Revelation 17-22: The corrupt churches are punished, God’s true church are saved.

Chapter 17 & 18

In chapters 17 and 18 we learn more about why the unfaithful church and all her daughters, other unfaithful churches, are judged so harshly. We
see more symbols that help us identify the corrupt churches. The harlot rides the beast which explains how the corrupt church is the one that uses governmental power to get its position and to persecute God’s faithful. We learn how God will enlighten the whole world with the truth and that another message will come to God’s people who have mixed themselves with the corrupt churches and the worldly ways to hurry and separate from them so that they won’t be partakers of her plagues. (18:4) It continues to talk about how God will destroy her. We are told twice that this church is especially judged harshly because of all the blood she has spilled.

“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (17:6) And: “And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.» (18:24)

It is reasonable to assume that we don’t even know half of everything this harlot is guilty of and have done in secret with the help of other governmental powers:

«the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.» (18:3)

Chapter 19-22

In chapter 19 we learn of the joy of the delivered people. The lambs wedding. Gods people are finally free in Gods’ kingdom and can finally worship God in peace. Their anguish is gone. In 19 and 20 we see God’s final settlement with Satan and his followers. And in chapter 21 we get to see that God will create a new heaven and a new earth. Everything that once was good on our planet will be re-created. It tells us of the new Jerusalem, God’s city, and unto chapter 22 where we learn of the tree of life and how man again will have access to eternal life. The Revelation ends with the angel telling John that all these words are credible and true and will happen. In the end, John receives encouragement from Gods’ people to be faithful. Jesus Himself tells John that it is He who has sent him these revelations. «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)
God could have used the time to talk about other groups of people and all their evil. Around the world, there have been many corrupt governments and cruelty. There have been many empires and great kingdoms. But Revelation has focused on the enemy that is the greatest for God’s people, for even though the other powers can take their lives this power has the ability to take their eternal life. They claim to speak on God’s behalf while they lead men into perdition: “These things in the churches”. It is the fall of the church and the deceptions there which is God’s greatest challenge when trying to save His people. They steal souls in the name of Jesus, the greatest blasphemy of them all. The Catholic church has for many years tried to point to another enemy. Prophecy has clearly been pointing to them and people for 1700 years have preached that they are the power warned against. The Catholic Church says that the Christians now have to stand together. They have infiltrated the idea that the Antichrist really is the Muslims, other times the idea that its communism. They have also presented ideas that Antichrist is a jew and that it is an atheist. They even claimed the Protestants were the Antichrist while they were escorted to the stake to be burnt alive. Whoever has been the enemy of the Catholic church at the time have had the finger pointed in their direction. Revelation 18 tells us that the church even fools state leaders. They will gather Christianity under their control by pointing to an outer enemy. In the very end, this enemy will point to God’s true light-bearers as the antichrist. Jesus has warned us again and again that Gods enemy is someone who is pretending to be the servants of righteousness, God’s enemy pretends to be Christian. Will Gods’ people receive the warning and divorce from Babylon, her daughters and all the unclean churches that refuse to obey God’s authority?
In Revelation 18 we are told that when the three angels have given their warning, a powerful angel will repeat the message one more time to give God’s people one last chance to save themselves from the deception. He says: «And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.» (Rev 18:4-5)
Although the papal system is the Antichrist the people who are deceived are not. Many godly and good people are sincerely fooled. All they have seen and heard are all the good the churches do. They have followed the light they had and they love Christ. However, God cannot save them in this corrupt system. They have to receive God’s calling and leave.

The Reveal: Who God’s people is.

So who is God’s people today? Jews that reject Christ? The Bible says no. Christians that refuse to keep the commandments of God or accept their validity? Again, the Bible says no. God’s people today have both characteristics and they are a part of the continuous line that has been ongoing since the time of Abraham, a remnant of a remnant of a remnant. God’s people are always that remnant that chose obedience to God and to do as Abraham did, walks in faith that God knows best. «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.» (Joh 8:39)
God’s people keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus but God’s light-bearers the revelators of God’s prophecies have something in addition. This is important to understand because many in these times are converting back to God’s ordinances. People from all different types
of churches are now receiving the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Many Jews are accepting Jesus as the Messiah, as natural branches, they are grafted back to the tree (Rom.11:24) and fit better in on the tree than those who were grafted from a wild tree. They understand the law with a greater depth than many others. Their knowledge of Christ’s righteousness helps them understand Christ’s message correctly, just like the first apostles. However, they have lost a large part of God’s leading the last hundreds of years and they have also missed out on the time period when God was revealing and unfolding the prophecies. They are part of God’s people, but not God’s chosen light-bearers unless they are grafted to the other light-bearers. You can have a false understanding of prophecy and still be saved because we are saved by the blood of Christ and by repenting our disobedience. But God has always had someone who has preserved God’s light in the world and they follow a lineage. So even though you can find God’s people everywhere, only a part of them is God’s chosen light-bearers.
Many of those know stepping in line with those ‘keeping the commandments of God and having the faith of Jesus’ has received the gospel from people with a religious background that doesn’t belong to God’s chosen lineage of truth-bearers. They come from churches that are the harlot’s daughters and that h interpreted prophecies falsely. Because these churches haven’t been given the Spirit of truth these interpretations are the result of guesswork and adding assumptions to the word of God. Sometimes the popularity and widespread of these interpretations are thought of as evidence of their divine origin. But majority acceptance is not evidence of divine origin. Some claim the Jew’s understanding is the right one, however, they have proven to not interpret prophecy correctly. They can’t even see Jesus in their own prophecies, that is how problematic their interpretation of prophecy has been. And now these false interpretations from both the unconverted Jews and the harlot’s daughters are brought in among a congregation that keeps God’s commandments and the faith of Jesus. The origin of the doctrines is therefore of importance. So many Christians are accepting God’s commandments and are reforming back, but keep their prophetic understandings from an infidel church. This is the reason for the prophetic differences among God’s commandment-keeping people today. We know from Christ’s words that the spirit of truth was not given to either those who rejected Him, those who didn’t know Him, or those who didn’t obey God’s commandments. And so God’s truth-bearers always, in addition to “having the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus”, has a history or a lineage that has followed the experience of the seven churches in Revelation. They have received special light. God continues with a remnant of the remnant to continue carrying the light to create order, He doesn’t jump back and forth between groups of people. It’s to this line of truth-bearers we will find the true prophetic understanding. Because “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.» (2Pe.1:20)
Understanding prophecies are not tied to one’s own cleverness, it’s a revelation given by the spirit to His chosen people. God can give this wisdom to anyone who fits the criteria regardless of who they are or where they come from. However, because groups have a tendency to follow each other and to cherish past misunderstandings, and because of people’s lack of self-study, false interpretations can be found among people who have the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Therefore, if confused or biased, in order to make sure we understood it right or have the right understanding we need to look at God’s chosen lineage as revealed in Revelation. The last church to meet God’s condition to be blessed with prophetic understanding was the church of Philadelphia, the sixth church. It’s from this church I have gathered the prophetic reveal used in this book. It’s a people that suffered under the Papal persecution, that reformed all the way back to God’s ways and that was told they were to be spared of the tribulations that we now are about to face. The sixth church is not present when the last end-time scenario takes place, but they have left their testimony behind. Those who carry the true light on the prophecy and the end-time events is the last church in Revelation. This is a church that has many problems, in fact, God has nothing good to say about them, yet they are still His last church. They are the last light-bearers, and they have received their understanding from the cleansed and loyal church that was before them. Because of this church’s condition, many have arrogantly turned away from the light this lineage has brought to the world, thinking themselves better and therefore more blessed. But regardless, Christ Himself reveals that His
last chosen church has serious problems. This is therefore not a sign that the light they have carried with them is darkness. They just haven’t been
sanctified to the truth they have been handed over. Jesus said about the Pharisees: “Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.» (Mat 23:1-3)
At this time the Jews were the ones who had been handed over the light and no other religion at their time. And it was still a remnant of this congregation He had to continue with even though in many ways they did not practice or walk in the light. Therefore only a remnant of them continued. Such is it with the last church. Although they have been protectors of God’s word and truth only a remnant of them will be saved.

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References for all the chapters:

Horn – King, kingdom, power and strength (Dan.7,24; 8,5 & 21-22; Sak. 1,18-19; Rev. 17,12) Beast – State/kingdom (Dan.7,17&23) Hand – Symbol for actions, works (Ecc. 9,10, Isa. 59,6) Harvest – End of the earth (Matt.13,39) Harlot, infidel woman – Apostate church (Isa. 1,21-27; Jer. 3,1-3; 6-9; Hos.2,5;3,1) Heads – Rulers, goverments (Rev.17: 3,9,10; Dan. 7,6; 8,8 & 22) Horse – Strength and power in battle / Special messenger (Job 39,19; Psalm. 147,10; Pro.21,31; Exo.15,21; Isa.43,17; Jer.8,6; Sak.1,8-10 & 6,1-8) Image – Likeness (Exo.10,4; Gen.1,26 & 5,3) Incense – God’s peoples prayers (Psa.141,2; Rev.5,8) Israel – God’s true people (Rom.9,6-8; 2,28-29; Gal.3,29; Matt.3,9; Joh.8,39) Vessel/ jar – Person (Jer.18,1-4; 2.Cor.4,7) Jezabel – Immoral, Umoral, falling away, apostacy, idol worship among God’s people (1.King 21,25; 2.King.9,22) Keys of David – Power to open and close the Sanctuary (Rev.3,7-9; Isa.22,22) Keys – Control/authority (Isa.22,22; Matt.16,19) Lamb – Jesus/ sacrifice (John 1,29; 1.Cor.5,7; Gen.22,7-8) Lamp – God’s word (Psalm 119,105) The bride of the lamb – The New Jerusalem (Rev.19,7-9; 21,2 & 9-10) Lion – Jesus or a powerful king (Rev.5,4-9; Jer.50,43-44; Dan.7,4 & 17 &23) Grasshoppers 1 – Destruction (Joel 1,4; Deut.28:38) Grasshoppers 2 – An army from east of Israel (Dom.7,12; 6,5) Leopard – Greece (Dan 7,6) Bear – Destroying power/Medo Persia (Pro.28,15; 2.King 2,23-24; Dan.7,5) Leprosy – Sin (Luke 5,23-24) Abomination of desolation – Army of Rome (When Jesus talks about the destruction of Jerusalem. Matt.24,1-3 & verse 15) Wind – wars and strife (Jer. 25,31-33; 49,36-37, 4,11-13; Sak. 7:14; Rev.7,1) Sea – Peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. (Rev.17,15) Pure woman/ virgin – God’s faithful church (2.Cor.11,2; Efes. 5:25-27; Jer. 6:2) Fish – People (Matt.4,19) Serpent – Satan, Devil (Rev.12,9) Oil – God’s spirit (Sak.4,3 & 6) Eagles wings – Protection (Exo.19,4; Isa.40,31) Candlestick – Church (Rev.1,20) Angel – Messenger (Dan.8,16; 9,21; Luke 1,19 & 26; Heb.1,14) Babylon – Religious corruption/confusion (Gen.10,8-10; 11,6-9; Rev.18,2-3; 17,1-5) Teaching of Bileam – Follow your own interests, compromise in order to gain something etc. (Num.22,5-25) Blood – Life (Lev.17,11; Deut.12,23) Blue – Reminder of God’s law (Num.15,38-39) Bottomless Pit – Earth in a chaotic state, destroyed, dark and empty. (Gen.1,1-2; Jer.4,23-28; Isa.24,1-4 & 19; Rev.20,1-3) Clothing – Character (Isa.64,5; 59,6) Cup– measured punnishments (Psalm.11,6;Isa.51,12&22-23; Jer.25,12-17; 49,12) Day – Literal year (Ezek.,6; Num.14,34) Door – Oppertunity/probation (2.Cor.2,12; Rev.3,20; Luke 12,24-25) Dragon – Satan and/or his workers (Isa 27:1; 30:6; Psalm. 74:13,14; Rev. 12:7,9; Ezek.29:3; Jer. 51:34 Eagle – Speed, power, revenge, protection (Deut. 28:49; Hab.1:6-8; Rev. 12:1-4) Eat a book – Receiving a message (Ezek. 3:1-3; Jer. 15:16) Egypt – Symbol of atheisme or to deny God’s exsistance (Exo.5,2) Eyes – spiritual decernment (Matt. 13:10-17, 1 John. 2:11) Eye ointment – The Holy Spirit helping us to see the truth, understanding of the Word, Medecin against
spiritual blindness. (Efes. 1:12-19; Psalm. 119:18; I Joh. 2: 20,27; Joh. 16:7-13 Hunger – Lack of truth (Amos 8:11) Feet – Where we are going/direction
(Gen. 19:2, Psalm. 119:105) Forehead/Mind – Decitions (Rom. 7:25; Ezek. 3:8,9) Forehead and hand together – Sign of loyalty and devotion to a law
(Exo.13:9, Deut.6:6-8) ) Fornication/infidelity/adultery – Illegal connection between the church and the world. (Ezek. 16:15,26; Isa. 23:17; Jak. 4:4; Rev.
14:4) Fruit– deed, actions (Gal.5,22) Goat – Greece (Dan.8,21) The Lord’s day – The Sabbath (Isa. 58:13; Matt. 12:8; Exo. 20:10) Measuring rod – Gods
standard, His word or law that we are measured by. (Jak 2,10-12; Ecc. 12,13-14; Isa. 8,19-20; 2 Tim. 3,16-17) Merchants – Preachers of Babylons religions (Isa. 47,11-15; Nahum 3,16; Rev. 18:3,11,15,23) Mountains – Governments or religious-political powers (Isa. 2,2- 3; Jer. 17,3; 31,23; 51,24- 25; Ezek. 17,22-23; Dan. 2,35 & 44-45) The New Jerusalem – A holy city in Heaven (Rev. 3:12,21:2) Ram – Medo Persia (Dan.8,20) Red/scarlet – sin/curruption (Isa. 1,18;Nahum 2,3; Rev. 17,1-4) Seal – A sign or mark of acceptance (Rom.4:11; Rev.7:2, 3) Stars – Angels, messengers or leaders (Rev. 1,16&20; 12,4& 7-9; Job38,7) Sword – Gods word/destruction (Efes 6,17; Heb. 4,12 Isa. 3,25, 13:15; Acts. 12,1-2; Jer.48,2) Gods witnesses – Joh. 5,39, Sak. 4,1-14; Psalm 119,130& 105; Joh. 12:48) Vinyard – A church that bear fruit (Luke 20,9-16) White – purity (Rev.12,9& 20,2) Vine – blood/covenant/doctrines (Luke.5:37, Isa. 5:1-7)