Revelation Chapter 18‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome back! During this week’s fellowship time, we’ll continue our study of Revelation.

Revelation Chapter 18
 
This week we will investigate chapter 18 in our journey of the end times.
 
As we come to this chapter of Revelation, we can see that we are practically "living" in this portion of scripture. In fact, you may even agree that we are closer than ever before to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy… In this chapter we can find the word "Babylon" used three times, the word "city" used six times and the word "great" used eight times. The focus of our study this week will be the "great city of Babylon" which has a 4,500 year old history dating back to soon after the world-wide "flood" of Genesis chapters 6 & 8 and the times of "Nimrod" – the great grandson of Noah –  found in Genesis chapters 10 & 11. As we discussed in our previous study, Nimrod built Babylon in defiance to God who told all of Noah's family to be fruitful and "re-people" the earth. Instead, Nimrod went into the valley between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers and on the shores of the Euphrates built a "great city of Babylon" – along with the tower of “Babel” – which remains today where it was first built.
   
Babylon has a long history that includes being the headquarters for the Babylonian Empire where Daniel and Ezekiel were taken as captives – along with the Jewish people – 2,500 years ago. It was also the headquarters for Alexander the Great and the Grecian Empire. Alexander, at 32 years of age, had conquered the known world. After his death at this young age, his empire was divided into four parts. Both of these accounts which include the city of Babylon are the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. In fact, the events in history associated with Babylon are "prototypes" of that which will happen in the future – seemingly the very near future.
 
The actual city of Babylon – which has never been destroyed as called for in Isaiah chapters 13 & 14 and Jeremiah 50 & 51 – will indeed eventually be destroyed as foretold in our study today. This destruction will come to this earthly headquarters for another "world leader" – the "Antichrist". In the last three and one half years of the Tribulation Period, Babylon will come back to power and be the "economic, political, governmental center" of the earth. Antichrist will rule the world from this location on the Euphrates River.

As the Seven Bowl Judgments of God's wraths described in chapter 16 are poured out in severe judgment upon the wicked and the Antichrist’s beastly system, the Apostle John saw the effects they had upon “Mystery Babylon”, the Great Whore of chapter 17. And finally in chapter 18, John sees the vision of her great “fall”:

After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.  And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! – Revelation 18:1-2

Even at this present moment, the ecumenical union of this religious Great Whore and her religious Harlot Daughters have become the very abode of every foul, unclean and hateful spirit which gathers together to partake of the filthy carcasses – false doctrines, dogmas and creeds:

For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury – Revelation 18:3

Most Churches today are not obeying or teaching the true Word of the Lord! It is quite evident that they have departed from the faith. They are attracted to the wooing of their “good mother” who will indeed gather all her “daughters” to her bosom as the end draws near. Like the city of ancient Babylon, “Mystery Babylon the Great“ will surely fall!

And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities – Revelation 18:4-5

Overcome by the fear of the “torment” of the Babylonian Whore, the kings of the earth – who fornicate with her – will “stand at a distance” and bewail her. And the “Ten Horns” which destroys the whore, will now seize the power of the Great Harlot and gain control of the Beastly system of which “in one hour she is made desolate”:

And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’ “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate. “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her! – Revelation 18:11-20

Yes, “heaven” and the ”holy apostles and prophets” of heaven will truly rejoice over the destruction of that “great city” – the “Mother of Harlots” and Abominations of the earth:

Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore” – Revelation 18:21

 The action of this “mighty angel” replays an intense picture of the act which Jeremiah prophesied to Seraiah of God’s judgment against ancient “Babylon”:

So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that would come upon Babylon, all these words that are written against Babylon. And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you arrive in Babylon and see it, and read all these words, then you shall say, ‘O Lord, You have spoken against this place to cut it off, so that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but it shall be desolate forever.’ Now it shall be, when you have finished reading this book, that you shall tie a stone to it and throw it out into the Euphrates. Then you shall say, ‘Thus Babylon shall sink and not rise from the catastrophe that I will bring upon her. And they shall be weary – Jeremiah 51:60-64

Like ancient Babylon, this religious Babylon is a place of great joy, delight, music, songs and hum of many different activities. But all these will come to an utter end with the fall of “Babylon the Great” By their sorcery, trickery and hocus-pocus, they are deceiving the nations:

The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived – Revelation 18:22-23

They are all abominations in the eyes of the Almighty God. The Lord has decreed that not even the “light of a lamp shall not shine” in her anymore – total darkness shall overwhelm her completely!
   
God is truly against the “Mother of Harlots” because throughout the millennia, this Satanic world system has murdered countless Christians and others who opposed her false doctrines and traditions:

And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth – Revelation 18:24

The “Mother of Harlots” is very much on the rampage today! Today she is supporting the evil Roman Jesuit mercenaries who fight on behalf of those “kings” fornicating with her. She is ready to kill anyone who stands on the Word of God – alone!

Final thoughts:
 
The 17th century book by the Swiss Reformer author Francis Turretin (1623-1687) titled "Whether it Can Be Proven the Pope of Rome is the Antichrist" has been widely controversial over the centuries. While Martin Luther had famously denounced the Pope as Antichrist in the year 1520, it was a teaching that had long been believed for centuries prior, by the followers of John Wycliffe and the Waldenses before him. By the time of Turretin's writing, the principle arguments were well established. In particular, the Scriptures pertaining to Antichrist's title as the "Lawless one" as well as the subject of buying and selling where the Mark of the Beast is concerned. Because the Popes forbade anyone from conducting business or trade with those who were excommunicated, Turretin argued that the "mark" had already been fulfilled in the Middle Ages and was not a prophecy of some future event. Yet many theologians today see the working of the Papacy as a partial fulfillment that will have its ultimate climax when the final Antichrist is revealed yet future. I agree.

Many prophecies of the destruction of Babylon will be fulfilled some 4,500 years after they were written. In fact, this destruction appears to be the last event to take place before Jesus Christ physically steps back on earth – in Jerusalem – at the Mount of Olives:

And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south – Zechariah 14:4

God also called Jonah to go to Nineveh – the biblical name of the area we know today as Musul in northern Iraq. God had a plan for Nineveh then and He has a plan for Nineveh and her sister city Babylon today. In fact, it is very interesting to know that both Nineveh and Babylon were built by Nimrod! The Iraqi war and the current rebuilding of war-torn Iraq are "setting the stage" for these “Biblical Babylon” prophecies to be fulfilled.
It would most certainly seem that we are living in the days leading up to God's Word being completed – as it was written…
 
With this information as a foundation for your studies, please read through Chapter 18 of Revelation.

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate chapter 19 of Revelation…

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
 

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

Encouraging Concepts

Truth for Today

"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"

Lighthouse Publications <><

Revelation Chapter 17‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome back! During this week’s fellowship time, we’ll continue our study of Revelation.

Revelation Chapter 17
 
This week we will investigate chapter 17 in our journey of the end times.

Revelation 17 depicts all future false religions of the world uniting under the "Mother of Harlots." But why is she referred to as such? In a word – Idolatry. 

The demonic, immoral and pagan worship of false gods through history’s apostate antichrist religions will be drawn back to this "Mother of Harlots" – physically, morally and spiritually. And where were her spiritual children birthed? We will discuss this very important question in great detail below…

 

You will notice that the word "church" is not used in chapter 17 because the true church – the Bride of Jesus Christ – will have departed from this earth and received up into the heavenlies to be with our Lord. These true Christian believers will leave this earth at the Rapture, sometime before God’s great judgment on the unbelieving world begins.

And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement – Revelation 17:3-6

The "beast" in this passage represents the "Antichrist" and the "harlot" represents the "false church". This "woman" is also referring to the "harlot " – "false church". The "Revived Roman Empire" reminiscent of today appears to be represented by the "ten horns" in this passage.

 

There is much we can discuss pertaining to information describing this coming one-world "false church" system. This "false religion" began in Genesis chapter 10 – after the world-wide Flood – and at the fall of the Babylonian Empire in 539 B.C. moved its headquarters to Pergamos in Asia Minor. This is the location where the Roman Emperors were first "deified" as gods.

Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.  The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition – Revelation 17:9-11

The reference to "seven heads" in these verses is believed by many scholars to be speaking of the "seven-mountain" city of Rome. The city of Rome appears to be the perfect prototype of the headquarters for this "one-world false church" under the leadership of the Antichrist during the first half of the Tribulation Period:

 

Note the reference to the seven headed beast representing seven worldly kingdoms:

 

Five have “fallen“:

•  Egypt
• Assyria
• Babylon
• Medo-Persia
• Greece

One “is“:

• Rome (at the time of John's writing in 95 A.D.)

One is “yet to come“:

• The united group of 10 kingdoms (prior to Antichrist’s reign of power)

It also states the shortness of the duration of the seventh kingdom. The 10 kings are stated as being “yet to come“ and to receive their power as kings but for a “short time“ – with the beast. We then see that the "Revived Roman Empire" – most likely the European Union of today – will rise up and destroy the "false church" at the end of the first three and one half years:

And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn her with fire – Revelation 17:16

Notice that they do this because the Lord “put it into their hearts” to “fulfill His purpose” of ultimate victory over evil:

For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled – Revelation 17:17

At this point, please allow me to provide some further background on the "Queen of Heaven" from a Biblical setting. The "Queen of Heaven" was the title of Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod.

To better understand Revelation 17, we must begin 4,500 years ago in the book of Genesis chapters 10 & 11 and the Tower of Babel. This is the satanic birth place of the world’s false religions which share the common worship of the world’s first mother/son cult of Semiramus & Tammuz – the wife and son of Nimrod, the great-grandson of Noah!

Nimrod – inspired by Satan – built the city of Babylon and established the first one-world religion:

And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth – Genesis 11:4 

This ancient religion was a "mother-son cult" where the mother, Semiramis, and her son, Tammuz, were co-equal recipients of worship. That worship consisted of serving "cakes" in honor of this false religion established in Babylon. It also eventually involved the parents painting hard-boiled eggs and hiding them for the children to find on their special "holy day" for the "Queen of Heaven" also known as "Ishtar" (think: Easter). This "mother-son cult", with worship of the "Queen of Heaven", was headquartered in Babylon until the fall of the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC. The false Babylonian religion then moved its headquarters to Pergamus in Asia Minor – modern-day Turkey – until the fall of the Roman Empire when it finally moved to the "seven-hilled city" of Rome, Italy, where it is located today.

 

In Genesis chapter 10 we find different people groups – Cush, Ham, Shem… And as a result, different religions/cults and pagan deities arose. Among the thousands of false gods and goddesses worshipped throughout history, all of them can be traced back to Nimrod, Semiramus & Tammuz.

Other names for Semiramis include:

• Queen of Heaven
• Queen of Babylon
• Asherah
• Mother Earth
• Mother Nature
• Gaia
• Mary

Other names for Nimrod/Tammuz include:

• Baal
• Molech

Other names for mother/son false gods & goddess are:

• Isis & Horus of Egypt
• Osiris & Baal & of Free Masonry
• Mary & Jesus of Catholicism

This "mother-son cult" that was birthed at the Tower of Babel reveals how the "queen of heaven" – also birthed at the Tower of Babel – was eventually worshiped by the rebellious children of Israel as revealed in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah. Remember: God told Jeremiah not to pray for those who engaged in this false worship:

Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you. Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger – Jeremiah 7:16-18

In fact, Jeremiah chapter 44 further describes how the women of Israel were actually leading this rebellion in what can be best described as New-age, feministic driven mysticism:

Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, with all the women who stood by, a great multitude, and all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying: “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you! But we will certainly do whatever has gone out of our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For then we had plenty of food, were well-off, and saw no trouble. But since we stopped burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.” The women also said, “And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes for her, to worship her, and pour out drink offerings to her without our husbands’ permission? – Jeremiah 44:15-19

The men allowed their wives to lead them – and their children – astray! Much of today’s false religions involved the worship of a feminine deity such as Mary, Gaia, or Mother Earth. Nowhere in Scripture do we find the Lord God depicted as a woman! These pagan religions are indeed uniting today to build the harlot church of Revelation 17. Today we can clearly discern the continuation of this demonic end-times scenario – The two tracks that formed a future one-world Political “let us build ourselves a city” and Spiritual “a tower whose top is in the heavens” system.

 

Ezekiel describes in detail what he was to prophesy to the nation of Israel in regards to their rebellion against the Lord through their worship of pagan gods:

Then He said to me, “Son of man, lift your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted my eyes toward the north, and there, north of the altar gate, was this image of jealousy in the entrance. Furthermore He said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, to make Me go far away from My sanctuary? Now turn again, you will see greater abominations.” So He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, there was a hole in the wall. Then He said to me, “Son of man, dig into the wall”; and when I dug into the wall, there was a door. And He said to me, “Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there.” So I went in and saw, and there—every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed all around on the walls. And there stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, ‘The Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.’” And He said to me, “Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.” So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lord’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. Then He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.” So He brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east. And He said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them – Ezekiel 8:5-18 

NOTE: Theological failure eventually leads to moral failure!

*SUPPLEMENTAL STUDY NOTES:

For instance, the Statue of Liberty, the “Lady of Light” Columbia Pictures logo, the “Mary” of Catholicism and the “Queen of Heaven” are each blatant representations of Semiramis.

 

The Statute of Liberty was actually designed by Freemasons from France and was given to America as a pagan “gift”. What do today’s New Agers believe is the meaning of the “seven rays” radiating from the head (mind) of the Statue of Liberty? She has been “illuminated” or “enlightened” – esotericism = hidden knowledge. What is meant by “liberty” according to freemasons and those involved in the French revolution and why is their type of “liberty” completely unbiblical? These are great questions for a future discussion…

 

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society website explains how the 1965 Air Force Medal of Honor was changed to represent “liberty” – Semiramus!

http://www.cmohs.org/

Occultist Alice Bailey (Lucifer/Lucius Trust) wrote the book titled The Seventh Ray. Alice taught of the “Seven Major Fields of World Work”. This is the exact terminology of the “Seven Mountain Mandate” of the New Apostolic Reformation. This idea is also imbedded in the one-world concept of the “Three Legged Stool” theory of Peter Drucker/Rich Warren/Tony Blair as well as the “eight areas of influence” of the Jesuit Order (Society of Jesus)…

 

So, just how much has the cult of Nimrod already affected us in the Christian church today? There are numerous Items that have crept into the church over the years that we find no mention of in the Bible. Some of them are unique to the Roman Catholic church. Many can also be found in every single Protestant denomination and independent church today. Let’s take a look at several of them:

• As already mentioned, The Babylonian cult worshiped a Supreme Father, a Queen of Heaven, and her Son. When the people were scattered across the earth by God, they carried this symbolism with them. Many eastern religions have a similar theme. Mary wasn't originally venerated. Referring to her as the "Mother of God" started around 431 A.D.

• We celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th, and yet He almost certainly wasn't born on that day. Shepherds weren't likely to be in the field at that time watching over their flocks by night and it is not a time that they would have likely traveled for census purposes. Christ-mass was originally copied from a heathen festival celebrated December 24th and 25th in honor of the son of the Babylonian Queen Astarte. It was kept for centuries before Christ was even born, and was called Yule Day or Child day. The Christmas tree was a pagan symbol, common to the heathen. The yule log was supposedly cast into a tree, and provided gifts to bless men in the upcoming year. As of 230 A.D. Tertullian was lamenting that Christians were beginning to follow this custom. The church at Constantine which was full of pagans became so corrupt that this festival was incorporated into church ritual starting in the fourth century.

• Lady Day is observed March 25th. It is supposedly when Mary conceived, but is based on the faulty date of Dec. 25th as a birth date. Among the heathen, it was a festival honoring Cybele, the mother of the Babylonian Messiah. In Rome Cybele was known as Domina or Lady - and hence the name Lady Day. This festival made it into the church sometime before 656 A.D.

• The practice of Lent and fasting or eating fish on Fridays during Lent was not original with Christianity, but was a celebration of the Rape of Proserpine, culminated with an orgy of lust after a period of 40 days of abstinence in preparation for the event. Easter and the Lenten period that precedes it were introduced to the church in 519 A.D. Cassianus writes "The observance of Lent had no existence so long as the Church remained inviolate.” The fasting and Friday observances came into the church around 998 A.D.

• Easter also originated with the Babylonian heritage. The derivation of the name “Easter” is from Ishtar (a title of the Babylonian Queen of Heaven). It was observed for centuries before Christ and held as traditions Easter eggs, hot-cross buns, etc. And yet, the church has chosen to declare this as a holiday to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ! The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has been confused by the “church” for millennia. Jesus Christ was our Passover sacrifice. He was crucified on Wednesday, not Friday. It would be better to have a “Good Wednesday” service than a “Good Friday” service. This pushes His last supper to Tuesday and not Thursday. His Last Supper was a Passover supper, which was certainly appropriate. This allowed the Jewish women a “shopping day” (Friday) after the High Sabbath and before the regular Friday night to Saturday evening Sabbath to buy the supplies they needed to anoint our Savior. Jesus Christ arose after the Saturday evening end of the Sabbath – He could well have arisen on Saturday night rather than Sunday morning. The angels were there to tell the women who came that He wasn't there, but was arisen, just as He said! But it really could have been at any time after the regular weekly Sabbath ended. In fact, these women could have been retrieving their supplies Saturday evening rather than Sunday morning in order to reduce their exposure to the odor of Jesus decaying body which they expected would eventually set in. Fixing the day of Jesus Christ's death to Wednesday allows for what He foretold when He said:

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth – Matthew 12:40

• The math just doesn't work if He died on Friday as the church has promulgated. While it is true that the heathen celebration of Easter coincides with Passover most of the time, we should really be focusing on Passover to mark the Lord's death.

• The worship of images or giving special honor to things (relics, crosses, saint's statues, medallions, rosaries, et cetera) was never a part of the Early church. Such quasi-idolatry would certainly be condemned by them. Yet it has continued to this day.

• Doctrines such as purgatory, prayers for the dead, veneration of saints or thinking they have special influence with God and should be prayed to, worship of Mary, the infallibility of the pope (or the equivalent for any high religious leaders, whether Catholic or another denomination), celibacy of the priesthood, indulgences, transubstantiation (priests turn a wafer – “host” – into the literal body of Christ and wine becomes His literal blood) and confession of sins to a priest are all additions that were not seen in the 1^st century Church of Acts. 

Although not all Protestant denominations observe these points of discussion, almost all Christian denominations have something in common with all these practices. There is a common expression that is heard very often today. In fact, it is so common that it is frequently abbreviated and most Christians in the western world immediately recognize it:

WWJD? - “What Would Jesus Do?

Perhaps we should more aptly be asking this question:

WDJD? - “What Did Jesus Do?

Actually, I contend that He would take a whip to the “church” of today and proceed with the same sort of “house cleaning” that He conducted when He confronted the money changers of His day in the temple grounds! This would also apply to most “Christian” book stores found throughout our communities – and churches.

 

Final thoughts:

This end times "false-dominant church" is well in the "making" today with the merging of all types of religions and religious groups. The lack of the study of Bible Prophecy as well as true Biblical doctrine – which is disappearing from many of our churches today – is further evidence that we are moving ever so close to the time of this "false church" of Revelation 17.

 

In the end, God's judgment will come even to those who supposedly worship Him. As we look at our world today, we see a similar scenario. Judgment must begin at the "house of the Lord". We are living in the "last days" – today!

With this information as a foundation for your studies, please read through Chapter 17 of Revelation.

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate chapter 18 of Revelation…

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!
 

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com

I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!

Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><

Encouraging Concepts

Truth for Today

"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"

Lighthouse Publications <><

Revelation Chapter 16‏‏‏

Hello Friends!

Welcome back! During this week’s fellowship time, we’ll continue our study of Revelation.

Revelation Chapter 16
 
This week we will investigate chapter 16 in our journey of the end times.

As we discussed in our last study, chapter 16 introduces the seven bowls of wrath, God’s final judgment at the end of the 7 year Tribulation period. At the command of the Almighty Yahweh, the Seven Angels will go forth out of the temple to pour out their bowls on to the earth: 

And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth – Revelation 16:1

These final judgments will come in a rapid-fire, staccato fashion – each one stronger in fury and intensity. God is now bringing to an end the Great Tribulation by sending judgment upon the followers of the Antichrist. Concerning the Great Tribulation – also known as Jacob's Trouble (see Jeremiah 30:7), Jesus said:

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened – Matthew 24: 21-22

The Great Tribulation period will be so terrible that God will have to shorten it or else no human being will be able to endure it and survive.

 

Unlike the sounding of the Seven Trumpets, the outpouring of these Seven Bowls upon mankind will not be a warning call for repentance but a direct judgment of God's wrath. There is a parallel between the Seven Trumpets and the Seven Bowls. The Trumpets deal specifically with Israel for accepting a seven-year covenant to be made by Antichrist. The sounding of the Seven Trumpets is a warning call to get Israel to repent and also a warning to the world of the impending evil and judgment to come. The events that will take place at the sounding of the Seven Trumpets will be localized in the “third part” of the earth which is the geographical area of the Middle East and the European countries. On the other hand, the outpouring of the Seven Bowls will deal with corrupt mankind as a whole – especially those who will side with the Beast and its Image.

 

The First Bowl Judgment:

So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image – Revelation 16:2

The expression “foul and loathsome” also translates as “bad and evil.” By the time God's indignation is poured out upon the earth, mankind will have become very corrupt. 

For those whose spirit, soul and body are one with the adversary of God and who worship the religious system and its image, God will punish them with a “foul and loathsome” affliction that cannot and will not be healed.

 

The Second Bowl Judgment:

Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died – Revelation 16:3

When the Second Bowl is poured out, all the seas on earth – salt water – will be affected. Mankind in general will be judged and made to suffer the great and terrible (yet glorious) wrath of the Omnipotent God. The Lord is showing mankind the sinful corruption within them and that He hates corruption. Corruption is evil and spreads like cancer.

When LIFE is rejected, CORRUPTION sets in and DEATH is the result! The wrath of God will be felt the world over as this corruption kills all creatures that come into contact with the “blood as of a dead man” in the sea.

The Third Bowl Judgment:

Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters saying: “You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was and who is to be, because You have judged these things. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.” And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments – Revelation 16:4-7

When the Third Bowl is poured out on the fresh rivers and fountains of waters, “they became blood.” This is God's judgment on the wicked for shedding the innocent blood of His saints and prophets. He is returning to them blood for blood. This is a righteous judgment. It is as if God is saying, “You have killed My saints and My prophets and shed their blood; now drink it!”

Fresh water will be scarce in that hour and many will die for lack of it as the water of many rivers and fountains around the world will turn noxiously red.

The Fourth Bowl Judgment:

Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory – Revelation 16:8-9

When this Fourth Bowl is poured out God will cause the sun to burn hotter, thus scorching the inhabitants upon the earth with great heat. This is to “get the attention” of Israel to repent for her coldness toward the Word of Yahweh and for their making of a covenant with the Antichrist. However, as God's accumulated wrath continues to pour out, the glorious power of God's righteous judgment also increases in magnitude.

In this Fourth Bowl He increases the heat and the brightness of the sun by as much as seven-fold (see Isaiah30:26). Instead of repenting of their sins and giving glory to God, the wicked would revile God and continue to blaspheme His Holy Name.

The Fifth Bowl Judgment:

Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds – Revelation 16:10-11

As the Lord pours out His Fifth Bowl upon “the throne of the beast” it will cause those who worship the beast – especially through the second half of Daniel's 70th Week (the last 3 ½ years of the Tribulation) – to realize that their belief is fallacious. When it finally dawns on them that they have nothing spiritually tangible and beneficial under the dictatorial rule of this beastly system, those men and women who worship Antichrist will become disobedient and rebellious toward the him. They are the same people who will be judged with grievous sores and plagues under the first Four Bowls of God's wrath. And they will still be suffering the effects of these judgments even when the Fifth Bowl is poured out.

This shows the cumulative effects of the outpouring of the Bowls. Yes, the Antichrist will lose his grip and the whole beastly “kingdom became full of darkness“ as the wrath of God increases. There will be utter chaos and confusion around the world as God gets ready to destroy this Antichrist system and the Image of the Beast.

This is God giving Satan his due punishment by returning “darkness for darkness.”

The Sixth Bowl Judgment:

Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty – Revelation 16:12-14

The Euphrates river divides the Middle East from the Far East. It also serves as the border of the Old Roman Empire. Being 1,800 miles long, about 3,600 feet wide in some places and about 30 feet deep, it was practically impossible, in ancient days, to move an army across the waters quickly and safely. Of course, modern armies are not hindered by this great river of water or any difficulty created by natural topography around it. In a literal sense, the river Euphrates is actually drying up at this present time. As the protective layer of ozone, which blankets the earth, is broken down by chemical pollutions in the air, there are drastic changes in the atmosphere. Hence, rainfall is less abundant with each passing year. Also, in recent years, dams have been built on the upper part of this river near the mountains. Such action reduces the flow of water downstream.

Biblically speaking, the great river Euphrates simply symbolizes a hindrance to the power of the Far East coming into that region of the world. Of course, its drying up symbolizes that “the way of the kings from the east might be prepared” to engage the west and the rest of the world in the “the battle of that great day of God Almighty” – a great confrontation.

Unlike the “Holy Trinity” – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – which has the sharp two-edged sword of Truth and grace proceeding from their mouths, the “unholy (Satanic) trinity” – the dragon (Satan), his beast and his false prophet – has “unclean spirits like frogs” coming out of their mouths. Frogs generally look loathsome and repulsive. Even their guttural croak sounds unclean, offensive and ominous in the dark. 

The “three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon“ depicts the breath (spirit) and the speech of the “unholy trinity” which are of evil intents and influences. They are demonic spirits going forth to do false miracles. But these are not true miracles of healing the sick or raising the dead. These are false miracles which will bring about a concentration of powers and hosts of evil for a wicked purpose. Through these three great enemies of God the nations of the world will be deceived and drawn into the great battle to come. Nations that are at odds with one another will unite or align themselves together. The kings of the east, especially the communist nations which will not be much affected by the power of the Beast, his Image or his Mark, will join forces together.

A PROPHETIC WARNING!

Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame – Revelation 16:15

This warning is given to the people of God. The Mystery of both the First and the Second Advents of Christ are hidden from the eyes of the wise and the prudent. Assuredly, as Christ was revealed to a small group among the chosen people of Israel during His First Advent, so will Christ reveal Himself to a “little flock” among the Christian people prior to His Second Advent. Therefore, let him who has received the revelation of Jesus Christ “watch and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame” for we are living in a generation of great spiritual darkness!

And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon – Revelation 16:16

Yes, the unclean spirits will gather the kings of the east for the final battle – the Battle of “Armageddon.” “Ar-Magedon” means “City of Slaughter” or “Har-Magedon” means “Hill of Slaughter.” The Battle of Armageddon will not be fought in a city or on a hill, but rather “by the waters of Megiddo” (see Judges.5:19) and “in the valley of Megiddo” (see Zechariah 12:11). These words characterize a great slaughter where blood will flow like waters in a great valley. The battlefield of Armageddon will cover an area spanning Megiddo on the north (see Zechariah 12:11) to Edom on the south (see Isaiah 34:5,6 & 63:1), a distance of 1,600 furlongs or about 200 miles and from the Mediterranean Sea on the west to the hills of Moab on the east, a distance of nearly 100 miles. It will embrace three important valleys — the Valley of Esdraelon (part and parcel of the Valley of Jezreel), the Valley of Megiddo (see Zechariah 12:11) and the Valley of Jehoshaphat (see Joel 3:2,12). And at the center of the entire “war zone” will be the City of Jerusalem (see Zechariah.14:1,2).

The Seventh Bowl Judgment:

Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” – Revelation 16:17

“It is done!” All the plagues have been poured out - The end has come!

The final effects of the Bowls will be felt after the last one is poured out and heightening God's judgment on the Antichrist and all powers that withstand God's plan concerning His kingdom. “It is done!” expresses the comprehensiveness and the finality of God's judgment, fulfilling the words of Hebrews:

Whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain – Hebrews 12:26-27

Once again John saw much excitement in Heaven and on earth:

And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth – Revelation 16:18

A great earthquake – an earthquake that mankind have never experienced before – strikes the earth, dividing the great city:

Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath – Revelation 16:19

The “great city” is Jerusalem. God will shake this city and cause some wreckage but it will not fall. The cities of those nations around the world, which are in league with the Babylonian system, will fall from the effects of this “great earthquake.” They will lay in ruins. The divine intent is to make Babylon drink “the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.” The judgment of Babylon is described in greater detail in the subsequent visions to the Apostle John later in Revelation chapters 17 and 18.

At last, this precious earth has travailed long enough:

Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great – Revelation 16:20-21

Prodigious hailstones – “the weight of a talent” – weighing about sixty times heavier than those known to men, will strike the earth causing severe destruction in their paths. Being unrepentant, “Men blasphemed God” with their last breath. With a great and powerful earthquake that mankind has never experienced before, our Lord Jesus Christ will reshape the earth – as mountains fall down and islands disappear! With that final blow, He will bring in a new age, the 1000-Year Millennial Kingdom, where He will be the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

What we see here is God's wrath and it will not stop until He has raised the Godly dead who died as martyrs during the Great Tribulation. Then He will judge the living wicked persons of the earth, and cleanse the earth for the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Day of the Lord is quickly approaching.

Time is running out...

 

After the Seven Bowl Judgments of God are complete – it is done and there is no more wrath...

With this information as a foundation for your studies, please read through Chapter 16 of Revelation.

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s edition as we investigate chapter 17 of Revelation…

We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!

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Shane K. Morin <><

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