THE WOMAN AND THE BEAST (Part V)

(10th article in a series based on the book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666?)

One of the most intriguing expressions in the English language is one of many two-part English words; a phrase that conveys both a literal and metaphorical meaning. That word is “bed-fellow.” Webster’s Dictionary defines this thought-provoking term as, “one who shares a bed with another.” (That would be the obvious definition). But this term has taken on a meaning that is, by far, the most common application today which Webster defines as, “a close associate: Ally (political).” In fact, down through the years, the concept of bed-fellows has come to mean two or more political, social, or religious groups/entities that are at odds with each other, but who are willing to figuratively “share the same bed” in order to accomplish their respective agendas.

Amazingly, Scripture uses the same analogy to describe the sordid, unholy relationship between “the great prostitute” and “the kings of the world.” But the Bible uses more explicit and harsher words than bed-fellows to paint a decadent picture of the Woman who sits on the Beast, which has been the subject of our past four articles. Once again, let’s read exactly what Revelation has to say about this ignoble woman. The angel tells John:

“Come with me … and I will show you the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters. The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality” (Revelation 17:1-2).

“Prostitute, kings, adultery, drunk, immorality;” these are strong words to illustrate the same idea conveyed by bed-fellows. But that’s exactly what you will find if you research and compare the interactive political chronicles of the kings/queens of Europe, Great Britain, and Asia Minor alongside the religious history of the Roman Catholic Church, including the many Popes and high-ranking officials of The Holy See. Even a fairly brief study of these interlocking histories will confirm the identity of the Woman portrayed in Revelation … in addition to the other points of reference and documentation provided in my previous articles.

The Holy See

Simply stated, The Holy See is the episcopal (governing the church by bishops) dominion of the Roman Catholic Church in and from Rome. The Bishop of Rome is the Pope, the universal leader of the Catholic Church, and also held to be the infallible representative substitute (Vicar) of Christ on the earth. Although the Vatican or Vatican State (founded in 1929) is not exactly the same entity as the Holy See, for all practical purposes they are one and the same thing. Think of the Holy See as the organism or body of the Catholic Church and the Vatican as the central physical location where the brain and heart of the body reside and from which it functions.

The term “See” is derived from the Latin term “sedes” which means “seat,” which expresses and represents the Episcopal throne or the “Diocese of Rome.” The Vatican State was created from the Lateran Treaty in 1929 in order to “ensure the absolute and visible independence of the Holy See.” The fundamental purpose was to demonstrate that the Holy See would continue as a recognizable sovereignty and member-state in the global community. In fact, the Holy See maintains diplomatic relations with 180 individual nation states, with the European Union, and even with the Palestine Liberation Organization. The Holy See also is a member or observer of multiple international organizations such as: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), World Trade Organization (WTO), UNESCO, United Nations General Assembly, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Whether a member or an observer, the Holy See dynamically interacts with some of the most powerful and influential global establishments on the face of the earth.

Though some may disagree, I believe one of the main reasons for the formation of the Vatican State was to preserve not only the international identity of the Holy See, but also restore and maintain diplomatic influence that had greatly diminished for the preceding 200 years or so. There were several reasons for this demise, such as the Protestant Reformation (that began with Martin Luther and his 95 Theses in 1517) and scientific discoveries that began to undermine the Catholic dogma with a more secular view of the world. In short, the Roman Catholic Church wanted to return to the glory days in which she “…rules over the kings of the world” (Revelation 17:18). This period of “bed-fellow” relationships with European monarchies lasted for well over a thousand years … off and on; but still continues in a limited capacity.

So, what about the Holy part of the Holy See (seat)? Or the Holy Roman Empire? Or the Holy Roman Church? The word holy in Hebrew (kadosh) and its counterpart in Greek (hageeadzo) primarily means: set apart, dedicated, or consecrated for a particular purpose. It does not mean perfect or flawlessly pure, unless the term applies to God, himself. Even when the Lord said to the Hebrews, “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45), he was referring to his deliverance of the Jews from Egypt for the express purpose of making them a distinct, unique people/nation separated from the pagan nations of the earth; destined to serve God and be a light to the Gentiles, as eventually accomplished through Jesus, the Messiah.

Yet, when you study the history of both the concept and implication contained in the term Holy See, there is one unmistakable connotation: Divine excellence that qualifies the Holy See to exercise God-like authority, power, and influence in all things pertaining to religion and state. Of course, there are some within the Catholic Church who would not ascribe this kind of exclusivity to the Holy See, but it nevertheless is an integral part of Roman Catholic dogma, both in theory and practice. It is the sovereign right of rule that supersedes heads of state and all other Christian groups based on divinely granted holiness; that definitive part of Holy that belongs only to God, not to sinful man.

Which is why the Pope is considered to be essentially infallible. And when the Pope issues a decree (whether Biblically based or completely unbiblical such as granting indulgences or excommunication or the very doctrine of Papal infallibility), then the edict is, for all practical purposes, also infallible; as are all those who disseminate and defend the decree, except some don’t always implement the proclamation in the purest way possible!

Although God’s righteousness is imputed to every believer through believing and receiving Jesus Christ, and his true Church will one day be presented spotless and blameless; this accreditation is solely for the purpose of each believer’s right relationship to God. It has nothing to do with the hierarchical governmental or administrative activities of a centralized institution, be it The Holy See, or the Ecumenical Council of Churches, or the Anglican Church, or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (to name just a few).

Some Historical Examples

As alluded to in previous articles: When the Roman Empire fell in the 5th century, the growing ecclesiastical headquarters in Rome, i.e. the Catholic Church, stepped in and assumed the same role and rights previously claimed by divine monarchs, particularly the Roman Emperors. Included in this “divine right to rule” was strong belief that the Pope—based on apostolic succession rights that began with the first Pope designated by the Catholic Church (the apostle Peter)—possessed divine authority over both church and state. It took some time for nation states to fill the power vacuum left by the fall of Rome, but by the 9th century several states or regions saw the rise of monarchs who began to challenge the sometimes subtle, but nevertheless growing influence of the Roman Catholic Church in the “affairs of state.”

For several hundred years there was an ebb and flow, a waxing and waning of Catholic domination over governments, kings, and of course the church itself. Sometimes kings would prevail, sometimes the Pope would come out on top. Sometimes there was direct confrontation, but more often than not, there was ongoing political/religious negotiation, diplomatic maneuvers, compromise, concessions—often with unscrupulous scheming that included but was not limited to some ugly tactics like torture and murder and sexual escapades that would add literal meaning to the Bible’s spiritual analogy of “adultery” between the kings of the world and the woman on the beast.

Here, we’ll examine just three of dozens of historical highlights (or lowlights, depending on your point of view) that reveal the Roman Catholic Church’s embedded association and/or active interaction with the kingdoms of the world. Which, incidentally, is the exact opposite of what Christ intended for his church. When on trial before Pontius Pilate, what was it that Jesus answered when Pilate asked him if he was the King of the Jews? Jesus replied: “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). How ironic is it that the word/concept of “ecclesiastical” is mostly identified with the Catholic Church; when, in fact, the very word ecclesia means “called out” (from the world and worldly systems). Again, listen to the words of Jesus: “…And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world … They do not belong to the world any more than I do” (John 17:14-16).

Jesus was specifically referring to his disciples (the Apostles) and generally to all believers, then and now. If Peter was, in fact, the apostolic rock on which the Catholic church would be built, why didn’t he understand that role and begin asserting himself as the first and only (while he was alive) Vicar on earth. That’s a rhetorical question: But if Peter had pursued such an ambition, you can rest assured that Paul and John and other apostles would have confronted Peter and reminded him that Christ was the only Head of the Church, both in Heaven and on the earth. All believers are said to be ambassadors for Jesus; but nowhere in Scripture does Christ command that his or a substitute (and an infallible one at that) be appointed to wield ultimate power/control over the body of Christ—the true Church.

A common saying among today’s believers that summarizes these and other verses is, “We are in the world, but not of the world.” Yet, the Roman Catholic Church, for all intents and purposes, has not only sought after alliances with heads of state, but has actually formed and imposed its own “divine government” with the misguided, non-Scriptural notion of establishing a visible, tangible, Kingdom of God on the earth; rather than acknowledging that (until Christ himself returns to set up the Kingdom of God), the Kingdom of Heaven lies within the hearts of born-again believers on this earth.

First Example: (One that demonstrates collusion and cooperation between the Pope and a King)
In 800 AD, Pope Leo III crowned King Charlemagne as “Roman Emperor” which provided the papacy with a foothold in asserting sovereign rights over subsequent Holy Roman Emperors. Time does not permit in-depth explanation, but there was a movement to essentially restore the ideal and fabric of the fallen Roman Empire. Both the Holy See and monarchs had the same objective; it’s just that they often disagreed on who should be in charge of reaching this goal.

Second Example: (One of many incidents throughout history that depicts confrontation between the papacy and the state, in which the Pope/Church prevailed over the King/State)
Pope Gregory VII had ex-communicated King Henry IV of the Holy Roman Empire, because Henry would not yield to Gregory’s insistence that only the Church had the right to appoint local church officials, particularly bishops. In 1077 this conflict came to a head (Henry began to fear local rebellion of his subjects), and King Henry IV travelled a long distance only to wait outside in bitter cold for three days before Pope Gregory finally agreed to see the King. Henry begged for mercy and the pope repealed Henry’s excommunication.

Third Example: (One of several in which the King trumped the Pope; one that began a gradual decline of the Holy See in terms of its supremacy over heads of state)
In 1534, Henry VIII, King of England revolted against The Holy See and Pope Clement VII by making himself the Supreme Head of the “Church of England.” Ironically, Henry VIII still followed Roman Catholic doctrine, but simply could not accept the Pope’s refusal to annul Henry’s marriage to Catherine. Henry didn’t wait for ex-communication; he acted first by establishing a completely different “church.” This took place some 17 years after Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, essentially proclaiming justification (salvation) by faith in Christ alone … not by being a member of the Catholic Church and, thereby, blindly adhering to non-Biblical sacraments and extra-biblical creeds such as the purchasing of indulgences to reduce or eliminate time in Purgatory, a place that doesn’t even exist (try finding it in Scripture).

In case anyone thinks that I am isolating the Roman Catholic Church as the only religious system that has perverted the very gospel of Jesus Christ, by changing and channeling the truth of this gospel into a man-made, governmental type of Kingdom of Heaven on earth, I am not. For example, the Church of England that broke away from Roman Catholic domination and later morphed into the Anglican Church wielded a great deal of influence over both the religious and political affairs of England, as well as individual groups of Christians. It was for this reason that the Puritans sailed to America and founded the first real colony in the New Land. And, following the same principles of freedom from religious and state monopoly, the colonies revolted against England, i.e. the Revolutionary War.

What I am saying is that the Roman Catholic Church, for all the reasons presented in this article and previous articles fits precisely all of the characteristics ascribed to the woman of Revelation Chapter 17. In next week’s article, we’ll delve into more descriptive characteristics of the Woman to further validate the identity of the great city that was and still is … but in a different form.

Things to Ponder
– I suppose a couple of reactions to what may be considered as inadvertent suggestions or implications in these articles that clarify the Roman Church’s entanglement in affairs of state, would be, (1) complete separation of church and state. (2) Believers in Christ should not be engaged in politics, i.e. holding office in city, state, or federal positions.

Much has been discussed and written about these matters throughout the centuries. Undoubtedly, each Christian should search his/her own heart and conscience; however, there are some clear principles in Scripture that enable us to maintain a balanced Biblical world-view on these issues. To enable us to understand what separation of church and state really means; and to determine how a Christian can personally serve his/her country in the context of Judaic-Christian values without promoting a visible, tangible religious system whose ultimate agenda is to usurp control over the “body politic.”

THE WOMAN AND THE BEAST (Part IV)

(9th article in a series based on the book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666?)

From Triumph to Tragedy

What should have been one of the greatest achievements of the Christian faith (the Roman Emperor Constantine’s protection of Christians) turned out to be one of the most tragic episodes of the early Church; so disastrous that it led to a thousand-year period of gloom and obscurity which historians now refer to as The Dark Ages. What could have been a triumphant explosion of freedom to intensify the spread of the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ, became instead what is commonly called Christendom, with its governmental hierarchy of ecclesiastical councils, commencing with a state church of the Roman Empire by edict in 380 AD.

Nowhere in the New Testament do we find any evidence whatsoever that Jesus needed a seat of government, or permission from a king, or endorsement by ruling officials or religious leaders to fulfill his mission on earth. In fact just the opposite occurred: He was ultimately rejected first by the religious leaders and then by the greater populace because they assumed that The Messiah would rule and reign from Jerusalem and deliver Israel from Gentile oppression. That will, in fact, happen one day when Christ returns to this earth. But the Old Testament was crystal clear that the Messiah must first suffer and die to liberate mankind from its worst tyranny … enslavement to sin; which is, after all, what produces the unjust and criminal conquest of rulers and nations against each other. Not to mention the devastation of individual lives resulting from greed, envy, lust, pride, theft, jealousy, immorality, sorcery, lying, and murder.

Nor do we find any evidence in Scripture or church history that 1st, or 2nd, or 3rd century believers were commanded to establish a centralized system of church rule that would unite all individual “churches” into an authoritarian hierarchy that would, in turn, govern (through church officials such as priests, bishops, vicars) and rule over individual believers.

The early Christian churches were more often found to be in the homes of believers, and were so identified in Paul’s epistles as (for example), “God’s holy people in the city of Colosse,” or the “church of God which is at Corinth.” But never (for example) to the “church of Rome,” meaning the one and only Church of (belonging to or controlling from) Rome. And when Jesus refers to all seven churches in Revelation 2 & 3, he addresses his comments to (for example) the “church in Sardis.”

This is much more than just semantics, i.e. in or at versus of. This distinction constitutes the very essence, the very character, the very identity, and definition of the church. It is the living church of God and of Christ, not a structure or system or seat of centralized, ecumenical power that claims ultimate authority over all who belong to that system including ex-communication; and that compels admission to and membership in the “Church” (beginning with baptism, including infants) as a fundamental requirement for salvation and, thus, qualifies its’ members to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Or, at least, places the members in good standing and gives them a head-start toward heaven; as long as they, in some fashion, remain in a “state of grace” though the conditions of this state are quite ambiguous.

The very words of Jesus contradicts and refutes this premise of salvation by admission to, affiliation with, and inclusion in any religious order by declaring, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3). The man to whom Jesus spoke was, of course, Nicodemus; who was a member of the elite Jewish Sanhedrin, whose every colleague was thought to be securely and eternally connected to God and the Kingdom of God. Instead, Jesus said that a spiritual rebirth—made possible only by personally believing and receiving Christ as God’s Savior to mankind—was the ONLY way anyone would ever see the Kingdom of God.

Although the book of Galatians is written to the “churches of Galatia”, the word “of” is needed because there were several churches (plural) in the region of Galatia. When writing to a particular group of Christians in a specific city, Paul always uses the functional preposition in or at. Thus, the church was so identified by the presence of believers in or at a particular location; not by a structure or centralized organization that exercised a governmental type of regulation over believers or the churches in which they fellowship and served, whether someone’s home or a building to accommodate the growing number of Christians in that city. The highest degree of administration over any individual church should be no more than the church board, normally comprised of pastors and elders.

The Transformation of the Woman

It’s now time to explain how the woman on the beast (that great city) changed her very appearance to accomplish Satan’s plan of subversion from within, as graphically depicted in Revelation 17. And, in so doing, I must identify the source, the very entity that has deceived the nations since the 4th century. I do so reluctantly, because some will take great offense and accuse me of bigotry, intolerance, lack of compassion, and even sacrilege. But I believe Scripture, as validated by the last 1700 hundred years of historical events/records both church and secular, is amazingly accurate in its prophetic description of how the woman … the great city … would try to assume control of the true church (the body of Christ, identified by and consisted of those who have placed their trust in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ) through deception and what is clearly a false gospel.

It’s undoubtedly safer to be politically correct. But in today’s world PC is virtually the same thing as not telling the truth, or suppressing it, or concealing it; or not exposing a lie. Yet, I, and untold thousands of believers the world over, believe God’s truth is eternal; not fashionably relative to whatever any given society decides is true or relevant. Thus, many would say, “what’s true for me, may not be true for you … so let’s not make such a big issue over such things as Jesus claiming that he is the only way, truth, and life and that no one can come to God except through him.”

Who or what is this woman in today’s world? When did she alter her appearance and change her tactics from dominant ruler ship over kings of the world at the height of the Roman Empire to the more subtle, somewhat less brutal (but equally destructive) schemes and conspiracies that include, but are not limited to: political intrigue, corruption, greed, power, opulence, manipulation through cold and hot wars—all of which are rooted in a devious plan that is diametrically opposed to the basic tenet of the true Christian faith: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NASB).

The woman transformed herself from the military might of the Roman Empire to the most dominant religious system in the history of mankind. It became a city within a city, but is still the great city itself. It still represents and reflects the Roman Empire, but wields a different kind of power; and achieves its goals by a different means of acquisition and authority. This woman of Revelation 17 has unwittingly accomplished Satan’s agenda to preserve and continue Rome’s conquest of the true Church by the shrewd introduction and use of a prefix. That prefix is Holy, as in Holy See. Which is easily interchangeable with Holy Roman Empire or Holy Roman Church, both symbolically and literally. I am referring to: THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

In next week’s article, we will elaborate on The Holy See, The Vatican or Vatican City State, and why/how it has perpetuated the legacy of the ancient Roman Empire.

Things to Ponder: You might want to read Revelation Chapter 18 which vividly depicts the demise of Babylon … both the city itself (Rome) and the false religions of “Babylon the Great. Mother of all prostitutes…” (Rev. 17:5). Note in particular Revelation 18:4-5, “…Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds.”

These verses are saying that there are and will be some true believers in Christ even within this counterfeit system. We need to see the distinction between those who are part of the hierarchy itself and those who have been misled by the ecclesiastical pyramid and tenets of the Roman Catholic Church (and other deceptive religions). Nowhere in the four Gospels do we find Jesus condemning an individual for his/her sins, because he fully understood the real problem is the sin nature and the innate wickedness and rebellion within each human heart. Instead he lovingly healed them, taught them, and saved them.

Unless the human heart is spiritually and supernaturally transformed by believing in Christ, there can be no forgiveness for and freedom from sin. It’s the inherited disease of sin that must be dealt with, not the symptoms which are individual sins that every man, woman, and child has committed.

Jesus did warn individuals that their unbelief in and rejection of him as the only One who could forgive and take away their sins would result in judgment, but he didn’t condemn them for their individual sins, as such. All of us were born sinners; for those who reject Christ as Savior, they are already judged … they condemn themselves (see John 3:36).

Yet, Christ blasted the religious leaders of Israel … as the blind leading the blind, telling them that they would, “…die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). *Note– Jesus didn’t say they would die because of their sins; instead they would die in their sins. They would die (spiritual death or eternal separation from God) because they refused to “believe that I AM who I claim to be…”

Scripture is clear, both Old and New Testament: God is extremely harsh on those in position of religious leadership who promote and are part of any system that claims salvation or a right relationship with God or the path to Heaven is available only through keeping the law of Moses, or membership in “the church” be it Catholic, Mormon, or even Protestant. Meaning, only that particular religious hierarchy is entitled to be a buffer or go-between God and man; and then only if the individual is a qualified member and participant in good standing, with all of the qualifications determined and controlled exclusively by the religious leaders.

What does the Bible say about such things? There are many passages, but one will suffice: “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone…” (I Timothy 2: 5-6)

When religious leaders are blind, how can we expect their followers to see?

THE WOMAN AND THE BEAST (Part III)

(8th article in a series based on the book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666?)

Throughout the chronicles of mankind a handful of events have actually changed the course of history. Meaning without that occurrence, the world would have been a much different place to live for the next generation, and even to generations hundreds of years later. The greatest of these events took place when the Son of God became the Son of Man. He came for one purpose: To die for our sins and deliver all who would believe in him from an eternity separated from God … to purchase our pardon and restore us back to our Creator.

Although secular historians have marginalized the significance of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, his impact on the world is irrefutable. His birth divides the very existence and recording of time itself (BC to AD). His death and resurrection separates the Old (Covenant of Law) from the New (Covenant of Grace), whereby, we now have the awesome privilege and position of entering directly into the very presence of God. Despite the relentless persecution experienced by those whose hearts and lives have been changed by the Messiah, the Gospel of Christ flourished for several centuries.

Very soon after Jesus arose from the dead and returned to his Father in heaven, Satan went to work again. He launched a campaign against Christians intended to stop the church cold in its tracks. Since he had failed miserably to preempt Messiah Jesus from accomplishing God’s greatest plan of all—the magnificent plan of salvation—Satan took it upon himself to select the little-horn ruler prophesied by Daniel. To then mentor this ruler, called the man of lawlessness by Paul; and will unleash this same man during the Great Tribulation. Little did Satan realize that his man, Nero, would first be preemptively killed by Christ, revived, then banished to the Abyss. Or that Satan would have to wait nearly two thousand years for the man of lawlessness to reappear as the Beast of Revelation.

Yet, when he couldn’t crush Christianity through the malevolent persecution initiated by Nero and to a lesser extent perpetuated by subsequent Roman Emperors, Satan again switched to a strategy of infiltration. And, heartbreakingly, this plan has caused more disruption and damage to our Christian faith than Rome’s brutal repression and murder of thousands of Christians in the first three centuries. These operations of torture, deprivation, and murder continued off and on for another two hundred years or so (depending on which Roman Emperor was reigning), until another astonishing, world-changing event occurred, affecting mankind in general and the Christian church in particular.

Constantine the Great

Practically overnight the Roman Empire stopped its brutal operations to eradicate Christians. Beyond the wildest imaginations of both believers and unbelievers, the new Roman Emperor Constantine (reigned from 306-337 AD) not only put an end to persecution of Christians, but actually became an advocate or patron for the Christian faith. In his Edict of Milan (313 AD), Constantine proclaimed, “that it was proper that the Christians and all others should have liberty to follow that mode of religion which to each of them appeared best…”

Essentially this edict guaranteed religious freedom to all Christians, much like we have in America today—even more so. In America, we had to fight the British to ensure pursuit of our “inalienable rights” including worship of God, when and where we chose. The 4th century Christians didn’t even have to fight; rather this freedom was unexpectedly handed to them by the Roman Emperor Constantine and his armies.

This was absolutely revolutionary!

I say overnight, because Constantine replaced the Roman Emperor Diocletian who was the tenth and last emperor to initiate state sanctioned persecution of Christians since Nero, who was the first Emperor to inflict such carnage. Among other sordid activities, Diocletian ordered the demolition of Christian homes, burning of their sacred books, arrest, torture, starvation, and more death in the arena. Although Co-emperor Galerius first granted Christians the right to practice their faith, it was Constantine who made this tolerance completely official … the policy of the empire. Suddenly, it was politically correct to be a Christian! Time does not permit to explain, nor do historians actually agree on whether Constantine’s “conversion” to Christ was real or politically convenient; but Constantine’s abrupt acceptance of the Christians was a dramatic reversal of the status-quo harassment and killing of Christians. The historian Eusebius records a great celebration and euphoria within the Christian community of the Roman Empire.

Constantine began to support the Church financially, i.e. providing funds to erect basilicas, exempting these churches from certain taxes, returning confiscated property to Christians, offering land grants, and promoting Christians (especially those designated bishops) to high-ranking offices. He also abolished crucifixion, and replaced it with hanging … a much more humane way of execution. (It’s the thought that counts!)

For all practical purposes it was a State (Empire) sponsored endorsement of the Church; followed by a rise of some Christians to positions of power within the Empire and, conversely, the appointment of non-believers to high positions within the Church. The latter of these two was the beginning of Satan’s back-up plan, i.e. “infiltration” and corruption of the truth of the Gospel by redefining salvation and the Church. One result of these “stealth” tactics was a precedent setting policy for a Christian Emperor to interact very diligently with Church officials. Although the Emperor did not make or interpret doctrine—only the bishops could do that—Constantine enforced doctrinal declarations, ferreted out heresy, and fostered ecclesiastical harmony.

Theology & Definitions

What is the definition of “The Church,” both then and now? Or, is it even necessary to define certain words and precepts of the Christian faith? To answer that question let’s first look at the definition of “definition”! Among other things, Webster’ Dictionary defines definition as, “the action or the power of describing, explaining, or making definite and clear.” Also, “distinctness of outline or detail.” Think of the blueprint and foundation of a skyscraper or even a modest house. Definition is to truth and reality as design and foundation is to the shape, support, outline, distinctness, and structural integrity of a well-built building.

There’s a growing emphasis on minimizing or even mocking the idea of theology. “Don’t bother me with all those theological terms,” is the mantra of many, even those who claim to be believers. But there are some things that must be defined, otherwise, which Jesus do we follow: The Jesus who claims to be the Son of God and the only way to God, or the Jesus that was merely a great humanitarian and teacher of right living? Which church do we belong to? The church building on the corner that bears the name of a certain denomination; the Catholic Church that purports to be the universal church, or to the church defined in the Bible, i.e. those who have placed their personal trust in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus and are, thereby, said to be “children of God”, those who are “called out” from the world, those who comprise the “body of Christ.”

Jesus Christ is the only head of the church. For sure pastors/teachers, evangelists, elders, deacons, and apostles were given as a gift to believers, but for the purpose of preaching the gospel and helping believers grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The New Testament is very clear: All who accept Christ as personal Savior become priests. “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God” (I Peter 2: 5).

According to this incredible passage, each believer is not only a priest (direct access to God anytime, anywhere), but also “living stones” in the real temple (church) of God. Essentially, then, believers don’t even need a building (church) and certainly not a centralized, consolidated national or international forum whose assembly determines what rules or rituals must be followed, or what extra-Biblical edicts they must believe and obey in order to earn salvation and be secure from potential excommunication.

What should have been one of the greatest achievements of the Christian faith (Constantine’s kindness to the Church) turned out to be one of the most tragic episodes of the early Church. We are still experiencing the fall-out of this transformation of the woman (Revelation 17) in today’s world.

Next week’s article will identify the modern-day identity of the woman who sits on the beast.

Things to Ponder:
– When it comes to defining things like right and wrong, good and bad, doesn’t it all begin with the definition of truth? What is true and what is not true? Amazingly, the Bible doesn’t really define truth with a dictionary style set of words or ideas. Instead, truth is defined by a Person! That person is none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God and also the Son of Man. Jesus said, “I AM the truth.”
When we match truth and reality to the very source of truth (Christ), then we will also find life itself and the very meaning of life. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6)

THE WOMAN AND THE BEAST (Part II)

(7th article in a series based on the book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666?)

Invincible! Such was the mindset of the Roman Generals and Legions, the Caesars who ruled from Rome, and the vast majority of Roman citizens during the zenith of the Roman Empire. Moreover, nearly all of the peoples and nations conquered by Rome felt the same way. Who could stand against such a powerful empire? Who could possibly defeat the Romans in battle? Who would dare oppose such a mighty domain that, by the end of the 1st century dominated most of the civilized world and civilized, by ruthless force if necessary, much of the uncivilized world? How could Rome ever fall from glory?

But fall she did, exactly like the Prophet Daniel predicted nearly one thousand years earlier: “I continued to watch because I could hear the little horn’s boastful speech. I kept watching until the fourth beast was killed and its body was destroyed by fire” (Daniel 7:11). The “little horn” was Daniel’s description of the man who would later be called the beast of Revelation and the Antichrist in I John 4. The “beast” of Daniel was the fourth and final Gentile kingdom, and though it was the mightiest and most terrible of the four kingdoms, it would one day cease to exist. This fourth beast would also be the “woman” graphically portrayed in Revelation 17.

For nearly six hundred years, the woman (the great city) that John saw in his vision would “…rule over the kings of the world” (Revelation 17:18). This on-going rule of Rome through Roman Emperors is a historical fact. No other nation on the face of the earth, including America, has ever attained the pinnacle of supremacy like the Roman Empire. But one by one the Roman emperors fell; piece by piece the colossus crumbled from within, until European barbarians dismantled her beyond recognition in the 5th century AD.

The woman continues to rule but in a far different way. Before we delve into the transformation of the woman from a ruler over kings to “the great prostitute, who rules over many waters” and with whom, “the kings of the world have committed adultery” and by whom, “the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality (Revelation 17:1-2), let’s take a perceptive look at the strategy of the one who is behind the rise of Godless empires and ungodly world systems whose sole purpose is to misrepresent and replace the true God and His Messiah. The one to whom I’m referring is Satan.

Satan’s Tactics Concerning Israel and Christianity

Because Satan cannot see into the future, he is forced to react to human events the same way we do … meaning in the linear unfolding of time, from day-to-day. But throughout Biblical and secular history we see two distinct patterns of Satan’s plans and operations. (1) An immediate attempt to destroy by external power whoever or whatever stands in his way and interferes with his evil purpose for mankind. (2) When sheer force doesn’t work, he resorts to attacking from within; through a diabolical agenda of twisting and perverting truth—by deceit, distortion, lies, counterfeit imitation, compromise, immorality, apathy—with the final result of rebellion against God and substitution of God’s eternal Word with ungodly man-made beliefs and ideas.

Make no mistake: Every evil thing that men do, including nearly every war or atrocity ever waged by one nation against another, or one ethnic group against another, or one race against another, begins with a belief system. Thus, Hitler and his Third Reich thugs sought to annihilate the entire Jewish race, because Hitler subscribed to the deviant and degenerate idea of Aryan racial purity and supremacy which led to a shocking view that Jews were sub-human. This type of thinking is straight from hell.

Conquest by Force

First, we’ll present a historical panoramic overview of Satan’s schemes to eliminate all those who would dare oppose him and his ultimate plan for world domination by usurping God’s authority; indeed, Satan’s warped and unattainable goal of being like the Most High God.

In these series of articles based on my book, Out of the Abyss, I’ve seldom quoted from the book; primarily to look at some things pertaining to the Antichrist and the Roman Empire in a new/fresh way. But for the purpose of this article, I would like to share an excerpt beginning on page 225 of the book. The excerpt is placed in the following italics:

Satan wanted to crush Christianity as soon as he could, which is why I believe God granted him the opportunity to raise up this ruler soon after Jesus returned to heaven. (Note– the ruler referenced here is, of course, Nero). If you examine Scripture, you will find this preemptive strategy and pattern of Satan in every situation that involves the promised Messiah or Israel as the racial ancestry of the Messiah. You only need to look at the historical proximity between the prophesied event or person and the timing of Satan’s preemptive attack.

It began with Cain’s murder of Abel, who Satan thought was the direct progenitor (seed) of the Messiah. Remember, Satan can’t see into the future; he acts on what he thinks is going to happen next, meaning soon. He tried to preempt Moses from his role as deliver of Israel; thereby, holding Israel under Egyptian bondage and keeping them from the Promised Land. He tried to exterminate Israel through the powerful, but wicked Persian official Haman. In the same pattern as Moses, Satan stirred Herod to kill all the newborn children in Bethlehem. He tried to get Jesus to sin in the wilderness, thereby, discrediting Christ from being a perfect sacrifice. He was instrumental in killing Jesus by crucifixion, hoping that Jesus could not arise from the dead. And now, he was diabolically obsessed with the destruction of the early Christian Church by means of killing all the Christians.

This blueprint continued throughout history, culminating with the Holocaust—a depraved attempt to exterminate all Jews, which would prevent them from returning to Israel, which in turn would prevent Yeshua from returning to Jerusalem to establish Messiah’s kingdom … On and on we could go in demonstrating that Satan launches his attack as soon as he realizes that there is yet another event that could destroy his plan for the human race.

Do you see this? Satan never waited before. Why would he wait for an unknown, unspecified, interminable length of time for the Christian church to flourish and usher in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth? Revelation hadn’t been written yet, so Satan didn’t know the rest of the story. His arrogant ambition and pernicious pattern is always now. That’s why he selected Nero to be the king prophesied by Daniel.

Alas, the rebellion abruptly ended; rudely interrupted when Satan’s superman left the scene before all of the terrible things Satan wanted to do could be completed! Satan must have been furious a Nero, at the Roman Empire, at the Church, and at Christ.

Let’s stop here! As indicated, none of these blunt force tactics worked for Satan, not in the long-run. Because God’s plan and purpose will always be accomplished, the Bible (and as reflected in secular history) shows that God controls and, when necessary, intervenes in the rise and fall of empires and rulers. Sometimes God will supernaturally strike swiftly within a few hours, days or weeks, such as toppling the walls of Jericho. Other times he will intrude into the affairs of kings, cities, or nations over a period of years, decades, or even centuries, such as the rise and fall of the four Gentile kingdoms prophesied in Daniel … Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome.

When that happens, when Satan’s best laid plans are foiled by God, then Satan reverts to his ongoing Plan B to defeat God and God’s people, whether the people are Jews of the Old Covenant of Law or the new man (Jew and Gentile are one) under the New Covenant of Grace: Infiltration and Subversion from within.

An early Biblical and well-known example of this strategy is the idolatrous golden calf made by the Israelites who grew impatient for Moses to return from Mt. Sinai. These same people who had witnessed God’s powerful and persuasive miracles of the Egyptian plagues, yielded to the voice of a select few within the Israelite camp; that they needed a God they could see and worship visibly. And all this happened just a few weeks after their miraculous deliverance from Egypt and the stunning rescue of the Jews from annihilation when their backs were to the Red Sea. You remember: God parted the waters and the Jews walked across the sea! And what happened to the Egyptians? They had the audacity and arrogance to ignore this stupendous miracle, and pursued the Jews; as a result, they all drowned. Did Pharaoh and his army actually think that God would deliver his people by miraculously parting the waters, only to allow them to be massacred on the other side of the sea? Obviously, if he had truly contemplated the whole thing, Pharaoh would have stayed on his side of the sea!

Satan couldn’t destroy the Israelites by force, so he reverted to discord, disunity, and disaster from within the ranks. Hence, the golden calf and subsequent apathy, complaints, and rebellions from a discontented few. If you can’t beat them, join them. Right? So, stop trusting in God to get you to the Promised Land; devise and implement a plan, an idea … someone, something (like money) to get you where you want to go or be. Whatever it takes, do it your way. In the proverbial nutshell that’s Satan’s lie to the world and even to the people of God.

“Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe…” (II Corinthians 4:4).

“For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones” (Matthew 24:24).

Things to Ponder:
– In today’s world, what do you see as the greatest threat to true Christians? Is it persecution from without that is taking place all over the world, such as China’s suppression of believers or Muslim atrocities against Christians in many Arab countries? Or is it subversion from within, such as the growth of many cults?
– Recalling early Church history, did the ruthless oppression of Christians hinder the range of the Gospel, or did Christianity actual flourish and spread?
– In the next article(s), we will discover what actually did hinder the advance of the Gospel. None other than the woman we’ve been discussing, the same woman who will “sit on the beast” during the Great Tribulation.

THE WOMAN AND THE BEAST (Part I)
(6th article in a series based on the book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666?)

To say the Book of Revelation contains some of the most apocalyptic revelations known to man would be the proverbial understatement. One of the most captivating of these revelations is found in Chapter 17 … John’s amazing vision of a woman sitting on a scarlet beast. Moreover, it is one of only two revelations found in Revelation in which an angel reveals the mystery of what John had just witnessed. That alone (the explanation) is enormously significant. As said in a previous article: a mystery revealed is no longer a mystery … we are meant to understand the meaning with a great deal of certainty. It’s just a matter of comparing Scripture with Scripture and Scripture with history and current events.

Let’s read it: “So the angel took me in the Spirit into the wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it. The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. A mysterious name was written on her forehead: ‘Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.’ I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement” (Revelation 17:3-6).

Who is the Beast? My book, Out of the Abyss, as well as the past few blog articles, answered this question: Nero. If you find that conclusion to be incredible or inconceivable then I encourage you to read the book and/or the articles. You will find Biblical and historical evidence to support this astonishing premise: The early Christians knew and so, too, can we know the identity of the beast of Revelation. The number and name of the Antichrist has been solved!

Who, then, is the Woman?

In the last sentence of Revelation Chapter 17, the angel discloses the identity of the woman: “And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world” (Revelation 17:18).

Next Question: Who or what is the “great city.” It’s not as hard as you might think, because there are only two viable choices: Babylon and Rome. Some prophecy students speculate that the great city could be New York or possibly Moscow. Many scholars also maintain that the Antichrist will establish his headquarters in whichever location is selected as the actual real-life city that the image of the woman is representing.

Babylon

The more contemporary, prevailing view is that the ancient (to be restored) literal kingdom city of Babylon is the proper choice, for the following reasons:
– The wording in Revelation 17:5: “A mysterious name was written on her forehead: ‘Babylon the Great…”
– The entire 18th Chapter of Revelation that describes in graphic detail the utter destruction of Babylon, beginning with verse 2: “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!”
– Some Old Testament prophecies announcing the destruction of Babylon, particularly Isaiah 21:9 which reads, “…Babylon is fallen, fallen!” As noted this description is nearly identical to that of Revelation 18:2.
– The attempts of the late Saddam Hussein to rebuild Babylon during his dictatorship in Iraq (which came to a screeching halt with the capture, trial, and execution of this evil tyrant).

Let’s test the validity of Babylon as the correct choice. First, the mysterious name of Babylon the Great (verse 5) does not tell us that the woman (the great city) is, in fact, Babylon. Rather, it states that Babylon the Great was written (symbolically of course) on the woman’s forehead. And what or who is Babylon the Great? The text of Revelation 17 answers that question, “Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.” In other words, Babylon the Great is not actually a city at all in the context of the woman representing the “great city that rules over the kings of the world.”

Rather, the context of Revelation 17 explains that Babylon the Great is the “mother” that would bear children who would “prostitute” the very existence and truth of the true and living God and of his Messiah. This corruption and distortion of God’s everlasting truth is the core foundation of all non-Christian world religions, or religious organizations (systems) that are Christian in name only including cults, and anti-religious systems such as the occult New Age movement or communism. By contextual implication, the great city of Revelation would be the dwelling place of the worst of her children, as vividly depicted in Revelation Chapter 18 & 19. Thus, when the great city is crushed during the tribulation, Mother Babylon which birthed the woman riding the beast is also destroyed.

Another passage in Isaiah refutes the idea that a renovated modern-day Babylon is the great city symbolized by the woman (on the beast). As follows: “Babylon, the most glorious of kingdoms, the flower of Chaldean pride, will be devastated like Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed them. Babylon will never be inhabited again. It will remain empty for generation after generation…” (Isaiah 13:19-20). Then the last verse of that chapter tells us, “Babylon’s days are numbered; its time of destruction will soon arrive.” About 170 years later Babylon was, in fact, utterly destroyed by the Medes-Persians.

This devastation is a historical fact, and today’s Babylon is a virtual wasteland compared to the glory of ancient Babylon. Neither Sodom nor Gomorrah will ever be rebuilt, which is one reason the destruction of Babylon is equated to these two cities … neither will Babylon ever be rebuilt. To say that Iraq’s modern-day Babylon is the great city (the woman) is to say that God will twice destroy it; which contradicts the passages we just reviewed.

Both Isaiah and Revelation calls for the annihilation of Babylon. Of utmost impact is that both Isaiah Chapter 21 and the angel of Revelation Chapter 18 twice proclaim the fall of Babylon. Not announcing that Babylon will twice be destroyed, but that of repeating the stunning news. This is more than just repetition for the purpose of emphasis. The angel in Revelation is declaring that both the city is ruined (we will shortly discover that Rome is the great city represented by the woman and Babylon is used as an encoded reference to Rome); and the ungodly, unholy system of occult, astrological, man-made gods, and Satanic/demon-driven false gospels (of good works that mandates membership in a universal church) will also be completely shattered.

Thus, when the angel announces that, “Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!” in Revelation 18:2, the “fall” includes both the great city itself (Rome) and the Satanic system that seeks to replace the everlasting truth of the true and living God with a corrupt, counterfeit, and rebellious apostasy (falling away) that was promoted by and flourished in the ancient Babylonia kingdom, led primarily by Nebuchadnezzar. And then continued by the great city of Rome during the glory days of the Roman Empire; only to reach its zenith by the time of the Great Tribulation, but in a different way and form.

ROME (Roma)

Why is Rome the only feasible, legitimate choice as the great city of Revelation Chapter 17?
What realm had conquered and dominated most of the entire civilized world when the book of Revelation was written? Easy answer: The Roman Empire. And what city was the cultural, economic, and military center and capitol of this great empire? An even easier answer: Rome. And what would happen to Christians if a newly written scroll that contained some of the most astounding revelations ever witnessed and recorded had specifically mentioned Rome as the “Mother of All Prostitutes, drunk with the blood of God’s holy people (Christians), holding a goblet full of obscenities and impurities of her immorality…”

Or conversely, a city “hated by the scarlet beast and the ten horns (kings) who would strip her naked, eat her flesh, and burn her remains with fire” (Revelation 17:16). To the Roman citizens, Generals, but particularly to Caesar, these would have been blasphemous, insulting words of disrespect and even treason. In short order, many more Christians would have been rounded up and executed. Thus, it was necessary to disguise the great city of Rome in another name or symbol, i.e. the woman or Babylon. The Christians were also protected in Revelation Chapter 13 when the angel and John encoded the identity of the Beast (Nero, the Antichrist) within the number six hundred sixty-six; then encouraged the Christians to solve the mystery of this number.

There are other verses to demonstrate that Rome is the great city that will “sit on the scarlet beast” (as a rider sits on a horse for both support and an attempt to control or direct the horse … only for the horse to buck the rider and trample him to death), but for sake of time/space, I will introduce just one other proof.

Returning to Revelation 17:18 we read, “And this woman you saw in your vision represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world” (italics for emphasis). The word rules is a present tense verb, with the clear connotation that this great city was already ruling over other kings and their nations, as Rome clearly did when Revelation was written. As already discussed in previous articles, the beast, himself, had already died (Nero), but the woman who sits on the beast was very much alive—Rome and the Roman Empire. At the beginning of the tribulation period, the beast will reappear from the Abyss and, with the allegiance given to him by the ten kings (who had not yet risen to power—Revelation 17:12), the beast would turn on the woman and utterly destroy her.

Thus, Babylon (the city, itself) could not possibly be the woman of Revelation 17, for at least two reasons: (1) it had already been destroyed and, according to Isaiah, would never return again to any form of greatness, whatsoever. (2) When Revelation was written, Rome was the only city “that rules over the kings of the world.” But the present tense verb “rules” would also apply to the end times, as the woman (great city) would be alive and well during the onset of the Great Tribulation and would, at first, be in coalition with the beast. So this present tense use of the word, “rules” covers the entire scope of John’s vision–the existence and domination of Rome when the vision was given to John plus the end-times scenario of how the great city would interact with the beast.

But the Roman Empire was destroyed in the 5th century AD. How, then, can Rome qualify as the great city, with a present tense application since the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, i.e. through the Dark Ages, through the political and military prominence of European kings/queens, during the Protestant movement and Renaissance, right up to the present time? How can the present tense use of the verb “rules” be extended to the Great Tribulation? Or, putting it another way, “Just what will the woman (the great city) look like, signify, represent, or characterize during the end-times?”

Stay tuned. Next week’s article will answer this question and more! You will see what happened to the late, great Roman Empire and to the woman (Rome), who was the very heart of that empire. And, I’m not suggesting a Revived Roman Empire, because I firmly believe there is no such thing in Scripture. See Chapters 15 & 16 in Out of the Abyss, in which much evidence is presented to verify that the seven heads of the beast (Revelation 17) are kings, not kingdoms. (It is the 7th “kingdom” that many students of prophecy speculate will be what they have called, The Revived Roman Empire).

Rather, there will be a Revived Roman Emperor, called the beast in Revelation Chapters 13 & 17. Concerning the woman, you will see that it’s the same woman, but she has taken on a new appearance after the fall of the Roman Empire. At the outset of the Tribulation, the woman will be in alliance with and gain support from the beast-king, but will also attempt to manipulate the beast; just like this same woman has committed adultery (spiritual) with the kings of the earth in order to control those kings and their kingdoms since the fall of Rome.

Things to Ponder
– Can you find another verse in Revelation Chapter 17 that also conveys the rule of the woman in the (ongoing) present tense? Hint: if you can locate this verse, you will also find more evidence that the woman (both the ancient version and the modern version—because “rules” is present tense throughout) is Rome. Another hint: What city was built on how many hills?
– Now try to locate another verse that clarifies the on-going rule of the woman, this time in the context of ruling over (the meaning of as explained by the angel) “many waters” as first mentioned in Revelation 17:1. When you find that verse, do you see a difference in what or whom the woman is ruling over (many waters) compared to the last verse of Revelation 17 that tells us the woman rules over the kings of the world? This is the distinction between ancient Rome with its Caesars that ruled over kings and kingdoms and the subsequent form and substance of the woman beginning in the 4th-5th century and continuing to this very day. My next article will explain in more detail this difference.

THE BEAST AND HIS NAME

(Fifth article in a series based on the book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666?) Part II, continued from last week’s article

Not only has the sinister, ominous name of Antichrist been promulgated the world over in the past few decades, we have witnessed a recent reappearance of the very name of Nero. Although the modern-day circulation of his name is not as prominent as it was in the 1st to 5th century, with a name given to that phenomenon, “Nero Redivivus Legend,” the name of the Roman Emperor Nero is re-claiming significant attention in today’s world.

As a reminder, for several centuries after Nero died, many Christians and the non-Christian populace believed that Nero was not dead; or that if he did actually die (which he, in fact, did), he would somehow return. For the Romans this return would result in the establishment of an eternal Pax Romana … world peace and utopia. For the Christians, this return (from the Abyss) would signal the onset of the Great Tribulation and the devastating 3 ½ year reign of the beast.

As late as 422 AD, Augustine of Hippo wrote of this revival legend as popular belief. Listen to his words: “Others, again, suppose that he is not even dead, but that he was concealed that he might be supposed to have been killed, and that he now lives in concealment in the vigor of that same age which he had reached when he was believed to have perished, and will live until he is revealed in his own time and restored to his kingdom. But I wonder that men can be so audacious in their conjecture.”

Evidence of Nero’s “Reawakening”

Nero AG: The founders of a computer software business that began in 1995 with the organizational name of Ahead Software inexplicably changed the name of this company to Nero AG or Nero, Inc. in 2005. It grew from a handful of employees to a staff of 500 employees in 2009, and still growing. Product sales number in the hundreds of millions world-wide. Their products include all-in-one burning software to enable writing of audio, video, and data for CDs or DVDs. Although speculation, it’s likely the name of Nero was chosen to represent the main product of the company, i.e. new technology in the burning of CDs and DVDs. Why? Whatever else people the world over remember about Nero, most recall his main epitaph: “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” Of course, the fiddle wasn’t even invented until hundreds of years after Nero died, but who cares about the facts!

The CEO of this company is Jurgen Kurz of Germany, who had previously served for five years in the German publishing industry. Other management staff members are from Germany, China, and North America. The head of Retail sales and licensing is Lauren Rubin, who is fluent in French, English, Italian, and Spanish.

As found on-line, the main purpose of Nero AG’s service and products is to create and manage digital media on any device, with interchangeable flow between such things as smart phones, I pads, and computers. Part of the Nero Quality Statement states: “Offer products and services which allows you to enjoy your music, photos, and videos, anytime, anywhere!”

On the website, download.cnet.com/Nero-12/3000, we read the following promo of Nero 11 & Nero 12. As follows: “Nero 11 Multimedia Suite was already a monster collection of production tools…. Nero streamlines workflow with its own built-in file management system, Kwik Media. Applications are accessed from a single interface to avoid fragmentation and reduce confusion. Windows 8 users will be glad to see that the suite integrates smoothly with the new redesigned tiled UI. Kwik Media intelligently organizes your frequently used media based on face recognition, similar to facial tagging on social networks.”

Then an excerpt from the next paragraph, “Nero wants to help you produce content for your home entertainment….” The article then continues to tell the reader about Nero 12, a more advanced version of Nero 11.

Did you pick up on how the author of this promo personalised the name of Nero? Such as, “Nero wants to help you….” Or a more spooky phrase like, “…based on face recognition similar to facial tagging….”

It wouldn’t take much imagination to visualize how Nero, himself, could and probably will use a company like this to manipulate the media. Since his last words reportedly were (paraphrasing), “The world is losing such a great artist,” he very well could use such technology to compose and transmit “content for your home entertainment.” This entertainment could be another play that he might write (he wrote and performed several plays during his reign as Emperor), or images of beheaded Christians, once he turns his attention back to the savage persecution that he initiated against Christians in the first century.

Nero (the rock group)

A British electronic music duo, then trio has risen to fame in just the past few years. Their single, Doomsday, was a big hit and is featured in the trailer for a movie, The World’s End, released just a couple of months ago. In 2011, this rock group’s production of Welcome Reality won the award for Best Album. One can only wonder why the two young men who started this band chose the name of Nero. But when was the last time a rock group named their band after a long-dead Roman Emperor … and why no other emperor except Nero?

Moreover, Nero Caesar was a self-proclaimed artist who, during the final years of his reign, was far more interested in flaunting his artistic genius (Nero’s own opinion of himself) throughout the civilized world than in running the Roman Empire. In fact, this is one of the main reasons why he fell out of favor with the Roman Senate and subsequently the Roman Generals. They didn’t like the idea of a “god-like” Roman Emperor spending all his time in Greece and making a fool of himself while spouting poetry and playing the lyre in Greek theatres.

History tells us that he desperately wanted to be popular throughout his entire empire; later in his reign he wrote and performed plays (in Greek) to promote this recognition. And what a head start when he returns from the Abyss: a multi-media company and a rock-group that already bear his name!

River World

This is the title of a science-fiction movie released in 2004, staring Brad Johnson, who was also one of the main characters in the Left Behind movie. The main plot of this film involves people who are brought back to life on a new planet, but with the same age-old struggle of good versus evil. In both movies Brad plays a good guy, but exceptionally intriguing is the identity of the antagonist … the bad guy. In Left Behind, the arch-enemy is the Antichrist given the name of Nicolae Carpathia, from the novel written by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. In River World, the adversary who seeks to dominate all those “reborn” in this new world is none other than Nero … played by Jonathan Cake!

Network for Education & Research in Oregon (NERO)

That’s right! This organization goes by the name of Nero. It began as a research project in Oregon by an Engineering Graduate School that wanted to develop high speed internet for education and research. Again, one can only speculate if the founders deliberately chose the name of Nero, and then used the acronym to come up with the organization name. Or, conversely, if they chose the name of Network for Education & Research in Oregon; when shortened, it just happens to spell Nero. If they had omitted Oregon to the organizational name, then the acronym Nero wouldn’t fit. Thus, it would appear that they purposely wanted the abbreviated version of their group to bear the name of Nero. Either way, it’s yet another instance of this evil man’s name rising to prominence in just the last three decades.

Nero Larp

Yes, you read that correctly! Let me quote the introductory statement of this organization as found on their website: “Welcome to NERO LARP! We are the premier Live Action Role Playing (LARP) organization in North America—since 1986. In Live Action Role-playing, you become the character of your fantasies, and, acting out the action, solve the mystery’s and defeat adversaries with wit, intelligence, and/or sword & sorcery. At NERO events, you will use skills that your character has earned….”

The newest Nero Larp Chapter was opened in August, 2013 in California, called NERO Cali. Their Rule Book is in the 9th edition of print.

Astonishing! I have no idea what’s involved in LARP fraternities or what kind of games they play. Perhaps someone reading this article knows more about these role-playing events. Obviously, my interest pertains to yet another group that uses the name of Nero. I’m sure that someone involved in these LARP clubs would ask me what planet I live on, because I know virtually nothing about the 50 plus NERO LARP chapters in the United States, Canada, and South Africa. And, I’m sure I’d get in trouble if I changed the acronym of LARP to Laughing at Role Players. Because it sounds like Larpers play some pretty serious games.

Once again, however, we have a fairly large establishment dedicated in some fashion to the arts, to the new age (sorcery), to acting out fantasies (I would hope all their rules limit what they can do or say), and to defeating all adversaries with either the sword or sorcery. And, again I ask the question: Why is this enterprise called Nero?

SUMMARY

Draw your own conclusion, but the correlation between the modern-day resurgence of and fascination with the end-times, especially the Antichrist, and a long-gone Roman Emperor seems a bit more than just coincidence. Why Nero? Why not one of the other Roman Emperors like Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Vespasian, Titus, or Domitian? Why not name a rock band after Genghis Khan, with a hit song called, We khan rock you! Or a corporation named after Napoleon? Or a software company after Hitler (didn’t he sadistically have millions of Jews gassed, then burned in the crematoriums)? My point being … all of these world rulers were Godless tyrants and all exhibited the “spirit” of Antichrist. Although Nero focused his brutality on Christians, these dictators (and more) engaged in ruthless oppression of their enemies and innocent people; yet no other past tyrannical ruler has been venerated in the manner of Nero and his name.

Decide for yourself. But know this: Nero matches every single Biblical prophecy pertaining to the ruler, king, prince, man of lawlessness, beast, and Antichrist, as documented in Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666? He was killed by the sovereign providence of Jesus Christ as the Apostle Paul predicted some 16 years before the death of Nero. Historically, he fits with one of the five fallen kings of Revelation 17. For hundreds of years after his death, there was great expectancy among the Roman populace that he would return as an eternal ruler. For the Christians, Nero would return from the abyss, as the beast of Revelation. The final moments of his death and wounds from the sword that killed him correlate flawlessly with the description of the evil shepherd as found in Zachariah Chapter 11.

He matches perfectly with the ruler of Daniel Chapter 9, “whose armies would destroy Jerusalem and the Temple.” It was none other than Nero who personally appointed Vespasian and Titus to crush the rebellion in Israel that tragically culminated with complete destruction of the Jewish Temple and world-wide dispersion of the Jews which lasted until the 20th century.

Things to Ponder
– No modern-day organization would bear the name of Hitler, because his ambition of world conquest and diabolical plot of genocide (Jews) is too fresh in our memory. Not so, with Nero: Although he was just as brutal (if not more) than Hitler, for some mysterious reason his very name has been glamorized in our generation. Could it be the longer passage of time has dulled our sensitivity, since he and his Roman Empire wreaked havoc on the Christians? Or some other reason?
– Other than Nero, do you know of any other past ruler, particularly evil rulers, whose name has resurfaced to the extent that several organizations including a rock group bear that name?
– Do you see any connection between the reappearance of Nero’s name in this generation and the main premise/conclusion presented in my book, Out of the Abyss: That Nero matches all of the Biblical passages on the Antichrist and that he is the beast who will reappear from the Abyss?

THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST

(Fourth article in a series based on the book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666?)

Does anyone remember the movie, Rosemary’s Baby? If you do, then, like me, you’re probably a member of the Baby Boomer generation; because it was released in 1968. How about the trilogy of movies called, The Omen? No … then you’re not a baby boomer, as the first one was aired in 1976. Or, maybe you’re still on the good side of 40, but have seen these movies replayed on television. What did these movies have in common? What were they about? Still don’t know?

Then let’s fast forward to a movie released in 1999 entitled, End of Days? Or, a few years before that, Children of the Corn. Alright, enough trivia, enough guessing. We’ll move on to a movie released in 2006, called 666 The Child. Or, a recently released film, 666 the Beast. Now you’ve got it! (The baby boomers already had it).

Several “faith-based” movies have also been made about the end-times, with most of them featuring a fairly well-known actor in the role of the Antichrist. Unfortunately some of these movies are not well made, either in quality or accuracy. There are a couple of exceptions, such as the movie, Left Behind.

The Common Bad Guy: Antichrist.

The Common Plot: Trying to determine or confirm the true identity of the sinister character who was systematically eliminating anyone interested in proving that he was the dreaded Antichrist (such as Damien in The Omen, even while he was still a child, i.e. just use your imagination on what he would and could do when he grew up).

The Common Proof: None other than finding the one who is tagged with the infamous number known throughout the world: 666. In Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen movies, Hollywood goes a step farther with the implication that Satan is the actual father of Rosemary’s baby and of Damien. Which, of course, is absolutely nowhere to be found in the Bible, either stated or implied. But that’s Hollywood! Actually, it doesn’t matter how accurate they are; the fact is that such movies are indicative of intensified interest in and fascination with the well-known doomsday, power-crazy megalomaniac who wants to put his mark on all of mankind.

Such a Number!

Other than Jesus Christ, himself, can you think of any other historical name that has captivated more people the world over, than the polar opposite of Jesus Christ … Antichrist? Is there any number—other than the most prominent number found in the Bible (seven) the significance of which is acknowledged by Christians and non-Christians alike—that has engrossed millions of people, than the number 666? The title of Antichrist and the mysterious number assigned to him by the Bible has been the subject of hundreds of books, articles, commentaries, sermons, television shows, radio broadcasts, or movies.

Many contend that the number six hundred, sixty-six is the only viable means of identifying or trying to identify the Antichrist. In doing so, they have used several different languages, through the dynamics of Gematria, to show that various world leaders could be the Antichrist. (In my book, Out of the Abyss, I go to great lengths to demonstrate that the number of the beast is only one of several pieces of the prophetic puzzle needed to accurately identify the Antichrist; with Biblical and historical evidence to support my premise and conclusion).

*Note: Gematria is a system of assigning numerical value to a word or phrase. In short it is a way of counting (numbers) by using the alphabet of any given language. In fact, before the advent of the Arabic or Roman decimal system, it was the only way to count or perform mathematical functions. The Hebrews of ancient Israel and the Jews of New Testament times used this system exclusively. Accordingly, every person’s name had a numeric sum or value.

Because, however, all languages are different, the use of gematria is deemed by some to be an imprecise and unreliable method to calculate the number of the beast, 666. For that reason, many students of prophecy have gradually discounted the importance of the number, to the extent that most of them agree that the ultimate meaning of the number simply can’t be known until after the actual identity of the beast is disclosed, meaning after the Rapture. And, to some extent, this viewpoint is valid … especially for modern languages that have developed since the introduction of the Roman decimal system, i.e. the way we count and perform mathematical equations. The use of the decimal system essentially renders gematria obsolete. But not for Christians (or anyone else) in the first century. Thus, I would respectfully contend that we can’t dismiss the use of gematria, if we are going to decipher the meaning of the number of the beast. Nor, does the Bible say we should shy away from figuring out the meaning of this number.

In fact, Revelation 13:18 says just the opposite: “Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.” I’m going to make a rather bold statement now: If, in fact, the Lord didn’t want us to identify the beast, he would not have given us this mystery to solve, nor would this verse have even been in the book of Revelation. Let me put it another way: What significance would there be for the 1st century Christians or any subsequent generations to solve the number of the beast and, therefore, know the identity of the Antichrist, once the Antichrist has been identified? It would serve no purpose whatsoever. There would be no mystery to the number after the identity of the beast is known. And yet, today’s scholars essentially advise us that it’s futile to unscramble the meaning of 666.

Revelation 13 is telling us more than the fact that this mark of the beast will be imprinted in the hands or foreheads of his followers. For that matter, we often overlook the detail that it’s not just the number of the beast (666) that will be implanted, it’s also his name. “And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name” (Revelation 13:17). If God didn’t want his people (beginning with the 1st century Christians) to know the meaning of his number and the name of the beast-man, then why continue with verse 18, “Wisdom is needed here…”

The very existence of this verse, the very challenge of exercising wisdom and understanding to “solve” or “calculate” the number (that’s the meaning of the Greek word in this verse) contradicts the current mainstream notion that the meaning of this number can’t truly be understood until the Antichrist actually appears. But when he does appear, why then do we need to know the meaning of the number, which is equivalent to the identity of the beast? Do you see what I’m saying, or better yet, what these verses are saying?

Narrowing It Down

Too many people have used far too many languages to try to identify the Antichrist. One result was that a former US President, Ronald Reagan, was even tagged as the Antichrist, because use of gematria in English resulted in his English name adding up to six hundred, sixty-six.

It is imperative to understand that there could have been only three languages in which gematria could have been used to calculate the number of the beast when Revelation was written: Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Why? Once again, because the book of Revelation was given to and written for the believers alive at that very time in history. Romans spoke Latin, but many of them more often spoke Greek, which was the universal language of the time, much like English is today. The Jews spoke Hebrew (Aramaic) but many Jews also spoke Greek.

Because of the potential devastating consequences for Christians (arrest, imprisonment, torture, confiscation of property, death), it was necessary for both Paul (II Thessalonians) and the angel (through John in Revelation) to encode or conceal the actual identity of the beast (Nero). That’s why Paul used the term man of lawlessness (see Chapter 21 of Out of the Abyss), and that’s why the angel announced the mystery of the beast to John by encryption. But use of Greek gematria would have been too obvious, too much of a give-away to the readers of Revelation and perhaps to non-believers, especially Caesar, who would have hunted them down because they dared call Nero a beast, instead of a god.

Thus, it was necessary to conceal the mystery even more, i.e. by supplanting the use of Greek gematria with Hebrew. Plus, this would make perfect sense to the early Christians, the vast majority of which were Jews. And so, what do we find? Well, let’s count in Hebrew: Resh = 200; Samech = 60; Kuf = 100; Nun = 50; Vav = 6; Resh = 200; Nun = 50. Sum Total: Six, Hundred, sixty-six! And what does it spell? NERO.

Please understand, there can be only one language whose alphabet could be used to arrive at the numerical sum/value of six hundred sixty-six. Not just the abbreviated form of this number, which is three successive sixes (666). The implication of the passage is very clear: one must add the corresponding numerical value of each letter to arrive at the sum total of the beast’s name. Once again, for emphasis: the Lord would not have given John a number that could be calculated in more than one language. If that were the case, then other languages could theoretically use gematria to solve the number; which, of course, simply wouldn’t work. And, no amount of wisdom, understanding or logic could possibly ascertain the number of the beast, which defeats the whole purpose/challenge of Revelation 13:18 … to, in fact, calculate the number and by so doing, to identify the NAME of the beast.

Moreover, it would have to be one of these three languages (Latin, Greek, Hebrew), as any other language on the face of the earth at that time would have been completely irrelevant in the context of the seven kings of Revelation 17 being Roman Emperors. Actually, all three languages are involved, but in a progressive sort of way. Nero’s name, of course, is Latin. Had his name actually been disclosed by John it would have been given in the language of the New Testament (Greek), i.e. Neron Kaisar. Which, as indicated, would have been a death sentence for many more Christians.

But to assure even more secrecy and, therefore, protection, and to make it essentially irrelevant and unimportant to non-believers, especially those hostile toward the Christians and Jews, the Greek name for Nero Caesar needed to be transposed to the Hebrew spelling of the name. THEN, we match the equivalent numerical value of each Hebrew letter. The very fact that Nero’s name was often written in one of the three prominent languages of the Roman world—Latin, Greek, Hebrew—validates the accuracy and authenticity of this Biblical prophecy, by the very means of counting in the 1st century—through the alphabet.

Use of Hebrew to correlate the number of the beast to the name of the beast would have been, by far, the least conspicuous. Both logically and from reading historical accounts of the ancient Roman world, very few Romans or Greeks or other ethnic groups spoke Hebrew, or even cared to. And then there’s the greatest proof of all. What three languages were written on the sign over the cross of the true Messiah, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Most of you know: Latin, Greek, and Hebrew! Though the sign was put up to mock Jesus as the King of the Jews, those who put it up unwittingly proclaimed the truth of who he is. Likewise, with the king-beast of Revelation … use of all three of these languages, with Hebrew as the actual language to conceal (to those without wisdom or understanding) the true identity of the Antichrist.

Look how short and easy these two labels of the beast will be to mark a person’s hand or forehead: NERO or 666. Even if a person selects the name of Nero in their own language, it will still have only three, four, five, or perhaps six letters. And who says that Nero or 666 will be an implant beneath the skin, just because we have developed computer chip technology in today’s world? Why couldn’t it be a dye implant, or a tattoo, or a brand, or a laser mark, all of which could be visibly seen by other people or by some scanning device? As arrogant and vain as the Bible portrays the beast (Antichrist), you would think that Nero (who was also exceptionally egotistical) would want his name or number to be clearly seen on all those who take his mark. For that matter, please tell me how a computer chip could possibly be implanted in someone’s forehead? I’m no doctor, but I do know that immediately behind the skin of the forehead is the skull. Hardly any room for even the tiniest of computer chips!

Moreover, it certainly won’t be a long name such as Mahmoud Armadinejad! And, history tells us that Nero, himself, discarded his birth name of Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus at the age of 13. That name just wouldn’t fit very well on a person’s hand or forehead, would it!

Things to Ponder

– Does it make sense that the challenge of Revelation 13:18 (to solve the number of the beast) can only be done through gematria? Actually, those who spoke the ancient languages (like Hebrew) didn’t know any other way to count, other than through their alphabet. Wouldn’t that be the optimum way and best reason to encode the beast’s name by using a number that “represents his name.”

– It’s clear that the three main languages of the New Testament and Roman Empire were Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. Doesn’t it also make sense that only one of these languages would/could be used? If two or more other languages could be used, then how would anyone know which language to select? Even if the Hebrew alphabet matched the name of the beast (which it does, i.e. Nero), someone else could argue that the name and corresponding numbers should be read in, say Greek. If so, then the one applying the formula could assert that the correlation between name/number could only be done in Greek, or Latin. End result: No way to calculate the number.

– Isn’t it even more logical that Hebrew would be used to encode the name of the beast, as explained in this article? The angel had to provide just enough clues to enable the reader to solve the mystery of the number without making it so obvious (using Greek or Latin) as to endanger the Christians, who had already suffered massive persecution and death at the hands of Nero, and to a lesser extent at the hands of subsequent Roman emperors. That’s why the angel begins by saying, “Wisdom is needed here…”

The Beast Will Return

(This is the third article in the series based on the book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666?)

Imagine that you are a citizen of Rome in 68 AD. Just three years earlier you had heard a wonderful message from a man named Paul, who had told you that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah who had been prophesied to save both Jews and Gentiles. Many who had seen Jesus after he arose from the dead were still alive and were not afraid to proclaim his resurrection. Faith in Jesus had changed their lives.

Thousands of other Christians, including your father and three friends, had been slaughtered by direct orders of the ruthless Roman Emperor, Nero, who justified his deplorable behavior by accusing the Christians of starting the great fire in Rome. He influenced many Romans to set aside Roman law (innocent until proven guilty) and sanction the murder of Roman citizens who believed in Jesus Christ by telling them that, “Christians are the enemy of mankind.”

You, too, are in hiding. Although the persecution has subsided, your friends and family are still being arrested, imprisoned, tortured, and crucified or thrown to the wild beasts of the circus. You have read Paul’s letters to the church at Thessalonica; and you know that Nero is the man of lawlessness Paul wrote about in II Thessalonians Chapter 2. Any day you expect that Nero will travel to Jerusalem and desecrate the Jewish Temple, as written by Paul 16 years earlier, predicted by Jesus a generation ago, and foretold by Daniel, the prophet, some 600 years past.

Suddenly, someone tells you that Nero is dead. His decadent excesses had caught up to him, and he had fallen out of favor with the powerful Roman Senate. This unrest, then rebellion, and finally insurrection against Nero had begun only a few months earlier. You’re stunned at this news; but you’re also relieved, perhaps, even ecstatic. You come out of hiding and praise the Lord for deliverance from this madman, who had been the first ruler in history to persecute a group of people simply because of their belief that Jesus was God. Nero’s brutality wasn’t racially, ethnically, or nationally motivated. Rather, he hunted down Christians because they believed that Christ arose from the dead and, therefore, they would not bow down to Caesar.

Yet you are also confused. You had no doubt that Nero was the man of lawlessness depicted by Paul. You were convinced that he was the ruler of Daniel Chapter 9, whose people would one day (in your generation) destroy the magnificent temple in Jerusalem, and then somehow regain the favor of the Jews by making a seven-year treaty with them. But abruptly, he’s gone. What now? You’re greatly relieved, but you’re also puzzled. Why had he died before these prophecies came to pass?

With apprehension you watch as three Roman Generals, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius claim the Roman throne as their own, only to die during a lawless 18-month civil war upheaval throughout the Roman Empire. You closely follow the exploits of another Roman General, Vespasian, and you voice your approval when the Roman Senate acknowledges him as the next legitimate Emperor in the summer of 70 AD. Your endorsement is confirmed in just a few months, as Vespasian restores some measure of sanity and stability to an empire traumatized by chaotic disorder.

The Rest of the Story

Then one day, seemingly from out of nowhere, you are handed a copy of a scroll written by a man named John, who had seen the risen Christ several decades after the Lord returned to heaven. That, itself, was amazing. As you read this incredible book, you are awe-struck with the magnificent final revelation of Jesus Christ, himself. You are spellbound by the spectacular apocalyptic events that you believe will soon take place, because the apostles who are still alive, as well as the entire Christian community fully expect Jesus to return any day. But that’s not all: John the Revelator was also given ominous visions that clearly convey the reappearance of what Revelation calls, “the beast.” And, just like that, you’re questions are answered, and your suspicion is confirmed: Nero is the ruler described by the prophet Daniel. He is the beast-king of Revelation; he is the Antichrist. Now you know the rest of the story!

You already know that Messiah Jesus will return. He, himself, said so, as did many other writers of the Bible. You know this is true because he proved all he said and did, and who he was by rising from the dead. Just like his resurrection and ascension to heaven, you know his return will be accomplished by the supernatural power and providence of God. And now you understand that the one who would dare to be “anti” Christ, who would arrogantly oppose the Almighty God and his Messiah, and who would vainly attempt to thwart the undeniable, unchangeable, inevitable purpose of God to judge the nations and establish his everlasting kingdom of truth, justice, righteousness, and peace on the earth, would also return to convince the world that he is a god, yes, even the true God. And that Satan, with God’s permission, would give this man power and authority to accomplish this evil plan … but only for a short time.

How do you know this with such certainty? Because that’s exactly what the book of Revelation tells you. First, it challenges you to ascertain (with wisdom) the meaning of the number and name of this man in Revelation Chapter 13. Then, it tells you something else even more astonishing; “The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to this world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of the beast who had died” (Revelation 17:8).

Then there’s more evidence, as you read Revelation 17: 9-11: This beast was one of seven kings (emperors), five of whom had already fallen, one reigning when the revelation was given to John, and the seventh to follow, but his reign would be very brief. Then an eighth king, who came from and was one of the five who had fallen (because the passage tells you the beast had already died), was, in fact, the scarlet beast, himself. Then you go back to Revelation 13 and by adding the numbers in Hebrew that correspond to the Greek name of this ruler, you arrive at an exact match to the number six hundred and sixty-six. And only one of the seven kings (five already dead) bears this number: Nero.

And then you put it all together: A few years earlier Nero had ordered the conquest of Israel, and that is exactly what his troops led by Vespasian and later by Titus accomplished; although Nero had died before the Roman armies conquered Israel and destroyed the Temple, just like Daniel and Jesus said would happen. And exactly what Paul had predicted would happen did happen. (II Thessalonians 2:8). Jesus would kill the man of lawlessness (Nero), meaning that in his sovereignty, the Lord would see to it that Nero was struck down.

Your passion for the imminent return of Jesus is renewed. Your brothers and sisters in Christ share your enthusiasm: Jesus glorious appearance will be soon, very soon, any hour of any day. After reading the book of Revelation you understand that, in a counterfeit attempt to duplicate the resurrection and return of the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, the beast (Nero) will also reappear from the Abyss, for that is exactly what Revelation is saying. And just like the resurrection of Christ is the cornerstone reality of your faith and hope, so will the “miraculous” return of Nero from the grave capture the attention of those left behind at the Rapture. They will give him their allegiance and even worship him for one reason, and one reason alone: (Rev 13: 3-4). Not because he is a political, social, or economic genius; not because he is a great charismatic leader, but because he returns from the grave.

So you tell your unsaved friends about all of this; you tell them now is the day of salvation. But you also tell them: If they put off their decision to choose God’s salvation through Jesus, to remember what you told them about the Antichrist. That they need not be so amazed at his reappearance, because the Bible said this would happen. There’s no reason for them to react in wonder and amazement, because God had this planned all along … to give Satan and his man of sin and the false prophet one last chance to triumph over the truth, over the Kingdom of God. To give those who are left behind one last chance to choose eternal life over eternal death, though they would probably lose their life on this earth for such a choice.

Today’s Application

I fully understand why today’s students of Bible prophecy find it so difficult to refit the prophetic puzzle with the correct piece concerning the Antichrist. First, it’s much more natural to conclude that the Antichrist will be a contemporary man just like all past tyrants who arrived on the stage of history. Secondly, therefore, to out-of-hand, dismiss the possibility that the Antichrist could be a man who died 2000 years ago.

But why need it be so incredible, so preposterous? Why is it so difficult to accept, especially when the Book of Revelation tells us that it will happen that way; and why so unlikely in light of all the other phenomenal events presented in Revelation? Why is it so easy to accept the power of God behind the miraculous resurrection and return of Christ, but not the supernatural intervention of Christ in killing the man of lawlessness (Nero in 68AD), reviving him, banishing him to the Abyss (that’s where the beast ascends from), and then at the appointed time allowing him to reappear on the earth. For God, what is so hard about that?

We need to fully realize that the Book of Revelation was written specifically to the seven churches identified in Chapters 2 & 3, and, in general, to all believers alive at that time. Revelation was not specifically written to our generation. Of course it was written for our generation and whatever generation is alive at the return of Christ (hopefully our generation), because Christ hasn’t yet returned; therefore, all the unfulfilled prophecies of the second coming of Christ are obviously still applicable. But this is more than just a matter of semantics or splitting hairs, i.e. to versus for.

Question: In the context of the first century, why is it so important to isolate and emphasize to whom the final revelations of Jesus Christ were given? Answer: It has everything to do with the passionate anticipation of the first century Christians: The Imminent Return of Christ!

If the imminent return of Christ was true for the first century believers (which, of course it was), then there must have been a first century man to exactly fit the description of the little horn of Daniel, the man of lawlessness, the beast, and the Antichrist. Because if Jesus had returned to take his people home (Rapture), then the Great Tribulation would soon have followed, as would the Antichrist who instigates and leads the great rebellion against God and Messiah. We need to fully grasp this. That’s why I’ve asked you to return to the first century with me.

Of course, Jesus didn’t return in the first century, you say. But, what if he had? He certainly could have. The first century Christians confidently expected that he would. This is more than just a “what if” question. For the imminent return of Jesus to be a total reality, completely relevant to the believers alive when Revelation was written, then the ruler in the book of Daniel, the man of lawlessness found in II Thessalonians, and the newly described beast-king of Revelation (all descriptions of the same man, Antichrist), had to be a contemporary in and of that generation! Do you see that? What makes it even more remarkably accurate (Nero as Antichrist) is the mindboggling fact presented in Revelation 17; that is the beast who had died would return from the Abyss. And this return could have been in the first century, second century, tenth century, 20th century, or it could be next week.

It’s all part of God’s plan, the order of which is: Rapture, reappearance of the beast, the seven-year treaty with Israel (orchestrated by Nero and igniting the onset of the Tribulation), the glorious appearance of Christ to save the world from annihilation and to defeat the Antichrist and his armies, binding Satan in the Abyss for one thousand years, and the beginning of the Millennium reign of Christ and his people. Just like Revelation tells us … this man, from the moment of his death and confinement to the Abyss, has been waiting to be released. He may not know why he’s in the Abyss or the details of his next assignment; one that God will allow Satan to accomplish through the beast for some 3 ½ years.

It’s a matter of waiting for God to set things in motion. We’re waiting for the Rapture. Satan is waiting for God to release Nero, who will be Satan’s resurrected superman. The waiting began in the first century, and has continued through the ages, one day, one generation at a time. Satan is a mighty (fallen) angel, but he can’t see into the future, and doesn’t have the power to select a man (on the spur of the moment) who needs to be completely qualified and totally ready to assume the role of Antichrist immediately after the Rapture, which (through the ages) Satan has had no idea when it would take place. Just like Satan had to wait to take action when Jesus, the Son of God, was born as a man; so will he need to wait until Messiah’s antithesis is released from the Abyss.

Even if Satan did have the power to instantly choose and groom the right (or is it wrong) man for the job, he will be severely limited in the number of applicants. Why? Because he will need to interview only those who are in the Abyss. And in all of Scripture, there is only one man who comes from, therefore, had to be placed in the Abyss … Guess who? Thus, God actually made it easy for Satan, much easier that deserved. Whenever the Rapture would occur, the man who would be Satan’s messiah was already in place, ready to emerge from the abyss and rise from the sea. Satan, however, has had plenty of time to practice … just google Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Stalin, and Hitler. For that matter, Satan had ample opportunity to train Nero during the fourteen years of Nero’s reign.

Summary

For me, and I trust for many others, the text of Revelation 17 is indisputable. Meaning, how else can the words be understood? After John saw the vision of the beast, the angel told John not to be amazed. Why? Because the angel told John that he would explain the meaning of the beast. Of course, the image of a beast is symbolic, but not the interpretation or meaning. The angel said he would explain the “mystery.” Once a mystery is explained, it’s no longer a mystery. There should be (and is) only one way to comprehend what the angel is telling John.

And what does the angel say? The beast (man) that John had just seen had been alive but was now dead. AND this same man would “reappear” from the Abyss. AND, the reappearance of the beast would stun the world, but only those who belong to the world (meaning those who would eventually take the mark of the beast and seal their eternal fate) would be amazed at the return of the beast, “who had died.” There are other passages in Scripture that accurately refit the prophetic puzzle and confirm that Nero is the Antichrist, but none of them will be of much significance unless we fully realize that the Antichrist had already died even before the book of Revelation was written, and that he would reappear at the onset of the Tribulation. And this astonishing return will irresistibly seize the attention and eventually the allegiance of so many of those left behind.

Next week’s article will discuss the infamous number of the Antichrist.

Things to Ponder
– In my book, Out of the Abyss, I refer to Enoch and Elijah as examples of men who were removed from the earth without dying. Then a strong case is made that Moses was revived (shortly after his death) and will return with Elijah as the two witnesses of Revelation Chapter 11. These examples were utilized to confirm the premise that after Nero’s death, he was revived by Jesus and dumped in the Abyss, body intact. What other historical precedents in the Bible do we have to illustrate that a person can die but then return to life for a period of time?
– Do you see the value of looking through the lens of first century Christians to better understand that Christ and Antichrist had to be at least generational contemporaries? Nero was born just 3-4 years after Jesus ascended to heaven. Yet, the most important thing to grasp is that the Antichrist comes from the Abyss, which means that he first was sent to the Abyss. Christ could have returned at any time, but before he could have returned in the 1st (or 2nd, 3rd, so on) century, the beast would have already been confined to the Abyss. Otherwise, the prophetic sequence of events as depicted in Daniel and Revelation is all wrong. Right?

IS THE ANTICHRIST ALIVE TODAY?

(Second article in a series based on the book, Out of the Abyss … can the number of the beast be solved, 666?)

One of the most captivating verses found in the book of Revelation (and there are a lot of such verses) has been frequently overlooked, minimized, and sometimes even ignored. Why has one of the most astounding visions of John as recorded in the “Revelations from Jesus Christ” been, for all practical purposes, swept under the prophetic carpet? Especially when it is one of only two visions in Revelation where the messenger actually explains the mystery of the vision to John; yet, the enlightenment has been relegated to virtual obscurity by many students of prophecy.

Anything labeled a mystery in Scripture is a yet undisclosed secret that can’t be understood until/unless it’s revealed; and then explained by God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit through a prophet or apostle, or by an angel. However, once revealed, it’s no longer a mystery … the listener or reader can now comprehend the meaning; although it may take a pretty good dose of wisdom.

The answer to why this passage (two verses) has been inadvertently and sometimes deliberately brushed aside comes in the form of a barricade, an obstacle that is almost too huge to overcome. And that barrier can be described in just a few words: The Antichrist must be a modern-day man. Reasonable, of course. Logical, yes. Correct, no! Although there are other vital component parts of Scripture in order to understand from where the Antichrist originates and, therefore, his identity, the best starting point in this journey is the passage that has been unfortunately demoted in its significance. We ended last week’s article with this very passage. Here it is again:

“Why are you so amazed?” the angel asked. “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits. The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to the world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died” (Revelation 17:7-8, words in italics for emphasis).

*Note: if you have a little extra time, see if you can find the other mystery revealed in Revelation. Hint: it was revealed directly by Jesus, rather than one of the angels.

If anyone, from an ardent student of Bible prophecy to someone who only has a casual interest, isn’t willing to objectively examine, reexamine, then scrutinize these verses again, then most likely they will also experience much difficulty with other significant passages dealing with the Antichrist (such as Daniel Chapters 7 & 9, II Thessalonians Chapter 2, Revelation Chapter 13, and the remainder of Revelation Chapter 17).

Saying it another way: To hold tightly to the notion that the Antichrist is or must be a man born in the last generation that experiences the Rapture is tantamount to saying that Revelation 17:8, the following verses of Revelation 17, and several other companion passages such as Revelation 13, have virtually no bearing on or relevance to the Antichrist; which, of course, is absurd. I don’t mean to be or sound too harsh; in fact, if you’ve read my book, Out of the Abyss, you’ll see that my objective was not to correct the mainstream prophetic profile of the Antichrist just for the sake of correction. Rather, I wrote “outside of the box” with the intention of showing that most of the prophetic puzzle had, indeed, been skillfully assembled by so many (well-known) students/teachers of prophecy. But, that a few pieces had been mistakenly fitted … those pieces dealing with the Antichrist. Then for the reader to decide which was the better fit.

The Incredible Impact of Revelation 17:8

As stated in my book, it was just the first ten words of Revelation 17:8 that shook me with the seismological force of a 9.0 (spiritual) earthquake. “The beast you saw was once alive, but isn’t now….” (New Living Translation). In the New American Standard we read, “The beast that you saw was, and is not….” The King James Version reads very similar to NAS. The Complete Jewish Bible reads, “The beast you saw once was, now is not….”

These astonishing words—once was alive, but isn’t now—launched the angel’s unraveling of the mystery of the scarlet beast and the woman who sat on the beast that John had just witnessed. The vision was over, and now the angel is explaining to John what he had just seen, by starting with a brief, but earth-shaking, biography of the beast.

Thus, it’s crucially imperative that we see the absolute certainty of what’s going on in this passage.
– The vision itself was seen in the present tense/time by John on the Sabbath day, from the island of Patmos.
– To make certain that John and, therefore, his readers, fully understood the biographical and biological status of the life and existence of this beast (man), the angel carefully begins by telling John that this beast—who we know is the Antichrist—had once been alive (on the earth), but was no longer alive.

LET’S STOP HERE!

To bolster what you’ve just read, permit me to quote an excerpt from Out of the Abyss, found on pages 115-116. “At the time of the vision, the beast is past tense, ‘was once alive but isn’t now.’” Then, “The implication is staggering. To restate the problem: I and many others have missed the monumental relevance of the past, present, and future tense existence of this beast.” And finally, “And so, to repeat: The beast (Antichrist) that John observed had once been alive but was no longer alive; the beast had already died when John saw the vision.”

Now, I’m going to ask that you, and hopefully many others, will take pause and ponder the stunning implication of this passage. Is there any doubt what you just read, and what the text is saying? Do the words convey a clear picture of the “status” of the beast when John saw it in the vision; thereby, disclosing an irrefutable certainty that this beast had already been born, had already lived on the earth, and had already died? If not, then what other explanation might there be? Do the words in this verse allow for certainty in the comprehension of what the angel is telling John; or at best, can we only speculate what they might mean?

What are the words saying to you?

To further assist in the understanding of what’s transpiring in this vision and in the ensuing explanation by the angel, keep in mind that the scarlet beast itself is a symbolic image of a man, as subsequently and distinctly explained in this chapter. However, the words used by the angel to reveal the meaning of the imagery are NOT symbolic in any way. A fundamental rule of literature: You don’t explain symbolism with symbolism. Rather, the angel’s description is simply a matter-of-fact announcement that the beast is a man (the angel uses the masculine pronoun “he” … will come up out of the bottomless pit) and that this man was (past tense) once alive, but isn’t now (present tense at the very moment that the angel is explaining the vision to John).

How Then Can the Beast possibly be a Modern-Day Man?

As said, it’s a gigantic obstacle to overcome, meaning to somehow wrap your mind around a more supernatural explanation as to where the Antichrist comes from and who he is; rather than the natural view of a man born and raised in the final generation of the Rapture and Tribulation.

Admittedly, I still shake my head in wonder when I think about it. BUT IT’S TRUE! Because that’s precisely what Revelation 17:7-8 is telling us. And, because I’m convinced that the text is so overwhelmingly clear, I would issue a (gentle) challenge to anyone, including the most perceptive student of prophecy: What other explanation is there except the plain meaning that this man (Antichrist) had already died before—not during and not after—John saw the vision of the beast?

Normally we shouldn’t belabor any given point we want to emphasize. But I’m going to make an exception to that rule by referring to another section from Out of the Abyss. As amazing as it may seem—an evil man who died (long ago) but who will return from the Abyss (Rev. 17:8)—guess what the angel told John just before unfolding this mystery to John? The angel said, “Why are you so amazed?” Meaning that Jesus (via the angel) wanted John to view this vision as matter-of-fact certainty; one that makes perfect sense when placed in the context of all revelations prior to this vision, as found in previous chapters of Revelation, as well other books of the Bible (like Daniel) that preceded this specific revelation. And now, a certainty even for our generation, by comparing all these passages with a working knowledge of first century history.

Here is the excerpt from Out of the Abyss (page 271): “There is no question; the meaning of the verse is as irrefutable as anything can be. The beast had already died before John received this revelation. How else can the passage be understood? Is there any other way to see or read this verse? If some can’t let go of a contemporary Antichrist, then what will they do with this verse … and all the other passages that help refit the prophetic puzzle?

“John didn’t see the vision in the future; he saw it in the present—that hour of that day. The beast is past tense … no longer alive when John saw the vision. The beast isn’t born and doesn’t die in the future; he’s already dead. When will the beast become future tense? Correct: When he reappears from the Abyss. At the beginning of the Tribulation, the world will be amazed at the reappearance of the beast that had died. Will the beast die during the Tribulation? No, he died even before John saw him from Patmos.”

Summary

Here’s one way possible reaction to what the Lord wants us to grasp as the plain meaning of this text: “Oh, okay. I get it. I’m amazed, but I why should I be amazed. Because he arose from the dead, Jesus Christ, our true Messiah, will return one day. Why not his counterfeit, anti-Christ counterpart also reappearing?” That’s what Revelation 17:8 tells us, “he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit … and the people who belong to this world … will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died.”

In our next article, we will talk about the reappearance of the beast. I will also state his name for the first time. Of course, those who’ve read Out of the Abyss already know his identity!

Things to Ponder
– I know it’s hard to let go of the more natural and logical idea that the Antichrist will be a modern-day man. And there are a few other key Bible passages that are thoroughly treated in Out of the Abyss, with each passage strong enough to stand alone in support of what is now a historical figure identified as Antichrist. Do you see, however, the impact of Revelation 17: 7-8 as a starting point that that could lead to a complete revision of who the Antichrist is and where he comes from?
– Aside from being Biblically incorrect as to the potential identity of a modern-day Antichrist, is there any adverse effect or, perhaps, embarrassment in characterizing a world leader, such as the President of the United States, as the future Antichrist?
– Is there, in fact, any other way to apply or interpret the words of Revelation 17: 7-8? I ask this because before, during, and after the research and writing of Out of the Abyss, I was my own strongest critic. Meaning, I constantly challenged the accuracy of this disclosure given to me, i.e. that the beast of Revelation was a ruler who had died even before Revelation was written, but who would return as a ruler once again. Yet, through the entire project of Out of the Abyss, these verses and all the other passages continued to fit perfectly into the puzzle, which eventually silenced my harshest critic … me!

Will the Antichrist Actually be a Modern-Day Man?

(First article in a series based on the book, Out of the Abyss…can the number of the beast be solved, 666?)

“While there is still great debate in the prophetic community…”

This is a partial quote taken from a recent website article, but it really doesn’t matter which website or who said it. I don’t need to identify the source or specify the subject matter (context of the statement) because I’m using it exclusively in a representative, generic, all-purpose fashion to underscore the quandary that has developed over the past several decades in the arena of Biblical prophecy. In general terms that dilemma relates to students of prophecy trying to match one current event after another to Biblical end-time prophecies. Some pieces of the prophetic puzzle fit, some do not fit. Too much speculation over certain Bible prophecies fosters “(unnecessary) debate in the prophetic community.”

Debate isn’t necessarily harmful; unless we try to force Bible prophecy into current events, rather than allowing current events to reasonably match specific prophecies. There is a difference between these two approaches. Or, unless we allow prophetic speculations to become premises that sometimes involve misapplication of key prophecy passages to support those presumptions.

For example: Ever since the idea of a post-Rapture One-World Government, or a Revived Roman Empire, we’ve tried to explain how certain events prove these suppositions. We began with the Common Market that soon reached ten nations, and we said: “See there; that matches the ten kings of Revelation Chapter 17 who will give their allegiance to the Antichrist.” In a few years, the Common Market had more than ten nations; so some turned their attention to the United Nations. And then the European Union, and then the Arab Confederation, as possible candidates to spearhead the One-World Government or Revived Roman Empire. Others says the World Trade Organization might be a better fit as the end-times empire to control the world.

Concerning the man who will lead whichever of the above domains is chosen, some say he will come from a nation within the European Union. Others say he will be a Jew who betrays his people for the sake of power and prestige. And more recently, still others claim that the Antichrist will be an Arab or, at least, a Muslim to rival the 12th Imam theory gaining momentum throughout both the religious and secular world. Over the past centuries, but particularly in the last few decades, many in the Christian community have pointed fingers at several world leaders, suggesting they are or will turn out to be the Antichrist. Some of those leaders are long gone, such as Adolph Hitler.

Are you confused? I don’t blame you. Even though there is “great debate” over the profile of the Antichrist and from where he will originate, at least there’s one common denominator, one thread that most students of prophecy and Christians in general possess. With near unanimous agreement, they believe that this man is alive today patiently waiting for his golden opportunity to rule the world. That he is, therefore, a modern-day Antichrist.

Therein, lies the problem!

Refitting the Prophetic Puzzle

It is time to examine Biblical passages on this man of lawlessness like never before. It is time to return to the prevalent belief among 1st through 5th century believers, who didn’t have to speculate or guess from where Antichrist would originate. They knew! And we, too, can know. It is time to lift up the true Messiah, Jesus Christ, in all we say and do; and to expose the one who would dare to be anti Christ. It is time to set the record straight in the Christian community, because the time is short.

Several prominent students of prophecy (television, radio, internet, articles) have made the following statement or something similar: “If you know or think you know the identity of the Antichrist, then you’ve missed the Rapture!” That assertion is meant to be a polite but firm jab at those who are constantly pointing fingers at contemporary world figures suggesting that this or that leader is or could be the Antichrist. And, the statement is totally correct. But only if you believe that the Antichrist is a modern-day man, born to the generation that will witness the Rapture!

But, of course, the Antichrist would be a contemporary, modern-day man, you say! Logically, what else could he be? What other option is there? Isn’t that the way of things? Haven’t all past and present tyrants originated during the generation that experienced the rise of these dictators?

My answer to these questions is that there is, indeed, another alternative. There is another way this man of lawlessness will explode on a world-wide chaotic scene shortly after the Rapture. It’s a way that the Bible describes with startling clarity, so much so that we can label it a prophetic certainty.

Why is it vital that we accurately refit the prophetic puzzle … that we get it right?

Out of the Abyss

My book, Out of the Abyss, directly and indirectly explains why we need to understand both Old and New Testament prophecies the way that the Christians of the early church understood them, including the identity of the Antichrist!

I will acknowledge, however, that the advance disclosure of this man of lawlessness will have more impact on and importance to those left behind at the Rapture, than for those in today’s society. Still, there are so many the world over who really would like to know (if they could) just who this man might be. Let’s look at significant reasons for and benefits of knowing his identity:
– So that many left behind will not be overwhelmingly amazed at who he is and how he “suddenly” (Daniel 7:8) and “miraculously” (Revelation 13:3-4) appears on the scene. The element of surprise will be greatly diminished for those who recognize that the Bible knew all along who this man would be.
– If, soon after the Rapture, word spreads that there were some Christians who did, in fact, know the identity of the Antichrist before he bolted on the scene, those left behind will, hopefully, search the Scriptures (especially the books of Daniel and Revelation) and fully realize that the Bible had perfectly predicted both the origination point and identity of the Antichrist. Thus, instead of worshipping the Beast out of awe and wonder, some will turn to Jesus Christ, the true Messiah.
– The debate among Christians in general and students of prophecy in particular can be decided now. I’m convinced that the Lord wants us to “get it right.” To “set the record straight.” Revelation Chapter 13 and Chapter 17 (as I address in my book) contain clear challenges and incentives to solve the mystery of the beast and his number. We were meant to know the identity of the Antichrist, just as the early Christians knew.
– If we get it right, then those “who belong to the world” after the Rapture will have no support or credibility should they say things like, “What did those Christians know? See how wrong they were. They had no clue that this man would return from the grave 2000 years after he died” And, perhaps, even more derisively, “So much for those narrow-minded Christians and their Bible predicting the future.”

For such a time as this, the Lord is refitting the prophetic puzzle for us … to match his majestic prophetic tapestry perfectly woven long ago. He is bringing us full circle, by returning us to the insight of the 1st century believers who decoded and declassified the infamous number and name of the beast when they accepted the challenge of Revelation 13:18, “Wisdom is needed here. Let the one with understanding solve the meaning of the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. His number is 666.” But it’s much more than six hundred and sixty-six. It’s correlating all of the companion passages in the Bible on the little horn, ruler, king, man of lawlessness, beast, and Antichrist … all names given to “that man.”

As explained in Out of the Abyss, it all started with a stunning disclosure from the book of Revelation, specifically Chapter 17, verse 8. But there was much more. By the time the project was finished and the book was published, I studied intensively every single verse of Scripture pertaining to the Antichrist as well as an abundance of ancient history, especially 1st century history of the church and of the Roman Empire.

I repeat: “For such a time as this.” I am convinced that the time is very short, the hour is at hand. The winds of war have begun blowing like never before, and the governments of this world will not be able to handle these mighty winds. With the incredible mounting tension of nations undergoing intense turmoil and strife, something’s got to give … just as it did before the outbreak of World War I and World War II.

Some might say, “There have always been winds of war. What makes the current gusts any different from those that caused world wars, or all other wars of the 20th century and before?”

THERE IS A DIFFERENCE

What is that difference? One word: Israel. The prophets of the Old Testament, especially Daniel, Ezekiel, Isaiah, Joel, Zachariah, and some of the Psalms make it crystal clear: The end time series of national and international conflicts that lead to the final battles of Armageddon, focus almost exclusively on Israel in particular and the Middle East in general. And, of course, the book of Revelation presents many more stunning details of the final world-wide upheaval. The World Wars of the 20th century and the innumerable regional conflicts a few decades before and a few decades after (right up to the present time) are the birth pangs that Jesus describes in Matthew Chapter 24. As are the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and volcanic eruptions in the last hundred years or so.

Listen to what the prophet Zechariah says, “This message concerning the fate of Israel came from the Lord: ‘This message is from the Lord, who stretched out the heavens, laid the foundations of the earth, and formed the human spirit. I will make Jerusalem like an intoxicating drink that makes the nearby nations stagger when they send their armies to besiege Jerusalem and Judah. On that day I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock. All the nations will gather against it to try to move it, but they will only hurt themselves’” (Zechariah 12: 1-3).

What is it we see today? We see on-going strife that is radically different from previous clashes around the world, because this conflict centers, almost exclusively, in and around Israel … literally. These current events do fit into Bible prophecy. We are witnessing more than just early birth pangs … we are watching the final contractions which will soon give birth to the world’s child of destruction.

We have observed the Arab Spring that toppled several governments and leaders in the Middle East. We are watching Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims fight to the death in civil clashes, such as Syria and Egypt, and the seemingly never-ending turmoil in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are listening intently to sabre rattling among world powers such as the United States, Russia, China, Iran, Great Britain, France, and Germany. Why are the swords rattling? With the exception of a nuclear-armed Iran, it has little to do with international disputes between those world powers. It has everything to do with what’s happening in the Middle East. All eyes are on Israel!

Moreover, it wouldn’t take much incentive at all for the Sunnis and Shiites, and other Muslim splinter groups such as Al-Qaeda, to immediately quit fighting each other if they thought they could successfully attack and defeat Israel. And they very well may try in the near future. Their unified hatred of Israel is far greater than their animosity toward each other.

I leave you with one Bible passage, the verse by which the Lord captured my attention; that resulted in a stunning refit of the prophetic puzzle as presented in my book, Out of the Abyss. We’ll delve into this passage with more detail in the next article.

“Why are you so amazed?” the angel asked. “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns on which she sits. The beast you saw was once alive but isn’t now. And yet he will soon come up out of the bottomless pit and go to eternal destruction. And the people who belong to the world, whose names were not written in the Book of Life before the world was made, will be amazed at the reappearance of this beast who had died” (Revelation 17:7-8, words in italics for emphasis).

Things to Ponder: Normally I list three items as food for thought. For this article only one:
– Whether you’ve read Out of the Abyss or not, what does this verse mean to you or tell you, especially the italicized words? Narrowing it down a bit, was the beast alive or dead when this specific vision was given to John, the author of Revelation? This exercise question is in preparation for next week’s article; accordingly, you might want or need to delay any comment on this verse until next week’s article.

By the way, the beast of Revelation IS a man, the Antichrist.

We’ll name this beast soon enough in this series of articles.