Category Archives: beast

Angels and Men, Part 5 of 5

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The second world wide persecution will be just before the end of this present universe.

Satan and his angels will be briefly released to deceive the nations, and turn them against Christianity and against God.

Satan at this time, for a very short period of time, 42 months, will be openly worshiped by men world wide.

An audio lesson,

Listen to this lesson above, or click on the player to download this lesson as an mp3 file.

At right time, Jesus will rescue His faithful ones, and punish Satan and all who have followed him.

Both Prophecy Principles and Revealing the Christian Age have much information about these final times.

Available from your bookseller.

The Revelation of Isaiah, Isaiah 24, Part 5 of 5

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Before the end of this present world, even though most miss it, the entire world will turn to the worship of Satan, and his special man, who also called “the beast” and “the man of lawlessness” and “the corpse” and “the abomination of desolation.” IT WILL BAD TIMES FOR THE ENTIRE WORLD, with the surviving Christians who will not worship the beast being protected in “the wilderness.”

But then Jesus will finally come to rescue His own, and bring Judgment on the universe.

So there is also joy among the Christians because they know their deliverance is near.

Listen to this lesson above, or click on the player to download as a podcast.

My book Jewish Chronicles, is about things well before the end of this world.

Both Prophecy Principles and Revealing the Christian Age give more details on the end of this present universe, and the beginnings of the New Heavens and the New Earth. All are available from your bookseller.

Prophecy, Knowing Changes Behavior, 15 of 15, The Second Coming of Jesus

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Jesus will not leave everything the way it is.
He will come back to judge the
world in righteousness.

This is a short intermission in the relatively short history of our present heavens and earth, and a short time of amnesty from all of our wrongs, before Jesus brings this disintegrating universe to a close. Jesus now has all authority in both heaven and earth, Mtt 28:18. He is now working to put down all opposition.

“25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.”
1Cor 15:25-26

Jesus has given us a ministry of reconciliation, 2Cor 5:19.

This short time just before Jesus comes again, is time for us to repent, and come to our senses.

“The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with US, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2Pe 3:9

Jesus promises us that terrible things will happen,
just before the end of our age.

Paul speaks of these things in a general sense in his letter to Timothy.

“But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons”
1Tim 4:1

“But know this, that in the last days, grievous times will come.”
2Tim 3:1

The details are given in both the Old and the New Testaments. A war will come by “the little horn,” “the abomination of desolation,” the living corpse, “the man of lawlessness,” “the beast,” against all righteousness and goodness and holiness in the entire world.

Jesus will bring all of mankind’s, and the spirit world’s, foolishness,
to a dramatic close.

Moses tells us both when the Jews will turn to Jesus of Nazareth, and when Jesus will come again.

“For Yahweh will judge his people,
Repent himself for his servants;
When he sees that their power is gone,
There is none remaining, shut up or left at large.”
Deut 32:36

When all is lost and there is no hope, and strength to oppose evil, THEN Jesus will come

“25 There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves; 26 men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
Lk 21:25-28

Prophecy is pertinent to our lives throughout all history. We are truly on the edge of forever.

If you believe this, you will try to be ready for this. It will change how you live, it will change your ethics. Prophecy is NOT an optional extra. Believing what God says in prophecy does matter! It is an ethical matter.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision
of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

The Kingdom of Glory: Jesus Decides the Boundaries of Nations, Using Whom He Pleases, 8 of 15

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The prophet Amos makes some general statements of how God operates.

“Are you not like the children of the Ethiopians to me, children of Israel?” says Yahweh. “Haven’t I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?”
Amos 9:7

David calls on God to punish wicked nations.

“You, Yahweh God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Rouse yourself to punish the nations.
Show no mercy to the wicked traitors.”
Psa 59:9

Further, if you look at the context in Psalm 59, David included the wicked among God’s people to also be destroyed for they are plotting to murder David for no valid reason. In this psalm the wicked among God’s people are counted as among the nations (Psalm 59 introduction, and verse 5, etc.

God uses even the wicked, to wipe out evil nations

God’s very own people had sinned against Him, and turned to wickedness, deceit, adultery and blood shed. God’s own people now deserve judgement and punishment. So how does God act in these things.

“For, behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, that march through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs.”
Hab 1:6

The Lord speaks at length about the strength and wickedness of the Chaldeans / Babylonians.

“9 All of them come for violence. … 10 Yes, he scoffs at kings, and princes are a derision to him. He laughs at every stronghold, for he builds up an earthen ramp, and takes it. 11 Then he sweeps by like the wind, and goes on. He is indeed guilty, whose strength is his god.”
Hab 1:8-11

When mankind deserves to have nothing
but an animal rule over them,
how will God act?

God Himself will raise up the “beast” Revelation. God Himself will give this animal authority.

“It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him.”
Rev 13:7.

God helps this monster deceive the entire world, because they reject the truth of God.

“And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:”
2Thes 2:11.

And when the prophet Zechariah speaks of this “beast,” calling him “the foolish shepherd,” or “the idol shepherd,” he specifically says that God is the one who will raise him up.

“For, behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land, who will not visit those who are cut off, neither will seek those who are scattered, nor heal that which is broken, nor feed that which is sound; but he will eat the flesh of the fat sheep, and will tear their hoofs in pieces.”
Zech 11:16 KJV

The word “land” here is the Hebrew word eretz and can mean either a land, or the earth (as in Genesis 1), and probably should be translated “earth” here. This foolish shepherd will be killed, but not by men, but will have some sort of resurrection, by God’s allowance.

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB),
a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

KJV is the King James Version, 1611.

The Kingdom of Glory: Jesus Rules Over ALL Kings, Nations, Peoples, 6 of 15

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We are not really sovereign in ourselves. Paul says this pretty plainly, speaking of,

“14 … our Lord Jesus Christ; 15 which in its own times he will show, who is the blessed and ONLY Ruler, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; ”
1Tim 6:14-15

“Ruler” in the WEB, is the Greek word dunastes which is about one who has power, might, and ability. The NASB, the NET, and the ESV translate the phrase as “ only Sovereign,” which is really pretty good. The NKJV translates it “only Potentate,” which is also pretty good. Any way you take it, the passage in 1Timothy 6 is saying that Jesus is the only one who really has the power to do anything He pleases.

Yes, we can, and do, make some decisions.

We are urged in Scripture to turn from our evil ways and make God our only master. John the Baptist tells men that “decisions” cannot be superficial things without us really changing our lives.

“Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance!”
Mtt 3:8

And John the Baptist speaks as if the decision to “bring forth fruits worthy of repentance,” as if it is something that can be done! Even so, Scripture also acknowledges how much trouble we may have really carrying out decisions. Paul writes,

“18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don’t find it doing that which is good. 19 For the good which I desire, I don’t do; but the evil which I don’t desire, that I practice.”
Rom 7:18-19

In truth there many limitations on our “free will.”

We have been foolishly led to confuse
our limited decision making ability,
with omnipotence.

Many talk about “free will” as if it means that we can do anything we want. But free will really only means we can will / want whatever we want to.

And Jesus over rules us all.

You and I and every ruler and power broker on earth, can want, and do many things. Still, in the end we are all very limited beings. God in His blessings, or His mercy, or His wrath, may at any time either help, or obstruct, or even defeat us, as He may desire.

“… All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he does according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or tell him, What do you?”
Dan 4:35

Even the worst of bad men are subject to His influences.

The ten horns (rulers) and the beast himself of Revelation will destroy Mystery Babylon the Great within history.

“For God has put in their hearts to do what he has in mind, and to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God should be accomplished.”
Rev 17:17

Jesus literally has the whole world in his hands.

And the time in between is to give us space to repent, if we will.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 5 of 5

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An audio lesson.

How the end of the world is in many ways like when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. They were going to the earthly promised land of Canaan, and we are going a heavenly promised land in the New Heavens and the New Earth, Isa 65:17, and Isa 66:22, and 2Pe 3:13.

Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.

The basics of how Bible prophecy works is discussed in detail in Prophecy Principles.Available from you bookseller.

Psalm 22 makes an excellent example of how prophecy works, and it more fully discussed in “Prophecy Principles” in the section “Time and Image in Prophecy,” and in “Revealing the Christian Age” in the section “Balking at the Symbolism.”

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 2 of 5

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An audio lesson.

How the end of the world is many ways like when Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. They were going to the earthly promised land of Canaan, and we are going a heavenly promised land in the New Heavens and the New Earth, Isa 65:17, and Isa 66:22, and 2Pe 3:13.

Prophecy Practice: Out of Egypt, 2 of 5

Listen to this audio lesson here, or click on the Audio Player to download as an MP3 file.

The basics of how Bible prophecy works is discussed in detail in Prophecy Principles.Available from you bookseller.

Psalm 22 makes an excellent example of how prophecy works, and it fully discussed “Prophecy Principles” in the section “Time and Image in Prophecy,” and in “Revealing the Christian Age” in the section “Balking at the Symbolism.”

Psalm 46, A Synopsis of Revelation, Part 6

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Always remember that prophecy, much like our day to day conversations, is not strictly chronological. God helps His people when the dawn comes, but part the evil darkness that precedes the dawn, is when,

“The nations raged.” Psa 46:6a

There is a complete discussion of the “rage of the nations” in my first volume, Prophecy Principles, which is available from your bookseller.

The nations in raging, in an uproar, is described in more than one passage. The Hebrew word used here is hama. This word is used of city being in an uproar in 1Kgs 1:41. It is used of being disturbed in passages like Psa 42:11, and Psa 43:5. It used of the water of the sea roaring, earlier in Psa 46:3. It uses this same word as being “stirred up,” and speaks of this same period time, when it says,

“For, behold, your enemies are stirred up.
Those who hate you have lifted up their heads.”
Psa 83:2

In the book of Proverbs this word is often used of being loud and boisterous. It seems to be speaking of riots. Seeming to speak both of the end of Damascus and the end of our age, Isaiah tells us,

“12 Ah, the uproar of many peoples, who roar like the roaring of the seas; and the rushing of nations, that rush like the rushing of mighty waters! … 14 At evening, behold, terror; and before the morning they are no more.”
Isa 17:12, 14

Other Hebrew words are also used of these times.

1 Why do the nations rage,
And the peoples plot a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth take a stand,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against Yahweh, and against his anointed, …”
Psa 2:1-2

The Hebrew word translated here as “rage,” of “uproar” is ragash, and could be used of a tumult or a commotion or a riot.

These passages are speaking of the great rebellion that precedes the coming of the man of sin / man of lawlessness / the beast. The ESV, the NET, the 1984 NIV all correctly translate this as “the rebellion,” in 2These 2:3. Following on the heels of this giant world wide rebellion against all law and order and rule of God, will the greatest antichrist of all time will be revealed “in the temple of God, setting himself up as God,” 2Thes 2:4

We are speaking of a world wide revolt against God and against all law and order, much like the more localized BLM and Antifa riots in the United States in 2020. It is clear that some rulers are involved in this giant rebellion against everything which is good. In Psalm 2 it is the “kings of the earth” that “plot” against God. In Revelation it is the beast and ten kings who are center of this revolt against everything which is good.

“The kingdoms were moved.” Psa 46:6b

This beast, this corpse, is “given” “Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation,” Rev 13:7. Such authority hasn’t happened, yet! David asks the Lord,

“Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked,
From the noisy crowd of the ones doing evil;”
Psa 64:2

These will be very stressful times for ALL men.

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Psalm 46, A Synopsis of Revelation, Part 5

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Yes, God is with her, this city, the city of God, the kingdom of God. At the right time He will help her.

“God will help her at dawn.” Psa 46:5c

But first must come the night ! Jesus warned of these things.

“I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. The night is coming, when no one can work.”
Jn 9:4

Jesus worked while He was here, and He has sent us also to work in His behalf. Even so, Jesus here points to a time when it will be impossible to work, that the labor to save souls will be over, that all who could be saved, will have been saved. It will be a point in time when all that is lacking is judgment. Jesus Himself told when the end would come.

“This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
Mtt 24:14

First comes the ultimate test for the nations,
and for the faithful.

The beast, the man of sin, man of lawlessness (depending on your translation) will be “revealed, the son of destruction,” 2Thes 2:3. In other words this man is characterized by destructive behavior.

“he who opposes and exalts himself against all that is called God or that is worshiped; so that he sits as God in the temple of God, setting himself up as God.”
2Thes 2:4

All those who do not have the love of God in their hearts will be turned over to this beast, by the Lord our God.

“10 … they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 Because of this, God sends them a working of error, that they should believe a lie; 12 that they all might be judged who didn’t believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
2Thes 2:10-12

No man up till now has had such power world wide. One man will for 3-1/2 years very near the end of our age. That will be the night, when no man can work. Then comes the dawn.

In eternal terms this is not far off.

“The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let’s therefore throw off the works of darkness, and let’s put on the armor of light.”
Rom 13:12

This may also be referred to in verses like,

“For his anger is but for a moment;
His favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may stay for the night,
But joy comes in the morning.”
Psa 30:5

The saints will rule over the wicked
in that day.

Of the wicked, their dominion will have ended. Of the wicked it says,

“ They are appointed as a flock for Sheol.
Death shall be their shepherd.
… The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning.
Their beauty shall decay in Sheol,
Far from their mansion. ”
Psa 49:14

“Satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
Psa 90:14

Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

Psalm 46, A Synopsis of Revelation, Part 4

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“God is in her midst.” Psa 46:5a

The first point here is that God is with this city of God, “In her midst.” Zechariah speaks of “the daughter of Zion,” Zech 2:10; and says,

There is of course much more to the book of Revelation than is told in Psalm 46, and the basics of how to approach these subjects is what the book Revealing the Christian Age is all about. Available from your bookseller.

“… and I will dwell in the midst of you, and you shall know that Yahweh of Hosts has sent me to you. ”
Zech 2:11

Moses said a similar thing to Israel of old.

”You shall not be scared of them; for Yahweh your God is in the midst of you, a great and awesome God.”
Deut 7:21

And he counseled Israel,

“for Yahweh your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you, and to give up your enemies before you; therefore shall your camp be holy, that he may not see an unclean thing in you, and turn away from you.”
Deut 23:14

So for instance in context Moses says they must bury their excrement, lest God walking through the camp see any unclean thing and be offended, and leave.

So you have to be holy!

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:”
Heb 12:14 KJV

Oh? What does that mean? It means first of all that you cannot be in filthiness, sexually or figuratively. You cannot be walking in hatred of God or man, or in malice and anger. Further, to really be holy you must be washed in the blood of the lamb, Rev 7:14. You have to be living a committed life to the Lord, trusting Him to make good what is missing.

“She shall not be moved” Psa 46:5b

Of the assault on the city in Zechariah it is so.

“For thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘For honor he has sent me to the nations which plundered you; for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye. “ Zech 2:8

Further,

“ … I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured.”
Zech 12:3 NASB 95 ed.

It is related to staying with the Lord

“I have set Yahweh always before me.
Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.”
Psa 16:8

But also there are tragedies in “the city,”in both
the Old and New Testaments

In the Old Testament Jerusalem was nearly taken in Hezekiah’s time, and was taken, and destroyed in the time of King Zedekiah, 2Kings 25. Similarly in Revelation 11 all “the city” but the inner court of the temple is trampled underfoot foot.

“… They will tread the holy city under foot for forty-two months.,” Rev 11:2d

Naturally, “the city” of Revelation ultimately is “Jerusalem that is above,” Gal 4:26, Revelation 21, but additionally physical Jerusalem may also be in view in Revelation 11. Further it says of the beast,

“It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. …” Rev 13:7a

And to overcome them? I thought God was with the city?

So what gives?

Is this psalm false, or is Revelation true or not?

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the World English Bible (WEB), a copyright free revision of the original ASV American Standard Version 1901

KJV is the King James Version of 1611