Who He is

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ancient, daniel, fire, hebrews, Jesus, John, son of man, spirit

Rev 22:6  And he said unto me, These words are faithful and true: and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angels to show unto his servants the things which must shortly come to pass.

Rev 22:7  And behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the words of the prophecy of this book.

To keep these words, to keep them within Holy Writ is one aspect and to obey them is another. In the letters to the churches there is much said about spiritual conditions and what He expects of His own. It is also keeping to read this book and to pray about its content regularly especially in light of things as they are today.

Rev 22:8  And I John am he that heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel that showed me these things.

Rev 22:9  And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren the prophets, and with them that keep the words of this book: worship God.

Rev 22:10  And he saith unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:11  He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still: and he that is filthy, let him be made filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him do righteousness still: and he that is holy, let him be made holy still.

In Daniel we read at the end of it these words.

Dan 12:4  But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Now we read that John is NOT to seal this book.  We have through this study seen the intertwining of both Daniel and Revelation. We also know that time is different between us and God.

2Pe 3:8  But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

He may perhaps come on the Third Day but for us from the time of His ascension it would pass as at least three thousand years.  In this time the growth of souls added to the church has been great but here at the twenty first century the great falling away has been in some swing for some time.  For indeed you cannot love the “world system” and love the LAMB. They are incompatible.

Rev 22:12  Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is.

This statement is the benchmark of God’s thought.  In the Old and New Testaments He says this.

Isa 59:18  According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense.

Jer 25:14  For many nations and great kings shall make bondmen of them, even of them; and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the work of their hands.

In the New Testament He says:

Rom 2:6  who will render to every man according to his works:

Rom 2:7  to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:

Rom 2:8  but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation,

Rom 2:9  tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek;

Rom 2:10  but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek:

Rom 2:11  for there is no respect of persons with God.

In light of this statement we all ought to be considering our ways and whether or not we have put Christ and His Kingdom and righteousness first and lived in accordance with His will or not.  Now is the hour to make things right.

Rev 22:13  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

Rev 22:14  Blessed are they that wash their robes, that they may have the right to come to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.

This washing of the robes is not only in martyrdom but in the Blood of Jesus in salvation and obedience to His will and trusting for the end redemption of the body and the life.

Rev 22:15  Without are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and every one that loveth and maketh a lie.

Notice that the presence of sin has not left.  But we are in the city and they are not and are not allowed.  Now I have no answer for this.  However we see that He removes us from the dominion of sin and removes from us the ravages and stains of sins, in our hearts and minds that have been renewed by the washing of water with the Word and finally our bodies are redeemed and we are removed from the presence of sin entirely.  But without that place where God chooses to have a sinless environ, sin remains, or so it would seem.

Rev 22:16  I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things for the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright, the morning star.

All through this book we have seen the various aspects of Who Jesus is.   This is a direct correlation to Isaiah.  Isa 11:10  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.

 

Rev 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take the water of life freely.

Rev 22:18  I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book:

Rev 22:19  and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.

This is a warning to the scribes.  In this time letters like these were copied over and over again and this solemn warning ensures the entirety of the document and its contents.  But in keeping to this, I am doing my best to cover the whole book in these blogs.   I would recommend others that take on this book observe to do so as well.

Rev 22:20  He who testifieth these things saith, Yea: I come quickly. Amen: come, Lord Jesus.

Rev 22:21  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. Amen.

Now I had decided it best to finish in this manner by wrapping around from the closing of the book back to its opening.  Because we see Jesus and who He is in both parts.

Rev 1:1  The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show unto his servants, even the things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John;

Rev 1:2  who bare witness of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, even of all things that he saw.

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Here again is the blessing conferred to those who read and keep what is written as in keeping in mind that this is the last chapter and the culmination of how we come into our inheritance.  In the Gospels so much was said about the inheritance of the Kingdom and we who serve being good servants that we might enter into the Joy of our LORD.  In writing that the time was “at hand” many over the years have considered that the events would take place in a very short few years.  Unfortunately we have missed the point that it is from God’s perspective and not ours that this “time is at hand”.  When Christ entered into time and space as the Word made flesh the End Days countdown began.  Now which is the exact moment of time where in God the Father sets the start point is not known.  It is not to be known for the whole point is the attitudinal change of the heart, and the idea of consistency for the whole of the life lived on this Earth. Because we do NOT know the exact day we must stay vigilant. We do understand that like a thief in the night the time of these events will suddenly come.  Right now this writer is facing financial distresses that have her quite perplexed even somewhat upset. But if I for one moment think this is bad, I must concede that the events to come are far worse than I could ever imagine and people are still alive even in the midst of all that!  But we are to be found serving in obedience to whatever the Lord has us at task doing.  Consider that a thief in the night is not announcing or calling ahead but is sneaking in subtly and quietly with no fanfare.  So then vigilance to watch in the dark is needed if one suspects a thief may come. Moreover as I have mentioned earlier what is but one day to God is one thousand years to us.  So for God shortly is just that… shortly, but for us the generations drag on by.  We lose sight of it and should long for the day of our inheritance to come.  This is the blessing of reading this book.  It reminds us that He will come again and He will remember us and the PROMISE of the Glorification of the body and resurrection of the dead will come.  The blessing is the strengthening of hope and the relighting of a fire to do His will while we yet live.

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from him who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits that are before his throne;

Rev 1:5  and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and loosed us from our sins by his blood;

Rev 1:6  and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 1:7  Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.

Here we see evidence of the Trinity.  The Seven Spirits before God are also spoken of in Isaiah by name.

Isa 11:2  And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.

Each of these is the aspect of the Holy Spirit who is apparently seen as seven spirits before God.  We know that things in heaven are not the same as on Earth.

We have the mention of the Father whose priests the Son has made us to be.  Also we see in this book what Paul talked about in His epistles that Jesus would come again with the clouds.

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first;

1Th 4:17  then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Rev 1:8  I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Rev 1:9  I John, your brother and partaker with you in tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Here is the story as it unfolds as to how John the Apostle acquires the vision.  Note that this is the only vision that is actually accepted in the New Testament as part of the Canon of Scripture. Based on the long standing understanding of the works of the Prophets of the Old Testament this book was allowed to remain within canon to this day.

Rev 1:10  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet

Note that it came in the time of worship.  John was in worship …. In the Spirit on the Day the Lord set aside for worship.

Rev 1:11  saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Rev 1:12  And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And having turned I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Rev 1:13  and in the midst of the candlesticks one like unto a son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the breasts with a golden girdle.

Rev 1:14  And his head and his hair were white as white wool, white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

Rev 1:15  and his feet like unto burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters.

(This is still talking about one person and that is Jesus.)

Rev 1:16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Rev 1:17  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as one dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying, Fear not; I am the first and the last,

Rev 1:18  and the Living one; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Rev 1:19  Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter;

Rev 1:20  the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.

This is the revelation of Jesus as He is now.  In all this time He is still in this manner and we find evidence of it in Daniel. But this may not be the same person.

Dan 7:9  I beheld till thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire.

Dan 7:10  A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

This is not Jesus but The Father.  This is the great white throne judgment of the dead in sin. We found this in the twentieth chapter of Revelation.

But this is the LAMB

Dan 7:13  I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Dan 7:14  And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

I am struck by that the Ancient of Days in Daniel has the same look as the “one like unto a son of man” does in John’s revelation.

How is this possible?   I am immediately drawn to Jesus and Hebrews.

When asked to see the Father what did Jesus say? Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and dost thou not know me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; how sayest thou, Show us the Father?

In Hebrews of Jesus it says: Heb 1:3  who being the effulgence of his glory, and the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had made purification of sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

In this book we see the Revelation of Jesus as Lord of the Church as Lord of Lords as the King of the Kings of the Earth. He who will come and repay the evil that has been done to His own, Himself.  We see the pattern through which it will take place.  We see that He is control of every part of this and should in our personal lives, as this writer is struggling to do right now, that He is ultimately in control of our lives as we yield to and listen to and obey Him, He will lead us.  We will live and not die.

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Timing Part Two

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Babylon, Cambyses II, daniel, Ezra, God, israel, Jeremiah, Jerusalem, Ken Raggio, Nehemiah

Let’s look at Jeremiah then.
 Jer 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Jer 25:12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith Jehovah, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate forever. 

This is a key: “seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon” The timing of this prophecy should be from the move of Nebuchadnezzar on Israel and its captivity date to the fall of Babylon under Belshazzar the son of Nabonidus a soldier under Nebuchadnezzar. Or it could also be the time of the madness of Nebuchadnezzar which was a direct punishment from God. So let’s look at this math. Scholars date the sacking of Israel for this Diaspora anywhere from 597 to 587 to 582 BC. Nebuchadnezzar rules from 605 – 562 BC But there is a window of time where he went insane and was not on the throne. Now Wikipedia reports that in 597 Jerusalem’s king was deposed by Babylon for revolting and non-payment of “tribute” But the date set for the burning of the first Temple and deportation of the inhabitants of Judea is 587 BC, it is possible that it took five years to go through all this procedure to the King’s satisfaction. (Possibly with 582 as a completion date) In the first year of Cyrus’s rule in 538 BC Ezra was sent with Jews to begin to re-establish Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. But Ezra was tasked by God to get the protective walls up. 522 BC is when Cambyses II, the son of Cyrus died and Darius one of his officers took over quelling various revolts that had arisen at the time of Cambyses II death. It will be in the second year of this reign that Darius sends word to confirm Royal decree to stop those petty officials that were hampering the progress of Ezra’s work. I can’t find an exact date for this edict but in a time of revolutions the successor had to be quick to establish himself. So it is likely 520 BC before Darius makes this confirmation. Apparently the Temple was done in anywhere from 518 to 517 BC. If you take the date of the actual destruction of Temple at 587 BC until its dedication using the 517 BC date you have an exact 70 year lapse. THAT is Jeremiah’s prophesy but NOT Daniel’s. We know this because of the language. Jeremiah and 2 Chronicles use the word shanneh which is the feminine form of shannah as is Rosh Ha Shannah or Head of (the) Year. Jeremiah is referring to actual years. And it was so. (Selah)

Daniel is not speaking about the rebuild of the Temple but the coming of a time when a savior will come or when the iniquity and such will be finished. That language can only be fulfilled in Messiah. So now we are back to the seventy sevens or Sabbaths. In Dan 9:25-26 we see the word week. This is Shabua or Seventh. Strongs indicates that it pertains to a Seventh portion of time, in this case of years. Thus we have a seventh(ing) of years. It isn’t too difficult to see now why so many books are written on the subject. (OY VAY!)
Once again with understanding, I hope, Daniel “Dan 9:25 Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the anointed one, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26 And after the threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and even unto the end shall be war; desolations are determined.
Here is the key: the time the clock starts counting… from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem…. NOT the Temple! That’s the key! Jeremiah spoke of a Sabbatical land rest from the time of captivity to the dedication of the Temple but Daniel is not talking about the Temple. Cyrus issues his edict in 538 which punches the timer. Now we will have seven weeks of years or forty nine years… but this is sevenths so they are sabbatical years… that’s seven times seventy or four hundred and ninety years. Ok that’s not to bad certainly there will be this whole time passing till…the Temple is rebuilt with a moat in troublous times… (????) Now here is where things get confusing. We have already established that it was an actual 70 years to the rebuild of Temple number two. So what Temple is this? Some say, it is number three. They were not in captivity for 490 years… only 70. So what happens in 490 years after the edict of Cyrus? Some say the Crucifixion. Does that work? First off, scholars conclude for the most part that there is a four year lapse in the Hebrew and Roman calendars for the BC/AD year one. This apparently puts the Nativity at 4 BC. Ok, it says that Jesus was around 30 years of age when the famous baptism of the Jordan took place so we will do a simple 30 year march forward from 4 BC. The year is 26 AD and a nondescript Jewish male approaches a prophet on the Jordan river in the Judean area and is baptized. Forty days and much business later he is beginning that all famous public ministry by gathering disciples in Capernaum. I will punch in for a simple 3 years. Now the date is 29 AD and this same no descript Rabbi is hanging on a cross amid much controversy. A sign reads “King of the Jews”. The Jews don’t like the sign. Too bad they don’t understand who it is that is taking the wrath and curse for their sins and iniquities thus ending them, in that sense. Now let’s go back 490 years from 29 AD. (if I do this on a calculator I get an -461) Here’s an oddity, as I fully expect to have some error in my simple calculations I find this date falls in another edict.
Neh 2:1 And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, when wine was before him, that I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
Neh 2:2 And the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid.
Neh 2:3 And I said unto the king, Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?
Neh 2:4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Neh 2:5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.
Neh 2:6 And the king said unto me (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.
But we have a major discrepancy don’t we? This edict has passed as it was issued in 445-444 BC. But I did my simple math based on 490 years, seventy sevens of time. There’s an addition here. 62 weeks or Sabbaths of time will have passed until the Prince is “cut off”. Those in the know say this refers to the crucifixion. So now let’s adjust the time line here… I am overshot to 461 BC. This is a combination of weeks here. One set is 62 weeks and added to it is seven weeks for a total of 69. 69 times 7 is 483. Four hundred and eighty three years is the new target time. Going from 29 AD and subtracting 468 we arrive at 439 BC.

Now I expected there to be some error but this is very close indeed to Nehemiah. What we have is a five year offset from my arrival to the earliest sending at 444 BC. You see Jeremiah’s prophecy is NOT Daniel’s. They hinge off each other because they involve the Kings past Babylon but they are not one and the same. So with wiggle room the math does work. I am also using a simple math here not a actual calendar thing. Here is someone who did. http://kenraggio.com/KRPN-Daniels-Seventy-Weeks.html‘
Daniel Foresaw And Accurately
Pre-Dated Jesus’ Crucifixion
Knowing that I may be accused of error, I nevertheless take the simplest argument, that in seeing Messiah “cut off,” the prophet Daniel foresaw the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

By holding to that definition, I know that I am in conflict with the teachings of “Jehovah’s Witnesses,” “Seventh-Day Adventists,” historicists, preterists, amillenialists, Jewish Orthodoxy, and other interpretations.

That Messiah being “cut off” infers the crucifixion of Jesus is obviated by the simple fact that there is a reliably calculated span of 483 years between the story of Nehemiah in Artexerxes’ court (found in Nehemiah 2) and the actual death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That perfectly fulfills Daniel’s prophecy of the first 69 weeks.

I am also aware that there are countless other arguments pertaining to the reliability of ancient calendars: irregularities in profane history, discrepancies between Roman and Jewish calendars, solar-cycle versus lunar-cycle calculations, ad infinitum. All too often, the seeker of truth is left paralyzed by the flood of arguments from contentious “scholars.”

Still, we must refuse to be bamboozled by the multitude of opinions. I believe that Daniel foresaw the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and I believe the calculations pertaining to that fulfillment are just as reliable and believable as any other argument that has been set forth.

We cannot afford to overlook the glorious reality of fulfilled prophecies because of some who are “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith,” 2 Timothy 3:7-8.

According to Daniel’s statement, the entire 69 weeks ENDS with the CRUCIFIXION of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we can BACK-DATE the prophecy from CALVARY.

We can calculate backwards from the generally accepted date of Jesus’ death – in approximately 30-32 AD. (Most scholars believe the Roman calendar has a four-year error, placing the birth of Jesus Christ in 4BC.) Again, we must not be put off by endless disputes over so-called inaccuracies in calendars.

SIXTY NINE WEEKS (483 Years) had to be fulfilled before Jesus’ crucifixion to fulfill this prophecy.

If we BACK-DATE the calendar 483 years from 30 AD, we arrive at 453 BC.

However, THAT DATE (453 BC) would be calculated on Solar-based Julian calendar years, consisting of 365.3 days, as given to us by the Roman Catholic Church.

If, on another hand, we calculated BACKWARD from Jesus’ death, using a Lunar-based Hebrew Calendar (360 days per year), such as was used throughout the Bible, we would arrive in about 445 BC.

The Commandment To Build
445 BC – “The Going Forth Of the Commandment …To Build Jerusalem.”

Nehemiah the Jew was serving as the king’s cupbearer, in the household of Artaxerxes (465 BC to 424 BC), king of Persia, in the palace at Shushan.

“And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence,” Nehemiah 2:1.
For more on this man’s work go to the link above and enjoy. You can see that with even my offset calculations I also arrived in the ball park of time referring to Nehemiah. But here is our conundrum. We only have sixty nine of seventy. So we have one more week and this is what gives us that all important seven years. But they don’t show up in Revelation. The only things are time, times and half a time… or 1260 days.

Now I want to throw in a monkey wrench into this.

Dan 12:11 And from the time that the continual burnt-offering shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand and two hundred and ninety days.
Dan 12:12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

Is this dealing with the Maccabean revolt or something else? I ask because there is a time, times and half a time in here which is 1260 and this will refer to Revelation after the last trump.

Dan 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Dan 12:8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my lord, what shall be the issue of these things?
Dan 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end.

1290 days is 30 days more. But 1335 days? That’s a difference of 75 days which is slightly more than three months.
A little about Daniel’s book. Daniel records three sets of events. One set is the things that happen in Babylon while he is there, so in that sense it is a historical book. Then he has these visions and God sends this angel to talk with him, perhaps more than one even. One set of visions has to do with the events leading up to the time of Christ. The great statue of Nebuchadnezzar plays an important role in that is serves as an archetype of kingdoms that countdown to Christ. Then there is another set of statements almost purposefully woven into the first. They tell of a ruler who is not like the preceding kingdoms in the countdown to Christ, and they mention the Ancient of Days and Thrones of Judgment. One could theorize that perhaps Christ’s coming which is to like the Refiner’s Fire and Fuller’s Soap is that image of the Thrones judging but that fails to wash as He came not to judge but to seek and save. Then as the book is closing there is a command to seal up the prophecy. Now the detail of events that Daniel records involves and validates the books of the Maccabees as historical record of what God is up to during the 490 year or so gap of silence and its archaeological corroboration makes for an impressively well recorded piece of work. But these little statements like the last beast in the pantheon of beasts or the Thrones being set up and the horn that became a man and blasphemed God and then the dating of a set period of time. Revelation unlocks the “time, times, and half a time” to 1260 days. We have reference to a covenant made and broken, which some see as Christ making the covenant with Israel and the in death breaking it. Jesus made no such covenant to rule so, that understanding can’t be correct.

Looking back at Revelation 11-14 which seems to be a major focal point for so many things that are occurring on Earth; the witnesses, the woman facing off with the Dragon and giving birth to the man-child and then successfully fleeing to “the place prepared” which is spiritual, the beast rising from the “sea” and the beast rising from the “earth” and the things the “Earthbeast” does to point the world’s affection and cooperation to the “Seabeast” (yes that’s what I am calling them here). All these things happen after the last recorded Trump in Scripture and as I have been saying the last trump is… the last trump. There is also John’s Temple which is later mentioned as demolished and the city of Jerusalem itself pretty much trashed by a massive quake. Jesus does enter into the picture in chapter 14 to pick up 144000 sealed people, from Olivet. They are virgins and they follow the Lamb wherever He goes… but are they Jewish? I don’t know but they are called up to represent twelve tribes so they might be. Considering that the witnesses of Chapter 11 have the power to defend themselves from any form of onslaught and can cause the plagues to Egypt to come upon the planet as often as they choose, (as often as God dictates and to whom and to where He sends them…) perhaps Israel doesn’t need to be secure but to build a Temple there, now that has to be in some sort of armistice truce. Is it possible that a truce happens while the Witnesses are prophesying? It is apparent that multiple things happen during this “time, times and half a time, period. However those things are best reserved for another part.

Timing Part One

Tags

Alexander, Christ, daniel, God, israel, Jeremiah, Jesus, Lord, Nebuchadnezzar, prophecy, Prophecy of Seventy Weeks, seventy, Temple

First off please understand this is not date setting, or my theories on the math of “well if you calculate from this date in antiquity…”, no this is exposing certain scriptures and looking at them. Are we in the last days, according to some, yes. You see when Jesus became flesh the last days began. One must always take into account the already- not yet dynamic. So in many noticeable ways the last days and the Kingdom are now upon us and yet there is the dynamic of the passage of linear time. Unlike the time travelers we can’t just flit through time and space even if Einstein’s theories and those of the men who have built upon him say that it can be done. Happily we don’t have the technology for it either. Add to this the fact that prophecy can repeat itself in pattern application time and again to certain points in history and still apply to the time of the “beasts”. Having said all this lets take another look at Daniel.
The weeks of prophecy:

Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most holy.

To make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness… finish transgression and make an end of sins…. All of these have a peculiar familiarity don’t they? For instance the Hebrew word for reconciliation is Kaphar… one of its definitions is to expiate and another is to cover. That’s the Cross Work of Jesus Christ. This is Atonement for …. Iniquity and the Hebrew word here, Amon, has to do with perversion and that bent toward evil. Humanity can get really fascinated with the dark secretive world of occult. It can applaud the daring do of the really clever thief or even the murderer. But all this is an affront to a Holy God so we have this interior flaw. Iniquity because it is so ingrained in us from the Fall and the Curse, needs to worked out from within by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, but it starts with a need to “cover over” the mess within until there is no more need to be “covered” for the Sanctification is complete. Bringing … Everlasting (Olam) or the vanishing point wherein time goes “out of memory” or is “incalculable”, in other words… Forever. Righteousness or tsedek meaning right, equity, prosperity, justice etc; which is the Crux of Salvation. This is the Plan of long ago which God the Son fulfills in human flesh for all time without end. To finish transgression and make an end of sins… this is further on then Salvation and yet Salvation does exactly this. Yet within the Church transgression still happens and so does sin and iniquity. Why? Because the work is both done and complete and still in progress, the point of the work is the cleansing of the Bride and the Land and God’s People Israel. When the Seventh Trump was sounded we heard a statement: “Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there followed great voices in heaven, and they said, The kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign forever and ever.” Actually it reads that the Kingdom of the world is become of our Lord and His Christ… this is a literal change of possession. What was done in a Spiritual sense from the Cross is completed in the Physical sense. We will see it with the Lady who give birth and the “baby” is caught up. Now after all the dust of the birth and the catching away of the Baby and the Dragon who she faced off with during her great Labor and Delivery not only losing the baby but being defeated in combat with Archangel Michael and his “warrior group” and the Dragon trying to kill the woman, which fails spectacularly, as the dust settles and a furious Dragon finds himself deposed as Prince of the Power of the Air…. There is another statement. It reads: “Rev 12:10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night.
Rev 12:11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.” Now while this is the beginning a massive campaign of persecution against the Believer’s which even makes the Holocaust, or anything more recent to now, pale in comparison, this one line “Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ” completely matches the function of the prophesy of Daniel: “To finish transgression and make an end of sins” because at this point the reality hits. You see the Kingdom of the world was owned by someone… and changed owners. But now the “Power” and the “Kingdom” of the Godhead is established. You see? Therefore in the first place of the seventy weeks, we find the historical data of the second Temple in the time of Zerubabel being built with Joshua as the new high priest. After that we have this countdown that matches the statue of Nebuchadnezzar in that it is a countdown of kingdoms until Christ. We also know it was a “week /year” ratio. Seventy years of time or Ten Sabbath years of fallow time was determined to let the land rest. That was the prophecy: “Jer 25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
Jer 25:12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith Jehovah, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate forever.” The Seventy Years unto the time when the Temple was complete did finally happen.

Dan 9:25 Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the anointed one, the prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: it shall be built again, with street and moat, even in troublous times.
The Anointed one in this instance is Cyrus whose edict sent Israelis home. But we have this curious split of seven years and sixty two years.

Dan 9:26 And after the threescore and two weeks shall the anointed one be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and even unto the end shall be war; desolations are determined.
Dan 9:27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate.
Now what you need to understand is that there is a whole chapter dedicated to explaining these weeks. It has to do Alexander the Great and the rise of the Seleucid Ptolemy wars over Israel and the final person of Antiochus Epiphanies and the reaction of those Jews who felt the desolation of the pig’s blood and the idol that was stood up in the Temple and the Maccabean revolt that got the Temple back… even Channukah. But there is a wider circle here… the second Temple was rebuilt and we have Jesus who is “cut off” in the middle of things. We are finally left with three and a half years.
Some interpretations take this as a cycle of Sabbaths or 490 years.  Some say that from the time of the edict of Cyrus to the rise of one Alexander Yannai, the last Hasmonean high priest who in his brutal rule slaughtered some fifty thousand Pharisees, is the time of the last Anointed One or legal high priest. Others add that the finishing up of the iniquity is the rejection of Christ, to which Jesus does allude that there was to be a “filling up” of the sins of the people, Mat 23:32 “Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.”, though I find this to be quoted out of its context of a real punishing tirade against the leaders of the Temple of His day. Yet there is a sense that this rejection factors into this prophecy.

Assuming that nothing in Scripture is “up for grabs” then I have some grave misgivings about a lot of the interpretations of these texts. You see Scripture MUST be the Source of its own interpretation as wisdom is given by the Holy Spirit. In light of this I will confess to looking online in Wikipedia to find out just what was being said. Jewish thought regards the seventy years as seventy Sabbath cycles. Thus departing from the Seventy year/week idea we look at the possibility at of actual time lapse. First off one must understand that the Old and New Testament fit together as hand in glove or as a right and left glove (matched set). They must be regarded TOGETHER. So to understand the seventy week prophecy which in all fairness if you truly look at it, seventy years is NOT how long the Babylonian Diaspora was, one must look at the starting point and understand the Torah or Mosaic Law. This is the law of Sabbath (Shabbat) Lev 25:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto Jehovah.
Lev 25:3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruits thereof;
Lev 25:4 but in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath unto Jehovah: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
Lev 25:5 That which groweth of itself of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, and the grapes of thy undressed vine thou shalt not gather: it shall be a year of solemn rest for the land.
The “bumper crop” of the previous year would last and the land would “go to seed” for one year. I won’t pretend to understand how the complexities of a farming system and cattle management if the land is to truly “lay fallow”, but the point is the observance of a marked out year. Now then, the math goes something like this: Seventy times seven equaling four hundred and ninety years, will be marked out and the land will enjoy its Shabbats.
However this is the prophecy as it is recorded in 2 Chronicles. 2Ch 36:21 to fulfil the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths: for as long as it lay desolate it kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years. The words here are precise. Seventy literal years of fallow time for the land, not seventy cycles of years. But Daniel records….Dan 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Something has to give…   More in the next section.

The Rise of the Beasts.

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Alexander, beast, breath, buy. sell, daniel, devil, dragon, image, Jesus, LAMB, mark

Rev 13:1  And he stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns, and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy.

In Rev 12:7-9 we see this: Rev 12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels;

Rev 12:8  And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.

Rev 12:9  And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him.

We have heard the declaration about salvation. There might also be a declaration of how he is overcome but listen to this last: Rev 12:12  Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time.

Woe for or to the Earth and Sea…  this is a very ticked off Dragon/Devil/Serpent of Old/antichrist. This is not a benevolent dictator although he/she/it will most certainly play the part with consummate perfection.  For it is true that if you want votes you not only have to make promises you fulfill but you also have to win the hearts of the masses over.  As to the head wound, looks like some lucky angel maybe even Michael himself got in a good punch. This is a switchout of sorts.  This is the Dragon fallen and the Beast rising. This is the connection. Rev 13:4  and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? And who is able to war with him?  In this translation of the ASV the right word is used: authority.  The Greek word is exousia which means delegated power or authority.  Delegated….  The Dragon is spiritual but the Beast is physical.  Now watch this.  Just as the Holy Spirit indwelt Jesus so does the Dragon indwell the Beast.  This authority is the power and permission to use the power as delegated and commissioned by the indwelling one, and that’s all there is to it.

Rev 13:2  And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his throne, and great authority.

Now we have seen these animals before in Daniel.  In fact Daniel has seen this beast … sort of.  In the order they appear in this beast let’s look at Daniel’s understanding of these animals. The Leopard.   7:6  After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard which had upon its back four wings of a bird; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. This is the four headed leopard of the division of Alexander the Great’s land holdings or conquered nations as he died without declaring his successor. The body of our beast is that of the leopard representing the Grecian influence colored by possibly the Persian empire.  Wikipedia tells us that: “The species’ success in the wild is in part due to its opportunistic hunting behavior, its adaptability to habitats, its ability to run at speeds approaching 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph), its unequaled ability to climb trees even when carrying a heavy carcass, and its notorious ability for stealth. The leopard consumes virtually any animal that it can hunt down and catch… Leopards are agile and stealthy predators”  It’s a fast opportunistic hunter that isn’t picky about its diet.  It is a carnivore a predator a hunter and agile or cunning and stealthy or secretive.  Do you get the picture here?  This is how it looks, it blends, it consumes, it is a hunter,  it’s like a roaring lion seeking something to devour.  The Bear.   Dan 7:5  And, behold, another beast, a second, like to a bear; and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

This is Persia.  The Persian law was unrelenting and its princes could be quite cruel.  Persian Kings could “do as they pleased” and the Princes were quite possibly elected for life.  There was also a lot of political maneuvering in these courts.  The father of Xerxes, Cambyses was quite the despot. So we see the despotic rule of the bear; in its goings about and, because we are talking animals with paws, then also in its doings.  This is how the government was, Despotic, harsh, absolute and possibly capricious in nature. The bear is known for force and strength and some agility.  Bears are said to have tremendous physical presence and charisma which would be important as the beast goes about setting up government.

The Lion.  Perhaps the most important feature of the Beast is the mouth of the Lion.  In Scripture almost always the Lion is the symbol of Messianic Rule. But in Daniel we find the lion as well. Dan 7:4  The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon two feet as a man; and a man’s heart was given to it. This would be the ensign of Babylon, but the plucking of the wings means conquering. The lifting up and giving of the heart of a man and being made to stand like a man, actually, reduces the Lion.  But in a rather twisted manner it could be construed almost as Messianic in its own right.  Too bad this was representative of Nebuchadnezzar. He lost his kingdom to God for a period of time and gained the perspective of the fear of the LORD and thus do we see the change from mere animal to thinking man, God fearing and thinking man.

However as I have previously said the Lion figures in Messianic understanding almost exclusively. It is said of the One who opens the seals on the scroll… Rev 5:5  and one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and the seven seals thereof.  The reference to the Root of David would be also of Jesse his father for a “Root” can be a son or descendant. Isa 11:10  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.

The “Root” here is Jesus.  David never stood as an ensign for the peoples.  However Solomon was one whom  the nations sought but it is Jesus whom the Nations seek whose resting place is all glorious.  Both the terms Lion and LAMB are used in Revelation. Rev 5:6  And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.  In the previous verse He had been described as the Lion of Judah.  Hence the speech or the rhetoric will sound Messianic. In fact He will pass Himself off as Messiah, in so far as it concerns the believers. This is what the mouth is saying, this is the message of the Beast.  “I am come to set up my Kingdom, come join me.” In fact this BEAST will pass himself as the “salvation and way to heaven” for all the religions of man. However our concern is that amongst these he will be passing himself off as Our Christ.  Here is that statement of “if it is possible he would deceive the Very Elect”(Matt 24:24, Mk13:22) But for all this there is a wound.

Rev 13:3  And I saw one of his heads as though it had been smitten unto death; and his death-stroke was healed: and the whole earth wondered after the beast;

Could this be the work of the atonement? (“and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Gen 3:15) Could this the felling stroke of Michael the Archangel?  In the Hebrew we come up with an interesting tie into the Genesis verse.  It comes in the form of the word for bruise. Strongs Hebrew # 7779  shûph  A primitive root; properly to gape, that is, snap at; figuratively to overwhelm: – break, bruise, cover. Now this could be an appearance of a death stroke healed.  And the WHOLE EARTH… wonders or is in admiration of the fact that the “wound” healed.

Rev 13:4  and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? And who is able to war with him?

Herein is a blasphemy.  For it is supposed to be said of the LAMB…  Mal_3:2  But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap:

Rev 6:16  and they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

Rev 6:17  for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand?

There is One who is able to stand and to war with the Beast.  That One is the LAMB.

Rev 13:5  and there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given to him authority to continue forty and two months.

42 months or 1260 days… If you divide 1260 by 30 you get 42.  Please understand though that this is a 30/31 day scenario so it’s roughly 42 months. If you divide 42 by 12 you get 3.5 hence the concept is proven by math to be roughly three and one half years.  So then it is quite possible that the witnesses are there the leader of the “bugs” is the one who kills them meanwhile the Beast is hunting down the remnant of “her seed” the saints. Meanwhile “she” is in the “place prepared” being “nourished”.  Because we see these images in this grouping we understand that all this is happening during this portion of time.  All during this time our beast is speaking great blasphemies.  Now at some point a great bible search would be to find bible wide all the scriptures that have “time, times and half a time” in them and see what they say.  In the Diasporas it was not three and half years it was seventy, for the land to rest fallow for the Shabbats it lost. Then there is the   Seventy  years of prophecy.  Sixty two are accomplished which includes the time of Jesus Christ. There is one last seven weeks or years, for in the numbers God uses seven is the number, supposedly, of perfection.  Most all this you will find in Daniel.  You will also find a seven year treaty of peace with Israel and all the surrounding land… a treaty that is broken in middle of the years.  Now the exact ramification may be spelled out or they may be implied and this may be where eschatologists begin to fancy themselves as knowledgeable.  For the purposes of this however, if it not spelled out then we don’t want to make unsound predictions. (Dan 9:24-27 see Timing link)

Rev 13:6  And he opened his mouth for blasphemies against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, even them that dwell in the heaven.

Now this is the way the blasphemy is being done.  The Name, The Tabernacle, and the “Citizens” One has to realize what is meant by Blaspheme.  To blaspheme in the Greek is to defame or to slander the character or person or name of someone or rather to also take the fame and denigrate the Name of God and His Tabernacle and His “people” by making himself out to be the “real deal”.

Rev 13:7  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.

In fact this is purportedly the proof that the “evil righteous” are not supported by God.  But remember they actually OVERCOME him.  “Rev 12:11  And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death.”  So his overcoming is to eliminate them but their overcoming is to be forever out of his reach. After all are we to fear him who can end our physical life or Him who do that and consign us to hell?(Matt 10:28) You see the flesh has this notion of physical prosperity and or being physically in a place of peace and safety.  This type of life has been proven to make one become cold and aloof and distant from God and thus it is in the fire of persecution with an understanding that it is not our physical lives that matter but the estate of the spirit and the Holy Spirit’s freedom within us to live act and be, that matters to God the most.  That is “setting the eye on things spiritual”.

Rev 13:8  And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain.

Everyone whose name is NOT WRITTEN in the book of life of the LAMB, meaning those who are not born again, those who are not filled with the Holy Spirit, to whom the Blood of the LAMB has not been applied and of whom it is safe to say, they are NOT ELECT. Seeing as they serve Satan in serving only themselves no matter how philanthropic or noble or heroic, at the end of the day they are self serving or self deceived.  Either way they are serving the Adversary and will fall in line with the Beast because their flesh calls them to it.  You see either we serve the Holy Spirit by the crucifixion of the flesh with its passions and lusts(Gal 5:24) or we are slaves to it. We are remanded not to live according to the flesh but by the Holy Spirit. So then is it any wonder that those not in the Lamb’s book are worshipping the Beast?

The next verse is an alert to these two.  This Beast is given permission to make war with the saints in an attempt to deceive and overcome them. If you are destined to be caught or killed you will be caught or killed.

Rev 13:9  If any man hath an ear, let him hear.

Rev 13:10  If any man is for captivity, into captivity he goeth: if any man shall kill with the sword, with the sword must he be killed. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

The patience of the saints is in that they are purified through the tribulations of these trying times. You see patience has a perfect work of maturation so that the saint is perfect, complete, entire and lacking nothing.(Jas 1:4) However as if this first beast rising as the Dragon falls is not bad enough there is a second and this one is much scarier.  You be the judge, is this the apostate church?

Rev 13:11  And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

Two horns like a Lamb or a RAM.  The Ram was the dedicatory function of the lamb.  Whereas a young LAMB would be offered for sacrifices like Passover, the Ram was used as a dedicatory for the priesthood.  Moses’ brother Aaron and his sons used the blood of the ram as the dedicatory animal (dedication to service) on the day when the Tabernacle first opened.  Horn denote power might ability militarily or magically or spiritually.  This is spiritual. So the appearance mimics the LAMB but the mouth doesn’t match the WORD.  No indeed its “dragon speak”, and what does the Dragon speak? “Rev 13:5  and there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies;…” , blasphemies.  But while the Beast from the sea gets his power from the Dragon, and everyone knows it; this Beast from the Earth exercises all kinds of authority in the sight of the Beast from the sea.  What is going on here?!

Rev 13:12  And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth and them dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed.

Rev 13:13  And he doeth great signs, that he should even make fire to come down out of heaven upon the earth in the sight of men.

Rev 13:14  And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived.

To exercise all the authority of the first beast in the sight of the beast, smacks of the works of the Believers in the “sight or presence” of the Lord. One gets this authority or empowerment from the “presence” of the Lord and miracles happen but it is the LORD not the Dragon.  Unfortunately mankind is going more and more to the wrong source to be empowered to go beyond themselves so when this day comes it will be no surprise. The calling down of fire from heaven may be like the days of Elijah of old who called down fire from heaven or it may be manmade “fire” from the “heavens” it is debatable which the writer is intending here but there is a point; “as in the days of Elijah” will take on a whole new meaning.  These action and the certain subsequent “teaching and or preaching” of the Second Beast causes all those who are susceptible to the effects of these miracles and wonders to perceive the first Beast as GOD, so they worship.  Then the second beast tells the humanity to make an image of the first beast.  Is it a statue or a computer generated thing? How it’s done is unclear but that it’s done harkens back to Nebuchadnezzar and his great statue.  Will they be animating something here?  Somehow it appears to be animated. it is the people that he gets to build the “image”.  He does this by deception.  Deception, we are warned that if we get involved in this “beast” we could be “deceived” (if it is possible… where is discernment?)  But how is this beast so successful. The first beast is given permission to persecute the Saints (Christians) and the second gets permission from the first and yet is able to deceive?

2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, touching the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together unto him;
2Th 2:2 to the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand;
2Th 2:3 let no man beguile you in any wise: for it will not be, except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition,
2Th 2:4 he that opposeth and exalteth himself against all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple of God, setting himself forth as God.
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6 And now ye know that which restraineth, to the end that he may be revealed in his own season.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming;
2Th 2:9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2Th 2:10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God sendeth them a working of error, that they should believe a lie:
2Th 2:12 that they all might be judged who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

What you need to understand is the Personage that is sending this delusion…  that is not restraining the error.  That Personage is God Himself.  This is how the second Beast manages to be so successful.  The mind of the masses is receptive and willing to believe, because God has made it so.

Rev 13:15  And it was given unto him to give breath to it, even to the image to the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

Here’s the thing EVERYONE KNOWS it’s an image … right?  Is breathing into it some form of enchantment or technology?  I have no answer as of yet myself. In that everyone is worshiping the Beast himself why wouldn’t they also worship an image of him?

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead;

Rev 13:17  and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast or the number of his name.

Rev 13:18  Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty and six.

For the longest time I have supposed that the beast who rises from the sea was the one behind the economy of the mark.  Turns out I was wrong.  Everything above me is about the beast who rises from the earth.  The one with horns or power or is of two halves, but looks like the LAMB and speaks like the DRAGON.  Horns of a ram, we find them in Daniel and ram that is raging to the right and the left with none to withstand it until the goat enters.  The ram in that image is the medo-persian empire.  So then horns, denotes split power or governing.  If indeed this horned Lamb represents a fallen apostate church then it represents a fallen apostate Jew and Gentile union.  You see, the Jew and Gentile in Christendom are united in Christ, but here they are united under the beast from the sea.

In all this display what we need to realize is that the issue here is SOURCE. What is the SOURCE of the power?  TO who are the masses going for power? Certainly not the LAMB.  Also you see a lot of chicanery and trickery but perhaps nothing truly genuine. So then the Dragon or Satan who is more powerful than a mere human is has begun to the stand out and make his stance against Jesus Christ by slowly displaying himself AS CHRIST.  Is there any reason why the LAMB should not be truly furious and His wrath not be massive?

The Pause before Round Two

Tags

angel, antiochus, daniel, earth, God, high priest, judgement, mercy seat, revelation

Rev 8:1 And when he opened the seventh seal, there followed a silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

This is like taking the silent breath in and holding it for a moment. This is a poignant pause. We have seen significant happenings here. The sealing of the representative what have you from the tribes which in itself is its own mystery. How on Earth does anyone but God KNOW who these people are and from what lineages and whatever? Only God can do this. There is if you consider this to be like the curses of Deut chapt 28 a good reason for the pause, a time of grace unto repentance. Because when He continues the whole thing ramps up a considerable notch.
If we as believers are in this may we remember who has sent it and BE GRATEFUL.

Rev 8:2 And I saw the seven angels that stand before God; and there were given unto them seven trumpets.

This is the transition now to the next phase. Formerly we opened the scroll which will contain what? Prophesy Edicts or … could this be DANIEL’S REVELATION. Now I know we all can read the writings of Daniel who is not considered a prophet by Judaism because he did not preach. But he was told to SEAL it unto the time of the end. When we look at Daniel and at History leading from Alexander the Great through to Antiochus Epiphanes, a son of a Seleucid king who wound up be reared in Rome of all places, imbued with Roman culture and mythos and honoring Roman gods, not Seleucid or Macedonian/ Medo-Persian gods, who was extremely contemptible. But when we get to chapter twelve it’s almost as if someone stole out a page. Thus we have these verses which seem out of place with everything else. “Dan 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” ,and “Dan 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel; for the words are shut up and sealed till the time of the end.” Ironically the texts involved seem to be dealing with the final pitched battle of Lucifer and Jesus as it were and the Great White Throne Judgment, or so it is called. That by the way doesn’t happen until after the millennia of rule and the second and final confrontation of Satan and God. Meanwhile the trumps are being distributed.

Rev 8:3 And another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it unto the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.
Rev 8:4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.

Now in this piece of action there are images that converge on each other that call to specific images in the Old and New Testaments. I want to point out first the altar. When Mary discovers that the gardener at the tomb is her Lord she is excited to see Him and I would suppose she might have either tried to detain or to touch Him. He warns her off saying He had not as yet ascended to His Father. Later on He has no problem at all being touched. One the Cross He cries the Greek word “teleo”(Strongs Greek 5055) which can be translated among other things as either finished, executed, complete or paid (Jn 19:30) but is it really? Is the completion of all the work of atonement complete? On the Cross He has taken our place and received unto Himself the out poured wrath of the Father as the sacrifice offered up; but in Hebrews He is the High Priest and the High Priest annually does one thing; he brings the blood to the Mercy Seat.(Heb 9:7) We are told to come boldly to the Throne of Grace to receive mercy and obtain grace in time of need. (Heb 4:16) Can you see the connection here? Jesus had to still come before His God (also His Father) as HIGH PRIEST and pour out that blood or essence or whatever it was HE offered up before the Throne of Grace. You see our atonement is IN His SHED BLOOD and that blood was poured out onto the ground from the cross, and from the whipping post. In that the ground had been our “kinsman redeemer” and was thus cursed for our sakes when His blood hit it, it was cleansed, for He has become our “Kinsman Redeemer” for all time. This is but a few aspects of all that He did for us on the Cross.

Now then In the Earthly tabernacle the golden altar of Incense wherein prayer was made stood before the veil to the Holy of Holies wherein was the ARK. In my opinion it would appear that the Ark and the Throne are seen as one and the same. For us the Ark holds the representations of Christ as Priest King and Apostle/Prophet. In this verse we see the real altar of which the Earthly Tabernacle is but a representation. Interesting, no?
The next image is the angel who pours out incense and “prayers of the saints” this would have to be all the prayers from of all time quite possibly or it could be those who are in the persecution or have been persecuted over the centuries, but whatever prayers it is once its offered up the censor is refilled. You see the prayer incense thing went up before God from the Angel’s hand.

Rev 8:5 And the angel taketh the censer; and he filled it with the fire of the altar, and cast it upon the earth: and there followed thunders, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

What is being cast to Earth now is a response. One heavenly censor of unknown proportions full of fire… and here is thunder voices lightening and an earthquake… wait didn’t we just have a massive quake? Well its either an aftershock or another or it could be that in the economy of the book itself certain things tend to wrap together. It could be that this is the quake of the seals that is so devastating. I tend to doubt it but no one got the Incarnation right so how are we to know the actual real time truth of this book? All that is in this study could be nothing more than pure speculation. I hope there is revelation instead. My thought is that this could be aftershocks. Remember a Tectonic plate shift on a global scale will most certainly have aftershocks and then there is the matter of a censor from heaven manifested as (what?) hitting the Earth from whatever angle and its spilling fire. Oh now that will most certainly cause yet another round of shaking. Scripture sits silent as to the things the voices said.

Rev 8:6 And the seven angels that had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

Round two is about to commence.