Wednesday, December 8, 2021

A Study of Prophecy - Events in the Middle of the Tribulation

The Great Tribulation is dealt with in Chapters 6 to 18 of the Revelation as follows:

Events Before Tribulation Starts Continuing into the First Half

The Ministry of Elijah the Prophet

Governmental System of the 10 Kings / Kingdoms

The First Half of the Tribulation

Rev 6 - The Seven Seals

Rev 7 - The Sealing of the 144,000, and the Great Revival

Rev 8 - The Seventh Seal and the Golden Cup of Incense, the Seven Trumpets

Rev 9 - The Seven Trumpets (Continued)

Rev 11 - The Two Witnesses Introduced

Rev 17 - The Great Prostitute and the Beast

Middle of the Tribulation

Rev 10 - The Angel and the Little Scroll

Rev 11 - The Two Witnesses and the Seventh Trumpet

Rev 12 - The Woman and the Dragon and Satan Thrown Down to Earth

Rev 13 - The False Prophet and the AntiChrist

Rev 14 - The Lamb and 144,000, the Three Angels, and the Harvest of the Earth

Rev 17 - The Great Prostitute and the Beast

The Second Half of the Tribulation

Rev 15 - The Seven Angels with the Seven Plagues

Rev 16 - The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath

Rev 18 - The Fall of Babylon

The events that follow that are associated with the middle of the Tribulation period do not follow any specific chronological order. The passage from the first half to the second half of the Tribulation is separated by a pause in heaven. Event as they are in the first half continue on into the second half, but there is a change that comes about.

This tenth chapter of the Revelation introduces the reader to the middle of the Tribulation.

The Little Book

Rev 10:1-11 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. (2) He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, (3) and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. (4) And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, "Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down."

Mention is made of a second scroll. The first scroll contained the first 7 Seal and the first 7 Trumpet judgments, while the content of this scroll is prophecy concerning the middle and last half of the Tribulation. It is with this scroll, that the "mystery of God will be accomplished".

The mighty angel stands on the sea and land and shouts like the roar of a lion, indicating the total conquest of the earth. His roar prompts a revelation which John is not not to record. It is apparently more than mankind could handle in the Revelation, and will be revealed later, perhaps after the Rapture.

(5) Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. (6) And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, "There will be no more delay! (7) But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets."

The angel then declares that the rest of the Tribulation will proceed without delay. The completion of the Tribulation will accomplish the mystery of God as revealed to the prophets. The mystery of God as revealed to the prophets is why for 6000 years God has allowed Satan to rule over the earth and evil to continue to exist.

From J. Hamptom Keithley

"Kelly identifies “the mystery of God” as: “… the secret of allowing Satan to have his own way, and man too (this is to say, the wonder of evil prospering and of good being trodden underfoot). God checks, no doubt, the evil in a measure, partly through human government and partly through His own providential dealings.”

Newel writes: "This expression, “the mystery of God,” in this connection seems to indicate all those counsels and dealings of God made known by Him to and through the Old Testament prophets, concerning His governmental proceedings with men on earth looking always toward the establishment of the kingdom in the hands of Christ. When Christ comes to take the kingdom, there will be no mystery, but, on the contrary, manifestation."

Following the Tribulation, Jesus will establish the Millennial Kingdom, and Satan will be banished to the Abyss for 1000 years.

(8) Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: "Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land." (9) So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but 'in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.'" (10) I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. (11) Then I was told, "You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings."

The eating of the scroll by John and it's sweet taste yet bitter effect on the stomach speaks of it's "sweetness" in terms of people being drawn to prophecy and desiring to look into it. But once it is looked into is should prompt a burden to preach the gospel to reach people who will potentially experience these things of no one speaks to them.

Finally, John is told that God is not done showing him the things that must come to pass, and that he has more to record.

The Second Worldwide Conflict

Dan 11:40-45 "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. (41) He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. (42) He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. (43) He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission. (44) But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. (45) He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

The AntiChrist begins his move in mid Tribulation to consolidate his control of the world. The agreements he had to allow the 10 kings to rule are finished, and the kings begin to war with the AntiChrist.

Dr. Fruchtenbaum explains it this way:

The kings of the North, South and East are Syria, Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Dan 7:8 "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.

Dan 7:20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell--the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.

Dan 7:24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.

The conquest of Egypt will also open up the conquest of Africa.

Dan 11:43 He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission.

Three countries however will escape the AntiChrist's clutches. Edom, Moab and Ammon, all countries that are currently in the Kingdom of Jordan.

Dan 11:41 b Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand.

Finally, the AntiChrist himself is said to set himself up in the "Beautiful Land" (Dan 11:41), "between the seas" of the Mediterranean and Dead seas, and "by the beautiful holy mountain" (Dan 11:45), all told, a reference to Israel.

Review - The Ten Horns

The 10 Horns is first identified in a dream Nebuchadnezzar had as the "ten toes" on the "4th beast". The Imperialist Empire, or way of governing, is the forth beast of history, the first being the Babylonian Empire, the second being the Medo-Persian Empire and the third being the Hellenistic (Greek) Empire. The "4th Beast" has been in existence since the time of Christ and the Roman Empire, which was an Imperialist form of governing which continues today in various forms.

Dan 2:39-41 "After you [Nebuchadnezzar], another kingdom will arise, inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over the whole earth. (40) Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron--for iron breaks and smashes everything--and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. (41) Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay.

Daniel, latter on in Daniel chapter 7, explicitly refers to the 10 Horns seen in his own vision of the 4th beast.

Dan 7:7 "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast--terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.

Daniel receives the explanation for his vision.

Dan 7:23-24 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. (24) The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.

Many centuries later, John the disciple also receives a vision of the 10 Horns.

Rev 13:1-2 The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.

And again later in Rev chapter 17.

Rev 17:3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns.

The timing of the arrival of the 10 kings is very soon after the establishment of the one world government.

Dan 7:23 " [the 4th beast]... It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it.

Rev 13:7-8 It was given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (8) All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

The ten horns are 10 kings that will rule different areas of the world as part of the unified one world government body.

Dan 7:23-24 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. (24) The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.

The 10 Kings will reign for only a "short time".

Rev 17:12 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.

The Antichrist arises from this 10 kingdom arrangement, and is identified as "another king" or a "little horn".

Dan 7:24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.

Dan 7:8 "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.

The Antichrist, or "little horn", subdues three of the 10 kings.

Dan 7:8 "While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.

Dan 7:20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell--the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.

Dan 7:24 The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.

The AntiChrist Killed

It is apparently during this time of conflict with the 10 kings that the AntiChrist himself is killed by a deadly head wound.

Dan 11:45 b Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

Satan Cast Down to Earth

Rev 12:7-12 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. (8) But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. (9) The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (10) Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. (11) They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. (12) Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short."

While war between the AntiChrist and the 10 kings is breaking out on earth, war also breaks out in heaven between Michael and his angels and the dragon and his angels. Michael is victorious, and the accuser of the brethren and his cohorts are hurled out of heaven and down to earth.

Satan's confinement to the earth brings about two results:

  • Satan looses his access to heaven and is no longer able to stand before the throne of God and accuse the brethren.

  • Satan's anger explodes because he knows now that his remaining time is very short, specifically he has 3 1/2 years remaining before he is locked in the abyss (Rev 12:12).

Because of Satan's confinement to earth and wrath, it is "woe to the earth and sea".

The AntiChrist Resurrected

Around this same time, the Antichrist's head wound is healed, and he rises from the dead.

Rev 13:3 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast.

Following the hurling of Satan and his hordes to earth and the healing of the Antichrist's head wound, Satan sets off to destroy the Israelites.

Rev 12:13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child.

The means that he will use in an attempt to accomplish this is the first and second beast of Rev 13:11-12. The first beast is the AntiChrist, and the second beast is the False Prophet.

Rev 13:11-12 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. (12) It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.

Three Kings Killed, Seven Submit

Following the resurrection of the Antichrist, war continues until three of the 10 kings are killed.

Dan 7:23-25 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. (24) The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. (25) He will speak against the Most High and oppress his holy people and try to change the set times and the laws. The holy people will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time.

This leaves seven that will submit to the rule of the Antichrist.

Rev 17:12-13 "The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. (13) They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.

Rev 17:17 For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God's words are fulfilled.

While the previous incarnation of the one world government was under this 10 nation confederacy, the death of 3 of the kings and the turning over of power to the Antichrist solidifies the his worldwide control under himself. At this point, he will turn his focus to the one world religion, Ecclesiastical Babylon.

The Destruction of Ecclesiastical Babylon

This is one of the first acts of the Antichrist, to deal with the religious system of the world. Previously, for the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation under the 10 Kings, the religious system had the grudging support of the civil government and people. Under the AntiChrist, however, this is no longer the case.

Rev 17:16 The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

The Death of the Two Witnesses

During the first half of the Tribulation, the two witnesses created much havoc for people living in the first half of the Tribulation.

Rev 11:7-13 Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. (8) Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city--which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt--where also their Lord was crucified. (9) For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. (10) The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. (11) But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. (12) Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on. (13) At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Around the middle of the Tribulation, following the death of the Antichrist by the deadly head wound, he comes up resurrected from the Abyss and wars against the two witnesses, killing them. This will cause the people of earth to give increasing worship to the Antichrist, since all previous efforts to kill the two witnesses failed due to their supernatural protection.

The bodies of the two witnesses will remain unburied in the streets for three and one half days, perhaps as a show of power by the Antichrist, or as a sign of disrespect.

The people rejoice over the death of the two witnesses because of the plagues suffered at their hands. This rejoicing includes giving gifts to each other, sort of like Christmas or a Birthday.

But after three and a half days, their rejoicing will cease as the two witnesses are resurrected and taken to heaven in the full view of everyone. Suddenly everyone will be in fear.

The murder and resurrection takes place in Jerusalem. The Gentiles will continue and increase their worship of the Antichrist, while the Jews will begin to give God glory, eventually leading to "all Israel" being saved at the end of the Tribulation.

The Worship of the Antichrist

Following the death of the two witnesses, the return of the Antichrist after his deadly head wound, and other signs and wonders, the world will turn to the Antichrist in worship.

Rev 13:3-10 One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. (4) People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?" (5) The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. (6) It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. (7) It was given power to wage war against God's holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. (8) All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the Lamb's book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. (9) Whoever has ears, let them hear. (10) "If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed." This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God's people.

Verse 3 speaks of "one of the heads" having a deadly head wound. This corresponds to the seven chronologically appearing heads Rev 13:3. The final "head" is the Antichrist stage of the 4th beast.

Rev 17:9-10 "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. (10) They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.

The "little while" of Rev 17:10 equates to the "42 months" of Rev 13:5.

It should be noted that Rev 13:7-8 explicitly states that the authority of the Antichrist extends over the whole earth, "every tribe, people, language and nation".

In Rev 13:10, John is recording the vengeance of God. Whatever is done to the believers of the tribulation will happen to the persecutors. If they enslave the saints, they will be enslaved. If they kill the saints with the sword, they themselves will be killed.

The False Prophet

The False Prophet does not appear on the scene until the middle of the Tribulation.

Rev 13:11-15 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. (12) It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. (13) And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. (14) Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. (15) The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

In the previous section where we reviewed the scripture regarding the 10 Horns, we saw that Daniel referred to 4 "beasts".

Dan 7:3-7 Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea. (4) "The first was like a lion, and it had the wings of an eagle. I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it. (5) "And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, 'Get up and eat your fill of flesh!' (6) "After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard. And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule. (7) "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast--terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.

Now in Rev 13 we are introduced to 2 "beasts". The context of Revelation 13 is different that that in Daniel. While Daniel's scope is 4 beast who span 4 kingdoms, the context in Rev 13 is specifically Daniel's 4th "beast". Note that Daniel's 4th beast has 10 horns, and Johns beast also has 10 horns. Daniel and John are seeing the same beast.

Dan 7:7 "After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast--terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.

Rev 13:1 The dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.

That leaves what John sees as a "second beast". This is a new entity we are reading about.

Rev 13:11 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.

This second beast has "two horns like a lamb". This speaks to the false religious nature of this beast and his ability to deceive many.

But this beast speaks like the dragon, and so betrays his true nature as an agent of Satan for those that can see it.

This beast is also called the False Prophet.

Rev 16:13 Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Rev 19:20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Rev 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

It is the False prophet that makes the inhabitants of the earth worship the first beast, the Antichrist, identified as the one "who's fatal wound had been healed".

Rev 13:12 It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.

Rev 13:16-17 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, (17) so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

The False Prophet has the ability to produce signs and miracles, even giving life. The people of earth will be deceived to see this as evidence that the False Prophet is truly from God when he gives life to an image of the Antichrist.

Rev 13:14-15 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. (15) The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

666: The Mark of the Beast

Rev 13:16-18 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, (17) so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. (18) This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

The giving of the mark in the right hand or the forehead is an imitation of the seal of the Holy Spirit on the life of believers. This counterfeit seal is the "mark of the beast".

Eph 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Much like the Vaccine Mandates that restrict buying and selling that the present administration is attempting to get all the earth to accept, so to will the mark of the beast restrict buying and selling around the world. If the Biden administration has it's way, you will not be able to go into businesses and venues unless you can show proof of vaccination. Similarly, without the mark of the beast during the last half of the tribulation, people will not be able to go into businesses and venues.

White House tells businesses to proceed with vaccine mandate despite court-ordered pause

(https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/08/biden-vaccine-mandate-white-house-tells-business-to-go-ahead-despite-court-pause.html)

It should be noted that Vaccine Mandates are NOT forcing people to receive the mark of the beast. A critical difference to keep in mind is that Vaccine Mandates are dividing the vaccinated from the unvaccinated, whereas the mark of the beast will divide believers from unbelievers. Persecuting believers is Satan's ultimate goal, but we are not there yet.

It is also notable that the mark of the beast is administered with the same number. In a credit system, each individual has separate numbers identifying their accounts. With the mark of the beast, each person is identified with the same number, I.E. 666. It will be a number or identifying mark that is a sign of identification with the Antichrist person as their god, whoever that turns out to be.

The identity of the Antichrist as a biblical character will likely be hidden from unbelievers. They will not be aware of his Satanic connections, and will follow him because of his and the False Prophet's miracles and signs. This will be likely because generally unbelievers are not familiar with the Bible, and do not recognize the role that the Hebrew language plays in the Bible.

The Hebrew language consists of characters that have both a letter and numeric value. In keeping with the Jewish character of the Tribulation, the "number of the beast" is likely going to be letters that contain the numeric value of 666. This could be any number of different names containing a variety of letters that arrive at that numeric value. It is also likely that the person with wisdom, who is able to calculate the number of the beast, will know that it is speaking of Hebrew letter / number values, and that value will calculate to 666.

Rev 13:18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

Hebrew Letter Charts

(http://hebrewresources.com/hebrew-letter-charts/)

The Seven Year Covenant Broken

In Dan 9:27, we read about the confirmation of a covenant between "the ruler that will come", the Antichrist, and Israel. This covenant begins the 70th week, the Tribulation. Halfway through the Tribulation, 3.5 years in, this covenant is broken by the Antichrist, and he causes sacrifices and offerings to end. At this point in time, an "abomination that causes desolation" is set up.

Dan 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."

Dan 11:40-45 is a reference to this same time period. In vs. 41, the Antichrist is said to invade the "Beautiful Land", a reference to Israel.

Dan 11:40-45 "At the time of the end the king of the South will engage him in battle, and the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots and cavalry and a great fleet of ships. He will invade many countries and sweep through them like a flood. (41) He will also invade the Beautiful Land. Many countries will fall, but Edom, Moab and the leaders of Ammon will be delivered from his hand. (42) He will extend his power over many countries; Egypt will not escape. (43) He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and all the riches of Egypt, with the Libyans and Cushites in submission. (44) But reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he will set out in a great rage to destroy and annihilate many. (45) He will pitch his royal tents between the seas at the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him.

Isa 28:14-22 also references this same time period. In vs. 18 we read how the covenant will be annulled and not stand.

Isa 28:14-22 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem. (15) You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place." (16) So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. (17) I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. (18) Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. (19) As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through." The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror. (20) The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you. (21) The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon-- to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task. (22) Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land.

The Abomination of Desolation

Along with the 7 year covenant being annulled, scripture speaks of an "Abomination of Desolation" being set up. This desolation is said to be set up in the middle of the Tribulation, and continues until the "end is poured out on him", the Antichrist, and he is sent to the Lake of Fire.

It is notable that several things are happening concurrently in the temple, including the end of sacrifices and offerings, and the setting up of this abomination around the same time.

We are not told exactly what this abomination is, but it often refers to and image or idol.

Dan 9:27 He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."

Daniel tells us how long that this abomination will last, 1,290 days. This is actually 30 days past the end of the Tribulation, but no explanation is given for this length of time.

Dan 12:11 "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.

Matthew also refers to this abomination in the Olivet discourse. When the abomination is seen in the "holy place", or the temple, the reader is told to understand, and Israel is told to flee to the mountains with haste.

Mat 24:15-16 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- (16) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

John is also referring to this time period in the Revelation. Once the Antichrist rejects the covenant and sets up the abomination in the temple, the temple and the city of Jerusalem are considered having been given to the Gentiles to be trampled for 42 months.

Rev 11:1-2 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. (2) But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.

Paul's letters to the Thessalonians gives us a look into what the abomination actually is. In vs. 4, we read that the Antichrist "sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to the world that he is God". This in turn leads to the beginning and establishment of the second religious system of the Tribulation, the worship of the Antichrist.

2Th 2:3-4 Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. (4) He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

The event of the Antichrist in God's temple as god is accompanied by "displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie". The purpose of the signs and wonders is to cause people to worship the Antichrist as god.

2Th 2:8-12 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. (9) The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, (10) and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. (11) For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie (12) and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

During this second stage of the Abomination, the False Prophet is allowed to perform many signs and wonders in order to cause the people of earth to worship the Antichrist.

Although the Antichrist sets himself up in the temple, that is not where he remains. Most Dispensational scholars believe the religious headquarters for the Antichrist rule will be Jerusalem, while he political headquarters will be in Babylon. Since the Antichrist will be a political ruler, he would be headquartered in Babylon, and the False Prophet in Jerusalem. The "image of the beast" then would likely be placed in the temple, and people would thereby worship the image of the beast.

Rev 13:11-15 Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. (12) It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. (13) And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. (14) Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. (15) The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

The Persecution of the Jews

First Passage - Matthew 24

In addition to the rise of the Antichrist following the abomination that causes desolation, the persecution of the Jews ramps up. Mat 24:15-28 is the first passage that describes this.

vs. 16-20 - When the Jews see the Abomination of Desolation, they are to immediately flee. There will be no time to gather things, just leave, now! The Jews are to pray that if they are a woman, their flight will not be while they are pregnant. The Jews are to pray their flight will not be in winter (floods, etc.), nor on the Sabbath. (No public transportation).

Mat 24:15-28 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- (16) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (17) Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. (18) Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. (19) How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! (20) Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

vs. 21-22 - The reason for the flight is that the Jews will experience persecution world wide on a unprecedented scale.

(21) For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equaled again. (22) "If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.

vs. 23-28 - Are a warning to the Jewish refugees not to listen to rumors that the Messiah has returned and don't come out of hiding. When the Messiah returns, all will see it.

(23) At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. (24) For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (25) See, I have told you ahead of time. (26) "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the wilderness,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. (27) For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (28) Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Second Passage - Revelation 12:1-5

The second passage speaking of the persecution of the Jews is Rev 12:1-17. Vs. 1-5 provide a historical summary of the life of Messiah. Gen 37:9-11 helps us to identify the sun, moon and stars.

Gen 37:9-10 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." (10) When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?"

Per vs. 10, the sun is Jacob, Joseph's father, the moon is Rachel, his mother. There were 12 sons, Joseph being one, leaving the remaining 11 as his brothers, who each fathered a tribe of Israel.

The Israelites would immediately see the correspondence to Rev 12:1. The sun, moon and stars represent Joseph's family, and the woman is the nation of Israel from which they came. The vision is of the nation of Israel just before the birth of Messiah.

Rev 12:2 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.

Vs. 2 speaks of Israel about to give birth to Messiah.

Vs. 3 speaks of Satan's attempt to kill the Messiah soon after He is born. This effort consisted of Satan and a third of the angels from heaven. Never the less, they were unsuccessful, as Jesus was born, lived and was snatched up to heaven at His Ascension.

Rev 12:3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads.

In vs. 4 we see Satan's attempt to kill the Messiah the moment He is born.

Rev 12:4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.

Satan's attempt to kill the Messiah is detailed in Mat 2:16.

Mat 2:16-18 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. (17) Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: (18) "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

In the Old Testament, there is minimal demonic activity, but following Satan bringing a third of the angels down to earth, there is copious demonic activity in Jesus time. This activity was intended to kill the Messiah before His time on the cross. Demonic activity decreased after Jesus' ascension.

Note that this passage is NOT speaking of the church. Israel came before Messiah, and Messiah came before the church. So this passage cannot be saying that the church gave birth to the Messiah.

Third Passage - Rev 12:6-17

Starting in vs. 6, we come to events during the Tribulation. The woman in this verse is still Israel as we saw in vs. 1.

Rev 12:6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

This vs corresponds to the description of the events surrounding the Abomination of Desolation. It is when this abomination is set up in the temple that is told to flee.

Mat 24:15-20 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- (16) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. (17) Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. (18) Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. (19) How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! (20) Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

Israel's persecution will be unmatched in that day.

Jer 30:7 How awful that day will be! No other will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it.

Mid-Trib Announcements

Chapter 14 of the Revelation serves as a connecting link between chapters 10-13 and 15-16. Chapters 10-13 deals with Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet (the false trinity) and their attempts to kill Jesus and usurp His authority, and kill Jesus' followers. Chapters 15-16 deal with events in the second half of the Tribulation.

In Chapter 14 there are seven proclamations declared from God's point of view that seek to accomplish three things.

  • Predict the failure of false trinities goals

  • Declare the results of the last 7 bowl judgments

  • Give encouragement to believers in the second half of the Tribulation

The First Proclamation

The setting for the first proclamation appears to be the Millennium, as there are harpist playing and a new song given to the 144,000. It shows that since all of the 144,000 are alive in the Millennium, the false trinity was unsuccessful in killing any of them. The statement that the 144,000 were offered as the firstfruits indicates that there are many more believers in addition to the 144,000.

Rev 14:1-5 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. (2) And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. (3) And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. (4) These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. (5) No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.

The Second Proclamation

The second proclamation reveals the final call to the world to receive the gospel message.

Rev 14:6-7 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people. (7) He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."

The Third Proclamation

This proclamation announces the fall of Antichrist's world headquarters, political Babylon. We will learn more about this in the second on the second half of the Tribulation.

Rev 14:8 A second angel followed and said, "'Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,' which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."

The Fourth Proclamation

A warning is given in the fourth proclamation for those who worship the Antichrist and his image. Those who take the mark of the beast will be condemned forever to the lake of fire. No one will take the mark in ignorance, for there has been a world wide proclamation of the gospel.

Vs. 12 indicates that believers during this time must be patient in spite of tremendous persecution and martyrdom.

Rev 14:9-12 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, (10) they, too, will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. (11) And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name." (12) This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

The Fifth Proclamation

A special blessing is promised in this fifth proclamation. The blessing is not based on works, but on the devotion of the believers to Christ.

Rev 14:13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."

The Sixth Proclamation

In this sixth proclamation, one like "The Son of Man" is an Old Testament reference to Christ. Th sickle and reaping speaks of salvation, like bringing in the wheat. This proclamation is encouraging because in spite of the majority accepting the mark of the beast, there is yet a great number that will not take the mark and will be saved.

Rev 14:14-16 I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. (15) Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, "Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe." (16) So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

Daniel's vision of the Son of Man.

Dan 7:13-14 "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. (14) He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

The Seventh Proclamation

In this proclamation we see another sickle and more reaping going on. In this case, the sickle are gathering clusters of grapes. Grapes are tread down and this imagery is of judgment. In this case the judgment is coming in the form of the Bowl Judgments. This passage involves the Campaign of Armageddon, which will see blood arising to a height of 4 and a half feet.

Rev 14:17-20 Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. (18) Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." (19) The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. (20) They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

The Seventh Trumpet: The Third Woe Judgment

We will now pick up our timeline of the seven seals, trumpets and bowls. We last left off our chronology with the sixth trumpet in Rev 9:13-21. At that point, the Revelation sequence stopped and we were given information and overview about a number of different things. Now in Rev 11:14 the sequence starts up again.

In this trumpet, there is an announcement made which declares that the earthly kingdom becomes Jesus's Kingdom. Jesus will step in as king of the Antichrist Kingdom and take it as His own.

Rev 11:14-19 The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon. (15) The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever." (16) And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, (17) saying: "We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.

There is also an announcement that the time has come to bring about the final judgment of those that are destroying the earth and killing the prophets and saints.

(18) The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small-- and for destroying those who destroy the earth."

This is a parenthetical passage taking a look into heaven just before the Bowl Judgments begin.

(19) Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.

Summary

First half of the Tribulation.

While going through this study so far, we have covered the events in the first half of the Tribulation. These events included:

  • Rev 6:1-17 - The recording of the Tribulation began in Rev 6:1. From there we proceeded through the first 6 seals through Rev 6:17.

  • Rev 7:1-17 - Next we saw the 144,000 get sealed in rev 7:1-8, and the great revival that occurred as a result of their ministry in rev 7:9-17.

  • Rev 8:1 to Rev 9:21 - Then in Rev 8:1 the 7th seal is opened, initiating the first 6 trumpet judgments through rev 9:21.

Middle of the Tribulation

Following the recording of the 6 Trumpet judgments, which took us to the middle of the Tribulation, we took a break from the chronological fulfillment of the Revelation and surveyed the landscape. We saw:

  • Rev 10:1-11 - The Angel and the Little Scroll, which John was told to eat, finding it sweet as honey in his mouth, but bitter to his stomach in Rev 10.

  • Dan 7:1 , Dan 11:1 - We saw the AntiChrist bringing about worldwide conflict as he death with three of the ten kings that rebelled against him in Daniel 7 and 11.

  • Rev 13:1 - We read about the Antichrist being killed for a short time.

  • Rev 12:1 - We read about Satan being cast down to earth knowing his time was a short 3 and a half years in Rev 12.

  • Rev 13:1 - We read about the resurrection of the Antichrist in Rev 13.

  • Rev 17:1 - We read about the destruction of Ecclesiastical Babylon in Rev 17.

  • Rev 11:7-13 - We were introduced to the Two Witnesses who were present during the first half of the Tribulation but are now dead in Rev 11:7-13.

  • Rev 13:1 - We saw how the world came to worship the Antichrist in Rev 13.

  • Rev 13:1 - We saw the rise of the False Prophet in Rev 13.

  • Rev 13:1 - We read about the Mark of the Beast and 666 in Rev 13.

  • Dan 9:1, Isa 28:1 - We saw how the Antichrist will break the 7 year covenant that started the Tribulation in Dan 9 and Isa 28.

  • Dan 7:1, Dan 12:1, Mat 24:15-16 - We read about the Abomination of Desolation in Dan 7, 12 and Matt 24:15-16.

  • Rev 12:1-17 and Mat 24:15-18 - We read about how the Jews will be severely persecuted and martyred. in Matt 24:15-18 and Rev 12.

  • Rev 14:1-20 - We read about the 7 proclamations given before the start of the Bowl judgments in Rev 14.

Next we will cover the second half of the Tribulation.

The Second Half of the Tribulation

Rev 15 - The Seven Angels with the Seven Plagues

Rev 16 - The Seven Bowls of God's Wrath

Rev 18 - The Fall of Babylon




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