The Time of Jacob’s Trouble – Part 5

Judgments

 

Understand that I do not proclaim to know all, as Daniel did not understand everything (Da. 12:8).  When I studied through the book of Revelation, in my spirit, I came to the same conclusion as my dear friend who ran a ministry for the Lord.  That conclusion is that it appears that the bowl and trumpet judgments are the same judgments repeated twice. 

 

Now there is some complexity with it, as there is also God’s wrath, a breakdown of further judgments and such.  Nonetheless, as it was stated early on, this is not a commentary on the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ.  We must remember that this is a book whose key to understanding is that it is about the past, present and future. 

 

So unlike others who setup a nice looking map with time frames, breaking everything down in sections, separate with two or three types of judgments (as some often use seal judgments as well), the purpose for this writing is to go over some of these judgments, garner what can clearly be garnered, ponder or speculate a bit where that can be done, but done so by leaving it with a big question (???) and moving on from there.  For this is yet a mystery that is not for us to fully understand at this time.  Though much understanding can certainly be had and the dispensation regarding such events seems to have progressed much in the past decades, the point is to understand that this time period is not a pleasant time period and God still commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30-31). 

 

I am going to break it into two sections.  One talking about some of the judgments and the other focusing on the judgment of Babylon.  Also there will be some notations of interest intertwined. 

 

Judgments

 

In Matthew 24:21-22 Jesus says,

 

“For then there will be great affliction, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be kept safe alive; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”

 

Of interest is the fact that in Zechariah 14:12 this final wrath almost sounds as if it is nuclear.

 

“And this shall be the plague with which Jehovah will strike all the people who have fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall rot away while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot away in their sockets, and their tongues shall rot away in their mouths.”

 

The battle of Armageddon will be discussed in more detail later, of which this verse discusses, however, I will ponder here when the nations are gathered for the battle of Armageddon, would they not also have nuclear weapons, perhaps neutron bombs and even other weapons that the general public is not aware of?  Thinking of Russia’s vacuum bomb here. 

 

The United States of America supposedly (as well as other countries (Russia?, China?)) has weapons that could destroy the earth, at least in theory.  Could these weapons be on hand?  While it can not be stated with any certainty, from my perspective, it seems as if such a weapon is used somewhere around this timeframe, for a giant crack appears in the earth, as prophesied in the Bible.

 

“Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.  And it shall be that he who flees from the sound of terror shall fall into the pit. And he who comes up out of the midst of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows from on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth quake.  The earth has been badly broken! The earth is split open and cracked through! The earth has shaken greatly and is tottering!  Like a drunkard the earth is staggering back and forth! And it sways to and fro like a hut! Its transgressions have been heavy upon it; and it shall fall and not rise again.  And it shall come to pass in that day that Jehovah will punish the host of the haughty ones on high; and on earth, the kings of the earth.  And they shall be gathered, as prisoners are gathered in a dungeon. And they shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days they shall be visited.  Then the moon shall be abashed, and the sun shall be ashamed, when Jehovah of Hosts shall reign on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem, and before His elders, in splendor.”  Isaiah 24:17-23

 

In most cases I wonder how many people have even heard of this prophesy?  I do note that it says “it shall come to pass in that day” and presume this is talking about the day of Jehovah.

 

Satan has always been trying to foil God’s plans.  Adam and Eve were Created and God’s Creation was “extremely good” (Gen. 1:31).  Then you had the fall of man where sin entered the world. 

 

“Now the serpent was more cunning than any living thing of the field which Jehovah God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.  And the serpent said to the woman, You shall not die the death.  For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be as God, knowing good and evil.  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.  And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.  And they heard the sound of Jehovah God walking around in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Jehovah God among the trees of the garden.  And Jehovah God called to the man and said to him, Where are you?  And he said, I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.  And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?  And the man said, The woman whom You gave to be with me, she has given to me of the tree, and I ate.  And Jehovah God said to the woman, What is this you have done? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate.  So Jehovah God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all beasts, and more than every living thing of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.  To the woman He said: I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.  And to Adam He said, Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it: Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field.  In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you have been taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.  And the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.  Also for the man and his wife Jehovah God made tunics of skins, and clothed them.  And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man has become as one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, that he not put forth his hand and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever;  therefore Jehovah God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.  So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword turning this way and that, to guard the way to the Tree of Life.”  Genesis 3

 

When Jesus was born, there was an attempt on His life (Matt. 2:16-18), which had it been successful it would have stopped God’s plan of redemption for mankind from being fulfilled.  However His mother Mary and Joseph were warned to flee ahead of time (Matt. 2:13-15).  Of personal interest, the wise men provided Mary and Joseph with gold, frankincense and myrrh.  I have often wondered if the wealth of those things was enough to survive on while they lived in Egypt???

 

Of course then there has been attempts to annihilate the Jewish people, of which Armageddon seems like another such attempt.  The most recent attempt was the horrific Holocaust.  So I ponder whether or not this crack in the earth is simply another satanic attempt to negate the Bible’s prophecy from being fulfilled by attempting (they will be unsuccessful) to destroy the earth prior to Christ returning with the saints???

 

“And Jehovah my God shall come, and all the saints with You.”  Zechariah 14:5b

 

Recently there (2021) has been some heat waves that hit both Europe and particularly the western half of the United States.  There were some people who died during these events, as do happen from time to time, but the heat this year broke records and lasted for quite some time.  Now during the Great Tribulation there will also be scorching heat and I assure you this will make Death Valley seem more delightful as a place to be. 

 

“And the fourth angel poured out his bowl onto the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire.  And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has authority over these plagues; and they did not repent to give Him glory.”  Revelation 16:8-9

 

Now we are going to look at this from a two-fold aspect.  First from the aspect of what it is…men being scorched and then mankind’s response to it. 

 

The official world record for heat, though disputed, is 134°F (56.7°C) recorded at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California in 1913.  That is very hot and would certainly push the electric grid with people’s air conditioners running to probably be over-capacity.  Certainly this would cause some major problems in the world.

 

At some point, whether a movie or a book, I do not recall, I had seen this mentioned in regards to men having to work at night because the heat was so excessive during the day.  Perhaps? 

 

What amount of heat would it take to scorch men?  Well the Bible says it is a great heat, I wonder if it would even be in the 150’s or 160’s???  Think of Antarctica, certainly that would melt, for I assure you it will not just be Death Valley in California or other places that are already known for their heat where this scorching sun will be felt.  Consider the fact that there will be no breeze to cool off a bit!!!

 

“After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.”  Revelation 7:1

 

I recall when we were living in Panama, it was hot, very hot.  We lived in one of the hottest regions of the country, in the province of Chiriquí.  A wind storm came and lasted for a few days, providing some decent size gusts, enough to blow down a couple of our banana trees.  The difference that wind made was significant, not quite as good as the afternoon rain storm, but fair enough to make it comfortable. 

 

This and other reasons, is why this so called concern about ‘climate change’, formerly ‘global warming’, formerly ‘global ice age’, is such nonsense.  The world will end with the earth being burned up (2 Pet. 3:10) so that only those who are ignorant to these Bible teachings or are in unbelief could even fathom such an unbiblical notion of trying to ‘save the earth’ when the end of the earth, as God has spoken, will be destroyed by fire. 

 

Of interest and a theory from a dear friend, one which I also ponder, is that perhaps there are some things hidden underneath all of that ice in Antarctica, things that will cause humanity to close their eyes and plug their ears, so that they can continue on denying Him who Created them.  Things which proclaim the truth of God. 

 

What things?  Could you imagine some cities underneath a mile of ice from prior to the Flood that are still down there preserved for all mankind to see.  Or perhaps the frozen corpses of both dinosaurs and men, preserved from the extreme and extraordinary weather conditions?  Then again the Piri Reis Map of 1513 seems to show the coastlines of Antarctica without ice, something that only modern science has been able to calculate using technological methods. 

 

After all these same people deny the evidence when they see it and look for ‘evidence’ to support their lie that God doesn’t exist.  They don’t want to be held accountable to their Creator, they do not want to repent, they want to pretend that the world just came about on it’s own accord, contrary to what God says through His Word. 

 

These same men will declare hurricanes causing the extinction of dinosaurs near Egg Mountain in Montana, but will provide no explanation of how the hurricane was so severe that it wiped out life of the dinosaurs, but left their eggs in their nest to become fossilized!  These same men will find human bones, fossilized, just as fossilized dinosaur bones and try to bury them in some back room of a museum or a warehouse, never to be seen by public eye again. 

 

These same men will find fossilized human footprints with dinosaurs side by side in Texas, yet they will claim someone chiseled them in the dry river bed, yet years later when more earth is excavated from the side of the river bed they will remain silent as the footsteps continue underneath where the bank was.  These same men will deny the fossilized foot prints showing shoe prints through a desolate terrain, but they will tell us that the human eye was a product of evolution!

 

These same men have found bones of giants, but they are quickly swept away from the public eye and any mention of them become a ‘conspiracy’ as they do not fit the hellbound rhetoric that they want the world to believe. 

 

So perhaps when the heat is scorching men it will be because we cooked one to many burgers!  😀 In all seriousness they will know where it comes from and there will be no hiding it then.  For they will blaspheme their Creator and refuse to repent, as they can no longer hide and lie about God’s existence. 

 

There refusal and rebellion before their Creator will be on public display for all to see that their so-called science that they lied to mankind about was indeed a war against God and one that certainly was deranged enough to drag men to Hell, those who believed such ideas. 

 

So herein is an example of man’s blatant refusal to repent.  In the book of Revelation this same refusal to repent is also mentioned another time:

 

“But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not do homage to demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which are not able to see nor hear nor walk.  And they did not repent of their murders nor their sorceries nor their sexual perversions nor their thefts.”  Revelation 9:20-21

 

So where does this push come from that many pastors across the country have embraced?  This false doctrine is the idea that repentance in not necessary for Salvation.  Why is it then that they refuse to repent during the Great Tribulation, but instead blaspheme God.  So much for believing that Jesus exists and repeating a few words with the mouth, words that do not come from the heart, as a means of Salvation!

 

“Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star falling from heaven towards the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.  And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. And the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit.  And out of the smoke locusts came forth upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.  And they were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.  And it was given to them that they should not kill them, but to torment them for five months. And their torment is like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man.  And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will crave to die, and death will flee from them.  And the shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. And on their heads something like crowns of gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. And they had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions.  And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle.  They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their authority was to hurt men five months.  And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.  One woe is past. Behold, two more woes come after these things.”  Revelation 9:1-12

 

Now this refers to locusts and certainly whatever type of creature, whether some sort of evil insect, a demonic entity or some government released end times horrific thing will make no difference.  One can be assured that these things will be around for five months, hurting men. 

 

With Revelation there is a lot of allegorical reference made.  The Bible clearly states such things with terms as ‘like’.  I’ve heard rumors of horrific chimera underground in cages and other such things, of which I do not know if it is true or not.  I have seen footage of the CIA’s dragonfly spy drone and could only imagine what other tools and weapons the government might have.  Nonetheless, I firmly believe that it will be a locust-like creature, perhaps something straight out of the bottomless pit. 

 

When you consider that there is such a place, for the Bible says so, as the bottomless pit, then one must consider that however it plays out, God’s Word will certainly be fulfilled.

 

“Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, Come and see.  And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering, indeed in order to conquer.  When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see.  And another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.  And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come and see. So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.  And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, Come and see.  So I looked, and behold, a pale green horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed behind him. And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.  And when He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and because of the testimony which they held.  And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?  And a white robe was given to each one of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who were about to be killed as they were, was filled up.  And I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.  And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its untimely figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.  And the heavens separated as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.  And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves 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 who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!  For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”  Revelation 6

 

Mentioned in the Hiding God’s Judgment chapter is that some of the seals may have already been opened or partially opened???  One of the biggest things, that in times past, people used to talk about is the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  While a lot of exactly what these judgments will be, that is preciously, is a mystery and will remain so until they actually occur. 

 

Unbeknownst to most is that the Four Horsemen are not just talked about in Revelation chapter 6, but also in Zechariah chapter 6.

 

“And again I lifted up my eyes and looked, and, behold, four chariots were coming from between two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of bronze.  With the first chariot were red horses, and with the second chariot black horses,  and with the third chariot white horses, and with the fourth dappled and strong horses.  And I answered and said to the angel who talked with me, What are these, my lord?  And the angel answered and said to me, These are the four spirits of Heaven who go forth from standing before the Lord of all the earth.  The black horses in it go into the land of the north, and the white go after them; and the dappled ones go toward the land of the south.  And the strong ones went forth and sought to go, to walk to and fro through the earth. And He said, Go. Walk to and fro through the earth. So they walked to and fro through the earth.  And He cried out to me, and spoke to me, saying, Behold, these who go toward the land of the north have given My Spirit rest in the land of the north.”  Zechariah 6:1-8

 

Nonetheless let us simply take a look at the highlights about what is stated with each of these horses and let the Bible be suffice regarding these things and not speculate too much regarding preciously what is going to occur.

 

White Horse

Rider — Has Bow (no arrows noted) – Given a Crown – Conquering (Conquerer)

Believed to be the Antichrist.

 

Red Horse

Rider — Take Peace from the Earth – That People Should Kill One Another – Given a Sword

 

Black Horse

Rider — Has a Pair of Scales in His Hand – a Voice in the Midst of the Four Living Creatures says:

• “A quart of wheat for a denarius”

• “three quarts of barley for a denarius”

• “do not harm the oil and the wine”

Pale Green Horse

Rider Name: Death — Hades Follows Him – Authority Given Over Fourth of Earth to Kill with:

• Sword

• Hunger

• Death

• by the Beasts of the Earth

Exactly how would one kill with death?

 

What we do know are a few things and some examples of such can readily be seen in our society nowadays.  During the Tribulation these things are going to definitely get much worse and the fact that the pale green horse is given authority to kill over a fourth of the earth’s population, which according to the estimate as of this writing would be 1,968,741,433 people or rather one billion, nine hundred and sixty eight million, seven hundred and forty one thousand and four hundred and thirty three people or nearly two billion people.

 

Now if you were to read through the book of Revelation the ¼ that die here and the 1/3 that die there, you would find that nearly (2/3 for Israel) 90% of the world’s population or over six billion people will have died within the Seventh Week, most presumably during the later half or the time of Jacob’s trouble, also called the Great Tribulation by some.

 

So if we leave off the fact that the white horse is likely the Antichrist and I do believe it to be clear in that regard, then consider that the consequences or judgment of the red horse (the white horse would also be judgment and used for judgment, more later when discussing the Antichrist going against Babylon) are already occurring.  Is not peace being take from the earth, are there not tons of murders happening in our big cities across the world?

 

Every parent knows that the world is not as safe as a place as it used to be.  This is not just the United States of America, but I heard a preacher discussing the same problem as what the world was like there in the 1950’s, mostly carefree in regards to safety, compared to nowadays. 

 

I think of the violence in Mexico that has been occurring for years or rather when I had met a proprietor of a hotel in southern Mexico and was discussing with her about our travels.  This person told me to be extraordinary cautious while in San Salvador, El Salvador.  Outside of our hotel room in San Salvador was a guard with a sawed off shotgun. 

 

Clearly the violence that has been plaguing Chicago, a city I am fairly familiar with, is disappointing and the amount of murders per year continue to go up, as well as several other cities in the USA.  Now imagine the scope of this in the Tribulation!

 

Now with the black horse, it is easily understood that this is speaking of food and the scales is showing how much things will cost.  This is where many get the saying that during the Tribulation it will be a day’s wages for a loaf of bread.  They have done the math, the calculations and figured that out (Matt. 20:2, Rev. 6:6). 

 

Already there is food inflation that is high at the moment, as well as the normal rise in prices verses incomes, etc.  Though the United States, to the best of my knowledge, still has the cheapest food prices in the world, just contemplate in other countries were they still pay workers daily (as Jesus spoke about in the parable in Matthew 20:1-16).  In such places there is usually never enough money to stock up on a week or two worth of groceries, but work is done and the money earned to eat for the day.

 

During the Tribulation things will get much worse, perhaps that is why the pale green horse has one of the means of death being hunger?  Speaking of the pale green horse, the sword used to kill people also correlates with the red horse.  So the black horse could correlate with hunger and the red horse could correlate with peace being taken. 

 

When it comes to the beasts of the earth, this is one where I always think of your family pet no longer being nice, but biting and attacking, like horror films, where literally the animals will be out to get you.  Think of the fact that there is hunger, would that not undoubtedly cause more people to eat the wild and not-so-wild animals as a means of survival.  So if people are killed by the beasts of the earth and there are not as many left, what sort of demeanor might those animals have???!

 

These horsemen and their accompanying judgments are certainly not good things for the world, but already the world is going done this path.  Perhaps some of the first seals have been partially opened and will readily get worse??? 

 

Either way things will get progressively worse during the Seventh Week with the second half being what most people think of regarding the Tribulation.  Another thing that occurs is found in Amos 8:9.

 

“And it shall be in that day, declares the Lord Jehovah, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the light of day.”

 

This presumably speaking of the day of Jehovah.  Yet how many who read such a book as this will even have made it to that point in history? 

 

Of interest is the following verse:

 

“They will throw their silver into the streets, and their gold will be like filthiness; their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of Jehovah; they will not satisfy their souls, nor fill their stomachs, because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity.”  Ezekiel 7:19

 

If I could get a nickel for every time that I have read an article or seen a video discussing the destruction of the United States or some other catastrophic event that is ongoing that had some sort of mention to buy gold or silver or a link to do such, then I might as well be one of those who could also have a good chunk of gold and silver stored up for the fall of the United States, the replacing of the US dollar or whatever event might come upon the citizens of this country.

 

While I am not necessarily against those who store up metal coins as a means of survival or income gain in the future, understand the end result of such things and such mentality of looking towards a shiny metal to provide salvation during the end times will not even be able to fill your stomach during these times, the time of Jacob’s trouble, nor will it deliver you.

 

The Bible speaks about such things:

 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves dig through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not dig through and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:19-21

 

The Bible also prophesies that exactly what we see going on with certain of these gold bugs, as well as bunker builders.

 

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your calamities that are coming upon you.  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.  Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.  Indeed the wages of the laborers who reaped your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.  You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.  You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.  Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.  You also be patient. Make your hearts firm, for the coming of the Lord draws near.  Do not grumble against one another, brethren, that you not be condemned. Behold, the Judge stands at the door.”  Jacob (James) 5:1-9

 

Understand that “the Judge stands at the door” and consider the following:

 

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.  To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  After these things I looked, and behold, a door having been opened in Heaven.”  Revelation 3:20 – 4:1a

 

In order to clear up any misconception and to provide a reminder, this passage from Jacob (James) is speaking about the time prior to the end.  Is this not exactly what we see in the world today?

 

How many young workers complain about their wages and use the CEO of their company as an example?  How many people throughout the years have been murdered and ravaged through pollution and land theft by major corporations all throughout, in particular, third world nations?  Also, are not these same people the ones who are building the underground bunkers, where business is and has been booming for years, as well as buying large private yachts to set sail, some even small islands?  Are these not the same people who build homes that cost multiple millions of dollars, just to have for a ‘plan B’ should the world go into chaos? 

 

For years I have heard stories, seen pictures and even heard some first hand stories of people’s homes that are situated and prepared for just a sort of time.  While their preparations will certainly provide some sort of protection from the peace of the earth being taken away, as well as a certain level of protection from those who would kill them (as they are way off the grid, not near people so the logical likelihood would be decreased), they would also have protection, for a period of time, from the hunger that will kill the world and perhaps the horseman with the scales as they will only see less buying power, but eventually they too will fall victim to the schemes of the Antichrist government, if the effects of the pale green horse or some other judgment or just a natural death do not befall them first. 

 

What they needed was Christ, what they got was a mansion and wealth, the things of this world, which before the end of the Seventh Week will be worthless.  Some of the judgments talked about may very well directly effect them, but certainly the mark of the beast will, because both ‘rich and poor’ will fall victim to the decision that will have to be made there, as well as worshiping the beast or the image of the beast, both eternally fatal decisions that will seal one’s eternal destination to the Lake of Fire. 

 

We know that there will be earthquakes in various places (Matt. 6:7), but the Bible describes an earthquake that will not be equal to anything the world has ever experienced.

 

“And I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.  And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its untimely figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.  And the heavens separated as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.  And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves 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 who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!  For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”  Revelation 6:12-17

 

Does this correlate with the great crack in the earth???  There is also a passage in Isaiah that mentions this rolling up like a scroll.

 

“Come near, you nations, to hear; and you people, pay attention; let the earth hear, and its fullness; the world, and all its offspring.  For the wrath of Jehovah is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them, He has delivered them to the slaughter.  Also their slain shall be thrown out, and their stench shall come up out of their corpses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.  And all the host of the heavens shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; and all their host shall wither, as a leaf withers off the vine, and as fruit falling from the fig tree.  For My sword is drenched in the heavens. Behold, it shall come down upon Edom, and upon the people of My curse, for judgment.  The sword of Jehovah is filled with blood; it is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for Jehovah has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.  And the oryx shall come down with them, and the young bulls with the mighty; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.  For it is the day of Jehovah’s vengeance, the year of retribution for the strife against Zion.  And its streams shall be turned into pitch, and its dust into brimstone, and its land shall become burning pitch.  It shall not be quenched night or day; its smoke shall ascend forever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; no one shall pass through it forever and forever.”  Isaiah 34:1-10

 

Who knows how exactly this will work, it is a mystery, what we know is that it will come to pass for God has declared it.  Of interest, there are some scientist who suggest that essentially the whole universe, outer space, appears to be some sort of gigantic hologram, of which I am not scientific enough to fully grasp exactly how that, black holes and the likes are supposed to work.  One thing that I do know is that the Word of God is true and irregardless of the mechanisms that God created to be used throughout His plans will ultimately make no difference in the eternity of the matter.  What matters is whether or not one is truly Saved.  Back to this earthquake…

 

“For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken. Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel, so that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are on the face of the earth shall quake at My presence. The mountains shall be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.”  Ezekiel 38:19-20

 

“And there shall be on every high mountain, and on every high hill, rivers, streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.”  Isaiah 30:25

 

“And the fortress of the high fort of your walls He will lay low, bring down to the ground, to the dust.”  Isaiah 25:12

 

“For thus says Jehovah of Hosts: Yet once more (it is a little while), and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land.  And I will shake all the nations; and the desire of all nations shall come. And I will fill this house with glory, says Jehovah of Hosts.”  Hag. 2:6-7

 

Of which I also ponder if this in Micah is also fulfilled…

 

“And it shall be in that day, that I will cut off your horses out of your midst, and I will destroy your chariots, declares Jehovah.  And I will cut off the cities of your land and tear down all your fortresses.  And I will cut off sorceries out of your hand, and there shall not be any more conjurers.  And I will also cut off your graven images and your pillars from your midst. And you shall no more bow down to the work of your hands.  And I will pluck your groves from your midst, and I will destroy your cities.  And I will execute vengeance in anger and in fury on the nations, such as they have not heard.”  Micah 5:10-15

 

So in what appears to be the timing of the battle of Armageddon, there will be a great earthquake.  So far the towers are empty in the cities, the streets are laid waste, to the best that can be surmised, here they are coming down.  Consider that EVERY wall shall fall to the ground.

 

Both myself and the coauthor Brandon have had discussions about the implications of this.  If not already destroyed, could you imagine every nuclear reactor in the world releasing toxic radioactive fumes?  How about the minutemen missiles, if they haven’t already been launched? 

 

At this point the world is quite clearly destroyed and afterwards most of humanity is dead, their eternity sealed, their Judgment awaiting.  While these things are certainly interesting and definitely make my experiences with earthquakes seem incredibly middle in comparison, the reality is the day of Jehovah in my opinion is equivalent to the Flood, where only eight souls survived (1 Pet. 3:20).  While the earth was destroyed by a global Flood as accurately described in Genesis 6-8, this time it will be destroyed by fire, this is the end.

 

These things are judgment, while the purpose of the Revelation of Jesus Christ is to reveal Himself as the Messiah and rectify the relationship to what it was intended to be, the world is also under the curse.  While Revelation is always seen as a book of cataclysmic judgments, in reality God’s hand of mercy is available to all who repent and accept Jesus as their Savior.  Really it is about God revealing Himself to mankind and there will be those who chose to accept the mercies of God and those who also harden themselves, who, if they survived thus far, will experience this moment in history.  We will take a brief look at how it doesn’t appear that there will be anyone Saved on earth at this moment in history when the great earthquake happens…a bit later.

 

“Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, cruel and with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land waste; and He shall destroy its sinners out of it.  For the stars of the heavens and their constellations shall not give light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not shine its light.  And I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. And I will put an end to the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the tyrants.”  Isaiah 13:9-11

 

A couple of more and then we will move along to Babylon and its judgment.

 

“And the first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.”  Revelation 8:7

 

 

“Consecrate a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the elders, all the inhabitants of the land, into the house of Jehovah your God, and cry unto Jehovah.  Alas for the day! For the day of Jehovah is at hand. And it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.  Is not the food cut off before our eyes, joy and gladness from the house of our God?  The seed shrivels under their clods; the storehouses are laid waste, the granaries are broken down, for the grain has dried up.  How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep suffer punishment.  O Jehovah, to You I will cry, for the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and has burned all the trees of the field.  The beasts of the field also pant after You, for the rivers of water are dried up, and the fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.”  Joel 1:14-20

 

The question lingers whether or not these are indicative of the exact same judgment or rather two separate judgments, of which the trees are burned up.  For one appears to have a third of the trees burned and the other is quite clear that all are burned.  The one where all are burned states that the “day of Jehovah is at hand” so this would clearly be talking about that particular day.  From what I can gather the third of the trees and ALL green grass burning is a separate earlier event.

 

We have had numerous wildfires in the United States and 2021 brought some of the biggest in modern history of our country.  The smoke could be seen as far away as NYC from the West Coast, these were massive fires.  One could only imagine and ponder the effect of light hitting the earth from the sun and the filter that that would provide during that time, as the air quality would be unbelievable poor.  Could this perhaps also be part of the after effect of the Two Witnesses calling for droughts in certain parts of the world???

 

The already dry ground would make for some very flammable material that could easily burst into flames and spread, as they say, like wildfire.  Just pondering, these things will remain a mystery, nonetheless a note to those backwoodsmen. 

 

Those who are preppers and have stored up enough stuff supposedly for seven years, along with their skills, assume to live off the land and evade detection, well wildfire might just be the one thing that destroys the remote and hidden area that you would need to be in, in order to have a chance at being able to survive a certain amount of time undetected.  So for all of man’s planning regarding such things, even the wealthy who have their homes hidden in impossible to traverse roads or by helicopter only, this is a serious problem and I doubt a bit of vegetation management in the immediate vicinity is going to be able to starve off a serious wildfire coming. 

 

Will this third of trees be instantaneous or will it take some time to complete?  These things will remain a mystery, certainly if you are reading this before that time, do not try to find out these things firsthand. 

 

Finally a look into one more prophetic judgment:

 

“Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.  So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind.  Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; and I heard the number of them.  And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates being fiery like hyacinth and brimstone; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.  By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed; by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths.  For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.”  Revelation 9:13-19

 

This one I will let remain a mystery with a couple of exceptions.  Note that a third of mankind is killed, also the army of 200,000,000 million would make sense in our day and age to be that of China.  The question remains whether or not China will commence an attack, say on the United States (Babylon is destroyed, if the time is now, would the economic center not be New York Ctiy (soon to be discussed)) or is this correlating with the battle of Armageddon??? 

 

Well we know that Babylon will be judged during this ordeal and if we were to look at the United States as the political and economic headquarters of the revived Roman Empire, it could simply be that these rumors of war between China and the United States come to fruition during that time. 

 

“And I saw, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”  Revelation 8:13

Mystery Babylon

 

“1 And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,
2 with whom the kings of the earth prostituted themselves, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her sexual perversities.
3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her sexual perversities.
5 And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.
7 And the angel said to me, Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.
8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
9 Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits.
10 There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.
11 And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and goes to destruction.
12 The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.
13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.
14 These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, elect, and faithful.
15 Then he said to me, The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.
16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and consume her with fire.
17 For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.
18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.

Revelation 18

1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from Heaven, having great power, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every unclean spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual perversities, the kings of the earth have prostituted themselves with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the power of her luxury.
4 And I heard another voice from Heaven saying, Come out of her, my people, so that you not share in her sins, and so that you not receive of her plagues.
5 For her sins have reached to Heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.
7 By however much she has glorified herself and lived luxuriously, by the same amount give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.
8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day; death and mourning and famine. And she will be consumed with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.
9 The kings of the earth who prostituted themselves and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning,
10 standing at a distance because of the terror of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.
11 And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore:
12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of thyine wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble;
13 and cinnamon and incense, ointment and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, beasts and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.
14 And the fruit that your soul lusted for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all.
15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance because of the terror of her torment, weeping and wailing,
16 and saying, Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls!
17 For in one hour such great riches is come to nothing. Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance
18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What is like this great city?
19 And they threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.
20 Rejoice over her, O Heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!
21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall by no means be found anymore.
22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall by no means be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall ever be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall by no means be heard in you anymore.
23 And the light of a lamp shall not ever shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not ever be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were led astray.
24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.”  Revelation 17 & 18

 

 

Clearly in Revelation 17 the Bible is speaking about the Roman Catholic Church.  For many years when I was younger I went back and forth on Revelation 18:9-13, pondering where that would be.  My dear friend suggested that it could by New York City and I had thought it could likewise be London, due to their power to set the gold prices. 

 

This was a debate based upon realizing that not everything is as it appears to be.  Eventually I also came to the conclusion that only New York City, if we were to talk about such times as these being imminent, seemed to meet the mark.  After all, anyone who has traveled international or even watch documentaries know that despite where the product is made, it is often owned by United States companies who often have their headquarters in New York City, or at least the stock exchange where the overall valuation of such companies worth is played out on a daily business day, that is the spot, NYC. 

 

These merchants have distributed wealth and not only that, but they have changed the face of the world.  One can be in the Congo jungle and see American t-shirts on people who otherwise live without many of the other modern amenities.  There is much to this story and much that will not be documented here, as the purpose of this book is to discuss the end times, but where such things seem to be necessary as a question could be asked, where is this city?

 

The question was posed about where was the revived Roman empire, the United States came up as the only logical answer.  An answer that was researched by Brandon, but has me boggled how I never realized that ‘Maryland’ and ‘Virginia’ actually spell ‘virgin Mary’ right on our maps!  That to me, perhaps not to you, is very compelling evidence to show that indeed there is something more than meets the normal train of thought regarding things.

 

In the chapter which discusses the Jesuits and the Roman Catholic Church, Brandon provides an insight into the whole ordeal.  While details are not given, he wrote such a chapter at my request, in order that at least a basis of understanding might be had for what is going to be presented here.  Apparently there is a lot more that could be understood, but for the purpose of this, the question remains, are not what both the Roman Catholic Church and perhaps NYC interconnected and if so, how?  The Bible seems to indicate that this is one entity, despite many over the years, myself included, assuming it was two.

 

“Thus says Jehovah: Behold, I will raise up a destroying wind against Babylon, and against those dwelling in their midst who rise up against Me.  And I will send strangers into Babylon who shall winnow her and shall empty her land. For in the day of calamity they shall be against her all around.  Do not let the archer tread and bend his bow; nor lift himself up in his armor. And do not spare her young men; utterly destroy all her army.  Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, those thrust through in her streets.  For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken by his God, Jehovah of Hosts, though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel.  Flee out of the middle of Babylon, and each man deliver his soul. Do not be cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of Jehovah’s vengeance; He will make good her recompense.  Babylon has been a golden cup in Jehovah’s hand, which made all the earth drunk. The nations have drunk her wine; therefore the nations are deranged.”  Jeremiah 51:1-7

 

Both Jeremiah 50 & 51 talk about Babylon, though we must be careful here as it goes back and forth, talking both about ancient Babylon and the one that is in our midst of the world nowadays.  These verses clearly match Revelation and speak of the Babylon that is spoke of in chapter 17&18.

 

In Daniel we see the political structure of Babylon:

 

“And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron. Inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters all things, and like iron that crushes all these, it will break in pieces and crush.  And whereas you saw the feet and the toes, partly of potters’ clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided. But there shall be in it the strength of iron, just as you saw the iron mixed with miry clay.”  Daniel 2:40-41

 

Is that not preciously what we see nowadays, the world broken into ten regions, some are strong as iron, others are of clay, but together the have the strength of iron.  The United States has the economic and military power of the world.  The fact that the top of the Capital of the United States could be removed and placed onto the Vatican and vice versa screams volumes about something not being right. 

 

Hidden in plan sight, apparently this mystery entity has managed to intertwine itself with the kings of the earth, as well as those who dwell on the earth.  The luxury goods that enslave us all have become corporate entities.  I used to commonly call these large companies corporate America or corporate Babylon. 

 

If one considers that when you shop at a grocery store, despite having a cart of groceries, nearly all of those items purchased are going to only 4 or 5 different companies, or that with the media, nearly all of the news consumed comes from 4 different companies, this is a problem.  These oligopoly systems control many aspects of the world and have been taking over genuine mom-and-pop companies from restaurants to manufacturers for years and years.  With that our freedoms have also left. 

 

In Zechariah 5:11…

 

“And he said to me, To build a house for it in the land of Shinar; and it shall be prepared and set there on its own base.”

 

… the ephah moved to a different base (Statue of Liberty in NYC) symbolizes common ancient origins of Babylon.  While Revelation 17 provides the answer to the ‘great harlot’ which sits on many waters (vs. 1), many waters being nations of the world (vs. 17), the thought isn’t so much that there were differences with some biblical scholars with where it was at, that being the Vatican, but the connection between the Vatican and the United States or other regions, nations, was simply just not seen.

 

In our eyes, George Washington simply fought for independence from the British empire, not entangled or funded by a group of men who control the Vatican, the Jesuits, with their leader known by some as the black pope.  The Bible does provide a bit more insight into this MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

 

“Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground. There is no throne for you, O daughter of the Chaldeans. For you shall no more be called tender and delicate.  Take the millstones and grind meal. Uncover your veil, strip off the skirt, bare the thigh, pass through the rivers.  Your nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, your shame shall be seen; I will take vengeance and I will not meet you as a man.  Our Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel.  Sit in silence, and go into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for you shall no more be called the Queen of Kingdoms.  I was angry with My people, I have polluted My inheritance, and given them into your hand. You have shown them no mercy; upon the aged you have laid your yoke very heavily.  And you said, I shall be a queen forever; so you did not lay these things to heart, nor remember the latter end of it.  Now therefore hear this, O voluptuous one, who lives securely; who says in her heart, I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know the loss of children.  But these two things shall come to you in a moment in one day: The loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness for the multitude of your sorceries, and for the great power of your enchantments.  For you have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, No one sees me. Your wisdom and your knowledge have perverted you; and you have said in your heart, I am, and there is no one else besides me.  Therefore evil shall come upon you, and you shall not know its origin. And disaster shall fall upon you, and you shall not be able to cover it over. And desolation shall come upon you suddenly, which you shall not be informed of.  Stand now with your charms, and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored since your youth. Perhaps you will be able to profit; perhaps you may prevail.  You are wearied by your many counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers and the fortunetellers step forth and save you from what shall come upon you.  Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them. They shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame; it shall not be a coal to be warmed with; nor a fire in front of which to sit.  Thus shall they be to you with whom you have labored, your merchants from your youth. They shall wander, each one, to his own region; no one shall save you.”  Isaiah 47

 

So during the time of Jacob’s trouble this system comes crashing down, which has some interesting aspects, as well as some questions, things that no one will no for sure until it happens.  For Babylon is quite proud:

 

“This is the joyous city, that dwelt confidently, who said in her heart, I am, and there is no other. How she has become a desolation, a place for animals to lie down. Everyone who passes near her shall hiss; he shall shake his hand.”  Zephaniah 2:15

 

Years ago when the United States went to war with Iraq, ancient Babylon, there were many Bible scholars claiming that prophecy was being fulfilled.  They looked at ancient Babylon, most likely Jeremiah 50 & 51, without realizing that it goes back and forth between ancient Babylon and the Mystery Babylon that is found in Revelation.  If you take note, Isaiah 47 calls it the ‘daughter of Babylon’. 

 

This system predates the Roman Catholic Church.  So this system should not be confused to say that the Roman Catholic Church is running everything, no rather, the Roman Catholic Church is the religious arm of this political pagan system that has enveloped the world, largely undetected, though in times past there are many readily available quotes from famous people blaming the Jesuits for causing these problems.  What we do know for sure is this:

 

The Bible is quite clear and there shouldn’t be any confusion as to the religious location of Babylon being Rome.  For centuries many Believers have rightfully declared that system to be Babylon.  Apparently the Jesuits were getting banned from Europe and so founding the United States as a place where freedom of speech and religion abounded was a special characteristic needed by them in order to operate freely without interference from the state.

 

The pope as the Antichrist in my opinion would not make sense as Mystery Babylon will be destroyed (Revelation 18).  These ‘ten kings’ (Rev. 17:12) will join with the Antichrist and put an end to the Mystery Babylon system (Rev. 17:16) for God will:

 

“For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.”  Revelation 17:17

 

If you recall from the Antichrist chapter, the Antichrist appears to ‘rise’ to power.  Well how can one rise to power with the power being held secretly by people in the background of who the majority is not even aware?  For the Antichrist understands “sinister schemes” (Dan. 8:23) and however it will work out, will use these ten kings to destroy the entire system in one hour.

 

I will note that Pope Francis certainly is no fan of President Donald Trump.  In the book Repent!, I make a case for how the world wouldn’t recognize the Antichrist rising, even that what calls itself the Church.  While Donald Trump certainly met what appears to be all of the criteria to be the Antichrist, the assumption would automatically be that he obviously is not because he lost or had the election stolen, however you look at it. 

 

In that regard and call it a partial update to that book, I will simply add the following prophecy, questioning whether or not it could have been fulfilled, only time will tell though.  There is no knowing who the Antichrist is until after he is revealed, which is after the Church Age, the Rapture having occurred, of which case Christians won’t be here, so it would make no difference.  As stated in the book, our job is not to determine who the Antichrist is, yet when a man rises to power and no one takes note of the similarities between Bible prophecy and that man, this is certainly something that is noteworthy.  That verse…

 

“But the court shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy until the end.”  Daniel 7:26

 

For a further understanding, you can get a free copy of the book Repent! from All Will Stand’s website (www.allwillstand.org).  Just scroll down to the bottom right hand corner or search it out on Barnes & Nobles website.

 

So in chapter 18 of Revelation the merchants of the world cry out.  Does this not state that their wealth is connected to that city?

 

“For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were led astray.”  Revelation 18:23b

 

All the nations were led astray, so this is a city that has power over all of the nations.  Now we do not know whether or not the time of Jacob’s trouble will be soon or 100, 200 or even more years from now.  However, if it were now, I do ask and please do tell, which other city could meet this description?  Certainly not Rome.