, p. 301. Washington, 1839. Why, then, it may be asked, did our translators render the word determined, when it so obviously means cut off? The answer is, They doubtless overlooked the connection between the eighth and ninth chapters, and considering it improper to render it cut off, when nothing was given from which the seventy weeks could be cut off, they gave the word its tropical instead of its literal meaning. But, as we have seen, the construction, the context, and the connection require the literal meaning, and render any other inadmissible. Seventy weeks, then, or 490 days of the 2300, were cut off upon, or allotted to, Jerusalem and the Jews; and the events which were to be consummated within that period are briefly stated. The transgression was to be finished; that is, the Jewish people were to fill up the cup of their iniquity, which they did in the rejection and crucifixion of Christ. An end of sins, or of sin- offerings, was to be made. This took place when the great offering was made on Calvary. Reconciliation for iniquity was to be provided. This was made by the sacrificial death of the Son of God. Everlasting righteousness was to be brought in; the righteousness which our Lord manifested in his sinless life. The vision and the prophecy were to be sealed up, or made sure. By the events given to transpire in the seventy weeks, the prophecy is tested. By this the application of the whole vision is determined. If the events of this period are accurately fulfilled, the prophecy is of God, and will all be accomplished; and if these seventy weeks are fulfilled as weeks of years, then the 2300 days, of which these are a part, are so many years. Thus the events of the seventy weeks furnish a key to the whole vision. And the “most holy” was to be anointed.

“VERSE 25. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. 26. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. 27. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

The angel now gives to Daniel the event which is to mark the commencement of the seventy weeks. They were to date from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. And not only is the event given which was to determine the time of the commencement of this period, but those events also which were to transpire at its close. Thus a double test is provided by which to try the application of this prophecy. But more than this, the period of seventy weeks is divided into three grand divisions, and one of these is again divided, and the intermediate events are given which were to mark the termination of each one of these divisions. If, now, we can find a date which will harmonize with all these events, we have, beyond a doubt, the true application; for none but that which is correct could meet and fulfil so many conditions. Let the reader take in at one view the points of harmony to be made, that he may be the better prepared to guard against a false application. First, we are to find, at the commencement of the period, a commandment going forth to restore and build Jerusalem. To this work or restoration seven weeks are allotted. As we reach the end of this first division, seven weeks from the commencement, we are to find, secondly, Jerusalem, in its material aspect restored, the work of building the street and the wall fully accomplished. From this point sixty-two weeks are measured off; and as we reach the termination of this division, sixty-nine weeks from the beginning, we are to see, thirdly, the manifestation before the world of the Messiah the Prince. One week more is given us, completing the seventy. Fourthly, in the midst of this week the Messiah is to be cut off, and to cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease; and, fifthly, when the last week of that period which was allotted to the Jews as the time during which they were to be the special people of God, expires, we naturally look for the going forth of the blessing and work of God to other people. We now inquire for the initial date which will harmonize with all these particulars. The command respecting Jerusalem was to include more than mere building. There was to be restoration; and by this we must understand all the forms and regulations of civil, political, and judicial society. When did such a command go forth? At the time these words were spoken to Daniel, Jerusalem lay in complete and utter desolation, and had thus been lying for seventy years.

The restoration, pointed to in the future, must be its restoration from this desolation. We then inquire, When and how was Jerusalem restored after the seventy years’ captivity? There are but four events which can be taken as answering to the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem. These are, (1) The decree of Cyrus for the rebuilding of the house of God, B.C.536 (Ezra1:1-4); (2) The decree of Darius for the prosecution of that work, which had been hindered, B.C.519 (Ezra6:1-12); (3) The decree of Artaxerxes to Ezra, B.C.457 (Ezra7); and (4) The commission to Nehemiah from the same king in his twentieth year, B.C.444. Nehemiah 2. Dating from the first two of these decrees, the seventy weeks, being weeks of years, 1 490 years in all, would fall many years short of reaching even to the Christian era; besides, these decrees had reference principally to the restoration of the temple and the temple-worship of the Jews, and not to the restoration of their civil state and polity, all of which must be included in the expression, “To restore and to build Jerusalem.” These made a commencement of the work. They were preliminary to what was afterward accomplished. But of themselves they were altogether insufficient, both in their dates and in their nature, to meet the requirements of the prophecy; ———- 1 The explanation of these prophetic periods is based on what is called the “year-day principle;” that is, making each day stand for a year, according to the Scriptural rule for the application of symbolic time. Eze.4:6; Num.14:34. That the time in these visions of Daniel 8 and 9 is symbolic is evident from the nature and scope of the prophecy. The question calling out the answers on this point was, “How long the vision?” The vision, reckoning from 538 B.C. to our own time, sweeps over a period more than 2400 years in length. But if the 2300 days of the vision are literal days, we have a period of only a little over six years and a half for the duration of the kingdoms and the transaction of the great events brought to view, which is absurd! The year-day principle numbers among its supporters such names as Augustine, Tichonius, Primasius, Andreas, the venerable Bede, Ambrosius, Ansbertus, Berengaud, and Bruno Astensis, besides the leading modern expositors. (See Elliott’s “Horae Apocalypticae,” Vol. III, p. 241; and “The Sanctuary and Its Cleansing,” pp. 45-52.) But what is more conclusive than all else is the fact that the prophecies have actually been fulfilled on this principle, – a demonstration of its correctness from which there is no appeal. This will be found in the prophecy of the seventy weeks throughout, and all the prophetic periods of Daniel 7 and 12, and Revelation 9, 12, and 13.
and thus failing in every respect, they cannot be brought into the controversy as marking the point from which the seventy weeks are to date. The only question now lies between the decrees which were granted to Ezra and to Nehemiah respectively. The facts between which we are to decide here are briefly these: In 457 B.C., a decree was granted to Ezra by the Persian emperor Artaxerxes Longimanus to go up to Jerusalem with as many of his people as were minded to go with him. The commission granted him an unlimited amount of treasure, to beautify the house of God, to procure offerings for its service, and to do whatever else might seem good unto him. It empowered him to ordain laws, set magistrates and judges, and execute punishment even unto death; in other words, to restore the Jewish state, civil and ecclesiastical, according to the law of God and the ancient customs of that people. Inspiration has seen fit to preserve this decree; and a full and accurate copy of it is given in the seventh chapter of the book of Ezra. In the original, this decree is given, not in Hebrew, like the rest of the book of Ezra, but in the Chaldaic (or Eastern Aramaic), the language then used at Babylon; and thus we are furnished with the original document by virtue of which Ezra was authorized to restore and build Jerusalem. Thirteen years after this, in the twentieth year of the same king, B.C.444, Nehemiah sought and obtained permission to go up to Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2. Permission was granted him, but we have no evidence that it was anything more than verbal. It pertained to him individually, nothing being said about others going up with him. The king asked him how long a journey he wished to make, and when he would return. He received letters to the governors beyond the river to help him on his way to Judea, and an order to the keeper of the king’s forest for timber for beams, etc. When he arrived at Jerusalem, he found rulers and priests, nobles and people, already engaged in the work of building Jerusalem. Neh.2:16. These were, of course, acting under the decree given to Ezra thirteen years before. And finally, Nehemiah, having
arrived at Jerusalem, finished the work he came to accomplish, in fifty-two days. Neh.6:15. Now which of these commissions, Ezra’s or Nehemiah’s, constitutes the decree for the restoration of Jerusalem, from which the seventy weeks are to be dated? It hardly seems that there can be any question on this point.

1. The grant to Nehemiah cannot be called a decree. It was necessary that a Persian decree should be put in writing, and signed by the king. Dan.6:8. Such was the document given to Ezra; but Nehemiah had nothing of the kind, his commission being only verbal. If it be said that the letters given him constitute the decree, then the decree was issued, not to Nehemiah, but to the governors beyond the river; besides, these would constitute a series of decrees, and not one decree, as the prophecy contemplates.

2. The occasion of Nehemiah’s petition to the king for permission to go up to Jerusalem was the report which certain ones, returning, had brought from thence, that those in the province were in great affliction and reproach, also that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down, and the gates thereof burned with fire. Nehemiah 1. Whose work were these walls and gates that were broken down and burned with fire? – Evidently the work of Ezra and his associates; for it cannot for a moment be supposed that the utter destruction of the city by Nebuchadnezzar, one hundred and forty-four years previous to that time, would have been reported to Nehemiah as a matter of news, nor that he would have considered it, as he evidently did, a fresh misfortune, calling for a fresh expression of grief. A decree, therefore, authorizing the building of these, had gone forth previous to the grant to Nehemiah.

3. If any should contend that Nehemiah’s commission must be a decree, because the object of his request was that he might build the city, it is sufficient to reply, as shown above, that gates and walls had been built previous to his going up; besides, the work of building which he went to perform was accomplished in fifty-two days; whereas, the prophecy allows for the building of the city, seven weeks, or fifty-nine years.

4. There was nothing granted to Nehemiah which was not embraced in the decree to Ezra; while the latter had all the forms and conditions of a decree, and was vastly more ample in its provisions.

5. It is evident from the prayer of Ezra, as recorded in chapter 9:9 of his book, that he considered himself fully empowered to proceed with the building of the city and the wall; and it is evident that he understood, further, that the conditional prophecies concerning his people were then fulfilled, from the closing words of that prayer, in which he says, “Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldst not thou be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor escaping?”

6. Reckoning from the commission to Nehemiah, B.C.444, the dates throughout are entirely disarranged; for from that point the troublesome times which were to attend the building of the street and wall did not last seven weeks, or forty-nine years. Reckoning from that date, the sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years, which were to extend to the Messiah the Prince, bring us to A.D.40; but Jesus was baptized of John in Jordan, and the voice of the Father was heard from heaven declaring him his Son, in<*> A.D.27, thirteen years before. According to this calculation, the midst of the last or seventieth week, which is marked by the crucifixion, is placed in A.D.44, but the crucifixion took place in A.D.31, thirteen years previous. And lastly, the seventy weeks, or 490 years, dating from the twentieth of Artaxerxes, extend to A.D.47, with absolutely nothing to mark their termination. Hence if that be the year, and the grant to Nehemiah the event, from which to reckon, the prophecy has proved a failure. As it is, it only proves that theory a failure which dates the seventy weeks from Nehemiah’s commission in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes.

7. Will these dates harmonize if we reckon from the decree to Ezra? Let us see. In this case, 457 B.C. is our starting- point. Forty-nine years were allotted to the building of the city and the wall. On this point, Prideaux (Connexion, Vol. I, p.322) says: “In the fifteenth year of Darius Nothus ended the first seven weeks of Daniel’s prophecy. For then the restoration of the church and state of the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea was fully finished, in that last act of reformation which is recorded in the thirteenth chapter of Nehemiah, from the twenty-third verse to the end of the chapter, just forty-nine years after it had been commenced by Ezra in the seventh year of Artaxerxes Longimanus.” This was B.C.408. So far we find harmony. Let us apply the measuring-rod of the prophecy still further. Sixty-nine weeks, or 483 years, were to extend to Messiah the Prince. Dating from B.C.457, they end in A.D.27. And what event then occurred?1 Luke thus informs us: “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” Luke3:21,22. After this, Jesus came “preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled.” Mark1:14,15. The time here mentioned must have been some specific, definite, and predicted period; but no prophetic period can be found then terminating, except the sixty-nine weeks of the prophecy of Daniel, which were to extend to the Messiah the Prince. The Messiah had now come; and with his own lips he announced the termination of that period which was to be marked by his manifestation.1 ———- 1 There is abundance of authority for A.D.27 as the date of Christ’s baptism. See “Sacred Chronology,” by S. Bliss; “New International Encyclopedia.” art. “Jesus Christ;” “Chronological Synopsis of the Four Gospels,” by Dr. Karl Wieseler, p.183.
Here, again, is indisputable harmony. But further, the Messiah was to confirm the convenant with many for one week. This would be the last week of the seventy, or the last seven years of the 490. In the midst of the week, the prophecy informs us, he should cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease. These Jewish ordinances, pointing to the death of Christ, could cease only at the cross; and there they did virtually come to an end, though the outward observance was kept up till the destruction of Jerusalem, A.D.70. After threescore and two weeks, according to the record, the Messiah was to be cut off. It is the same as if it had read: And after threescore and two weeks, in the midst of the seventieth week, shall Messiah be cut off, and cause the sacrifice and oblation to cease. Now, as the word midst here means middle, according to an abundance of authority which we might produce if necessary, the crucifixion is definitely located in the middle of the seventieth week. It now becomes an important point to determine in what year the crucifixion took place. The following evidence is sufficient to be considered absolutely decisive on this question. It is not to be questioned that our Saviour attended every Passover that occurred during his public ministry; and we have mention of only four such occasions previous to his crucifixion. These are found in the following passages: John 2:13; 5:1; 6:4; 13:1. At the last-mentioned Passover he was crucified. From facts already established, let us then see ———- sanctioned by any public Acts or Rescripts till the first German Synod, in the time of Carolomannus, Duke of the Franks, which, in the preface, was said to be assembled ‘Anno ab incarnatione Dom. 742, 11 Calendus Maii.’ But it was not established till the time of Pope Eugenius IV, A.D.1431, who ordered this era to be used in the public Registers: according to Mariana and others.” – Hales’ Chronology, Vol.I, pp.83, 84. (See also “Life of Our Lord,” by S. J Andrews.) The Christian era had become so well established before the mistake above referred to was discovered, that no change in the reckoning has been attempted. It makes no material difference, as it does not interfere at all with the calculation of dates. If the era commenced with the actual year of Christ’s birth, the number of years B.C. in any case would be four years less, and the years A.D. four years more. To illustrate: If we have a period of twenty years, one half before and the other half since the Christian era, we say that it commenced B.C.10 and ended A.D.10. But if we place the era back to the real point of Christ’s birth, there would be no change of either terminus of the period, but we should then say that it commenced B.C.6 and ended A.D.14; that is, four years would be taken from the figures B.C. and added to those of A.D. Some have so far misapprehended this subject as to claim that the current year should have four years added to it, to denote the real year of the Christian era. This would be true, if the reckoning began from the actual date of Christ’s birth. But this is not the case; the starting-point is between three and four years later.
where this would locate the crucifixion. As he began his ministry in the autumn of A.D.27, his first Passover would occur the following spring, A.D.28; his second, A.D.29; his third, A.D.30; and his fourth and last, A.D.31. This gives us three years and a half for his public ministry, and corresponds exactly to the prophecy that he should be cut off in the midst, or middle, of the seventieth week. As that week of years commenced in the autumn of A.D.27, the middle of the week would occur three and one half years later, in the spring of 31, where the crucifixion took place. Dr. Hales quotes Eusebius, A.D.300, as saying: “It is recorded in history that the whole time of our Saviour’s teaching and working miracles was three years and a half, which is the half of a week [of years]. This, John the evangelist will represent to those who critically attend to his Gospel.” Of the unnatural darkness which occurred at the crucifixion, Hales, Vol.I, pp.69,70, thus speaks: “Hence it appears that the darkness which ‘overspread the whole land of Judea’ at the time of our Lord’s crucifixion was preternatural, ‘from the sixth until the ninth hour,’ or from noon till three in the afternoon, in its duration, and also in its time, about full moon, when the moon could not possibly eclipse the sun. The time it happened, and the fact itself, are recorded in a curious and valuable passage of a respectable Roman Consul, Aurelius Cassiodorius Senator, about A.D.514: ‘In the consulate of Tiberius Caesar Aug. V and AElius Sejanus (U.C.784, A.D.31), our Lord Jesus Christ suffered, on the 8th of the calends of April (25th March), when there happened such an eclipse of the sun as was never before nor since.’ “In this year, and in this day, agree also the Council of Cesarea, A.D.196 or 198, the Alexandrian Chronicle, Maximus Monachus, Nicephorus Constantinus, Cedrenus; and in this year, but on different days, concur Eusebius and Epiphanius, followed by Kepler, Bucher, Patinus, and Petavius, some reckoning it the 10th of the calends of April, others the 13th.” (See on chapter 11:22.) Here, then, are thirteen credible authorities locating the crucifixion of Christ in the spring of A.D.31. We may therefore
set this down as a fixed date, as the most cautious or the most skeptical could require nothing more conclusive. This being in the middle of the last week, we have simply to reckon backward three and a half years to find where sixty-nine of the weeks ended, and forward from that point three and a half years, we find ourselves in the autumn of A.D.27, where, as we have seen, the sixty-nine weeks ended, and Christ commenced his public ministry. And going from the crucifixion forward three and a half years, we are brought to the autumn of A.D.34, as the grand terminating point of the whole period of the seventy weeks. This date is marked by the martyrdom of Stephen, the formal rejection of the gospel of Christ by the Jewish Sanhedrin in the persecution of his disciples, and the turning of the apostles to the Gentiles. And these are just the events which one would expect to take place when that specified period which was cut off for the Jews, and allotted to them as a peculiar people, should fully expire. A word respecting the date of the seventh of Artaxerxes, when the decree for restoring Jerusalem was given to Ezra, and the array of evidence on this point is complete. Was the seventh of Artaxerxes B.C.457? For all those who can appreciate the force of facts, the following testimony will be sufficient here:- “The Bible gives the data for a complete system of chronology, extending from the creation to the birth of Cyrus – a clearly ascertained date. From this period downward we have the undisputed canon of Ptolemy, and the undoubted era of Nabonassar, extending below our vulgar era. At the point where inspired chronology leaves us, this canon of undoubted accuracy commences. And thus the whole arch is spanned. It is by the canon of Ptolemy that the great prophetical period of seventy weeks is fixed. This canon is demonstrated by the concurrent agreement of more than twenty eclipses. This date we cannot change from B.C.457, without first demonstrating the inaccuracy of Ptolemy’s
canon. To do this it would be necessary to show that the large number of eclipses by which its accuracy has been repeatedly demonstrated have not been correctly computed; and such a result would unsettle every chronological date, and leave the settlement of epochs and the adjustment of eras entirely at the mercy of every dreamer, so that chronology would be of no more value than mere guesswork. As the seventy weeks must terminate in A.D.34 unless the seventh of Artaxerxes is wrongly fixed, and as that cannot be changed without some evidence to that effect, we inquire, What evidence marked that termination? The time when the apostles turned to the Gentiles harmonizes with that date better than any other which has been named. And the crucifixion in A.D.31, in the midst of the last week, is sustained by a mass of testimony which cannot be easily invalidated.” – Advent Herald. From the facts above set forth, we see that, reckoning the seventy weeks from the decree given to Ezra in the seventh of Artaxerxes, B.C.457, there is the most perfect harmony throughout. The important and definite events of the manifestation of the Messiah at the baptism, the commencement of his public ministry, the crucifixion, and the turning away from the Jews to the Gentiles, with the proclamation of the new covenant, all come in in their exact place, and like a bright galaxy of blazing orbs of light, cluster round to set their seal to the prophecy, and make it sure. It is thus evident that the decree of Ezra in the seventh of Artaxerxes, B.C.457, is the point from which to date the seventy weeks. That was the going forth of the decree in the sense of the prophecy. The two previous decrees were preparatory and preliminary to this; and indeed they are regarded by Ezra as parts of it, the three being taken as one great whole. For in Ezra 6:14, we read: “And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes, king of Persia.” It will be noticed that the decrees of these three kings are spoken of as one, – “the commandment [margin, “decree,” singular number] of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes,” showing that they are all reckoned as a unit, the different decrees being but the successive steps by which the work was accomplished. And this decree could not be said to have “gone forth,” as intended by the prophecy, till the last permission which the prophecy required was embodied in the decree, and clothed with the authority of the empire. This point was reached in the grant given to Ezra, but not before. Here the decree assumed the proportions, and covered the ground, demanded by the prophecy, and from this point its “going forth” must be dated. s

(From the book Daniel and Revelation by U.Smith written in the 1800s. Please note that counting has been done to the best of their ability at that time. That the date can be off with a year or two doesn’t change the prophecy or the accuracy of it, as it has been hard to track the exact dates for events taken place so long ago. There are discussions that Christ died in the year 30 and not 31, or in the year 32. )

Chapter 10: DANIEL’S LAST VISION

By

tam

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10/07/2018

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“VERSE 1. In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.”

This verse introduces us to the last of the recorded visions of the prophet Daniel, the instruction imparted to him at this time being continued through chapters 11 and 12, to the close of the book. The third year of Cyrus was B.C.534. Six years had consequently elapsed since Daniel’s vision of the four beasts in the first year of Belshazzar, B.C.540; four years since the vision of the ram, he-goat, little horn, and 2300 days of chapter 8, in the third year of Belshazzar, B.C.538; and four years since the instruction given to Daniel respecting the seventy weeks, in the first year of Darius, B.C.538, as recorded in chapter 9. On the overthrow of the kingdom of Babylon by the Medes and Persians, B.C.538, Darius, through the courtesy of his nephew, Cyrus, was permitted to occupy the throne. This he did till the time of his death, about two years after. About this time, Cambyses, king of Persia, father of Cyrus, having also died, Cyrus became sole monarch of the second universal empire of prophecy, B.C.538. This being reckoned as his first year, his third year, in which this vision was given to Daniel, would be dated B.C.534. The death of Daniel is supposed to have occurred soon after this, he being at this time, according to Prideaux, not less than ninety- one years of age.

“VERSE 2. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. 3. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”

The marginal reading for “three full weeks” is “weeks of days;” which term Dr. Stonard thinks is here used to distinguish the time spoken of from the weeks of years, brought to view in the preceding chapter. For what purpose did this aged servant of God thus humble himself and afflict his soul? – Evidently for the purpose of understanding more fully the divine purpose
concerning events that were to befall the church of God in coming time; for the divine messenger sent to instruct him says, “From the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand,” etc. Verse 12. There was, then, still something which Daniel did not understand, but in reference to which he earnestly desired light. What was it? – It was undoubtedly some part of his last preceding vision; namely, the vision of chapter 9, and through that of the vision of chapter 8,of which chapter 9 was but a further explanation. And as the result of his supplication, he now receives more minute information respecting the events included in the great outlines of his former visions. This mourning of the prophet is supposed to have been accompanied with fasting; not an absolute abstinence from food, but a use of only the plainest and most simple articles of diet. He ate no pleasant bread, no delicacies or dainties; he used no flesh nor wine; and he did not anoint his head, which was with the Jews an outward sign of fasting. How long he would have continued this fast had he not received the answer to his prayer, we know not; but his course in continuing it for three full weeks shows that, being assured his request
was lawful, he was not a person to cease his supplications till his petition was granted.

“VERSE 4. And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; 5. Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: 6. His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. 7. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. 9. Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.”

By the River Hiddekel the Syriac understands the Euphrates; the Vulgate, Greek, and Arabic, the Tigris; hence Wintle concludes that the prophet had this vision at the place where these rivers unite, as they do not far from the Persian Gulf. A most majestic personage visited Daniel on this occasion. The description of him is almost parallel to that given of Christ in the Revelation, chapter 1:14-16; and the effect of his presence was about such as was experienced by Paul and his companions when the Lord met them on their way to Damascus. Acts.9:1-7. But this was not the Lord: for the Lord is introduced as Michael in verse 13. It must therefore have been an angel, but one of no ordinary character. The inquiry then arises, Of what angel can such a description be truthfully given? There are some points of identity between this and other passages which plainly show that this was the angel Gabriel. In chapter 8:16 Gabriel is introduced by name. His interview with Daniel at that time produced exactly the same effect upon the prophet as that described in the passage before us. At that time Gabriel was commanded to make Daniel understand the vision, and he himself promised to make him know what should be in the last end of the indignation. Having given Daniel all the instruction he was able
to bear on that occasion, he subsequently resumed his work, and explained another great point in the vision, as recorded in chapter 9:20-27. Yet we learn from chapter 10 that there were some points still unexplained to the prophet; and he set his heart again, with fasting and supplication, to understand the matter. A personage now appears whose presence has the same effect upon Daniel as that produced by the presence of Gabriel at the first; and he tells Daniel (verse 14), “Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days,” the very information Gabriel had promised to give, as recorded in chapter 8:19. But one conclusion can be drawn from these facts. Daniel was seeking further light on the very vision which Gabriel had been commanded to make him understand. Once, already, he had made a special visit to Daniel to give him additional information when he sought it with prayer and fasting. Now, when he is prepared for further instruction, and again seeks it in the same manner in reference to the same subject, can it for a moment be supposed that Gabriel disregarded his instruction, lost sight of his mission, and suffered another angel to undertake the completion of his unfinished work? And the language of verse 14 clearly identifies the speaker with the one, who, in the vision of chapter 8, promised to do that work.

“VERSE 10. And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. 11. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. 12. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.”

Daniel having fallen into a swoon at the majestic appearance of Gabriel (for so the expression “deep sleep” of verse 9 is generally understood), the angel approaches, and lays his hand upon him to give him assurance and confidence to stand in his presence. He tells Daniel that he is a man greatly beloved. Wonderful declaration! a member of the human family, one of the same race with us, loved, not merely in the general sense in which God loved the whole world when he gave his Son to die for them, but loved as an individual, and that greatly! Well might the prophet receive confidence from such a declaration as that, to stand even in the presence of Gabriel. He tells him, moreover, that he is come for the purpose of an interview with him, and he wishes him to bring his mind into a proper state to understand his words. Being thus addressed, the holy and beloved prophet, assured, but yet trembling, stood before the heavenly angel. “Fear not, Daniel,” continues Gabriel. He had no occasion to fear before one, even though a divine being, who had been sent to him because he was greatly beloved, and in answer to his earnest prayer. Nor ought the people of God of any age to entertain a servile fear of any of these agents who are sent forth to minister to their salvation. There is, however, a disposition manifested among far too many to allow their minds to conceive of Jesus and his angels as only stern ministers of justice, inflicters of vengeance and retribution, rather than as beings who are earnestly working for our salvation on account of the pity and love with which they regard us. The presence of an angel, should he appear bodily before them, would strike them with terror; and the thought that Christ is soon to appear, and they are to be taken into his presence, distresses and alarms them. We recommend to such more amiable views of the relation which the Christian sustains to Christ, the head of the church, and a little more of that perfect love which casts out all our fear. On verse 12 Bagster has the following pointed note: “Daniel, as Bishop Newton observes, was now very far advanced in years; for the third year of Cyrus was the seventy-
third of his captivity; and being a youth when carried captive, he cannot be supposed to have been less than ninety. Old as he was, ‘he set his heart to understand’ the former revelations which had been made to him, and particularly the vision of the ram and he-goat, as may be collected from the sequel; and for this purpose he prayed and fasted three weeks. His fasting and prayers had the desired effect, for an angel was sent to unfold to him those mysteries; and whoever would excel
in divine knowledge must imitate Daniel, and habituate himself to study, temperance, and devotion.”

“VERSE 13. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”

How often the prayers of God’s people are heard, while as yet there is no apparent answer. It was even so in this case with Daniel. The angel tells him that from the first day he set his heart to understand, his words were heard. Yet Daniel continued to afflict his soul with fasting, and to wrestle with God for three full weeks, all unaware that any respect was yet paid to his petition. But why was the delay? – The king of Persia withstood the angel. The answer to Daniel’s prayer involved some action on the part of that king. This action he must be influenced to perform. It doubtless pertained to the work which he was to do, and had already begun to do, in behalf of the temple at Jerusalem and the Jews, his decree for the building of that temple being the first of the series which finally constituted that notable commandment to restore and build Jerusalem, at the going forth of which the great prophetic period of 2300 days was to begin. And the angel is dispatched to influence him to go forward in accordance with the divine will. Ah, how little do we realize what is going on in the unseen world in relation to human affairs! Here, as it were, the curtain is for a moment lifted, and we catch a glimpse of the movements within. Daniel prays. The Creator of the universe hears. The command is issued to Gabriel to go to his relief. But the king of Persia must act before Daniel’s prayer is answered; and the angel hastens to the Persian king. Satan no doubt musters his forces to oppose. They meet in the royal palace of Persia. All the motives of selfish interest and worldly policy which Satan can play upon, he doubtless uses to the best advantage to influence the king against compliance with God’s will, while Gabriel brings to bear his influence in the other direction. The king struggles between conflicting emotions. He hesitates; he delays. Day after day passes away; yet Daniel prays on. The king still refuses to yield to the influence of the angel; three weeks expire, and lo! a mightier than Gabriel takes his place in the palace of the king, and Gabriel appears to Daniel to acquaint him with the progress of events. From the first, said he, your prayer was heard; but during these three weeks which you have devoted to prayer and fasting, the king of Persia has resisted my influence and prevented my coming. Such was the effect of prayer. And God has erected no barriers between himself and his people since Daniel’s time. It is still their privilege to offer up prayer as fervent and effectual as his, and, like Jacob, to have power with God, and to prevail. Who was Michael, who here came to Gabriel’s assistance? The term signifies, “He who is like God;” and the Scriptures clearly show that Christ is the one who bears this name. Jude (verse 9) declares that Michael is the archangel. Archangel signifies “head or chief angel;” and Gabriel, in our text, calls him one, or, as the margin reads, the first, of the chief princes. There can be but one archangel; and hence it is manifestly improper to use the word, as some do, in the plural. The Scriptures never so use it. Paul, in 1Thess.4:16, states that when the Lord appears the second time to raise the dead, the voice of the archangel is heard. Whose voice is heard when the dead are raised? – The voice of the Son of God. John 5:28. Putting these scriptures together, they prove, (1) that the dead are called from their graves by the voice of the Son of God; (2) that the voice which is then heard is the voice of the archangel, proving that the archangel is called Michael; from which it follows that Michael is the Son of God. In the last verse of Daniel 10, he is called “your prince,” and in the first chapter 12, “the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people,” expressions which can appropriately be applied to Christ, but to no other being.

“VERSE 14. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.”

The expression, “yet the vision is for many days,” reaching far into the future, and embracing what should befall the people of God even in the latter days, shows conclusively that the days given in that vision, namely the 2300, cannot mean literal days, but must be days of years. (See on chapter 9, verses 25-27.)

“VERSE 15. And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb. 16. And, behold, one like the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips; then I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O my Lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength. 17. For how can the servant of this my lord talk with this my lord? for as for me, straightway there remaineth no strength in me, neither is there any breath left in me.”

One of the most marked characteristics manifested by Daniel was the tender solicitude he felt for his people. Having come now clearly to comprehend that the vision portended long ages of oppression and suffering for the church, he was so affected by the view that his strength departed from him, his breath ceased, and the power of speech was gone. The vision of verse 16 doubtless refers to the former vision of chapter 8.

“VERSE 18. Then there came again and touched me one like the appearance of a man, and he strengthened me. 19. And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me. 20. Then said he, Knowest thou therefore I come unto thee? and now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia: and when I am gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come. 21. But I will show thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.”

The prophet is at length strengthened to hear in full the communication which the angel has to make. And Gabriel says, “Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee?” That is, do you now know to what end I have come? Do you understand my purpose so that you will no more fear? He then announced his intention to return, as soon as his communication was complete, to fight with the king of Persia. The word with is, in the Septuagint, meta, and signifies, not against, but in common with, alongside of; that is, the angel of God would stand on the side of the Persian kingdom so long as it was in the providence of God that that kingdom should continue. “But when I am gone forth,” continues Gabriel, “lo, the prince of Grecia shall come.” That is, when he withdraws his support from that kingdom, and the providence of God operates in behalf of another kingdom, the prince of Grecia shall come, and the Persian monarchy be overthrown.
Gabriel then announced that none – God of course excepted – had an understanding with him in the matters he was about to communicate except Michael the prince. And after he had made them known to Daniel, then there were four beings in the universe with whom rested a knowledge of these important truths, – Daniel, Gabriel, Christ, and God. Four links in this ascending chain of witnesses, – the first, Daniel, a member of the human family; the last, Jehovah, the God of all!

A warning/message to the western society and governments

By

tam

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03/07/2018

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A country’s prosperity depends on how they treat God’s people.

It’s long been thought that the economic development of the western world was tied to their cleverness and supreme culture. That the US rise in power over the last 200 years are tied to their own excellence. They are not the first to have this kind of distorted views.
God is the one who let one country rise in influence above another. Why would God favor one nation or nations above others? The answer to this is found, of course, in the Bible. God is the good shepherd and He will favor any society that ensures His people’s right to practice their faith and prosper. If God’s people prosper in a country and are free, God will help that nation to be more influential and powerful then others.
First, let’s establish who God’s people is. According to the Bible, God’s people are those who follow His laws. When adding the testimony from the New Testament we also learn that God’s people accept Christ as their savior.
But we are not talking about any Christian. We are talking about those obedient to God’s original law. They are the ones who need protection, they are the ones under the devil’s attack: “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keeps the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Rev 12:17)

Not only does God help those nations and countries to rise but they are also, because their riches and power is a blessing from God, given a greater responsibility. Or God will take it all from them again.
During the middle ages those who kept the biblical law, God’s original law, were treated harshly as the Catholic church wanted to rid themselves of them. The Catholic church, by its own authority, had changed God’s law and wanted people to keep the changed one instead.
During the Middle Ages, little development was seen. They were also attacked by Islam and even Mongolia. They were poor and struck by many diseases leaving millions dead. Meanwhile, God was blessing the Ottoman Empire with wisdom, skills, and growth as they were sheltering God’s commandments keeping people and letting them worship God in peace while they were under persecution in Europe. God even let them have Jerusalem. But when the Ottomans turned and became harsh limiting religious freedom, their turn had come for defeat. But they had for long been the most advancing technological power in the near east. They even were the first to use firearms and by it won many wars.
However when the reformation movement reformed northern Europe things started to happen for these nations. But they still did not ensure God’s people equal rights, but they at least had a chance to live for the most part in peace. The USA was a small country at first, with little power. However, they declared that they would not repeat Europe’s sins in controlling people’s religion. They determined to separate state and religion, not because they didn’t like religion, they were all mostly Christians themselves, but to make sure no one would have to be persecuted for his or her belief like it had happened in Europe.
Because of these laws, God’s people had a chance to not only live in peace in the USA, they had a chance to prosper and grow. God, therefore, blessed the United States and made them the most powerful nation in the world. Their influence regarding religious tolerance and separation of church and state even reached Europe and God’s people got a chance to flourish there too. The southern countries that continued Catholicism remained the poorer nations with the least development in the living standard of the western society. God favored clearly the Protestant countries, and first of all the ones that protected peoples freedom of belief. However, as an interesting turn in events, the Catholic nations were soon even blessed by the progress of the Protestant nations and got to financially grow by their association with them.
However with time and the growth of atheism and agnosticism the idea that these countries prosperity is tied to their own supremacy arose. Leaving many arrogant and even more eager to abolish religion to establish a religious free world. By this they try to subdue the Christians their right to practice their faith, however, the path will not lead to an Utopia. As all blessings come from God.
The last man to give himself credit for his own power was Nebuchadnezzar. God had allowed him to punish his back-sliding people who had persecuted His servants. In fact, Judah’s bloodshed of God’s prophets had much to do with God allowing them to be defeated. Nebuchadnezzar, on the other hand, allowed man to freely privately follow their faith as long as they were obedient to the state. On one occasion Nebuchadnezzar got big headed and was going to force all the countries leaders to bow before his golden statue. God instantly put him in his place. And Nebukadnessar once again allowed God’s people to freely worship their God. But Nebukadnessar got big headed again and thought it was because he was greater and better than anyone else, that because of his personal excellence, he had become the most powerful nation in the world.
“The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?
While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.” (Dan 4:30-31)
At that moment Nukchadneszzar became in a reduced state, the lowest of the low.
When his grandson gave the gods of silver and gold the credit for their supremacy while mocking God, God let Babylon itself fall that very same night.

We are dealing with the same God and the same situation today. The western world has provoked God greatly but He has allowed them their authority and strength because they have given His people freedom to worship Him in peace. Let us look at a couple of examples on God helping nations to prosper and then reduce them to nothing when their attitude towards God’s people changes.

EGYPT
Egypt was at one time the greatest and richest nation in the world. But they didn’t come ahead of the other nations for no reason. When Joseph came to Egypt God had decided to create a refuge for His people there until they could move into Canaan. So he sent Pharaoh a dream of a coming drought. Joseph was placed in charge and they gathered great storages of food. When the time for the drought came Egyptians and foreigners alike came and sold everything they had to buy grain. The Egyptian state grew extremely strong and rich at this time, all because of God’s forwarning. (Gen. 47: 20-28) Without it, they would have been reduced and weakened. But because of the great income, they became mighty. Israel is allowed the best part of the country to live in. “The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle. ..And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly. ” (Gen 47:6 & 27)
But when a new dynasty and pharaoh of Upper Egypt took control he did not want to ensure God’s people’s rights in Egypt. Instead, he viewed them as a threat and subdued them. He took their children from them. He even made it impossible for them to keep God’s law forcing them to work on the Sabbath. God’s people were no longer prospering in the land of Egypt, their cry reached heaven. But Egypt, as the most powerful nation in the world, did not see what was coming their way. That their prosperity and greatness had been caused by Gods blessing and their willingness to let His people have the freedom to worship Him after His laws.
They thought they were rich and great because of their own excellence and cleverness. Egypt was far ahead of any nation in technology. They invented many things, they even did brain surgery, they made great and advanced buildings and was before others in maritime technology and medicine. They were also advancing in mathematics and language. But without God’s blessing, they were about to be hit back into the stone age.
God sends Moses with the request to let God’s people go so they can worship God in peace. Pharaoh says no. God gives Pharaoh many chances to do the right thing, but he continues to refuse to acknowledge God and the rights of His people. Ten plagues destroy Egypt’s economy and way of life. The country is shattered. Not only that but when they leave they are instructed to tell the Egyptians to give them of their riches. The fearful Egyptians did as they were told: “And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.” (Exo 12:35-36)
But the Egyptian government still didn’t understand the point and they went after the Israelites to subdue or even kill them. When they reached the Red Sea and entered it with their bad intentions Egypt even lost their mighty army, all their weapons, and chariots. Egypt was now a weak and poor nation. God had given them their blessings, riches, and growth. He had made the state powerful. Now He had stripped them of everything. The ones left was so weak that they feared Egypt would be totally robbed by other nations and so they went into a union with the Kushites for protection and to keep others away.

Israel

God established Israel as their own kingdom under His law. And He gave them a land to do it in.
But Israel was no exception to God’s rule. God wanted them to not make the same mistake the Egyptians had made.
“Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness, the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.
Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Understand, therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.” (Deu 9:4-6)

Because God had given them the land and it’s riches because He had caused them to prosper. When Israel failed God and subdued His servants, they too had what was given to them taken away. Even the land. God will bless no country that persecutes His people. At the end of their probation, they crucified Jesus and killed off their own people who believed in Jesus and God took again from them the land and riches He had given them.

Sodom and Gomorrah

Sodom is another such nation. Lot and other godly people moved in amongst them and they prospered. The cities of the plain were rich people. But they were also not the godliest. They had provoked other nations and was taken captive and lost all their riches and even their freedom and family. But Abraham, by Gods assistance, saved them all because Lot was amongst them. They knew why they had been saved, they saw the power of God. They, five cities had fought and lost. But a drifter, Abraham, with his few men had saved them all by the grace of God.
Abraham let them keep their riches and united the families. From now on all their prosperity and riches was tied to God’s blessing because Lot had been amongst them. And for a long time, he was allowed to live in peace in Sodom. He even sat at the gate where the governmental seat was in Biblical times. Lot was a constant reminder of the true God that had saved them, but they rejected it. They decided that they were in such a great state because of their own excellence. Their own talents and intellect. And Lot became a silent reproof of that. For long they ignored him. They felt they could live as they wanted. They used their riches to suppress those less fortunate, arrogant to their position. “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” (Eze_16:49)
“I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.” (Jer_23:14)

Lot and his family had been allowed to live in peace for quite some time. But God knew that the hour had come were not a single godly man would be allowed to live there in peace. The man whose relationship with God had ensured their freedom and riches, they were boldly ready to destroy. The same night God also destroyed them. “And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door” (Gen 19:9)

Why you have been blessed.
To the great western nations. You are not rich and powerful because you are smarter, better, or whiter than other nations. You are powerful because God blessed your development and gave you knowledge and economy so that you could continue to protect the rights of His people and give them freedom and space to grow. The moment you turn on God’s people, it will be a downhill from there. No matter how great you have been or even are. Your prosperity is tied to how you treat God’s people and how you respect God’s authority. Other nations have been blessed because of your blessings. Other nations have prospered because of your accomplishments and trade.
The enemy of God would like to fool you into thinking that God’s people are the problem. They are not. If you protect and shelter God’s people, God will protect and shelter you. If God’s people are given the opportunity to grow and prosper, so will you.
You are mighty because God made you mighty. “Daniel answered and said, Blessed, be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding” (Dan 2:20-21)
The USA understood the base of their greatness when they were still small. Giving God’s people freedom and a chance to live and prosper, the state for a long time acknowledged that God was the one who had blessed them. In God we trust, were their slogan. They perfectly combined the two elements to ensure their growth. Acknowledging God’s supremacy over their state AND ensuring religious freedom for His people. Thus the USA became, by God’s blessings, the most powerful nation in the world.
The moment they turn from this path and start oppressing God’s people and giving glory for their power to themselves, their downhill begins.
Like Babylon, like Egypt, like Israel and Sodom, they will be reduced to the smallest kingdoms in the world. If the USA cooperates with the Vatican in making state-run religious laws that suppress God’s people’s right to keep God’s original laws, the plagues mentioned in Revelation 15 and 16 will poor on them the worst.
The great city of the world that had everyone’s admiration, will fall in one prophetic day (1 year).
“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! For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea stood afar off, And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!
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.
Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.” (Rev 18:16-20)
The Bible has prophesied of a union of the two beasts, Babylon, and her daughters, that will attack the liberty of those who “keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus” (Rev.14:12) They will even deny them the right to live, to buy and sell. “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” (Rev.13:17)
This is prophecised. The beast that had two horns like a lamb, a seemingly Christian free nation, is going to speak like a dragon. (Rev.13, 11-18) Continuing the sins of the first beast, the Papal power, in persecuting God’s people. (Rev.13,1-11)
When they do that, God will strip them of their power and riches in one year. God was the one who blessed them, He made them big, He made them powerful, and He will take it back gain.
But no prophecy is completely determined. Like in the case of Nineveh, if they turn from their ways, God might change His mind. The USA has still not made that one fatal decision, to unite a false religion with their state and suppress God’s commandment-keeping people who have the faith of Christ. But when they do, their destiny is decided.
“And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God?” (Joe 2:11-14)

THE GUARDIANS OF THE TRUTH – Who can interpret prophecy correct?

By

tam

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25/06/2018

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In the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel, we read about mythological beasts that come out of the sea, the earth and the bottomless pit. To many, the prophetic messages in these books, seem strange and makes little sense. Why did God give such seemingly unclear prophecies and what was the purpose of them? The revelations were given for one simple reason, to show God’s true servants the future at the same time hindering their enemies the same insight.

«The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servant’s things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:» (Rev.1:1)

Code language is always made for them to be understood by the allies but at the same time difficult to unfold or break for the enemy. The Book of Revelation is in code language, a secret language from God to His servants. The book of Revelation has a systematical structure and gives the following information:

It tells what would happen with the Christians from the time of John and till Christ second coming.
It tells us who God’s servants are and who their main-enemies is, will be and what they will do to whom.
It tells about powers that will weaken the power of the enemy.

Before I continue It’s important to emphasize that all who accept Christ salvation and choose to follow His lead become His children, His people. However, this does not mean that all who profess Christ name has the truth. Even if they convert, many have a false understanding of prophecy and theology based on their bakcground. But God has had elected light bearers throughout time. And this is our focus in this chapter. Salvation isn’t dependent on understanding everything correctly, but this doesn’t change that God has elected a lineage of light-bearers. And it’s to our benefit to not partake in confusing the minds of men with private interpretations. Understanding prophecy correctly helps us to be prepared for the dangers ahead and to understand the past better. If we understand the principles behind these prophetic books and especially the book of Revelation, it makes more sense why God chose to speak in codes. As many know today there are many different interpretations of both Daniel and Revelation presented by different Church denominations and individuals. The many symbols and prophecies can be interpreted in all kinds of directions if you have vivid imagination and creativity. Many are very clever and makes scripture fit with their ideas perfectly. How do we know who has the key to unlock these codes? The Bible actually reveals who is capable of unfolding the codes. The Apostle Peter reveals:

«Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.» (2.Pe 1:20)

He continues to explain that it is the Holy Spirit that is the author and the code-breaker. But different Christians with different interpretations all claim it’s the Spirit that speaks through them and has revealed their interpretation to them. It could be. But not all spirits are of God. «Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.» (1Jn 4:1)Even here Bible can lead the way out of the confusion and expose who has really been given the spirit that reveals what is actually true. Christ called it «The spirit of truth», and He said that not just anyone could receive it (Joh.14:17). Jesus said: «Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; ..he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.» (Joh.16:13 & 15)Because the interpretation of prophecies is revealed by the Spirit, theological education or other education in this world, cannot be used as a criterion for someone knowing what they are talking

about in this context. In the time of Jesus, even scholars and wise men from the best schools thoroughly investigated and studied scripture and even knew large parts of the text by memory, yet they didn’t see that the Man standing right in front of them was the fulfillment of these same prophecies. They couldn’t interpret prophecy correctly. It doesn’t matter if someone can quote scripture by memory, if they have worked as a pastor or priest for many years or if they have taken all the approved education the field has to offer. The revelation of prophecy belongs to God and only the ones He gives the Spirit of the Truth will present to you the right interpretation. In the New Testament, we saw the devil quoted the bible to deceive Christ in the wilderness. (Luke 4:1-13) The devil can quote the Bible, he knows the Bible. But he turned the quotes to lie by placing them in the wrong context. And this is what many Bible teachers do, they place the prophecies in the wrong context and get a different meaning than the one God intended. Jesus once said:

“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (Joh 7:24)

In order to receive the gift of The spirit of truth, Jesus has conditions. In fact, He will not give it to someone who doesn’t meet His conditions. Jesus Himself has told us what this condition is and because of that we have the opportunity to see who fulfill these demands. This will also give us a clue as to who has understood the codes correctly, or who we can trust.

Condition 1:

They have to know Him. They have to know God, they have to know Jesus. To know someone is to know who they are, what they stand for, what they are capable of doing and not doing. We, therefore, need to have a close insight into what God says about Himself and His character. Our idea of who God is cannot be based on feelings and guesswork or an «I think God thinks this or that». If we believe God changes opinion after what is politically correct at the time, morals and standards that change from time to time, or that He agrees with whatever is popular to think and feel, well then we don’t know Him. According to Himself He never changes. (Mal.3:6; Heb.13:8) God is not a delicate leaf that is thrown back and forth by the wind of our feelings and the opinions of our time or our personal changeable truths. Humans tend to change views of both life and themselves during their lifetime and some are foolish enough to think that God changes along with them.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.» (Isa 55:8)

To know him is to let Him explain Himself who He is. Many think that if someone is a Christian and have the Bible they know Him. But this conclusion can be unfortunate. Sometimes it is those who are seemingly closest to us, our own family, that are those who misunderstand us the most. A good example is David’s older brother. He had known David his whole life. When David came to ask questions about the giant Goliath, David’s brother said:

«and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.» (1Sa 17:28)

Davids brother said this to him at a time when God said David was a man after His own heart. He was given characteristics that weren’t his, he was a good shepherd. David’s brother hinted that he was irresponsible. David wasn’t proud, he just wanted to help and defend God’s cause and he didn’t have a naughty heart at this time. As with the brother of David, a Christian can have lived in the church or congregation and even had a bible close by their whole life, and still, don’t know or understand God. It’s simple. The way we look at something or someone is strongly connected to how we perceive what we experience. Davids brother’s eyes were perhaps clouded with jealousy and self-righteousness and then took whatever was inside him and transferred them unto David. And by doing this, he ended up misunderstanding David’s motives and his heart. In order to know someone correctly, and especially God, we need to empty ourselves of self when communicating with Him. Knowledge of God comes from the Bible, but the Bible doesn’t give us knowledge on its own. Without the interpreter The Holy Spirit we will read the Bible from our own world-view and the result is that we misinterpret God’s character, his purpose, and direction.

Condition 2:

We have to keep His commandments. Jesus said in His speech about the spirit of truth:

«If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. .. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.» (Joh.15:7 & 10)

Whenever Jesus has something important to say He repeats it.

“If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” (John 14:15-16)

John put condition 1 and condition 2 together and told us how they were connected:

«And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.» (1Jn 2:3-4) See also: «Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.» (1Jn 4:4-6)

We have to be obedient to God if we want to be His servants. If we are not obedient to Him but to any new teaching or of the spirit of this world, we are not qualified to be called God’s servants. The apostles had learned this from Christ Himself and Peter said:

«And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.» (Act 5:32)

Two places in the book of Revelation, God reveals to us who His servants

are. They are described as those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. (Rev.14,12 and 12,17) From all of this we, therefore, know that of all those who interpret Daniel and Revelation these are the ones who have the key to crack the codes in this book.- They are God’s servants and are obedient to Him.- They are described as keeping the commandments of God but also having the faith of Jesus.- They know God in the sense that they know what He always has stood for or stand for.- They haven’t gotten the gift of understanding from universities or wise men, but from Spirit and the Word of God. Still, there are even many who have outwardly these characteristics who are still teaching and forwarding an interpretation that was given at a time when they didn’t have these characteristics. Many messianic movements have teachings and interpretations that are taken from a movement that didn’t have the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Many are also inspired or affected by a prophetic interpretation given by Jews that rejected Jesus as the Messiah. It should be obvious that a group that cannot interpret the simplest prophecies concerning the Messiah doesn’t necessarily have the insight to interpret other prophecies correct-ly. and then especially the prophecies concerning Christ second coming. They also lack one of the criteria, the faith of Jesus. They don’t have both characteristics. From Revelation was written and unto this day there have been people and groups that have had these characteristics and there-fore have been in a position where they could receive the spirit of truth. They have been separated by time and place but the few testimonies they left behind here and there showed that they un-derstood who God had warned against in Revelation and where they themselves were in the timeline. Many paid attention and took precautions based on the information given there. They un-derstood what was going on just like God said was the intention of the book of Revelation.

Revelation 1: Who God is addressing.

By

tam

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25/06/2018

0

The apostle John sits as a prisoner at the island of Patmos when he receives a revelation of the future in symbolic figures or codes, he writes it
down and it’s called the book of Revelation.
This was given God’s servants, they who had the commandments of God
and the faith of Jesus. They were not to walk in darkness but know what
was going to happen. Jerusalem was destroyed and the survival of God’s
people’s was the main topic. What would happen to them? Would they
even survive?
From the book of Daniel, they already knew they had time-wise come to
the last beast that was shown him. The fourth beast told of in Daniel 7. It
was also the iron kingdom from the statue. The beast would divide into
horns and the iron kingdom on the statue divide into toes and a mixture
of clay and iron. So all that was left in the time of John was the fall of the
Roman empire and then they knew that the division followed was going
to last until Christ second coming. The Jews had for a long time longed
to see the Roman empire fall, and especially also the Christians who had
been treated harshly in the empire. It was, therefore, very relevant to
God’s people.
If we are to find out who God’s people is today we need to follow the line
that has gone all the way from Abraham and to this remnant at the time
of John. And the book of Revelation will explain what will happen from
then on, and here we can follow God’s chosen line with their ups and
downs.
In fact at the end of the book of Revelation, the very last verses Jesus
explain what the book has been about:

«I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.» (Rev 22:16)

Many think the book of Revelations is about pagans and other nations, but it’s speaking about “these things in the churches”.
Back to Daniel. The part of the vision that still had taken place was that
this last beastly kingdom would fall bit by bit and be divided but then
replaced with an even bigger danger. Not replaced by a bigger empire,
but a bigger danger.
In the book of Daniel God revealed a pattern in the prophecies. He started with a statue about the empires that would come and have a direct
suppressing role towards Gods people. In Chapter 7 God repeats the
same information about the same empires only with extra information.
In chapter 8 He repeats again information about the same empires however it excludes the first empire that now was gone. He then gives even
more information. In chapter 9, following Daniels prayer for his people,
God show one part again with extended information. This information
is said to be especially concerning physical Jerusalem and Daniels Jewish
brethren. In Daniel chapter 11 we get an even closer look at how the empires come to power and how they fall, all up to Christ second coming.
The same system is used in the book of Revelation. God explains over
and over again major things that will happen during the reign of the last
beast and it’s spiritual successor and the challenges God’s people will
face. So, just like the book of Daniel, Revelation is a repetitive timeline.
By placing the information on each timeline together we get a full view
of what has happened and the end of it. It’s worth remembering that the
dividing of chapters have been made at a later time and wasn’t in the
original text. The consequence of this is that some verses might belong
to the previous chapter or the other way around.
In the book of Revelation and the first chapter, Christ presents himself as
God and almighty, but also as a high priest. We are told that His, meaning Christ’s people, are the new priesthood and leaders of God’s people.
The same titles that were once given to Israel at Mount Sinai, is now
given to the Christian movement. To the children of Israel at Mount
Sinai:

«And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation.
These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.»
(Exo 19:6)

and to the Christian congregation at the time of John:

«And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved
us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us
kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.» (Rev.1:5-6)

That’s right, Revelation reveals that the remnant, Jews who received
Jesus together with converted pagans, is the new leaders and truth-bearers and God’s true people. God continues with them and not the other
Jews. They are the new light-bearers. This means that when verse 1 says
the message is given His servants to show them what will happen in the
future, it’s their line and challenges that will be revealed in the book of
Revelation.
Chapter 1 close with Jesus holding the stars of His churches in His
hands. He walks among the seven candlesticks that represent the seven
churches we are about to hear about. This means that these Churches is
His churches and that His care and attention is for them.
It’s especially interesting to note that the revelation of God’s churches
is given on what is called “The Lord’s day”. This day is by many today
claimed to be Sunday, but for those who know the Bible expression there
is only one day that has ever been called the Lord’s day in the Bible,
and that is the Biblical Sabbath. (Isa. 58:13; Matt. 12:8; Exo. 20:10). The
expression the Lord’s day on Sunday was started by the Catholic Church
and has no foundation in Scripture. If The Bible is to explain the Bible
there is no other option. We get another confirmation from the book
of Hebrews where we learn that Christ is the high priest in a temple in
heaven and that the earthly service was a symbol of His service for us
there. What we know from the earthly service was that the priest was to
change the shewbread every Lord’s day or Sabbath. The bread, as well as
being a symbol of Christ, is also a symbol of God’s word. And so Christ
service in Revelation, among the candlestick, also from the Sanctuary,
giving God’s word (bread) to His people takes place on the very day
the priest was supposed to renew the bread, on the Sabbath. We will continue to see in the book of Revelation that we are in fact inside the
Sanctuary in heaven. First the giving of the word, symbolic of the bread,
than the candlestick, then we see the alter on incense and lastly we see
the Ark of the Testament in the most holy. Not only the items from the
sanctuary service is mentioned but also the service of the Priest. And
this is why the Lord’s day is connected to the service that took place on
this day in the sanctuary. The giving of God’s word to Christ churches.

Revelation 2-3: God’s showing the future of His people

By

tam

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25/06/2018

0

John is then given an insight as to what would happen to the Jewish-Christian people until Christ’s second coming and the congregation’s biggest challenges along the way. Again He uses code language which is very familiar for those who know the scripture and are acquainted with Gods value system in the past. He calls them the seven churches and we learn something about each one of them. The names of the churches is Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. These seven churches existed in the time of John, not far from the island Patmos where he was at the time. Notice that God is not mentioning all the other churches that we know from the new testament excised. If these churches’ names aren’t symbolic it means these were the only churches Christ ministered to in the sanctuary, considering that all these physical cities along with its churches have been in ruins for a long time it leaves Christ without any church for over a thousand years. For this is the churches we see Christ ministering to from the temple. They are a complete number, there are no other candlesticks than these seven. It is clear that the expressions used to the churches are symbolic. This is why the names also are symbolic. We see God uses this pattern many times in the Bible. God took the characteristics of these seven churches to explain seven different time periods that God’s people would go through up until Christ’s second coming. A continuous lineage of His people. This doesn’t mean we will see other converts and churches, but it means they are supposed to receive an in-depth understanding from this lineage and not the other way around. These churches are the ones carrying the torch or light from age to age. So other converts must be grafted alongside them. This lineage, as previously explained, was the continuation of the remnant. And because God keeps His promises and His people and so His chosen light-bearers has to be a remnant of the remnant of this people. Jesus also uses names and characteristics from the challenges of God’s people in the past to explain these churches’ situations. The number seven in the Bible is a continuous time cycle. It was used at creation where each day came after the other. It was also used in the feast days where they came in sequence over seven months. It was also used in the rituals of cleansing where the priest was to count seven days. And we will see the number seven repeating in Revelation. Seven churches, seven stars, seven seals, seven trumpets, and even seven plagues. So to summaries: The churches, like the pattern in the rest of Revelation, start with the time of John and continue till Christ second coming. God uses characteristics from existing churches to forewarn the future of the church as a whole

The seven churches represented the seven churches in time. God uses seven churches in Asia as a parable.

Ephesos

The first pruning of God’s Christian followers is seen already in the first church. It says:

“and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars».

This shows that the first church has managed to keep their doctrines clean and that they themselves have separated from those who were preaching falsehood. But it also shows another lineage emerging, a lineage of false apostles. But this church is keeping separate from them. An apostle was a name for the followers of Christ. Jesus shows with this message that He does not recognize the ones who have an outward profession to be Christ followers, but isn’t lead by God, as part of His church. Just as Jesus had warned, people would do mighty works in His name but He doesn’t know them, they are not of Him. False Christianity would exist from the very beginning. Christ also commends them for not accepting the teachings of the Nicolaitans. This was most likely tied to the Christians who added Roman feasts and practices into the congregation. It was

not uncommon in Roman times to add gods and mythologies to the Roman religion, many religions from the Roman districts were added to Roman religion. Recognizing their gods helped bring the smaller districts of the empire together under loyalty to the emperor. However, the first Christian church taught there was no salvation apart from Christ. That there was no room for other gods, and that they would not accept the Romans in return for them accepting Christ. And so their religion, as well as the Jewish, was considered obstinate and disturbance to peace and the unity of the empire. Some wanted to be bridge builders and convince the first church to be united with them in return for acceptance, however, they refused and was therefore considered an enemy of the State. The first congregation is faithful but God warns them that they have started to lose their first love. This is tied to their focus and eagerness which characterizes anyone in their beginning of a love phase. This is interesting because this is just what Paul warned them against when he said that those who do not have the love for the truth will be deceived. (2.Thess.2:10) He said that if they followed this path then someone would end up sitting as a deceptive god or judge among them. (2.Tess. 2:4) Christ warning to this congregation is therefore of uttermost importance. And we already know what happens to a people that go astray and are not faithful, they are cut off from His people and God will only continue with a faithful remnant of them. This is exactly Christ warning to this church:

«Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.» (Rev.2:5)

So not even this people who are called His new priests will keep their position and title no matter what.

Smyrna

In the church that comes next, we see another division emerging. God has, as He always has done, pruning His people and Church. Some claim to serve God but doesn’t really and the church has exposed them, and God awards them for it. God calls them the synagogue of Satan.

“I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and Are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.»

Jesus had already explained this to us. He said:

«they answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye Would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. …Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.» (Joh.8:39-40 & 44)

And so these words were uttered by Jesus to those who claimed they were of the chosen lineage but didn’t have the right behavior. They are not chosen. Also, Jesus spoke this way about those who claimed to serve His Father while they were ready to kill the one who told them the truth. And this is just what the church will have to face from now on, that those claiming to be followers of Christ are prepared to kill the other followers just because they preached the importance to be true to the truth. Those who do this, lineage or not, are not considered Christ’s true church. The same with the Jews. The second church has again separated itself from the false believers. But this church also has to suffer a lot of persecution and martyrdom. We read:

“ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto
death, and I will give thee a crown of life.»

In Bible prophecy, a prophetical day is a physical year. Although the Christian church suffered greatly during the Roman empire, they had 10 years of, especially terrible persecution. The last and most bloody of the persecutions lasted ten years beginning under Diocletian from A.D.303 to A.D.313. This helps us understand what time period we are in and what time period the next church exist. For we know historically a lot of several dramatic changes that happen to the church in the next years. Although many of the second church lose their lives, they are considered spiritually victorious. Christ has no bad things to say about this church. Only two churches out of the seven do not receive reproof. The second and the sixth.

Pergamon

In the third church, the persecuted church has gotten new challenges. They live in the midst of a lot of evil but stand fast on God’s side. It speaks of Antipas, a martyr. However, we already know from the symbolic language in the message to this same church and the others, that a name can represent an ideology or a group of people. The word Antipas consists of two Greek words, the first meaning “anti” or against, and the second “pas” means father. The name, therefore, refers to a faithful group who is against a father figure to rule over them. Since they are God’s faithful this is the rejection of an earthly father, not God the Father. Jesus had warned against this too:

“And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.» (Mat 23:9)

We know from history that this is a time in the Churches’ history where they start getting powerful leaders among them. Laodicea is also the city where they first started to worship the Roman leaders. We learn from the message to this church that deceptive teachings had started to enter the church. God says they have to repent or turn from their ways. He calls the false teachings that of Balaam. Balaam was a prophet in the Old Testament that tried to bring a curse over God’s people but was unsuccessful as long as God’s people were faithful. Balaam had been a prophet of the Lord but when a king offered him money and status he was willing to give up on godly principles and help bring a curse over those that remained true.

“Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of Unrighteousness» (2Pe 2:14-15)

Peter here explains that those who follow the way of Balaam have gone away from Christ path of righteousness. Christ righteousness was that he
remained loyal to God’s commandments, had He not He would not have been righteous.

“Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and
thy law is the truth.” (Psa 119:142)

“My tongue shall speak of thy word:for all thy commandments are righteousness.” (Psa 119:172)

“If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” (Joh 15:10)

John also explains that sin is the breaking of the law.

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.” (1Jn 3:4-5)

Balaam literally was disobedient to God’s word. (Num 22:12) «And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they. And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me: For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me: come therefore, I pray thee, curse me people.» (Num.22:15-17)

In the same way the christian union with the emperor of Rome were to be a curse to God’s people. Only those who remain obedient to God wasn’t swept away by the deceptions that followed. We learn that a part of the church has forsaken God’s way, Christ righteousness, that they chose sin over obedience and that they are selling obedience to God for the sake of a position and influence from a pagan king.

Judas also mention Balaam:

«Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.» (Jud 1:11)

Cain also abandoned God’s truth for the sake of his own invented righteousness. Instead of bringing a blood sacrifice to the altar, he brought something he had come up with himself. A religion based on own ideas rather the word of God. Cain wanted to worship God but by his own rules. God did not accept this kind of worship and so he got angry with both God and his brother who was obedient, and he persecuted his brother. In the beginning the heathen had been instructed by the chosen Jewish line, however now pagans were only converting halfheartedly and dragging the church in their direction rather turning from their ways. This is just what happened to the church according to historical records. From heavy persecution in the Roman empire, they now had to face flattery and seduction from Roman leaders and this is when the church is seduced to make a compromise and a new pagan-Christian religion surface. The Roman emperor brought the two religions into one. He turned pagan temples to Christians, but many of the practices and traditions remained. Many Roman gods were now called Christian saints, and they prayed to them. Again God warns them in this message to the church that if they don’t repent they will be separated from His true people. This mixture of religion actually removed Christianity from its Jewish roots and to the Roman understanding of worship and spirituality. Many Christian fought all they could for the truth, but the pagan-influenced line of Christians got power and honor from the Roman emperor and their influence grew. The church was now at a breaking point.

Thyatira

In the fourth church, Jesus brings up the name Jezebel. Another character from the Old Testament. The king of Israel marries a pagan royal and she brings corrupted idol worship into the land. Remember Jesus started calling His people kings in Revelation 1? Now God is asking His church why they are letting her rule over them. At this time in history, the pagan Roman religion emerging with Christianity has gotten its leader, the Pope. The word Pope means Papa or Father. And he has been given, by the Roman emperor, the right to be the leader of the Christian church and judge what is true and what isn’t and to judge heretics. The pope can now punish heretics and any Christian who won’t subdue under the Christian roman appointed leader and his doctrines. Jezebel enters into the history after God has split the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. Israel had rejected God’s laws and now they were married into paganism by their union with Jezebel. And Judah was not uninfected by the unfaithfulness of the other tribes. God explains in his message to the

third church that he will separate or cut away those who follow her. Meaning God’s chosen line doesn’t let her control them. If they do, they are no longer God’s chosen people. Those who remain faithful in this time are the ones God will continue with. He tells them to ’hold fast’.

It says:

“Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.» (Rev.2:20)

Again, as before, we notice the symbolic language. To eat something other places in the Bible is a symbol of taking part in it’s meaning. For instance, eating bread was a symbol of taking part in Christ’s death. In other places we see them eating a book which means they are receiving the content of the book. Ezekiel eats a scroll of lamentations. And Moses let the Israelites drink gold-powder from the Golden Calf they made. All full of symbolism. The symbolic for eating things sacrificed to idols literally means to take part in things dedicated to pagan gods or to take part in pagan rituals. We are again told that God’s servants are seduced to add pagan practices into their worship. In the message, we see a time prophecy.

“And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not.» (Rev 2:21)

This time prophecy is given to the corrupted Jezebel, the people who had mixed paganism and Christianity, to the Christian movement that had united with the Roman state and now sat as a ruler there. Although she wasn’t part of God’s chosen lineage and truthbearer, God did try and reach her to cause her to repent, however without success. We know God still has his faithful who won’t let Jezebel deceive them. To them, He says:

«But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:» (Rev 2:25-26)

Jesus here clearly says that He will continue with the remnant that «keepeth my works», that is staying true to God’s truth and obedience to His laws. It’s clear that neither Jezebel or anyone that follows her is regarded as God’s children:

«Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. ..And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.»

Again we are instructed that it’s not about the name professed, is someone calling themselves a follower of Christ, it’s not about powerful positions and range of influence. it’s about the works. Same as it has always been. God says to His faithful «the rest in Thyatira», meaning a large part of God’s church is cut off at this point. The Greek word means the «remaining ones» or the «remnant». A large part of God’s church has at this point been seduced by the other so-called Christians who are in power. The power and influence of the corrupted Church have affected God’s true Church, Thyatira, and God is only left with a remnant who stays true to His teachings and commandments. All the others have for the sake of peace and prosperity abandoned the truth. Historically we know this is the next phase the Christian church experienced. During the middle ages the Roman Catholicism was the ruling power in the former Roman empire. They replaced God’s truth and commandments with their own truth and their own version of God’s commandments. The co-operated with Kings and Queens all over Europe and usually got what they wanted. And what they wanted was to be the only known Church. All those Christians that would not subdue the Papal authority were hunted down and fined, prisoned, persecuted and murdered. Large groups of Christians trying to follow the uncorrupted word his in deserted areas in Italy, France, Ireland and many other places. They had to spread the gospel and Bibles in hiding, while the Catholic Church could do their work in the open. This resulted of course in the worldwide growth of Catholicism and the decline in other biblical founded churches. Because of the sometimes grotesque murders done on those who would not follow Roman Catholicism many started to give up on principles to stay alive and have a chance at a life. Many made compromises to make the church happy. The Church argued that they were the chosen lineage and truth-bearers, because of their great power many were also deceived to believe that God had given them the power. But the Book of Revelation will later reveal who gave them the power. We are also told in both Daniel and Revelation that God’s true people would be subdued for a long time period and not be the ruling people. However those who gave in to the corrupted church was cut off from God’s chosen linage. Only repenting could craft them back.

Sardis.

In the message to the fifth church, Jesus tells us His people are about to give up. He tells them to wake up.

“Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect Before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent.»

Only love for the truth will keep them going. Jesus tells them to stay true to the true teachings they once received. But the church struggled heavenly during the dark middle ages. Many give up on the principles and can’t hold fast. True biblical principles and truths are given up one by one. Jesus tells them to wake up. In the gospel, Jesus had explained that when God’s people sleep the devil will plant weeds among them. The true church had now lost many of its important doctrines and many had also given up obedience to God’s law. God’s church in this time is dependent on waking up and finding their way back to the truth and the true doctrines. This is just what we see taking place looking at our history. More and more are woke up and received this calling, and they started to copy and spread the Bible and reforming away from false teachings. But the weed had already been planted and they didn’t realize all of the corruption that was still in their practice. They didn’t know they were now holding on to several pagan origin practices instituted by the pagan-Christian church. There had been churches that had been faithful and always resisted the papal authority, but when the Protestant movement became strong they found spiritual shelter among them. Unfortunately, the reformers still were deeply rooted in Catholic dogmas that had nothing to do with the biblical religion. Many of those who had resisted papacy the whole time started compromising and leaning on the Protestant movement. In the message to Sardis are several re-proof. The new movement or awakening that together with those who had resisted papal authority was in great want. Many were arrogant in their belief failing to see the many faults in their teachings. Some even persecuted other reformers because they feared it was “going too far”. However the more the Bible was spread the more knowledge people got of its content and more chose to go all the way back to the pure teachings of the Bible. Especially in the areas that for a long time had held firm until they were completely subdued by the men of the Church. Now they started to reject the doctrines of the pagan-Christian church and go all the way back to Gods commandments and ordinances.

was still in their practice. They didn’t know they were now holding on to several pagan origin practices instituted by the pagan-Christian church. There had been churches that had been faithful and always resisted the papal authority, but when the Protestant movement became strong they found spiritual shelter among them. Unfortunately, the reformers still were deeply rooted in Catholic dogmas that had nothing to do with the biblical religion. Many of those who had resisted the papacy the whole time started compromising and leaning on the Protestant movement. In the message to Sardis are several re-proof. The new movement or awakening that together with those who had resisted papal authority was in great want. Many were arrogant in their belief failing to see the many faults in their teachings. Some even persecuted other reformers because they feared it was “going too far”. However the more the Bible was spread the more knowledge people got of its content and more chose to go all the way back to the pure teachings of the Bible. Especially in the areas that for a long time had held firm until they were completely subdued by the men of the Church. Now they started to reject the doctrines of the pagan-Christian church and go all the way back to Gods commandments and ordinances. God’s church that had fallen asleep, are now waking up. And Jesus continues with those who hear His calling for reform and cuts off those who do not heed his call. As we see in the past, God doesn’t reject His chosen people even when they fail as long as they allow themselves to be instructed by Him when He confronts them. And so God’s people are never instantly cut off the moment they fail, God warns them and if they still fail, He then calls for them to turn back to Him. If they reject this calling they are cut off. Jesus explains that He still has some faithful:

“Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.»

But to those within this reform movement that won’t listen to His reproof, He will cut off and continue with those who are obedient. Those who
stop midway in the reformation back to God’s ways are pruned. Only a remnant of also this Church or movement continues being His church
or light-bearers. Those who do not receive the light can’t be responsible

Philedelphia

In the sixth church, we see the effect of the awakening. Jesus commends them, spite them having little strength, they have received the word of
God and again made it its’ guideline. Bear in mind the reform movement had become great and influential in many places. But this remnant that has continued the Reformation all the way back to God’s ordinances and laws have little strength.

Again we see that this church has gone through a division and He commends them for having separated from the unclean congregations.
Both the second and the sixth church has separated themselves from the corrupted congregations in their time. Both cases God rejects those
who have not taken heed of His call to reform and call them the synagogue of Satan as they follow his belief system before God’s. The name
Satan literally means “opponent”. What was Satan an opponent of? God’s govern God’s rules, God’s law. It was the rebellion against these institutions that inspired God’s new name for him. He wanted to Himself be God and to be God means to be the one who sets the rules. Satan wants
to replace God’s rule with his own. This is what made him a rebellion. In the Church of Philadelphia, we see that they have separated themselves from the synagogue of Satan. This is a group claiming to be Christ’s followers but like Satan, they have continued to replace God’s law and order with their own traditions. To believe yourself in a position to do this is the mindset of Satan. The fifth church had received full knowledge of the truth: ”Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard» (3,3) They were the church that again got full access to the Bible while it had been forbidden for common people for so long. God expected them to act on what they had received and heard, and reject the traditions of the corrupted churches. Yet many did not. They dared not replace their traditions with God’s commandments. But the sixth church has separated from this part of the church. God has again pruned His people and left those behind.

God says that this sixth church will be spared the great tribulation that is going to come on the earth. God has nothing to warn this church
about other than to encourage them to stay firm. Just as it was with the second church, neither does the sixth receive any reproof. And so this is
the evidence that this church has in fact already reformed back to God’s pure truth and commandments. In Deuteronomy, we learn that if His
people keep His commandments and are true to them, He will protect them. But if they don’t, he will allow them to enter a tribulation:

“Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding …When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.» (Deu 4:5-6 & 30-31)

When we hear God saying he will spare the sixth church from the tribulation that will come upon the earth it’s a clear sign that they have not
just received Christ as their High Priest, Christ as their savior, but also that they have reformed all the way back to God’s commandments. But
it’s worth questioning what has happened between this church and the last.

Laodicea.

The last church before Christ second coming is also the seventh. Jesus has nothing positive to say about them like he did many of the other
churches. Some were told where they were doing good and where they were doing bad. But this last church receives no praise. They are in a
terrible state. They are neither cold or worm. They think they have the truth, that they are spiritually rich, but they don’t live out the truth. They
lack a saving relationship with God. Jesus has even ended up outside his own congregation knocking on their door. He is hoping they are going to realize they have shut out their own savior so that He cannot do His works within them. This church is in a critical state. They are God’s chosen people, His people, but they are fallen. And as we see in the past and in God’s lineage, God’s people aren’t rejected the moment they fall away, they are still regarded His people until His call for repentance has been rejected. Now they are given instruction and a call to repent. How they respond to this call will determine if they will be lost or enter into God’s kingdom as His faithful. This is the last church, there will be no other chosen church. This is the end of the lineage of truth-bearers going all the way back to Abraham. Only the part that will receive God’s warning will be saved and the rest will be rejected when Christ returns. After them, there is no remnant, no more church. This is it. The last

of God’s chosen line. Notice that the church has a history behind it. In God’s system, you cannot suddenly remove Gods truth-bearers from His chosen line and give the title to a group who hasn’t this history. The history is part of the instruction, part of God’s people’s experience, and it belongs together with God’s present truth. Other groups of believers will be grafted unto this line, not this group on the others line. A newly converted Jew, for instance, have to take part in Gods chosen line’s experience. It cannot ignore 2000 years of leading to start a new. Then they will miss out on a lot of truth that God has given along the way. And so they will benefit to listen to the other group in order to understand everything completely and the enlightenment gave them to understand prophecy and scripture and not make the other group convert to them. This is the last church, God will not start a new with a new movement. No matter how petty they are, they are the last of the seven candlesticks, their star is the last church leader in Christ’s hand. If the church does not repent and follow Christ instructions, only a remnant of them will be saved. But still, God continues with the remnant. Not to make them into an eight church but to give them to sit with Him on His throne:

“To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (3:21)

Christ advice to this church is to repent and:

“I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.» (3,18)

Gold tried in fire are a faith that is tested and come out strong. White raiment symbolized to be clothed in righteousness, Christ Righteousness. And eyesalve is to open their eyes to a true understanding of their own situation and to give them discernment. Jesus also says they need to let Him in so they can sup with Him. This is symbolic of a renewal of His covenant with Him. Only if this church receives this message and does what Christ says, will they be saved. This last church fits very well with our own time. Among God’s commandment-keeping people who believe in Christ, there has come a great fall. While claiming to have the law they break it along with the rest of the world. A world full of impressions, sin, and pleasures. They have a
taken part in pagan customs with Christian names, they take part in the ways of the world while they think of themselves as spiritual. They follow their lusts just as they do in the world. Paul described Christians in our time perfectly:

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2Ti 3:1-5)

You would not think of this as a description of Christians before you see it in the last words: “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God” A “form of
godliness but denying the power”. This is exactly what we see in the last church. Christ on the outside knocking. As we will soon see, God will make a final separation before His second coming. All men and women on earth will receive one last warning and chance to choose salvation.

Revelation 4-5: God’s people given insight because of Christ merits.

By

tam

-

25/06/2018

0

In Revelation chapter 4 and 5 we get an insight into what happens in heaven. In the book of Hebrews, we learn that Jesus is in a sanctuary, the
one the earthly was a shadow of. Here we see a door opened and we see God’s throne. We learn that people who are saved from the earth have a
role as elders around the throne. We know a group of people rose when Christ was risen and came with God to heaven.

“And the graves were opened, and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.» (Mat 27:52-53)

This might be this group of elders as they are already in heaven when John get this vision. We know from their own words that they have been redeemed from earth:

“Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation» (5:9)

We see these elders several times in Revelation and we see them agreeing with God’s judgments. This means that God has representatives from earth taking part and witnessing God’s judgment and actions. We also see in the book of Daniel and a judging scene in heaven where ten thousand upon ten thousands of angels are witnesses. (Dan.7:10) God does not need to judge man in secret, He is doing it in the open so that the witnesses can see that He is righteous and praise Him for it. God wants our praise to be tied to us knowing Him and seeing He is righteous, not out of fear. Our attention is now drawn to a sealed book. John cries because he so wants for the book to be opened, and for the church to have this insight into the future. Each seal opens a new page with a part of the future. He learns that because of Christ victory He has been given the power to open the seals. We are also told of Christ power and how He is honored in heaven.

Revelation 6-7: New insight into the different time periods and the challenges God’s people would face.

By

tam

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25/06/2018

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In Revelation 6-7 we get a new insight of things that would take place from the time of John and until Christ returns. This time we get new
information, and more details of the different time eras. Again we are presented with the number seven just as it was seven churches, we now
have seven seals. The history of the church is repeated and elaborated. The first white horse represents the first clean church that was undefiled
and that brought the gospel unto the world. It represented the eagerness of the disciples and the first Christians.
The next horse is red which indicated a loss of innocence. Red in the bible is a symbol of sin. Deceptions and worldliness are pressing its way
into the church. The church is morally defiled, it has been infected with sin. This made it vulnerable to what was about to happen. The third horse was black. The opposite of white. The church goes into a time of moral darkness and delusion. Paganism and Christianity have been unified, the Roman Empire and Christians together have become a new religion. Superstition and philosophy, pagan rituals and practices have replaced the pure truth. It says the horseman on the black horse has a measuring weight which symbolizes authority. Christianity has mixed with worldly power spite the fact that Jesus had said his kingdom wasn’t of this world. The emperors from Constantine to Justinian make laws for the Christians, unified church, and state and even became leaders over the progress of the church. Their allies among the Christians got lucrative leading positions. The next horse is pale. It illustrates death. The church is about to die spiritually. The emperor Justinian gives the bishop in Rome authority to rule and those among God’s people who try to be faithful to the truth is

persecuted, claimed to be heretics, killed and punished in many ways. They are now hunted pray and brought to silence. This period of the
Christian history is so hard for the true believers that extremely few are left and most are devoured and suppressed by this power. One example
is the church in Ireland and Scotland that long persevered Gods commandments and the faith in Jesus. But even they were conquered. Those who resisted were even ‘converted’ after their death by the Catholic Church. Historical falsification, power, and brutality almost wiped out God’s faithful wherever they were. In the case of Ireland and Scotland, the Catholic Church wrote that they had been wild pagans whom they brought to the gospel, while the truth was something entirely different. The true worshipers were almost wiped out in real life and lied about in the history book written by faithful Catholics. The fifth seal is opened. The first four were horses. Not the fifth. Here we see an illustration or the aftermath of the horses. Many righteous people have been slain. They cry out to God these words: HOW LONG? They want to know how long this terrible time will continue where they will be subdued and be killed by this deceptive power who claim to be Christ followers. The cry out for God to reveal to them the time. And God answers their prayer when we see Him giving the time it will last at a later repeating prophecy. This time period of suppression is also mentioned in Daniel:

“and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.» (7:25)

And this same time period will be mentioned again several times in Revelation. From the fifth seal, we learn that it’s the suppressed among God’s people that are crying out to hear the time. The sixth seal is opened and we learn of several end time signs and for-warnings that precedes Christ coming. The deliverance is near but before there will be a lot of shaking. We are shown those who are saved, the unbroken line that has continued since the time of John and until the very end. They are not the only ones to be saved, as we also see a great multitude from all over the world. But the 144 000 is from what is called Israel, sealed and then a great multitude to large to be counted added to their number. While everyone who wants to follow God’s commandments and have the faith of Jesus will be saved, the multitude comes from different backgrounds. “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb,
clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands» (Rev.7:9) They do not have the complete truth and have not been part of God’s chosen
light-bearers who were undefiled by the corrupted churches. Although they haven’t understood everything right they have followed the light
that they had. It says about the 144 000:

“These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb Whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.» (Rev.14:4)

In the bible churches and even Judah and Israel was called women. Even the 144 000 are compared to a woman when they are called a virgin. If the Bible continues it’s symbolic expression it means that their doctrines are pure, that they have not allowed the harlot and her daughters to corrupt
their understanding or their religious practices. They have a pure truth unfalsified. They are God’s chosen light-bearers in the end times, clean.
The connection with the tribe of Israel shows us that the 144 000 are those light bearers that are a continuation from the time of Christ. They are not part of unconverted Israel, but of the line that has stayed true and listened whenever God directed them and rebuked them. We see in this scene the great multitude together with the 144 000. Everyone cheers and shouts with joy over being saved and they worship the Lord. It’s a feast in heaven. And in the seventh seal, we see silence in heaven for half an hour. Jesus has even more details to give to His people. Till now He has given them the advice on how to handle the changes that would take place in the churches and what they had to do to remain faithful (7 Churches). They have received an insight in the future and how the church would go from white to red, to black and pale unto death and how they would be persecuted by others also calling themselves Christians who were in power. They see signs of Christ coming and that God will seal His faithful. They are comforted. (7 Seals)

Revelation 8-11: The fall of the Iron empire, pagan and papal.

By

tam

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25/06/2018

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Jesus chooses to go even deeper to expose what will happen. Again, just like in the book of Daniel, Jesus goes back in time again to tell more
about the time periods up until Christ second coming. Trumpets were used to gather God’s people but it was also used to forewarn war. In the
scenes, we are about to see it’s clear this is war and not a feast. The bitter persecution God’s people would have to endure was to be relieved as
their enemy would at times be punished and lose power. In Revelation 8 to 9 we see trumpets, a warning of judgment, directed towards the
enemy of God’s true people. Just like there were seven churches and seven seals, we now get seven trumpets. So in the Bible trumpets often forewarn wars and judgments for the benefit of the people.

“If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blows the trumpet, and warn the people; …He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman sees the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword comes, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.» (Ezek.33:3&5-6)

You don’t blow a trumpet to warn the enemy, then the enemy will be prepared. And so the trumpets are for the benefit of God’s people.
So when the trumpets sounded to forewarn armies in the Bible, if the people were faithful to God they need not fear. Those who had corrupted their worship and didn’t follow Gods law, however, were the ones in the greatest danger when the trumpets sounded. The true believers who were faithful were to live in the hope that the persecuting powers would fall bit by bit. In the beginning of chapter 8 see how the prayers of God’s people are coming up in the temple before the trumpet sounds. The altar of incense was in the sanctuary and this shows how God will take especially care of His people and receive their prayers in these times of turmoil. Although the wars aren’t directed towards them it will affect them greatly. But they were to have their hope in knowing that their prayers are accepted into the sanctuary and that the High Priest was watching over them. The first four trumpets tell us how Rome fell. Remember how God thoroughly explained how Babylon, Medo Persia, and Greece would fall bit by bit in the book of Daniel?

Now we get to see the last beast, that had imprisoned John on the island of Patmos, the Roman empire and its remnants, fall bit by bit. This power that not only had crucified Jesus but also many of His followers had been a burden to the true church. Now it would lose it’s power bit by bit as prophesied to Daniel. Only in Revelation do we get a more fuller explanation. Again, the visions are given symbolic so they would be understood by God’s people and not the enemy. The first part of the Roman Empire to be struck was the western empire.

First Trumpet.

The first stroke of death was lead by Alaric and the Visigothic nation. “Thrace, Macedonia, Attica, and the Peloponnesus, but did not reach
the city of Rome. On his second invasion, however, the Gothic chieftain crossed the Alps and the Apennines and appeared before the walls of the
“eternal city,” which soon fell a prey to the fury of the barbarians.” The terms hail and fire mingled with blood is symbolic of their warfare. They left a bloodbath on their way. And just like no one can control hail, no one could control this army and their destruction. It’s said that the city of Rome was full of dead bodies. One third refers to one-third of the kingdom.

Constantine actually divided the Roman Empire into three parts and gave it to his three sons. Later it was divided into two parts, the western Roman empire, and the East Roman Empire.

Second trumpet

The second trumpet tells of a great mountain burning with fire cast into the sea. The second deadly stroke made towards the Roman Empire was by the Vandals and it’s leader Genseric. Here two part of the kingdom is effected. Earlier in Bible prophecy, a mountain is a symbol of
a kingdom. The mountain hitting the sea show us that it’s talking about a kingdom that will attack from the sea. The Vandal leader had his headquarter in Northern Africa and most of his warfare was naval. In order for Rome to cope with his attacks, they strengthen their naval with

three hundred long galleys and smaller vessels. But the vandal leader manages
to sink most of their ships in a surprise attack. Rome had prepared their
counter-attack for three years and they lost in one day. Some years later the Eastern Roman empire strengthens their naval and sent a great number of ships to defeat them, but they lost once again and the Vandals continued taking past Roman territories.

Third trumpet

In the third trumpet, we see a star falling into the rivers and fountains of water. It tells us that many of the men died in the water because it was made bitter. If we continue with the symbolism we find another army led by a strong leader. This time not a navy army but an inland army. The third deadly attack on Rom came from the Huns with the great leader Attila in front. Interestingly enough some of the major operations took place in the regions of the Alps which is the district where the rivers flow into Italy. The foundation of water. Their warfare weakened Western Rome overwhelmingly. Interestingly enough, in the Bible bitter water was given to a woman suspected of infidelity. If she drank it and her belly got swollen

it was a sign that she was guilty of the crime. (Num.5:11-31) At this time the Christians had become corrupt and infidel, and the power they were whoring with was pagan Rome.

Fourth

Another stroke of death for the Western Roman Empire was the Ostrogoths. Here it says the sun, moon, and stars are smitten. This is symbolic of the Roman government, the emperor, the senators, and the consuls. Western Rome fell between 476 and 566. Odoacer was made the first king of Italy but was defeated by the Ostrogoths who also took the city of Rome. The western Roman empire would never again be what it once was,

and their rule was only over small
areas compared to what it had been. Although the sun, the emperor, was gone the consulship and Senate (moon and stars) lasted for a little bit longer. Ironically the end of also them was done by the emperor of the Eastern Roman empire named Justinian in 541. Justinian was also the emperor who gave the Papal power to sit in Rome and be judge over the Christian Church. As the Western Roman Empire was finished and the territory was split, the Pope continued in Rome with the emperor’s titles but with completely a different power and purpose.

Fifth trumpet

The only part that remained of the Iron Kingdom, the feet on the statue shown Daniel, was the Eastern RomanEmpiree. The next two trumpets will finish off also this part of the empire. The eastern Roman empire was known as the Byzantine kingdom and their capital had been Constantinople (Istanbul) ever since Emperor Constantine. The Byzantine kingdom was large in the Middle East. In the fifth trumpet, we learn who will bring them down. It explains that a star has fallen from heaven unto the earth and that a swarm comes out of the bottomless pit. The star represents a leader. First it was the Persian monarch that started to eat its way towards Constantinople. However, when asked to convert to the new religion Islam coming from a prophet in Mecca, he refused. While the Persian and Roman monarchs were busy fighting each other, the new Arabic movement was growing in the south. The chapter compares them to locusts, a term used previously in the bible for the Arabic people when they were about to go to war. Mohammad started this movement firstly as an objection to the partly pagan Byzantine kingdom dominating the middle east. Claiming to have a more pure teaching and a calling from God, the Arab hordes started taking over territories. “Bottomless Pit” comes from a Greek word that can mean desolate or an isolated place. It can point to the deserts of Arabia where Islam had it’s beginnings and first followers. However just as the true gospel was once called the ‘light’ we see in this verse ‘smoke’ coming out of the pit and spreading. They are also compared to scorpions, having a deadly sting. Next, we learn that they are told not to hurt those of God’s people who are sealed, meaning God allowed these people to gain this power to punish Rome and take down the East Roman Empire and corrupt Christianity, but God didn’t permit them to hurt His faithful.

God’s people were already suffering severe persecution by the pope’s men, and this strife was not to hurt them. An
interesting letter was sent out in 632 by Abubekr:

“When you fight the battles of the Lord, acquit yourselves like men, without turning your backs; but let not your victory be stained with the blood of women and children. Destroy no palm-trees, nor burn any fields of corn. Cut down no fruit-Trees, nor do any mischief to cattle, only such as you kill to eat. When you make any covenant or article, stand to it, and be as good as your word. And as you go, you will find some religious persons who live retired in monasteries, and propose to themselves to serve God that way; let them alone, and neither kill them nor destroy their monasteries.
And you will find another sort of people that belong to the synagogue of Satan, who have shaven crowns; be sure you cleave their skulls and give them no quarter till they either turn Mohammedans or pay tribute.”

At this time God’s people had gone to hiding and gone to live in secluded areas to escape the persecution. They were not monasteries but were regarded as such as they were isolated Christians. He then talks of the others with shaven crowns that we know were common in the Catholic monasteries among the Roman priests. They had monasteries all over the territories that the Arabs now was taking over. There were several different Islamic caliphates, each one establishing its grounds in the former Byzantine areas and becoming unbeatable. They also took Jerusalem and built their mosque there. Losing Jerusalem was forever to be a thorn in the eye of the Roman papacy and the East Roman empire.

“And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.” (Rev.9:7-8)

The description of this army matches the Arabs. They were famous for their strong horses, and they had turbans with miters. It also says they
had hair like women, and the Arab men did not cut their hair and often had very long hair.
In verse 5 we are told that they would torment them for five months. Five prophetic months is 150 years. Just like in the message to the churches where they were said to be under great tribulation for 10 days or years it did not mean they would only be persecuted in this time period. The 150 years here described speaks of the time period where they would do the most damage to the East Roman empire. It also tells us that these 150 years began when they had a king or a strong leader over them. The Mohammedans were divided under different leaders for many years and had no government that was extending over them all.

East Roman Empire at its peak in 555 A.D. Map to the right show how Islamic caliphates took piece by piece of their territories.

Othman then established the Ottoman empire and gathered all the Mohammedan tribes under one leader. But the prophecy not only talks of a common leader but of them tormenting their enemies. When they started to attack the Greek empire the west was shaking. Some count from when he first entered the territory of Nicomedia in July 1299 and it ending in 1449. The prophecy told that they would torment but not given the power to kill. Although they kept fighting their way west attacking the Greek, they didn’t manage to take Constantinople or conquer. The East Roman empire survived still. But at the end of the 150 years where they were “not given to kill but only torment” a change takes place. The restraint that had been on them, are taken away and the sixth trumpet is sounded.

Sixth trumpet

This trumpet starts with the Angels losing a restrain that has been at the river Euphrates. The River Euphrates begins in today’s Turkey and goes down into Syria and ends in Iraq. It speaks of four angels at the river that are loosened. The Ottoman empire had at this time four sultans situated at Aleppo,

Armor for the horses head. All pictures from the Ottoman museum in Istanbul.
Pictures are by the author.

Iconium, Damascus, and Bagdad. Another time prophecy is given, “an hour, and a day and a month, and a year” which translates to 391 prophetic days, if the day for a year principle is used also here. One year is 360 years, a month is 30 years, one prophetic day is one literal year and one prophetic hour is the twenty-fourth part of a literal year which is fifteen days. This gives us 391 years and 15 days. Notice last time prophecy said they would not be permitted to kill (making an end to something), now they are given that permission in the next time prophecy. From torment to kill. Now they were permitted to slay a third of the men. This is the third part of the Roman empire that had yet to fall. The last successor of the Roman emperor Constantine was removed from his throne and Constantinople captured. The East Roman Empire and the eastern city of the Caesars were now finally taken from them. We get an even better description of this army so that no mistake can be made as to their identity.

“And Thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.” (v. 17)
(See photo above)

Fire is red, jacinth is blue and brimstone is yellow. These were the colors the Ottoman army used. The Turkish uniform was scarlet, blue and yellow. It was the newfound invention of gunpowder that secured the Ottoman the upper hand against their enemies and helped them bring the last part of the Eastern empire to an end. They used them when conquering Constantinople as well as cannons. Such firearms were not even used in the west at this time. Riding on horses with a firearm is very well illustrated in the verse when it says that fire and smoke come out of the horses’ heads. John who was writing down what he saw had never seen anyone use a firearm before.
So in the fifth trumpet, we learn that they are under constraint for 150 years but then the constraint is loosened for 391 years and 15 days. If one time-prophecy begins where the other ends, which here is natural as the constraint was lifted, the 391 years and 15 days begin at the end of July 1449 and ends in August 1840.

Women’s hair, or really horses tails on military helmets and Ottoman weapon.
All from The Ottoman museum.

Notice that this doesn’t say the Ottoman empire would stop existing, only that they would lose their power completely. Many sincere Christians studied Revelation around this time and were able to predict the fall of the Ottoman empire in August 1840 based on these time prophecies, and they preached it widely a couple of years before it happened. In August 1840 a deal was made between the leader of the Ottoman and the western kingdoms. Unable to keep his strength he made a deal that his continuation was based on him subduing to the will of the western world. The Ottoman Empire no longer had the power to do anything and lived with the consequence that any rebellion would be the end of them.
They no longer were a strong power who could do as they pleased, they were now in the hands of Christian powers. The Ottoman Empire was no longer independent.
The Ottoman empire was permitted as a punishment to Roman Christianity. This becomes clear when we look at history but also the last verses
in Chapter 8: “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”
The Byzantine church, as well as the west Roman church, was the Christian movement that continued the practice of silver and gold icons in their churches, a religious practice from Roman times. They were killing the Christians who would not obey papal authority and they were selling what wasn’t theirs to sell. They took money from the poor “to help” their family members out purgatory, a deceptive doctrine that made the church richer. But no soul was released by money paid to the church in reality. It was a deception.
They also let people buy their forgiveness from God by giving the church money. Their sorceries can easily describe how they claimed supernatural divine intervention to get people’s obedience and attention, only the powers that were at work were not of God.

Six Trumpets – summary

The first four trumpets show how the western Roman empire is broken and looses vitally power. The two next ones show the end of the East-Roman empire and then how the Bishop in Rome struggles with the Islamic caliphate and later the Ottoman empire. The fifth and sixth trumpet show a plague of a nation to the papal influenced kingdoms. To them, they were a pest. But for Gods severally tried people the Muslims became important. The papal battle against those with a different belief became minor as Islam became the new great enemy. The Ottoman Empire also helped the reform movement get a much-needed break to outlive the persecutions and get the strength needed to break free. The Ottoman empire even offered them help so they could succeed. Even though Islam was a pest to the Roman church, it also became a hiding place for many persecuted groups who were permitted to practice their faith in peace in their areas. God used Muslims to punish the East Roman Empire and the Roman church.

Gods people got to follow along with what happened and by it know where they were in history and not fear in the same way as those who had rejected the truth. It was reformed Christians, studying the time prophecy in Revelation 9, that foresaw when the Ottoman empire would lose its independence and greatness. And they preached it before it happened.

See the next chapter to learn what happens before and during the seventh trumpet.

Revelation 10 – 11: A book opened, the two witnesses and the seventh trumpet.

By

tam

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25/06/2018

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Before the seventh trumpet sounds God adds information about this time period. Revelation 10 and 11 give additional information of the time at the time of the Ottoman empire and until Christ second coming, about other things that concern God’s people. We are told that a book is opened. Which book is this? The only book we are previously told is still sealed is the book of Daniel. The one in Revelation chapters 4 and 5 had already been opened seal by seal. The angel prophesied to Daniel that the book he had sealed would be opened in the end times: “And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.» (Dan.12:9) When we now see a book open before the seven trumpet sounds and the end it is a clear reference to the book of Daniel that was sealed. But not everything in the book of Daniel was sealed, much of it was explained at the time he received it. A part of the vision was even given to His people and the nation in the city of Jerusalem.
Daniel was especially told to seal one of the visions he saw regarding a time prophecy. The angel told Daniel that the vision was of a distant future, not related to his time and therefore it was preserved for the end time congregation. The prophecy told of 2300 prophetic days or years, and that he had to seal it. When the book of Daniel is opened this vision is also understood and the angel tells us that there is no time prophecy that goes past this point. We are therefore at the end of the time prophecy given Daniel. All the other time prophecies are to end before this one ends. The time prophecy of the 2300 mornings and evenings or the 2300 literal years was speaking of the sanctuary being cleansed. “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.» (Dan.8:14)

This is especially interesting as we have seen Christ in the sanctuary in the whole book of Revelation. We have seen several of the Sanctuary items, the candlestick and altar of incense, and in the seventh trumpet, we will see the Ark of The Covenant at the most holy. The ministering of Christ for His people is taking place in the sanctuary and that John is blessed with all this insight from the High Priest Jesus Himself. The
time prophecy spoke of a cleansing of the sanctuary, and now the time has come for a special service in the sanctuary in heaven. In order to understand we have to look at the shadow service that once took place in the sanctuary on earth. The cleansing of the sanctuary took place once a year on the Day of Atonement, one of God’s appointed feasts. The meaning of the day was to cleanse the sanctuary of all the sins that had been taken in there during the year. In God’s sacrificial system the sin wasn’t removed completely when the sinner sacrificed an animal, it was removed from them personally but then transfers to the sanctuary. And this is why the sanctuary was symbolically cleansed once a year. The idea behind it is that although we are granted forgiveness through the blood of Christ, sin is still in existence. Have we really repented? Every Christian knows there are fake Christians and good Christians. Those who claim Christ’s blood but don’t really repent or convert. On the day of atonement, those who had not really repented or humbled themselves were cut off from the people. A cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, therefore, consists of an investigation of those who have claimed Christ’s blood to themselves. Which makes perfect sense as God needs to separate the false apostles from the real before He returns. Jesus said he would separate the goats from the sheep. He also speaks of ten virgins all waiting for the groom, a metaphor for Christians waiting for Christ. Five of them are not accepted as they had not filled oil on their lamps and the lamps had gone out. (Matt.25) In the Bible oil is a symbol of The Spirit and a lamp a symbol of God’s word:

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psa 119:105)

Although confessing to being believers and waiting for Christ these virgins have not let the Spirit guide them and their lamp went dark when they didn’t let the God’sword direct their path.

The thought that the book opened is the book of Daniel and the vision that is especially unsealed is the time prophecy is strengthened when the next scene we are given is an angel holding a measuring rod, “And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.» (Rev.11:1) It’s of course not talking about measuring their height and with but their character. The measuring rod is God’s standard, His law, which we are measured after. (Jak 2,10-12; Pred. 12,13-14 Jes. 8,19-20; 2 Tim. 3,16-17) Note that the measuring rod is given into the hands of John, meaning we have to take part in distinguishing God’s people after God’s standard. An evaluation of the believers. He was also to measure the temple which means that the symbols in there, the law in there, was to be evaluated and used when measuring the people. We see this repeated in a later chapter when one of the last messages given to the world is that the hour of judgment has begun. So it’s clear that between the sixth trumpet and the seventh the time prophecy of Daniel has reached its end and the sanctuary was to be cleansed, an investigative judgment. We see the same pattern in God’s holy feast days. The feasts in the spring prophecized Christ’s first coming and the feast in the fall prophesied His second coming. The Day of Atonement, when the sanctuary was to be cleansed, came five days before the harvest. That day where it was to be determined who would get to stay with Israel and who had to leave. And so the judgment of God’s people are placed before Christ second coming in several prophecies.
The prophecy of the cleansing of the sanctuary has an even deeper impact on God’s people. From the messages to the seven churches we learn that the fifth church had fallen away greatly and that only a few remained faithful. We were told that they needed to hold fast on what they had heard and received from God’s word. However, the sixth church has undergone such a change from the former that God has nothing He wishes to reproof them of. Something had happened to the church when Jezabel had corrupted the word and to the sixth. Truth had again conquered. In the time prophecy of the 2300 mornings and evenings, we read: “Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.» (Dan 8:13-14)
God’s truth as shown in the sanctuary, His law, His times, and testimony had all been disregarded and replaced with a false Christian system. For a long time, this power gets the majority of the people in darkness to the Biblical truth. This shows us that while the Sanctuary in heaven would go through its Day of Atonement the people on earth were enlightened to the truth of the Sanctuary all over again. The people who received enlightenment from the Sanctuary and the law there and the service there was the church God had no reproof to give to. The truth was not trodden underfoot, they had perfectly embraced it. So in Daniel, we learn that truth would again come into the light and in Revelation, we see how God’s people are measured by the temple standard.

Two witnesses and a beast.

Even though we are told that the Roman empire will be divided before Christ returns there are still different powers within this division that are revealed as beasts. After showing John the measuring rod and the temple Christ reveals two witnesses.

«And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, Clothed in sackcloth.» (Rev 11:3)

Here we receive another time prophecy of 1260 prophetic days which is 1260 years. We see God going a little bit back in time. We know that the sanctuary was to be trodden under the foot and truth be suppressed. And we are already told that the power who would do this was the same power that would physically suppress God’s people for «a time and times and the dividing of time.» (Dan.7:25) If they only got 1260 years then why does it say the sanctuary was trodden under foot for 2300 mornings and evenings? The 1260 years refer to physical suppression as well as religious. Those reforming under freedom still had a long way to go before they had rid themselves of these powers’ deceptions and religious rules. However, in the time period from the 1260 years to the end and to the end of the 2300 years, the rediscovering of God’s truth took place which ended with their enlightenment in the Sanctuary. Why did they not have this opportunity before? Because God’s two witnesses were «witnessing in sackcloth». While the Catholic Church religiously ruled in Europe they made the Bible a forbidden book for common people. Most people did not have an opportunity to study and find the truths that were there. Those sharing the Bible in this period did it in hiding. Bibles were smuggled from different secluded places where
a few faithful were copying them and to especially interested. The Bible was suppressed, the truth had to be shared in hiding. And this is partly why the truth had been trodden underfoot. When the papal authority lost power the two witnesses, The Old and the New Testament, got a new enemy. Because of faithful men that had risked their lives printing it hiding and spreading it helped the Reformation away from Roman Christianity. The Protestant movement was flourishing and becoming strong. The two witnesses had done their important work in realizing people from spiritual superstitions: «And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.» (Rev 11:7) A beast rises and makes war against the Bible just as they have done this great work in sack-cloth and finally was free to preach. The word used in the Arab was a bottomless «hole». Her only the word abyss is used. The word is used in several places and doesn’t refer to one land area.

«And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.» (Rev 11:8-11)

The Bible had first shared its witness in sackcloth, in hiding. Then when they finally could preach in the free this new power made war against them. It’s compared to Sodom and Egypt and even the city Christ was crucified. All of these are symbolic expressions. In Egypt pharaoh when confronted with God’s word said: «And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.» (Exo 5:2) Pharaoh denied the existence of God or the authority of Him. In Sodom, we see the same happening. Lot was faithful to God’s standard. He represented God in the city to the people. It says Lot sat in the gate which was commonplace in those days to preach, trade and do judgments. About him it says: «And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) (2. Pet.2:7) Before Sodom was destroyed there was a confrontation between the citizen of the city and Lot:

«And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.» (Gen.19:9)

They would not be judged by God’s standards. In Jerusalem, when Christ was crucified the following word exchange took place between the Roman pontiff and the leaders of the Jewish people:

«And it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered We have no king but Caesar.» (Joh 19:14-15)

Here we can see that they chose a worldly king over a godly king. So all thee three examples used referred to a government that refused to be judged by God’s word. And in their attempt to rid themselves of His judgments, they give their loyalty to a worldly power and deny God. This is exactly what happened as the 1260 years were over. The French Revolution managed to take the Pope off his throne, but they also made war against God’s two witnesses, the Bible. It was the first time that a complete rejection of a divinity was made and as part of the state policy. In 1793 a decree passed in the French Assembly forbidding the Bible. As a result, the Bible was burned and banned. The book that had been in hiding was now made into a big bonfire. They attacked all religious people, both Catholic and Protestant. They wanted to rid themselves of the morals and standards in the Bible and replace them with an atheistic worldview.

The French replaced the belief in a God with what they claimed was the belief in reason. They made a goddess that was supposed to represent this.

They made a female idol that they called ’reason’ or the ‘goddess of reason‘ that they carried down the streets. They replace God with what they claimed was the reason, but it was their reason not necessarily everyone’s reason. However, the chaos, moral decline, and blood bath that followed made the French give up on banning religion. Three years later a resolution was introduced into the Assembly to again give tolerance to the Bible. The resolution was on hold for six months before coming in force. Exactly 3,5 years as the Bible itself, the book they had burnt, prophecied. The future of the Bible is told in the next verses:

«And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.» (Rev 11:12)

When the two witnesses go from being in sack-cloth, to being destroyed, ascending to heaven means they now are elevated to a position where all can behold them. This is a good description of what happened to the Bible next. The Bible is probably the most spread book in the world, still on top lists of most sold books the last 50 years. Once the Bible became «free» it was unstoppable and no book has been able to take its place.

Now the warfare against the Bible is somewhat different. Thousands of different explanations for their words are given confusing people into not reading it. Easy and light entertainment is also competing and has resulted in many claiming they don’t have the concentration to read it. The Catholic church still teaches their followers that when in competition, traditions and the Church’s authority comes
before the word in the Bible. Many protestant teachers have taught their followers that much of the Bible is irrelevant and can be ignored, as it’s not part of the new covenant. Today teachers undermine the authority of the Word while they elevate their own private judgments and standards. The philosophy behind the French Revolution is still at war with the Bible. The movement nurtured atheism, inspired Marxism, communism as well as being the father of socialism that also is against God. In the end countries all over Europe and other places in the world would follow in its footsteps and through the government or state they would preach atheism as the accepted truth. They call the Bible a fantasy story that shouldn’t be taken seriously. Anyone practicing its teachings is considered fanatic. Although the Bible is allowed, the philosophy is that it’s dangerous or historically deceptive. The warfare has gone from physical to
spiritual, from sword to word, from threats to ridicule. However, this warfare is still through governmental powers. Although available it’s
disregarded as a source of truth. They say you can believe what you want as long as you do what they do. And as long as your children are taught
by the state from an early age that the Bible isn’t true. The law of God explains that what you teach children when they are young is the path
they will choose when they are older. The teaching of the falseness of the Bible in schools is a leading cause why western society has become
less and less religious. Aristotle said: “Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man.” The placing of atheism and evolution in the educational system has transformed the western world into agnostics.

Seventh trumpet

At the end of Chapter 11, we see the seventh trumpet blow. People have been investigated and the time has come for God to carry out the punishment and judgment over the people:

“And the nations were angry, and thy wrath has come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.» (Rev.11:18-19)

By the witness’s elevation, the world has received a chance to choose God’s way. We can now see the Ark of The Covenant that once stood in the Sanctuary and in the temple. It stood in a place called the Most Holy place. Inside the Ark were the ten commandments. When we learn that nations will be judged and at the same time see the Ark of the Covenant followed by the execution of judgment we know that the law in the Ark is still what man is judged by, His measuring rod. It shows us the validity of the law until the very end.
Now the Papal Church has changed these same commandments. Removed one, divided another, and changed a third. However, the law in the Ark in God’s sanctuary is not the same as the papal changed one. We are not judged by man’s alterations and versions of God’s law. We are judged by God’s law. This means that in order for us to be saved, we have to have repented the breaking of these laws which is God’s definition of sin and sought atonement for them with Christ’s blood. However, a person who does not acknowledge them as an authority cannot repent breaking them either. And where there is no repentance, there is no atonement. The papal church, the largest church in the world, is teaching its followers that the original law of God that is in God’s temple, can be broken without it being a sin. They prevent a man from repenting and their sin is therefore great. Other Protestant churches are teaching that none of these commandments are valid and are even at times encouraging their followers to break some of them in Christ’s name. But Revelation 11 and the seventh trumpet is clear what standard we are to be judged by. Jesus died to atone for our sin, the breaking of God’s
laws and ordinances.

All the sixth trumpets illustrate wars coming against the Roman empire and its remains. Even the French revolution took part in taking power from the Roman Pontiff. But his religious power didn’t end. The seventh trumpet will finish off the last part of the Roman influence, the false Christian system receives its final punishment. They are measured by the law and found to be in rebellion and not in repentance. Christ Himself will deal with this last power, and then the remaining bits of the Iron Kingdom, mixed with clay, will all receive their final end. God personally destroy the last part of the Roman line as the Pope has blasphemed God in the worst way, and led millions in perdition by deception and in His name. No more deceptions, no more suppression. Christ’s kingdom is the only one to remain, and all rebels will be dealt with.

Revelation 12-14: History of the Spiritual warfare against God’s people

By

tam

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25/06/2018

0

Revelation 12 – Dragon and the woman

Every historical line repeated in Revelation ends up with Christ’s return. Now just like in the book of Daniel, this timeline starts all over again with even more details in the next chapters. This time all the powers are described as beasts and we will learn more about what is behind these powers’ behavior. These chapters leave the Eastern Roman Empire and instead follow the path of the Western Roman empire. This is because this is the remain of the Roman empire that would exist until Christ’s second coming, and because it was also where the greatest attack on Christ Church would take place. Usually, the beasts come out of the sea, earth, or bottomless pit. But in Revelation 12 as we start over again in the timeline, we see a dragon already present. When a beast is seen coming up it means it’s a future event, that the kingdom hasn’t already risen. The beast John here sees is the one who is in existence and has placed John on that very Island which he is now a prisoner: The Roman Empire. This was also the Iron empire that was shown to Daniel on the statue. Now we learn who is behind all of the troubles the Church is facing. In this timeline recap, God

changes the focus and we learn who is behind, why it’s happening, and the agenda of the enemy. We learn that it’s all one big ongoing conspiracy from the dragon to the beast to the second beast. They all follow the same agenda. The dragon represents the Roman empire that executed Jesus and persecuted the first Christians. The color red can refer to all the blood they spilled, however, Roman officials and soldiers often used red clothing. The dragon also represents Satan who is the one who is behind the rebellion in both heavens and towards God’s people here on earth. We see Godspure church illustrated by a pure woman and she is persecuted. She is clothed in the sun and has the moon under her feet. Now the moon has no light on its own, it only reflects the light from the sun. In the same way, the old testament ritual system was only a shadow of the true covenant. The animal sacrifices pointed to the real sacrifice. The tabernacle and priestly system were a shadow of the heavenly. The woman has the moon under her feet show us this is the remnant church that is now no longer in the shadow-system of belief but is clothed in the sun, living in the new covenant. It’s the same woman, the same lineage. It hasn’t shifted from one people to another, from one woman to another, but there is a continuation. The woman is the same both before Christ’s birth and after. But the church would be persecuted. And we now learn why and who is behind everything. The devil is mad at Christ, he has no longer access to heaven so he can spread his hatred and rebellion there. The murder of His own creator has made an angel that had any doubts now certain of his character. He has no ear who will listen to his accusations in the heavenly world. The defeat and that there now are humans who have sinned yet are receiving a new chance to be a part of the heavenly world makes him furious. He wishes no human soul freedom and salvation. If God cares so much that He is willing to send His son to die for them, the best punishment he can give God in return is to try and take away as many people as possible from Him. He needs someone to work through and now he takes control over these powers and is going to use them to try and break God’s people. The angel rejoices over not having to have the devil’s influence over the heavenly world but gives a woe to the inhabitants of the earth. Never before has God’s people been subjected to more rage than when the devil with the help of pagan Rom attacked the Christians. But he couldn’t defeat their love for Christ, and they multiplied no matter what he did. So the Devil changed tactics. Instead of openly being the Christian’s enemy he would pretend to be its defender while the attacks continued in secret. First, he had tried to prevent people to learn about salvation, but creating “a false gospel” would prove more fruitful. In that way, people would believe they were Christians when they weren’t really following Christ. In that way, people would think they were already saved, and therefore not see the need to seek salvation.

“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also are transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.» (2Co 11:13-15)

«…but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.» (Gal 1:7-8)

Revelation 13 – Beast out of the Sea

God preserves his people from the Red Dragon and the church survives the attacks. In the next chapter, we learn of a new beast that surfaces out
of the sea and that the dragon now gives its power to this beast instead. But the beast resembles the last, it too has seven heads and ten horns.
Three times in Revelation we are presented with a beast with seven heads and ten horns, however, the surface of its skin changes from red to leopard skin to scarlet-colored. This time, because it changes from red to leopard pattern, and that the first gives power to the next, we see a continuation yet a distinct difference.

It’s described with characteristics from a lion, leopard, and a bear but with the power of the dragon. All these animals were shown to Daniel, the lion was Babylon, the bear was Medo Persia, the leopard was Greece and the last terrible beast was Rome. However, this is a new beast with elements that are taken from these former powers. The beast coming out of the sea is the same beast as the one in Revelation 12 only reborn in a different disguise with new characteristics. In chapter 12 it has the crowns on the head because at this time it is the Roman empire that the devil uses as a weapon against the Church. But this beast is risen again with a new appearance but with the same heads and horns. Only this time the crowns have been moved from the heads to the horns. This is a very important detail. The fourth terrible beast shown to Daniel had ten horns growing up from its hand signifying that the kingdom would be divided into ten parts. Now we see a seven-headed dragon with crowns going from the head to the horns. This is because the time setting of this beast’s surface is in the divided Roman empire. The crown reveals to us where we are in the timeline. In Daniel, we saw a little horn growing large coming up midst the ten horns illustrating that a power would arise among the divided Rome. This horn and this beast have all the same characteristics. In this vision we don’t see the horn grow on the head with the others, we see the horn as a beast. This is because the horns on the beast in Daniel showed a timeline. This beast doesn’t show a timeline. The crowns show us where we are in time. The beast is not one of the ten horns, it’s a separate power.
The Roman emperor gave the religious high priest titles, and the other emperor titles, to the pope. Rom went from pagan Rome to Papal Rome, a seemingly Christian power. Although continuing the titles, ruling from Rome, it was a very different power. It wasn’t an empire anymore and most of its influence was dependent on cooperation with the kings and rulers in the divided land. Its power was entirely based on their ability to keep Europe Catholic. And the rulers were convinced using power and violence to maintain this goal was worth it. The moment they would turn from the religious conviction, the Bishop in Rome would only be a man with grandiose titles and spiritual followers. Roman had physical control over the empire, the pope a religious control. The persecution changed too. Instead of direct open persecution, it was now replaced with deception and manipulation. Just like the Devil tempted Christ in the wilderness appearing like an angel of light, and by quoting the Bible, the devil now used the Bible to seduce the church under the Catholic head, his own representative. Satan was to take the shepherd staff in an attempt to lead the sheep under the guise of Christ’s name. Antichrist, a deceiver controlled by the Devil himself while claiming to be anointed, while claiming to be the voice of Christ on earth. A wolf in sheep’s
clothing. They claimed to be defenders and preachers of God’s word. Satan imitated Christ to bring God’s people into perdition. The Church did charity, showed themselves as humble, preached a lot of truth, but it had the sting of death inside the package. And only those who loved the truth would be able to see the deadly deception amidst all the beautiful professions and good deeds. Those who exposed his deceptive Bible references, who refused to follow the false shepherd and refused to acknowledge the ideology behind the church was systematically persecuted. The Jews didn’t have the power to execute Jesus personally, and so they used their influence to make those who did have the power to carry out the execution. This is usually how it was done around in Europe. The papal representatives put pressure on officials to carry our severe punishments on those who resisted their religious influence. This time it was harder for people to view them as martyrs as people had during the Roman empire. Because most people were confused. Who said what, who was who? Both sides called the others deceivers, heretics, and Antichrist. Who was telling the truth and who was lying? The easiest choice was to follow the mainstream and the pope as this had advantages. Believing the others would only separate them from family and friends and even their land. Didn’t they both offer the gospel, and so why not choose the gospel of those who would make life hard for them if they didn’t? The Pope claimed to have his authority from Christ Himself and so many did not dare to speak against him. They claimed to be a divine institution, what if it was true and they went against it? They were told they would burn in hell for refusing the Papal authority. No matter how corrupt the different popes were, people did not dare to go against them. Their superstition and belief that the claimed holy lineage was above truth. That the Papal commands were above even God’s commands. These difficult times of persecution and darkness had a time limit. We are told of a time prophecy of 42 months. In bible prophecy, one day is often the same as one year. That gives us 1260 years. This time prophecy matches the time given in the book of Daniel of the same power. Because the two prophecies match each other we get a confirmation of the identity of the beast and it’s ending. We are told that the power will suppress God’s people in this time period. We are told the power changes times and laws. Satan wishes to lead God’s people away from obedience to God. He has worked to get mankind to rebel against God’s reign ever since he got Eve to disobey God and eat of the fruit. The devil is in a disguise again, questioning God’s authority as lawgiver. As Christ’s representative, he claims to have permission and authority to change Gods times and laws. Slowly and surely the Christians replace obedience towards God’s word and law with the many ordinances, laws, and guidelines this vicar of Christ, his bishops and priests give. The papal power then systematically eradicated those who stood for the truth with the excuse that they were evil resisting Christ when they didn’t listen to him who sat in His place and ruled on Christ’s behalf. Those who kept God’s unfalsified laws were evil? The Bible warns:

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!» (Isa 5:20-21)

How could it be that a people that knew why the world fell in sin in the first place would fall for the same deceptive message? The devil said to Eve she would be like God if she broke His command, God had said she would die. To opposite. Now the Papal church proclaimed that those who broke God’s command would be saved through the Church, and those who kept them would perish. When were the beginning and the end of the time era of 1260 years? In order to be a prophetic beast, the beast has to have governmental power. All the other beasts in Daniel and Revelation has governmental power. In order to know when the beast becomes a beast, we need to know when the Papal system got governmental power. We already know that
they would receive the power from the former beast. Emperor Justinian, the Roman beast, made the bishop in Rome head over all churches in
533 AD. But at this time the Ostrogoths were still in Rome. They were driven out of the once Roman Capitol in 538 AD and this is when the bishop in Rome could finally sit on his throne in Rome with all the high priest titles and with governmental power to judge what was called heretics or those preaching differently within the churches. At this time the bishop in Rome had governmental power to persecute God’s people, state and church were unified. The time prophecy confirms that this time period is about persecuting God’s people and so the dates have to be connected to this behavior especially. If we count 1260 years from 538 AD we get to 1798. Towards 1798 the Reformation had done all it could to weaken the papal authority and many had already torn themselves away from Rome. It had been a hard battle and many had lost their lives. But it was in 1798 the pope received
its deadly wound when atheist France demanded the pope to do what they wanted instead of the other way around. When he refused, he was captured and removed from his position. The pope went from being a threatening power to being humiliated. They no longer had the same opportunity to control people with the help of governments in the same degree as they had before. Crusades and inquisitions were gone for good. The worst periods of persecution were now finally over after many decades of suppression. Many countries in Europe rejoiced over being able to resist the papal influence both before and after this event. The pope had lost its grip in Europe and finally received its deadly wound by France. The rise of Atheism and agnosticism also made people less influenced by the threats of hell. But Revelation reveals that the papal wound would be healed. Not only would it be healed but it would again have power and strength and deceive a whole world to follow it and worship it as head of the Christian church. But without the same power, they once had, they now needed help. The devil was not about to let go of a power he had successfully used to deceive billions throughout the ages. The church still had millions of followers around the world teaching the corrupted gospel to their children and with many new joining each year, he would be best served by keeping this deception until the end. However, the devil still needed to silence and destroy those who remain faithful to God’s word. He needed a new power to work through in order to attack those who were close to the Biblical doctrines. The Protestant churches who never fully reformed back to God’s pure doctrines.

Revelation 13 – Beast out of the Earth

A large part of the tribes under the former western-Roman empire had now left Europe and could be found on the other side of the Atlantic ocean. Many had gone there to escape Papal Rome and unconverted Protestants who were persecuting them. It was a land of escape for many. Naturally, the Devil would come after them. In Revelation, we see another beast, a beast coming out of the earth. It has no crowns on its head, it has no monarch and no king. Which is very different from the countries in Europe. This part sentence tells us something about the governmental form:

“..saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword,
and did live.» (v.14)

We see the beast, the government, convincing the people to make an image. This government is dependant on the people’s votes to make a governmental change. The USA long fought for its freedom to believe and practice their religion without state interference. They got this principle in their laws and US became a place of liberty for persecuted religious groups from Europe. The US was the land of freedom and they wanted nothing to do with Rome’s influence. They knew that the mixture of state and religion could have a terrible effect on the land. The Papal beast was just that, religion and state unified. Making an image of this beast means to make something in the likeness of something. In this case, it means to give state religious authority – and to use this authority to dictate religious laws above God’s laws. Everything the US is against. Their very constitutions were built on preventing this from ever happening.

Yet here we are told that the beast manages to talk the people into making this image. The US will take a U-turn from its original ten amendments. And who will be honored by this state that once built it principles on the opposite of Rome’s, now making an image of their authority? The papal power will be the one who is honored by this change, it’s what they always wanted. The leaders in the USA long feared this would happen. They have noticed that men from Papal secret societies had infiltrated themselves all over the country. This secret society was instituted to overturn the Protestant movement in Europe and to bring everyone back under the Papal authority. Their methods were anything but Christian:

“The first triumphs of the Reformation past, Rome summoned new forces, hoping to accomplish its destruction. At this time The order of the Jesuits was created, the most cruel, unscrupulous, and powerful of all the champions of popery. …There was no crime too great for them to commit, no deception too base for them to practice, no disguise too difficult for them to assume… to be devoted to the overthrow of Protestantism, and the re-establishment of the Papal supremacy”. Michaelangelo Tamburinin, the Jesuit General also called Black Pope said: “See, my lord, from this room – from this room I govern not only Paris, but China: not only
China but the whole world, without anyone knowing how ‘tis managed’.” ( Michael Angel Tamburinin, 1720, General of the Jesuits, Speaking to the Duke of Brancas.)

Both Hitler and Napoleon were in ave when they saw how efficient and powerful they were:
Adolf Hitler:

“I have learned most of all from the Jesuit Order. So far, there has been nothing more imposing on earth than the hierarchical organization of the Catholic Church. A good part of that organization I have transported directly to my own party.”

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 – 1821):

“The Jesuits are a military organization, not a religious order. Their chief is a general of an army, not the mere father abbot of a monastery. And the aim of this organization is power – power in it’s most despotic exercise – absolute power, universal power, power to control the world by the volition of a single man. Jesuitism is the most absolute of despotisms – and at the same time the greatest and most enormous of abuses.”

Marquis de LaFayette (1757-1834; French statesman and general.)

“It is my opinion that if the liberties of this country – the United States of America – are destroyed, it will be by the subtlety of the Roman Catholic Jesuit priests, for they are the most crafty, dangerous enemies to civil and religious liberty. They have instigated MOST of the wars of Europe.” (LaFayette served in the American Continental Army under the command of General George Washington during the American Revolutionary War. Quote from Romanism: A Menace to the Nation, Jeremiah J.Corwley p.140)

John Adams (1735-1826; 2nd President of the United States):

“I have long been decided in opinion that a free government and the Roman Catholic religion can never exist together in any nation or Country.”
“ Liberty and Popery cannot live together. “My history of the Jesuits is not eloquently written, but it is supported by unquestionable authorities, [and] is very particular and very horrible. Their [the Jesuit Order’s] restoration [in 1814 by Pope Pius VII] is indeed a step toward darkness, cruelty, despotism, [and] death. … I do not like the appearance of the Jesuits. If ever there was a body of men who merited eternal damnation on earth and in hell, it is this Society of [Ignatius de] Loyola.”

Thomas Jefferson, President of USA:

I do not like the late Resurrection of the Jesuits. They have a General, now in Russia in correspondence with Jesuits in the U.S. who are more numerous than everybody knows. Shall we not have Swarms of them here? In as many shapes and disguises as ever … in the shape of printers, Editors, Writers, Schoolmasters, etc. If ever any congregation of men could merit, eternal Perdition on Earth and in Hell …it is this Company of Loyola.” (The Power and Secret of the Jesuits, Rene Fulop-Miller, 390)

Samuel F.B.Morse (1791 – 1872, American inventor of the telegraph,
who documented foreign conspiracy):

“The Jesuits … are a secret society – a sort of Masonic order – with superadded features of revolting odiousness, and a thousand times more dangerous.”

Samuel Adams (1722-1803, American Revolutionary leader and statesman):

“I did verily believe, as I do still, that much more is to be dreaded from the growth of Popery in America than from the Stamp Act or any other Act destructive of civil rights.” (1768)

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865; 16th President of the United States):

“I see a very dark cloud on America’s horizon, and that dark cloud is coming from Rome.”
“The war [i.e., the American Civil War of 1861-1865] would never have been possible without the sinister influence of the Jesuits.”
“If the American people could learn what I know of the fierce hatred of the priests of Rome against our institutions, our schools, our most sacred rights, and our so dearly bought liberties, they would drive them out as traitors.”

Abraham Lincoln said he feared Rome would try to influence the US in their thinking. Several presidents and high officials in the State expressed concern that the Pope would strengthen his agenda and philosophy there. They feared that the pope’s secret societies would be too powerful for the US to resist in the long run. In Revelation 13 we see the US give in. They will end up convincing the people to honor and follow the pope in his system. This beast will end up making an image of the beast, meaning it will have the same characteristics as the papal power once had, a mixture of corrupt Christianity and governmental power. Over the last 50 years, there has been a continuous change in American society. As TV’s came into the house where God’s name was abused and breaking of God’s law was entertainment it has changed the way people think. Although protestant America for the most part never reformed completely away from Papal-given institutions, they had a moral standard and a sense of justice. And those who did reform all the way back to God’s times and laws had the opportunity to live in peace. When TV crept its way into millions of houses and moral was fast declining. Every year the moral guidelines were pushed a little bit further. Every year the sexual moral was more liberated and the violence more brutal. All the children’s programs were filled with magic and sorcery, against God’s command. Thanks to the media all the pagan practices that had been taken out of Christian homes made their re-entry. The ancient Roman gods were back in Children’s literature. Everyone had Bibles but few were reading it. Entertainment took the place of spirituality. The more corrupt morally people got the less important it was to fight for Biblical standards. Knowledge had been decreasing. No one was sacrificing anything for truth. When the Pope stretch his hand to the protestant saying they are in agreement and should stand together, many Protestants didn’t even know what they had protested against and willingly took the outstretched hand. Meanwhile, while the Christians were awakening they had were horrid with two threats in society. The atheist leftists were fighting to take from them their Christian rights and liberties, and the Muslims they feared both physically and religiously. Christians in the US were now convinced that the enemy had to be the atheists that were forcing their way of life unto them, and Islam that they feared was trying to take over their country. The Pope standing with open arms seemed like a friend they should work with to protect Christian traditions and way of life. For the first time, Christians felt the first amendment was working against them and not for them. Because the majority of the Protestants never reformed away from the Papal times and laws, and that these same institutions are what they regard as their Christian culture, the Pope appears as an ally to their way of life. Although once appearing as the enemy of the American way of life their view is now taken a new direction. Their once enemy of religious freedom now feels like a friend and protector. It’s said that nothing binds a people to their leader like a common enemy. This has been used to manipulate the public all over the world throughout time. Protecting the Christian culture from non-Christians and Muslims is what is now inspiring them to unify in order to protect the papal institution under the thought that they are protecting Christ culture. Most don’t even consider they are in fact honoring the pope as a religious lawgiver by doing it. Ultimately this trap is deceiving them in the direction of influencing the State to unify with religion – their religion. This unification is made through getting the state to acknowledge their religious services the law of the land. In a foolish belief they are protecting their culture and defending the Bible, they are actually aiding the Pope in turning the US State into a state that forces through Papal ordained institutions to the land. Their war on Islam is the Pope’s secret war. He pretends to be their friend while he makes the US fight them for him. Those who know the scriptures, know that the Islamic war against the west was God’s punishment on Pagan and Papal Rome. While destroying Islam we are fighting against God’s punishment and strengthening the papacy. The war on Islam is not a war God’s people should partake in. Revelation 13 says they will make a mark that they will enforce, a mark that will be to the glory of the pope because it’s his ordinance or tradition that is advanced. And when they enforce this papal religious ordinance God’s people will face their final great crisis before Christ comes. The moment following God’s commandments are considered a crime towards state peace, God’s people are in for severe persecution. Everywhere in the past where Papal ordinances, were Papal times and laws, have been enforced, God’s people have at the same time been viewed as enemies of the state and persecuted. This is the horrid consequence the protestant U.S. failed to see as they had forgotten or not learned from the past. Because they no longer understand why their constitution separated the church and state in the first place.

Another reason is that they think that it’s worth sacrificing to protect the people. Like the high priest used as an excuse to crucify Christ:

“Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perishes not.” (Joh 11:50)

They feel that it’s worth sacrificing the first amendment to keep state and religion apart in order to “save the nation”. But what they don’t understand is that by doing this they are in fact letting Christ down as it’s not His ordinances that are defended but that of His enemy. Unifying the two will bring about the same result as the last time. When God’s people are suppressed and threatened, God is not honored, and the US is considered a beast. A beast, along with the Papal beast, we are told Christ will deal with personally at His second coming. Christians will again persecute Christians in the name of Christ. And the book of Revelation tells us that they will be severely punished for it. Satan has now gone from using the Roman empire, then resurrecting the Roman beast in a Christian guise to seduce and deceive people. Then that power loses authority after 1260 years and the devil attacks the free institution where God’s people have gotten the chance to worship and serve God in peace. And he then uses this beast along with the other in
his final deception to either flatter, deceive, or physically force people to break God’s law and principles.

Revelation 14: 144 000, Last messages from heaven to the world and Christ second coming

By

tam

-

25/06/2018

0

In Revelation 14 we see the 144 000 again, a specially chosen people who are cleansed. We then are told that in this time, when the beasts are working their deception, God will send three wide-spread messages to the world before Christ return. These messages are to prepare people for His coming. We are already told that 144 000 have a pure doctrine undefiled by women, a symbol of corrupt churches. Them being mentioned here can indicate that they will help bring God’s truth out to the world. The first message starts with a cry for man to turn back to worship God as the creator. At this time the atheist beast has done its works and damage, atheism rejects God as creator, and children all over the world are forced to learn this lie as a truth. Even the pope has declared evolution theory to be the truth. But in this message, God says that He should rightfully be worshiped and recognized as the creator of the world. He claims to the end time, a world of progressed science, that He is, in fact, the creator and that the Creation story is true. He says the message is to “them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people». Everyone is deceived on this matter all over the world by false scientific conclusions made to rule out a God. If God isn’t the creator He doesn’t have ownership over the planet, He isn’t the creator of mankind and He has no right to judge. Therefore the message of honoring Him as the creator also tells that a judgment has begun. All man’s cases are in quick succession brought before the throne of God. He is judging and will carry out His judgment. The next angel proclaims that Babylon has fallen. The pagan Christianity is in Revelation compared to Jezebel, the doctrine of Bileam, a harlot, and Babylon. All these references talk about the same power in different ways – each way helps expose what happened along the way and the identity of the deceiving power. It tells us how this part of the church got corrupt, it tells us how they deceive, it tells us how God views it (as a harlot) and Babylon indicates the origin of its pagan doctrines and teachings. It was Babylon who inspired the Greek and Roman religion, and so when Christianity mixed its practices with the Roman religion it, in reality, became the ones to continue and spread the Babylonian customs and mentality to the world. They were the new advocates for Babylonian mysticism and got the world to take part by presenting it all in Christ’s name. In Babylon, the king repented and turned to God but his grandchild mocked God by taking God’s holy things while praising the gods of silver and gold. The same night a finger wrote on the wall saying Babylon had been weighed in the balances and found wanting. The judgment over Babylon had been spoken. God proclaimed Babylons spiritual fall right before it fell physically. Again in Revelation, we see the proclamation that Babylon has fallen but now it’s talking about the pagan unfaithful form of Christianity. Paganism, which had claimed a conversion but in reality had mixed holy and unholy. Babylon was to be judged because they had gotten all people to drink “the wine of her fornication”. “Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.» (Dan.5:3-4) And so when it says in Revelation: «For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication» it means they have placed their deception in holy vessels. (Rev 18:3) They have put the name of God’s holy doctrines and gospel with their paganism. Just like the old Babylon was judged for doing this crime, so will spiritual Babylon. They have seduced a whole world with their false Christianity. The last message of the three angels warns everyone to not take the mark of the beast, or the image of the beast. It explains that those who take it will be punished by God. Those who take part in using state power to advance and persecute God’s people and God’s times and laws will be punished in return. The end has come, the end of God’s tolerance. Those who will force God’s people to stop their faithfulness to God will be punished, and if they chose to obey false Christianity they will also be punished. It warns: “If any man worships the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God». (v.3-10) It says people can either take the mark on their forehead or their hand. The forehead symbolizes our decisions and the hand our actions. It’s a conscious choice or it’s forced action. Jesus now reveals who His true people are, they who are under great pressure but are resisting both the image and the mark: The saints, those who “have the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus”. (v.12) By this, we know that the mark of the beast is tied to rebellion against God’s commandments just as it has been since Eve was tempted in the garden and until this day. Satan’s agenda has this whole time been to encourage and get people to be disobedient towards God’s authority. He is still sitting in the tree telling people they don’t have to worry about consequences if they eat of the fruit. That their action will bring blessing and not judgment. The first deception will also be the last. After these three messages are given to the world we see Christ returning in the clouds as a king ready to gather His faithful to Himself. He is seen with a sickle in His hand. The harvest has come. Those who have replaced their allegiance to God with the false system of worship will be rejected and Christ will “harvest” his remnant and take them with Him. This is the last remnant, the last and final separation.

“VERSE 3. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.”

“VERSE 4. And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments.”

“VERSE 24. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

“VERSE 1. In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.”

“VERSE 2. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. 3. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”

“VERSE 13. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”

“VERSE 14. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.”

A country’s prosperity depends on how they treat God’s people.

Condition 1:

Condition 2:

Ephesos

Smyrna

Pergamon

Thyatira

Sardis.

Philedelphia

Laodicea.

First Trumpet.

Second trumpet

Third trumpet

Fourth

Fifth trumpet

Sixth trumpet

Six Trumpets – summary

Two witnesses and a beast.

Seventh trumpet

Revelation 12 – Dragon and the woman

Revelation 13 – Beast out of the Sea

Revelation 13 – Beast out of the Earth

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