Sunday, March 31, 2013

Written in code, Revelation 13:10

It would seem that most of Revelation is written in code.

An example of that would be: Beasts with multiple heads; all of which represent empires, kingdoms and rulers, but you are not given the rules to break the code directly.
If I only looked at verse 10 in the KJV it comes across as a riddle and takes a very different meaning from many other translations. The question is, which one is right?
He that leads into captivity shall go into captivity: he that kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.
(Revelation 13:10 KJV)
One might assume that the one that is leading others into captivity would be the Antichrist and since Islam is one the leading advocates of beheading by sword, they fit the mold quite nicely as the ones doing the killing by sword.
In this modern world we live in where advancements in technology are rapidly changing and improving the way we kill people, why the sword? The sword within Islam almost takes on a religious theme, and may well fall under that category.
Here in the United States we already have a large collection of FEMA detainment camps; sometimes referred as protective facilities. Who is being protected? Us Christians from those that wish to remove our rights and freedoms? I do not think so. Do you really believe that believers will be treated respectfully while detained there? Then you are deluded.
Other versions of this passage read like this:
Whoever is to be a prisoner, will be a prisoner. Whoever is to be killed with a sword, will be killed with a sword. This means that God's holy people must have patience and faith.
(Revelation 13:10 ERV)
Why this is an entirely different spin from the KJV for it for it removes the focus off the perpetrator and places it on the victim.
In theory this may be one of the ways God has chosen for us to understand what is to befall those that are left.
Penn Jillette of the magical act, Penn and Teller, has been very vocal about being an agnostic and his disappointment in Christians not taking the responsibility to tell someone like him if something equitable to a devastating train wreck is about to befall him. At least then he could make a logical decision about how to react to that information. I believe that what I am doing could equate to something like that. Having seen in scripture what is coming for those who wait, I warn you; this world after the rapture will not be pretty. Sure the man who shows up will be handsome (maybe), well spoken, charismatic, and have all the right things to say, calming most people down. Following him will be a tragic and last error in judgment for worshiping that man and taking any marks he demands will end your chances for God's redemption, and there will still be a chance (kind of like playing a card trick, only God has the deck of cards and Mr. Penn Jillette will not be able to figure out what he is doing should he end up before the white throne of judgment.)
By translating verse 10 from the victim's point of view it enlightens but possibly misdirected the world from looking at reality.
Let's take at look at the words being used, because I want to understand.
He thatG1536 leadeth intoG4863 captivityG161 shall goG5217 intoG1519 captivity:G161 he thatG1536 killethG615 withG1722 the swordG3162 mustG1163 be(G846) killedG615 withG1722 the sword.G3162 HereG5602 isG2076 theG3588 patienceG5281 andG2532 theG3588 faithG4102 of theG3588 saints.G40
(Revelation 13:10 KJV+)
 Nothing short of confusing when you look at it like this, but give me a moment.
åéG1487 COND ôéòG5100 X-NSM áé÷ìáëùóéáíG161 N-ASF óõíáãåéG4863 V-PAI-3S åéòG1519 PREP áé÷ìáëùóéáíG161 N-ASF õðáãåéG5217 V-PAI-3S åéG1487 COND ôéòG5100 X-NSM åíG1722 PREP ìá÷áéñáG3162 N-DSF áðïêôåíåéG615 V-FAI-3S äåéG1163 V-PAI-3S áõôïíG846 P-ASM åíG1722 PREP ìá÷áéñáG3162 N-DSF áðïêôáíèçíáéG615 V-APN ùäåG5602 ADV åóôéíG1510 V-PAI-3S çG3588 T-NSF õðïìïíçG5281 N-NSF êáéG2532 CONJ çG3588 T-NSF ðéóôéòG4102 N-NSF ôùíG3588 T-GPM áãéùíG40 A-GPM
(Revelation 13:10 GNT-TR+)
Again confusing and I do not read Greek but the Strong's reference numbers are the same. Originally written in Greek and then transliterated into English guys like me are at the mercy of those who seem to know. For me it is beneficial to compare texts.

There is a common thread between the two translations

Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.
If the focus is on the perpetrator then it seems that God is spelling out the type of retribution that they shall receive. Why then would it be necessary for the Saints to have perseverance and faith?
If they focus is really intended to be upon the victims then this statement makes all the sense in the world.
What does it mean to have perseverance and faith?
Perseverance, according to the Greek, means to be steadfast constant and to endure. But what are you enduring? And for what purpose?
The ISBE and Vine's expository call it a different Greek word and the ISBE says it only occurs one time in the NT and that is Ephesians 6:18.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
(Ephesians 6:18 KJV)
The KJV states it this way: Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.I suppose it is safe to say that the word endurance and patience kind of lean in the same direction.
Strongs tells us that the word patience is: Hupomonē - From G5278; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy:- enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).
So then what are the Saints, going through the tribulation, waiting for? God to rescue them and give them a home in his arms also.
If I could warn you of impending death or imprisonment with torture, then adding a statement that allows you to mentally prepare might be a good thing. I am certain that a statement like this does that very thing for some.
As I sat down to dinner this night at Chick-fil-A, a business known for its Christian stance, a man walks up to the counter with a t-shirt on that expresses some aspect of how he feels. It said some name and the words, “standing at hell's gates.” It would seem to me that he has no hope of a future with God.
In focusing on verse 10 alone, I believe that for some there will be a separation from the body only to find themselves in the presence of the Lord, while others may find themselves faced with hell's gates and the sudden realization that this is not really where they wanted to be.
I am almost embarrassed to tell you this because it is the environment I grew up in, but the religious assumptions I heard left me with the idea that there was no hope for anyone after the rapture. Clearly that is not the case. Why?
  1. The verse we have dealt with speaks to the Saints and implies the necessity of faith and patience.
  2. Peter stood on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts chapter 2, and told those scoffers that what they were hearing was the prophecy of Joel chapter 2 being fulfilled in their hearing.
    Do you realize that the prophecy of Joel is one about the last days? And the fact that Peter announced that it was fulfilled on that day and forward. Lawyers like to call things like this a precedence, and establishes a freedom to act a certain way from that point on.
    We, in our Christian circles, love to use the prophecy of Joel to describe something out the ordinary that typically happens to the youth, in the realm of the prophetic, primarily with our pre-rapture church body. (Note: You will not see anything like this at the church I go to. It is not allowed. - A warning: God will tear the walls off your church building if you try to keep him out.) While Peter's statements give us the precedent to use it, it is primarily directed to a handful, maybe larger, of Saints that are not merely surviving the horrors of the great tribulation, but living in extraordinary victory during this time. They will come to understand that they are not of this world. Filled with the Holy Spirit they walk in the freedom and power of the most feared of prophets who walked this earth. (Consider. If you came to a person like this, humbly seeking to know and understand the God they have come to know and understand, how do you think they would respond? With the loving merciful nature of the God that empowers them.
    Take the time to Read the first two chapters (at least) of Joel. You will find that the emphasis is on the Day of the Lord, a day of darkness and gloom, and that aspect alone is at the end of the seven-year period.
One of the main themes in the NT is our hope, a hope in a future with Jesus Christ and the Father. That is what these Saints of the tribulation years have come to understand and hope in too. Obviously a hope like this is built within you, but based upon what? The scriptures, a witness, a testimony, and a faith in a message. Nothing has changed for the scriptures tell us that faith comes by hearing, but we assume that there is no one left to tell them. Think about it. Why send two witnesses to earth. Sure they will have an impact on Israel but broadcast on global television the world will see what men of God really act like and say. We also know that an angel flies around the globe preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. And then there is not only copies of the bible left everywhere, but guys like me that post it on the Internet.
I am asking you look into the scriptures for yourself. Yes it is appropriate to compare your notes against what scholars have ascertained, doing that has multiple effects:
  1. It gives you a compass that tells you that you might be headed in the right direction and
  2. It allows you to confirm that your thoughts are sound (keep in mind that if you Born Again and filled with the Holy Spirit, then you have a guide and teacher – trust him.)
    But remember, even scholars have leaned toward spinning the result to satisfy those who are paying their bills. No one is paying my bills and that is why I am attempting to rock the boat a little.
The only way to gain assurance that your hope is in heaven is to accept Jesus as Lord of your life, and that the Father has promised a life with him in heaven. Choosing against that pits you against the time of judgment that was meant for those who reject him; that includes Israel. Even Israel will be shown mercy but not without a cost. You do not have go through something that was not meant for you. To go there is purely your choice. Choose wisely was the phrase used in the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie. I would hope that you do.


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Friday, March 29, 2013

all those dwelling in the earth will worship it, Revelation 13:8

Revelation 13:8 LITV
And all those dwelling in the earth will worship it, those of whom the names had not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb having been slain from the foundation of the world.
Several things jump out at me as I read this. The statement is implying that there is only two classes of people on the earth at this point.
A. Those that worship the beast
B. Believers in Yeshua, those whose names are written in the Book of Life.
Is this really the situation? I am not trying to challenge God but I wish to better understand because I have read other passages that make me believe that this is not the case. As I was writing my notes, not having a good concordance in front of me, I questioned if the word All as used here was valid.
There are several things that fuel my challenge:
  • Dake's feels strongly that the beast will not have a global reign
  • The book of Daniel records that Nebuchadnezzar had a statue built and demanded that everyone bow before it. We are told that everyone, except for three, did bow. And yet Daniel was not there.
    So no, everyone did not bow. Simplistic yes, but as I have read through the old testament I have seen over the top statements and it becomes clear that not everyone was there, and therefore is a generalized statement at times.
If I jump ahead to Revelation 21: 10-27 we are told of the New Jerusalem, coming down to the earth and how it lights the earth. The kings of the earth bring their glory unto it. But verse 27 should shock you.
Revelation 21:27 AMP But nothing that defiles or profanes or is unwashed shall ever enter it, nor anyone who commits abominations (unclean, detestable, morally repugnant things) or practices falsehood, but only those whose names are recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Who could be left on earth at this point.

What do we know about those that take the mark and worship the beast? They suffer the same fate as the Antichrist and his false prophet. So they should be gone.
  • We assume that anyone coming to Christ during the seven-year period is martyred, so allegedly they are gone.
  • When Christ returns to earth he kills anyone that is attempting to fight with him. So combatants are gone. This includes those that Revelation 19 describes: the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies.
Those that fight against Christ will probably be, in majority, Islamic, but there is no guarantee of that, for a good deal of the world seems to hate the idea that God wants any authority over their lives.
If we work off the idea that it is an Islamic force coming against Christ, what can we understand about their ideology? Teach the young to hate and prepare for Jihad. Because the fundamentalists teach the way of Jihad as soon as the child can read, it is safe to assume that even if family was not carrying a weapon against God that their anger and hatred are deeply ingrained. If not destroyed in battle the merciful God allows them to continue on trying to live.
I think we need to understand something here. While the New Jerusalem sits here on earth and the earth is ruled by those called Saints, the previously martyred, for a thousand years. Life seems to go on. After all the cataclysmic judgments the earth suffers I am sure it will be vastly different, and you can see that in scripture if you pursue it.
Nothing will demand that you relinquish your anger nor your pagan ideals, but there will be one huge demand placed upon you. You must make the trip to Jerusalem, take part in the yearly Feast of Tabernacles, and bow in obeisance before God. (Some will see this as bordering on impossible. Do you really think that there will be airplanes flying after what the earth goes through, probably not. I do strongly suspect that there will have been a shaking to the point that the land masses will probably be reconnected and that the earth's population will be dramatically reduced.)
Seems simple enough. The punishment for non-compliance will mean no rain on your ground for a year. I do not know if that means a nation suffers or the person, but the outcome may be the same for without water you do not drink and your crops do not grow.
If you have read any of my commentaries on Revelation then you should have picked up on the idea that I think God is a merciful God and that he is continuing to show mercy. Having given the earth the blanket of forgiveness of sins, placing his Son upon the brutal cross, and watching a world ignore that act of love, I could only imagine how I might react. To say the least my patience would have been worn thin, but God does not seem to work that way.
(Do not balk at this idea, Jesus paid a price that was enough and we were forgiven. He even took it one step further and bought us out of the slavery that Adam's transgression placed us into to. Did that forgiveness buy us a spot in the family of God? No! He left that entirely up to us – This is the idea behind free will, we get to choose if we wish to be in the family of God. We do that by hearing Jesus words – he calls to you all the time- and believing in the Father.)
Who is left?
  1. The surviving remnant of Jews.
  2. Non-combatants
  3. The nations
    Revelation 21:24 NASB The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
  4. Those that have come to Jesus during the tribulation years and have been taken captive, and survived. I suspect that God will have them join with him in judgment over the earth for the thousand-year period. (Really, think about it. Who better to judge than those who the earth has already judged. Wait, that could be really scary as our human understanding tells us that they will seek retribution. No, they will judge with a righteous judgment, with Jesus as their leader and example.)
We make the assumption that the end comes with a purging where evil is wiped off the earth and God's people alone populate the earth, but that is not the case. Yes, it is true, that the source of evil is locked up for a thousand years but that does not change what is in the heart of man. His choice to pursue God freely, or hate him stills exists, and God is not demanding you throw out your idols. That might be wise in the end, but as long as you comply by coming to the yearly feast you get to go on living as you choose. Are you beginning to get the picture, all nations, at least remnants of them are still here; including those we whine about saying, they have never heard the gospel! Trust me on this. They will hear the gospel. That is guaranteed, for an angel flies over the earth preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, and this happens several times, one of which is immediately after the rapture.
Haven't you ever wondered how it is that the world, after living for a thousand more years in a condition that might be as close to the garden environment that Adam walked in, would be deceived and attempt to turn against God at the end of this millennial period.

"..whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain."

Those of us who have asked Jesus Christ to come into our lives and make his home there, believing that God, the Father, sent his only Son to die on a cross, bearing all our sins, and then rose again to new life so that we may also might live with him, are the ones that have their names written in the book of life.
Many would tell you that you have to confess your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you your sins in order for him to accept you, but that is not the case, for while we were still sinners Christ died for us. He died for us knowing that many would not accept his love and gift; all he asks is that you believe in him and that the Father sent him. Yes, there is more. Scripture tells us that God awaits the chance to show the treasures of heaven and the life that awaits you as part of the family of God. Adam had that life for a limited time (it might have been thousands of years.)
This book of life has belonged to the lamb from before time was even a concept. The Lamb is Jesus. John, the disciple, the angry man who learned what love is, wrote:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
(John 1:1-4 NASB)

 John spoke of my Jesus, my God.

Jesus told them exactly what would happen and then he did it. He rose from the dead. He walked among them, ate with them, let him touch his body, and comforted them. He then told them, as hard as this is going to sound to you, I have to go away to the Father now so that I can prepare a place for you.
A place for me? This is just overwhelming me now. Do you realize that one of the reasons I write is because I have struggled to understand and take this in.
He is real because he did what he said.
And though this is not intentional, here Easter is almost upon us. The time when we celebrate the fact that he rose from the dead. It is the reason for our hope, our hope that there is an eternity of peace with the Father in a land where it is too good to be true. Free from the mental anguish and pains of this world that Satan destroyed.
Easter is our anchor for Hope.
As I have watched on the news lately, many are trying to take away our hope, denying the children, innocent children the right to associate or even consider the possibility that there is a hope.
Jesus Christ did what he said he would do and he rose from the grave.
Yes, there is a hope. It does not matter what people do to me, or what goes on around me. Jesus is mine. I know this because I have asked him in and I have a confidence that he has never left me. He has proven himself true and faithful to me, even when I was not faithful to him.
I love you Father and anxiously await your embrace.
He has risen indeed!





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Sunday, March 24, 2013

The Mouth that roared. Revelation 13:5-7

Revelation 13:5 KJV And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

“There was given ...”

The word given is the Greek word didōmi; reduplicated from the root δο- do-; to give(in various senses lit. or fig.): - add (1), allow (2), bestowed (4), cause
So one might say the beast was:
  • given
  • allowed
  • bestowed with
  • or caused to
To what? We will get to that. 
 
If the beast, in this passage, is not a man, then who or what is being given a spokesman/mouth? Think about it. The dragon gives the beast not only power, but now either the beast or some aspect of the beast is given a spokesman. 
 
In one of my recent posts we gained a strong visual description of a beast. I believe that though not defined, this is the same beast, and it looks nothing like a man.

Revelation 13:1-2 KJV And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (2) And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

If this beast, in its original state, has multiple heads (ruling bodies) and is shaped like something that looks like it could be interpreted as three different animals, then where could God have gotten something that matches that image? 
 
As I read Daniel one day it occurs to me that Daniel was shown in a vision a modern map with the nations marked out that matched that of the Babylonian empire, the Medo-Persian empire, Alexandrian empire, and the Ottoman empire. The Roman empire may have been there but out of context, for the angel did not speak to Daniel of the Roman empire, but he did speak of a mystery empire and said, it is not like the others. 
 
Try describing the outline of what you see when you look at the territories these nations embodied. Something that should catch your attention is that they are all heavily, if not primarily Muslim. Two, they, if you use your imagination, look like they could easily represent the three animals that Revelation 13:1-2 describes. I can hear many of you scoffing and laughing; really? I have never been able to look up at a sky full of stars and say, oh! I see Capricorn, or Sagittarius. I think you get the picture, and yet you are far more agreeable with that line of thinking. Sadly many of you follow Astrology more closely than you follow God.

unto him...”

We have not changed subjects or context. The “him” is the same as in verse 2 of Revelation, and the him is not identifiable as a man as yet. It is however an authoritative body or an angel with a distinct name, and yet that name is not given. I can make a huge assumption here with the name Allah.

If this beast is the demonic/fallen angel whose name is Allah, then it makes all the sense in the world for Satan/the dragon to transfer his power to him. No one is looking in the right direction, they all have their attention turned to Satan, the deceiver, while this whatever gears up the Muslim world against anything that looks like God, and obtains a spokes person that is so charismatic, handsome, and authoritative that no one challenges him.

Consider this. Islam is founded upon Mohammed relating what an angel, an angel which tried to kill him, told him. No one in Islam, in comparison to men like Moses or Abraham, has ever heard from God and yet they call him Allah and anxiously await his two representatives, the 12th or hidden Imam, and his deputy Jesus.

What did Paul tell us believers? 
 
Galatians 1:8 NASB But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!

Sadly Mohammed did not hear this message, but we have, and we should have our eyes wide open so that we are not deceived.

If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the risen one from the dead, then this detailed description of the Islamic Jesus should be an eye opener.

Isa ( Arabic: عيسىTransliteration: ʿĪsā ), known as Jesus in the New Testament is considered to be a Messenger of God and the Masih (Messiah) in Islam[1] who was sent to guide the Children of Israel (banī isrā'īl) with a new scripture, the Injīl or Gospel.[2] The belief in Jesus (and all other messengers of God) is required in Islam, and a requirement of being a Muslim. The Quran mentions Jesus by name twenty-five times, while it only mentions Muhammad by name four times.[3][4] It states that Jesus was born to Mary (Arabic: Maryam) as the result of virginal conception, a miraculous event which occurred by the decree of God (Arabic: Allah). To aid in his ministry to the Jewish people, Jesus was given the ability to perform miracles (such as healing the blind, bringing dead people back to life, etc.), all by the permission of God rather than of his own power. According to the Quran, Jesus, although appearing to have been crucified, was not killed by crucifixion or by any other means, instead, "God raised him unto Himself". Like all prophets in Islam, Jesus is considered to have been a Muslim (i.e., one who submits to the will of God), as he preached that his followers should adopt the "straight path" as commanded by God. Islam rejects the Trinitarian Christian view that Jesus was God incarnate or the son of God, that he was ever crucified or resurrected, or that he ever atoned for the sins of mankind. The Quran says that Jesus himself never claimed any of these things, and it furthermore indicates that Jesus will deny having ever claimed divinity at the Last Judgment, and God will vindicate him.[5] The Quran emphasizes that Jesus was a mortal human being who, like all other prophets, had been divinely chosen to spread God's message. Islamic texts forbid the association of partners with God (shirk), emphasizing a strict notion of monotheism (tawhīd).
Numerous titles are given to Jesus in the Quran and in Islamic literature, the most common being al-Masīḥ ("the messiah"). Jesus is also, at times, called "Seal of the Israelite Prophets", because, in general Muslim belief, Jesus was the last prophet sent by God to guide the Children of Israel. Jesus is seen in Islam as a precursor to Muhammad, and is believed by Muslims to have foretold the latter's coming.[6][7]Jesus in Islam From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I am not speaking this way, nor sharing this information with you to berate Islam. I am trying to get believers in Jesus Christ and God's word to open their eyes and their minds to something outside of persistent tradition. It is this tradition that has kept your understanding clouded and darkened, and prevents you from seeing the truth. 
 
Let me just add that scripture tells us that God will awaken the people of Iran and Egypt to revival. He will pour out his spirit upon them and pull them into the kingdom. It is happening as we speak. Stand in the way and you will get run over. Join me in prayer for the people of the mid-east as God invades their lives with dreams and vision, and awakens them to life. Jesus Christ, the son of God is life and life cannot be found in any other.

a mouth ...”

If we had talked about a man he would have already had a mouth. I believe that this is telling us that whoever or whatever this is suddenly has spokesman. If the beast is Allah then the spokesman becomes the coming Mahdi who is supposed to speak for Allah. Makes sense doesn't it? 
 
If this is an authoritative body such as Islam, then someone has to speak for it. Currently many seem to be speaking for Islam. Their stories are not that much different, but this passage clearly indicates that one person will step forward.

As I was writing on my notepad I could not pull my mind away from a video I watched of Ken Peters as he told of a dream he had about the time immediately after the rapture. As I began to search the Internet to find it again so many had been removed due to copyright infringements. I found this link and it is still up.


What I valued about this man was his humility. What I remember was the imagery that I saw in my spirit as he described the image of the smooth talking Antichrist that showed up on every large screen. Somehow I could see this face on an electronic billboard next to the freeway. Keep in mind that Ken would not have known of video images of that size even being capable at that time, and besides that we did not even have cell phones in 1981. I do not think that most people comprehend the confusion and terror that will ensue immediately after the rapture of the church. Those who have been on the edge of truth, such as cult religious groups, will be wailing as they realize that they had been deceived.

“..speaking great things.”

The old standard, The King James version says it well but does give us the depth I feel we need to understand what this spokesman is doing. 
 
Revelation 13:5 KJV And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Read this version which still does not translate the seriousness and nature of the this spokesman but is taking us more toward the right direction.

Revelation 13:5 NIrV The beast was given a mouth to brag and speak evil things against God. The beast was allowed to use his authority for 42 months.

We tend to apply great to ball players that get inducted into the hall of fame, and if that is the connotation God intended for us to apply then this must be a great guy and we need to listen to him.
I referred you to a Ken Peters video in which he described a spokesman who comes on the scene after the rapture of the church. This spokesman in his 1981 dream was handsome, smooth talking, and no one contested anything he implemented.

If I were to analyze the word based upon what I think or understand then I would say the first word that comes to mind is boastful. I associate that term with sports “jocks”, even if they are incapable of competing themselves they are self-enamored and arrogant. 
 
Suppose that this spokesman's talk pertains more toward the plans he has. That becomes scary if it involves the loss of more of my rights at his pleasure. 
 
The Greek word for great is MEGAS. Does Great White Shark ring a bell. 
 
megas; a prim. word; great: - abundant (1), all the more (1), arrogant (1), big (2), completely *(1), fierce (2), - From New American Standard(r) Updated Edition Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible with Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran, has spewed forth great things such as how his nation will wipe Israel off the map. President Morsi of Egypt has also been saying great things, again directed at Israel's destruction.
As a side note: Moses was asked to be God's spokesman, a mouth so to speak to Israel. The oddity is that he complained that he could not speak. A strange statement having been raised in the Egyptian courts where he may have been trained to be a Pharaoh.

“and blasphemies..”

Focus on the word blasphemies for a moment. Christians have spoken in fear of this word since Christianity began, mostly because they were not solidly fixed on the hope we have in Christ, and they did not have a confidence and trust in God; fearing that they might have said a blasphemous thing that would exclude them from God's presence. It is sickening what we have done to ourselves. The other side of this fear comes from preachers and people using the word to control and manipulate people. 
 
Do you not understand that Christ's death was enough, and that he paid the price for sin, ONCE, for all. 
 
Jesus Christ defined blasphemy for us as he accosted the Pharisees for attributing the things of God to the devil.

Mark 3:22-30 NASB The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons." (23) And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? (24) "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. (25) "If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. (26) "If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished! (27) "But no one can enter the strong man's house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house. (28) "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; (29) but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"-- (30) because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."

What did this spokesman say that caused him to be labeled a blasphemer? The passage at hand does not tell us, but the next one might give us a clue. 
 
Revelation 13:6 CEV The beast cursed God, and it cursed the name of God. It even cursed the place where God lives, as well as everyone who lives in heaven with God.

So he talks big and has the support to carry out what he says, but in addition he speaks against God. It almost seems that the mouth attributes anything we would consider Godly to another god, a satanic empowered entity. Remember – the dragon/Satan empowers the beast which can be an individual or a character, perhaps demonic, with a name like Allah.

Odd how silent Dake's is on this blasphemy aspect. The concept of blasphemy is huge in religious circles. Many are quick to point out what they feel is blasphemy on our part, while others worry if they have committed the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. 
 
If Jesus defined blasphemy as attributing his good works to the devil then what does it look like when the emissary of the dragon, the Antichrist does it. As a representative of Satan, empowered by Satan, his statements feel like truth to him. Therefore the words of Jesus Christ, the truth in the flesh, the man Islam calls the Dijal, would be the words of evil and the Antichrist should feel compelled to denigrate the name of God and his son.

and there was given to him authority to go on for forty-two months.”

Revelation 13:5 KJV And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

42 months; that equals three and one half years. That should register loudly for that takes us half way through the time of wrath or the tribulation years. 
 
Hang on, let's talk about the tribulation for a moment. I have held that the tribulation comes after the rapture. I feel as though I have a solid foundation for believing that, and it has to do with Jesus' statements in Matthew 25. In Matthew's gospel he relates how Noah and Lot were rescued just prior to the judgment that fell on the people. (I have a friend who is adamant that judgment is merely specific periods and not the entire time frame.) Apply some logical thought based upon context. Part of our context comes from Matthew's gospel as well as the Old Testament prophets. If you read both of those stories from your bible you will find that trouble was all around these two heroes of the bible. 
 
To be painfully honest and a little sarcastic, some people think tribulation is not being able to upgrade your car so that it excels your neighbors. This sickens me, and I suspect it sickens God as well. Folks, unless you have lived under a rock, there are many of us that are surrounded by trouble. Some are being killed and others suffer through constant stress and threats of physical harm in their daily lives. Tribulation comes in many forms, but do not tell me that the Christians of Nigeria, Chad, Sudan, India, Egypt, Iran, Syria, etc., are not facing hard tribulation as we speak. 
 
Be clear on this. The tribulation that is coming will make these daily tribulations look like a trip through Disneyland.

“And he opened his mouth”

Revelation 13:6 NASB And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

The beast cursed God, and it cursed the name of God.”

The rapture comes and almost simultaneously the Mahdi of Islam shows up. We have called this man who is to come the mouth/spokesman, but Islam calls him the Mahdi.
In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi (Arabic: مهدي‎ / ISO 233: mahdī / English: Guided One) is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will rule for seven, nine or nineteen years- (according to various interpretations)[1] before the Day of Judgment (yawm al-qiyamah / literally, the Day of Resurrection)[2] and will rid the world of evil.[3]
In Shia Islam, the Mahdi is believed to be the Twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, whose return from occultation will be the return of the Mahdi.[4]
Isa will return to aid Mahdi, or the guided one, against Masih ad-Dajjal, the false messiah, and his followers.[5] He will descend at the point of a white arcade, east of Damascus, dressed in yellow robes with his head anointed[citation needed]. He will then join the Mahdi in his war against the Dajjal. Isa will slay Dajjal, and unite humanity.Sahih Muslim, 41:7023 (From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahdi)

Do you find any correlations in here? 
 
If the rapture has comes and almost simultaneously the Mahdi orchestrates a seven-year peace agreement with Israel and almost immediately they begin building the temple once again. 
 
Whoa! How and where did Israel get the temple mount land back? Islam is not going to give that mosque up for a second, so something else cataclysmic happens that makes it possible for Israel to rebuild the temple. (Read Ezekiel 38, 39) A war in which God steps in and intervenes, and it sounds like it has a nuclear aspect to it for God's fire falls on a multitude of Muslim nations.

We tend to assume that the Antichrist gives Israel the freedom to take back what they need to build their temple. Don't plan on it. 
 
What else is happening at the same time? 
 
The two witnesses from God show up. I strongly suspect they will take an active role in the protection of the temple during the time they are on the earth. How would I know that? Because they spew fire out of their mouths at anyone that attempts to harm them. Take this thought one step farther. The first attempts to kill the witnesses might be with bricks thrown at them. Those men will be burned up and will not get the opportunity to throw their bricks. Seeing that men cannot get close them they will bring out the guns. Obvious frontal attacks will not work and those men will be toasted. Snipers will be brought in to kill them, and they will be killed with fire from the mouths of the witnesses. You are not even going to take them until God says so, just like Jesus who told the Romans that they could do nothing if he had not permitted it.

The two witnesses stand in Jerusalem for how long? The same amount of time that it takes for the Antichrist/mouth/spokesman to break the treaty with Israel. So three and one half years after the rapture all hell breaks loose. The Antichrist may not wait until that time frame to speak against the tabernacle of God, and it is purely conjecture to assume that the tabernacle would be the new temple, but it is a logical choice.

Who is in heaven at this point?

The rapture has come and gone, so who is in heaven at this point?
  • The raptured church
  • Christ
  • God, the Father
  • Those that have gone before
  • The martyred saints since the rapture
  • Angels
What purpose does it serve to blaspheme God and those who cannot hear you, and you cannot harm? None, unless you believe that what you are saying is true, and wish to convince others. 
 
Islam believes in one god, theirs, and his name is Allah. The devout, they are called Twelvers in Muslim circles, those who anxiously await the last prophet, Imam al- Mahdi, also await their Jesus/Isa. This Jesus is not the same as the Son of God who is returning for his church. Their Jesus fits precisely into the mold of the false prophet of scripture.

If you awaited someone who was in complete opposition to God what do you expect him to say. For one he will demand that the people of the earth worship no one but the image of the beast that is made to speak. 
 
We are not there yet but the beast of Revelation 17 looks remarkably like the beast of Revelation 13. One is Satan, the other looks like Satan and obtains his power. The Antichrist is Satan's representative on earth.

..to make war with the saints and to overcome them..”

Revelation 13:7 NASB It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.

Again we see that part of his empowerment is to make war with the saints. 
 
We should already know the answer to this but who are the Saints? Anyone who comes to Jesus Christ after the rapture and lives out this testimony by their words and actions. The majority will lose their heads as martyrs and some will be imprisoned. Revelation 13:10 is rather cryptic in the King James but look at some of the other translations and you get a clear picture of saints taken prisoner.

Revelation 13:10 CEV If you are doomed to be captured, you will be captured. If you are doomed to be killed by a sword, you will be killed by a sword. This means that God's people must learn to endure and be faithful!

If you think going through the tribulation as a believer will be easy you are wrong. Though it is possible that it is all just a nasty rumor the Department of Homeland Security is buying 2700 tank like vehicles and enough bullets for a 24 year war. Why? Internal security. 
 
Why is this important in light of the Antichrist's making was on the saints? Because though some might feel secure in saying that the influence of the Antichrist will only be in the middle east, there are clear signs that even in the United States of America preparations are being made to apprehend and inter anyone that speaks out against the government or fails to comply. FEMA already has the pow camps ready. So do not be oblivious to the signs around you. 
 
What is it that scripture calls on us to do about it? Not to panic, PRAY. We who pray are holding back the enemy until we, the church, are returned to the Father's arms.

I falsely thought that once Satan was cast out of heaven to the earth, that he no longer had any place in heaven, but then in my studies I am reminded of Job's episode where Satan presents himself before God and discusses Job in particular. Obviously I was wrong, but in Revelation 12 we have Satan finally excluded from the presence of God where he has been busy pointing out our failures before God.

Revelation 12:13 KJV And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

Finally thrown out he goes after the woman, Israel. Is that happening as we speak? You bet it is. God protects Israel who escapes out of the grasp of the enemy. Angered the dragon, now empowering the Antichrist, goes after those left on earth who belong to God.

Revelation 12:17 KJV And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

It is obvious that there is a timing here and it primarily happens within the 7 years of wrath. The idea of the beast making war against the saints indicates an active pursuit.

Concerning power over all.

Again, to those who cling to a strict middle eastern conflict, there is the aspect of Revelation 13:7 KJV which states: 
 
and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.”

The word kindred in the Greek is phulē and means tribe. When dealing with the Middle eastern people what is their identity wrapped up in? Tribes. For the scripture to say that the beast has power over kindred, then is it not saying that he has power over his own?

There is a common thread, almost like DNA, that runs through the nations involved in gathering against Israel and are represented by the beast. Since I believe that our last beast is the Islamic empire, but explicitly starts with the Babylonian empire, from where? The birthplace of Abraham. Challenged, Muslims will quickly trace their heritage back to Abraham. This tends to enforce the idea of having a global effect as you look at all the nations in which Islam has grasped a solid hold.
Dake's goes to great lengths discussing 15 proofs that the Antichrist will not be world-wide. I have pondered these ideas and a few of my own and I can definitely say I am not sure.
    • The idea that everyone must take a mark to buy or sell.
      Even with the advanced technology in the world there are still places in the world that run on the barter system and do just fine.

      I listened to Walid Shoebat speak about the mark of the beast and he says this concept is strongly an Islamic practice.

      Jizya - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
      Under Islamic law, jizya or jizyah (Arabic: جزية‎ ǧizyah IPA: [dʒizja]; Ottoman Turkish: cizye;) is a per capita tax levied on a section of an Islamic state's non-Muslim citizens, who meet certain criteria. The tax is and was to be levied on able-bodied adult males of military age and affording power[1] (but with specific exemptions).[2][3] From the point of view of the Muslim rulers, jizya was a material proof of the non-Muslims' acceptance of subjection to the state and its laws, "just as for the inhabitants it was a concrete continuation of the taxes paid to earlier regimes."[4] In return, non-Muslim citizens were permitted to practice their faith, to enjoy a measure of communal autonomy, to be entitled to the Muslim state's protection from outside aggression, and to be exempted from military service and the zakat taxes obligatory upon Muslim citizens.[5][6

      This idea of subordination that allows to you continue living as you are without complying with the demands of worship sounds so benign. To bad it won't happen that way during Antichrist's war against the saints. While we made it clear that many will be captured and probably tortured, most will be killed as they refuse to comply. 
       
  • According to Walid Shoebat the idea of taking a mark is not a new idea either. He noted in the movie, The Kingdom of heaven in which the crusaders were beaten down and captured by Saladin, the one thing that the movie captured well, according to Walid Shoebat, was that the armies of Saladin had arm bands and head bands that had the same words found in the Arabic translation of the bible, which the early bible translators interpreted as 666. Those words in Arabic convey, “There is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger!” You will be forced to identify as one who complies with the demands of Allah and false prophet. 
     
    I tried to find a photo of this armband. Many wear alternate versions that state the same things. The except below is from an Islamic website. Note how they define what you do to become a Muslim.

    There is no god except Allah and Muhammad is a messenger of Allah.
This is the statement that qualifies someone as a Muslim. If you are convinced of this at some point then you are a Muslim. 
 
Formally someone becomes a Muslim by saying - in front of witnesses - "I witness that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is a messenger of Allah."

To understand this statement fully some explanation is needed of the word 'god'. A god is understood to mean anything or anyone who you use to set your values in life; to determine how you judge a matter as good or bad and how therefore you live your life. A god is also someone or something that people try to keep happy so that it may be able to change their lives and make those people happy. Since every human being by nature forms value judgments everyone has at least one god. 
 
What is your god? Is it your desires? - Is it your work? - Is it fashion? - Is it your family? - Is it your nation? - Is it your church?

Whatever your gods may be, becoming a Muslim frees you from the service of them and brings you to the service of Allah and only Allah.

Believing that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah flows from believing in the Qur'an.

http://www.islamic.org.uk/shahada.htm

Think about where else you might have seen something like this marking. Under Nazi occupation the Jews were forced to wear a yellow star of David and beneath it was the word Juden. That way they were easily identified. 
 
Scripture makes it clear that taking the mark and worshiping the beast will exclude you from God's presence for ever.
  • There is no country in which Islam is not a growing concern.

  • Given that “the prince” or the “mouth” comes out of the people who destroyed the temple, then that tends to make him a middle easterner and most likely a Muslim.
    Dake's states, “all these passages is simply a figure of speech – synochdoche in which a whole is put for a part..” Do we have an example of this? Absolutely. When Nebuchadnezzar ordered everyone to bow before his statue scripture tells us that everyone did except the 3 hebrew children (It is specific about noting them for they are an part of God's influence on Nebuchadnezzar and an aspect of Daniel's life.) and yet Daniel was not there. Clearly the words everyone did not work here. 
     
  • Dake's also points out that Revelation 13 itself limits the kingdom of Antichrist to the 10 kingdoms. 
     
    This idea makes sense but here are a couple of problems I have with it. Even without the unity of the 10, Islam and Jihad is being felt all over the world, directed at those that fit the group of the big and little satan. 
     
    Where are these ten nations? Algiers, Tangiers, Libya, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Turkey, and the southern nations of the former Soviet Union. Many are not typical and though Islam's hatred is dispensed from many other places I have already exceeded the 10.
As always I implore you to turn your life over to the risen Christ, Jesus. Only through him can you obtain salvation from the wrath that is to come, and a hope of life within the Father's arms. Paul tells us that in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye all will be changed; all the pain, torment, anguish, fear, and hopelessness of this damaged life. That hope begins in Jesus Christ. All creation is damaged by the fall of the original man and everything in you cries out to mask the pain and fix it. There is only one fix and that was the blood of Jesus poured out upon the cross. He died that we might live. Should you come to him will your life become roses and fairy tales? No, but you will have a peace in knowing that life himself resides in you. Turn your life to him, the Father awaits you.


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