Agotando a los santos

 

Esta frase "desgastará a los santos", surgió en una conversación recientemente. En mi opinión, pide tanto una explicación como respuestas.

Dependiendo de la versión de la Biblia que esté usando,  desgastar también se traduce como: agotar, aplastar , herir y consumir . Es la palabra caldea belâ , que significa: afligir , y solo se usa una vez en la Biblia.

Los términos desgastan y afligir me transmiten dos cosas distintas. Una me hace pensar en el daño que solía hacerle a mis jeans durante los veranos cuando era niña. Trepamos y nos deslizamos por todo lo que pudimos; la presión mental ciertamente podría hacer eso.

Para afligir , por el contrario, tiene un amplio espectro de la violencia que se le atribuye. Puedo recordar el nudillo en la cabeza en la escuela primaria, pero también puede significar decapitaciones . Necesita algo de claridad, ¿no?

Me preguntaron,

• ¿Cuándo ocurre este "desgaste de los santos" , y es posible que estemos en él ahora?
• ¿Implica una acción continua, o podría ser en un momento dado?
• ¿Sugiere problemas comunes de la vida o una amenaza constante de muerte?

Las confrontaciones bíblicas pueden desgastarte, especialmente cuando tratas de seguir la lógica rota, que nunca parece terminar, ya que todos los argumentos ilógicos se te lanzan. La mayoría de estos argumentos se resuelven fácilmente si la persona que habla simplemente lea su Biblia, pero no lo hace. Solo leen y escuchan lo que quieren. Es por eso que estos argumentos se vuelven más una conversación impulsada por las emociones. Solía ​​pensar que podía responder con información concisa, como citas de Josefo, Tácito o la concordancia de Strong, de una manera que mostraría claramente por qué sus argumentos son incorrectos y que la respuesta no siempre es tan en blanco y negro, o de mente estrecha. En esa nota: solo hay un camino, y su nombre es Jesús.

Las confrontaciones no son tanto de mi parte, es decir, no estoy tratando de buscar peleas teológicas con la gente, principalmente porque mi memoria está disparada y no estoy reteniendo información como antes. Personalmente creo que este es el Espíritu Santo manteniéndome bajo control, porque me conozco, y destrozaría a estos falsos maestros públicamente si tuviera la oportunidad. Como no puedo, a menudo aplazo y me retiro, murmurando, ¿cómo te está funcionando eso? Odio eso, pero si miro esto en términos de un guerrero que ha recibido un golpe en un brazo o mano dominante, es posible que se vuelvan ineficaces, pero no les quitarás la mentalidad de guerrero. Esa mentalidad guerrera puede convertirse en ocasiones en una carga, principalmente porque no hay necesidad de enfrentamientos tan completos. A veces, todo lo que necesitas hacer es razonar con la gente. Otra cosa;También me he dado cuenta de que no es necesario que me escuchen todo el tiempo. Esto me quita una tremenda presión, ya que me he dado cuenta de que Dios tiene el control, no yo.

Debemos entender que Satanás es el enemigo perpetuo del creyente. Las Escrituras nos dicen que hay un rango de tiempo particular involucrado con estos eventos que vemos en la profecía de Daniel.

Desafortunadamente, este desgaste de los santos ocurre durante un vasto y anodino período, el tiempo de la cuarta bestia. La referencia particular se encuentra en el libro de profecías de Daniel.

“Dijo así: La cuarta bestia será el cuarto reino sobre la tierra, el cual será diferente de todos los reinos, y devorará toda la tierra, la hollará y la despedazará. Y los diez cuernos de este reino son diez reyes que se levantarán; y otro se levantará después de ellos, y será diferente de los primeros, y a tres reyes subyugará. Y hablará grandes palabras contra el Altísimo, y agotará a los santos del Altísimo , y pensará en cambiar los tiempos y las leyes; y serán entregados en su mano hasta un tiempo y tiempos y la división de los tiempos. Pero el juicio se sentará, y le quitarán su dominio para consumirlo y destruirlo hasta el fin ”. ( Daniel 7: 23-26 KJV )

Me sentí seguro al llamar el tiempo de la cuarta bestia, vasto y anodino porque tenemos una clara claridad sobre la identidad de los tres reinos anteriores. El Imperio Griego juega un papel dominante en la comprensión de dónde podría provenir esta bestia. Comenzando con Alejandro y continuando hasta los imperios seléucida y ptolemaico , es, en mi opinión, el cuarto imperio de las bestias. A muchos les gusta especular que el cuarto imperio fue el Imperio Romano, aunque no se describió como los demás. El enfoque típico que más se usa para determinar cómo llamar al reino de las bestias y, por lo tanto, decidir de dónde vendrá la “bestia”, se encuentra en el libro de Daniel.

Daniel 9:26 RV Y después de sesenta y dos semanas será quitado el Mesías, pero no por sí mismo; y el pueblo del príncipe que ha de venir destruirá la ciudad y el santuario; y su fin será con un diluvio, y hasta el fin de la guerra serán determinadas las desolaciones.

Si me has seguido, el tiempo suficiente comprenderás que esto tiene dos cumplimientos. Uno quedó bajo el gobierno del general romano Tito con la destrucción del templo en el 70 d.C. Sin embargo, hay otro cumplimiento en los últimos días .

Tito, el general romano, es considerado por muchos como "el príncipe que ha de venir". Sin embargo, si hace su investigación, encontrará que la evidencia se inclina hacia un pueblo del Medio Oriente, conocido como asirios, no romanos .

Esto es lo que nos dice el historiador Josefo en - Las guerras de los judíos - Libro 5 Capítulo 13

“.Aún otra plaga se apoderó de los que fueron así preservados; porque se encontró entre los desertores sirios a cierta persona que fue sorprendida recogiendo piezas de oro de los excrementos de los vientres de los judíos; porque los desertores solían tragarse tales piezas de oro, como les dijimos antes, cuando salían, y por estos los sediciosos los registraron a todos; porque había una gran cantidad de oro en la ciudad, tanto que ahora se vendía [en el campamento romano] por doce áticos [dracmas], como antes se vendía por veinticinco. Pero cuando se descubrió este artilugio en un caso, la fama llenó sus varios campamentos de que los desertores acudieran a ellos llenos de oro. Así que la multitud de los árabes, con los sirios, cortó a los que vinieron como suplicantes, y registró sus estómagos. Tampoco me parece que sufrieron los judíos alguna miseria más terrible que ésta, ya que en una noche fueron diseccionados así unos dos mil de estos desertores ".

En el libro 6, capítulo 4 de Las guerras de los judíos , Josefo nos dice que muchos consideraron el templo como una ciudadela para los judíos y una inspiración para seguir rebelándose contra la ocupación romana. El fuego ya había sido ordenado contra las puertas del templo, pero Titus argumentó y prevaleció verbalmente con respecto a salvar el templo.

"Pero Tito dijo que" aunque los judíos subieran a esa santa casa y combatieran desde allí, no deberíamos vengarnos de cosas inanimadas, en lugar de los hombres mismos ", y que él no estaba en ningún caso por quemar una obra tan vasta como esa, porque sería un daño para los propios romanos, ya que sería un adorno para su gobierno mientras continuara. De modo que Fronto, Alejandro y Cerealis se atrevieron con esa declaración, y Estuvo de acuerdo con la opinión de Tito, y luego se disolvió esta asamblea, cuando Tito había dado órdenes a los comandantes de que el resto de sus fuerzas se quedaran quietas, pero que se valieran de los más valientes en este ataque.Entonces mandó que los hombres escogidos que fueran sacados de las cohortes debían abrirse paso a través de las ruinas y apagar el fuego ".

"Titus se retira, el sedicioso se quedó quieto por un rato, y luego atacó a los romanos nuevamente, cuando los que custodiaban la santa casa pelearon con los que apagaron el fuego que estaba quemando el interior [patio del] templo; pero estos romanos pusieron los Judios en fuga, y procedido hasta la casa del santuario en sí. momento en el que uno de los soldados, sin permanecer durante cualquier orden, y sin ninguna preocupación o temor sobre él en tan gran empresa, y ser apresurada en un determinado furia divina, arrancada un poco de los materiales que estaban en llamas, y siendo levantado por otro soldado, prendió fuego a una ventana dorada, por la que había un pasaje a las habitaciones que rodeaban la casa santa, en el norte. lado de ella.Mientras las llamas ascendían, los judíos hicieron un gran clamor, tal como requería una aflicción tan poderosa, y corrieron juntos para evitarlo; y ahora ya no perdonaron la vida, ni sufrieron nada que refrenara su fuerza, ya que esa santa casa estaba pereciendo, por el bien de quién la guardaban ".

Fíjate en la reacción de Tito y pregúntate, ¿parece alguien empeñado en una destrucción completa del templo?

" Y una persona llegó corriendo a Tito y le informó de este incendio, mientras descansaba en su tienda después de la última batalla; entonces se levantó con gran prisa y, como estaba, corrió a la casa santa. , para detener el fuego ; tras él siguieron todos sus comandantes, y tras ellos siguieron las varias legiones, con gran asombro; por lo que se levantó un gran clamor y tumulto, como era natural en el movimiento desordenado de tan gran ejército. » Entonces hizo César, tanto llamando a los soldados que estaban combatiendo, en voz alta, como dándoles una señal con la mano derecha, y les ordenó que apagaran el fuego.Pero ellos no escucharon lo que dijo, aunque habló muy fuerte, y sus oídos ya estaban atenuados por un ruido mayor de otra manera; ni tampoco prestaron atención a la señal que hizo con la mano, pues todavía algunos estaban distraídos con la lucha, otros con pasión. Pero en cuanto a las legiones que vinieron corriendo allí, ni ninguna persuasión ni ninguna amenaza pudieron contener su violencia, pero la propia pasión de cada uno era su comandante en este momento ";

Percibo que esta declaración es la más reveladora de todas, y la dijo Tito, el general romano:

“Además, los árabes y sirios ahora, en primer lugar, comienzan a gobernarse a sí mismos como les plazca, y a satisfacer sus apetitos en una guerra extranjera, y luego, por su barbarie en asesinar hombres, y por su odio al Judíos, ¿se lo atribuyen a los romanos?

El temor de Tito era que la barbarie de estos hombres fuera atribuida a los romanos, y eso es exactamente lo que hacemos cuando declaramos que el cuarto imperio es un Imperio Romano revivido . ¿No ves que adscribir a Roma al cuarto imperio también quita nuestros ojos de lo que podría ser el verdadero mal de los últimos días, el Islam?

En los últimos años, ocupé la posición de que “los santos” eran solo aquellos que fueron martirizados durante el período de siete años de la ira de Dios, que tan tontamente llamamos tribulación. Hice exactamente lo que desprecio, escupir conceptos como hechos sin revisar mi Biblia adecuadamente. Pablo usó el término santos a lo largo de sus escritos , y eso tiende a disipar la idea de que los santos son exclusivos de los años de ira. Varios ejemplos son Efesios 1: 1; Filipenses 1: 1; Efesios 6: 8 y muchos otros.

La terminología santo me lleva inmediatamente al Apocalipsis donde vemos cosas como la mujer, ebria de la sangre de los santos (Apocalipsis 17: 6). No hace falta ser un científico espacial para darse cuenta de que el entendimiento principal aquí son los santos martirizados.

Sin embargo, hay algo notable en los escritos de Juan. Nunca usó el término santos al hablar de la iglesia fuera del Apocalipsis ; la mayoría de las veces los llama: niños pequeños  y hermanos . La sensación es de asociación y comprensión del corazón y el carácter de Dios. Considerando los comienzos de Juan en comparación con el final, solo tiene sentido que tenga el corazón de Dios mientras desarrolla el Apocalipsis, un tiempo de destrucción y juicio de pesadilla. Esta vez que llamamos la Tribulación no está dirigida a "mis hijitos".

Nota: He releído y editado esta publicación varias veces desde que la publiqué, pero hoy, 19/9/2021, las declaraciones anteriores me han cautivado una vez más. John, al decirnos lo que vio, nos muestra una obra de teatro, y nos está derramando el corazón y el carácter de Dios. Dios consideró oportuno recuperar Su iglesia, Su cuerpo antes de derramar Su ira sobre un mundo incrédulo y, en su mayor parte, impenitente.

Me doy cuenta de que inicié esta conversación con una parte de Daniel, no con John, pero hablan de lo mismo ; esta discusión paralela demuestra la dirección y dirección del Espíritu Santo . No podemos descartar la idea de que el recuerdo de Juan de las profecías de Daniel puede haber jugado un papel en la terminología de Juan.

Cuando miras la profecía de los últimos tiempos, solo hay tres grupos de personas a considerar: los judíos, las naciones y la iglesia.

Si bien puede haber y habrá algún cruce entre los judíos y la iglesia; en ese momento, los seguidores de Cristo se consideran parte de la iglesia.

Algunos dirán que Dios se rindió con los judíos. No me parece. Ha grabado sus nombres y rostros en las palmas de sus manos. No renuncias a algo tan precioso, especialmente después de mostrar ese nivel de compromiso. Dios tiene un plan para hacer que el corazón del judío, su elegido, vuelva a sí mismo. Desafortunadamente, hay mucho dolor y sufrimiento involucrados en ese viaje.

En general, los judíos han rechazado a Jesús, el Mesías y, por lo tanto, se han sometido a la ira que viene. 

“Y acercándose, vio la ciudad y lloró sobre ella, diciendo: Si tú también hubieras sabido, al menos en este día tuyo , las cosas para tu paz, pero ahora están ocultas a tus ojos. Porque vendrán días en ti en que tus enemigos te levantarán un terraplén, te rodearán y te retendrán por todos lados, y te derribarán a ti, y a tus hijos dentro de ti, y no dejarán un piedra sobre piedra porque no sabías el tiempo de tu visitación ".
(Lucas 19: 41-44 MKJV)

El rechazo de Dios por parte de Israel es un tema común. Un ejemplo de esto se ve en la selección de Saúl como rey.

Y el SEÑOR dijo a Samuel: Oye la voz del pueblo en todo lo que te digan; porque no te han desechado a ti, sino que me han desechado a mí, para que yo no reine sobre ellos . (1 Samuel 8: 7 KJV)

Las naciones también podrían denominarse gentiles . Daniel se refirió a ellos como el pueblo del príncipe que vendrá. Jesús, hablando de los días de la venganza, dijo:

“Y caerán a filo de espada, y serán llevados cautivos a todas las naciones; y Jerusalén será hollada por los gentiles hasta que se cumpla el tiempo de los gentiles. ”(Lucas 21:24 RV)

La iglesia es la colección completa de creyentes que comprende el cuerpo de Cristo.

Y puso todas las cosas debajo de sus pies, y lo dio por cabeza de todas las cosas a la iglesia, que es su cuerpo , la plenitud de Aquel que todo lo llena en todo. ( Efesios 1: 22-23 KJV)

¿Quién es la imagen del Dios invisible, el primogénito de toda criatura? Porque en él fueron creadas todas las cosas, que están en los cielos y en la tierra, visibles e invisibles, sean tronos, sean dominios, sean principados, o poderes: todas las cosas fueron creadas por él y para él: y él es antes de todas las cosas, y por él todas las cosas subsisten. Y él es la cabeza del cuerpo, la iglesia : el cual es el principio, el primogénito de los muertos; para que en todas las cosas pudiera tener la preeminencia. ( Colosenses 1: 15-18 KJV)

En general, la iglesia está excluida de la ira o venganza que vendrá sobre la tierra.

Pero Dios demuestra su amor por nosotros con esto (James Moffatt), en que, cuando aún éramos pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros. Mucho más entonces, siendo ahora justificados por su sangre, seremos salvos de la ira por él. (Romanos 5: 8-9 KJV)

“. te volviste a Dios de los ídolos, para servir a un Dios vivo y real y para esperar la venida de su Hijo del cielo, el Hijo a quien resucitó de entre los muertos, Jesús que nos rescata de la ira venidera . ( 1 Tesalonicenses 1: 9-10 Moffatt NT)

A la iglesia le gusta mantenerse en exclusividad, pensando que estamos protegidos de la tribulación. Mira, Jesús nos garantizó tres cosas:

1. En este mundo, tendrás tribulación .
2. Todos los hombres te odiarán por causa de mi nombre.
3. Vendré de nuevo por ti.

La tribulación y la ira / venganza son dos cosas diferentes.

La tribulación no se detiene y se presenta de muchas formas . No tiene nada que ver con su incapacidad para comprar una nueva hélice para el barco de esquí familiar. Sea real, personas en partes del mundo donde hay una fuerte influencia musulmana están siendo asesinadas a diario. 

Si viviera bajo una constante amenaza de muerte, ¿cree que se sentiría agotado?

Absolutamente.

Quizás la Biblia en inglés básico lo traduzca de manera más apropiada. Daniel 7:25 (a) BBE

Y dirá palabras contra el Altísimo, intentando acabar con los santos del Altísimo ”;

Está claro que la intención es matar a los santos.

Y hablará palabras contra el Altísimo, y consumirá a los santos del Altísimo . Y tiene la intención de cambiar los tiempos y la ley. Y serán entregados en su mano hasta tiempo y tiempo y medio. ( Daniel 7:25 LITV )

Daniel 7:23 declara que lo que había de venir es la cuarta bestia . Si la cuarta bestia es el Islam, entonces fue iniciado más de 600 años después de la muerte de Cristo por Muhammad.

Nacido aproximadamente en 570 EC en la   ciudad árabe de  La Meca , ^[9] [10]  Muhammad quedó huérfano a una edad temprana; fue criado bajo el cuidado de su tío paterno  Abu Talib . Después de su infancia, Mahoma trabajó principalmente como comerciante. ^[11]  De vez en cuando se retiraba a una cueva en las montañas para pasar varias noches de reclusión y oración; más tarde, a los 40 años, informó en este lugar, ^[9] [12]  que fue visitado por  Gabriel  y recibió  su primera revelación  de Dios. Tres años después de este evento, Mahoma comenzó a  predicar  estas revelaciones públicamente, proclamando que " Dios es Uno", esa completa" entrega "(lit.  islām ) a Él es la única manera ( dīn ) ^{[n 3]}  aceptable a Dios, y que él era un profeta y mensajero de Dios, similar a  otros profetas islámicos . ^{[13] [ 14] [15]} (De Wikipedia).

El Islam ha operado bajo varios califatos desde la muerte de Mahoma en 632 d.C. (AEC). Si bien todos ellos causaron dolor en el mundo del Medio Oriente, uno de los más grandes y poderosos fue el Califato Otomano.

Otomana Califato (1453 / 1517- 1924 )

A finales de octubre de 1922, los aliados invitaron a los gobiernos nacionalista y otomano a una conferencia en Lausana, Suiza, pero Atatürk estaba decidido a que el gobierno nacionalista fuera el único representante de Turquía. En noviembre de 1922, la Gran Asamblea Nacional separó los cargos de sultán y califa y abolió el primero. La asamblea declaró además que el régimen otomano había dejado de ser el gobierno de Turquía cuando los aliados tomaron la capital en 1920, aboliendo de hecho el Imperio Otomano . [Extracto de Ottomans.org]

La realidad de la declaración anterior es que el Imperio Otomano sostuvo efectivamente lo que parecía ser la herida mortal en la cabeza en 1924, y durante muchos años el mundo del Medio Oriente tuvo paz.

¿Es posible que los creyentes hayan sido atacados durante mil ochocientos años?

¡Sin duda!

Preste atención a otro aspecto del Islam.

“La  Hermandad Musulmana  fue fundada en Ismailia,  Egipto  por Hassan al-Banna en marzo de 1928 como un movimiento religioso, político y social islamista. ^[1] [2]  El grupo se extendió a otros países musulmanes, pero tiene su organización más grande, o una de las más grandes, en Egipto, donde durante muchos años ha sido la fuerza de oposición política más grande, mejor organizada y más disciplinada, ^{[ 3] [4] [5] a}  pesar de una sucesión de represiones gubernamentales en 1948, 1954, 1965 después de que se descubrieron complots, o supuestos complots, de asesinato y derrocamiento. Tras la Revolución de 2011, el grupo fue legalizado ^[5]. y en abril de 2011 lanzó un partido político cívico llamado Partido Libertad y Justicia (Egipto) para participar en las elecciones ". (Wikipedia)

Note que esto es siete años y medio después de la disolución del Califato.

La Hermandad Musulmana tenía "vínculos con los nazis que comenzaron durante la década de 1930 y estuvieron estrechos durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, lo que implicó agitación contra los británicos, espionaje y sabotaje, así como apoyo a actividades terroristas orquestadas por Haj Amin el-Hussaini en el Mandato Británico de Palestina , como confirman una amplia gama de documentos desclasificados de los archivos gubernamentales británicos, estadounidenses y alemanes nazis, así como de relatos personales y memorias de ese período. ^[7]  Reflejando esta conexión, la Hermandad Musulmana también difundió Mein Kampf  y  Los Protocolos de Hitler.  de los Ancianos de Sión  ampliamente en traducciones árabes, ayudando a profundizar y extender las opiniones hostiles ya existentes sobre los judíos y las sociedades occidentales en general. ^[8]" (Wikipedia)

El punto a esto es que el Islam ha sido una espina destructiva en la carne de aquellos que no obedecen durante más de 1800 años . ¿Han sido una amenaza global a lo largo de su historia? No, pero fue necesaria una respuesta global para someterlos en 1922. Creo que podemos estar de acuerdo en que son globales ahora y una amenaza mayor que nunca. Aparte de eso, su directiva principal es matar a la gente del libro, que serían los judíos y los cristianos. ¿Ha notado que están haciendo mella seria en nuestra democracia con sus objetivos ?

Si ha visto las noticias en los últimos años, entonces está al tanto de los cristianos que están siendo masacrados en las naciones del Medio Oriente y África. Quizás también hayas notado que los ataques contra cualquier grupo fuera del Islam son un juego limpio para ellos. Budistas, católicos, lo que sea. Incluso luchan entre sí como si hubiera una competencia para ver quién puede seguir el Corán con mayor precisión. Desafortunadamente, para el forastero, si bien el Corán tiene pasajes dedicados a la paz, son reemplazados por pasajes más nuevos que exigen un cumplimiento estricto y violento.

Creo que es evidente que hay aflicción dirigida a los cristianos en ciertas partes del mundo . China y Corea del Norte no deben quedarse fuera de esta violencia contra los cristianos. Supongo que la pregunta es, ¿cuánto tiempo hasta que este nivel de violencia llegue a las Américas y nos aflija también a nosotros?

No creas que tu falta de fe te protegerá.

En general, el Islam siente que cualquier estadounidense es un seguidor de Cristo y digno de muerte . Las Escrituras me dicen que puedes tener la oportunidad de rechazar a Dios y aceptar a Alá como tu Dios de elección, inclinándote ante él en adoración. Quizás eso te salve el cuello por el momento. Soy consciente de que de todos modos le cortaron la cabeza a un hombre, posiblemente porque pensaban que era un cobarde sin agallas. Sospecho que no será tan fácil como eso, y es posible que no tengan tiempo para esperar su decisión. Por supuesto, ceder a esto te aleja de cualquier esperanza de una relación con Dios. En otras palabras, no hay vuelta atrás en esta decisión.

Si no conoce a Jesucristo, puede hacerlo. Invítelo a entrar en su vida, entréguese a él y acepte su perdón. Permítele que dirija tu vida, ya que la has estado arruinando. No tienes que trabajar por tu salvación, ya que es gratis y se paga, simplemente tienes que recibir esta vida y esta salvación. Experimentarás una paz que nunca antes habías conocido y la promesa de que él vendrá por ti para que puedas vivir con él en la gloria.

The Coming Antichrist and the rapture of the church, chapter two. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-10

“The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ...”

If you understand that one of the NEXT events on the horizon is going to be God's wrath being poured out upon the earth then we can move on.

(Why did I say “one of the next events”? Because Daniel 9:26 tells that this time frame will come with a flood – not a literal flood, although that could happen, but a flood of armies coming at Israel from every direction; and Israel will be at war, and they will be desolated. Ezekiel chapters 38,39 tells us that God interrupts this war with fire from heaven. Strangely, Ezekiel speaks of people merely marking the bodies that lie on the hills of Israel, so that specialists can take care of them; from that, we might assume that this fire is nuclear. This theory makes sense, considering the players involved.)

These events happen so rapidly and include the entrance of the Antichrist who declares that there will be a seven-year peace treaty. (Here again, we can see from Daniel 9:27 that someone rises up as a “global” leader. I suspect that he will be a global leader over the Islamic nations. Keep in mind the territory that this scenario is focused on.) With that understanding we can move forward and discuss what we the church will experience just moments before this wrath - our being gathered to Him. (“Him,” is Jesus Christ, and you can see that distinctly in 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17)

While these two verses (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2) are the entrance into a solid and critical understanding of the rapture of the church, the first three verses used to bring me much confusion. The confusion came because verse three, which we will get to shortly, is typically written in such a manner that it comes across as though the Antichrist will come first. Let me show you.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB (3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

See how it says, “it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed.” The word “and” is merely a conjunction and not a mandatory timing. The major problem with this verse is the word apostasy, and we will get into that.

“... and our being gathered together to him,”

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, (2 Thessalonians 2:1 ESV)

Gathered or gathering it is the Greek word episunagōgē and means a complete collection, to gather together, or an assembling.

At some point, soon, we are going to be gathered and collected, back to Jesus.

Our gathering together to Him is the catching away of the church, or, if you wish, the rapture.

“... unless the apostasy comes first, ...”

2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

If I read this passage, as is, it gives the impression that two things have to happen before the rapture, but that is NOT what it says. Yes, the apostasy must come first, but the second half of this sentence says nothing about the church’s rapture, nor does it define what the apostasy means. It does, however, speak of a moment when the man of lawlessness will be revealed, and if we migrated forward to 2 Thessalonians 2:7,8 we can see this clear definition.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 NASB)

Comes is the Greek word erchomai and means to be established, become known, arise, come into being, show itself, find a place, influence.

In light of verse one, where it speaks of our being gathered together with Him, we know that the “it” is the catching away of the church, however, it could also be pointing to the seven-years of God’s wrath.

“unless the apostasy comes first,” 

This section has been the game-changer for me.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 in the NASB, tells us that the church will not be caught away until there is, as the NASB states, an apostasy, but, as I have learned, the text and interpretation of the word apostasia, was changed to fit a Roman Catholic motive.

G646 apostasia; from G868. G868 is the word aphístēmi, and is derived from From G575 and G2476 and has the meaning to remove, or to put away.

Who or what then, is to be removed? The church.

Now let's get back to apostasia for a moment.
The Word Study dictionary tells us that apostasia means to depart, or departure.

The simple word and, is our problem child here. While I have a clear understanding, based upon apostasia meaning to gather or remove, the word "and," can in some cases, infer that an event or action must occur at the same time.
And is the Greek word kahee and apparently a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force. It can mean: and, also, even, so, then, too, etc.

Since we are looking at 2 Thessalonians 2:3 then let's see how this changes the way we look at this verse with some original wording.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 NASB (3) Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the (departure, gathering, or removal – of the church) comes first, and (then) the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, (The bold type is mine.)

One of the early texts was the Geneva Bible. (Imprinted in London, by Christopher Barker, Printer to the Qveenes Maiestie. 1587.) A Swedish translation covers the word apostasia most appropriately.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a departing first, and that that man of sin be disclosed, even the son of perdition, (2 Thessalonians 2:3 Geneva) 

To read this passage, with this understanding, for me, eliminates any confusion I might have had, as we should have been looking for our removal by means of the harpazo, or catching away.

The clarity goes away quickly if I focus on what the Douay-Rheims Bible says. This is the early Catholic translation in which we find the effects of their displeasure with people leaving the church.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for unless there come a revolt first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition (2 Thessalonians 2:3 DRB)

The Rheims New Testament first published by the English College at Rheims, A.D. 1582. The Whole Revised and Diligently Compared with the Latin Vulgate by Bishop Richard Challoner, A.D. 1749-1752. This translation reflected the angst of the Catholic church during the Protestant revolution, where radicals were pulling away from the Catholic Church, the state church – also considered to be the mother church. Hence, we have terminology such as revolt. This translation seems to have been a catalyst for an entire shift in understanding and interpretation, so the degree that we now looking, not for a departing to be with the Lord, but a falling away from the Lord and traditions, in our church bodies. Strangely, a falling away from the Lord, is exactly what is happening, but the focus improperly changed, and confusion entered.

So the Roman Catholic Church had the word apostasia which means to gather, transliterated into the word apostasy, and changed its meaning to a falling away from the truth. Truth, of course, meant the state church, the Catholic Church also deemed the mother church.

We, slightly less than efficient Bible students, may not realize that something like the Strong's concordance could be driven by error. Look at what we get from Strong's concordance. Apostasy is the Greek word apostasia and means a defection from truth, a falling away from the truth.

Now examine what the Word Study Dictionary tells us about apostasia. It means to depart, but the WSD doesn't stop there, it gives us more. “In 2 Thessalonians 2:3 the word apostasía does not refer to genuine Christians who depart from the faith, but mere professors who, without divine grace, succumb to the Satanic deception of the Antichrist.”

Think about these words and phrases for a moment. To fall away from truth implies time, deception, and disinterest. 

If what we are looking for is a disinterest in church, we got it.

Having watched Ultimate Fighting Championships and Mixed Martial Arts, they interest me for a time but then it gets boring, and so I “fall” away. Church has always had problems like this, as some mighty move of God, or an evangelist, comes to the church, and everybody gets excited – we had one evangelist at our church when I was a teen, that continued for 13 weeks. My church doubled in size after so many came and stayed for a time. But then, the excitement turned to mundane daily living once again and the church retracted in size. 

A defection, on the other hand, implies an intentional turning away from.

We typically associate defection with “spies,” but it does not have to be that dramatic. Yes, some, for whatever the reason, become disenchanted and turn against the church. To be honest, because of events I experienced that were brought on by pastors and church leaders, I could have been one of those defectors, and I have been at times as I think about it. Only in my case, the events, for the most part, did not turn my heart away from God

It is not as though He is giving us another 500 years to get it right, it is time to turn up the fire in your own life now. History has demonstrated that most of what we call church has turned into deterioration and religious practices under a phony pretense. My own Pastor, while standing on a platform in the parking lot, stood before us and talked of God pushing the reset button, (but, he equated the church to a cat litter box, owned by a crazy cat lady, who has so many cats that she can no longer manage to clean up after the cats, nor does she care to.)

Have we as a church fallen away from what is right? 

There is no doubt in my mind that we have. 

The IVPBBC says this about verse 3-4.

2Th_2:3-4. The first prerequisite is either the “rebellion” (NIV, NRSV, TEV) or the “apostasy” (NASB). If it is a “rebellion” against God, it is the world’s final insult to him (2Th_2:4); if “apostasy,” it refers back to Jesus’ sayings later written in Mat_24:10-13. Both sins are characteristic of Jewish lists of end-time sufferings, but because Paul omits most of the signs found in such lists and focuses only on those cited by Jesus, the term here might mean apostasy. In either case, Paul indicates that the term does not apply to his readers (Mat_2:10-15).

(For those who will not read the passage from Matthew 2, let me give you a taste. Herod has noticed a large dust cloud in the distance, has sent out spies, and now knows that it is the Magi with a large entourage. Nothing in your Bible says that there were only three Magi. It does say that they brought three gifts. I might also note, that these gifts were of such large amounts, that when you next see Joseph and Mary, they are living in a home, and Jesus is now two years old. Herod calls in the chief priests and scribes to find out what is going on. Surprise, they knew but refused to acknowledge or have anything to do with this king of the Jews. So, while the Jewish leaders were rejecting Jesus, the Magi came from afar and fell to the ground before Him.

Now, since the other twisted possibility is a defection, have we done that as well? 

Defection = Want or failure of duty; the act of abandoning a person or cause to which one is bound by allegiance or duty, or to which one has attached himself; and revolt. 

The answer is a resounding YES. To prove my point look at the descriptions that the NASB/Apostle Paul gives us in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 NASB.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NASB)

This is the world we live in.

It seems the entire Congress of the United States operates on these principles. If that is not enough, we ended the month of May and a part of June of 2020, with looting and rioting across the nation, and for convenience sake, blamed it on the murder of one black man. I don’t mean to sound callous, but Chicago alone has multiple killings of black people daily, but NO ONE seems to care about it, or them.

"a god whom his fathers did not know" Daniel 11:34-45 , a commentary.

This is an area that has no direct correlation with History. It is also the darkest waters as most assign things like worshipping "a god whom his fathers did not know," to the most unusual of theories. 

If I consider all the influences, most of which are Assyrian, then I can begin to understand what something like the idea of worshipping a god his fathers did not know, a little less difficult. 

Read on and you will see what I mean.

Antiochus is resisted by the Maccabees who do exploits but are oppressed by him many days.

Daniel 11:34 NASB "Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy.

• “Now, when they fall, they will be granted a little help.”

Since we understand that the price to be paid for coming to the Lord during the last days is ultimately death, help can only be fleeting. I cannot begin to imagine what a little help will look like, but the implications are that it is momentary and temporary.

• “and many will join with them in hypocrisy.”

Hypocrisy, as defined in the Hebrew, describes uncertain people on treacherous paths of false prophets (Jeremiah 23:12) and hated enemies.

These two possibilities I see here.

• Islam has the right to lie. They can and will play the role of a follower in order to gain an advantage in Jihad.
• The other is help coming from people that really aren't going to stick around. In either case, you will probably die.

Jeremiah 23:12 NASB "Therefore their way will be like slippery paths to them, They will be driven away into the gloom and fall down in it; For I will bring calamity upon them, The year of their punishment," declares the LORD.

Daniel 11:35 CJB Even some of those with discernment will stumble so that some of them will be refined, purified and cleansed for an end yet to come at the designated time.

• 
  

• 
  

• “Even some of those with discernment will stumble.”

  We always want the good guy to win, however, that is not always the case, and there is a reason why.

   

• “so that some of them will be refined, purified and cleansed”
  
  

  What is the reason for the “great tribulation”?

  It is God's final punishment of: Israel, for their rejection of Him, and it is a punishment of the world for accosting his people and their rejection of Him.

  
  

  If Israel has rejected Him all these years, is it possible that God is looking for a method of redemption, instead of a final punishment, as some believe?

  What if you found out that God's character and nature were mercy and love?

   

•  for an end yet to come at the designated time.”

What is the end?

Truly, it can only be the Great White Throne judgment. This event shows up in two places; one in the Revelation and the other in Matthew 25 where we see the sheep and the goats. In Revelation Jesus is played out before us as what appears to be an angry God. We get that impression for all we see is the finality of His judgment as many are sent to the lake of fire, a place that was only designed for Satan and his mutinous crew.

In Matthew's account, Jesus is the gentle shepherd and we primarily focus on the sheep and their reward. In either case, you become aware of books along with the book of life. I surmise that God scours those books looking desperately for some reason to show those standing before Him mercy.

The time of the vision.

The character of "the king" of the north (Daniel 7:25 and 8:25.)

Daniel 11:36 CJB "The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god, and he will utter monstrous blasphemies against the God of gods. He will prosper only until the period of wrath is over, for what has been determined must take place.

• “ The king will do as he pleases”
  
  

  What permits such actions?

  An overwhelming fear; support of loyal troops; a lack of oversight.
  So, is that typical?

  Perhaps not, but not impossible.

   

• “He will exalt himself and consider himself greater than any god, and he will utter monstrous blasphemies against the God of gods”
  
  
  It seems that many people think this way. However, this is much more serious than the standard blasphemies of which we speak. The entity that does this specific thing is the Antichrist.
  
  

  2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 CJB Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For the Day will not come until after the Apostasy has come and the man who separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom. 4) He will oppose himself to everything that people call a god or make an object of worship; he will put himself above them all, so that he will sit in the Temple of God and proclaim that he himself is God.

  
  

• “He will prosper only until the period of wrath is over, for what has been determined must take place.”
  
  

  Revelation 11:18 NASB "And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth."

  
  The determined time is his end.

Revelation 19:20 NASB "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."

Daniel 11:37 NASB "He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women, nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all."

• “He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers”

Antiochus's Seleucid predecessors had elevated the god Apollo, while the Ptolemies had shown a preference for Adonis (possibly referred to here as the one desired by women). Antiochus neglects them (though by no means rejects them) in favor of Olympian Zeus. The fact that he designated himself as God Manifest on his coins is sufficient to explain the comment in this verse. IVPBBC

• “ or for the desire of women”
  
  

  Based on this, some Bible scholars believe that the Antichrist will be of Jewish descent, and perhaps will also be a homosexual. These things may not be popularly known about the man, but they may be true nonetheless. But many commentators believe that the desire of women refers to Jesus, in that all women desired the honor of bearing the Messiah and understanding “desire” as it is used in Haggai 2:7. Seeing the desire of women as Jesus makes the most sense in light of the flow of context. David Guzik's Enduring Word Commentary

Daniel 11:38 NASB "But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know; he will honor him with gold, silver, costly stones and treasures.

• “But instead he will honor a god of fortresses, a god whom his fathers did not know;”
  
  

  “The Antichrist will take and hold power with military might and the shrewd use of great riches.” Guzik

Certainly, Islam is and has been the people of the sword, so violence is a way of life to them. But where are the fortresses? The fortresses seem to be more in their Mosques and run by the Caliphates.

Daniel 11:39 NASB "He will take action against the strongest of fortresses with the help of a foreign god; he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many, and will parcel out land for a price.

The following is from the Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Thus shall he do in, the most strong holds - Margin, “fortresses of munitions.” The reference is to strongly fortified places; of those places which had been made strong for purposes of defense. The idea is that he would carry on his purposes against these places, as it were, under the auspices of this strange god. It was a fact that in his wars, Antiochus came into possession of the strong places or the fortified towns of the nations which he attacked - Jerusalem, Sidon, Peluslum, Memphis - then among the strongest places in the world.

But we are looking forward to an end-time scenario, and there are few fortresses anymore. Oh, I am not excluding the idea that there are military bases, nor am I discounting countries like Russia and Iran, which seem to operate as though they were fortresses unto themselves.

• “with the help of a foreign god”
  
  

  “A foreign god whom his fathers did not acknowledge;” We have already spoken about how Antiochus IV ignored the gods of his family and brought in Zeus from the Romans. But, we are looking forward and need to look outside the box. Who or what is the god of Islam? Allah. This would certainly push this person outside the realm of his father's gods.

• “he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over the many”

While in the short term, “the conquests of Antiochus would seem to be a setting up of the dominion of these gods over the lands which he subdued.” But in the long term, Islam demands submission to Allah. 

And shall divide the land for gain - “The reference here is, probably, to the holy land, and the idea is that it would be partitioned out among his followers for a price, or with a view to gain; that is, perhaps, that it would be “farmed out” for the purpose of raising revenue, and that with this view, as often occurred, it would be set up for sale to the highest bidder. This was a common way of raising revenue, by “farming out” a conquered province; that is, by disposing of the privilege of raising a revenue in it to the one who would offer most for it, and the consequence was, that it gave rise to vast rapacity in extorting funds from the people. Compare 1 Macc. 3:35, 36, where, speaking of Lysias, whom Antiochus had “set to oversee the affairs of the king from the river Euphrates unto the borders of Egypt,” it is said of Antiochus that he “gave him (Lysias) charge of all things that he would have done, as also concerning them that dwelt in Judea and Jerusalem: to wit, that he should send an army against them, to destroy and root out the strength of Israel, and the remnant of Jerusalem, and to take away their memorial from that place; and that he should place strangers in all their quarters, ‘and divide their land by lot. ‘“

The final battles of Daniel 11:40-45

There is no known historical sequence corresponding to that which is laid out in these verses. Antiochus IV was killed in battle in Persia in December 164. Many interpreters of Daniel consider this section (perhaps starting as early as v. Dan_11:36) to contain a reference to a much more distant future.

War between Syria (north) and Egypt (south) at the end time: Antichrist (Syria, North) is victorious over Egypt (south) and many countries up to the middle of Daniel's seventieth week when the "eighth" or Revived Grecian Empire is formed. (Dan 7:24; 8:23-25; Rev 11:7; 13:1-18; 16:10; 17:3, 8-14, 16-17; 19:19-21)

Daniel 11:40 NASB "At the end time the king of the South will collide with him, and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through.

• “At the end time, the king of the South will collide with him”

These kings are to be understood in reference to the times in which the prophet speaks. While the kingdoms of Egypt and Syria were subsisting, the king of the south and the north applied to them exclusively: but they did not exist at the time of which the prophet speaks; therefore, other southern and northern powers must be sought. These we may find in the Saracens, who were of the Arabians, who came from the south, headed by the false prophet Mohammed, who pushed at him - made war on the Greek emperor Heraclius, and with amazing rapidity deprived him of Egypt, Syria, and many of his finest provinces. [Adam Clarke]

• “and the king of the North will storm against him with chariots, with horsemen, and with many ships”

Pastor Dave Guzik says, “The Turks, who were originally Scythians, seized on the remains of the Greek empire; and in process of time rendered themselves masters of the whole. They are represented as coming like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen; their armies being chiefly composed of cavalry.”

An aspect we need to remind ourselves of is that the Bible is Israel and Middle-east centric. With Jerusalem as the center, the North passes straight through Aleppo, Syria, Ankara, Turkey, and finally through Moscow, Russia. It is likely that Turkey is the focus here, but I am not sure that Turkey has the naval power to fulfill the many ships aspect.

• “and he will enter countries, overflow them and pass through.”
  
  

  Having both the North and the South come against him would under normal circumstances mean the end for most. The word overflow also carries the meanings of rinsed, wash away, and to overwhelm. Here I am talking about the possibilities that this is Muslim leader and that might be, but I do not think it is in the strictest sense. Moscow is Russian, and, even though there is a Muslim influence, the animosity is great. Turkey, on the other hand, is not only Islamic but their leader, Erdogan Princip, thinks of himself as the last Mahdi, potentially filling the role of the Antichrist. Should the Muslim world throw itself behind him, there would be little to stand in his way.

New adversaries in the north and east in the middle of the week after he has conquered and acquired control of the ten kingdoms of Revised Rome. He conquers these in the last three and a half years and then brings them into Palestine to destroy Israel as he intended to do in the middle of the week when he broke the covenant with them and planted his tabernacle in the glorious holy mountain.

Daniel 11:41 NASB "He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall, but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon.

• “He will also enter the Beautiful Land, and many countries will fall”

Any student of end-times events understands that the beast/antichrist persona will enter Jerusalem. What we don't seem to see is that other countries will fall as well. It truly seems that we are seeing prophecy played out before our eyes as several countries in the Middle East have had their leaders taken down and their countries left in piles of rubble. Syria is an ongoing process as we speak. Just because many of us live in the United States of America, we think we will be secure. I no longer think that will be the case.

• “but these will be rescued out of his hand: Edom, Moab and the foremost of the sons of Ammon.”
  
  

  Why? That is a good question but it requires background knowledge and the prophetic look into the future. If we start with the fact that Edom was/is the eldest son of Isaac, that in itself answers nothing pertaining to the question as to why God will rescue them. Perhaps the answer is somewhat buried and requires diligence to sort it out.

  
  
  • The Prophet Isaiah tells us,
    
    

    Isaiah 11:14-15 NET. They will swoop down on the Philistine hills to the west; together they will loot the people of the east. They will take over Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be their subjects. 15) The LORD will divide the gulf of the Egyptian Sea; he will wave his hand over the Euphrates River and send a strong wind, he will turn it into seven dried-up streams, and enable them to walk across in their sandals.

    
    

    “They,” in this passage, seems to be Judah. Judah was the Northern kingdom and seemed to be the bad seed. This is where we find King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. She also plays a significant role in end times events, as her name is associated with the Harlot (a rather surreal socio-economic empire) that rides the beast.

    
    

    Revelation 17:3 Moffatt NT 3) So he bore me away rapt in the Spirit to the desert, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet Beast covered with blasphemous titles; it had seven heads and ten horns.

    
    

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

    
    
    So what we can ascertain from all this is that God deems Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites to have been punished enough and releases them from punishment.

Daniel 11:42 MKJV And he shall stretch out his hand on the lands. And the land of Egypt shall not escape.

• He, of course, is this person. While Antiochus Epiphanes may have done this, it applies to the near future as well. Egypt will not escape.

Ezekiel 29:14-15 NASB "I will turn the fortunes of Egypt and make them return to the land of Pathros, to the land of their origin, and there they will be a lowly kingdom. 15) "It will be the lowest of the kingdoms, and it will never again lift itself up above the nations. And I will make them so small that they will not rule over the nations.

Daniel 11:43 CJB he will control the treasures of gold and silver, as well as everything else in Egypt of value. Put, and Ethiopia will be subject to him.

We already went over Daniel 11:28 but note how it says, “Then the king of the north will return to his own land with great wealth;” CJB

Albert Barnes's commentary states, “Enriched with the spoils of Egypt. Having taken Memphis and the fairest portions of Egypt, he would, of course, carry great wealth to his own country on his return. Thus it is said in 1 Macc. 1:19: “Thus they got the strong cities in the land of Egypt, and he took the spoils thereof.”

Sadly, because they are Apocryphal books, we ignore the historical aspects of books like 1Maccabees, which confirms that this person spoils the strong cities of the land of Egypt. This includes Chad, Sudan, Somalia, Lybia, Nigeria, and anything along the northern coast of Africa.

Daniel 11:44 CJB However, news from the east and north will frighten him so that he moves out in great fury to ruin and completely do away with many.

• Everything we have seen so far points to a ruler in his attempts at global domination, but even that seems to evade him.
• Extend a line to the farthest eastern coastlands, and you will be in China. Since China is not Muslim-friendly, perhaps this plays a role.
• Merely because his goal is to do away with many does not mean he will be successful.

Daniel 11:45 CJB Finally, when he pitches the tents of his palace between the seas and the mountain of the holy Glory, he will come to his end with no one to help him.

• Tents, or as the KJV translates it, tabernacles. It is the Hebrew word 'ôhel and means a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a distance.)

• of his palace - ’appeḏen: A masculine noun indicating tent structure, a tented palace, pavilion.
  What can I ascertain from this?
  • He is establishing a palace.
  • It, at this point, is temporary.
  • It is meant to be seen as; either that or he is attempting to be an affront to God.
  • And that this is his last resting place on earth.
    How do I know that?

• “he will come to his end, with no one to help him.”
  
  

  The next thing we see is Christ returning with His saints to slaughter everyone that chooses to fight against Him. The NASB entitles this explanatory section of the Bible, The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

  
  

  The epic battle begins in Revelation 19:6 and in Revelation 19:9 the speaker says to John the beloved, “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

  
  

  Verse 19:11 initiates the Rider on the white horse and there is little doubt that we are seeing Jesus upon this horse. Verse 13 indicates that His name is called, The Word of God.

  
  

  In verse 14 He is followed by the armies of Heaven, also riding on white horses.

  
  

  These have one purpose, which we find in verse 15: “That He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

  
  
  • • Revelation 19:19-21 NASB 19) 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. 20) 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. 21) 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.

And thus ends chapter 11. This idea of a far distant future is not so far-fetched as Daniel chapter 12 continues on with, "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.” NASB