In the book of Revelations we read about seven golden candlesticks, which represent the seven churches. There are seven stars which are the angels of the seven churches, and seven letters to the seven churches. There are seven seals on the book of life; seven trumpets that must sound; three woes, seven thunders; and seven vials filled with the wrath of God, each of which is to be poured out onto the whore. Revelations 2:1 states that Jesus walks [ministers] in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, which represent a church on each of the seven continents.
Each of those things becomes more significant as events unfold in these last days, and I believe that even a novice in the Scriptures would agree that we are fast approaching the end of this church age. Hence I have written the following, which will let you know approximately when the tribulation period will begin, and, at what point during the tribulation, the rapture will likely happen. Herein, you will discover exactly who the whore is; what she consists of; where the anti-Christ will come from, and where the "Ark of the Testament" can be found.
Due to the way the end times have been taught in the past, you may find this writing to be somewhat confusing: especially since the events the Apostle wrote about were not written in the order they will actually occur. However, with God's help, I will do my best to explain it in a way that will make it easier to understand, although, it may be helpful to read it several times.
But first, lately I've received numerous e-mails from people sending me links to websites about people either searching for the Ark of the Testament, or claiming to have found it. One in particular claimed to have found remnants of it buried directly beneath the very spot where Jesus was crucified. Nevertheless, all the speculation about the possible whereabouts of the Ark of the Testament simply proves the ignorance of carnal-men who have ample time for everything except heeding God's instructions to read the Bible.
I say that because if such people spent a mere fraction of their time reading the Scriptures, as they do at trying to show themselves approved to their following, they would know exactly where it is. Revelations 11:19 states, "And the temple of God was opened in Heaven, and there was seen in the temple the Ark of His Testament. God Himself has preserved the Ark of His Testament, because it will also be used during the millennium reign of Christ.
Now, let's move on to the rapture, and approximately when it will occur. Please pay close attention to the following Scriptures, because they tell us about the rapture, the anti-Christ, and from what city he will rule.
Second Thessalonians, chapter two, verses 1, 3, & 4 state, "Now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him [the rapture]. Let no man deceive you by any means: For that day [the rapture] shall not come, except there comes a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition[Anti-Christ]; Who opposes and exalts himself, above all that is called of God, or that is worshiped, so that he as God sits in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." Now, backup and read those verses again. (The falling away will be addressed later in this chapter).
As you can see, Paul makes it abundantly clear that the church will be here when the anti-Christ reveals himself to the world. The temple, or the remainder of it, is in Jerusalem. Some Bible scholars teach that a new temple must be built before the anti-Christ reveals himself, but I wouldn't bet my spiritual life on it.
The Apostle Paul mentioned the judgment seat of Christ in Romans 14:10, but the Apostle John witnessed it in heaven. He said, "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: And them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God,"(Rev. 15:2).
"And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hand, but the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection," (Rev. 20:4-5).
"Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection: On such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priest of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him for a thousand years," (Rev. 20:6). Clearly, the body of Christ will be here when the anti-Christ manifests himself to the world. And, as you continue reading, you'll learn that the anti-Christ will reveal himself approximately three and a half years into the seven year tribulation period, which lets us know approximately when the rapture will occur. More on the rapture in our Lord's own words later in this chapter.
But first, the vast majority of carnal-Christians, and most non-Christians are looking for a timeline that would let them know when the tribulation period will actually begin. Most of these people are not right with God, and they know it: which is why they are looking for a timeline that will help them know when they should start getting right with God. And, there are many ministries out there offering to sell them one to feed their own bellies, but I wouldn't stake my spiritual well-being on any of them.
It had never rained on the earth during Noah's lifetime before the flood. The Bible states that, "God had not caused it to rain upon the earth. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground," (Genesis 2:5-6). There existed a terrarium type of atmosphere for the first two thousand years before the flood. The people living during that period knew that Noah was a righteous and honorable man, but they also knew that it had never rained upon the earth. For that reason they ignored Noah's plea for them to repent, and to help in the construction of the ark.
Rain was their timeline; they would wait until they saw water falling from the skies to repent. They knew that Noah was a righteous and compassionate man, and that he would let them on board the ark if they cried out to him that they had repented of their sins. God also knew that Noah would feel compelled to do so, which is why He sealed up the door to the ark before the rain started to fall. The time had come and gone for them to repent. Another good example can be found in the parable of the ten virgins: the five that were ready went in to be with the Lord but the five that had to go buy oil for their lamps were shut out.
Therefore, for the aforementioned reasons, and others too numerous to mention here, I plead with those of you who know you are not right with God to heed the message you read in part one: God will not let you down; He will receive you with open arms. In second Corinthians 6:2, Paul stated, "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Don't put it off any longer.
For the benefit of those growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, there are two future events you should be aware of that could possibly mark the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period. First, a possible United Nations brokered treaty, backed by the United States, forcing the Israelis to accept a two-state resolution with the Palestinians allowing each of them to have their capital in the city of Jerusalem. If that were to happen, I am of the opinion that it would anger our Heavenly Father to the point that it would trigger a catastrophic event that would likely affect the entire world.
That event could possibly be the electrical grid going down nation-wide, and in most other countries as well. If that were to happen, and it is a pre-planned event by those advocating for a one world Government, the power grid would stay down long enough to bankrupt many businesses around the world, causing the world's financial systems to collapse. Such an event will spur anarchy such as never before seen, forcing martial law.
After a lot of finger pointing by the affected countries accusing other countries for their grid going down, the world leaders would eventually be forced to come together to create a temporary one-world currency, which is when the forming of a one-world government would move into high gear. Then, shortly after a new temporary financial system has been setup, the power will come back on, and things will settle down somewhat for the next few years.
Immediately after martial law has been declared, the military will be given the audacious task of going door-to-door collecting your firearms, and it is God's will that you give them up peacefully. The military will simply be doing their job of trying to protect you. Those who take up arms during that period can either be killed, or locked up in one of the much talked about detention camps created to detain those creating anarchy.
When you see these things happening, the day of the Lord is upon us, and those who take up arms thinking they can change what the government is doing, will, in fact, find themselves fighting against God. Jesus said, "He who picks up the sword, will die by the sword." So, place your faith in God, not in the many fear-mongering ministries out there who play on converts' fears to extract money from them to feed their own bellies.
Since the whore mentioned in the book of Revelations is the main object of God's wrath, let's now find out who, or what, she is. In Revelations 17:1, John said, "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying, come here, I will show you the judgment of the great whore that sits upon many waters." It is important to remember that, when John saw the whore, he saw her exactly as she will appear at the time of her destruction, because that is the period he is seeing, and writing about her.
In Revelations 17:6-7 (NIV), John stated, "I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of those who bore testimony of Jesus: when I saw her, I was greatly astonished. Then the angel said to me: Why were you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman, and the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns."
John said, "And here is the mind that has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits," (Rev. 17:9). The seven mountains are the seven continents; each one represented by one of the seven golden candlesticks, which constitute God's people on each continent. The beast carrying the whore consists of governments, both past and present that allow her existence because they believe she is being helpful by teaching good morals and helping to subvert the people. The ten horns are ten kings (government leaders) who did not exist when John wrote the book of Revelations, but are in the world today.
John was astonished when he saw the whore, because as a Christian, he expected her to consist of only false religions. But, what he saw was a woman drunken with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus (many of whom were killed by the church during the Dark Ages, or were saints killed in the coliseum and amphitheaters by the Roman Empire under Nero's rule). There's no doubt that John was bewildered by the fact that the perceived Church could be even partly responsible for the deaths of so many people. Nevertheless, what John saw and wrote about is why most Protestants believe the Roman Catholic Church is the whore.
Speaking of the whore, Jesus said, "Come out of her, my people,that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached into heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities," (Rev. 18:4-5). Notice that Jesus instructs "His children" to come out of the whore; think about that for just a moment! Could it be that the perceived church is a part of the whore?
Some of them are our Lord's children, which is another reason the Catholics and Protestants point their fingers at each other as being the whore. Jesus said, "How much she has glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she says in her heart, "I sit a queen and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow," (Rev. 18:7).
Jesus is the king! The whore says in her heart: I will be His queen, and, therefore, I shall see no sorrow, because I cannot lose my salvation; and the rapture will come before the tribulation begins. The words spoken in the heart of the whore are another reason many people believe the perceived church is the whore. Now, bring to mind Jesus saying that He will spew the lukewarm out of His mouth, and I think you'll get a mental picture of why so many people believe that.
To believe that the perceived church could possibly be a part of the whore, one would also have to believe that Satan will eventually deceive the many perceived Christian ministries in the world. But then, that is exactly what Jesus said would happen. Revelations 12:9 states, "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceives the whole world."
Rev. 18:23 states, "And by thy sorceries [false doctrine] were all nations deceived." Notice the words, "all nations were deceived," we must remember that many nations such as China, Egypt, Iran, Israel, India, North Korea, and others are comprised predominately of people belonging to other religions besides Christianity, which would include every religion known to man. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the many nations of the world were deceived by false doctrine being preached by all of these different religions.
Nevertheless, if you're a lifelong Catholic in your seventies, you were taught that the whore is the Protestant denominations; and if you're a lifelong Protestant in your seventies, you were taught that the Catholic Church is the whore. They are both right, and both wrong. Both recognize that the whore could be the perceived church, but neither of them is willing to admit being part of it.
However, you are about to discover that the whore is in fact, all religions, (mystery Babylon) through which Satan will eventually deceive the entire world. Albeit, the perceived church for which Jesus gave His life and the many Muslims will feel the worst of God's wrath. Those taught to believe that a revived Persian Empire is the mystery Babylon are just flat out wrong. I realize that Satan is currently working very hard to manipulate your thinking into believing that, because that's what he wants you to believe.
Many carnal Bible scholars believe that Rome is the city on which the whore sits, because they reason, as natural-men do, and, therefore, misinterpret the following Scripture, which states: "And the woman which thou saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth," (Rev.17: 18). They believe Rome is the city, because during John's ministry, Rome controlled every civilized government in the world. They fail to understand that what John saw was the world as it will appear during the tribulation period, not as it was during John's lifetime here on earth.
These carnal-scholars teach that the seven heads are seven mountains in and around the city of Rome, but that's not true. With the technology available today, you can simply Google the city, and get a good satellite view of it on your computer from the convenience of your own home, and see for yourself; there are no mountains either in or immediately around the city of Rome. It's a well-known fact that Bamberg Germany, and Rome, Italy, are known as the only two cities in the world built on seven hills. It is also a well-known fact that some people can make a mountain out of a molehill.
Now let's go back to Revelations 17:18, which states, "And the woman which thou saw is that great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth." I would be remiss not to mention that there exists a small contingent of so-called scholars that believe New York City could be the city. They believe that because the 192 member body of world leaders convenes there once a year in September for the United Nations General Assembly. However, it is important to note that neither the United States, nor the city of New York, reigns over these world leaders. Therefore, New York City could not possibly be the city.
Now pay close attention to the following Scripture where the angel of the Lord said, "The waters which thou saw where the whore sits are peoples, and multitudes, and Nations, and tongues," (Revelations 17:15). This means all the people of the world, all the nations of the world, and all languages of the world, which represent all religions of the world, and all the continents of the world: all of which means that Rome could not possibly be the city.
Revelations 18:3 states, "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."Now, while pondering that Scripture, allow me to pose two questions for you.
Are the headquarters of the many world religions located in the city of Rome, making it possible for the Kings of the earth to commit fornication with them from Rome? No! Has the city of Rome, or the country of Italy ever produced such an abundance of goods and delicacies that it could supply the rest of the world their needs, thereby making the merchants of the world rich? No!
However, the many nations of the world either grow foodstuffs; catch seafood; mine gold, silver, copper, and all other raw materials; manufacture ships, airplanes, implements of war, trucks, all means of travel; and all other manufactured goods and products used by the people of the world. These products are then shipped to every nation, on every continent, where the many merchants then sell them. Some of which have indeed become quite wealthy: which further proves that Rome is not the city.
When God begins taking vengeance on the whore by, among other things, pouring out the seven vials filled with the wrath of God onto the whore no nation, or group of nations, will be able to come to her aid, because God will allow no such interference from man during the last three years before Armageddon; things will unfold on His timetable.
The only people or armies involved in God's war against the whore will be those whom He preordained would be. For example, Rev. 16:12 states, "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." It will be necessary for God to dry up the Euphrates River to make way for the kings of the east to join the battle, when He is ready for them, because all bridges will have been destroyed. Also, all shipping, air, and vehicular traffic, including motorized boats, will have ceased to operate. Troop movement will be either on foot, horseback, or camel-back.
After God severely limits the power of the most powerful leaders in the world, the Bible states that, "The kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, And said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand,"(Rev. 6:15-17).
After pouring out the seven vials filled with the wrath of God, Armageddon will then take center stage. Referring to Armageddon, God said, "Behold the day of the Lord will come, and thy spoil shall be divided in the mist of thee. For I will gather all Nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people [the Jewish people] shall not be cut off from the city.
Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those Nations, as He fought in the day of battle. His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a great valley and half of the mountain shall move to the North, and half of it toward the south," (Zechariah 14:1-4).
On the next few pages you'll learn that, when the seventh trumpet sounds, the rapture of the church will occur. But first, let's see what happens when the seventh angel pours out his vial filled with the wrath of God. Revelations 16:17-19 states, "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple in Heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightning; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since man was upon the earth. And the great city [Jerusalem] was divided into three parts, and the cities of the Nations fell: and great Babylon came into remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath."
Notice the words; "And the "cities" of the Nations fell," and "great Babylon" came into remembrance before God. Most of the world's major cities have a seaport with many ships either loading or unloading their cargo at any given time, and as noted in the following Scriptures, those on board these ships will see the tremendous destruction of most of the world's greatest cities.
Revelations 18:17-20 states, "For in one hour so great riches is come to naught. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off; and cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city. And they cast dust on their heads, and cried weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by reason of her costliness! For in one hour is she made desolate? Rejoice over her, Thou Heaven, and you Holy Apostles and Prophets; for God has avenged you on her."
John said, "And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of Saints, and all that were slain upon the earth," (Rev. 18:24). Notice the words "In her was found the blood of prophets, and Saints," which means that the whore was responsible for the deaths of all those killed while serving God, and she was judged for having spilled their blood. Remember, it was the so-called religionist people of all persuasions, including the early church that killed the prophets and many Christians serving our Lord.
To obtain a better understanding you should read Revelations, chapters sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen, all of which are about the whore and her destruction. Then read the first seven verses of the nineteenth chapter, and you'll discover that the only thing left for Jesus and the resurrected Saints to do afterward is the clean-up operations. Satan will then be bound and locked away, and the beast and the false prophet will be thrown into the lake of fire. Afterward, the next thing on our Lord's agenda is the marriage supper of the Lamb.
All of the aforementioned concerning the whore clearly indicates that the entire world under Satan's rule is the whore (mystery Babylon). When the angel of the Lord showed John the whore, he saw that she was made up of all the many religions of the world, most of which he was unaware. And he was shocked to see a deceived lukewarm Christianity lumped in with them, all of which constitute the whore.
Now, let's take a look at the anti-Christ, and who he will be. The words "anti" and "Christ" tell us a lot; one of the definitions of the word "anti" is anticipatory, which means in expectation of something. And indeed the Jewish people are anxiously expecting their Messiah to come and deliver them from their enemies and bring about a lasting peace. Now, let's take a look at the word "Christ," which means "Messiah." Spirit-filled Christians factually know that Jesus is the Christ, because their human spirit was fertilized with the Holy Spirit, thereby creating Spiritual life within them.
The Prophets foretold of the coming of a Jewish Messiah, but none spoke more eloquently than did Isaiah when he said, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace," (Isaiah 9:6).
Referring to predictions made about the coming Messiah and other things, Isaiah asked, "Who has believed our report," (53:1). Most of the Jewish scholars certainly didn't believe it; they rejected Biblical revelations that Jesus was their Messiah: however, because of the miracles worked by Him they did accept Him as a Prophet.
Those filled with the Holy Spirit factually know that Jesus is who the angel was referring to in Rev. 5:5 when the angel said: "Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loosen the seven seals thereof." The Scriptures found in the next paragraph explain why the Jews expect their Messiah to conquer their enemies: thus a man of conquest is what they are going to get. I know there has been much speculation about who the anti-Christ might be, but the Scriptures will tell us if we have an ear to hear.
Jewish scholars are very familiar with the following Scriptures, which speak of a coming Messiah, and with great anticipation they await his coming. In Genesis 49:8-10, Jacob prophesied saying, "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thy enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp: From the prey, my son, thou are gone up: he stooped down; he crouched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [the Messiah] come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be [the rapture]."
Those who know God, know that Jacob was prophesying about Jesus, but the Jews did not accept Him: they are still looking for their lion from the tribe of Judah. Therefore, the anti-Christ will undoubtedly be a Jew whose ancestry must be traceable back to the tribe of Judah, or the Jewish people will not accept him. The Jewish Anti-Christ will be a man of war, and he will come onto the scene at a time when complete annihilation of Israel seems imminent. And, if Hamas, the European Union, and the Iranians continue to have their way with the U.N. Security Council, that won't be very long. Especially since President Obama seems to dislike the Israelis as much as former president Jimmy Carter.
For those of you who didn't know, Mr. Carter was instrumental in shaping the formation of the oil cartel (union) for the oil-producing Arab countries. That move has given the militant Muslim countries all the money they need to buy the weapons needed to wipe Israel off the map, which is their declared goal. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan are the only three Arab countries in the Middle-East that have signed treaties declaring Israel's right to exist.
Now, back to the rapture, Paul said, "But now He [God] has promised, saying, yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven," (Hebrews 12:26). The shaking here on earth begins at the beginning, and continues through the entire tribulat