REVELATION LESSON 41

REVELATION

LESSON 41

ARE WE LIVING IN THE END TIMES?

Revelation 17.5   ⁵ And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth.

In this section the revelation concentrates on the influence of Babylon religiously. The religion of Babylon was in the form of a secret religious rite in which they worshiped certain idols. It requires divine revelation to understand completely what they held.

The wife of Nimrod, who was the founder of Babylon, headed up the mystery religion which characterized Babylon. She was given the name of Semiramis and according to the adherents of belief she had a son conceived miraculously whose name was Tammuz. He was portrayed as a savior who fulfills the promise of deliverance given to Eve. However, this was of course a satanic description which permeates pagan religions.

This harlots title reveals where she came from and what she will do. She came from Babylon and she will go back to Babylon during the tribulation period. She will be known as the mother of harlots and the mother of abominations. The harlot which is the one world religious system, originated at the tower of babel.

Which is located at old testament Babylon. Babylon was destroyed, but is rebuilt. Nimrod whose name means, “let us revolt”, attempted to establish a one world religion based upon astrology, sorcery and the mysteries or legends of Semiramis and Tammuz in order to have fellowship with them, she, the prostitute, drinks the wisdom of many religions.

Whether this is Buddhism, Hinduism or Islam all are welcome by the harlot Babylon. It makes no difference that the Lord Jesus is still the only way to God the father. If it is not Christ crucified then it is labeled by the Lord as harlots and abominations. Regrettably that includes much of modern Christianity as well.

Revelation 17:6   ⁶ And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

The harlot will not only make others drunk, but she too will be drunk on the blood of the tribulation saints. This great ecumenical religious system will be actively involved in the persecution and death of Gods people.

She will be so determined to establish her one world religion that she will actually be filled with the blood of the saints. Obviously, mystery Babylon, the apostate pagan church of the last days will not develop overnight.

Such an ecumenical organization involving many diverse religious groups will be created by negotiation and conferences over a number of years leading up to the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period.

It is therefore quite probable that we will witness the initial steps toward this one world church of the last days before the rapture takes the Christians home to heaven.

Revelation 17:7   ⁷ And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

Gods angel saw that John was astonished and probably even confused so he told John that he would explain these two things, which were the mystery of the woman and the mystery of the beast with the seven heads and ten horns.

The remaining verses of chapter 17 are about the meaning of the beast and the identity of the woman. It is important to keep in mind that at the rapture all believers will be caught up the to the Lord from the earth to heaven. Leaving no believers on the earth.

The earth will be without born again Christian leaders or members, regardless of what church to attend. As we discuss the world church after the rapture it would obviously be apostate teachings.

Revelation 17:8   ⁸ The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

As we previously discussed the references to the beast as one who once was and yet will come has been taken as proof that the world leader is one who was, will ascend out of the bottomless pit. The beast will have satanic ties to the subterranean abode of demonic spirits since he will come out of the abyss. He will eventually go to his destruction since God will cast him into the lake of fire.

He will take his followers, the inhabitants of the earth whose names that have not been written in the Lambs book of life.

When the fifth trumpet sounds, Satan will open the bottomless pit and releases the demonic spirits being held there. A world leader will quickly arise on the international scene promising to bring peace and economic stability. He will receive the support of the European community and eventually control the whole world.

Revelation 17:9   ⁹ And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

Interpreting this verse requires spiritual understanding of scriptures, not of world geography. The seven heads on the beast are seven mountains on which the woman sits. This might seem simple enough however, it is not as it appears.

Chapter 17:10 the next verse, tells us these seven mountains are not even actual mountains but are seven kings, ie kingdoms or world governments. Here is the problem, is this the religious system that sits on seven mountains, or seven kings or both?

The bible tells us that hills or mountains are a symbol of kingdoms, therefore, the seven mountains must be seven kings or kingdoms. Some say the seven mountains are a reference to Rome. The city on seven hills. Even if this is right this is only saying the harlot will be in control and be supported by Rome.

Until our next lesson,

Stay in the word.

Brother Andy

REVELATION LESSON 40

REVELATION

LESSON 40

Are We Living in the End Times?

Revelation 17:1   17 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

In chapter 17 we will be looking at the punishment of Babylon, the mother, the great religious harlot and what God plan to do with this harlot religious system.

In the bible, seas and waters represent great masses of people. They represent the people, nations and tongues. The fact that this wicked woman is pictured as sitting upon these great masses is an indication that she will be supported by them, and she will exercise control over them. She will exercise control over them during the tribulation period.

An extensive study of the religions of Babylon demonstrates that many of them were carried over in part into Roman Catholicism, forming the background for some of the ceremonies. The Babylonian influence however is always contrary to the truth. Her final hour will be described in this chapter.

Revelation 17:2   ² With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

From the very beginning most nations have been ruled by some type of religion. The harlot religious system will commit adultery with the kings of the earth, she will conspire with world leaders to produce a merger of religion and government. Here is a final religious system, united with a political system to manipulate the people of the earth into a false government approved religion.

The wine of her fornication is referring to demonic possession. This wicked woman will cause people to be led astray by deceiving spirits. Teachings of eastern religions have infected even the church itself.

Driving it increasingly toward apostasy and a false interpretation of Gods word. There will be world wide religious deception so out of control that it is easy to understand how worldwide ecclesiastical trends are even now leading to the dawn of a one world church controlled by Satan.

The one world religion will have a lot of Catholics in it but it will also have a lot of protestants and other religions. The people that are saved regardless of religion or denomination will be raptured and the lost regardless of their false religious beliefs will be left behind.

Revelation 17:3   ³ So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

John saw a woman on a scarlet colored beast with seven heads and ten horns. We already know the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns is the antichrist. Since the woman will be sitting on the beast, we must assume that her harlot religion and the antichrist will exist on earth at the same time. The political power of this day is supporting this apostate church.

At first the antichrist will support her one world religion and be under her authority. Things will eventually turn bad between the two, the relationship will be hindered by the woman’s double identity. Remember she is both mother, the false religious system and the great city Babylon. We can see from this that all three, the false religious system, the city of Babylon and the antichrist will exist during the first half of the tribulation period.

Revelation 17:4   ⁴ And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

When it peaks here of the woman arrayed in purple and scarlet colors it pertains to Israel, with a carry over into the church age. The purple represents the dominion of these religions over nations, the scarlet color represents the persecution of Israel.

Decked with gold and precious stones and pearls means this woman is a rich harlot of royal stature. Look at the golden cup she will be holding. This cup will be filled with abominable things and the filth of her fornication.

When the false religions drink from this cup they will drink the wine of fornication. This is symbolic of deceiving spirts and demons.

Today many people think our modern society is too enlightened to believe in the existence of demons. These demons are no less dangerous than Satan. They are his cohorts, doing his will. It is unfortunate but this includes many of the worlds religious and political leaders.

Until our next lesson, 

Stay in the word.

Brother Andy.

REVELATION LESSON 39

REVELATION

LESSON 39

ARE WE LIVING IN THE END TIMES?

Revelation 16:16   ¹⁶ And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

The pronoun “He” refers to God. This is the only time the word Armageddon can be found in the bible, and refers to a literal place where a literal battle will be fought. Armageddon is Hebrew and is the name of a place in northern Israel, when translated the word means “mount of Megiddo”.

The mount of Megiddo is a large hill just west of the Jordon river, in the plain of Esdralon, sometimes called the valley of Jehoshaphat. The Euphrates river will dry up to allow the two hundred-million-man army to approach from the east. Demonic spirits will go forth from the satanic trinity, Satan and the antichrist and the false prophet to gather other armies from all over the world.

Revelation 16:17  ¹⁷ And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

This is the last judgment, it signifies an earthquake such as the world has not previously known, which will affect not only particular cities, but also entire nations, the mighty voice that shouted “It is finished” when Jesus died on the cross, will say just before he returns to earth, “it is done” the remaining events will bring an end to Satan’s reign.

Revelation 16:18  ¹⁸ And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

The divine purpose in grace was finished at the cross. Here the divine purpose in wrath is finished. This vial judgment could well take place simultaneously with the second coming, also presents the last cataclysmic upheaval. 

When the seventh bowl is poured out into the air, something will happen to the atmosphere. Great flashes of lightning will explode to the ground, and thunder will rattle the earth. Fire will break out and tremendous earthquakes will shatter the land.

Revelation 16:19   ¹⁹ And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

John goes on to describe the destruction of the great city split into three parts and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of fury of his wrath.

The scriptures declare that the great city split into three parts and that throughout the world the cities of the gentiles would be shaken to pieces and fall. The text does not indicate what great city is in view though Jerusalem was mentioned as a great city in the bible indicates that there will be tremendous changes in the land surrounding Jerusalem.

The problem that occurs with identifying Jerusalem as a city destroyed is that at the time of the second coming Jerusalem is still a city intact, in spite of the earthquake which has destroyed the other cities of the world.

If Jerusalem had been destroyed by an earthquake the houses to house fighting and other aspects of the final war could not have taken place.

Zechariah 14:8   ⁸ And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.

Jerusalem will have perilous times but will be spared from total destruction.

Babylon will be rebuilt, every city on earth except Babylon and Jerusalem will be in ruins as the end of the tribulation period approaches. With Babylon somewhat standing and Jerusalem hard hit, it will come into remembrance before God. It is predicted, Babylon’s doom will happen, it will be time for those prophecies to be fulfilled. She will get the cup filled with the wine of the fury of Gods wrath.

Revelation 16:20   ²⁰ And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

The surface of the whole earth will be changed. Every Island will sink beneath the water, every mountain will be leveled. The prophet Isaiah said the flood gates of Heaven will be opened, the earth will reel to and fro like a drunkard.

Isaiah 24:20   ²⁰ The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

Revelation 16:21   ²¹ And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

From the sky huge hailstones about seventy-five pounds each fell upon men, and they cursed God on account of the plague of hail. Because the plague was so terrible the nature of the world will be dramatically changed. With the after math of each earthquake, the mountains and islands disappearing causing a resolute loss of life and property.

Huge waves in the ocean created by these changes will bring total destruction that is beyond description. Whatever is left from the earthquake in terms of buildings and monuments of men will be beaten to a pulp by these huge blocks of hailstones.

As in previous judgments of God, it does not bring repentance or confession of sin, instead men recognizing that the judgments came from God and they curse God for it.

 You don’t want to go through this period of time. Accept Jesus Christ, Gods son, as your savior and know that you can look forward to eternity in Heaven with the creator.

Until our next lesson

Stay in the word.

Brother Andy