I used to watch a Saturday morning cartoon called Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties. Virtually every show would end with his girlfriend Nel, tied to the railroad tracks by Dastardly Dan, and Dudley would come to her rescue in the nick of time.
That is how this post feels to me because the last post on Revelation 17 left you hanging with, “Why do you wonder?” I explained that the word wonder is a Greek word that means to stand in awe.
How could John possibly be in awe of a woman who is drunk with the blood of the saints and the witnesses?
And
the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I
will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries
her,
which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
(Revelation 17:7
NASB)
If I read this from Wilbur Pickering’s New Testament, I get the closest translation to what the Strong's concordance tells us.
“So the angel said to me: “Why are you impressed?”
John is about to get an explanation straight from heaven.
Revelation 17:8 NASB) "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.
Let's try to break this down.
First, I will tell you that I looked at Dr. J. Vernon McGee's commentary. I like him because I never heard him brag or speak about his earned Theology Doctorate, and he comes across like an old country pastor when you hear him on the radio. But, when it came to Revelation 17:8, he did what I despise and fell back on a traditional theory – that this was referring to the revised Roman Empire, and it is not.
Allow me to show you what tradition does. The story goes like this.
The family meets for their yearly Christmas dinner, and the ladies gather in the kitchen to prepare the meal. As they had done for years, one of the women laid out the ham and trimmed off the ends. After a few moments passed, the question was asked: why do we always cut off the ends of the ham? Great-grandmother responded, oh, that's easy; I did it because the oven was too small for the ham to fit, and we have been doing it that way since, without question.
Before I go any further, you need to understand something: the church will NOT be on earth to see this beast, and here is why. “And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.” This only applies to those choosing to not heed the warnings from the prophets – which is simply those giving testimony for and to Jesus, nor did they heed the scriptures. Because of their lack of action and the choices they made, the rapture came, and they were left.
Mind you, after the church is caught away, many will come to know the Lord and will choose to lose their lives for Jesus rather than follow after the antichrist beast. The bold type above tells us that it is only those NOT written in the Book of Life that will stand in awe of this stupidity.
If you want a clear understanding of why this is not the Roman Empire revisited, I would advise you to read Joel Richardson's books, The Islamic Antichrist and The Mideast Beast.
Breaking down the passage a bit at a time.
“The beast that you saw was,”
I admit that for a moment, I was a little bewildered by this and, therefore, began to look at some commentaries. Albert Barnes had this to say, “before this, it had an existence.” I stopped reading right there as the Holy Spirit began to speak to me.
Of course, it had a logical, physical existence, but what did that look like?
The answer to what that version of the beast looked like lies in what Daniel saw. In Daniel chapter two, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream. Under a blanket penalty of death, Daniel not only told him what the dream was but what it meant. It might be easier to show you than to tell you.
The first two kingdoms are clearly defined in scripture: the Babylonian and the Medo-Persian empires.
The fourth kingdom, and the one we are dealing with in Revelation 17, is defined if you do your research, much like we had to do with Alexander.
In short, after Alexander's death, the Grecian empire modified and slowly diminished under the rule of two of Alexander's generals, Ptolemy and Seleucid.
Note how the bronze waist transitions to legs of bronze and then iron, indicating that purpose and itinerary do not change. However, power is now partitioned and diminished, and yet, in time, its character is no longer Grecian but Assyrian and controlling the same territory that the Grecian empire possessed.
The Roman Empire never extended to the boundaries of the Grecian Empire. It is said that Trajan, the Roman general, made it to the eastern boundary but, hearing of trouble to the West, turned around to go back and died shortly thereafter.
The feet of the statue have toes that are mixed with clay. The Hebrew word for mixed is arab; for some, this should be an eye-opening moment.
Every aspect of this statue, from the girdle of bronze to the feet of iron and clay, all are a part of the freakishness that makes the fourth beast of Revelation 17:8.
The bronze initiates the idea of strength but has an artistic quality that asserts intelligence. Iron also exudes strength, but there is brutishness to it, and it has little in terms of artistic attributes.
In my opinion, having the legs split is indicative of the transition to the two remaining Grecian generals and the beginnings of the weakening of the Grecian empire. The conversion from bronze to iron demonstrates a dramatic shift in leadership. The goal and intention, which we saw in the bronze portions, was global dominance, and that still remains, but the methods have now shifted.
As I noted above, the assimilation of the Grecian empire, much like when Balaam told Balak how to destroy Israel, has happened from the inside as the statue has taken on Assyrian qualities once again.
The final point to make here is the clay integrated into the toes. The toes give the body the ability to balance, which the statue, symbolic of human rule, demonstrates the fact that the entire structure is now unsound.
I have spoken of Islam's insertion into the world on multiple occasions and how they have become a negative and deadly source of irritation ever since. Those who abide by the tenets of Islam are merely the sons of Abraham through Ishmael and Esau. Concerning Ishmael, God said, you will be like a wild donkey, and you and your descendants will do little more than fight among themselves.
The angel of the LORD said to her further, "Behold, you are with child, And you will bear a son; And you shall call his name Ishmael Because the LORD has given heed to your affliction. "He will be a wild donkey of a man, His hand will be against everyone, And everyone's hand will be against him; And he will live to the east of all his brothers."(Genesis 16:11-12 NASB)
Daniel saw another rendering of the same beast in chapter seven of his writings. Look at how Daniel described the fourth beast.
"After this, I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying and extremely strong, and it had large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet, and it was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns. (Daniel 7:7 NASB)
The iron is still there, so don't get lost simply because you don't see legs. The ten horns are an analogy to the ten toes, so this is the same beast.
"While I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.(Daniel 7:8 NASB)
This little horn is the person that Charles, Prince of Wales, referred to in his speech before the COP 26 climate summit. And, it is the antichrist that everyone knows of; and he is also called a beast.
“We need a vast military-style campaign to marsh the strength of the global private sector, with trillions at his disposal.”
Daniel wanted to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, and this is how he expressed the question.
"Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet,(Daniel 7:19 NASB)
Different? Our first consideration is that this is an Aramaic word, which some have indicated was Chaldean.
Why is that important?
It is important because Daniel wrote to be understood. As a “prisoner” of Babylon and now the Chaldeans, he was NOT writing in code, as some have indicated that John did with the Revelation.
The word different is shenâ', and its primary usage in scripture is change. It also means to alter or be diverse – different. The Word Study Dictionary says, “It refers to a difference that has become evident.”
You would have to look intently at the previous empires (The Babylonian, Chaldean, and Medo-Persian) to determine the dramatic differences. A couple of clues: The Babylonian empire came out of the mind of one man, Nimrod.
"The sons of Ham were Cush and Mizraim and Put and Canaan. The sons of Cush were Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabteca, and the sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan. Now Cush became the father of Nimrod; he became a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the LORD." The beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar." (Genesis 10:6-10 NASB)
Ham was the one who looked upon his father's nakedness (this is infested with some intense darkness) and was cursed for his actions. A few of Noah's descendants were Ham, Cush, and Nimrod. How did Nimrod become one of the Nephilim? We don't have a definition of how that happened, but what we do have is Nimrod creating a town called Nineveh. Everything associated with Nimrod played itself out in some horrendous and deadly attempts at killing off the inhabitants of Judah and Israel.
This takes us to Jonah and why he thought it best to commit suicide instead of going to Nineveh to preach a message of destruction. Jonah had a serving of fame because he prophesied that the borders of Israel would be rebuilt.
"In the fifteenth year of Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah, Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel, became king in Samaria and reigned forty-one years. He did evil in the sight of the LORD; he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel sin. He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath as far as the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, which He spoke through His servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-Hepher." (2 Kings 14:23-25 NASB)
Fame, it seems, is typically short-lived and we have nothing to explain that anyone knew or remembered Jonah; thus we get the book of Jonah where he tries to do anything but deliver God's message because he knows God will show them mercy.
The word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me." But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare, and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. (Jonah 1:1-3 NASB)
Notice where Jonah is sent, Nineveh, the town established by Nimrod. These people were a part of the Assyrians and held no esteem with Israel, just as Hitler's Nazi party holds with the Jewish community today.
Could you affirm some possible causes of this difference that Daniel 7:23 speaks of?
The explanation given to Daniel begins with Daniel 7:23.
Daniel 7:23 NASB "Thus he said: 'The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it."
While it is the fourth kingdom, in virtually every assessment, we demonstrate that we are assuming when we say we know, especially when we say that it is the Roman Empire. It is definitely a kingdom, much like the Ottoman Empire was a kingdom.
It will be dramatically changed from the previous kingdoms. Part of our assessment above should include punishment from God for ignoring the seventh-year Sabbath rest on the land.
And, as we see in 7:23, it will devour the whole earth. No kingdom has done that or been able to, however, there is one that despises artistry, music, and any mention of anything other than Allah; and that is Islam.
The fact that it will be a fourth kingdom on the earth is not new news to us. But what we do is assume that this fourth empire is the Roman empire. The bronze belly and thighs might be the Roman empire if it were not for the legs of iron and the toes mixed with clay. The Roman Empire never covered the same territory that the Assyrians did, or further yet, the Islamic caliphates. I cannot see how I can say that the Roman Empire devoured the whole earth when their rule was limited to Europe and a portion of the Mideast.
"'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom, ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings."
(Daniel 7:24 NASB)
“ out of this kingdom, ten kings will arise.” Again, we go to Charles, Prince of Wales, as he spoke about ten sectors responsible for climate damage at the COP 26 climate summit in Glasgow. It may be possible that these ten sectors may have ten rulers and, therefore, fit into the idea of ten kings. On the other hand, there may be ten Islamic leaders, many of whom have come and gone.
“ arise, and another will arise after them.” This is the antichrist.
"While
I was contemplating the horns, behold, another horn, a little one,
came up among them, and three of the first horns were pulled out by
the roots before it; and behold, this horn possessed eyes like the
eyes of a man and a mouth uttering great boasts.
(Daniel
7:8 NASB)
Antichrist is the first of twelve names given to this person.
Note the other titles:
"the king of Babylon" (Isa_14:4);
"the Assyrian" (Isa_14:25; +**Mic_5:5 note);
"Lucifer, son of the morning," in opposition to "the bright and morning star" (Isa_14:12);
"the Prince that shall come" (Dan_9:26);
"the king of fierce countenance" (Dan_8:23);
"the vile person" (Dan_11:21);
"the willful king" (Dan_11:36);
"the man of sin" (2Th_2:3);
"the son of perdition" (2Th_2:3);
"that wicked (or lawless) one" (2Th_2:3; Rev_13:18);
"the beast with ten horns" (Rev_13:1);
"the little horn" (Dan_8:8)
Daniel 7:24 NASB 'As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will subdue three kings.
Ten horns = ten toes, which in turn equals ten kings.
Kings - meleḵ: An Aramaic masculine noun meaning king. This very common word is equivalent to the Hebrew word melek (H4428), meaning king. It is used to speak of the top government official.
We are told, “another will rise after them, and he will be different from the others and will subdue three kings.” I do not think that Charles, Prince of Wales, will be expecting this man that they are looking for to do that.
Subdue - šep̱al: An Aramaic verb meaning to humble, to subdue. It describes figuratively the bringing down or making humble the prideful person.
Which global influences would volunteer to be humbled?
Daniel 7:25 NASB "'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time."
Again, this is the man that Prince Charles is looking for. This should not be surprising because God is no longer desired in the New World Order of things.
This man will speak out against the Most High (God)
And wear down the saints of the Highest One.
Ask yourself, when is this all taking place?
Since we know that this “he” person does not show up until after the church is gone, then this is happening during the time of wrath (the tribulation.)
So, who is being impacted when we see him wearing down the saints?
All those people who have had changes of heart and will now turn wholeheartedly to the Lord. My wife and I have befriended a Salvation Army bell ringer; he is a Mormon who goes to a local temple but is likable. I pray that God opens his eyes, which will happen now or in the near future, because scripture tells me that the veil will be lifted from the world at the church's catching away.
Does that mean all will turn to Him?
Hardly, but it will be an uncountable number. Saints also apply to those who decide to take a stand against these Socialist regimes that are trying to take over the world, and this may apply directly to those who refuse to bow to Allah. This last one could be a source of contention, as many are telling you that what I am saying is hate speech and will do their best to turn you away from looking at Islam as a future problem. If you don't comprehend this, pay attention. Islamic followers are ordered by the Quran to kill the infidels and Jews at every opportunity. When our governments fall, and this will happen with the entrance of the antichrist, Islamic followers will unleash their numbers in every manner possible worldwide.
If you think I am wrong, then tell me, who is speaking out against the Most High?
Daniel 7:25 NASB "'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time."
Oh, and note something else, “he will intend to make alterations in times and in law;”
This is what Islam intends to do - make alterations in law. These alterations consist of the installation of Sharia law. Try walking the streets of some UK communities; you will answer to Sharia law there, and the same goes for much of Michigan.
Daniel 7:26-27 NASB 'But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. (27) 'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.'
I do not know who or what the court is, but I assure you that the antichrist and the false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire.
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, He judges and wages war." (Revelation 19:11 NASB)
This is Jesus Christ, and it is awesome, but watch what happens next.
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him, the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:19-21 NASB)
The fourth kingdom, which has been active and in pursuit of its goal since the days of Nimrod, is about to come to its climax and end.
Folks, the church is about to be removed from this earth, and the antichrist is about to be revealed. Are you ready?
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