Who Are the Mighty and the Holy of Daniel 8:24? - Part 5

Dennis Edwards

How Do We Explain the Similarity in Imagery of the Rapture/Resurrection Event and Christ Returning at the End of the Wrath of God?

The imagery that we saw in Isaiah with the sun and moon turning to darkness during the wrath of God is very similar to Matthew, Mark, and Luke’s description of the rapture event. In Mark we read as thus,

Mark 13:24 But in those days, after that tribulation, (Remember the tribulation consists of the seven trumpets of Revelation 8-10 and ends with the seventh trumpet which is the rapture/resurrection event), the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 25 And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken. 26 And then shall they see the Son of man (Spoken of by Daniel the prophet in Daniel 7:13-14) coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

It may be at that particular point, when the Son of God can be seen in the clouds coming for His bride, the true believers, that the remnant of the Jewish nation shall be saved and fulfill Revelation 1.

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he comes with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

We have shown that the rapture/resurrection event takes place at the seventh trumpet, the last trumpet. However, the wrath of God is yet to take place, and yet, the imagery is very similar. Perhaps during the great tribulation some nuclear exchange will take place and cause the plagues that are experienced. As a result of the nuclear exchange the light from the sun and moon are affected. We saw during the trumpets of tribulation there was 1/3 destruction, while the vials of wrath that come later are much more severe.

Remember, the wrath of God is only 75 days, or two and a half months and occurs immediately after the rapture/resurrection event. In other words, all these events are happening very close to one another. The prophets seeing them from a distance would have a hard time to differenciate them from one another. No doubt, as these events come closer to be fulfilled, God will open His word to our understanding if He believes it is to our benefit.

Mark 13: 27 And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of the heaven.

Mark is putting the rapture/resurrection event at the end of the great tribulation period as we have seen elsewhere in Matthew. Let us look now at Luke’s version.

Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the power of the heavens shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

We see Luke likewise placing the rapture/resurrection event after the distress of nations, after the tribulation period with similar imagery in the heavens.

Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your heats be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkedness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Again we are warned to watch and be sober less these days come upon us unawares.

It is at the end of the wrath of God that we see the defeat of the Antichrist at Christ’s hand.

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Having a world empire under his command may be the goal of the Antichrist, but he is not able to realize it completely. He reigns for the a short 3 and ½ year period of the great tribulation and into the wrath of God. However, sometime during the 75 days of wrath of God, most likely towards its end, the Antichrist is taken by Christ and cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Whether the destruction of Babylon the Whore takes place at the beginning of the 3 and ½ year tribulation period, or at the end, or during or at the end of the wrath of God period we do not for sure. It does seem from the verses we have just read that it occurs during the wrath of God. What we do know for sure is that all the nations of the world will be judged. In Isaiah we read,

Isaiah 66:15 For, behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by sword will the Lord pleade with all flesh: and the slain of the Lord shall be many.

Christ will come and make wars to cease unto the end of the earth. He will break the military might of man and burn it in fire. Then the world and all that dwell therein will know that the Lord, He is God. He will be exalted among the heathen. He will be exalted in the earth. Let us therefore be sober and be vigilant to warn others and do our best to bring them into relationship with Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

From all that we have read in the Scriptures, we can conclude that “the mighty and the holy people” destroyed by the Antichrist may consist of the leading nation of the present day comercial system called in the Bible “Babylon the Whore,” and the Christians believers who refuse to take the mark of the beast and worship His image. Those believers would be truly “holy.” Many of the Christians in the world today live in American. Much of the Christian literature and media is produced in America. America is also said to have the most advanced military in the world. Therefore, America, at present, seems to fit the description of “the mighty and the holy people.”

If America is the present day Babylon the Whore, which will be destroyed in one hour by fire, then both “the mighty and the holy people” would be destroyed at the same time. The Antichrist would destroy “the mighty and the holy people” with the help of the ten nations that give "their power and strength unto the beast." Could that destruction encorporate the destruction of the American Empire and her Christians? If it did, that would seem to push her destruction to a time before the wrath of God. The reason being is that the Christians will be raptured before the wrath and will not be present during it. The “holy people” would not be on the earth during the wrath of God. Some scholars believe that not all the “Christians” will be raptured, but only those who followed Jesus closely. They use the imagery of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 to justify their belief. Let us read from Matthew.

Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. ² And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: ⁴ But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

^{Matthew 25:6} And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. ⁷ Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

^{Matthew 25:11} Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. ¹² But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. ¹³ Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Do the above verses mean that some of the so-called Christians are really not followers of Christ and are not saved and therefore will not be raptured? We see that Scripture is veiled enough to give us a glimpse of the future and yet has enough mystery to keep us guessing and seeking the Lord that we may escape those things that are to come to pass.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou has kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou has, that no man take thy crown.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Daniel 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which stands for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.

Let us hope and pray that we are worthy and that our names are found written in heaven's book!

To back to Part 1 click HERE. For more on why God should judge America, go to Where is America in Bible Prophecy?  To go to Part 6 and read some comments click HERE.

Originally published January 18, 2022

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Who Are the Mighty and the Holy People of Daniel 8:24? - Part 4

Dennis Edwards

When We Look Further at the Ten Horns of Daniel 7 What Do We Find?

^{Daniel 7: 19} Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; ²⁰ And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. ²¹ I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; ²² Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

We see the Antichrist warring with his allies against God’s people during the great tribulation period until Christ returns to retake the earthly kingdom. The Battle of Armageddon seen in Revelation 19 is where Christ takes over the kingdom. At that time the kings of the earth will be judged, as will the Antichrist. It is during the Millennium, the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth, that the saints will possess the kingdom.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw the thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had receievd his mark upon their foreheads,or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ (upon planet earth) a thousand years.

Continuing in Daniel, we read,

^{Daniel 7: 23} Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. ²⁴ And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. ²⁵ And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Again, the same discription of the Antichrist we have seen elsewhere. The ten horns being those same ten kings which will align themselves with the beast or Antichrist and help destroy the Whore of Revelation 17 and 18. We see also, the persecuting of God’s people over the 3 and ½ year period.

^{Daniel 7: 26} But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. ²⁷ And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

God is the ultimate Judge. The Antichrist and his kingdom will be judged, as will the kings of the earth. The saints shall then rule and reign with Christ for that 1,000 year Millennial period just as we read from in Revelation,

Revelation 20:4c … and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Where Else Have We Seen the Numeral Ten in the Prophecies of Daniel?

In Nebuchadnezzer’s dream the ten horns or kings are seen as ten toes on the feet of the great image of a man. Let us look at Nebuchadnezzer’s dream.

^{Daniel 2:31} Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. ³² This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, ³³ His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. ³⁴ Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

^{Daniel 2:35} Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.

^{Daniel 2:37} Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. ³⁸ And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.

^{Daniel 2:39} And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. ⁴⁰ And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

^{Daniel 2:41} And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. ⁴² And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.

^{Daniel 2:43} And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. ⁴⁴ And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

^{Daniel 2: 45} Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.

In Nebuchadnezzer’s dream, the 10 kings that join with the Antichrist are depicted as the ten toes. Some are made of clay and some are made of iron. Symbolically that is representative of the fact that some of those nations will be stronger politically than the others. A dictatorship would be considered a strong “iron” government. While a democracy controlled by the people would be looked at as a “clay” or “broken” or weaker government.

Nebuchadnezzer’s image had two iron legs and the feet and toes were partly iron and partly clay. Some Bible scholars believe, as a result, that the ten countries joining together with the Antichrist will be partly dictatorial types of government and partly democratic types of governments. Others believe the world will be divided into 10 trading or economic blocks which will join as a One World government, which the Antichrist will eventually control.

Still other scholars take a more literal interpretation and believe the 10 nations will come out of the old Roman Empire, 5 out of the former western Roman empire, and 5 out of the former eastern Middle Eastern Roman empire. The five nations from the former western Roman empire could include such nations as: Britain, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and, or, Portugal. The five nations out of the former middle eastern part of the eastern Roman empire could include such nations as: Greece, Egypt, Lybia, Syria, Turkey and, or, Iraq.

Another eschatology scholar believes that the Antichrist is related to Russia. If that is true, he says the 10 nations of the former Soviet Union could return into the Russian fold as tensions between Israel with its ally America and Russia increase. He, therefore, sees the ten nations as former members of the USSR rejoining Russia as the threat of conflict with America grows.

However it occurs, and however difficult it may seem at present, we know God’s word will not fail. The Antichrist is a screwd politician and demonically inspired. World events could move suddenly in a direction that would enable such an alliance to be made and bring the prophetic group of nations together which ever they may be. But at the moment, we are speculating and we will no doubt understand more fully later as these events begin to take place.

Revelation says,

^{Revelation 17: 12} And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. ¹³ These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. ¹⁴ These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

^{Revelation 17: 16} And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. ¹⁷ For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. ¹⁸ And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

The destruction of Babylon the Whore is one of the main endtime events. It seems to take place near the end of the great tribulation period or during the wrath of God. It could involve nuclear weapons as we have seen in some of the prophecies about the wrath of God and the “day of the Lord.” The destruction of the present day American Empire would bring on a total world confusion which could result in a new world order with a new empire in control. However, the rulers of the world who are behind the scenes may wish to maintain a semblance of stability as long as possible while they peacefully transfer power away from America toward the Antichrist. Let us look at the sixth and seventh vial of the wrath of God and see if it may be talking of Babylon’s detruction. If it is, then Babylon’s physical destruction occurs during the 75 day or 2 ½ month wrath of God.

Revelation 16:12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather together them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty…16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

Armageddon is a valley north of the city of Haifa in Israel. It has been used a battlefield before. Napoleon, when traveling through Israel, remarked that it would be a wonderful place for a battle. When the sixth vial was poured out it was to prepare and gather the nations together to “the battle of that great day of God Almighty,” the Battle of Armageddon. The sixth vial is the preparation and gathering of the nations to the Battle of Armageddon. Now let’s look at the seventh vial, the last vial of the wrath of God.

Revelation 16: 17 And the seveth angel poured out his vial into the air, and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city (Babylon the Whore or Jerusalem?) was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

In the verses above, it seems that at the time of the seventh vial is when Babylon the Whore is judged, as she comes “in remembrance before God.” If Babylon the Whore’s political manifestation today is America, then it would be at that time that some great American city, perhaps New York, would be destroyed in one hour by fire, as we have seen in Revelation 17 and 18 previously. However, another possibility is that the “great city” mentioned in the above verse could be Jerusalem. Let us look at Revelation 11.

Revelation 11: 8 And their dead bodies shall be in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where our Lord was crucified.

The city where our Lord was crucuified in, was Jerusalem. In the above verse, the city is called the great city. Therefore, the great city in Revelation 16:18 may be talking about Jerusalem, or it may be talking about the great city of the comercial system of Babylon the Whore. The verse also says that “great Babylon came in remembrance before God.” Is there any clue to understanding which great city the verse is talking about? Are there any other verses in the Bible speaking about a great earthquake around the time when Jesus comes back? Let us look at Zechariah 14.

Zechariah 14: 1 Behold, the day of the Lord comes, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle…3 Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.

We see that Zechariah prophesying about the Lord’s return speaks about a great earthquake taking place in Jerusalem running north to south. Let us read a bit more from Zechariah’s vision.

Zechariah 14:6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light…9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

Obviously, Zechariah is talking about the Lord’s return at the end of the wrath of God preceeding the Millennium. We will look at one last verse where Zechariah describes the battle, possibly the Battle of Armageddon.

Zechariah 14:12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongues shall consume away in their mouth.

Zechariah could very well be describing a nuclear confrontation and the effects of a nuclear explosion on those humans close enough to the blast to just consume away, or to have their faces melted by the blast. In Isaiah we have a similar depiction of the “day of the Lord.”

Isaiah 13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. 7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt: 8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travails: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

We see similar imagery to what Zechariah saw. Are men’s faces melting away from the heat of a nuclear blast? Let us continue in Isaiah.

Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. 10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

In Ezekiel 38 and 39 we see similar imagery when the Antichrist forces are destroyed by God.

Ezekiel 38:22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstones.

Ezekiel 39:4 Thou shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. 5 Thou shall fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, says the Lord God. 6 And I will send a fire on Magog (the Antichrist’s home land, possibly Russia), and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles (which may be England, USA, and Australia): and they shall know that I am the Lord.

Is the Lord talking about nuclear fire as we have seemingly seen described in some of the other verses? Will he allow sinful man to almost destroy himself. Or will He Himself produce the fire and brimstone that will rain down? God often uses natural ways to bring about His judgments. He often uses one nation to bring about the destruction of another nation as He did when He used Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Jerusalem. However, if the destruction of Babylon the Whore doesn’t take place until these prophecies occur, that would push her destruction to the end of the wrath of God period. It could also be that the great city that experiences the great earthquake could be a great city of Babylon the Whore.

To go to Part 5 click HERE Originally published on January 18, 2022.

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Who are the Mighty and the Holy People of Daniel 8:24? - Part 2

Dennis Edwards:

What Nation Today Dwells Carelessly, Trusting in Her Knowledge?

What nation of the world is known for being given to pleasure? Isn’t that the goal of the American Dream? Which nation of the world dwells carelessly? America, in her disobedience to the God she once knew, dwells carelessly and thinks not that her end is nigh.

But even American leaders of the past have warned that America’s future was dependent on her obedience to God. Secretary of State to some of the first American Presidents, statesmen Daniel Webster (1782-1852) said the following:

“If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend the credit is one to my parents for instilling in me an early love of the scriptures. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper, but if we or our posterity neglect its instruction and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catástrofe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”

Surely, America has abandomed her roots, her moral fiber that made her once great. She has forsaken her Christian beliefs and accepted antichrist laws such as abortion, euthanasia, same-sex marriage and the like. She is trusting in her learned scientist to save her and has forgotten the God of her youth. Her so-called knowledge has perverted her from her simple faith in God.

General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) also warned,

“History fails to record a single precedent in which nations subject to moral decay have not passed into economic and political decline. There has either been a spiritual awkening to overcome moral lapse, or a progressive deteriation leading to ultimate national disaster.”

When Alexander Solzhenitsyn came to America he warned that America was in decline and was being led astray by a small political minority, the “Internationalists.” At first he was hailed when he exposed the horrors which happened behind the iron curtain. But when he warned that there was a subversive element in the American society working against the interests of the American people, his popularity wained and he soon had few speaking engagements. In his writings about why the bloody Russian Revolution took place, he wrote the following.

“Over a half century ago, while I was still a child, I recall hearing a number of old people offer the following explanation for the great disaster that had befallen Russia. ‘Men have forgotten God; that is why all this happened.’ Since then I have spent well nigh 50 years working on the history of our revolution…But if I were asked today to formulate as consisely as possible the main cause of the ruiness revolution that swallowed up some 60 million of our people, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat, ‘Men have forgotten God, that is why all this has happened.’”

A nation falling into apostasy is one of the symptoms that their end is nigh. Apostle Paul warned that the Antichrist would not arise “except there come a falling away (from the faith) first.”

Even Jesus warned,

Luke 18:7-8 And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?

Both Jesus’s and Apostle Paul’s words seem to indicate that the world will fall into a great period of apostasy before the evil days of Antichrist arise. On a worldly scale we will see something similar to what happened in Russia in 1917. As a result of men having forgotten God, iniquity is abound and evil doers are growing worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. Finally, the wicked-one, the Antichrist, will be revealed and within a short time bring on the worst persecution of the believers the world has seen. Except for the fact that Jesus has shortened the tribulation period, no one would live through it.

What Sorceries Are Being Used to Deceive Us Today?

In Jesus own chapter of warning found in Matthew 24 we find that no less than three times He warns us that mankind will be greatly deceived by the spirit of antichrist. The verses we read from Isaiah talk of “the multitude of thy sorceries.”[Isaiah 47:9] What are the sorceries that today’s endtime empires are using to control and to manipulate and to deceive the minds of men? Let us go back and look at the rest of Revelation 18 and see if we find any clues that will lead us to the answer.

Revelation 18: 9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 10 Standing afar off for fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come. 11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buys their merchandise any more.

Revelation 18:15 The merchants of these things (the merchandise that they sold), which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! 17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

We see the judgment is sudden and unexpected.

Revelation 18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicans, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of the millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

We see the music and entertainment industry depicted in the first section of verse 22 with the frases “harpers, musicians, pipers, trumpeters.” Where do we find the pinacle of the entertainment industry? I would dare say in the good old USA, in Hollywood in particular. But all the nations of the world like India and China etc. have followed her pernicious ways. Following Hollywood’s example the nations of the world have used the media, music, and television, movies, etc to charm their public to sleep. Is God’s word telling us here that musical sorceries, the entertainment industry, driven by such places as Hollywoood, will be stopped in one day? 

Could we also be deceived by the information we are given by our governments about the Covid-19 pandemic? Scotland’s Alan Watts of the radio program “Cutting Through the Matrix,” after having had a conversation with an agent of Britain’s famous MI6, together with an American working for the CIA, said the following: “Never watch television. Never watch television. It is the greatest scientific indoctrination tool ever devised. Have you figured that out yet? It has changed the whole culture of nations, not just one nation. Why do you think it was mandatory that everyone have access to television in Britain by the government? Why do you think China is under the same program right now, because they love to be entertained? Do you believe that? Most of your ideas and opinions come from television, because you mimic what you see. Never watch television. You cannot even watch a movie unless you do it critically.”

What Watts is saying is that television is used to brainwash, indoctrinate, and program the unassuming public. Are television and the entertainment media like a “drug” that our governments and world corporations use to get us to cooperate and submit to their political and social agendas? Are they the sorceries spoken of in Isaiah and in Revelation that deceive us? I suggest you stop watching television and the news for a week or two and see how it affects you.

The actual word “sorceries” in the New Testament used in Revelation 18:23 is translated from the Greek word “pharmakeia.” Pharmakeia is the root word for our English word “pharmacy.” In the physical realm are we being deceived by the powerful pharmatheutic industry? Are the “medicines” and “vaccines” they are administering to us good for us? Or are those drugs and vaccines actually making us weaker and sicker? Are they giving us a false sense of security and causing us to not to seek God in our affliction? Why is it that the Darrão Barroso, former Prime Minister of Portugal, former President of the European Commission, former consuler for a famous international banking concern named Goldman Sachs, why is it that he is now working for Bill Gates’ GAVI, a vaccine producing company? Is it his humanitarian nature or is it the financial benefits and the power that goes with those benefits?

Whatever the sorceries of Revelation 18:23 represent, surely the American Empire is the most fitting fulfillment today from the description we get of Babylon the Whore. Will America be destroyed suddenly by the future Antichrist world ruler, with the help of those ten nations? Surely, the American Christians and patriots would try to resist control by an outside Antichrist force and therefore be a potential threat to a New World Order. Under an annointed popular leader similar to Trump, the Antichrist might feel compelled to make a preemptive strike against America. He might use some new found technology, like the EMP or electric magnetic pulse, that would disengages America’s possibilies of retaliation. America the divided would turn into internal chaos with every man against his neighbour in an effort of survival of the fittest. The television program the “Walking Dead” or the film “The Postman,” or other such films, would come to be a living reality in a post nuclear America. The novel by William Forstchen One Second After depicts America after a EMP bomb has been detinated over America and everything with electric circuits has failed.

To go to Part 3 click HERE Originally published January 18, 2022

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The Daniel – Isaac Newton Connection Chapter 12

 

The Daniel – Isaac Newton Connection

Isaac Newton, who lived from 1642-1727, is known as one of the world’s greatest scientists. But not many people know he was fascinated with the book of Daniel. He was a devout Christian, and Bible scholar who studied the Old Testament in the original Hebrew.

At the end of his days he spent more time studying and writing about the prophecies in the book of Daniel than he did in charting the heavens.[1]

But prophecy is not something we can figure out with our own understanding; it is something that God reveals or opens up to our understanding.

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of the law.[2]

Daniel, himself, was even puzzled by some of the prophecies he received. In fact, in the last chapter of Daniel, after having had a vision and having received a prophecy, Daniel says,

And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.[3]

If we go back earlier in the chapter we find a similar declaration from the Lord:

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased.[4]

Try as they might, neither Daniel nor Isaac Newton could properly understand the Daniel prophecies. I believe we today have better understanding of the Daniel prophecies than Daniel and Isaac Newton had, because we are closer in time to the fulfilment of those end-time events. 

Many Bible scholars believe today’s vast modern transportation system of planes, trains and cars is a fulfillment of the second part of the verse “many shall run to and fro.” An interesting side note is that when Isaac Newton was alive, he predicted that in the future man would be able to travel at speeds as fast as fifty-miles-an-hour. Voltaire, the famous French skeptic, said, 

Now look at that mighty mind of Newton who studied gravitation. When he became an old man and got into his second childhood, he began to study the book that is called the Bible. And it seems in order to credit its fabulous nonsense we must believe that the knowledge of mankind will be so increased that he will be able to travel at the rate of 50 miles an hour. The poor dullard! No man can travel at the rate of 30 miles an hour and get his breath![5]

Now we know that Voltaire was indeed the “poor dotard,” and not Newton. 

The fact that the average person has access to an innumerable amount of knowledge through today’s computerized world is surely a fulfillment of “knowledge shall be increased.” It behooves us, therefore, to study the Scriptures diligently like Isaac Newton, and like those in the city of Berea of whom Paul spoke, 

These were nobler than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.[6]

Please do not take my word for it. Get out your Bible, read, study, fast, pray and ask God to open up His Word to you. 

Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.[7]

Notes: First published 8/2020

[1] Garraty, John Arthur and Gray, Peter; The Columbia History of the World, Harper and Row, 1972.
[2] Deuteronomy 29:29
[3] Daniel 12:8-9
[4] Daniel 12:4
[5] http://www.theinformedservant.com/newton-voltaire-and-the-privilege-of-hindsight/ (accessed 03/2016)
[6] Acts 17:11
[7] Psalm 119:18

To go to the previous chapter click HERE

To go to the next chapter click HERE

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Daniel 12 - The End and Beyond

 

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