Will the world have a unified religion under the antichrist? Revelation 13:8.

 I listen to several prophecy teachers as they talk in an effort to inform us all of what they deem to be the truth about what is to come. Since most of what we see coming lies within the period of what many call the tribulation, the bulk of the people this conversation applies to will be those who do not go up in the church's rapture. That means the remaining people on earth will endure at least some of the events occurring during that time. 

After the catching away of the church, life on earth will take some drastic turns. 

• A horrendous attack on Israel could occur before the church is removed, if not before, then shortly after that. 

• Whether it takes minutes or weeks is unimportant, but the man we have been expecting, called the antichrist, will step onto the world stage, set forth a peace treaty "with many," and proclaim that he has everything under control. An older quote repeated during the last couple of years is this. 

  "We do not need another committee. We have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man and be he god or devil, we will receive him."—Paul Henri Spaak, the first president of the UN General Assembly, first president of the European Parliament, and onetime secretary general of NATO.

  Note that I said that the antichrist makes a peace treaty "with many," this is because far too many claim he will make a peace treaty with Israel. I am not saying it can't happen, but there is nothing in scripture that says he makes peace with Israel. Does it make sense that Israel would take advantage of this ceasefire and possible withdrawal of troops? Of course, it does, so the presumption is that the peace treaty is with Israel.

  I do not know if you have been paying attention, but Israel has very few friends right now, and the United States, one of the last countries I would have expected, has, under the "leadership" of Joe Biden, thrown Israel under the bus.

  What you do see, in terms of peace, particularly if this man can address the Muslim world, is that this man will be able to get the attacking parties to back off under the guise of a peace treaty. Consider where the major players, in terms of endless bombing, are coming from. They are coming from Muslim nations, and surprise, even Russia has a large Muslim population, and many have been fighting under the title of Chechen(s).

The prophecy teachers and those who mindlessly replicate what they say will tell you that the antichrist will bring about a one-world religion. Many of them back their claim by quoting this passage. 

"All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain." (Revelation 13:8 NASB)

I prefer the NASB because scholars say this version is the closest to the original in meaning, and I chose to believe them. But there is an immediate problem because it says, "all who dwell on the earth will worship him,' and far too many will stop here and not gain the context of verse eight. The passage goes on to say that these worshipers are ONLY those whose names are NOT written in the Lamb's book of life. Sitting here at my desk, I cannot tell you whose names are NOT in the book. To do otherwise is to be judgmental, which is NOT even close to our job description.

Another translation, which is worded in a manner that makes it almost impossible to misunderstand what God is trying to say, is the Williams New Testament.

“All the inhabitants of the earth whose names, from the foundation of the world, have not been written in the slaughtered Lamb's book of life, will worship him.”
(Revelation 13:8 Williams)

With a translation like the NASB, there is a presumption that the church is standing there watching all this happen, which is NOT the case. I am not trying to convey that only the lost will be worshiping this man, but there will be those whose names are written in the book, and this will happen throughout the time of wrath, and they will also resist the beast in every way possible, up to and including their deaths.

Let's discuss the word WORSHIP for a moment.

Worship is the Greek word proskuneō. The meanings go like this: To kiss the hand in a token of reverence. To do obeisance, show respect, fall or prostrate before. 

"It is also a salutation between persons of equal ranks was to kiss each other on the lips; when the difference of rank was slight, they kissed each other on the cheek; when one was much inferior, he fell upon his knees and touched his forehead to the ground or prostrated himself, throwing kisses at the same time toward the superior. It is this latter mode of salutation that Gr. writers express by proskunéō." (Word Study Dictionary)

While obeisance can be associated with worship, the dictionary definition reads like this. It is a courtesy or an act of reverence made by an inclination of the body or the knee.

Sadly, even animals will do this. For example, don't, as a rule, live in wolf packs where there is a pack leader and the other wolves “bow” to the alpha, mainly because the alpha will potentially kill the offender.

How do you turn this obeisance, the transliteration of which is written as worship, around and say there will be a one-world religion?

Having spent my life in the church, I have heard every possible suggestion as to who will be the next antichrist. Russia held the record for world leaders. Still, then it started transitioning as our American Presidents began saying things, like points of light, a new world order, or we need to level the playing field – meaning that "they" were going to bring America down to third-world status, which kind of explains this opposition to a wall that would work to restrain those that choose not come into the country through legal means.

On that note, I suspect that someone like Barack Obama will step forward, and he is an admitted and dominant Muslim that seemed to be a big player on the world scene. So many different people are being suggested, but WE will never know because he will NOT be revealed until the church is revealed.

Should you be unfortunate enough to be here, the thing you should realize is that we were right. Jesus will come to you if you turn to Him, but you will probably have to die by the sword though.

And God himself will be among them. Revelation 21:3.

      So, in Revelation 20, Satan, having been released from the pit, makes a last-ditch effort to kill off God and His people. Satan could only accomplish an attack of this size by deceiving the nations.

If you are wondering, Revelation refers to all those coming into the kingdom as these “people.” These people who have come to God borders on uncountable. It’s fascinating about these “nations.” which are also uncountable, as only those who do not have their names written in the book of life fall for the deception.

      For months now, I have been saying that all those caught up in the rapture and the martyred saints are now immortals, just as Jesus is; death cannot touch Him or us. By bringing up this immortal aspect, I am reminding myself that heaven is real, and it will be a time of peace. That means no fear, and I don’t know if you noticed, but the level of fear and anxiety is rising.

    Chapter 20 closes as all judgments are ended, and Satan is permanently tossed into the lake of fire.

In trying to wrap our minds around heaven, we now migrate into chapter 21, where we read.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21:1-2 NASB)

    Yes, the old earth burned up. But, if that concerns you, I would like to remind you that as followers of Jesus, it will not matter what happens to this polluted planet we now stand on. Why, you might ask? Because we are immortal, just like comic book characters, and we are safe within the arms of the Father. I guess that this new earth will be technology-free and look very similar to the planet that Adam first encountered. Add to that thought the promise we have about heaven.

“But as it is written, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,” nor has it entered into the heart of man, “the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9 MKJV)

    Your mind can’t even conceive of an idea surpassing what God has in store for us. This thought makes me aware of the movie Avatar. Please spare me the religious negativity, as I was in awe of plants that lit up as the characters touched them or those which produced music. A tree of enormous proportions spiraled to the sky and could be walked on, and another that emanated light. I also happen to think that riding a dragon would be very cool. But my thoughts show my limitations. Let’s say that I long for this time with Jesus.

    The Holy City has been restored to its appropriate location; it’s spectacular and filled with colors. Suddenly, a great voice from the throne is heard. Most translations say the same thing; however, the Moffatt translation says the voice came “out of the throne.” Since the grandchildren practice their non-listening skills, if I have the freedom to step in, I make sure they can hear me, and I am not trying to be pleasant at those moments. So forgive me for a moment as I consider the possibility that the furniture just spoke. I can’t disprove it. 

    The Greek word used to convey this voice coming out of the throne is the word thronos. Terms to define this include to seat. A seat, usually high and having a footstool, a throne as the emblem of royal authority. Just knowing this tends to push my thoughts toward the idea of God doing the speaking.

Well, what did He or it say?

Revelation 21:3 NASB “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,”

Let’s break this down.

• “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men,”

    Since we, in our previous study of Revelation 21:1 and 2, saw that the Holy City had already come down; and that Jesus and the martyred saints sat as judges over the earth for a thousand years, you might think that it would be safe to say that “God” was among men.

    Remember, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one and in unity. One thing that is clear to me is that Jesus sits on a throne, in the Holy City, on earth and is approachable. 

    That does not mean that the nations get to dance into the throne room and disrespect Him. Oh no. A piece of evidence for what I just said comes from Revelation 22:15, and yes, it seems ludicrous to consider that this activity level could still exist during the millennium. 

“Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.” ( NASB)

    I just cut that thought short as I remembered that we are looking at Revelation 21, where it seems that the story has moved beyond the thousand years. Undoubtedly, nothing like this “Outside are … everyone who loves and practices lying” could exist beyond the great white throne.

    Having discussed this with others, I have pointed out how God’s people (I see this terminology applied to those who are coming and going in and out of the Holy City during the thousand years) during this time are taking the leaves from the trees of life and bringing healing to the nations. Healing is more than a simple bandage; this is an internal and eternal change where the brokenness and propensity to sin are removed.

    Remember that after the fall of humanity, Adam and Eve were prevented from accessing the tree of life in the center of the garden. Surely, you have asked why that had to be. If they had taken from the tree of life in their newly broken condition, they would have been the evil and immortal gods of the universe. The leaves from the tree of life, improperly applied, would allow these people to be immortals and yet keep their ways that conflict with God. 

    If you are good students of the Bible, then you know that NONE of what I just said is clearly defined in the Revelation. You have to come to this understanding by looking at what happened with Adam in the garden and then applying what you know from Paul’s letters about how Jesus took our sins upon himself and is NOW offering this same relief to the nations throughout the thousand years.

• “and He will dwell among them,”

Here again, the Father and the Son seem to be seated in the Holy City.

"And the peoples will say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob: and he will give us knowledge of his ways, and we will be guided by his word; for out of Zion the law will go out, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3 BBE)

    In this phrase, “the house of the God of Jacob,” God is the Hebrew word’ elōhiym and is plural. This plurality is one of the ways we come to understand that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit are one. All three have a seat and can sit upon the throne. Since the Holy Spirit is the helper who leads and guides us into all truth, it might explain why we don’t see Him seated at all. 

    We can make foolish arguments about how God sits exclusively above all sin but we are wasting our time. One of the verses used to push horrendous negativity is this.

“Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?” (Habakkuk 1:13 NASB)

    To understand verse 13 and why he says this, you have to go back to verses two and three. Habakkuk is ranting about God not hearing his prayers while evil things and violent behavior go on all around him; not so unlike today, which is increasing in violence every day.

“How long, O Lord, will your ears be shut to my voice? I make an outcry to you about violent behaviour, but you do not send salvation. Why do you make me see evil-doing, and why are my eyes fixed on wrong? for wasting and violent acts are before me: and there is fighting and bitter argument.” (Habakkuk 1:2-3 BBE)

    So Habakkuk makes a massive assumption if he believes that God cannot look at sin. If that were true, we would NOT be here. Remember, God so loved a world that did not want nor love Him that He sent His only Son to die a violent death on a cross so that the world through Him could be saved. Try to explain how He could do that without looking. And there is also the example of God returning to the garden, calling out for Adam, even though the man now represented sin. 

    And one more thing, while we are forgiven of our sins, we perpetually continue to sin. Please don’t assume that your sin has to be murder for it to be deemed a sin. Gluttony is a sin, and there are many of you guilty of that. Besides all that, we are told that if you thought it, you did it, and with that, you can throw your argument that you never murdered anybody right out the window.

• “and they shall be His people,”

    This statement is oriented toward the Jewish people. To put it bluntly, they rejected the Messiah. Scripture tells me that when Jesus returns, riding a white horse and having a sword come out of His mouth, at that time, the veil over their eyes and hearts will be lifted, not only from Israel but the entire world.

"But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart, I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34 NASB)

    When Jesus comes back to reign, as Revelation 19 points out, two-thirds of Israel will have been killed.

‘One-third of you will die by plague or be consumed by famine among you, one third will fall by the sword around you, and one third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them. (Ezekiel 5:12 NASB)

    Plague is interchangeable with pestilence. The ISBE defines pestilence as “any sudden fatal epidemic. The word is most frequently used in the prophetic books, and it occurs 25 times in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, always associated with the sword and famine.”

    Since virtually any outbreak lately of pestilence, like a baby formula shortage, is always manufactured, it is easy to picture where these future pestilence events will come from. Here is a clue, forced inoculations are a weapon.

    And the scriptures speak in terms of survivors.

“Yet, behold, survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come forth to you, and you will see their conduct and actions; then you will be comforted for the calamity which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it.” (Ezekiel 14:22 NASB)

    The point being this relatively small number of Jews, His people, will fall in love with their Messiah, and yet, it is evident that the number of people entitled to enter the Holy City is beyond counting. These are all God’s people.

• “and God Himself will be among them,”

I like this verse because it is befittingly in the face of Israel and the nations.

“They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God. “My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd, and they will walk in My ordinances and keep My statutes and observe them. “They will live on the land that I gave to Jacob My servant, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and David My servant will be their prince forever. “I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them and multiply them and will set My sanctuary in their midst forever. “My dwelling place also will be with them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. “And the nations will know that I am the LORD who sanctifies Israel when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.”’” (Ezekiel 37:23-28 NASB)

Since I know that this theme, where God is among His people, is rampant throughout the scriptures, I could potentially leave this right here. I will not do that because we are told, by God, in the law, that NO ONE is prosecuted on the word of one witness. This law sets a precedent for proof, and we have to apply it to the Word of God. 

“My eyes will be on those of good faith in the land, so that they may be living in my house; he who is walking in the right way will be my servant.” (Psalms 101:6 BBE)

    We are focused on Revelation 21:3, where it says, He will be among them. Them is His people. You become His people through this relationship where you accept Jesus and the forgiveness offered.

The beast you saw. Revelation 17:8

 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.

These two empires share a commonality in that they are both deemed to be Assyrian. 

Under the rule of Alexander the Great, the Grecian empire is not outlined so clearly, forcing us to associate the symbolism and timing of Alexander's entrance into the picture. Nevertheless, the Grecian empire is third.

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 sh^enâ', 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:

1. "the king of Babylon" (Isa_14:4);

2. "the Assyrian" (Isa_14:25; +**Mic_5:5 note);

3. "Lucifer, son of the morning," in opposition to "the bright and morning star" (Isa_14:12);

4. "the Prince that shall come" (Dan_9:26);

5. "the king of fierce countenance" (Dan_8:23);

6. "the vile person" (Dan_11:21);

7. "the willful king" (Dan_11:36);

8. "the man of sin" (2Th_2:3);

9. "the son of perdition" (2Th_2:3);

10. "that wicked (or lawless) one" (2Th_2:3; Rev_13:18);

11. "the beast with ten horns" (Rev_13:1);

12. "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 - š^ep̱al: 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?