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Recently we have had a very great fire in our nearby forest. It raged on for weeks burning trees, plants, and grasses. It has killed many animals and caused many people to flee for their lives. At the top of one 7,000 foot (2.135 Km) mountain, homes and part of a small town (250 buildings) were destroyed. We now know that the fire was started by some human who probably did not realize the fire would last for weeks and destroy thousands of trees. In the valley below, there is a city. The people have been watching great clouds of smoke pour up into the sky. The sky has been dark at times and the smelled smoke has been bad. Fire and smoke are usually signs of trouble and danger. It is something that humans and wildlife both fear. When fire comes, we know it is time to flee. As we come to this study we will see that the final events of God’s judgment have arrived. Seven angels will be carrying God’s final plagues of destruction. When we read the passage, we will see rejoicing in heaven, and the smoke of God’s glory. This time smoke is good! The end is closer..

The Seven Plagues

Revelation 15 describes the last scene in heaven before the final great war of the tribulation which is called Armageddon. The seventh and last sign are seven angels who will have seven plagues.

And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels who had seven plagues, which are the last, because in them the wrath of God is finished. Revelation 15:1 (NASB)

The apostle tells us that the events he saw occurred in heaven and not on earth. He saw some very wonderful angels who are going to bring terror upon the world, a terror as dreadful as a great forest fire with black smoke. They are bringing the last of the terrors. These angelic messengers of destruction are not dark and sinister. They are holy angels who will be given the honor of bringing to an end the terror and darkness of sin.

Victorious Singers

Next the apostle sees the men and women who had refused to worship the Antichrist (the beast) and would not accept the mark of 666.

And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had come off victorious from the beast and from his image and from the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. Revelation 15:2 (NASB)

These men and women were standing on the sea of glass and they are ready to sing.

And they sang the song of Moses the bond-servant of God and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; for ALL THE NATIONS WILL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE THEE, for Thy righteous acts have been revealed.” Revelation 15:3-4 (NASB)

What a wonderful song of praise to both our Father and to Jesus Christ. They describe God as being holy, all powerful, and true. Yet men and women will reject God because they like their sin. They prefer evil and wickedness. That is happening around the world. But God is true. He knows the difference between sin and holiness. When God comes for judgment, the world will know why and they will be powerless to stop Him! Praise the Lord.

Having A Great Time

The party is on. The saints who died because they refused to bow to the Antichrist and take his number are celebrating and rejoicing. Did you notice their repeated statements that God is holy and righteous? They will do this because they will have experienced the world’s evil.

Today the forces of evil are slowly sweeping over our world. True holiness and righteousness have been rejected in favor of man’s view of morality. Each home does what is right in its own eyes. The church is not far behind. Today some mold the meaning of the Bible to fit their personal view. The world is rejecting God. The tribulation saints will experience how bad it can get when the world forces are allowed to do as they want. That is why they will praise God for being holy when He prepares to destroy evil.

Then the temple which is in heaven will open and seven angels who had the seven plagues will appear.

After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened . . . Revelation 15:5 (NASB)

The Temple and Tabernacle

The tabernacle of the testimony refers to the tabernacle that the Israelites made in the wilderness at Moses’ direction. Both Moses (Exodus 38:21) and Stephen in his sermon (Acts 7:44) refer to the tabernacle in the wilderness as the tabernacle of testimony.

Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directed him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen. Acts. 7:44 (NASB)

The wilderness tabernacle was made according to one which exists in heaven. This is a surprising statement. Just think – there is a tabernacle in heaven! That is the statement of Moses, Stephen, and the author of the book of Hebrews (Hebrews 8:2, 5). The earthly tabernacle was a copy of a heavenly one.

And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood . . . Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. Hebrews 9:21-23 (NASB)

The temple of the tabernacle of testimony refers to the holy of holies. The Holy of Holies was considered the place of testimony. The veil into the Holy of Holies was called the veil of testimony (Leviticus 24:3) and the ark of the covenant inside the Holy of Holies was called the ark of testimony (Exodus 31:7). The Holy of Holies was a testimony about God. It spoke of God. So references to the testimony point us to the place God met with us.

Temple In Revelation

The earthly tabernacle and the temple which existed in Jerusalem were copies of the heavenly one. There has always been a tabernacle, sometimes called a temple, in heaven. Revelation has already told us that the saints who lived during the time of the great tribulation will be with God and serve Him day and night in His temple. Also, in Revelation 14:15, 17 the Apostle John saw angels coming out of the temple in heaven. There is a temple in heaven today.

When the tribulation is over, God will create a temple on the earth during the 1,000 year kingdom. That is the message of Ezekiel 40-48. The kingdom will be an earthly one with sacrifices. The millennial sacrifices and the sacrifices required by Moses are the same. There will be no difference because the sacrifices will be a memorial or a testimony to celebrate Jesus’ death. Today Christians take the Lord’s Supper or communion as a reminder of Jesus’ death and return to life. Jesus has already died, but we “do this in remembrance of Me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24). The millennial sacrifices will do the same thing.

Is there a temple in the eternal heaven? Revelation 21:22 tells us that there will not be a physical temple in the new heaven because God and the Lamb will be the temple. There has always been and will always be a temple, either a physical one or God Himself.

The Seven Angels

Revelation 15:6 tells us that seven angels, who will be dressed in clean, bright clothes with a belts of gold, will come out of the temple,

. . . and the seven angels who had the seven plagues came out of the temple, clothed in linen, clean and bright, and girded around their breasts with golden girdles. Revelation 15:6 (NASB)

These angels will be given seven bowls by one of the four living creatures we saw before the throne in Revelation 4: 6, 8.

And one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished. Revelation 15:7-8 (NASB)

These bowls will be filled with the wrath of God. The bowls were a sign to the seven angels that it was time to pour their plagues on the world. We will find out what the seven plagues are in the next chapter. The end has come and the worst suffering the world has ever experienced is coming.

Conclusion

When the seven angels received their bowls, the temple of the Lord was filled with the smoke of His glory. Smoke symbolizes the glory of God. When Moses met God on Mount Sinai, there was smoke and fire while they were together.

Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire . . . Exodus 19:18 (NASB)

Smoke was also present during the times of worship called sacrifices. The smoke of the sacrifices was a pleasing aroma to God according to Leviticus 3:16 and 4:31. We also discover in Isaiah 6:3-4 that while the seraphim are singing holy, holy, holy, God’s temple was filled with smoke.

I seriously doubt that it is eye annoying smoke, because the smoke is associated with God’s glory. There is something mysterious and wonderful about God which we do not understand. His glory is awesome, unusual, mysterious and captivating. The Apostle John saw the smoke from His glory. Please Lord show us more of your glory!

 

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There is a song with the title “He’s Been Faithful.” As the music plays softly in the background a woman sings, “Through every pain and every tear, He is my God who has been faithful to me. When my strength was all gone, when my heart had no song, still in love He proves faithful to me. Everything He has promised has come true. What I thought was impossible I have seen my God do . . .” These are wonderful words for you and for me. He has been faithful to every person, especially to those who call Him their God. We may be sick, lacking money, missing the love of someone, or feeling alone, but yet He is forgiving and faithful. He has not done with us as we deserve (Psalm 103:10). How will those who live during the Tribulation feel? Will they feel left alone, hungry, or wonder who loves them? When they see the dark evil of those days, will they feel abandoned? This study of Revelation 14 will cry out to us that God is just and faithful.

Background

Revelation 13 introduced us to the arrogant Antichrist, and to the supernatural false prophet. We saw death, destruction, signs and wonders, the mark of the beast on the forehead or hand, the number 666, and the forced worship of the Antichrist, and Satan. Evil will be dark and powerful then, and men and women will helplessly die. The supernatural demonic forces will be without mercy towards anyone who does not cooperate. That was the message of Revelation 13. When we come to Revelation 14, we see our just and faithful God preparing to put an end to evil. This is an awesome chapter!

His Love

The first verse of Revelation 14 gives us the last scene in heaven. It is all about His faithfulness to us.

And I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads. Revelation 14:1 (NASB)

The Lamb is Jesus Christ and we are told that He is standing on Mount Zion. Mount Zion is the largest hill on which the city of Jerusalem was built. It is on the south side of the city above the Valley of Hinnom. It was the first place on which buildings of the city of Jerusalem were built. From there the city expanded outward. As a result, the name Zion came to include the entire city of Jerusalem along with the temple. It is here that King David built his palace. In the Psalms God tells us that He installed the king of Israel upon Zion, built up the city, and glorified Himself. God highly values Zion.

But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain Psalm 2:6 (NASB)

For the LORD has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory. Psalm 102:16 (NASB)

May the LORD bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth. Psalm 134:3 (NASB)

This is where our Lord will come when the Tribulation ends. It is a special place to Him. It will also be a special place to the Antichrist, since he will sit down in Zion’s temple and declare himself to be God. 2 Thessalonians tells us that the Antichrist will be revealed when he . . .

. . . exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 (NASB)

The Antichrist will sit down in the temple in Zion and force the world to worship him. The world will be forced to have marks on their foreheads or hands. But it is God who along with the 144,000 witnesses will enter Zion and defeat him. We first saw these witnesses in Revelation 7:4-8. They were Jewish men who were sealed and protected by God. Here we discover that the seal is the names of both Jesus and the Father written on the foreheads of the witnesses. God will have His own mark and in the end He will rule Zion.

Faithful 144,000

As the Apostle John watched, he heard the 144,000 singing a song that they had learned from someone who is not described. It appears a group of angels are singing in unison and verse two says that they sound like a harp. The literal Greek says they sounded like “harpists harping on harps.” The music in heaven is going to be wonderful.

And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps. And they *sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth. Revelation 14:2-3 (NASB)

But the four living creatures, who are Seraphim, and twenty-four elders could not learn the song. It is amazing that the four living creatures who stand before the throne of God will not be able to learn the song. This tells us that angels do not know everything nor are they able to know or do everything.

We are also told that the 144,000 men will be purchased from the earth. The tense of the Greek word for purchased is a perfect passive participle. This means that God selected them long ago and that He continued to own them. The Antichrist will want to own everyone on the earth. God is making it clear that He will keep those who belong to Himself. The Antichrist will not be able to take them away.

These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they have kept themselves chaste. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless. Revelation 14:4-5 (NASB)

These men will not get married. They will be virgins. What a contrast to the way many think today. Many believe that marriage is not essential and that men even need to have sex with different women in order to prove that they are men. But these 144,000 men will be single and will not defile themselves by having sex outside of marriage. Having sex outside of marriage defiles both the man and the woman. This is a serious message for us today. There is no such thing as sexual freedom. Sex within marriage is pure otherwise it is defilement. These men will be very unusual. They will not lie, and their pattern of life is godly.

The Call and Warnings

The scene changes when we come to verse six. We see the first of a series of six angels. The first three angels are calling people to fear God and give Him glory and to flee the Antichrist. God will be encouraging men and women to come to Himself through these angels.

We are told that the first angel will be flying in midheaven while he is preaching the eternal gospel.

And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” Revelation 14:6-7 (NASB)

Just imagine what people will see and hear. Some people will hear the angel while they are running, working outside, or while they are at the beach. He must have a loud voice in order for everyone to hear him. These people will have a personal encounter with an angel! They will hear that God wants to have a personal relationship with them. God will be calling them. He will be seeking them even in the final hour. Will they listen?

Fallen, Fire & Smoke

Then the apostle saw another angel following the first one. The second one will also have a message. He will be warning them that their great city of Babylon is doomed and judgment is coming.

And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality” Revelation 14:8 (NASB)

As the apostle continued watching, he saw one more angel following the first two angels. This one warns men and women to reject the Antichrist.

And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:9-11 (NASB)

Now we are told that the mark is the name of the beast. Anyone who takes the mark will belong to the Antichrist. The Antichrist is in a struggle against God, but he will lose.

Our Faithful God

What happens to those who become Christians during the tribulation? The next verse tells us that true Christians will remain faithful just as God will be showing Himself to be faithful.

Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. Revelation 14:12 (NASB)

The mark of true Christians is that they remain. They are obedient and continue to trust Jesus. This is true today too! James 2:19 says that true Christians will never leave God, and those who leave were never really Christians from the beginning. That is the message here. Christians continue! Why do they continue? They continue because Jesus promised that He would lose none. Jesus has promised not to cast anyone away and has promised to raise them up on the last day (John 6:37, 44). Now that means the only way persons “lose their salvation” is if they never had it in the first place. Or, Jesus is a liar or very weak. But Jesus is not like us. He does not lie, and He is the Creator of the universe.

Judgment Is Here

The vision is interrupted by a glimpse of Jesus Christ.

And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and sitting on the cloud was one like a son of man, having a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand. Revelation 14:14 (NASB)

As we have already said, the one sitting on the white cloud is Jesus Christ. He was called the son of man early in Revelation (Revelation 1:13) and this passage confirms that He is the one on the cloud. Three angels will appear in the following verses to bring judgment on the people who follow the Antichrist, the Antichrist himself, and the false prophet. Jesus will start the final stages of judgment, and the angels will join Him. His angels will now execute the final steps of judgment, except for the final victory at the end of the world.

The prophet Joel predicted that the end of the world would come during one final great battle (Joel 3:21) The sickle has been a sign of God’s judgment since the Old Testament. Listen to the prophet’s prediction.

Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full; The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon grow dark, And the stars lose their brightness. And the LORD roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth tremble. But the LORD is a refuge for His people and a stronghold to the sons of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. So Jerusalem will be holy, And strangers will pass through it no more. Joel 3:13-17 (NASB)

Fourth Angel

A fourth angel comes out of the temple in heaven with a message from God the Father to Jesus, who is on Mt. Zion along with the 144,000. The message is simple. Start the judgment.

And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle and reap, because the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.” And He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth; and the earth was reaped. Revelation 14:15-16 (NASB)

And Jesus will do so. This judgment is the seven bowl judgements which are introduced in the next chapter (Revelation 15), and are described in Revelation 16. When this point is reached, the end will be near and it will be horrible.

Fifth and Sixth Angels

Another angel, the fifth one, will come out of the temple in heaven with another sickle.

And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. And another angel, the one who has power over fire, came out from the altar; and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Put in your sharp sickle, and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, because her grapes are ripe.” Revelation 14:17-18 (NASB)

But it is the sixth angel who calls out for his sickle to cause death. Just as the fourth angel let Jesus know that the time for the seven bowl judgment had come, this angel tells the fifth angel that the time for the last great battle of the Tribulation had come. He will cause a great battle called Armageddon to start.

The next two verses give us an idea as to how horrible the battle will be.

And the angel swung his sickle to the earth, and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses’ bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles. Revelation 14:19-20 (NASB)

Joel’s battle of Armageddon will occur from the Plain of Esdraelon to Bozrah in the southern part of Israel (Isaiah 63:1). Jesus and the 144,000 will be in the middle at Zion. Millions will die from many different nations. The best explanation for blood coming up to the horses bridles is that there will be so much blood that it will splatter up to the horses’ bridles. The slaughter will be the worst in human history. We will see more about Armageddon in Revelation 19. The end is coming . . .

Conclusion

Our God is faithful. He promised to bring the Israelites our of Egypt and He did. He promised to send Israel into captivity if they rejected Him. They did and He fulfilled His promise. He promised to bring them back to the land of Israel and it occurred. He promised to send Jesus to die for our sins and He sent His Son and orchestrated His death. Jesus promised the destruction of Jerusalem and it occurred. Israel returned to the land in 1948 just as God had promised.

God has also promised that one day He will end evil and bring Armageddon. He will fulfill the prophecy of Joel and those events are coming.

The Israelites in Malachi 2:13-14 complained that God seemed to favor those who did not remain faithful to Him. They said it was pointless to serve God. They said the wicked enjoyed doing evil and God did nothing. So God responded by telling them that a day was coming when he would bring judgment against the one who does not serve Him (Malachi 3:17-18). The end is coming. We do not know when, but it is coming. Our God is faithful. He will cause it to happen. The end of evil is coming and the glory of the Lord will shine some day for all to see. Come quickly Lord Jesus . . . Amen!

 

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Have you ever had a dream? Maybe you had a dream about the legendary British King Arthur and his wife Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot along with the knights of the round table. I love fantasy stories where the good men conquer evil and honor the homeland. In one fantasy dream I found that by flapping my arms I could fly like a bird. I could move around and even stay in one spot in the air. That was a great dream. Maybe your dream was a nightmare much like Dorothy’s dream in the story of the Wizard of Oz. Poor Dorothy thought that she was trapped in a foreign land among strange people along with her magic slippers. Our next chapter in Revelation is almost like a nightmare. It is about dragons, and two horrible beasts. It is the Apostle John’s vision.

Background

Revelation 12 introduced us to four of seven signs. These first four signs included a woman, a dragon, a male child, and Michael the archangel. The woman was the nation of Israel, the child was Jesus Christ, and the dragon was Satan. Satan was angry and enraged because he dicovered that his end was near.

Two more signs will be given in this study in Revelation 13. They are two beasts. The first one has seven heads and ten horns and the second one performs signs and wonders. The first beast is the Antichrist and the second one is the false prophet who requires men and women to receive the mark of 666. When we reach the end of this study, there will be only one more sign.

The Dragon

As Revelation 13 opens we are told that “he stood on the sand of the seashore.”

And he stood on the sand of the seashore. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. Revelation 13:1 (NASB)

The key question we want to ask is, “Who is standing on the seashore?” The answer is given in Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 20:2. At the end of Revelation 12 we were told that the dragon, or Satan, was enraged and went after the woman to destroy her. Therefore, the first verse of this chapter is still talking about him.

The First Beast

As Satan stood on the seashore a horrible beast came up out of the sea.

And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. Revelation 13:2 (NASB)

The beast had seven heads and ten horns just like the dragon in Revelation 12:4. The symbols are important because they reveal that the dragon and this horrible beast are related. The seven heads and ten horns help us understand that Satan and this beast are connected to the nations (or empires) and events described in Daniel 7.

The ten diadems or crowns of this beast are on his horns. The dragon had seven crowns, but they were on his seven heads. The location of the crowns shows that even though they both have the same number of heads and horns they are different. They are related, but they are not the same individual or creature.

Daniel’s Symbols

Different parts of this beast look like a leopard, a bear, and a lion. These same symbols of a lion, bear, and a leopard are identical to those found in the prophet Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7:4-7. We will soon discover that Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 are describing the same empire.

In Daniel 7:4-7 we find four beasts. The first one is a lion representing the Babylonian Empire. The second one is a bear representing the Medo-Persian Empire. The third one is a leopard representing the empire of Greece. The fourth and last beast had ten horns. The four beasts represent four empires and the ten horns on the last beast represent a fifth empire which is a restoration of the Roman Empire or some nation of European descent which controls the Middle East. Both Revelation 13 and Daniel 7 refer to a lion, bear, leopard, and ten horns.

Revived Roman Empire

But the beast in Revelation 13 has all of the symbols. What does this mean? The answer is as follows.

Daniel 7:11-12 explains that the fourth beast also represents all of the nations which have occupied the land of Canaan. Each one has been succeeded by another and each one has controlled the land of Israel. So the last beast represents all Gentile control of the land of Israel (Luke 21:24; Revelation 11:1-2). That is why God says,

As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away . . . Daniel 7:11-12 (NASB)

When the revived Roman Empire is destroyed, all the other empires will be destroyed too! The revived Roman Empire – the last empire – represents all Gentile nations which occupied the land of Canaan.

Earlier in Daniel 2, the same kingdoms were represented by a statue of different metals. The Roman Empire was represented by legs of iron, and the revived Roman Empire was represented by the feet of iron and clay. Then Daniel 2:44-45 says that all of the kingdoms or empires will be destroyed when God sets up His kingdom (Daniel 7:9-10). Once more we see that when the revived Roman Empire is destroyed the other empires are destroyed too! This means the beast in Revelation 13 represents all of the nations which have occupied the land of Canaan. It is the revived Roman Empire.

Seven Heads

Now we must ask, “What is the meaning of the seven heads?” The answer is found in Revelation 17:8-13 where we will read that the seven heads of this lion-bear-leopard beast are seven mountains.

As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away . . . Daniel 7:11-12 (NASB)

Some have said the seven mountains represent Rome or the Roman Catholic Church because they say that Rome has seven mountains. But Rome has more than seven hills which implies that the seven hills cannot refer to Rome. The best meaning of the mountains is provided in Daniel 2:35, 44-45. The mountains were a common symbol for kingdoms or empires. Therefore, the seven mountains represent seven empires. Daniel 2 and 7 describe only five key empires which controlled the land of Israel, because the dream started with the Babylonian Empire. Now we are told that there are two more empires, for a total of seven empires.

Revelation 17:10 gives more information about the seven mountains or seven heads. The seven mountains are seven kings or kingdoms.

. . . and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. Revelation 17:10 (NASB)

We are told that five have already fallen. Daniel tells us that three of them are Babylon, Medio-Persia, and Greece. History reveals that these two other empires which had fallen were the Egyptian and the Assyrian Empires. This makes a total of five. “One is” refers to the Roman Empire. This was the empire which controlled the land occupied by Israel when the Apostle John and the Holy Spirit wrote the book of Revelation. The empire that had “not yet come” is the restored Roman Empire. It is the return of the Roman Empire to power. These are the seven heads or empires. This means the beast in Revelation 13 represents all of the empires which have occupied the land occupied by Israel and represents the last empire – the revived Roman Empire.

The Antichrist

Daniel 7:8 also tells us that a little horn will arrive and murder three of the ten horns. Only seven horns will remain. Daniel 7:15-28 explains that the Antichrist will rule for times, time, and half a time. He is the leader of the last empire – the revived Roman Empire.

During our study of Revelation 12:14 we discovered that times, time, and half a time referred to 3.5 years or 1,260 days (Revelation 12:6, 14). In a few verses (Revelation 13:5) we will soon discover that this 3.5 year period is referred to as forty-two months. Once again both Daniel and Revelation 13 are talking about events which will occur during the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation.

The Eighth

Revelation 17:11 gives us yet another important piece of information. Here we are told that the beast is one of the seven heads – and is “also an eighth.”

And the beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth, and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction. And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. These have one purpose and they give their power and authority to the beast. Revelation 17:11-13 (NASB)

Now we are told that the beast’s ten horns represent kings who have not yet received a kingdom. That means the kingdom or empire is coming in the future. These kings will support the Antichrist for awhile, but three will be murdered by him. This will leave seven kings and make the Antichrist the eighth king. That is what “himself also an eighth” refers to and again this agrees with Daniel 7:8, 20, 24-26.

First Beast – Summary

This has been a long explanation about the beast. It is important to understand what this beast represents. He the Antichrist who rules over the revived Roman Empire, along with seven other kings. The coalition started with ten kings and their extraordinary power will be demonic.

Was Slain

Now we come to an extremely interesting passage.

And I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; and they worshiped the dragon, because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” Revelation 13:3-4 (NASB)

What does it mean that his head was slain? We have already discovered that the Antichrist is a human leader of the seventh and last empire. That is the first piece to the answer. Next, verse 12 says that his fatal wound was healed, but verse 14 says that he was killed with a sword and then returned to life. Some have said that this means the Roman Empire “died” and “returned to life.” But the Roman Empire was never conquered. Historians say that it declined and ceased to exist in A.D. 476 for a variety of reasons.

The answer is found in the fact that the verses say his wound was healed and that he returned to life. It appears that someone will attempt to assassinate him and then he will fake his own death and appear to have returned to life. It is doubtful that God would allow him to return to life just like Jesus did. We must remember that only God the Father has the power to raise the dead (John 5:21, 25).

The death of the Antichrist appears to be an imitation of the death of Jesus Christ since the phrase “as if . . . slain” is used for both of them in Rev. 5:5-6 and Rev. 13:3. Satan wants to have his own “Jesus Christ,” and the world will be stunned at his resurrection and will worship both the Antichrist and Satan. They will follow the Antichrist.

The Arrogant One

When men and women sense that they are highly respected and honored, they often become arrogant and self-willed. This is true of politicians, people in business, and in the church. The Antichrist will respond in the same way.

And there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies; and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Revelation 13:5-6 (NASB)

God will give the Antichrist authority for 42 months or 3.5 years to do almost anything that he desires.

2 Thessalonians tells us that the Antichrist will have demonic power and be allowed to deceive the world with signs and wonders.

. . . the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 (NASB)

Those who are not Christians will believe what they see and hear because they have rejected Jesus Christ and have not responded to the testimonies of the 144,000 witnesses, the two witnesses, angels (Rev. 14:6-20), and to many Christians who will be alive during the tribulation. The world will not understand that they will be living in a terrible time.

Antichrist At War

Like most leaders the Antichrist will want their support and when he does not receive the support of the Christians, he will try to kill them. We will discover in a few verses that “Christians” will have the opportunity to show their support by receiving the mark of the beast which is 666. Those who do will reveal that they were not real Christians. Those who are Christians will refuse and many will die. The real Christians will become obvious.

And it was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. And 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. If anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints. Revelation 13:7-10 (NASB)

The False Prophet

Another beast is introduced in the last part of the chapter. He is the false prophet according to Revelation 16:13 and 19:20.

And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. And he performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. Revelation 13:11-13 (NASB)

This individual is very powerful. We know very little about him. We do not know from what part of the world he will come. But He will be able to make the world worship the Antichrist. He will probably be a very charismatic individual with great demonic power. God will allow him to cause fire to come down out of heaven and to perform many other signs and wonders.

Beastly Worship

He will also cause people to make an image of the Antichrist and worship it. Non-Christians will be willing to do this. Why? Will they think that he is an alien or a powerful man who tapped into his supernatural powers? Will the world think that he is a powerful, good witch, someone who has spirit guides, or that he has tapped into the “force”? Whatever the reason, the world will be willing to worship the Antichrist who returned to life. He will be Satan’s “Messiah.”

And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And there was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast might even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. Revelation 13:13-14 (NASB)

God will give the false prophet the power to cause the image to come to life, and many who will not worship the image will die.

The Mark

Apparently in an attempt to force everyone to submit, the false prophet will force persons in the world to receive a mark on their forehead or on the back of the hand.

And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Revelation 13:16-17 (NASB)

In the United States electronic devices are already being inserted under the skin of dogs in order to track their location on the earth and to have a record of their medical history. Devices to be inserted under the skin of citizens are already being considered in order to control immigration and to monitor inmates in prison. It has also been rumored that the best place to put some of these devices is on the backs of the hands or on the foreheads. The technology is already here and it is being refined.

The false prophet will attempt to know where everyone is located. Men and women will not be able to do anything without the mark. The world will not be able to buy food, purchase clothes, cars or homes, rent rooms, travel, obtain gasoline, or do anything else without the mark.

Meaning of 666

What does 666 mean? The last verse of this chapter says this,

Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six. Revelation 13:18 (NASB)

The number of the beast is 666. Many have tried to identify the Antichrist, but they have all failed. Some have said that Nero was the Antichrist because they were able to take his Greek name and convert it to Hebrew letters and then assign numbers to the consonants. The total of the numbers is 666. Others have said it was Rome because the Roman numerals add up to 666. Still others have noticed that the words “The Latin” adds up to 666. Many other options exist.

If we are honest, we must admit that we do not have the wisdom to know what the number 666 represents. We do not know who the Antichrist will b; only God does.

Conclusion

This chapter is full of details. It is an extremely important chapter in understanding the final moments of the Tribulation. It is amazing that God will give authority and power to Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet to do almost anything they desire. Satan will try to destroy God, but he will fail miserably. Men and women of the world will think that their type of messiah has finally arrived. The Antichrist will have brought “peace” to the Middle East, and will have demonstrated awesome supernatural powers. But they will not realize until it is too late that their messiah is an evil one. Life on this planet will be horrible as the Antichrist seeks to control every man and woman and as God sends one horrible plague after another to planet earth. What a miserable, horrible place it will be!

Christians will die, but I would imagine that they will welcome death. For the Christian, death means going home to be with God. Victory belongs to the Lord. It will come in six more chapters.

Come quickly Lord Jesus . . .

 

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One day an eagle swooped down to the ground and grabbed a weasel in its powerful talons. But as it flew away, its wings unexpectedly went limp, and the bird dropped to the ground like a lifeless doll. It was later discovered that the weasel had bitten its attacker and killed the proud eagle as it flew. Anger and pride are like the weasel. They sink their teeth into us when we least expect it. This happened to Satan one day when he decided to challenge God and take over in heaven. Satan was like the great eagle. He was a beautiful, anointed cherub which covered God (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:13-17), and pride was his weasel. Because of his pride God does not allow him to stay in heaven. He only visits (Job 1:6-7). His home is planet earth. As a result he hates God and us. God has promised that some day this proud, evil angel will be powerless. This study is about him and God’s chosen people -Israel. His end is near.

The Signs

Revelation 12 introduces us to the first of seven signs. The first sign is a woman clothed with the sun and the last sign introduces the seven bowls (Revelation 15:1). The seven signs will occur at the same time the two witnesses arrive on the earth, which is during the last part of the Tribulation (Revelation 11). The seven signs are a woman, the dragon or Satan, a male child, Michael the archangel, the Antichrist, and the false prophet (Revelation 12-13).

First Sign – The Woman

The first sign is a woman and she represents the nation of Israel.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and she was with child; and she cried out, being in labor and in pain to give birth. Revelation 12:1-2 (NASB)

The sun, moon, and crown of twelve stars are symbolic of the nation of Israel. God uses the same symbols when He speaks to the patriarch Joseph in a dream. In his dream the sun, moon, and eleven stars bow down to him.

Then Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more . . . Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, “Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” And he related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?” Genesis 37:5, 9-10 (NASB)

His father understood that the symbols referred to his family. Joseph was the twelfth star. This means the twelve stars represent all twelve sons who were the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. Earlier God had changed Jacob’s name to Israel (Genesis 32:28). This means that the woman represents the nation of Israel and she is about ready to give birth to a child. The nation of Israel is pictured as giving birth to a significant individual.

Second Sign – The Dragon

The second sign is a great red dragon which is Satan.

And another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems. Revelation 12:3 (NASB)

Have you ever wondered why we think of Satan as red? Why some think of him as having a tail? This concept of him may have come from this passage. But where did the horns come from? That is still a mystery. How do we know this dragon is Satan? The answer is actually given in Revelation 12:9.

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:9 (NASB)

Here we are told that the dragon symbolizes Satan, the serpent of old.

The next part of the verse is loaded with symbolism. The first two symbols are the dragon’s seven heads and ten horns. The meaning of the seven heads is given later in Revelation 13 and 17, where we will be told that the dragon’s seven heads represent seven kingdoms or empires. The last of the seven empires will be Antichrist’s kingdom and his power will come from Satan and his evil forces. We will learn more when we reach Revelation 13. For now we can say that the ten horns symbolize ten kings who will initially start to rule over this final empire. The Antichrist will murder three of them and leave seven kings to reign with him during the last 3.5 years of the Tribulation (Daniel 7:23-25).

Satan is the power behind the seven empires, all of the kings, and the Antichrist. The Holy Spirit wants us to know that Satan will empower these earthly authorities. Yet, it is God who allows kings to reign (Daniel 4:25-26). God also wants us to know the origin of the Antichrist’s real power.

When we arrive at verse 4, we discover that the Greek verb “swept” is a historical present. It takes us back in time before the world was created. Gaps in time are not uncommon in scripture (see study of Daniel 11 ). This is a jump back in time to when Satan and one-third of the angels in heaven rebelled against God.

And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven, and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. Revelation 12:4 (NASB)

Here we learn that they attempted to defeat God and His holy angels; but they were stopped, and God gave them the planet earth as their new home. Now they can only visit heaven.

Since then Satan has been at war with God and has attempted to kill Jesus, the son of Mary. The woman represents the nation of Israel which is pictured as giving birth to Jesus. Was it Satan who attempted to kill Jesus after the three magi had visited Jesus? In Matthew 2:13-15 we are told that it was King Herod, but here we discover that Herod did not act alone. Satan motivated King Herod.

In 2 Corinthians 2:11 the Apostle Paul says . . .

. . . that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:11 (NASB)

What are Satan’s schemes? Do you know? One of his schemes includes motivating others to murder. He will do whatever he can to accomplish his goals. He is at war with God and believers.

Third Sign – Male Child

The next sign is a male child – Jesus.

And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up to God and to His throne. Revelation 12:5 (NASB)

Scripture is very clear that in the future Jesus will rule all nations with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:7-9; Revelation 19:15). In the past, He was taken up to heaven after His death on the cross for our sins and returned to life with God.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures . . . 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (NASB)

Our visit into past history is over when we come to the next verse – to the last half of the tribulation.

And the woman fled into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God, so that there she might be nourished for one thousand two hundred and sixty days. Revelation 12:6 (NASB)

Jesus said the same thing to His disciples – run.

Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains . . . Matthew 24:15-16 (NASB)

Run when you see the Antichrist. Run! Satan is after you! But Israel will not be alone, for God will care for them during the final 1,260 days of this age which is the last half of the tribulation. God’s faithful love for His people will not stop.

Fourth Sign – Archangel Michael

We have already been told in Revelation 9:1-2 that Satan will one day be denied access to heaven. Michael and his angels will fight with Satan and his evil angels, and Michael will win.

And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. Revelation 12:7-11 (NASB)

Notice the phrase “no longer a place found for them in heaven.” Satan will finally be denied access to heaven, and heaven will rejoice and give praise to God and Jesus.

Satan In A Rage

When this happens Satan will know that he has very little time left. Like a little frustrated boy or girl who has been wounded, he will seek revenge.

For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. Revelation 12:12-13 (NASB)

He will attempt to persecute the Israelites in some way, but God will not let him do what he wants.

But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. Revelation 12:14 (NASB)

God does not say how He will rescue Israel from Satan. We do not know if the “wings of the great eagle” refers to airplanes, but it is clear that God will protect His people. He has always been faithful and will continue to be faithful. Wings were symbolic of God’s protection and care.

God will protect them for “times, time, and half-time.” Earlier we were told that they would be nourished for 1,260 days or 3.5 years. This means that “times, time, and half a time” refers to a 3.5 year period of time. This will be an important fact for Revelation 13.

Another Rescue

When Satan sees that his little attempt at persecution has been defeated, he will try again. This time he will bring an army against Israel.

And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. Revelation 12:15-16 (NASB)

The flood of water symbolizes an invading army (Isaiah 8:5-8; Jeremiah 47:1-2; Daniel 11:26). It will apparently be a large army, but it will not succeed. God will destroy a large portion of it when He opens the ground.

How does Satan respond? Like a frustrated, angry boy, Satan will now become enraged. His anger will be worse and He will direct the army to kill anyone who is a believer in Jesus Christ. He hates Christians. He will try to kill all of them.

“So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Revelation 12:17 (NASB)

Conclusion

Satan must be a miserable evil angel now knowing that his end is coming. But when his end finally comes, his extreme hatred and rage will be horrible. He tried to take God’s throne and was denied the right to live in heaven. He was defeated in his attempt to kill Jesus as a little child. One future day Satan will finally be denied any access to heaven. He will be frustrated in his attempt to persecute Israel, and God will kill a major portion of his army. Satan will not just be disappointed. He will be extremely angry. The tribulation will horribly worsen.

God has told us that Satan is not our friend.

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NASB)

He crouches like a lion. He is looking for your weakness. His schemes are many. He wants to sift us like wheat (Luke 22:31). He tries to prevent us from understanding scripture (Matthew 13:19). He seeks an opportunity against us when we are discouraged (2 Corinthians 2:8-11), and he works to cause us to believe something – anything but the truth (2 Corinthians 11:14). He is the enemy of every true believer in Jesus Christ. But there is victory. We can cause him to lose another battle.

But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. 1 Peter 5:9 (NASB)

Resist him . . . and put on the armor of God. Minor wins over Satan occur today, but the ultimate, final victory belongs to Jesus. Why does God want us to know this? He loves us. He wants us to know that Satan will not win!

 

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