Mystery Babylon status rev.17

[iamlamad]

19 hours ago, Revelation Man said:

As per the Two-Witnesses, they are killed at the 2nd Woe, so unless the Third Woe or all 7 Vials last just three days it doesn't add up. The Two-Witnesses have to be on earth 1260 days. The Beast has to rule 1260 days. So of the Two-Witnesses show up 3 1/2 days before the Beast then the Seven Vials can only last 3 1/2 days. Their timelines both have to add up to 1260 days. That is why I say the two witnesses show up a month or two before the Beast comes to power. And that is what Malachi 4:5-6 suggests, the two witnesses turn Israel back to God before the Day of the Lord comes. 

I think you have it mixed up. You have missed something most people miss. John has included some parentheses in his writing that have no bearing on his chronology. The best example is chapter 12:1-5. That is written as a parenthesis, and it about the birth of Christ, but is inserted right at the midpoint. Of course His birth is NOT a midpoint event!

To follow John's chronology, chapter 11 begins just a few days before the abomination that will divide the week. The 42 months of trampling will begin. Then the two witnesses show up and their 1260 days will begin. But from 11:4 on to 11:13 or so, John wrote as a parenthesis. In NO WAY are we to suppose that the 1260 days of testifying will take place in chapter 11! No way! Because when we get to 12:6 and the fleeing, we know from Jesus that they will flee the moment they see the abomination: so 12:6 is a second or two after the abomination.

Once John introduces us to the two witnesses, he takes us on a SIDE JOURNEY or rabbit trail, so to speak, down the last half of the week with them. But it is a parenthesis with no bearing on his chronology. In reality, they will testify right up into chapter 16 and just 3½ days before the 7th vial that ends the week.

Therefore, to follow John's chronology:

11:1-3 then to 11:14-19, then 12:6-the end of chapter 12

John does the same thing in chapter 13. He introduces the Beast in realtime, which would be just after the 7th trumpet that marks the midpoint, but then takes us down the last half of the week with the two Beasts, showing us what they would be doing. But when we get to chapter 14, we are right back to just after the midpoint.

Quote

So of the Two-Witnesses show up 3½ days before the Beast then the Seven Vials can only last 3 1/2 days.

I think you have it mixed up. They show up perhaps only a moment after the man of sin enters Jerusalem. He is not the beast yet - he is the man of sin, and not yet revealed as the Beast.

After the 3½ days He will enter the temple and the abomination will take place. The daily sacrifices will cease. The 7th trumpet will sound in heaven marking the midpoint.

So at this time, we have TWO timelines running concurrently: the 42 months of trampling and the 1260 days of testifying, probably both starting on the same 24 hour day. One or two seconds later, at 12:6, the fleeing begins and we have THREE timelines running: we add the timeline of the 1260 days of fleeing. Then the 3 1/2 years of supernatural feeding and protection will begin, so another timeline is added. After some unknown period of time, probably very short, the Beast will start his 42 months of authority. This may well start with the abomination, but may not. But now we have five timelines all running concurrently: the trampling, the testifying, the fleeing, the feeding, and the authority. All these will be going concurrently during chapter 13, chapter 14, chapter 15, and chapter 16. Indeed, the 42 months of authority will go to chapter 19 and Jesus' return.

I am not sure of this, but it just may be that the first 6 vials are poured out in ONE DAY. It is written that her plagues come in one day. But if not, I think they will begin late in the last half of the week, right when the beheadings are at their peak. God will shorten those days of great tribulation by pouring out the vials. There is NO TIMELINE for the vials that I have seen. The timeline is the 42 months of authority given to the Beast.

The two witnesses, without much doubt, will be the two men that never died: Enoch and Elijah. They will come from heaven and will suddenly show up.

Edited June 2, 2017 by iamlamad

[iamlamad]

19 hours ago, Revelation Man said:

These are Descriptions or descriptors. Its not Mystery Babylon, its MYSTERY, (COMMA) Babylon the Great, Abominations of he Earth, and Mother of Harlots. It was no longer a Mystery after verse 7 because we are told who the Harlot and who Babylon is. Babylon the Great was the CITY Tattooed on her head. (Rev. 17:18). Abominations of the Earth, Daniel 5, they were defiling Gods Holy Temples Wares. Mother of Harlots = where False Religion flourished/was born. 100's of Religions, Astrology, 100's of demi-gods. Its the CLUE to who this is. Daniel 5 is the same picture, they worshiped god made of Gold, silver, brass, iron, stone and wood. God sees worshiping False Gods as an Abomination and as Harlotry. The Old Testament was about Israel and Jerusalem. God made an example out of them, Israel and Jerusalem are UNDER JUDGMENT as we speak because she was a Harlot. YOU MISS the bigger picture. God is now and during Revelation, judging the WHOLE WORLD, not just Israel. Thus the WHOLE WORLD is being Judged.

I have to say, this is just a lot of human reasoning. John tells us it is her NAME: " Mystery, Babylon The Great, The Mother Of Harlots And Abominations Of The Earth." If we just take John at his word, and keep this in its context....

"I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: ² With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication."

First, what is the time? The 70th week has finished, but Jesus had not yet returned. The beast had deceived almost every human alive on the earth. Most of those he did not deceive, he beheaded! Put this in perspective: NEVER in the history of the earth has anyone be able to deceive the entire planet! What the Beast and false prophet have done by this time is MONUMENTAL: never been seen on earth before. And all this deception was coming from the city of Jerusalem, GOD's CITY! The very city with which He wanted to show the world the goodness of God. So keep this in perspective and in context: it will be the judgment of the great whore. John did NOT SAY the judgment of anything else, not a judgment of kingdoms, not a judgment of the Beast. However, God then describes the beast that she was riding on, and exerting influence on.

So the angel says he will tell of the mystery of the Woman and of the Beast she is riding. But he begins with the Beast, not the Woman! The Beast ultimately is Satan the Dragon, but with or including 7 heads (presidents or leaders and their nations) and then then horns or ten presidents of nations separate from the 7.  AT the time of John, the beast was not, or did not exist on earth. But some time before John He did. What does this tell us?

I think it was Satan's active power in raising up Nebuchadnezzar. He was certainly behind the attempt to destroy the Jews at the time of Esther in Persia.  However, it seems at the time frame the angel was speaking to John, this Beast was inactive, not doing anything on the earth. John wrote that he would ascend from the bottomless pit. John showed us this at the 5th trumpet. I believe it was Satan who came up at that time. He is the destroyer. And it will be Satan who possesses the Beast, in my opinion.

However, in perspective, during the last half of the week, the Beast will be over 7 nations. They are to represent the ancient empires - in the same land areas. This tells me it will be IRAQ and IRAN, Jordan, Syria, and other "stan type nations, IMHO.

So, during the last half of week (the CONTEXT) what has happened? The greatest deception of all time every foisted upon human begins begins from the city of Jerusalem. Every nation is deceived. Almost every human on earth is deceived. We have no concept today of the depth of this deception. But the point is, the CONTEXT. This is not about the Vatican. It is not about Buddhism or Hinduism or any of the false religions that ever came on the earth. It is about the last half of the week and about the Beast and False prophet deceiving the ENTIRE WORLD. Therefore, it is about JERUSALEM and what has happened there during these 3 1/2 years.

 

Once John has described the Beast that this woman has been riding on, he tells us (as the angel told him) that the woman is a CITY. Not false religion, not the Vatican, not anything else but a CITY. And in context, it can be no other city that Jerusalem. That is where the Beast has been. Then in chapter 18, John describes the destruction of the city of Jerusalem.

The US has talked about "the mother of all bombs..." meaning one of the biggest, NOT meaning the first or the original. I think this is the meaning in Revelation as "the mother of all harlots." There has been and never will be any deception as great as what is coming from the Beast and False Prophet. So there has never been and never will be again any city from which such deception has ever come. The Vatican will not even come close. Mecca will not even come close.

The judgment of the world will have begun during the great earthquake of the 6th seal and then trumpet judgments. And culminating in the final vial judgment where the cities of the nations will fall. But what God is concentrating on in chapters 17 and 18 is the judgment of Jerusalem. 

The whole world will again be involved for the judgment of the nations after Christ returns.

[Revelation Man]

11 hours ago, iamlamad said:

Sorry, but no. John is called up to heaven, not the church, and for the purpose of learning future events. (This does NOT preclude God from showing John some past events.)

 

The Church is in Heaven, John is irrelevant. He will be there to, but the vision is irrelevant to the timing. 

The Church is in Heaven when the Seals are opened at the MID-WAY Point of the Week. The Harlot is KILLED (Rev. 17:16) at this time. Christians are Murdered (Rev. 12:17, The Remnant) and Israel Flees to the Wilderness, all at the time of Rev. 6. 

[Revelation Man]

2 hours ago, iamlamad said:

Sorry, but no. You are rearranging John’s God given chronology, and your  theory  immediately suspect, and it will be proven wrong. Rev.12 does NOT happen during Rev. 6. That is a myth.

 

Of course it does, that's why Israel remains Protected for 1260 Days (42 Months). What is the Mid-way point in the week? The Anti-Christ coming forth, as the BEAST, who rules for 42 Months. The Math is easy here. 

Seal 2, 3 and 4 are attempts to stymie the Gospel? So you are one of those who say the Seals have already been broken? If so I am wasting my time here. I will just write a thread about Revelation and the timing on my own. 

The 5th Seal has nothing to do with Church age Martyr, its Tribulation Martyrs. The Church is in Heaven.

2 hours ago, iamlamad said:

This is myth and it is trying to rearrange John’s God given chronology. The seals must all be broken before the book can be opened. The trumpet judgments are INSIDE THE BOOK so cannot come until all 7 seals are opened.

 

The Seals have nothing to do with "BOOKS" in the bible. Its about the Anti-Christ coming forth. 

2 hours ago, iamlamad said:

This is myth for the same reason. It is not in any way the intent of the author to rearrange. Any attempt at rearranging will be proven wrong.

Quote

If the events all overlap, and they do, what are you even talking about? These are all FUTURE VISIONS. 

2 hours ago, iamlamad said:

WRONG! IT is not what is written. It is true that all seals will be broken when He comes to power, but all 7 trumpets must be sounded also before he will get his 42 months of authority.

 

The Anti-Christ comes to power at the Mid-way point which is Chapter 6. 

1 hour ago, iamlamad said:

That is MYTH.

Axiom on Revelation: ANY theory that must rearrange John God given chronology is immediately suspect and will be proven wrong.

 

The ONLY MYTH seems to be you thinking Revelation is in Sequence.

1 hour ago, iamlamad said:

How is it you find such a need to rearrange? This is myth! Chapters 17 and 18 as told by John is the JUDGMENT of Jerusalem.

Wrong....Its the Judgment of the Harlot = False Religion and  Babylon = False Government = The Statue of Daniel 2 that gets SMASHED to smithereens by the Rock Jesus.

35 minutes ago, iamlamad said:

The 70th week has finished, but Jesus had not yet returned. The beast had deceived almost every human alive on the earth.

The 70th Week doesn't end until the 7th Vial comes to pass.

[iamlamad]

11 hours ago, Revelation Man said:

Of course it does, that's why Israel remains Protected for 1260 Days (42 Months). What is the Mid-way point in the week? The Anti-Christ coming forth, as the BEAST, who rules for 42 Months. The Math is easy here. 

Seal 2, 3 and 4 are attempts to stymie the Gospel? So you are one of those who say the Seals have already been broken? If so I am wasting my time here. I will just write a thread about Revelation and the timing on my own. 

The 5th Seal has nothing to do with Church age Martyr, its Tribulation Martyrs. The Church is in Heaven.

The Seals have nothing to do with "BOOKS" in the bible. Its about the Anti-Christ coming forth. 

If the events all overlap, and they do, what are you even talking about? These are all FUTURE VISIONS. 

The Anti-Christ comes to power at the Mid-way point which is Chapter 6. 

The ONLY MYTH seems to be you thinking Revelation is in Sequence.

Wrong....Its the Judgment of the Harlot = False Religion and  Babylon = False Government = The Statue of Daniel 2 that gets SMASHED to smithereens by the Rock Jesus.

The 70th Week doesn't end until the 7th Vial comes to pass.

Sorry, Revelation Man, but your theories, for the most part, are so far from the intent of the Author, and from the commentators, I will give up.  You are not going to change your thinking, of that I am convinced.

I was not talking about "books" in the bible: I was talking about THE BOOK in the right hand of the Father, the book sealed with seven seals. And even that went right over your head. As I have said over and over, your theories will be proven wrong, for you thought you must rearrange John's God given Chronology. When these things continue to come to pass, you will see.

Seal 2, 3 and 4 are attempts to stymie the Gospel? So you are one of those who say the Seals have already been broken? If so I am wasting my time here

No, it was really me that wasted my time. The church has been waiting between the 5th and 6th seals since the beginning.

Edited June 3, 2017 by iamlamad

[iamlamad]

12 hours ago, Revelation Man said:

The Church is in Heaven, John is irrelevant. He will be there to, but the vision is irrelevant to the timing. 

The Church is in Heaven when the Seals are opened at the MID-WAY Point of the Week. The Harlot is KILLED (Rev. 17:16) at this time. Christians are Murdered (Rev. 12:17, The Remnant) and Israel Flees to the Wilderness, all at the time of Rev. 6. 

Almost everything you write is wrong.  How could anyone get so far off?  Your first and second sentences are WRONG.
John was called up to heaven around 95 AD as shown in Rev. 4:1. That was not the church, it was JOHN called up. It is a MYTH to imagine Rev. 4:1 is the rapture. In Revelation the rapture will come a moment before the 6th seal. Not before. Not in Rev. 4:1.

Just so you will know, it is the entire chapters of 4 & 5 that show us the timing of the first seals. But it has gone right over your head.

Next, you are WRONG in your third sentence: the midway point is at the 7th TRUMPET. You are wrong in your forth sentence: The "harlot" is a city. You cannot "kill" a city! How can you get so far off? And the city is not destroyed until AFTER THE WEEK has finished.

You are wrong in your fifth and last sentence, so are are batting ZERO here. The woman flees when they seen the abomination: you know, the very one Jesus spoke of and Daniel spoke of - the abomination that will divide the week. The midpoint is a the 7th TRUMPET, and NO TRUMPET can sound until all 7 seals are opened. Again, how could anyone get so far off?

BACK TO BASICS: the "book" is sealed with 7 seals, and cannot be opened until all seals are broken or opened. Got it? What is INSIDE the book begins after the 7th seal is broken. That would be the trumpet judgments.

NO trumpet will sound until all seven seals are broken.

Your theories will be proven wrong. You are attempting to rearrange John's book.

[wingnut-]

On 5/30/2017 at 5:14 PM, iamlamad said:

Please keep in mind, God numbered the seals, the trumpets, the vials and the woes for sequencing, just so people would not try to rearrange them. How sad, some still try.

Axiom in Revelation: Any theory that must rearrange John's God given chronology is immediately suspect and will be proven wrong.

You probably will not believe this. I wrote it.

 

Revelation is not chronological my friend, chapter 11 alone is evidence of that.

 

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:

“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

 

Still 11 chapters to go in the book, so your argument doesn't hold water.  These things don't occur until the end, it is obvious.

God bless

[wingnut-]

On 5/30/2017 at 6:07 PM, warrior12 said:

Hi Wingnut. Thanks for posting your views and are you saying that Israel is indeed the harlot that was in OT, would be the one to take that role again.  Not sure if i have this correct, but please continure with your presentation on your time and we can wait, no problem.

 

Yes, Israel is definitely the harlot, but Mystery Babylon is about more than just the harlot, it also includes Jerusalem, and the beast along with his kingdom.  I forgot an important detail in my original post that I have since edited, but I will add that here as well as a starting point.

 

Revelation 17:4 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 fornication.

 

from Zechariah...

 

Zechariah 12: 2 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem."

 

Above you said something about Israel being the harlot from the OT, but keep in mind that Hosea is a prophetic book about the future.  Israel has never stopped being the harlot, and when the anti-christ comes on the scene she will commit the worst of crimes.  Many believe that he will force himself on her, and that the peace treaty itself will be forced.  I disagree with that thought process, she will embrace him and invite him into their lives and into Jerusalem itself.  This all falls under the strong delusion.

Unbelieving Jews are still waiting for the Messiah, this is what separates Judaism from Christianity.  They reject Jesus because He was not at all what they expected, they expected a warrior, someone the whole world would fear.  The anti-christ will come as a man, but as the evidence will show the second beast gives him great power, and the ability to perform miracles and wonders.

 

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

 

So going back to Revelation 17, let's look at what is given in regards to the beast the woman rides.  Keep in mind that there are two different beasts in Revelation because the underlined section above will remain a factor.

 

Revelation 17:7 But 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.

 

The reason John marveled is because Israel is in league with this beast, not at all what he was expecting to see happening.  The identity as to which one of the two beasts this is, is found right here.

 

Revelation 13  Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

 

The anti-christ comes from the sea of humanity, he is an actual person at this point.

 

Revelation 17:8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. 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.

 

Two important pieces given here, starting with the phrase that the beast was, and is not.  The explanation is found in regards to the mortal head wound that is suffered.

 

Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

 

He was until someone kills him, which is why he is not anymore, because he is dead.  The next significant part is what immediately follows, ascending out of the bottomless pit.  We see that occur here.

 

Revelation 9  Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.

 

And the identity is given at the end of the passage.

 

Revelation 9:11 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.

 

The names Abaddon and Apollyon mean 'destroyer'.  And the answer to this should be fairly clear as to which angel is king of the bottomless pit, but here is some clarification on that.

 

Revelation 9:12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

 

The first woe, which we see attached to this event from Revelation 12.

 

Revelation 12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

 

This is the event, here is the evidence that links them in what follows.

 

Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

 

The star that falls is satan, he was given the key to the bottomless pit, and we know from scripture who has held the key since His resurrection.  The enemy has now been given his authority, and his time is short.  The first woe is past at this point, and now we move on to how Rev 17:8 concludes, and how the beast yet is.

 

Revelation 17:9 “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 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.

 

In this section we see the confirmation that these are all linked, it is for a short time, 3 1/2 years or 42 months.  Verse 11 is referring to what we see take place in events we have already touched on and also tie into the beast that was, is not, and is yet to come.  The second beast, who comes out of the earth after opening the bottomless pit.

 

Revelation 13:2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

 

The man who was is not, at this point he is indwelt by satan.  This is displayed in the passage regarding the beast out of the earth

 

Revelation 13:11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

 

It is the image of the man who was and is not, and the image is the physical appearance, the man has gone to perdition.  If I were a betting man, I would say this image will rise in three days of the mortal wound, another mockery of God.  It is also part of the deception to those who are familiar with the bible, but are not truly believers.  This is part of the strong delusion that will cause many to walk away from the faith, and hate and betray true believers as Jesus told us in Matthew 24 would happen.  This is when the war on the saints begins, after the bottomless pit is opened by satan and the anti-christ rises from the dead.

 

Revelation 17:12 “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, chosen, and faithful.”

 

The ten kings have still not received their kingdom at this point.  They only receive their authority for one hour, which we see play out in Revelation 18.  The proof is found in verse 14, they make war with the Lamb, Jesus, at His second coming which is made as clear as possible in the above passage.  It cannot happen before He comes, because they cannot make war with Him if He is not here.

 

Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn 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."

 

The conclusion of the chapter points us to how the end plays out, starting with verses 16 and 17 which we are told about by the prophet Zechariah.

 

Zechariah 14  Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

 

The anti-christ has been reigning from Jerusalem, but we know how he gathers the kings for this battle.  Verses 1 and 2 from Zechariah 14 are described to us in Revelation 19.

 

Revelation 19  After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!”

 

His judgement is carried out by the enemy, as He put it in their hearts to fulfill His purpose.  Here is a reminder of that again from what we already covered.

 

Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn 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."

 

Below is the passage that shows this being accomplished.

 

Revelation 16:12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

 

So these ten kings come and destroy Jerusalem in the one hour they are given authority, which we are shown multiple times in Revelation 18 as shown below.

 

Revelation 18:8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

 

She is burned with fire as prophesied...

 

Revelation 18:9 “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’

 

Take note of the alas, alas part, this is translated also as woe, woe.... pointing to the second woe which is the 6th trumpet, also revolving around the Euphrates which is linked to the way for the kings.

 

Revelation 18:19 “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.’

 

Again we see alas, alas and the one hour...

 

20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”

 

We already saw this take place in the passage from Revelation 19 up above.  We will revisit this information again, but I want to first point out exactly where this event ties in with other events.  Look back at what we covered with the gathering of the kings and what follows it.

 

Revelation 16:12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

 

First they are gathered for the battle of that great day of God Almighty in which they begin by destroying Jerusalem, what immediately follows that in verse 15 is the sign of the thief, which from Matthew 24 is the event where one is taken and one is left.  This is the gathering/ catching away, and compare that to what was said at the beginning of Revelation 18.

 

Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues."

 

And what follows from where we left off in Revelation 19.

 

Revelation 19:6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

 

The marriage of the Lamb comes after Jerusalem is attacked, and in conjunction with the gathering/catching away from Rev 16:15.  Look what immediately follows from Revelation 19.

 

Revelation 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

 

Which matches with Zechariah's prophecy from where we left off.

 

Zechariah 14  Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

3 Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.
5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley,
For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.
Yes, you shall flee
As you fled from the earthquake
In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

Thus the Lord my God will come,
And all the saints with You.

 

Verse 1 and 2 we see the city fall, and in verse 3 we see the Lord going forth to fight against the very nations that attacked Jerusalem, the beast, false prophet and the ten kings.  In verse 5 we the Lord promises to come, and all the saints with Him following the gathering/catching away from Revelation 16 and from the beginning of Revelation 18.  And what took place that sets off this chain reaction?

 

Revelation 11:7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

 

Once the two witnesses are killed, the enemy decides to strike down Jerusalem which he has not been able to do with those two present.  You see that at this point the people on earth are celebrating and partying over their deaths, giving each other gifts.  Their deaths pave the way for the assault on Jerusalem, and within three days the enemy is ready to attack, and look what follows this.

 

Revelation 11:11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

 

The second woe is past after the two witnesses are told to "Come up here", aligning with Revelation 18 where the Lord tells His people to come out of Babylon, and Revelation 16 where He says He is coming as a thief.  All the same event.  In the same hour their enemies see them ascend to heaven comes the great earthquake, and the fall of Babylon.  The great earthquake comes with the third woe which comes quickly, compare what else goes hand in hand with the short time these final events happen.

 

Revelation 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.

 

So how does all of this fit with the information in Revelation 18, in regards to the wealth that flows through it.  Here is the evidence for that explanation.

 

Revelation 13: 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

 

The beast and his kingdom rule everything, no one can buy or sell without his mark, which makes all wealth pass through Jerusalem where he reigns.  All other religions are done away with when he comes to power, all are forced to worship him or die.  Total control over the entire world.

 

Revelation 13:12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

 

It is his way or the highway so to speak, both economically and in regards to religion, all wealth is his as well as all worship.  Those who refuse will be killed.  This goes on for 3 1/2 years, right up to the day Jesus comes and cleans house.  That is the best way I know how to lay out the evidence for you warrior12, I hope it makes sense to you considering I did this when I should have been sleeping.

God bless

[iamlamad]

5 hours ago, wingnut- said:

 

Revelation is not chronological my friend, chapter 11 alone is evidence of that.

 

Revelation 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying:

“We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.
18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

 

Still 11 chapters to go in the book, so your argument doesn't hold water.  These things don't occur until the end, it is obvious.

God bless

There are minor exceptions, such as prophecy: foretelling future events,  and such as parentheses.

The 24 elders are giving us a peak and future events here. However, His wrath HAS COME at this time.

Good point. 

In general, events in one chapter will take place AFTER the events of previous chapters, and BEFORE events in later chapters.  For example, to say "this trumpet judgment will really take place at the 6th seal" is nonsense. It is attempting to rearrange the book.

Once we get into chapter 11, then John is writing about parallel events. By chapter 13, there are 5 events all running concurrently and will continue so to the end of the week. It is impossible to sequence concurrent events except for their time of start and perhaps the time of their ending. These 5 parallel events do not all start at the same time, and will not all end at the same time.

Now, with these clarifications, do  you still disagree?

[iamlamad]

41 minutes ago, wingnut- said:

 

Yes, Israel is definitely the harlot, but Mystery Babylon is about more than just the harlot, it also includes Jerusalem, and the beast along with his kingdom.  I forgot an important detail in my original post that I have since edited, but I will add that here as well as a starting point.

 

Revelation 17:4 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 fornication.

 

from Zechariah...

 

Zechariah 12: 2 “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem."

 

Above you said something about Israel being the harlot from the OT, but keep in mind that Hosea is a prophetic book about the future.  Israel has never stopped being the harlot, and when the anti-christ comes on the scene she will commit the worst of crimes.  Many believe that he will force himself on her, and that the peace treaty itself will be forced.  I disagree with that thought process, she will embrace him and invite him into their lives and into Jerusalem itself.  This all falls under the strong delusion.

Unbelieving Jews are still waiting for the Messiah, this is what separates Judaism from Christianity.  They reject Jesus because He was not at all what they expected, they expected a warrior, someone the whole world would fear.  The anti-christ will come as a man, but as the evidence will show the second beast gives him great power, and the ability to perform miracles and wonders.

 

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

 

So going back to Revelation 17, let's look at what is given in regards to the beast the woman rides.  Keep in mind that there are two different beasts in Revelation because the underlined section above will remain a factor.

 

Revelation 17:7 But 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.

 

The reason John marveled is because Israel is in league with this beast, not at all what he was expecting to see happening.  The identity as to which one of the two beasts this is, is found right here.

 

Revelation 13  Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

 

The anti-christ comes from the sea of humanity, he is an actual person at this point.

 

Revelation 17:8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. 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.

 

Two important pieces given here, starting with the phrase that the beast was, and is not.  The explanation is found in regards to the mortal head wound that is suffered.

 

Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

 

He was until someone kills him, which is why he is not anymore, because he is dead.  The next significant part is what immediately follows, ascending out of the bottomless pit.  We see that occur here.

 

Revelation 9  Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.

 

And the identity is given at the end of the passage.

 

Revelation 9:11 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.

 

The names Abaddon and Apollyon mean 'destroyer'.  And the answer to this should be fairly clear as to which angel is king of the bottomless pit, but here is some clarification on that.

 

Revelation 9:12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things.

 

The first woe, which we see attached to this event from Revelation 12.

 

Revelation 12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

 

This is the event, here is the evidence that links them in what follows.

 

Revelation 12:12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

 

The star that falls is satan, he was given the key to the bottomless pit, and we know from scripture who has held the key since His resurrection.  The enemy has now been given his authority, and his time is short.  The first woe is past at this point, and now we move on to how Rev 17:8 concludes, and how the beast yet is.

 

Revelation 17:9 “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 The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.

 

In this section we see the confirmation that these are all linked, it is for a short time, 3 1/2 years or 42 months.  Verse 11 is referring to what we see take place in events we have already touched on and also tie into the beast that was, is not, and is yet to come.  The second beast, who comes out of the earth after opening the bottomless pit.

 

Revelation 13:2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

 

The man who was is not, at this point he is indwelt by satan.  This is displayed in the passage regarding the beast out of the earth

 

Revelation 13:11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

 

It is the image of the man who was and is not, and the image is the physical appearance, the man has gone to perdition.  If I were a betting man, I would say this image will rise in three days of the mortal wound, another mockery of God.  It is also part of the deception to those who are familiar with the bible, but are not truly believers.  This is part of the strong delusion that will cause many to walk away from the faith, and hate and betray true believers as Jesus told us in Matthew 24 would happen.  This is when the war on the saints begins, after the bottomless pit is opened by satan and the anti-christ rises from the dead.

 

Revelation 17:12 “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, chosen, and faithful.”

 

The ten kings have still not received their kingdom at this point.  They only receive their authority for one hour, which we see play out in Revelation 18.  The proof is found in verse 14, they make war with the Lamb, Jesus, at His second coming which is made as clear as possible in the above passage.  It cannot happen before He comes, because they cannot make war with Him if He is not here.

 

Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn 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."

 

The conclusion of the chapter points us to how the end plays out, starting with verses 16 and 17 which we are told about by the prophet Zechariah.

 

Zechariah 14  Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

 

The anti-christ has been reigning from Jerusalem, but we know how he gathers the kings for this battle.  Verses 1 and 2 from Zechariah 14 are described to us in Revelation 19.

 

Revelation 19  After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!”

 

His judgement is carried out by the enemy, as He put it in their hearts to fulfill His purpose.  Here is a reminder of that again from what we already covered.

 

Revelation 17:16 And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate and naked, eat her flesh and burn 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."

 

Below is the passage that shows this being accomplished.

 

Revelation 16:12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

 

So these ten kings come and destroy Jerusalem in the one hour they are given authority, which we are shown multiple times in Revelation 18 as shown below.

 

Revelation 18:8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

 

She is burned with fire as prophesied...

 

Revelation 18:9 “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’

 

Take note of the alas, alas part, this is translated also as woe, woe.... pointing to the second woe which is the 6th trumpet, also revolving around the Euphrates which is linked to the way for the kings.

 

Revelation 18:19 “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.’

 

Again we see alas, alas and the one hour...

 

20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”

 

We already saw this take place in the passage from Revelation 19 up above.  We will revisit this information again, but I want to first point out exactly where this event ties in with other events.  Look back at what we covered with the gathering of the kings and what follows it.

 

Revelation 16:12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

15 “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon.

 

First they are gathered for the battle of that great day of God Almighty in which they begin by destroying Jerusalem, what immediately follows that in verse 15 is the sign of the thief, which from Matthew 24 is the event where one is taken and one is left.  This is the gathering/ catching away, and compare that to what was said at the beginning of Revelation 18.

 

Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues."

 

And what follows from where we left off in Revelation 19.

 

Revelation 19:6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! 7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.”

 

The marriage of the Lamb comes after Jerusalem is attacked, and in conjunction with the gathering/catching away from Rev 16:15.  Look what immediately follows from Revelation 19.

 

Revelation 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

 

Which matches with Zechariah's prophecy from where we left off.

 

Zechariah 14  Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,
And your spoil will be divided in your midst.
2 For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;
The city shall be taken,
The houses rifled,
And the women ravished.
Half of the city shall go into captivity,
But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

3 Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.
5 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley,
For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal.
Yes, you shall flee
As you fled from the earthquake
In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

Thus the Lord my God will come,
And all the saints with You.

 

Verse 1 and 2 we see the city fall, and in verse 3 we see the Lord going forth to fight against the very nations that attacked Jerusalem, the beast, false prophet and the ten kings.  In verse 5 we the Lord promises to come, and all the saints with Him following the gathering/catching away from Revelation 16 and from the beginning of Revelation 18.  And what took place that sets off this chain reaction?

 

Revelation 11:7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

 

Once the two witnesses are killed, the enemy decides to strike down Jerusalem which he has not been able to do with those two present.  You see that at this point the people on earth are celebrating and partying over their deaths, giving each other gifts.  Their deaths pave the way for the assault on Jerusalem, and within three days the enemy is ready to attack, and look what follows this.

 

Revelation 11:11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

 

The second woe is past after the two witnesses are told to "Come up here", aligning with Revelation 18 where the Lord tells His people to come out of Babylon, and Revelation 16 where He says He is coming as a thief.  All the same event.  In the same hour their enemies see them ascend to heaven comes the great earthquake, and the fall of Babylon.  The great earthquake comes with the third woe which comes quickly, compare what else goes hand in hand with the short time these final events happen.

 

Revelation 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. 19 Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. 20 Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. 21 And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.

 

So how does all of this fit with the information in Revelation 18, in regards to the wealth that flows through it.  Here is the evidence for that explanation.

 

Revelation 13: 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

 

The beast and his kingdom rule everything, no one can buy or sell without his mark, which makes all wealth pass through Jerusalem where he reigns.  All other religions are done away with when he comes to power, all are forced to worship him or die.  Total control over the entire world.

 

Revelation 13:12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

 

It is his way or the highway so to speak, both economically and in regards to religion, all wealth is his as well as all worship.  Those who refuse will be killed.  This goes on for 3 1/2 years, right up to the day Jesus comes and cleans house.  That is the best way I know how to lay out the evidence for you warrior12, I hope it makes sense to you considering I did this when I should have been sleeping.

God bless

This was a good post, but I disagree on your timing of the gathering, and a few other points. For example, if a beast really did have 7 heads, and one head died, the beast itself would not die, only the head. In this case, "heads" are to represent kings and their kingdoms. So when John tells us one head receives a deadly wound, it is not talking about a man per se, but a man WITH HIS KINGDOM. Example? Consider Iraq: Iraq was conquered, and her "king" hung. Iraq is ancient Babylon and will - without much doubt - be one of the 7 heads. I expect that one day Iraq will get another radical Islamic leader.

The next point is your timing for the two witnesses being killed. That portion of chapter 11 is written as a parenthesis and does not fit in reality before the 7th trumpet. These two prophets will show up just before the abomination that will divide the week (they show up because the man of sin shows up in preparation for entering the temple) and will begin testifying just before the abomination. They will be testifying while the city is being trampled, while those in Judea flee, while those that flee are fed and protected, and while the Beast has his authority. They will testify right up until 3 1/2 days before the end of the week before they are killed. The earthquake mentioned when their rise will be the very same earthquake as seen at the 7th vial that ends the week.

Still, it was a good post with a lot of information.