My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: Hosea 4:6
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TWENTY-SEVEN: GOD'S PEOPLE IN BABYLON
"For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies." Revelation 18:3 "And in her, (Babylon), was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." Revelation 18:24 "I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, (Babylon), my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." Revelation 18:4 If Babylon and Babylon's supporters, all nations of the world, were not opposing God then there would be no need to direct God's people to come out of Babylon. If God's people were not in Babylon then there would be no need to admonish God's people, the Church to come out of Babylon. If these people in Babylon were only professing to be Christians when in fact they were not such as those false Christians whom our Lord Jesus identifies in Mathew 7:22-23 then there would be no need to warn them of the plagues that they will be subjected to if they continue to do Babylon's bidding. Some of God's people are in Babylon participating in Babylon's sins; leading the people of the world away from God and killing God's people. Some of God's people are actually helping Babylon persecute their own brothers and sisters in Christ. "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration." Revelation 17:6 John was astonished at what he saw. What did he see? He saw the Papal and Spanish Inquisitions. He saw men and women who claimed to be Christians; who claimed to be serving Jesus Christ persecuting and killing their brothers and sisters in Christ for the lies of Babylon; the Babylon that existed as the Holy Roman Empire and the kings and queens of Europe during the middle ages. He saw the coming inquisition in which men and women who claim to be Christian who claim to be serving Jesus Christ will be persecuting and killing their brothers and sisters in Christ for the lies of Babylon; the United Nations of the world. Babylon will be reigning the same time that the Antichrist is ruling: Satan gives the beast, (the Antichrist), authority to rule the world with great power for 42 months. Revelation 13:2-7 The beast, (the Antichrist), gives power to ten kings to rule with him for one hour, the last hour of the Antichrist's reign for they will fight against Jesus Christ when Jesus returns. Revelation 17:12-14 At some point during this "one hour" reign of these ten kings and before the return of Jesus these ten Kings will destroy Babylon. Revelation 17:16 The Antichrist will create an alliance with these ten powerful kings who will serve the Antichrist. Revelation 17:17 The United Nations' world government/religion/economy, (Babylon) will be destroyed toward the end of the Antichrist's reign by these ten powerful kings. Revelation 17:16 God will put it into the hearts of these ten kings to destroy Babylon, the one world false theocracy. Revelation 17:17 "Evil will slay the wicked;" Psalm 34:21 Babylon will be in existence at the latter portion of the Antichrist's reign. Whoever is serving Babylon when the wrath of God is dispensed will share in the sins and plagues of Babylon. Revelation 18:4. The implication is that some of God's people will be in Babylon when Babylon is destroyed by the ten kings. Babylon Destroyed After God's Wrath Poured Out: We know that the Antichrist's kingdom and the nations of the world are still functioning on some level after the last plague of God's wrath is poured out, for it is after the last plague that the Antichrist and all of the kings of the earth go to war against Israel and against Jesus as Jesus returns. Revelation 16:17-21 and Revelation 19:19 While the final plague of God's wrath is unleashed on the world and the Antichrist's kingdom God remembers Babylon, He remembers to give her the wrath due her. Revelation 16:17-21 Babylon is still standing after the final plague of God's wrath is poured out on the world and the Antichrist's kingdom. Then God inspires the ten kings allied to the Antichrist destroy Babylon. Revelation 17 and 18 Despite all of the calamities of God's judgement upon the world not only will Babylon be standing but the nations of the world will be functioning as well. Then when Babylon is destroyed the nations will no longer be able to function as they did and will completely surrender to the dictatorship of the Antichrist, joining with the Antichrist to fight Jesus Christ. Revelation 18:9-11 Just like Pharaoh, (Antichrist), and Egypt, (the world), existed after the wrath of God was dispensed upon them so too will the Antichrist and the world's rebellious government/religious/economic system. Just as the Pharaoh and Egypt attacked God's people, God, after God's wrath had been dispensed upon Pharaoh and Egypt so too will the Antichrist and the nations of the world attach God's people, and God when Jesus Christ returns with the saints. 42 MONTH RULE OF ANTICHRIST: If Daniel 9:27 refers 100 percent to the Antichrist, then he will be ruling from a position of great power for at east 7 years and more than likely longer than that. Daniel 9:27 does not say that the Antichrist only rules for 7 years or for only 31/2 years. "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week, (7 years),: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease..." Daniel 9:27 Daniel 9:27 does not say that the Antichrist confirms a 7 year covenant, it says he will confirm a covenant with "many" for 7 years. In the middle of this seven year period he will cause the sacrifices and offering being made at the rebuilt temple to cease. The Antichrist will receive increased power and authority from Satan when he sets himself up in the temple of God proclaiming himself to be God. This increased power and authority will last for 42 months, (31/2 years). 2 Thessalonians 2:4 During this 42 month reign the Antichrist will be persecuting Christians. Christians will be present during the Antichrist's 42 month reign. " And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time." Daniel 7:25 "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months." Revelation 13:3-5 "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." Revelation 13:7 "But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.........And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." Revelation 11:2-3 & 7 SATAN WORKING THROUGH THE ANTICHRIST WILL KILL THE TWO WITNESSES. THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE RULING WHEN HE KILLS THE TWO PROPHETS. "And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days....And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.....And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." Revelation 12:6, 13-14 & 17 The above scripture provides credence to those who posit the theory that the Church will remain on earth while God's wrath is poured out on the world and the Antichrist's kingdom. The Antichrist rules the world persecuting God's people for 42 months. The wrath of God must be poured out on the world and the Antichrist's kingdom before the end of the 42 months. God did not need to rapture, remove, His children from the earth when he destroyed all of mankind by the flood. God provided a sanctuary for Noah and his family in the Ark protected from God's wrath until it passed. Genesis 7:6-24 A second time God's wrath rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah, both representatives of the world, hence the reason why lot's wife perished for looking back at the world desiring and loving the world more than God. Genesis 19:26 God did not rapture Lot and his family out of the world, God provided a safe location in the mountains, even another town for Lot and his family to escape from the wrath of God. It shows that God's wrath can be directed with laser guided precision, in fact even better than the military's current smart bombs and missiles. Lot, Sodom and Gomorrah are probably the best illustration of God's wrath that is to come upon the world. God is telling us, his children to flee Babylon, to go into the wilderness to be protected from not only the attach of Satan and the Antichrist, but also to avoid God's wrath that will fall on Babylon, the world and the Antichrist's kingdom. Most Pretribulationists believe that the woman in Revelation 12 is Israel and that the place of protection in the wilderness is Petra. http://the-end-time.blogspot.com/2010/07/petra-jordan-and-gods-mighty-love.html http://ldolphin.org/kingdom/ch11.html http://www.cogwriter.com/place.htm http://www.gotquestions.org/Revelation-chapter-12.html http://www.bibleguidance.co.za/Engarticles/Petracity.htm http://endtimepilgrim.org/refuge.htm http://biblequicknotes.com/files/present/hallindsey1.pdf http://biblequicknotes.com/files/present/hallindsey2.pdf Pretribulationists acknowledge that the God's elect among the Jews will ride it out on earth during the Great Tribulation, during the outpouring of God's wrath upon Babylon, the world and the Antichrist and that they will be protected from God's wrath if they flee to the sanctuary provided for them in the mountains, the wilderness. “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again." Mathew 24:15-21 This event could not have happened when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in the first and second centuries for the greatest distress in the world's history did not happen then and has yet to happen. "And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." Genesis 19:17 It is clear that there is a correlation between Revelation 12:14 and Mathew 24:16. The question is, does the woman in Revelation 12 only pertain to the remaining Jews or the Jesus believing Jews or does it she represent the Church or does she represent all the faithful before the cross and after the cross? It becomes clarified when we ask ourselves this question, "would God provide nourishment, sanctuary and protection for only believing Jews and not believing Gentiles? We know that the Jews living at the end of the tribulation come to put their faith in Jesus, thus, they become Christians, members of of the body of Christ. We also know that thousands upon thousands of gentiles will put their faith in Jesus Christ during the tribulation becoming members of the Church, the body of Christ. Believing Jews and Believing Gentises are the same in Christ. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28 Believers are referred to as the bride of Christ. This woman is representative all people from Adam to the last person yet to be born who put their faith in God, in Jesus Christ. Hebrews 11 This is verified by Abraham longing to see the salvation provided by Jesus. "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." John 8:56 Would God provide nourishment, sanctuary and protection for only believing Jews and not believing Gentiles? Of course not for there is no distinction between believing Jew and believing Gentile in God's estimation. Thus, the prevalent teaching about the identity of the woman in Revelation 12 as being solely Israel cannot be true. God will protect a good portion of the Church during the tribulation. And if it be the case, during the outpouring of His wrath on the world. Some are destined to give a testimony in the face of trial. Revelation 12:17, Hebrews 10:39, Revelation 12:11 and Revelation 20:4 This is why Jesus tells us to pray that we might escape these things. Escape where, the wilderness. "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man." Luke 21:36 "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." Revelation 3:10
Egypt; representative of Babylon, the Antichrist and the world was subjected to God's wrath while the Hebrews living in Goshen were protected from God's wrath. After God's wrath was poured out, the Egyptians sought to destroy God's people, the people by which God would enter the world, and then God destroyed Pharaoh and Egypt, representatives of the Antichrist and the world in the Red Sea. After God's wrath is poured out on the world and the Antichrist's kingdom, the Antichrist and the world will seek to destroy Israel and those who are left of God's people in one last battle that will culminate with Jesus coming and destroying the Antichrist and the world like He did to Pharaoh and Egypt. |
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